Scrapping a car

I know there are many threads on this but they all seem to stray off topic. I am looking for some tips on scrapping down a car.

I took a job for this monday hauling a car away. The car has no wheels or hubs. Basically the car can not be rolled onto a trailer. This is a 1990 Geo Tracker. The car is a bit of a drive from me and I would like to do it in one day, with one helper, preferably before 3*pm.


I am going to give it hell with sawzall, sledge, wrenches, etc. Anybody have any tips on this subject?

Much appreciated.

Oh, and I'm getting paid for the removal so "maximizing profit" isn't as important as getting it done in one day.

Rent/buy the biggest chop saw you can find. Buy a lot of good cutting disks.

I have only fully scraped out 2 cars in my life; 74 dart and a 95 neon. Lucky for me, they were rollers. So i "maximized" my profits. Both took me about a week to do (only about an hour or two a night)

I have also done many, what i like to call, scrap car flipping. I buy a car for $50-150; pay a wrecker $50 to haul it to the scrap yard; (at that time) got paid $350 from the yard. I just made $150

My suggestion for you, get some quotes on how much a flat bed truck would be to pick up and deliver to the closest yard. Take that and add $50

Easiest $50 you could make. Good luck

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Faceball

I have only fully scraped out 2 cars in my life; 74 dart and a 95 neon. Lucky for me, they were rollers. So i "maximized" my profits. Both took me about a week to do (only about an hour or two a night)

I have also done many, what i like to call, scrap car flipping. I buy a car for $50-150; pay a wrecker $50 to haul it to the scrap yard; (at that time) got paid $350 from the yard. I just made $150

My suggestion for you, get some quotes on how much a flat bed truck would be to pick up and deliver to the closest yard. Take that and add $50

Easiest $50 you could make. Good luck

---

This is where my thoughts have been lately considering a car trailer is not an option right now. With prices so low (and tow fees so high...at least what I'm being told so far), I can't make the math work, especially after buying a vehicle (even for a token amount). I don't have the option of storing and parting out at the moment, either, though hopefully may have a break on that front soon, even though only for maybe 2 at a time at most, which is fine since I haven't been actively trying to score any cars.

Quick and dirty! Cat, battery, and I cut away as much of the (accessible) engine wiring harness. Maybe starter and alternator if accessible. Rifle through the interior for any goodies or change under seats. Sometimes the ECM has value. Radiator is probably aluminum, weighing 5-10 lbs clean. Pita, not worth it. Load it up. Goodbye.

I scrap cars "over the scale". Here that means not complete so they don't deduct for missing components, and are only to be scrapped. Your area yards may buy differently. Check before you load it up or tow it away.

Hope this helps.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by btkr

Quick and dirty! Cat, battery, and I cut away as much of the (accessible) engine wiring harness. Maybe starter and alternator if accessible. Rifle through the interior for any goodies or change under seats. Sometimes the ECM has value. Radiator is probably aluminum, weighing 5-10 lbs clean. Pita, not worth it. Load it up. Goodbye.

I scrap cars "over the scale". Here that means not complete so they don't deduct for missing components, and are only to be scrapped. Your area yards may buy differently. Check before you load it up or tow it away.

Hope this helps.

---

I am getting paid to take all of the car. Belive me, I would just take the goodies and run, but then I won't get paid.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Faceball

I have only fully scraped out 2 cars in my life; 74 dart and a 95 neon. Lucky for me, they were rollers. So i "maximized" my profits. Both took me about a week to do (only about an hour or two a night)

I have also done many, what i like to call, scrap car flipping. I buy a car for $50-150; pay a wrecker $50 to haul it to the scrap yard; (at that time) got paid $350 from the yard. I just made $150



My suggestion for you, get some quotes on how much a flat bed truck would be to pick up and deliver to the closest yard. Take that and add $50

Easiest $50 you could make. Good luck

---

I have called the junk yards in the area and all say its too far for them to pick up. These people live in the sticks. Hence me wanting to do it in one day.

Although I may just drive my little scoot-about car up there sunday afternoon with some tools and start breaking the car down and get a better idea of the situation.

Unless you plan to scrap it down to nothing the first priority is to get the VIN number and call it into the scrap yard. I will take the cat, radiator, battery, and easily accessible wiring out. With the advantage of loaders and skid loaders I crush the roof flat and haul as is.

If the only option is manual disassembly I would use a grinder with a cut off wheel over a sawzaw. It is much more efficient. This would take about a day of labor is my guess. Renting a construction saw with metal blade would be an even better option. Best guess half a day. Let us know your strategy and how long it takes you.

