Your car may have thousands of individual parts ranging in size and complexity, from the tiniest screws to an alternator or a radiator. Each of these parts is added to the vehicle when it is first made, and the owner may need to replace or repair some of them throughout its serviceable life. However, when the vehicle has reached the end of its days, its current owner will face a choice. Should they try to separate many of those parts and sell them individually, or simply pass on the vehicle as it is to a scrap merchant. If you're in this position, what should you do?

Valuable Parts

You only have to go to the parts department at the main dealer to see just how expensive replacement components can be. Indeed, if you were to add up the cost of every part individually, it would certainly come to a lot more than the vehicle's market value.

Being Realistic

However, this does not mean that you can strip all potentially valuable components from your old banger and expect to make a tidy profit. To begin with, such a task would be very difficult to accomplish, but many of those older parts may have no inherent value at all.

Selling the "Good Bits"

Still, you may be tempted to strip some of the more interesting parts and try to sell them on the side. Some people may be interested in a catalytic converter for some of those precious metals. Others may think that there is value left in a relatively new alternator or a power steering pump that seems to be working perfectly well.

Running into a Problem

You may find a buyer for several of those parts, but you may still be left with most of the vehicle, which is now completely unusable. At this point, you may be tempted to get in touch with a scrap car dealer who offers to pay cash for an end of life vehicle.

Don't be surprised if the dealer is not interested in what you have for sale, as you have taken off many important parts. They may look at their profit potential from this deal and decide not to proceed, which would leave you with few options in that case. Further, the less mobile your old vehicle is, the harder it may be to move it from your premises to that of a buyer, so always take that into account as well.

The Better Approach

All being said, you are better off talking to a dealer of scrap cars for cash first and before you start to take any parts away. You may be able to get a better deal with less work on your behalf.