Awl--
How is it/why is it these various groups seem very willing to take a vehicle, almost regardless of its condition? What's in it for them, when sometimes you couldn't *give* the vehicle away?
Occasionally, you see fairly aggressive advertising--which proly isn't cheap either--for our old cars. Iny idears?
Ad space for nonprofits can be either discounted or free - TV stations especially need to stay on the good side of the FCC by running public service stuff. The charities either auction or scrap the cars. In the old days you could deduct the book value from your taxes, but as of 2007 you only get what the charity ends up getting for it.
Calvin
I've donated 3 vehicles to a local Homeless Center. They receive advertising for free, and towing companies donate their service to pick up the junkers. If the car isn't auctioned off, then it can be sold for scrap with the charity getting the proceeds.
Nan
Which brings up another Q:
Why don't scrap/salvage yards pay an individual for cars? With steel now going for 7c/lb (to you'n'me), dats about $250 for a mid-full size car--not counting alloys, copper, and aluminum. Aluminum engines could fetch over $250 by themselves. Also, usable parts go for 1/3 list price, which even at 1/3, can be fairly hefty.
Some will. We sold a 1999 Bonneville that had a LOAD of problems and quit running to one for $200. I'm going to guess the salvage yard would rather have the charitable write off instead of buying the parts from an individual.
Nan
thats what you get for buying hoopties......
Not all were hoopies. I donated my 1988 Nissan Stanza after owning it for 10 years. I bought it for $2000 so it was a good car for what I paid for it ;-)
Nan
Some do, some don't. When I needed to get rid of my wife's dead '85 Camry I called around to yards and got many different responses. Some said they would give me cash if I could drive it in their gate. Some said they would pick it up for free. Some said they would pick it up when they got around to it, and oh-by-the-way, that'll be $100. I finally found one yard that said he would tow it and give us $50 - SOLD.
It was definitely a happy day when that beast finally got hauled away for the last time.
Calvin
Even the ones that advertise on television that they will pay you for your junker don't always pay. One that advertises "cash for your junker" quite a bit on Chicago television wanted money to take my '83 Cadillac years ago. This was a running car; I had to get rid of it fast because it failed pollution, and the fascist tin gods who run that were going to suspend my driver's license, my wife's, and the registration on our other car for letting the one sit behind my house while I tried to fix it.
Having decided not to pay to junk a running car (with good glass all around, lots of usable body parts, etc.), I managed to find a buyer walking through the alley and got a few bucks for it.
Nan, the idea is to buy them, drive them 6-8 months, and then SELL them for more than you paid for them
the last 4 cars I owned, I drove for free, and made money selling them when I got tired of them, not because they had mechanical problems.
I'm not interested in buying low and selling high. I want a decent car for the price I pay, and one that will be reliable.
Nan
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required