How to Get Rid of a Car That Doesn't Run

If you’re a gearhead, you might have dreams of finding an old beater and fixing it up, but project vehicles often end up sitting in the driveway, taking up space instead of wowing fellow car lovers. It’s better to get something that doesn’t require as much TLC to get back on the road, but what do you do with the non-running heap?

Sell It or Junk It?

Before saying goodbye to your project car, you need to evaluate its condition and understand whether it’s in good shape or a lost cause. Figure out why it’s immobile. It could be missing essential parts, and if so, find out how easy they are to find and replace. These are important qualities to ascertain because they will determine whether you should sell or trash the car.

If You Can Sell It…

You can determine your vehicle’s value to see if you might be able to get some money out of it.

Sell It for Parts

Someone else with a project car of the same make and model might need the exact parts from your car to finish their project, so see what parts are good and which ones can’t be saved to ensure you get top dollar.

Sell It to a Sealer

Dealerships do, in fact, buy non-running cars. When exploring it as an option, find out whether the dealer will require you to treat your old car as a trade-in. That would mean you’d only see any value from it if you buy a new car from them.

Sell It to a Mechanic

Your local shops might jump at the chance to have a spare parts car depending on what kind of car it is and the condition it’s in.

Sell It to a Scrapyard

Selling the car to the scrapyard might not get you much money, but you can still potentially come out ahead. Remember, scrapyards are interested in vehicles with sellable parts, so if your vehicle is a total loss, they may not want it.

If You Have to Scrap It…

Not every vehicle can be saved, unfortunately, and if yours is too far gone, here are some viable options:

Junk It

You may have to bite the bullet and call a junk removal service, but believe it or not, you may still get some cash, depending on the businesses near you. Even if they don’t offer money for your heap, many junk removal services will take the car away for free.

Recycle It

Of course, recycling is the more earth-friendly option since it prevents harmful chemicals and metals from entering the environment, but you can still make money by doing so! For example, the car’s catalytic converter may contain precious metals such as palladium, platinum, and rhodium, and those can net you hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Saying Goodbye to Your Car

It can be tough letting go of a non-running car, especially if you had big plans for it, but freeing up space and making some money will take away the sting. Perhaps it’ll be enough to inspire you to get back to that restoration project!