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The scrapping of any vehicle is done when they become obsolete. How much that vehicle is worth depends on if it is only worth the weight of the metal or if the parts that are on it are worth more. If you have a minivan that is newer but was totaled in an accident then you can get more out of it then the scrap price if there were any undamaged parts that the junkyard can easily sell.
The current price for a minivan that is 20+ years old is $200-$300 so about $100-$150 per ton. This pricing varies a lot depending on where you are located, the age of the vehicle, and whether it is drivable or not.
A minivan that is only 10 years old will be worth 3-4x that amount since the parts are newer and likely still in demand and usable which means they will sell and for a decent price.
There are a variety of junkyards in virtually every single area in the US so you can easily call around to each of them and get the price that they are willing to pay for your vehicle. You can also get quotes online from places like Junk Car Medics that will give you a free online quote of what they are willing to pay for your vehicle.
On that site you simply put the year, make, and model and then answer some general questions about your vehicle and they will give you a quote for your junk car right on their site. You don’t even have to give them a phone number, only an email address so you don’t have to worry about them calling you either.
In the rest of this article I will give some additional relevant information and try to answer some questions that many people have who want to know about the scrapping process and how exactly it works.
It is important to note that virtually every time if your vehicle still runs or is in decent shape but has issues you are better selling it locally to a shop, mechanic, or individual as you will get more money that way than by scrapping the minivan at a junkyard.
How can you check the scrap value of a minivan?
Everyone wants to get information about the worth of their minivan when it comes time to scrap or sell it. Though all vehicles become obsolete with time, you can still get some money out of them by simply selling the vehicle for the price of the metal.
An easy way to get a ballpark price for your minivan’s scrap value can be found by checking the curb weight of the vehicle and the rate at which scrap metal is currently being sold.
Get these two pieces of information, and you will be able to calculate your car’s worth easily. Another way is to simply call up your local scrap yard and ask them. You can also get quotes online easily as mentioned above so be sure and check multiple places to make sure that you are getting a good price.
What are the precautions before scrapping a minivan?
If you are planning on scrapping your minivan in the next couple of days, then you should take some precautions and measures that will help you to get anything valuable out.
Be sure and check in the glovebox and the trunk space as most people keep some important documents inside that. You should also remove any accessories that are inside the vehicle such as carpet mats, steering wheel covers, AUX cords, etc.
Apart from removing all the loose items, you can also change out the tires or other easily replaceable parts such as windshield wipers, batteries, etc. Many junkyards will vary the price that they give based on the type of vehicle and whether it runs but the price likely won’t change if you put on bald tires or remove the wipers that you just replaced.
Of course if you don’t have any use for these items then removing them won’t do anything for you but you might be able to sell them locally and make a few extra bucks.
Are there any rules regarding the scrapping of vehicles?
Yes, there are a different set of rules applied when you choose to get your vehicle scrapped. These rules are normally in regards to the proper way the car has to be treated to ensure that no fuel or other items leak onto the ground or get into the water supply.
However, these aren’t things that you should have to worry about as the junkyard will typically either come pick up the vehicle or you take it to them, they pay you, and then you are on your way.
One thing that you will need at virtually all junkyards is the title for the vehicle. This is done to make sure that you are the actual owner of the minivan and aren’t simply scrapping someone else’s car. Typically you will have to sign over the vehicle to the scrap yard to make them the new owner before you get your money.
Once all the paperwork is done you will get a check and can head down the road. The junkyard will handle all of the other rules and regulations for the disassembly or crushing of the vehicle and you don’t have to worry about any of it.
What can be done with an old minivan other than scrapping it?
There are different things that you can do other than scrapping a minivan when it becomes old or unused. Some of these are more popular than others b it they are all things that you can do.
The first thing that you can do with a minivan that is old or unused is sell it as a “mechanic’s special”. There are many people around who love to tinker with cars either as a hobby or to teach their children or other people how to do it. Selling your minivan as a mechanic’s special keeps the vehicle out of the junkyard and allows someone else to get some additional use out of it.
Another thing that you can do with an old or not running minivan is to convert it into something else. You can easily turn it into a playhouse for your children or grandchildren or even turn it into a spare room for a teenager. Obviously this would take some doing and it might not fit in well with your neighborhood but it is an option.
The third option that I will mention is to take parts off the vehicle and turn them into art or even furniture. You will certainly have to change the way that it looks as people won’t want to put an engine in their living room but everyone has a different style so the rims could easily be made into coffee tables or the seats could be turned into chairs.
Your imagination is really the only thing holding you back when it comes to making art from your minivan.
Conclusion
I hope this article has been helpful in answering your questions about how much a minivan can scrap out for as well as what you can do with it if you don’t want to scrap it at all.
Minivans are typically only worth a few hundred dollars in scrap so if you are able to get it running or sell it to someone who is willing to work on it then you will likely make more money going that route than selling it solely for scrap.