Finding the Most Valuable Parts from a Junkyard
If you have some mechanical know-how and are looking to make some extra money by selling used auto parts, it’s important that you know how to find the most valuable car parts on the lot. There’s a large market for used auto parts out there. Some people have even made a business out of buying, refurbishing, and reselling used parts that they’ve pulled from a salvage junkyard in Fort Myers, FL. Keep reading to find out more and see how you can get started with salvaging and reselling used car parts.
Know Which Parts Are Worth the Most
The first and most important thing that you should know is which components of the vehicle can be resold for the highest profit. While the exact price of any part will vary depending on the part’s age, model, and condition, specific components frequently fetch the highest price on the open market. Here are 6 of the most valuable auto parts you can pull from a salvage yard:
- GPS systems – The electronic components of a vehicle can often fetch a high price, as they can be sold to private buyers, electronics stores, manufacturers, collectors, and more. Generally speaking, the individuals selling their cars to a junkyard will remove separate GPS systems that aren’t part of the onboard computer. However, if you find one in a car, this is easy to remove and can be resold quickly. If you have the knowledge to remove an onboard GPS system, you can get a fairly large chunk of cash for that too.
- Fenders – Fenders are often damaged in minor car accidents, which places them in high demand when individuals are performing car repairs. You can take advantage of the demand by pulling fenders from common vehicle types and reselling them. Fenders are easy to find on the salvage lot, but make sure you focus your efforts on very popular models, as these will resell the fastest and likely for the highest profit.
- Doors – Again, this component often gets damaged in car accidents, so if you can find a car door that’s completely intact (and, better yet, with all components in working condition), you should be able to resell it quite quickly on the used parts market. If the door isn’t in great condition as an entire unit, you can also take it apart and sell the individual components.
- Catalytic converters – Catalytic converters contain highly valuable metals like platinum, rhodium, and palladium, so it’s little wonder that they can cost quite a lot of money. They can also fall out from under a vehicle and need to be replaced right away, so there’s a decent amount of demand for them. If you can find these in good condition at a salvage yard, snap them up and resell them.
- Bumpers – It should come as no surprise that there’s a market for used bumpers, given that these are usually the first part of a car to be damaged in most accidents. It’s tough to keep them in pristine shape, so if you can find one that’s in excellent condition, you can probably resell it easily.
- Airbags – Un-deployed airbags are tough to come by in a junkyard since they’ll almost always go off in any kind of accident. However, because they’re so hard to find, this puts a high price tag on them. If you find a car in the salvage yard that hasn’t used its airbags, you can extract them and resell them to individuals who need to replace their airbags after an accident.
Carefully Examine the Part’s Condition
As we stated earlier, the condition of any part will impact its final price, so it’s important that you carefully inspect the part’s condition before you buy it from the lot. You should plan to bring some cleaning supplies to the lot with you so that you can clean away dirt and grime to get a better look at the part’s true condition. Remember that oil buildup and dirt can be removed; you should look for serious damage or rusting. These issues are much harder to fix, if they can be fixed at all, and will impact your ability to resell the part.
Know What You Can Fix
Finally, make sure you have a firm grasp of your own capabilities as a mechanic. It’s not a good idea to commit to repairing a part that you don’t have the skills to repair properly; you’ll likely end up with a part that you can’t resell because the repairs were subpar. For example, let’s say you found a door with all its working components, but it’s dented and scratched pretty badly. If you’re experienced in dent removal and scratch repair on cars, this might be an easy fix for you. If not, you would likely have a hard time getting the repairs done and would struggle to find a buyer for the part.
Generally speaking, it’s a good idea to know what you have the skills and tools to repair before you enter a salvage yard. Going in with an idea of what kinds of parts you’re looking to resell will not only help you avoid bad investments but can save you a lot of time in the salvage yard by keeping you focused on hunting for specific items rather than pulling any part that appears to be in good shape.
Visit Our Salvage Yard Today
Are you ready to get started with pulling and reselling used auto parts? U Pull & Save has an extensive lot filled with salvage car parts in Fort Myers, FL. Come by with your tools and explore our lot to find valuable car parts that can be pulled, refurbished, and resold for profit. You can gain access to our 6-acre salvage yard for just a $1.00 admission fee, and we are open seven days a week for your convenience. Give us a call or stop by today.
