Just scrapped a totalled 96 Chevy Camaro

I'm still new to this whole car scrapping thing, having done less than five at this point. Here's the breakdown, and a question:

Paid $200 for the car and it was delivered to me. -$200
Catalytic converter $90.00 (surprised me it was that much!) $90
Starter and alternator I think were 5 bucks each $10
Radiator was too crushed in to get out $0
Battery 35 pounds at $0.27 (I think) rounded off $9
Sold rest of car to scrap yard $275.00

Total profit $184.00
Okay so far, wouldn't mind doing that a couple of times a day!

At this point I still have four tires and wheels. I was just going to cut the tires
off for the aluminum rims, when I realized the tires are brand new. Trouble is one
of the rims is wrecked good only for scrap.

How do I maximize profit here? Nobody will want four tires with one bad rim.
Sell a pair of tires with rims? Sell separately one additional tire with rim?
Sell the remaining tire without the rim and scrap the rim?

One other side question: So far I have put NO cars in my name. I get a bill of sale
from the seller and have them sign the title, the just hand the title to the scrap yard.
Is that the best way to handle the transfer? I don't want to have to become a licensed
car dealer.

Thanks in advance for all your input!

Also, the engine fired up and ran nicely when it was brought in. Should I have tried to sell it separately?

When I scrap a vehicle that does have a title (and I don't want to keep the title), I just have the owner sign it and give it to the yard. It will cost you extra dollars, at least in Indiana, to have it transfered into your name. Save your money.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BurlyGuys

Also, the engine fired up and ran nicely when it was brought in. Should I have tried to sell it separately?

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Yeah..I believe I would've parted that one out. More money in your pocket.

Hey, Diamond, AFTER I cut away the engine compartment to get at it, how do you prove to your customer that it runs?
This would certainly have been a keeper!

That what I always did I never signed the titles and never had a problem

I would normally try to sell the engine/trans first, so that the buyer can hear it run. I have also seen sellers make a quick video clip before pulling the engine where a buyer can watch it online. Otherwise, the buyer can just take your word for it.

I would leave it in for the buyer to hear. Buyer has to pull it also.

Still looking for answers on my tire question...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DiamondN

Yeah..I believe I would've parted that one out. More money in your pocket.

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Any idea what my asking price should have been for the engine?

V6 leave it. V8 running Pull it.

burly, you can try a used tire shop, they may break them down for you and pay a couple bucks for the tire or they may charge you depends on the shop, being a camaro you may be able to sell the wheels but those will probably be about 17 apiece(the lowest would be 15)just for scrap. if you start getting a few cars you can get a manual tire machine at tsc for 60 or 70 bucks, it will need some reinforcements but after you beef it up a little it works really well

Toss the tires/wheels on CL. Prolly someone that just needs one. Especially now that winter and potholes are here. If a set truly is worth something, then maybe find another rim at a scrap yard.

This prolly doesn't help you at all, but I'm gonna post it anyways. A few years ago I had a Chrysler LHS. So did my dad. Time came that I needed new front tires and I wasn't interested in spending money for new.

Well the spares in these cars are same size and it's an actual rim and not a donut. So you have 5 rims that match.

I took my spare, and dads spare, traded my worn tire so his car would have a spare and there ya have it. 2 brand new tires/rims.

So I guess that's one thing to check, if the cars you scrap have a matching spare. Get 4 together and sell them.

burly on the converters these guys in the link below will be the next ones i use, i may be wrong but i think the camaro is the x-body if it was a 6cyl(i think a v8 woulda had one for each side being a sports car), it woulda looked kinda long compared to others and woulda had a inch recessed point that would look like two separate chambers from the outside. $135 if i got the right one, dont get me wrong you done excellent at a yard getting 90, im assuming you have a good relationship with them. anyway heres the link
Register For Price List - ConverterGuys.com – Core Buyers – Scrap Catalytic Converter Recyclers

edit , unless you start getting alot id just sell them at the yard, ive got about 20 saved up im gonna make a drive there and rokrecycling once i get a load

Another thought would be to find a single matching rim to replace the damaged one. That way you have a full set of four to sell. It's usually easier to sell a complete set of rims. I'd leave the tires on as well.

I might be interested in those tires if you would be willing to ship them? I have a 99 camaro. What size and brand are the tires? WHat really stinks is you sent it to the yard allready. I could have used some interior pieces as well.

You can sell a set of two someone will buy them for drag racing tires or something. If these are the stock rims and they are aluminum this isn't a regular camaro that motor might have been an LT1/LS1 and people from Mazda Miata owners to nissan owners drop them in their cars for drag racing drifting and auto crossing.

The heads alone sell for about the same amount as a complete used motor. A quick top end tear down will be worth it if your not gonna pull the engine or tranny. I finally got the shop caught up so im tearing down trannys right now. Believe it or not theyre worth twice as much in parts as they are as is. Make sure to pick the ecu and any other boxes in the engine compartment. AC parts sell really well also. A good set of ac hoses will go for $60 all day long, people usually think there worthless and scrap them out for aluminum.

I would have parted it out or put it on CL as is for parts only. Dont know if you have any connections with any auto salvage yards but i have sold alot of totaled running cars to them when i dont have time or desire to mess with them

I have a stock part listing with part names and prices i use for all the cars i buy, usually sell them salvage style and do complete teardowns as necessary or time allows, manhours wise here is the time it takes approx: cherry pick 8 hours, partial tear down with tranny and motor out and dash out and stripped 30 hours, complete tear down with all sub assemblies completely torn down 50 hours and body stripped clean with all parts removed. If your wanting to quicky process a car you can go the cherry pic method it takes a full day but you will have around $1200 parts/scrap when your done. The other methods take alot more time and yield alot more parts.