Have you had an old junker sitting out back collecting rust for years? Perhaps your daily driver was recently totaled in an auto accident? Did you know you can still make some money off that vehicle? It’s true — you can sell your car, truck, or SUV to a salvage yard for cash and give someone else the opportunity to purchase used car parts at a discount.
So how do you go about selling your vehicle to a salvage yard? Read on to learn everything you need to know.
Pull Valuable Aftermarket Parts Before You Sell
When you sell a vehicle to salvage yard, the goal is to maximize the amount of money you’ll get, which means you’ll want to pull any aftermarket parts the vehicle has. After you pull those parts, you can resell them on your own if you’re so inclined and make extra cash over and above what the salvage yard pays you for the vehicle itself.
If you’re able to pull aftermarket parts, here are the ones you’ll want to consider keeping:
● Stereo equipment
● GPS
● Backup cameras
● Fancy rims
Remove All Personal Items
If you tend to keep a lot of stuff in your vehicle, make sure you take all of it out before you call a salvage yard to come tow your car or truck away. Don’t forget to remove the stuff in your glovebox and trunk and make sure you look beneath and between your seats for anything you might have forgotten was there.
Find Your Vehicle Title
Anytime you sell a vehicle, whether it’s to a private buyer, a car lot, or a salvage yard, you must turn over the title. Before you sell your car or truck, make sure there are no active liens on the title and it’s clear and ready for transfer. If there’s more than one party on the title, you’ll need to get a signature from each additional party before you can sell the vehicle, so make sure you contact those individuals and tie up all the loose ends.
Get Offers From a Few Salvage Yards
Not all salvage yards will offer you the same purchase price for your vehicle, so it’s a good idea to get a few offers and compare them to maximize your profit. Once you’ve decided on the yard you’d like to sell your car or truck to, give them a call and finalize the offer.
If your vehicle isn’t driveable, you’ll need to schedule a time for pick-up, but if you can safely drive your car or truck, the yard will expect you to deliver it.
Complete the Sale
When you arrive at the salvage yard (or when they come to tow your vehicle away), be ready for a brief vehicle inspection before you complete the sale. If there are no glaring issues with your car or truck, the buyer will hand over your cash and you’ll both sign the title, agreeing to the purchase and transfer.
Although you’ll no longer own the vehicle, you’ll want to keep the license plates since they don’t transfer with new ownership. You can re-register a different vehicle with those plates or you can surrender them to your DMV and you may be able to get a partial refund on the current registration.
Report to Your DMV
In the state of Minnesota, you must report the sale of your vehicle when you sell it to a salvage yard, which you can do online or in-person at your local motor vehicle office. Once you’ve completed this step, you’re finished!
Ready to Sell Your Vehicle to a Salvage Yard in St. Paul? Contact Ace Auto Parts!
Whether you own a super old vehicle or your newer vehicle was recently totaled in a collision, our team at Ace Auto Parts would love to take your junker off your hands! We buy old cars, trucks, and SUVs of all types, and if you can’t come to us, we provide free towing services and will pick your vehicle up wherever you are.
To learn more about how to sell us your salvage vehicle, give us a call today at 651-717-4299, or stop by our St. Paul location. You can also send us a message with your info and questions, and we’ll be in touch!