Just because your vehicle isn’t running doesn’t mean it’s garbage. What might seem like a serious problem could be fixed relatively easily if you can find the right part for your car.
More often than not, a written-off vehicle is disassembled to sell its parts before being taken to the scrap heap. Many junk yards hold on to vehicles so that private buyers can come in and get the part themselves. This is all part of the used car business.
A vehicle may become unworthy of the road for many reasons, such as an accident, a serious malfunction, or any number of safety issues. When this happens, its parts will likely find their way to the market so that people like you can utilize them for a vehicle worth saving.
Private Sellers
If you’re not a vehicle aficionado, you may not be aware of the massive auto marketplace that can be accessed via online seller sites like Kijiji and eBay. On these websites and similar forums, you can find everything from spare headlights to your next family vehicle – if you know how to look!
It could be easy to find parts from a private online seller but always err on the side of caution. You want to have an idea of what the part is worth before you go making offers. You also need to be ready to deal with the risk of the part not working – in most cases, you won’t be able to test it before installing it to your vehicle.
Junk Yards & Auto Wreckers
Eventually, unless expertly preserved, a car becomes junk and is to be sent to the auto wreckers for recycling. This is where people go to get cash for junk cars. The scrap metal and usable parts are separated and anything that can’t be reused or recycled is eventually disposed of one way or another. Usually, local junkyards are pretty crafty about mincing automobiles. They’re always on the lookout for a good junk car, because the best scrappers understand the value of your old buggy, even if you can’t drive it anymore.
The vehicle someone else considered trash could be your treasure. People looking to get rid of an old scrap car fast will get cash for junk cars without giving much thought to the valuable parts it contains. Scrap sellers know this, and they know how to transform an old car into a valuable piece of retail. So if you are seeking spare car parts, it’s a great idea to call your local scrapyard. They usually keep a registry of the vehicles that they have on their lot. Some scrappers even keep an inventory of available parts, so they know as soon as someone calls whether or not they have the part you need. Other junkyards will have to check to see whether the part you need is available – this is more common, as it would take a ton of time and effort to inspect and put to inventory every part of every car in a junkyard.
If you know your way around an automobile, you may want to go the more common route of heading to the yard to check out the vehicle yourself. This way you can inspect and decide whether or not you would like to purchase the part and how much you think it is worth before starting a deal. You may even be able to discover bonus car parts that you weren’t originally looking for this way.
Online Catalogues
Another great way to find a used car part is to search an online catalogue such as Car-Part.com. This method is an excellent way to narrow down your search time and avoid potential scams from private sellers on digital marketplaces. Websites like Car-Part.com keep an inventory of used cars that recyclers have in stock across the country. Once you get your search results, you can call the auto wreckers and recyclers nearby to confirm whether or not they have the part available and make arrangements for sale.
Using a green parts market like Car-Part.com is getting the best of both worlds and is particularly recommended for common parts on recent makes and models. If you are looking for a part for a vehicle that is more of a collector car than a common-use auto, you may have more luck with private online sellers or even through speaking with people at local car shows.
It can be easy to find a car part online if you know where to look – in the meantime, happy hunting!
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