what is the best way to sell a car for ‘parts’?
I have a 96 Saturn SC2 with close to 250K miles. Still runs but not reliable.
I would like to sell it for parts but not sure of the best way to do this.
There’s a few ways to do this. The easiest is just to drive the thing to the junkyard, where if it gets there under its own power you’ll probably get around a hundred bucks at most.
Another way is to put it on craigslist or ebay and sell it just like you normally would, but say something to the effect of “for parts” in the ad.
Or, taking it one step further you can advertise that you’re parting it out, in which case you sell individual parts to people. Do this for a certain length of time and then take it to the junkyard and get your 100 bucks.
Theoretically, parting it out will get you the best return, but it is by far the most time consuming and your neighbors probably won’t be too happy if you don’t have off-street parking. Also, if you go for option #2, check with your state’s DMV as there might be a special procedure for selling a whole car for parts.
Put it on craigslist, “Parts car For Sale”…I would include the cravat "buyer must take entire car, which can be driven. A clean title but no license plates are included.
Provide the buyer with a bill of sale that includes the date and the cars VIN. Keep a signed copy for yourself. Include the words “sold as is”. That’s about it…
And if you’re going to keep the car at your place to part it out, identify those parts that are best. Advertise those parts by name on your Craigslist in such a manner as to update the list as parts are sold off.
The non-wear hard parts ( sheet metal, doors, etc.) should bring the highest asking price. Do advanced research on the going rates for similar used and new. ( around here, wrecking yard parts are about half the price of new.)
Keep a running list to answer inquiries asap. Wrecking yards also use a diagram of a car, laid out in pieces like a set of model car instructions.
The mileage sensetive wear items are probably why your ditching it in the first place. List those first on your ‘sold’ list so as not to fool anyone. If they really want that 250k alternator, for example, be hanest and see what price you can get.