If you're considering selling your old car, the first option you're probably thinking about is posting an ad for it on a marketplace and selling it as a whole. However, if the car's already beaten down, not in driving condition, and beyond repair, finding potential buyers willing to take on the project can be a big challenge.
Because of that, selling car for parts has become an excellent viable alternative that will make your vehicle more appealing in online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. It can not only be appealing to private buyers but also auto shops or buyers of junk cars, opening up new opportunities to make the sale faster.
But you are probably wondering - where can I sell car parts for cash near me? And how can you strip your car to make sales of auto parts easier?
Let's explore these and other important questions about how you can sell car for parts and make a nice profit below.
How and Where to Sell Your Car for Parts
When considering whether you should sell your car for parts, one of the first things you will need to figure out is how and where you can find buyers willing to pay a fair price for various components your car is made up of.
For one thing, you will need to decide if you're willing to take your car apart for parts. If you are, then, you can place the listing for each individual part online and sell off your car for more than it might be worth if you sold it as a whole. There are many people with the same model car as yours who are looking for a specific used car part because they either can't find it or don't want to pay for a new part. And that's a golden opportunity for you to make money if the specific part in your vehicle is still in good condition.
If you want to increase the likelihood of finding the right buyers for your car parts, you might need to expand your search for buyers and target communities around the make and model of your vehicle. These can include Facebook Groups (recently renamed as Communities) in your area or various online forums. When it comes to smaller parts that are harder to find, a buyer might be willing to get it shipped across the country, so don't discount posting on classifieds to see if anyone will be interested.
How to Strip a Car for Parts
As you can imagine, stripping a car for parts is a complicated process. However, if you're willing to invest the extra time to learn and go through the process, it can potentially help you make significant money that might be more than if you were selling entire vehicles.
To start, find a place where you can safely park the car and where you'll have room to move around and take apart various parts of the car with your tools. Make sure to follow a strict process and watch videos on how to safely remove each part in order to not break it.
As you're removing the parts, be sure to place them on a lint-free rag so that they don't get scratched or damaged. You also want them to be protected from debris, dust, or oil that could get inside and cause permanent damage.
Also, make sure to place each part on the rag in a way that's consistent with how it was pointing when it was in place. You should also mark each set of parts so that you know what goes where and what parts go together.
What Are the Easiest Car Parts to Sell
Taking apart your car takes a lot of time and effort. So, when taking on the project, you want to prioritize getting the parts that will be easiest to sell and bring you the biggest profits first, to ensure you get your money's worth from the process.
But what are some of the essential components an experienced mechanic might focus on when taking apart a car?
Well, as any person in the auto parts business will tell you, one of the most valuable parts in any car is its air conditioning system. Air conditioning systems are notorious for breaking down and they're very expensive to replace, so as far as auto part items go, taking apart the AC system can help you fetch thousands of dollars, especially if it's from a popular make and model.
If your car is in good shape and not corroded, bumpers are another appealing part that both auto dealers and private party buyers will gladly snatch up. Bumpers often get scratched and damaged in minor accidents, so having one that is in mint condition (or even in pretty good shape) can fetch you a great price in an online auto marketplace.
As you've probably heard, catalytic converter theft is becoming a huge issue across the world. And the reason for that is that they can go for hundreds or even thousands of dollars. So, if your car is no longer usable and you want to scrap it, taking off the catalytic converter is a great way to make some quick cash through online sales.
There are many other parts that you can salvage as well, including the engine, the battery, airbags, transmission, wheels, and even the doors. Even smaller sales can accumulate to a big profit, so almost every part that's in good enough condition can be listed for sale online.
Selling a Whole Car or Car Parts
Selling car for parts is an appealing proposition. If you know what you're doing and have the time to take on the project, you can get a lot of money back for the variety of product categories that stripping your car will produce.
As mentioned before, there are plenty of potential customers willing to pay a fair market price to auto part sellers who provide a detailed list of items with extensive product details.
But even though it can be lucrative, you need to ask yourself - is selling car for parts worth it in your situation?
If you haven't taken a car apart before, you will need to prepare yourself for a steep learning curve until you become confident in your abilities. And as you learn, you will likely make mistakes that might cause irreversible damage to valuable parts, making them effectively worthless.
And even when you take the car apart, you will need to find a safe place to store the parts until each of them is sold off individually.
Because of that, for the vast majority of people, it's hard to beat the convenience, practicality, and profitability of selling to a professional junk car buyer.
Instead of having to field offers from prospective buyers for weeks, you can instead finalize the sale of your junk car in a matter of minutes, getting a fair market price and not having to worry about transportation, shipping costs, or anything else.
When you sell your car to a junkyard or a junk car buyer, you can get a free instant quote, accept the offer, schedule a pick-up time, and wait for someone to come in and take the car off your hands.
All you have to do is remember to remove your belongings and the license plates and a clean title for it to be transferred.
Bottom Line
Figuring out how to sell your car for parts can be tricky. But if you're willing to put in the time and effort, individual parts can be very appealing to buyers who have compatible vehicles.
But for most people, selling a car to an auto salvage yard or a junk car buyer will be much easier, providing you with a fair sale price and a convenient selling experience.
