Anyone ever broken their car for parts?
Discussion
I think our BMW 5-series is going to have to go. It's at a an age and mileage where it is starting to throw up regular issues, some minor, some more serious and it is becoming harder to trust for the long trips it excels at. Trouble is, it's worth next to nothing as part ex. As a private sale with all declared issues, it might go to someone entusiastic but equally could just be a total headache to sell.
There are some really nice bits of kit in the car to the point where just selling some of the interior, the cat and the wheels/tyres would probably net me more than selling the car. But how much hassle have people found this?
The obvious issues I can foresee are storage of parts as they come off, hassle of packaging bulky stuff (interor, wheels etc) to courier and lastly, that at some point the car might become unmovable and stuck in the garage. I did think about just buying some space savers and make sure I don't sell anything that stops it at least being pushable.
The straight 6 would make a nice coffee table!
There are some really nice bits of kit in the car to the point where just selling some of the interior, the cat and the wheels/tyres would probably net me more than selling the car. But how much hassle have people found this?
The obvious issues I can foresee are storage of parts as they come off, hassle of packaging bulky stuff (interor, wheels etc) to courier and lastly, that at some point the car might become unmovable and stuck in the garage. I did think about just buying some space savers and make sure I don't sell anything that stops it at least being pushable.
The straight 6 would make a nice coffee table!
There's no definitive answer as it all comes down to your own circumstances. You've touched on it but once the few desirable bits have been removed, packaged up, sent and you're left with 1.5tons of crap stuck on the drive / in the garage and the missus is going mental, it's pouring rain, you're behind with work and the kids are boted etc etc... or maybe you'll strip it to it's component parts in 48hrs, have plenty storage, an understanding wife or a yard to do this? Only you can weigh up the situation and decide if it's worth the hassle or if it's better to just get rid as it stands with minimal fuss.
I've done it a few times but you have to be pretty organised if lack of storage is an issue.
I advertised on facebook groups and forums and take deposits especially for the larger stuff and try to work it so i'm removing parts as and when they are being collected (I had a mate and we stripped an Accord Type R over a weekend with people dropping in over the weekend to collect then a huge parcel collection the following weekend)
I advertised on facebook groups and forums and take deposits especially for the larger stuff and try to work it so i'm removing parts as and when they are being collected (I had a mate and we stripped an Accord Type R over a weekend with people dropping in over the weekend to collect then a huge parcel collection the following weekend)
each to their own, but I can't imagine that breaking a car for parts is anything other than a massive drain on time and a huge amount of hassle.
If you sell a whole car then you have one sale to undertake. Strip it and you've got loads and loads of sales to do, Things to box up and send and then a non-running piece of junk to get rid of!
Each to their own as I say!
If you sell a whole car then you have one sale to undertake. Strip it and you've got loads and loads of sales to do, Things to box up and send and then a non-running piece of junk to get rid of!
Each to their own as I say!
I stripped a B reg 2.0 litre Sierra for parts when I 'attempted' (ahem) to build a Lotus 7 style kit car. I was left with the shell (very rusty), interior (minus the instruments) and all its panels. I'd removed all the running gear, brakes and wheels. This was back in 1998 when scrap value was very low but I still found a breaker who came with a grabber to take it away, but I got nothing for it. The price of steel nowadays, you may get something for it but if you strip off the wings, bonnet etc to sell, probably not. 
I broke an E30 325i Sport several years back.
I actually found it really enjoyable. Removing parts and then seeing how much money they'd go for. Parts were going everywhere. Sunvisors went to Australia. Headlight wash/wipe went to Uruguay. One guy kept coming back to my house to collect more stuff.
The unenjoyable bit was having the council come round and tell me they'd had complaints about the shell of the car looking 'unsightly'.
Was also annoyingly difficult to scrap the shell since it had no wheels and most scrap dealers didn't want to use a hiab in fear of the feet damaging the driveway and/or pavement.
Didn't stop me doing the exact same thing again to an MX5 several years later.