How big is your trailer? Any chance you could jack up one end and winch it on to the trailer? Mind you, I have never attempted anything like that so I really don't know how that would work out.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Patriot76

Unless you plan to scrap it down to nothing the first priority is to get the VIN number and call it into the scrap yard. I will take the cat, radiator, battery, and easily accessible wiring out. With the advantage of loaders and skid loaders I crush the roof flat and haul as is.

If the only option is manual disassembly I would use a grinder with a cut off wheel over a sawzaw. It is much more efficient. This would take about a day of labor is my guess. Renting a construction saw with metal blade would be an even better option. Best guess half a day. Let us know your strategy and how long it takes you.

---

The car is old enough where a title is not needed. But I will call to double check.

I will do my best to explain the procedure and timing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by HipoGear

How big is your trailer? Any chance you could jack up one end and winch it on to the trailer? Mind you, I have never attempted anything like that so I really don't know how that would work out.

---

That is a good idea. I'm trying to wrap my head around how I could do it that way. The car is on blocks sitting about 1 foot high. The trailer is about 2 and a half feet high.

Maybe jack the car up on steel beams perpendicular and back the trailer under it? But the beams would have to be eight or nine feet long to clear the trailer.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nutpie

I am getting paid to take all of the car. Belive me, I would just take the goodies and run, but then I won't get paid.

---

My wording should have been better. Understood that you are taking the whole vehicle.


Here is a thought. How about a sturdy tree limb and chain fall? Safety and good logic would be huge with this method.

Push/drag the vehicle in position, lift one end, jamb a couple of planks between car frame and trailer, back trailer in proper position,give it some gas in reverse, and slide it on. Repeat as necessary. Easier said than done of course. Just a thought.

Whatever you do, do it safely. Good luck.

Good luck nutpie , cannot offer any advice at all never had the pleasure of scraping a car .

If I have a car on a trailer and only a few hours to make as much off it that I can.
I'd remove the Wiring loom for its Copper wires, inc the battery leads.
Alternator and Starter motor for resale.
Radiator if its Copper/Brass for radiators $,, inc the heater core from under the dashboard.
Radiator if its Aluminium inc the AirConditioner core from under the dashboard.
Any Alloy rims.
The Aluminium engine head and Intake manifold if I have the time.
Catalytic convertor from the exhaust.

Anything else that I could reuse or resale.

How about logs?
https://www.teachengineering.org/con...son03_fig3.jpg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by HipoGear

How about logs?
https://www.teachengineering.org/con...son03_fig3.jpg

---

I actually thought of that. Unfortunatly I do not have any straight enough. But logs would not work anyway. The car would need a flat bottom to roll on the logs.

I pondered using steel beams to jack up the car and back the trailer under. I have steel beams 9 feet long, so I measured the trailer and it is 8.5 feet wide. That leaves only 3 inches on each side, so not enough clearance. I have a forklift but it cannot drive on soft ground, it will just sink and the tires will spin.

So cutting the car into pieces is the way.

Ive never done a geo tracker but the way i do cars complete or not is cut the roof behind the windsheild and in front of back window. Cut door support column top and bottom (just above seat belt thing) cut seat belt with army issued seat belt cutter, if theres no transmission i start right where the lever would stick out of the floorand cut through to one side. Then go to other side. Make sure you have a jack or block at that point to keep your blade from hitting the ground as you exit the cut. Depending on the car you may need to cut in front of the trunk area if your unable to move it. Then i stand the back up on the trunk like its doing a wheelie, and flop it in on its side. Then take the front half and slide it in the open area thats left. Usually where the seats would be. I usually do this by myself with a sawzall, grinder, splitting maul, wire cutters and generator. I have socket sets with me but rarely use them. Youll want NEW blades for the saws both long and short. Like 14-18 tooth per inch. But if it has hubs and you feel confident in its ability to roll go ask the junk yard if you can borrow or buy real cheap tires or even just rims that fit to get it on your trailer. Tell them that its gonna be coming to them if they help you with the tires.

And actually now that im looking at my neighbors tracker and reviewing what you originally posted depending on your equipment and physical ability a tracker could just be lifted up by the front so it stands on its rear, back trailer up to just barely tap the underside, and if you have a helper or winch even just a small one would help, start to flip it back up right and muscle it up on the trailer. The first 75% would go easy the last 25% would need some require some muscle.

So Nutpie, any updates? We want pictures please.

ok, I will close this thread. The lady called me at 10 pm the night before I was to go and take the car away and she cancelled. She said somebody had come and done it that day.