Scrap car questions
Straight answers from Cash for Scrap Junk Cars NWI about scrap car prices, weights, missing parts, titles and pickup in north Lake County, Indiana. The short version: scrap is priced by weight, the tow is free, and you're paid at pickup.
Prices
How is a scrap car priced?
By weight. The car's curb weight in tons, times the buyer's per-ton rate for whole cars, less anything missing and any towing fee. Our towing is free.
Why don't you publish a price per ton?
Because it changes with the steel market, and a posted number can't account for your car's weight or what's missing. We'd rather give you an actual offer than a figure that doesn't hold.
What's the difference between a gross ton and a net ton?
A gross ton is 2,240 pounds and a net ton is 2,000 pounds. At the same headline rate, a per-net-ton quote pays 12% more than a per-gross-ton one.
Why is my offer different from what a friend got?
Different car weight, different parts missing, or a different day. Scrap rates move with what steel mills pay, so the same model can bring a different number a month later.
The car
Where do I find my car's weight?
Use the curb weight in the owner's manual or the maker's spec sheet. Don't use the GVWR, which is a maximum loaded rating, not what the car weighs.
Will you take a car with parts missing?
Yes, for the metal that's left. Tell us exactly what's gone, such as the engine, wheels or catalytic converter, so the offer matches the car we tow.
Do you buy trucks, SUVs and vans?
Yes, light-duty pickups, SUVs and vans. They usually weigh more than cars, so they tend to bring more as scrap. For anything bigger, ask on the call.
My car still runs. Should I scrap it?
Maybe not. A car that runs and drives safely can be worth more to a private buyer than as scrap. We buy junk, wrecked and scrap cars; if yours is a good runner, check a private-sale price first.
Paperwork and pickup
Can I scrap a car without a title?
No title? We can still help. Scrapping a car in Indiana takes one of two documents. The first is the title, and a lost one can be replaced at the BMV for $15. The second is a BMV certificate of authority: a $4 application backed by proof you own the car, such as the current registration. State law says a car under 15 model years old can't be sold for scrap without one or the other. Send us what you do have (a bill of sale, the registration, an insurance card) and we'll work out on the call which document fits your car.
Is towing free?
Yes. The tow costs you nothing and is never subtracted from the offer.
At what point am I paid?
At pickup, as the car is loaded onto the truck.
How fast can you pick up?
Same-day pickup is often possible. It depends on where the car is and when you send the details.
Where do you pick up?
Eleven towns in north Lake County, with Gary at the center: Gary, Hammond, Whiting, East Chicago, Munster, Highland, Griffith, Merrillville, Hobart, Lake Station and New Chicago. Not Porter or LaPorte County, and not south Lake County.
Still deciding? Read how scrap car prices work per ton or find your car's curb weight.
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