When you’ve worn out your car to the point that it’s already no good for anything other than the scrapyard, then it’s time to say goodbye. But before you call for scrap car disposal services for hauling off your vehicle, you should first take care of the following things.
Check inside for valuable items
Every car owner has turned their ride into a closet at some point. Your car is like an extension of your home, so you might have some personal or valuable items in it that you’ve forgotten.
So before you send your car to motor heaven, check every inch of it for any personal belongings or valuable documents hidden away. Check not only the glove compartment. A lot of abandoned vehicles have housed valuable items under the seats and in the trunk. If your car seat has a cover, check its back pockets as well.
Inform the DVLA
Before you send your car to the scrapyard or an authorized treatment facility (ATF), inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) first because you’ll be asked to take care of a few details. If you’re planning to keep the registration number of your car, for example, you have to apply for this.
See if you can sell some parts
Even cars that are destined for the scrapyard still have some valuable items in them. Check your vehicle if you can use some of its parts to make a buck or two. If your tires are relatively new, sell them. If your car battery is still working, remove it from the engine and sell it to a junkyard.
Don’t be too hasty to get rid of your car because you might find something in there that you still can sell or probably use on your new ride. Take your time and look it over to see if there’s anything valuable left in there that you can either sell or reuse.
Also, you need to inform the DVLA that your vehicle is off the road while you’re removing some of the parts. You might be penalized if you don’t inform the agency of what you’re doing, so don’t take the risk and just let them know.
One other thing: ask the ATF how much they’re going to charge you if you remove some of the parts of your car. ATFs can charge you for every item you remove from your old vehicle. So, better apprise yourself of the fees. Otherwise, you might get sideswiped by the extra payments you have to make.
Use up your petrol
Use the last ounces of your gasoline before you let your car be hauled away to the scrapyard. If your car is no longer running, remove the petrol in the tank and place it in an approved container. The scrapyard will likely throw that extra petrol away, so better to use it than to lose it.
These are some of the details you need to take care of before you send your car to the scrapyard. Learn them and be sure to cover all your bases before you bid farewell to your old vehicle.
