scrap yard weight differance

Originally Posted by jmerritt

ok at the scrap yard today they were getting $210 a ton. i took in a 93 gmc blazer the sticker on the door said gvwr was 5,100#?
but at the scale it said it weighed 4,320#? i even loaded some scrap metal inside the vehicle! the check from the scrap yard was $453.60 -$10.00 for gas tank=$443.60. my calclations gvwr 5,100# at $210 a ton at 2 1/2 tons should been around $525 -$10 for the gas tank = $515? is it me or am i missing something? thats a 780# differance? what do you guys think about it?

GVWR means gross vehicle weight rating, or the maximum total weight it can carry (Including itself). The weight you want to know is the curb weight or tare weight which would give you the weight of the car empty.

Originally Posted by AuburnEwaste

GVWR is gross vehicle weight rating. This is totally different than the curb weight, which is what it actually weighs. I googled it, your Blazer weighs 4750 if it has an automatic transmission and 4 wheel drive. Without the 4x4 it would be a few hundred pounds less.

Add to it (Or should I say subtract from it) Rims and tires, a 34 lb battery, part of the exhaust, the AC pump, Starter, Alternator.. those lbs add up quick if you are taking said items off- but you end up not caring because you are getting say .38/lb for the battery instead of .10, same with the other core parts that are a lot better paying by removing them.

If you know what your trailer weighs empty then drop by a weigh scale (truck stop or grain elevator) and get a certified weight on your load, that way you would know for sure, can't go by the tag on the vehicle.

Youre off to a good start. I made plenty of mistakes when i started with cars. Id also suggest clipping out all the easy pieces of wire. Especially the starter/alt/battery cables. Coppe wire adds up quick and pays nice. I also strip the thicker stuff. Petter payout on the thicker wire IMO.

I also clip out AC tubing and other quick alum. The tubing crimps real easy with a pair of bolt cutters. Then just bemd back and forth 5-6 times and it usually snaps off. If the intake is too difficult i smash it with a sledge and grab all the big pieces. Lots of little tricks that will help you gain non ferrous material off cars.

Ps if you dont have a hoist, disconnect the fuel line goin to the fuel rail, jump the fuel relay and fill up a jerry can. Dont let all the gas go to waste!

Be careful going that route. Alot of pump motors arent meant for pumping gas and can cause a fire if they are used to pump fuel. All motors arc, the only reason a fuel pump motor doesnt make the vapors explode is cause theres no oxygen in the fuel tank. You need heat, fuel and air. If youre missing one it wont burn.

Just be super careful and get a pump thats meant for pumping fuel. And always do the gas last. Iv made that mistake once and only once. Forgot to torch something, Figured i was far enough away from where i drained the gas (gas was well out of sight, just some spillage on the floor) used the torch up front, thought i was ok cause gas tank was way at the back. Sparks bounced and boy did that dog bark. WOOF. up she went. Luckly it was in our shop on the concrete floor and It was small enough to just burn itself out in a short period of time.

Needless to say that was my very first car ever scrapped and the last time it happened. See, we all make bonehead mistakes