Unfortunately sometimes a car just gets too old to manage and it has to be scrapped. Thankfully, you don't end up with nothing at the end of scrappage, with many scrap yards paying cash for the value of the metalwork or elements of the car that can be used to bring new life to other vehicles, such as door frames, seats and even engines.
We take a look at the scrappage process, what you need to know and also what elements of your car could fetch you some cash.
The total amount you can get differs greatly depending on a number of factors. The first thing that scrap yards look at is the amount of scrap metal available on the car. If you're scrapping your FIAT 500, then because it's a light-weight car, there's less usable metal on it that the scrap yard can actually take. However, if you're scrapping a Land Rover Discovery or Defender then it could lead to a good bit of cash back as these vehicles tend to be heavier and built predominately with metal rather than alloys or plastics.
The second thing to consider is how usable any of the parts are. If your vehicle is good condition for its age then you might find that the seats, dashboard, steering wheel and even headlights could gain you some money. An alternative to a scrap yard is itemising what's left in your car and selling for parts on the likes of eBay.
Whatever you do, always remove the battery before removing or fiddling with the cars power or electronics.
Once you've removed anything potentially dangerous in the car such as the fuel and power components, you can start to look at individual items that you might be able to scrap yourself:
• Tyres - providing they aren't too worn down you can likely sell these as part-worn online or to a garage
• Radio system - if you can remove the radio system you may find someone wants to buy it as a replacement system for a broken radio
• Seats - removing the seats and selling separately is a great idea of generating some quick cash. If your car is a classic vintage car, you may find that the seats are in hot demand
• Gearstick & steering wheel - as per the seats, depending on the make and model of the car, these could potentially be collectors' items so make sure you look for estimates online before just selling
• Windshield wipers - believe it or not, but if your wipers are relatively new then you can still make some money on them by selling them as spare parts
In order to scrap your car you need near enough the same documents you would hand over if you we're selling:
• V5 Logbook/registration certificate
• A letter confirming that any outstanding finance on the car has been paid off
• MOT certificates
• Service history (if applicable)
It should be noted that if you do not have your V5 logbook then you will not be able to scrap your car. This is to ensure that the car isn't stolen and now being scrapped for parts and cash. If you do not have the V5 logbook then you will need to speak to the DVLA about a replacement.
In 2009 the UK government announced that it would financially support drivers to get rid of cars older than 10 years in a bid to get environmentally unfriendly cars off the road. Scrapping older cars meant that drivers could get a cash contribution for buying their new car.
In 2010 the government then announced the “Plug-in car” grant scheme that provides £5,000 to drivers who purchases plug-in electric cars.
So, it's always worth exploring if there's any financial incentives or grants available from the government for scrapping your car, as well as selecting what car you buy next.
