There are several parts on your car that can be resold for cash before you scrap your entire vehicle. We recommend car sellers take some time to evaluate whether it’s worth selling the vehicle as-is or spending some time removing valuable parts before calling a junk car buyer.
Most Valuable Parts on a Car to Scrap
Lots of parts are worth more money if you take them off the vehicle to sell them while removing some parts will devalue it. Here’s our list of the most valuable parts you can remove to make some extra cash when junking an old car.
Engine
The car’s engine is the most expensive item that you can remove from your vehicle. If you have the space and equipment to pull a working engine, you’ll get more cash for it than you would for selling your vehicle with the engine intact.
Vehicles that have heavy rear damage usually have a good engine in them which can be removed and installed into another vehicle. It’s a tedious job however used engines can fetch you $1000+ if you find a buyer who is doing an engine swap with the same year, make and model as your junk car. Just keep in mind that by removing the engine, junk car buyers will not pay for the weight of the engine, just the chassis and leftover parts.
Wheels aka Tires and Rims
If you have stock wheels on your junk vehicle, leave them on. For upgraded tires and rims, you should consider removing them from your vehicle if they are in good condition and your tires still have thread on them. Aftermarket rims, especially name brands like Enkei, BBS, OZ Racing, Konig and other popular rim manufacturers can get you several hundred dollars extra if you sell them to a 3rd party. Junk car buyers and junkyards will not give you extra money for aftermarket rims, they are valued the same as stock rims and tires.
Car Battery
Remove the car battery even if the vehicle runs to make some extra cash. If you purchased it from a local auto parts store, you can return it for the core deposit fee. Most places will give you $20 back for your battery when you drop it off to have it recycled. If the car battery is brand new, resell it online and you’ll get even more money for it than you would by leaving it in your vehicle.
Stereo and Speakers
Don’t forget to remove your stereo and speakers if you replaced the stock sound system. You won’t get any extra money for having a Bose system in the car so take it out and sell it online.
Aftermarket Parts
Any cosmetic or performance part you added to your vehicle should be removed and resold. Parts like air intakes, spoilers and racing seats are some of the most common parts people uninstall from their vehicles before selling them. All of these parts can be resold and reused if they are in good condition.
Catalytic Converter
Do NOT remove the catalytic converter! According to Florida Statute 316.29351, it is illegal in Florida to sell a catalytic converter that has been removed from a vehicle. The only way you can sell it is to keep it on the vehicle you are selling. Also, keep in mind that most junk car buyers will refuse to purchase the vehicle if the part has been tampered with or removed. You’ll be lucky to get $50 for your junk car without a catalytic inverter so it’s best to leave it on the vehicle.
Should I Remove Parts Before I Sell My Junk Car?
You should remove valuable parts from your junk car before selling it to maximize the amount of money you’ll receive. Junk car buyers don’t care if the vehicle is running or not so you are better off removing as many parts as you can that can be resold. There is no reason to only pocket a few hundred dollars from selling the vehicle as-is when you can double it by selling off some of the parts yourself. We recommend listing them on Facebook marketplace, eBay or Craigslist.