What Is My Junk Car Actually Worth?

Weight sets the floor

Underneath everything, a junk car is a quantity of metal, and scrap prices move week to week like any commodity. A compact sedan runs somewhere near 2,700 pounds; a full-size pickup can be nearly double. That difference alone accounts for most of the gap between two offers on two different vehicles.

Completeness is the biggest single swing

A whole car - engine, transmission, wheels, doors, converter still attached - is worth considerably more than the same car with pieces missing. People often pull parts hoping to sell them separately, then discover the shell is worth a fraction of what the whole car would have brought. If you haven't started, get a quote before you do.

The catalytic converter

The most valuable small component on most junk cars by a wide margin. If yours has already been cut off, tell us on the call. It changes the number, and we would much rather know than have the driver find out at your curb.

Running and driving is worth more than scrap

A car that starts, moves and steers may be resold or parted rather than crushed, and that's worth more. Even 'runs badly' beats 'doesn't run at all.'

Some models hold value longer

Parts demand outlives the car itself for common trucks and popular models. An orphaned model nobody stocks parts for is worth its weight and not much beyond it.

Distance and difficulty

A driveway ten minutes away costs less to collect than a locked garage forty minutes out. It's a smaller factor than the others but it isn't zero.

What this means for you

Describe the car honestly. Overstating condition doesn't help you, because the driver confirms the vehicle before any money changes hands - all an inflated phone quote buys you is a wasted afternoon.

Want a figure on your car?

We're at 7148 S Aberdeen St and the phone is answered 24 hours: (708) 994-7429. Free tow across the South and Far South Side, cash at pickup.