You always knew the day would come when you'd have to say goodbye to your old car; you just never knew exactly what you'd have to do with it then. Whether it's been sitting behind your garage for 2 years or it was totaled in a wreck last week, you'll have to find your car a final destination and hope to get a little money back from the whole thing. There are several options to consider when junking a car, depending on its condition.

Junking a Car

If the car still has a little drive in it, take it to a scrap yard. An employee will look it over and determine how much it's worth for them to take. If the car still has decent working parts, you can get up to several hundred dollars for it since the scrap yard will ultimately sell the parts off one by one. You can also take it to a junk yard and sell it for the metal. They'll weigh the vehicle, subtract weight of tires and other nonmetal parts and pay you the per-pound rate of the aluminum or steel on the car. This may not fetch you more than a $100, but it's an option. If you can disassemble cars yourself, consider identifying working parts in the vehicle, taking them out, cleaning them up and selling them on eBay. This way you will make more money from the junk car and can have it towed to a scrap yard when you're done. They'll often tow for free if you just give them the car. Another option, if the car still works, is to donate it to a charity like Goodwill or Purple Heart. This will benefit a needy family who cannot afford a working automobile. A final solution, usually for a totaled car that won't budge and you've got to move it, is to call a wrecker. They'll show up with a flatbed trailer, load up the car and haul it off. And if the car isn't totaled they'll often give you $100 to $150 for it. You have to sign over the title to them on the spot and they'll part out the vehicle later on, but it won't cost you a thing.

Source:

Knowledgehound.com: Junk Car or Truck?

More Information:

Junk-yard.org

Purple Heart Car Donation

Free Towing to a Scrapyard