Did you know that it is possible to make a bit of money from scrapping your old car? A vehicle that you consider worthless may not be as worthless as you think. Even if your car is undriveable, it can still have parts that you can reuse or sell to others. Below is the list of the most valuable car parts that you can either sell or reuse.
Valuable Parts of a Car to Scrap
Car engine
A car engine is one of the most valuable parts of the car when it comes to scrapping. It is expensive to replace your car’s engine, therefore many people prefer to buy second hand engines that are in a good condition. If your engine is functioning well and is in running condition, then you will likely get a good price for it.
Even if the engine is not working, you can still sell a non-functioning engine by getting it scrapped for its aluminium, which is a valuable metal and is sold at a good price.
Air conditioning system
The air conditioning unit has some important components that you can either put in another car, or sell in the open market. Its reusable parts include the compressor, condenser, and even the filters can be resold. If your old car has a functioning air conditioning system, then take full advantage of its parts by selling or reusing them. They are usually in high demand, especially if it's summer and you live in a hot area.
You may need to hire a mechanic to separate the air conditioning system from your car. Carefully examine the condition of this system before getting it removed so that you don’t end up wasting your money on something useless that can’t be resold.
Catalytic converters
A catalytic converter is one of the most valuable parts of a car. Catalytic converter theft is very common in the UK.
The reason why a catalytic converter is so valuable is because it contains precious metals such as palladium, platinum, and rhodium. To separate a catalytic converter, the exhaust pipe is dismantled from the front and back of the converter. This is quite easy to do, hence why catalytic converter theft is rising exponentially.
Car GPS
Electronic components of cars like the in-built GPS system sell well, and you earn a few hundred pounds by selling the car GPS second hand.
Although many people use their phones for GPS, car GPS systems still have good resale value.
Radio
If a car contains a DAB radio, then this will attract a good resale value.
Bumpers
Dented and cracked bumpers are a common issue for car owners. Bumpers are made up of a combination of different elements to provide extra protection to the vehicle. If your old car’s bumper is in good condition, then you can sell it as a replacement bumper to anyone who is on the lookout.
You can sell them at high rates if your car’s model is rare and its manufacturers are not making it anymore. This part of a car is always in high demand because it frequently gets damaged during car accidents.
Tires and Rims
You may think who would want to buy used tires and rims, but many car enthusiasts and mechanics are always in search of good quality and usable tires. Therefore, if your car’s tires and rims are in a good condition, then consider them a good asset for selling.
You can make a good profit off the tires if they are larger and have treads that are in a good condition. The quality will also determine their price. Tires that also have an aluminium alloy will sell for a higher price.
Doors, Windows, and Mirrors
Car doors, windows, and mirrors are the parts of a car that often get severely damaged during an accident. But, if these are unaffected after the accident, they are parts that can be sold on.
Airbags
You can make some money off the airbags if they are unused. Many new cars have several airbags. In terms of value, the passenger and driver seat airbags are of most value for selling on. Airbag installation costs more than buying new airbags. Still, people prefer saving money by taking them from scrapyards.
If you are not an expert in removing airbags from cars, then do not try doing it on your own. They are explosive and can cause damage if handled wrongly. They will be of no use to you if they are damaged while you remove them.
Summary
There is no doubt that in some cases you can get more for your car if you sell the car in individual parts. But parting out a car is not for everyone! You need to have enough knowledge to recognise whether a part is in good condition or not, what its market value is, and how to remove the part from the car. Selling individual parts of a scrapped car also takes more time than selling the car as a whole. Therefore, consider selling the car to a scrapyard.
If you would like more information on the scrapping process, give us a call on 01992 929104.