Top 5 tips for Scrapping an Old Car

So your car has come to the end of its life. It’s a sad time for everyone; all those miles spent together on the open road, all those intimate times you spent under its bonnet with your dipstick, all those hot wax rubs you gave it. If you’ve really been hammering it over the last few years, selling it as a used car isn’t going to work, and scrapping it will be your only choice. Here are our top 5 tips for getting your car in scrapping order for when that sad day has arrives.

Firstly, drain all of the liquids from the car. By doing this and properly disposing of the vehicle's hazardous materials you are helping to keep both yourself and the environment safe. If you are in any doubt about how to dispose of hazardous wastes, contact your city government for guidance.

Secondly, remove what items you can from the vehicle. Many parts can be relatively easily removed by yourself but for other items, e.g. the seats or the engine, you may need help unless you have prior experience.

Thirdly, sell what you can. Almost all of the parts of a vehicle can be resold. This can be done online or in your local paper. Tires can sometimes be resold, however if they are not fit for purpose you should consider recycling them instead. Most importantly, don’t assume that just because a part may no longer work someone may not want to buy it and repair it themselves.

Fourthly, find a local scrap yard that does business in an environmentally friendly way. You can establish this by asking questions about what the scrapper actually does with the metal from the vehicle. It’s important to note that if you bring a vehicle that has not had the liquids drained or parts taken out it is likely you will receive less money for the vehicle. The more work a scrap yard has to do the less it will pay you.

And finally, it’s smart to take the car to be scrapped during a slow period at the scrap yard. It’s more likely that someone will be free to unload the vehicle and answer any questions you may have.

Once scrap metal is collected and reclaimed it then goes through the sorting process to separate it from non-metallic materials such as plastic, wood or rubber. It is then entered into a blast furnace, which burns at extremely high temperatures. Its exact temperature varies depending on the metal that is being recycled. The furnace melts the scrap metal into its liquid (molten) state while also helping to burn off any impurities or other materials left over from the sorting stage of the process. In this state it can be poured into moulds for use in new products.

So there you are; our tip five tips. Ensure that you follow these, and not only will you make it easier for the scrappers and easier on the environment, you’ll also make it easier on your wallet. We can’t make it any easier to let your faithful friend go though…

The author works for company that specialises in scrap car, scrap cars and car donation.