Exploring Engine Rebuild Parts and Practices

Exploring Engine Rebuild Parts and Practices

3 Tips for Negotiating the Price of Your Old, Rundown Car

by Rosa Wallace

If you have a car that you feel is basically junk, that does not mean that you can't get any money out of it. If your car still has working parts, even if it is really old, it still has value. Here are three tips to help you negotiate the price of your junk car when selling it to a scrap or junk yard.

Investigate the Price of Metals in Your Local Market

The value of scrap metal can change on an almost daily basis. The best thing to do is to look up the value of scrap metal online when you are getting ready to sell your vehicle to get a general idea of the value of scrap metal nationwide. Next, call up a few local scrap yards in your general area and find out what their prices are for scrap metal.

Finally, look up specifics about the amounts and types of metal that are on your car, and use those numbers to figure out what value your vehicle has based entirely on the scrap metal that it contains.

This information should give you at least a basic starting point for figuring out the value of your vehicle.

Inventory the Working Parts

Next, create an inventory of all the parts that work well on your vehicle. For example, if the tires are still in good shape and could be re-used, write that down. If the engine is in great condition or the transmission still works, write that down as well. Make a list of every part that could be removed from your vehicle that works, as well as a list of what does not work.

Look online or call up local auto shops to get an idea of the value of the used working parts that your vehicle contains. Many individuals use salvage parts when repairing their vehicles; those parts have value, so do not overlook them.

Take Pictures of Your Vehicle

Finally, take pictures of your vehicle so that you can prove what condition your vehicle is in and what condition the parts are in. Before you take pictures, you may want to clean and wash your vehicle inside and out. Although the scrap yard may not be looking to resell your vehicle for everyday use, making it look nice will help increase the perceived value and care that you put into your vehicle and will help with the negotiation process.

Once you have all of this information, call local scrap yards, junk yards, and companies like A & B Truck Recycling to see what they are willing to offer for your vehicle. Ask them for the justification behind their pricing, and use the information you gathered to negotiate. For example, if they say they are offering you $1,000 because of the value of scrap metal in your area, but you know your vehicle has at least $2,000 worth of scrap metal, try to get them to settle on a price that is more favorable to you. 


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About Me

Exploring Engine Rebuild Parts and Practices

Hi everyone, my name is Lee Flounce. I am crazy about rebuilding engines in my spare time. The process of breaking down a combustion engine to find the damaged parts waiting inside definitely intrigues me. I carefully remove each part and place it on a piece of cardboard for a close inspection. Once the engine is broken into its individual components, I take some of the parts to the machine shop and clean others at home. I order all of the seals, gaskets and internal components in need of replacement and wait for my parts to return from the machine shop. Once I have everything I need, I rebuild the engine using the torque specs for all of the nuts and bolts. I would like to explore all of the parts and practices employed in this process through my website, as it differs slightly from engine to engine.