When And How To Junk Your Car

I bet you really loved your first car especially if you bought it brand new from a car dealer. You were probably attracted so much to it that you treated it with all the love and attention a good lover could give. However all cars, no matter how much love and attention we put into them, will eventually wear down, and get to the point that the most merciful thing you can do with your beloved car is to either donate it or sell it for scrap. So when should you scrap your car and how do you go about it?

One good reason why even the best cars end up to be scrap is that the present owner just cannot cope with the cost of maintaining the vehicle anymore. The older it gets, the harder it becomes to find spare parts for it to keep in good condition; to find mechanics who know how to treat the peculiar problems that old cars get; and even to find appropriate storage facilities for your aging car. All these problems costs money and of course, you are not getting any younger as well so there might come a time when you have to choose between financing your own needs and that of your car, you opt to scrap your car instead.

If you do choose to lose your car, you are actually doing yourself a favor, and you might also be serving the community in the long run. To scrap your car, you must take into consideration how much your car is worth to others. For example, is your car a vintage vehicle? If so, there might be considerable market or demand for the different car parts that will be produced when you scrap your car. One collector might pay a considerably good amount just for your steering wheel, another might like your hubcaps, and yet another might give you a pretty penny for the body of your aging car. At times like these, you may feel that taking care of your car all these years the way you did is certainly paying off for you.

Some might also get emotional when it's time to scrap a car, because there may still be a feeling of special bond to the vehicle which has served for so long, and faithfully well. Some even have special nicknames for their cars. So you might want to get someone else to scrap your car for you if you feel such a strong bond to your vehicle. There are companies that specialize in the scrap-your-car business. Some of these simply dump the car in a car compacting machine. But if that's not the untimely end you want for your car, be sure you know what type of company in the scrap-your-car business you are trying to contact. You probably want a scrap-your-car company that will take apart your car carefully so that any valuable parts worth selling will retain their market value.

Today, it is no longer a matter of just deciding on your own to scrap your car as government has also made specific rules and instructions for the public to follow regarding how, and when to scrap a motor vehicle. Be sure to learn what these rules are and any benefits that come with following the regulations, like possible tax breaks for you.

Car Donation - A noble principle

While Luxury cars may be nice to ride in and to drive around, they can be quite expensive to operate. If you have a luxury vehicle and do not use it as often as is used to and probably because the price of gas has risen or just doesn’t seem quite so nice anymore. You might want to consider donating that vehicle.

Some charity organizations, though not all, will accept your used vehicle especially if it’s a luxury vehicle and can be re-sold while using the profits to fund the charity’s operations.

There are many benefits to donating a vehicle. One is that you get that sense you’re helping someone that needs it. You’ll also be able to write off the fair market value of the vehicle from your income taxes. And, in addition you could be helping save the environment as well.

For those who may be considering donating, especially a luxury car, the IRS will be informed and that when you donate a vehicle for charity, you will receive a receipt and a copy of that receipt will be sent to the IRS. This receipt will show the fair market value of the vehicle that you have donated. However, take into consideration that there are scams out there that will tell you that you’ll receive retail value for your donation; which absolutely is just not true.

Other scam operations promise vacations which will end up costing you money while not allowing you to visit any destination that you choose. Keep in mind that the noble principle of donating used vehicle, or any item for that matter is not to expect anything in return and that the idea of helping others out of that donation should be realized at all times. Receiving a reward for making a donation is not just the way genuine charitable initiatives work.

So next time, consider donating a luxury car and get that excellent feeling of being able to be of help to someone in a less fortunate situation.

Old Cars and Salvage Yards

If you try and familiarize yourself with the concept of salvage yards, you'll recall that these are places where wrecked or abandoned cars are taken. Classic car salvage yards base their business on selling any parts that can be used for functioning vehicles, but also on the selling of scrap metal parts. These are often purchased by specialized companies, which recycle metals of different types. Everyone wins from the situation and the problem with abandoned vehicles is easily solved.

In many situations, as has been known knowledge that an owner usually decides to take his vehicle to the salvage yard on his own. The car is often damaged beyond repair, but there are situations when the repairing costs are too high; the owner will prefer to take it to the car salvage yards and recuperate part of the money invested in the car. If a car has been left abandoned and no one has even bothered to clean it, then chances are the car will be picked up by a specialized company and taken to the junkyard.

If you have ever been to one of the classic car salvage yards, then you know that the cars are arranged to occupy as little space as possible. This is the reason why you will definitely see cars on top of other cars, waiting for their sentences. The mechanics working for the classic car salvage yards will take out any parts that can be used in other vehicles, keeping detailed inventories of the cars that were brought in. These inventories mostly refer to the parts that were taken out of the car, parts that are going to be installed in functioning vehicles in the near future. Today, thanks to the advancements made in the field of personal computers, all these inventories are kept in PCs.

Given the diversity of the vehicles brought in to the classic car salvage yards, it´s no wonder that there is such a high demand for spare parts. Mechanics remove the desired parts from the car and they sell them to interested customers for different prices. There are many salvage yards that even offer to install those spare parts on the customer´s car. However, one might also be interested in more important spare parts, such as the ones needed for the engine or the transmission system. In this case you need to be prepared to pay the requested price.

Not only headlights and parts of the transmission system are removed from old vehicles and sold later on to different customers. Mechanics working for classic car salvage yards might also remove windshields and windows that are not damaged, selling them to car owners that need to replace those parts of the car. A very interesting fact is that one can appeal to car salvage yards in order to restore an old car, bringing it to good condition. The specialists working at the junkyard will provide all the necessary pieces and even help the prospective car owner bring the old vehicle back to life; the rebuilders of classic cars.

