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What is my junk car worth?

Online calculators promise an instant number, but a junk car's value depends on things only a buyer looking at your specific car can judge. You will not find a price list here, because there is no honest one. Here is what actually moves the offer.

1. Weight and scrap metal prices

At the bottom line, a car is a few thousand pounds of steel, aluminum and other metals. Scrap metal prices rise and fall with the market, so the same car can be worth more one month than the next. Heavier vehicles, like trucks and SUVs, start with more scrap value.

2. Parts that are still in demand

Recyclers resell working engines, transmissions, body panels, wheels and electronics. A common model whose parts sell well, even with a dead engine, can be worth more than a rare car whose parts nobody wants.

3. The catalytic converter and battery

Catalytic converters contain precious metals and are a big part of many offers, which is also why buyers ask whether yours is still on the car. The battery also has recycling value.

4. Completeness and condition

Missing wheels, a stripped interior or a removed converter all lower the offer. So does fire or flood damage. Running, drivable cars sometimes qualify for more than scrap value; see selling a car that still runs.

5. Paperwork and pickup

A clean title in your name makes the deal easier. A missing title adds work. A car that is hard to reach, buried in snow or on blocks may take more time to pick up.

Getting a real number

Give the year, make, model, condition and title status in the offer form. An accurate description gets an offer that holds up at pickup. If anything changes before the truck arrives, such as a part being removed or the car being moved, mention it right away so the offer can be adjusted instead of renegotiated in the driveway.