How much does my car weigh?
Your car weighs its curb weight: the number with fluids in and nobody inside. For a scrap car that one number does most of the work, because scrap is bought by the ton. Cash for Scrap Junk Cars NWI built the scale ticket below so you can turn your car's weight into tons before you ask anyone for a price.
Last reviewed September 30, 2026
By Cash for Scrap Junk Cars NWI
How do I find my car's weight for scrap?
Use the curb weight: the car with its oil, coolant and other fluids but no people or cargo. It's listed in the owner's manual or the maker's spec sheet. Don't use the GVWR, which is a maximum loaded rating. Divide the pounds by 2,000 for net tons or by 2,240 for gross tons.
Scale ticket
From the owner's manual or the maker's spec sheet. Not the GVWR.
- Net tons
- ÷ 2,000 lb
- Gross tons
- ÷ 2,240 lb
- Tonnes
- 1,000 kg
Curb weight is the number that matters, because scrap is bought by weight. It’s the figure behind scrap car prices in NWI, and once you have it you can check any per-ton quote yourself.
Curb weight, GVWR and dry weight
Three weights get mixed up, and only one is useful here.
Curb weight is the total weight of the car with its standard equipment and the fluids it needs to run (oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, coolant, refrigerant and sometimes a full tank of fuel), with no passengers or cargo. That’s the definition in the Wikipedia entry on vehicle weight, and it’s the one to use.
GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) is bigger. It includes the maximum load of people and cargo. It’s a rating, a ceiling, not what your car weighs sitting in the driveway. Plug it into a per-ton quote and you’ll expect far more than the car will bring.
Dry weight leaves out the fluids. It’s lower than curb weight and rarely quoted for cars, so if you see it, add the fluids back in your head or keep looking.
Where to look
Start with the paperwork you already have, then widen out:
- The owner’s manual. The specifications section near the back usually lists curb weight, sometimes by trim or engine.
- The maker’s spec sheet or brochure for your model year. Match the trim, the engine and two-wheel or four-wheel drive, because each one changes the number.
- A scale. A certified scale gives the real weight of the car as it sits today, missing parts and all. That’s the number a yard’s scale will read too.
If the only number you can find is labelled GVWR, it’s the wrong one. Keep going.
Pounds to tons
Divide by 2,000 for net tons or by 2,240 for gross tons. A 2,800-pound car is 1.40 net tons or 1.25 gross tons. The scale ticket does the division for you, and adds metric tonnes for anyone reading a price in those. It never prints a price, on purpose: rates change, and a made-up number would only mislead you.
Why weight drives the offer
A scrap car’s metal is sold by the ton. More weight means more tons, which is why per-ton pricing starts with this number.
It’s also why heavier trucks and SUVs usually bring more than a compact car in the same condition. A full-size pickup simply has more steel in it.
The spec sheet vs the scale
Your curb weight is what the car weighed new, complete and full of fluids. The scale reads what’s actually there. Those can differ:
- A car missing its engine, wheels or doors weighs less than the spec sheet says.
- Drained fluids and an empty fuel tank take some weight off.
- Anything left in the trunk or cab adds weight the buyer doesn’t want. Clear out your belongings before pickup.
So treat the curb weight as the ceiling for a complete car. If parts are gone, say so when you ask for an offer; see scrapping a car with parts missing.
From weight to an offer
The year, make and model you enter in the form pin down the curb weight, which is why the form asks for them. Get an offer on your scrap car and we’ll call back with a number for the whole car, towed free, paid at pickup.