In the United States alone between 12 – 15 million cars reach the end of their useful life every year. THese vehicles need to be decommissioned for their valuable parts, plastic, steel and rubber. Have you ever wondered where all of these cars go? The answer begins at an Auto Wrecker.
When you’ve had enough of your late model Lincoln sitting on blocks in the garage, a good place to go to squeeze some last value from the vehicle is at an Auto Wrecker Service. Upon inspection, an Auto Wrecker Service will give an estimate to the customer to buy a salvage car.
How much could you get for your old jalopy? The answer: it depends.
What Auto Wreckers Services are looking for…
Wreckers are really looking for the value of the car’s parts. They use the parts in their auto shop or to recondition and sell on the auto after-market. Like most things – the rarer the part -the better. In fact, most wreckers will tell you that late model vehicles are the most prized since, as long as the steel isn’t rusted, these parts can fetch a premium on the market. As a general rule: if you have a common model that’s less than 15 years old, don’t expect to get more than $300.00 for the vehicle, and it’s usually less.
Once the Auto Wrecker has stripped the car of any valuable parts they need to prepare the car for the Processors. Car Processors are only interested in the steel of the vehicle and will usually pay the wrecker by the ton. It’s important for the Processor that the vehicles are as stripped as much as possible of any items other than steel, so a big part of the wrecker’s time is spent simply stripping the vehicle of the interior and draining the car of any fluids. Parts like tires / seats and plastics are then sold to wholesale recycling centers.
Auto Wrecker Service Processing
Once at the processing location, the car’s remaining frame / axle is crushed using a machine called baling press or flattener. Much like what you we’ve all seen as the background in a gritty Hollywood action sequence, the car is pressed with over 140 tons of force – reducing it to an amazing 9” in height!
At this point the flattened car can be transported more easily via truck or train to the mighty shredding machine. While shredders come in all different sizes, from mobile to industrial-sized, the process remains the same: an entire car is fed into a series of large opposing gears and gnarled strands of metal are produced. These strands of metal are again compacted and shipped to the steel mill to be melted down in order to make – you guessed it – more cars!
Choosing an Auto Wrecker Service
So if you’re looking to get some last mileage out of that old beater, or affordable replacement parts, or you’re simply looking for someone to clean up your wreck – call your local wrecker today.
Durham Towing Company tows and wrecks vehicles – and we’ll give you a fair deal on your car or truck. Call us today! You can reach us anytime 24/7 at 919-805-3344