If you have a junk car, you should always remember that every car has value, even if it no longer works or is roadworthy. After all, junk cars can still be recycled for their spare parts, so even if you aren’t confident that you will be able to get a cash offer for a car, there’s still hope for you yet.
That being said, it can often be difficult to decide if you should part out your junk car or try to sell it as a whole to a car-buying service like USCarJunker. So, we decided to help you figure out what the best approach to take is. Let’s dive into it!
How To Decide Between Parting Out Your Junk Car vs Selling It?
When it comes to figuring out whether to sell your car or part it out, the first thing that you need to do is reach out to salvage yards and junk-car removal services to get price estimates. In fact, you can get cash for cars in Ohio via USCarJunker, and the benefit of using such a company is that they will usually offer up free instant quotes.
Plus, they are usually open to accepting any type of junk car, no matter its condition, so you are guaranteed to make a sale with them. You should aim to get as many offers as possible so that you can get a proper idea of how much your car is truly worth. Once you have enough quotes, you can then look to find out the value of your junk car’s parts.
The first step that you will need to take is to find a mechanic and have them conduct a full inventory of all the parts of your vehicle that are still salvageable. After that, you will need to figure out the going rate for each used part by visiting local salvage yards and also searching sites like eBay Motors.
From there, you should keep a detailed price list for each part, which will enable you to figure out the full estimated value of parting out your junker. It’s a simple matter of comparing the two to see which one can provide you with the most amount of profit.
What Are The Most Valuable Parts of A Junk Car?
If you are considering the idea of parting out your car but want to save yourself a whole lot of time and effort, you can consider selling the most valuable parts of your vehicle and then salvaging what is left of the vehicle.
In this respect, here’s a quick list of which car parts you should focus on trying to sell.
#1. Catalytic converters
There aren’t that many vehicles made before 1975 that are still in use, and as a result, most cars these days come with a catalytic converter. This is usually one of the most expensive parts of any vehicle, and this is because they contain rare precious metals that hold high economic value.
Some of these typically include platinum, rhodium, and palladium, which are commonly used to help filter and lower the toxic fumes that are emitted from a car. As a result, they are often in very high demand.
#2. Doors, mirrors, and windows
While most people would not think that these parts are all that valuable, the reality is that a car’s doors, mirrors, and windows are usually the most prone to scuffs and damage. As a result, they are often in demand by many car owners that are looking for a replacement, which is also why they tend to be worth a fair amount of money.
#3. Seats
Car seats tend to take the most punishment in their lifetime, especially when you consider all the stains, rips, and burns that can occur in vehicles over time. The good thing about them is that they also happen to be some of the easiest parts of a car to remove. As a result, they can often fetch a decent amount of money when sold.
#4. Car bumpers
Car bumpers are also another major part of a car that is most likely to end up damaged in a collision. This is mostly because they are usually manufactured using aluminum, plastic, steel, and fiberglass. And since a vehicle’s bumper is usually meant to protect the front and back of your car, they often need to be replaced almost immediately, so there is often a huge amount of demand for bumpers in good condition.
#5. Engines
The engine is usually the most expensive part to replace in a car, so much so that if an engine completely gives out, most drivers are often stuck between buying a new engine or simply purchasing an entirely new car. In this respect, if your junk car’s engine happens to still be in good working condition, then this can often be a great opportunity for you to make a tidy sum of money.
Things To Consider When Parting Out Your Junk Car
There are a number of important considerations that you should always take into account whenever you are thinking about parting out your car. In fact, you may discover that it is often some of the smallest details that can heavily influence your decision of whether to part out or sell the entire vehicle to a junk car service like USCarJunker.
- Physical storage space: It is important that you check to see if you have sufficient space in your home to store the car’s spare parts because disassembling a vehicle is only ever part of the process. This means making sure that you have enough room to store the parts for an extended period of time, as you seek out potential buyers.
- People skills: You also have to keep in mind that selling car parts will usually require you to be comfortable enough with communicating and negotiating with prospective parts buyers. If you aren’t the type that like socializing with people often then selling the vehicle outright to a junk-car removal service may be more suited to you.
- Online fees: Most third-party retailers will end up charging you fees to sell your junk car and this can significantly influence how much you get for each part you end up selling. For instance, eBay usually between 5% and 15% of the sales and shipping costs of each item sold on their site. And if you are using a third-party vendor like PayPal to receive payment, then you will need to take their fees into consideration as well.
Final Thoughts
All in all, the decision to sell your car or part it out often comes down to your personal needs and preferences. If you have the time to spare and would like to maximize the amount of money you make off your junk car, then parting it out is the way to go. However, if you would rather get rid of the vehicle quickly and without much hassle involved, then using a car-buying service like USCarJunker is the most practical choice.