I actually found it really enjoyable. Removing parts and then seeing how much money they'd go for. Parts were going everywhere. Sunvisors went to Australia. Headlight wash/wipe went to Uruguay. One guy kept coming back to my house to collect more stuff.
The unenjoyable bit was having the council come round and tell me they'd had complaints about the shell of the car looking 'unsightly'.
Was also annoyingly difficult to scrap the shell since it had no wheels and most scrap dealers didn't want to use a hiab in fear of the feet damaging the driveway and/or pavement.
Didn't stop me doing the exact same thing again to an MX5 several years later.
Gad-Westy said:
Cheers both. The hassle factor is a big one I must admit. How is the shell normally dealt with? I haven't spoken to any scrapyards but I assume some are willing to come and collect it with some sort of grab or lift?
Depends on metal/scrap value. I'd pinched engine, box and drivetrain out of a Peugeot 309 many years back and the local scrappy said coming to get the (near bare) shell wasn't worth their time. Took it down myself on a trailer and got something like £50 for it.I'd certainly call them to find out before the car is immoveable.
Personally I'd try selling the whole thing on ebay and consider anything back over scrap a bonus.
I have. You’ll need a lot of space. Once the big bits go the sale of everything slows right down. I live in Mid Wales and nobody wanted to come to me to fetch the parts. Posting stuff is a hassle tbh. I had to refund a spoiler because the courier must have dragged it to its destination behind the lorry!
The easiest place to sell was on a Facebook group dedicated to that specific car. However if you put it on marketplace be prepared for dozens and dozens of time wasters.
I got two sets of alloys picked up by pallet truck. Had to find a pallet etc.
The easiest place to sell was on a Facebook group dedicated to that specific car. However if you put it on marketplace be prepared for dozens and dozens of time wasters.
I got two sets of alloys picked up by pallet truck. Had to find a pallet etc.
Edited by Kswap on Tuesday 3rd January 09:45
Edited by Kswap on Tuesday 3rd January 09:45
Maybe try to find specialist BMW breakers in your area, who know what the car is, and will pay you a decent price for it i.e. a bit more than the basic “per tonne” scrap value.
Or just take the easily removed and high value bits off it, sell those on eBay motors, and let the breakers have the rest.
As others have said, you should consider what your neighbours and/or partner will think about having a partly-dismantled car hanging around.
I’ve never parted out a car, but I have bought and sold sets of wheels (Jag and BMW people love changing the wheels on their cars!) They sell for good money on eBay, but freight/storage can be tricky. It can still work out well if you find a buyer who is local to you and will collect the wheels.
Or just take the easily removed and high value bits off it, sell those on eBay motors, and let the breakers have the rest.
As others have said, you should consider what your neighbours and/or partner will think about having a partly-dismantled car hanging around.
I’ve never parted out a car, but I have bought and sold sets of wheels (Jag and BMW people love changing the wheels on their cars!) They sell for good money on eBay, but freight/storage can be tricky. It can still work out well if you find a buyer who is local to you and will collect the wheels.
Thanks all. I think I'm being talked out of this! I guess it's mainly a returns vs. my time issue. I think there is probably a bit of money in doing it but might well work out at a terrible hourly rate.
What I might still do though is just fix a few niggly, cheap things and then ebay it with any remaining warts declared.
What I might still do though is just fix a few niggly, cheap things and then ebay it with any remaining warts declared.
Gad-Westy said:
Thanks all. I think I'm being talked out of this! I guess it's mainly a returns vs. my time issue. I think there is probably a bit of money in doing it but might well work out at a terrible hourly rate.
What I might still do though is just fix a few niggly, cheap things and then ebay it with any remaining warts declared.
If its still got an MOT just stick on FB / Gumtree as a 'Spares / Repair' with a fixed price. If it has some nice bits on the car you will get someone interested who will take the complete car strip off what they want and scrap the rest. What I might still do though is just fix a few niggly, cheap things and then ebay it with any remaining warts declared.
I did it on my old Mini Clubman. Engine was toast, but had a decent exhaust, alloys and lowering springs and was a high spec car. Some guy came from birmingham to reading to pick it up for £600. I think the interior was going to his missus car, the shell was being used for racing.
