Many people have old cars sitting in their garages or on their front porches, all because they haven’t gotten around to selling them off. Some believe it’s too much of a hassle, while others simply don’t know how to get rid of the vehicle.
If that sounds like you, don’t worry. You can get rid of that car by parting it out or selling it to a car wrecker.
Parting out your car means dismantling its parts and selling them to buyers. That can fetch you a higher price per part, but it entails plenty of work to do yourself. Alternatively, you can sell the car for parts or scrap straight to a wrecker who will take the whole vehicle off your hands.
In this guide, we’ll help you understand the pros and cons of both options.
Why Should I Sell My Old Car?
If you have an old car at home, even one that won’t start at all, always remember one thing. Just because that car is no longer useful to you doesn’t mean that it has no value for someone else.
Even the oldest cars have parts with some useful life left in them, so it’s a shame to let them rust away in a garage or go wasted under the sun.
By selling it off to a wrecker as a whole or piece-by-piece to parts buyers, you’ll get a few dollars in your pocket, buyers get working parts at a discount, and the landfill is spared of a massive metal junk. The bottom line, it’s a win-win-win situation.
So, now that we've established why you should sell off your old car, let's look at which option is better suited for you.
What Does It Mean to Part Out a Car?
When you’ve got a used car that you need to get rid of, one of the options is to part out the car. Parting out a car, meaning selling it piece by piece, could earn you a fair amount of money.
If it’s a rare car, either a collectable or a discontinued model, then the chances are higher that you’ll find a buyer willing to pay top dollar. You may not even need to part it out in that case.
Pros and Cons of Parting Out Your Car
Naturally, parting out a car comes with its fair share of pros and cons, and you should know all these before dipping your toes in the water. Here are the main ones you’ll want to consider.
Pro #1: Some in-demand parts will fetch a high price
As mentioned earlier, some parts are worth more than others. By parting out the car yourself, you can separate those high-value parts from the rest and price them more accurately.
In other words, you’re putting a fair price tag on every part instead of selling them all cheap as a package deal (i.e., as a whole car).
Con #1: You need to be skilled and experienced
You’ll need to have a deep level of knowledge about cars to part one out yourself. For starters, that means you’ll need to know how to safely dismantle and remove parts from the car and have the proper tools to do it.
Depending on the condition of each part you take out, you’ll likely need to refurbish or at least clean them the correct way. If you’re handy in the garage, that shouldn’t be a problem. However, for the average Fred Nurk, this might be too challenging to DIY.
On top of that, you must also know how much your parts are worth. Just because your car parts are rare doesn't mean that buyers will be willing to dig deep in their pockets to buy them.
Con #2: You may have to do all the work yourself
Another challenge when parting out your car is that you’ll have to do the work by yourself. That car will sit in your garage or front porch until you’ve taken out each part. Then, you’ll have to clean each item and prepare it for sale.
But wait, there’s more!
Next, you’ll have to put the part up for sale and find willing buyers to take it off your hands. You might find that the money you may or may not receive from the sales is not worth all the time and effort you devoted on the venture.
Pro #2: You’ll get a better deal overall
Assuming you know the value of the parts and how much you can sell them, you’ll get a better deal overall. Again, that’s because you’re selling each part separately based on its actual value instead of selling the whole car off at a package price.
Where to Sell My Car for Parts
It’s up to you to find the best places for selling a car for parts, but you can cast a wide net by selling those parts online.
For instance, you can find plenty of people parting out cars on eBay and other online marketplaces. Unfortunately, using general marketplaces like that is kind of like casting too wide of a net.
Instead, you’d be better off focusing on automotive-specific marketplaces like CarPart AU, where buyers go for the sole purpose of buying car parts.
But always remember the golden rule of selling stuff online: never send the product before receiving the payment!
Is It Better to Part Out My Car Than Sell It to Wreckers?
OK, so it’s highly likely that you’ll make more money parting out your car. Does it automatically make it a better option than selling it to a wrecker?
Well, here are the pros and cons to consider for this option.
Pros and Cons of Selling Your Car to Wreckers
When selling your car to a wrecker, here’s what to expect:
Pro #1: Quick and Easy Payday
Wreckers are a convenient option for many people, especially if they need the money ASAP. Thankfully, wreckers are quick to pay for the cars they take off your hands.
Not only do most of them pay on the very same day, but they’re also willing to do so with cold cash.
Pro #2: Removal Services
Another benefit of engaging a wrecker is that you won’t have to do any heavy lifting. At all!
That means once you’ve made the deal, they’ll send a truck over and pick up your car from wherever it’s parked.
Con #1: Price Doesn’t Reflect True Value
Unfortunately, you’re selling your car as a package deal to the wrecker. That means their quotation and offer will be based on general traits of the vehicle like its make, model, year of manufacture, and mileage.
The wrecker won’t take a close look at every part inside to determine how much they’re worth.
For all you know, there might be a part or two in that car that’s worth plenty!
Con #2: Limited Options
Sure, there are plenty of wreckers all over Australia, but how many are within driving distance from your location?
Depending on where you live, you might only be able to get a quotation from a handful (or fewer) of wreckers. That means you’ll have a limited pool of buyers to sell your car to.
Find the Wreckers Here!
Whichever way you decide to go, start your journey on CarPart AU. You can place an ad on the Marketplace for the car parts you want to sell, or you can use the Directory to find nearby car wreckers who can help you out.
By Ray Hasbollah