Scrapping out of a car 101

As far as your point 2 under Pros goes - it really depends on where you are. In the North and East areas of the US, this may be the case. Down here in rural central Texas - not so much. 1 in every 3 vehicles is a pickup, and 2 of every 3 is a pickup, van, or SUV. Even in the cities and suburbs, it's about a 50/50 mix. A beat-up old truck doesn't even draw a second glance.

And while you may not come across something too big to fit in your car very often - you will have to turn it down when you do. And that could lead to a permanent lost opportunity. Plus, when you have a truck, you will find those large loads more often because you are looking for them.

Don't get me wrong - scrap with what you have. I used a 98 Honda Accord till I totaled it. For the past year I've had a half-ton Chevy. Just this weekend, I was wishing for a 3/4- or 1-ton. I just couldn't justify overloading it by close to 1,000 pounds. The truck is rated to carry 1,594 lbs of passenger and cargo. That leaves me a bit more than 1,300 lbs cargo capacity and I need to move 2,200 lbs. So, I will need to make two trips

Go to the darkside...get a mini-van!

No Seriously...good post!

Sirscrapalot - Mmmmini-vans

LOL - that's what the better half drives. She doesn't like me getting it dirty on the inside though.

It's well worth it Waredu! Just let your wife use the one she's got an pick ya up an older one.

I use a 99, an I love it. Wife loves it when we go on trips, plenty of room for her stuff, an still room for the dogs!

I rented a car last year, to go to FL, cause the van was having some work done, an let me tell you..I don't know who was madder over lack of room, the dogs, or the wife cause she couldn't bring as much stuff. Lol.

Sirscrapalot - Time is a circus, always packing up and moving away. - Ben Hecht

#3 Pro was pretty slick (theft) "Most scrap thieves dont expect to find any in a parked car, and normal car thieves dont want to deal with the scrap"
I had one pickup in my life until about 94/95, and didn't have it long. First it was cars, then a van, then a car, then a truck, which I promptly covered up with a topper, which I thought worked well too, until I had to haul some bigger loads, so I did just what those city folk do, haha, headed up^^ ; ) Built a little ladder/lumber rack onto the top of that topper. I put some loads on top of that thing that I wasn't sure I was going to be able to stop, but only put that part into the equation when it came time to do so.
After that it was a lil truck again, which I also built a rack onto, this time without the topper. By now I'm totally convinced, the last vehicle I bought was the first one in my life that I had actually known what it was going to be before I even started looking, a truck. Due to having a trailer I'm yet to add the rack, but that day may yet come, I've already got a sideboard set built but seldom need to use it.
The point I'm actually trying to make is to do what you gotta do with what you've got, always with all possible safety in mind. And if no other option exists, use a rack. Buy it, build it, anything that works. There's roof racks, trunk racks, maybe even others. Too bad I didn't have one in the 77 Delta I moved everything I owned at least a half a dozen times in, not to mention all the wood and building materials I hauled around so many times, sometimes having to strap it through the windows onto the side of the car.
Until you guys with cars can get a trailer, or a truck, good luck with your cars

I think it is a waste of time myself.Yeah you get better mileage but have to make 2-4 trips then there goes all of your time when you could be looking for more stuff.Yeah for little stuff here and there then not so bad or if you have to drive 15 miles for a battery or 2 then yeah.But if i did that i would use the car to get the little stuff take it home and stock pile it then have a big load to haul in with a truck.

when it comes to hauling scrap with a car i do it like this

If im heading into town i stop my one of my contracts that usually only had a few towers a week and i will toss them in the back seat and bring them home

then when i am done sorting my ewaste since i have a local buyer that pays decent price on some stuff so i haul it my good bang for buck stuff mobo finger cards ram processors etc never really much weight or space but good price and since neaerest bank is 20 mile from him it makes a big differance on gas but if i got iron tin or appliances the suburban comes into play and its alot or bigger stuff then the trailer gets to come out to play

In my opinion if you are hauling non ferrous I can see where a small vehicle would be a good idea (weighs good but doesn't take a lot of room). I run a bigger truck and it has 2 locking boxes on the sides (about 4x2x2) for the non ferrous things. I normally load 5-6 1/2 ton a trip though (no sense in wasting fuel).

Sounds like you live in a sketchy area if the cops hate trucks and scrapper that much and you have scrap thieves???? Also My F-350 gets only gets 12mpg but i can pile appliances grills up in there where you can only get one appliance. I also have the ability to haul any trailer and load 20 appliances to your one.

I also scrap out of my car and one thing I do to make my trips to the yard more efficient is break things down to their smallest component in order to make them fit. I can give 3 quick examples. I put a post up yesterday regarding how I was able to make the hood of a car fit into my Hyundai accent, it took me a little while longer than I wanted but I was on a mission to make it fit. This morning on my way to the yard I found a metal pipe that was about 15 feet long and 5 minutes with a hacksaw and my problem was solved. Last but not least, this afternoon I found a dishwasher at a house that was being remodeled. Once I was done pulling the motor out of the bottom, the guy working on the house was nice enough to let me use his sawzall, 2 vertical cuts later(about 5 minutes) and I was able to fold the sides over and make it flat. I don't do enough volume to warrant having a truck yet, but its on my wish-list. I lose a little bit in time, because it would be easier to just toss things in the bed of a truck. But I feel like I gain some of it back with regard to gas mileage. I also get a strange look every once in a while but I'm more concerned with the financial goals I've reached and the goals I'm striving for now than what other people may think of me.

All i can say is my truck is a 1/2 ton, I get about 20MPG (gota love cylinder deactivation) and the max payload is 2108lbs

Currently I'm using my wife's 2002 Windstar for scrapping, it has drawbacks however it is what I have until I can get bills paid off and save up enough to buy something better. I'm not going into any more debt to buy another vehicle. Sometimes getting stuff in the van takes some creativity. My biggest problem is the distance from the yards, the 3 closest yards are all 50-60 miles away one way, so I try to make every load count. In the future I'm planning on getting a trailer then eventually a truck.

Respect the fact that others can make money scrapping out of a car, van, or even a truck. With the distance involved, 1 ton truck and 26 ft. trailer is the minimal transport system. In Omaha I saw scrappers hauling metal in a trailer attached to their bike and in shopping carts. To each their own.

As poverty rises, more people scrap their own junk instead of having it hauled away. With less scrap to get and higher fuel prices, big trucks will be less affordable. Scrappers could be in the first wave of Grapes of Wrath bodywork: modifying cars to use as trucks.