Scrap your derelict car

I have only owned two cars that needed to be junked. Mother nature relieved me of the first one a decade ago and the other one was via a nasty accident that I did not cause.

The one that was claimed by rust was an old Volkswagen Beetle. This particular car was running until a dead battery coupled with a lazy owner left it lying, abandoned for years. It took awhile to get rid of this car, which had a lot of memories tied up to it. The usual wishful thinking that someday, I would have the time to bring it to its former glory was also one reason why it stayed in our yard for years.

After a decade of neglect, the once patina-filled beetle turned into serious rust. When it really came to saying goodbye to this defunct decades old VW, I realized I had no idea how to actually get rid of something that wasn’t structurally fit to be towed anymore.

Every year in the Philippines between 300,000 to 400,000 brand new cars are sold.  Millions are sold as used and probably only a miniscule percentage is scrapped. With the introduction of the PMVIC and strict emission rules, expect the number of scrapped cars to go up.

But why scrap rundown cars when you can still fix it? 

Fixing it will only bring more problems. Like an old, obsolete computer with no applications available to run its outdated hardware. I am not talking about those fully restored, fully reconditioned, road worthy examples though.

One good reason why scrapping is a good alternative for rundown cars is that it forms the basis for an all-around win-win situation for us. Obviously, scrapping is a great way for people who own derelict cars to make some quick cash. Scrapping frees the valuable space that you have. It gives the metal industry a chance to recycle your old car into something more usable like steel bars for buildings, no to mention the ridding our roads with less pollutants.   

But what is the best way to rid yourself of a junk car? Can you still sell it? Where can you obtain the best price?

The VW Beetle I mentioned that was left to rot in our yard was dismantled by a “timbangero” or a “mangkikilo.” This “manoy” offered, if I remember it right, three hundred pesos for the whole car. I watched him methodologically take the car apart piece by piece including the glass, the engine and the suspension until only the bare body was left.  He then called upon his “whole barangay” to what was left of the Beetle.

You can have it posted in Websites, Forums and Multimedia. A lot of Car Clubs have a website section for parts or used parts. Recently, I saw a Junk/Total Wreck Car page in Facebook where terms like “parting out” or “parts-out” are common.

If the car is rolling, and there are not takers, you can have it picked up on a self-loader truck and brought to the nearest scrapyard. There are a lot of these around Mandaue area.

Nowadays, there are many ways to rid yourself of an unwanted car. The internet has opened up avenues for maximizing sale, even for junk.