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How do you recover some of the $ on your abandoned


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Topic Originally created by L.W. on Tow411 in November of 2003

 

I have recently made an agreement with an owner (whom I used to pull for) about salvaging catalytic convertors from his abandoned vehicles. From what I have been told it is worth the while, and I will use a sawzall to eliminate the fire hazard, so he is comfortable with all of this in his lot.


I am curious as to how many do this type of thing, and what all do you pull for core value? I guess the real question is what is worth the effort on the return side- alternators, starters, radiators, what?


Obviously, it has to be approached from a time versus $ outlook. But also, at what point do you become considered a recycler or salvage operation? Obviously, I don't want to create a problem, but as these units are usually pretty used up, they usually become crusher material anyways. Pulling the easy rewards off of them wouldn't affect the tonnage much. How far does one go before you are asking for trouble with licensing, liability, etc?


I look forward to your replies- it is best to learn from those that have already been there. Thanks

 

TowTrk1 said:

I guess it would depend on what you're getting for the converters. Personally, in CT you'd have to be careful about what you dismantled before coming under the watchful eyes of DMV. Of course, this state is so screwed up right now, they would have to add it to the list of things to do before they caught ya. Anyway, if you stuck to converters, it might be worth it. I wouldn't get into starters and alternators, though. For what you'd get for them, after testing them and all, probably wouldn't be worth the time taken to remove them.


I would also consider keeping the salvage for your own garage if you do the work. Stay away from salvage retail sales. Money can be made on used engines, control arms, and such that people can't afford new. Offering a used alternative to new can many times get you the repair job, and even make a few bucks on the used part.


Given this opinion is based on how CT's laws work. Others areas may be different where your idea may work well.
Bill

 

Jim Lunsford said:

well I typed out a whole book but it didn't post....just to cut it short the only time i've found that a core is worth anything is when you dont have one to turn in when buying a new part

Jim

 

Unknown Member said:

I have done some looking into this issue also. The question I have is will the person who buys your scrap keeping paying for them if you pull all the easy cash off first? There is definitely a market for convertors and they get about $5 a piece. I believe there is also a market for starters and alternators. The biggest chunk is probably in the scrap steel. However, if you can get $50 for a clunker is it really worth the hassel? Probably only if you have a huge amount of abandons and access to a shredder. So far the best way to recoup on these for us is to find a good junk yard to work with who can make some money off the steel, convertor, etc.

 

Unknown Member said:

What we do here is we wait until we get alot of cars to crush and we let the crusher pull the gas tanks, radiators, tires, cats., alternators etc. We then let him sell the cores and he splits the profit from that with us because he does the work. but, if you dont have alot of yard space this might not work for you. we crush about 200 cars at a time.

 

Jerrys Garage said:

I am located at a interstate exit, so we sell a lot of used tires. If we take some to the crusher we have to pull the tanks and tires so might as well make a few dollars. we also pull the radiators, dont get but around 40 at the crusher.
Jerry

 

scoobydoo007 said:

hello everyone
Here in ontario we can get between $10-$60 for a used cat.
so we strip off and call a company that buys them. need a lot for them to come down.

 

L.W.Said:

Scooby is saying pretty much what I have heard around here. I have been told $5 to $50 depending on size and style. The common GM units were bringing $29 per unit a while back.
There are a few guys that come through on a route every so often, and it depends on how many I can collect as to whether they will come to me or if I have to make arrangements to meet up with them somewhere along the way.
I will let everyone know how it all works out in the end. Thanks for the responces, and I'd love to here more of your thoughts!

 

Don29yrs aka Thtdon said:

We walk a fine line here when it comes to that kind of activity. Removing parts off of cars is the function of a Class 3 dealer's license, which in laymen's terms is a junkyard license. If I got caught removing parts off of cars and selling them, I would run into problems with the zoning board. I operate an impound yard, not a junkyard. I have had someone come in looking to buy converters. Granted, removing them would generate a little revenue. But I don't have the time. The money generated from the sale of the converters would be offset by the salaries of the guys removing them.

 

Unknown Member said:

i have found that stripping cars for their parts can be rewarding cat. converters,transmissions,insome cases motors,newer starters,alts,aluim wheels,raditors,air conditioning cores,copper battery wires,tires make excellent xmas bonuses and partiesfor the company.they also help fund repairs on truck equipment. I do not sell any of these part to a salvage yard dealer for they try to cut the price paid to you by half.here in my state we have company's that buyjust those parts.Ex. late model transmission (700 r 2 types the one with the vain on the side) $125. cat.converters gm double $44.al. wheels 55 cents a lb. all year long when you buy a new alt. and they say the core value is $125 then you know some one somewhere is paying atleast $40 for a junk core.

 

scoobydoo007 said:

what i usually do for those cars i will get them stripped down by a high school kid i sometimes use in the shop. pay him cash and he gets good learnin experience and cars.
can usually get them for fairly cheap because around here most guys dont give them a break. what better to learn on then a junker
Marc

 

Melville said:

I am in the towing & recovery business,and there are enough headaches, I am not in the salvage business so I do not dismantle. I leave that to the people in that business, as I should. I don't sell used parts , I made a deal with the local junk yard to buy my abandons and junk at what I believe is a fair price, he takes the good with the bad at the same price, sometimes more one than the other but it all comes out in the wash. I am not afraid of someone else making a dollar and I don't want to be a junk yard.

 

Unknown Member said:

In NM we get $50 a car reguardless of condition for salvage so to offset the cost of the title and hauling it in to my yard and to the wrecking yard is to pull small parts such as carbs, taillights, emblems anyting that will fot in a 12x12x12 box and then list it on ebay you can make a few bucks and if the stuff doesn't sell just put it in the next junkker to go out...............Sorry to everyone for the caps locks thats the way I type son't happen again

 

L.W. said:

Well, this was along time coming, but I finally sold off my converters. I ended up having another buddy with a salvage yard broker then for me, as his buyer has a better rep than some others, and it didn't require me to get as many in a shot.
I sold 42 units total. The highest was $45, and the lowest was $6. Overall average was $16.48 per unit.
I only ended up with 25 of of the impound lot (many of those abandoned units either did not have one, on they were gutted and were worthless). But my ex boss was pretty happy to get $165 (he got 40%) for basically not doing anything, and he got the same from the crusher for the cars as he would have with them still on.
All in all, we didn't get rich, but it was a worthwhile endeavor. I don't think I was in his lot for more than 5 hours maximum, so that is a pretty good hourly wage!
All's well that ends well... Later-

 

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