Auto breakers: sell your car for its parts value

Auto breakers buy a car for what is inside it rather than what it weighs. If the engine still pulls, the gearbox is sound or the panels are straight, those parts can be reused on other cars, and that is worth more than the metal alone. Motor Salvage Group buys cars and vans on that basis across Scotland and England. We collect free, pay by bank transfer to an account in your name, and deliver the vehicle to a licensed Authorised Treatment Facility partner, where it is broken for parts and the rest is recycled.

Here we cover the price: which parts add value, what takes it away, and how to describe your car so the quote reflects what is on it. If you simply want a car collected for breaking without visiting a yard, our guide to breakers yards covers that.

One thing we do not do is sell parts. We buy vehicles. The breaking, and anything that happens to the parts afterwards, is handled by our licensed partners, so we cannot quote for, supply or reserve a component.

Parts value versus scrap value

A scrap price is set mainly by weight and that week's metal prices. A parts price starts from the same base, then adds what can be recovered and reused. The two sit close together for an old, rare or badly damaged car, because few of its parts will find a buyer. They move apart for a common model with a healthy engine and gearbox, straight panels and good wheels, because those parts are wanted by people keeping similar cars on the road. When we quote, we look at the car both ways and price it on what it really holds.

Which parts move the price

The engine and gearbox matter most, provided they work: a car that starts and drives shows they are healthy, while a seized or unproven engine counts for far less. Next come the catalytic converter, which holds recoverable precious metals, and the doors, bonnet, tailgate and wings, especially in a common colour and free of dents. Alloy wheels with usable tyres, headlamp units, seats and electronic modules add smaller amounts. Mileage matters more here than it does for scrap, where weight sets most of the price: a low-mileage engine is easier to reuse than a tired one.

A worked comparison

Take two cars of the same popular model and age. The first was hit from behind: the bumper, boot lid and rear panel are ruined, but the engine starts, the gearbox shifts cleanly and the front half is straight. The second has an undamaged body but a seized engine and no catalytic converter. By weight they are almost the same, so as scrap they would be priced alike. For parts, the first is usually worth more, because its engine and gearbox, the most valuable components, can be reused; the second offers little beyond its panels, and its gearbox cannot be proven while the engine is seized.

How to describe the car so the price reflects it

Send the registration, the mileage and whether the car starts and drives. Say where any damage is and list the faults you know about, including warning lights. Photos help most: one of each side, the engine bay, the interior and the dashboard with the ignition on. Tell us if anything has been removed, such as the wheels, battery or catalytic converter, because a missing part cannot be priced in. If the car matches your description, the figure we agree is the figure you are paid.

Parts that add little: what not to expect

Some things matter to you but usually add little to a parts price. Accessories and modifications, such as an upgraded stereo, a body kit or oversized wheels, are hard to reuse, because people buying used parts tend to want ones that match the standard car. Money spent shortly before the car failed, on a new clutch, tyres or an exhaust, counts only as far as those parts can be reused, not at what you paid for them. And there is no need to fill the tank or top up any fluids before collection, because they are drained at the facility.

Not sure which service you need? It does not matter. Send us the reg and we will tell you the best route, or read how the process works.