An old car sitting for a long period of time in your backyard or garage can quickly become an eyesore for your property. If you want to earn some cash and free up some space, you might consider bringing it to a facility that salvages scrap cars. Here are some signs to help you determine if it's time to scrap your car.

How to Know When to Scrap Your Car

1. Costly Repairs

The older a car gets, the more expensive maintenance work often becomes, especially if the auto shop has difficulty locating components compatible with the model. As a result, you might wind up spending more than the car's worth on basic repairs. To get the most value, you could instead sell the car to a scrapyard and use the cash to purchase a newer, more reliable vehicle.

2. Rust Buildup

Rust on your car’s body generally won’t hinder your driving performance. However, rust can easily spread to other, more important parts, such as the undercarriage, brakes, and suspension. Once these components are excessively rusty, the metal turns brittle and could break down on you at any time. It would be safer to sell the car as junk than continue driving it.

3. Few Interested Buyers

Many auto enthusiasts enjoy restoring old cars. However, if nobody at all wants to buy your vehicle, then it might be better off at a salvage yard. This could be a sign that the vehicle may be too expensive to fix or clean up, which means it could sit on your property for a long time before an interested buyer comes along. Alternatively, a salvage yard won’t be picky with the scrap cars that come their way and can offer a fair sum to take your vehicle off your hands and repurpose it. 

When you're ready to sell your scrap car, head to Quandt Auto Salvage Inc. in Carroll, IA. Since the 1940s, this family-run business has recycled scrap metal, used car parts, and truck parts from clients throughout Carroll County. If you have questions about scrap cars, call the team at (800) 522-1903. You can also check out their website for directions to their yard.