Getting Your Old Clunker Ready To Sell
Do you have an old junk car that you're looking to offload? If the car is old or not particularly valuable, then most likely you are planning on having it hauled by a cars for cash service. While this takes most of the hassle out of the selling process, there are still a few things that you need to make sure to do before having your car towed off. While it is not necessary to do every single thing on this list, these tips will help you to maximize the value that you get for your car while also making the process of eliminating it as smooth as possible.
Go Through the Interior Several Times
If this is a car that you've been using for some time, then it is important to check through it several times to be sure that you have all of your personal belongings. Depending on the condition of the car, it is possible that the service you are using will simply scrap it for metal. In this case, it's unlikely that you will have an opportunity to get your belongings back if you forget them inside. In addition to checking the glove box and trunk, be sure to also thoroughly check under seats and consider even checking under the rear seat cushions if they are easy to remove. This can be a bit of a pain, but it will be worth it if you find something that you wouldn't want to lose forever.
Deal With the Legal Details
There aren't many legalities that need to be dealt with when scrapping a car, but there are a few things you should do. Most importantly, make sure the title is available and in your name. If you do not have the title in hand, you will need to visit your local motor vehicle department to perform a title search. You will also need to remove the license plates. In most cases, you will need to then either transfer the license plates to another car or return them to your motor vehicle department.
Do Your Homework
Shop around with a few services before accepting money for your junk car. You may find that one service offers a significantly better price, or that the service you were planning on using may not offer free towing. It's also worth double and triple checking the value of your car to make sure that it is worth junking in the first place. At a minimum, this can help you to determine whether pursuing the next step is worthwhile.
Consider Parting It Out
If you want to extract a bit more money from your junk car, the best thing you can do is part it out before having it scrapped. It may seem intimidating, but even if you aren't mechanically inclined, you may be able to pull a few pieces that are worth selling either locally or on eBay. The following items are usually somewhat valuable and can often be removed with only simple hand tools:
- Interior trim pieces
- Bucket seats
- Radio, climate control units, and other dash electronics
- Headlights
- Tail lights
If you have a common car model, you can almost certainly find detailed instructions on pulling these parts from your car. If they are in good shape, you may be able to make several hundred dollars or more just from easily removed parts.