Junk Cars for Cash

Firstly, you may call some auto salvage companies in your area and inquire on how much they pay for junk cars. It usually goes on per pound (lbs) basis as the unit of measure being used for this. You may use the info sticker on the driver's door for weight details about your vehicle as most cars have this for reference purposes. This way you can get an idea of how much cash you will get for your junk car.

Ask the salvage yard about their requirements in buying a junk car. Many places ask that you remove the wheels and tires before bringing them in. They sometimes require that the gas tanks have been removed as well. Some will accept them without the removal of wheels and tires, but you will receive a less amount for your vehicle.

You need to find out if they will pick the car up or if you need to bring it in. Depending on your area they may be willing to pick it up, but most often they will pay more if you bring your junk car to them. You should only have the car towed if it is not in drivable condition. If you do have to tow your junk car be sure to check on the towing laws in your town, you do not want to get a ticket.

Before you commit to any action, you should always call several salvage yards and get price quotes before deciding on a specific yard. You want to sell your car to the one that pays the most. Keep in mind that the price of scrap metal fluctuates. It may sell high today and be considerably less tomorrow.

You might want to check on these tips before deciding to sell your junk car as it would greatly help in determining proper ways on how to economically dispose your junk car, thus, earning some money as well.

Recycling Junk Car for a Cause

There are number of options for recycling junk car. You can either sell it to a junkyards, scrap metal yards, or donate it to someone who may be in need of junk vehicles or parts.

Recycling a junk car may not only good for ones wallet but is surely good for the environment. One could hit a win-win situation and that which can be done just by flipping through the phone book and making a few calls.

Off to the Junkyard
Someone who wants to recycle a junk car should check out local junkyards that specialize in car replacement parts. This is a great idea if the car owner wants to make a profit. If the car has parts that are still good, the junkyard will pick the car up and pay for it. The car may be delivered by the owner to the junkyard and make the most money out of it as it will eliminate any pick-up fees that would be taken out of the profit.

It is also important to shop around at different junkyards to find the best offer. Many part yards have certain parts needs and will be willing to offer more money for a car with those parts.

Off to a Scrap Metal Yard
Scrap metal yards specialize in taking old metal and selling it to companies to turn into new items. Scrap metal is bought by the pound, so the more metal the junk car has, the more money the owner will make. One word of caution; scrap metal yards don't take tires, usually, owners will have to find a tire recycling area to drop them off at.

Off to Charity
If the owner isn’t worried about profit and would rather donate a vehicle for a good cause, checking out charities would be a good choice. Many charities have started tow-away programs for old cars. These programs help to make money for the needy. Car Angles, Cars for Causes, and Give Cars are all good websites for more information on car donations for charity. Local high schools and community colleges should also be contacted. Some will take junk cars as learning tools for the mechanic shop students if the car isn’t in total disrepair.

Cash for Rattletrap
Many new car lots will take gas guzzling cars for a trade-in worth up to $4500 dollars thanks to the Cash for Clunkers or CAR Allowance Rebate System (CARS) government program. See the official CARS website at cars.gov for more information.

For City Clean-Up Days
Once a year, many cities have a clean-up day where they will offer to haul away junk cars for free. The owner can call the local city hall for more information.

JunkCar for Free
If all else fails, the owner of the car can offer it to others for free. It can be listed for free on Craigslist or on a Freecycle forum. Others may want the car for parts, or may want to fix the car as a hobby.

No matter where the owner lives, a car can be recycled to help the Earth and humans, alike. It is a creative form of waste managment that benefits everyone.

Should You Or Should You Not Sell Your Junk Car

Most people have a wrong impression about salvage companies. They assume that these companies deal only with completely junk cars. Or if you got a total wreck car; you can call up such a company and they will use it for scrap metal. Truth is, most auto salvage companies do not scrap wrecked cars. They purchase damaged and inoperable cars that can be repaired to be resold in the market or that they can sell off its spare parts.

These services are very different from what a junk yard or a car scrapping service provides you with. It works best for individuals that have a vehicle standing in their porch that doesn’t run. In order to get that vehicle running the owner needs to spend a considerable amount of money on repairs. In some cases people are not willing to spend that money in order to get that car running so that it can come into use or to sell it off as a running second hand car in the market. In other cases the owner's do not possess that kind of cash.

But who would buy a car that doesn’t run? Of course you may be able to find a car enthusiast willing to pay you some money to have possession of the car and then work upon it. But the chances of this are very slim. This is where car salvage companies step in to provide you with very beneficial service.

With the this kind of 'economically testing' time that we have, any money is good money. Selling off that damaged inoperable car will get you some cash which can come in very handy in today's times. The important thing for interested individuals to know is when a car attains the title of being a salvage car. Basically when the cost of repairs on the car exceeds the actual worth of the car itself it is termed as being a salvage car. Most of the time, it is the insurance company that gives this title to a car upon which a claim is made. The value of the car is however determined upon its estimated worth in the market. Hence if you wreck up a brand new car it may still be worth it to repair it yourself. Unless it's wrecked up real badly.

In cases where you have a relatively older car that has been damaged either by accident or due to neglect the cost of repair may be more than the actual worth of the car. Therefore, calling upon a car salvage company is the best option that one could have. If you are wondering; should you or should you not sell your car to a car salvage company then the estimated cost of repairs as against the worth of your car will help you to make decision. You can make use of online guides to judge the worth of your car or have a mechanic take a look at it in order to give you an estimate of the car's worth.