No one usually assesses a junk vehicle’s price before making a purchase, but it might be a good idea. As you might imagine, luxury cars such as Lexus and Cadillac often have a higher sales price even at the salvage yard, however, there are a few others that have decent salvage prices as well. Here are a few things to think about should you decide to junk your vehicle.
Oddballs
Some vehicles have a higher price at the junk yard simply because they are an oddity. This is true of limited run vehicles like the Pontiac Aztec. Overall, there were simply not that many of these vehicles made, which means there are fewer to choose from when it comes to used parts (of course, some would say they are not worth fixing but it doesn’t change the fact that some used parts are quite expensive).
Heavy
In most cases, junk vehicles are assessed a value based on nothing more than their weight, and not the resale value of the parts. This is when it is beneficial to have one of the older model vehicles that contain a lot more metal than newer vehicles. You will find this to be true of cars built up to the mid 1980s.
Maximize Your Payday
If you have a combination car that is both older and full of rare expensive parts, you have an opportunity to really maximize your payday. First, strip off the good parts, thinks like GPS, air conditioning compressors, head light assemblies, certain stereos and much more. It will take a little research to determine which parts you should keep and what fair market value should be, but in the end, it will be well worth your time. Why give away a $200 used part when you salvage the entire vehicle for $300?
Final Thoughts
How much cash you can get for your particular vehicle will depend on several things, not the least of is the area in which you live. Certain states do not require title to prove ownership and some urban areas will have multiple salvage services to choose from. More choices means more competition for your junk car. Junk vehicles prices will vary according to geographic area and the fluctuations in metal prices, so keep this in mind as well.