Better then selling to a scrappy as they will just offer the lowest price.
I did this recently after binning my S2000 at Donnington. There's certainly good money to be made if you're patient and there is a buoyant market for spares of your particular car. Inevitably there will be a lot enquiries that go nowhere and just waste time, but generally speaking its been a straight forward process.
I almost exclusively used Facebook groups, with a couple of left over bits going on eBay.
I used the parcel2go app for shipping most bits, so became a bit of a regular at my local drop off shop. And for larger or fragile stuff insisted on collection.
It takes a bit of time, but honestly not as much as I would've excepted. Taking something apart is a fair bit easier than putting something together as it turns out
I almost exclusively used Facebook groups, with a couple of left over bits going on eBay.
I used the parcel2go app for shipping most bits, so became a bit of a regular at my local drop off shop. And for larger or fragile stuff insisted on collection.
It takes a bit of time, but honestly not as much as I would've excepted. Taking something apart is a fair bit easier than putting something together as it turns out
I have broken a couple of MX5s and the process was quite profitable. The donors came from eBay for cheap; i was the only one to come out and collect what I had "won", so was 4-5 people down the list.
I needed springs, front wishbones, a diff and a door. My friendly agricultural engineer has a yard and was happy to give them space for a month, about 6m x 6m and they were stripped in situ. Engines, gearboxes, dashes, front and rear lights all went quickly. The remaining doors took a fortnight and the interiors and hoods another week.
The shells were collected by grab, £50 went into the yard tea fund and the balance to Air Ambulance, £150.
Working on the bits I wanted were free, I was about £400 in profit by the end, but it took up my weekends in daylight and quite some time on the phone/Facebook Marketplace.
Ideally you need space and storage; careful dismantling takes time, doing it on my private drive would get me into trouble with my wife and the neighbours; shiny cars they tolerate, rusty wreckage would be a nightmare!
I needed springs, front wishbones, a diff and a door. My friendly agricultural engineer has a yard and was happy to give them space for a month, about 6m x 6m and they were stripped in situ. Engines, gearboxes, dashes, front and rear lights all went quickly. The remaining doors took a fortnight and the interiors and hoods another week.
The shells were collected by grab, £50 went into the yard tea fund and the balance to Air Ambulance, £150.
Working on the bits I wanted were free, I was about £400 in profit by the end, but it took up my weekends in daylight and quite some time on the phone/Facebook Marketplace.
Ideally you need space and storage; careful dismantling takes time, doing it on my private drive would get me into trouble with my wife and the neighbours; shiny cars they tolerate, rusty wreckage would be a nightmare!
jeremy996 said:
I have broken a couple of MX5s and the process was quite profitable.
Engines, gearboxes, dashes, front and rear lights all went quickly. The remaining doors took a fortnight and the interiors and hoods another week.
I imagine anything that gets raced or rallycrossed (MX5s, Clios, Pumas etc) probably sells well when breaking for parts.Engines, gearboxes, dashes, front and rear lights all went quickly. The remaining doors took a fortnight and the interiors and hoods another week.
I used to buy E46 318ci with stretched chains.... Only M-Sport models!
Normally the M kit as in both bumpers and skirts covered 70/80% of the car price at the time.
Then seats/doorcards sold, Black headliner kit, Wheels, then body panels and cut the cat out and weigh in the rest.
Collection only unless it'd fit in a small box.
Be prepared for "Is this still available?" multiple times a day!!
Normally the M kit as in both bumpers and skirts covered 70/80% of the car price at the time.
Then seats/doorcards sold, Black headliner kit, Wheels, then body panels and cut the cat out and weigh in the rest.
Collection only unless it'd fit in a small box.
Be prepared for "Is this still available?" multiple times a day!!
buggalugs said:
Shell was collected by a scrapper who shrugged off the V62 or whatever it was - it was a mistake letting this go as it cost me hassle later.
What was the hassle, out of interest?My E30 shell was collected by somebody who did the same, who incidentally is now dead. I found out it was never scrapped 'officially'.
About 10 years ago now.
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