Scrapped for cash - Selling parts could bring faster sale, more money than selling vehicle whole

Chad Bryan, Sunday Gleaner Writer

While many cars are put up for sale in Jamaica weekly, there are also advertisements that cars are being scrapped, with the parts for sale. Among the items offered for sale are turbochargers, engines and body panels.

In light of the vibrant used-parts
market and the number of people requiring second-hand parts, a few
dealers believe that scrapping a vehicle for its parts will fetch the
owner a higher price than selling the vehicle in its entirety. However,
there are factors which should be taken into consideration when selling
or scrapping.

Director of Sunshine Auto Parts Limited,
Patrick Brennan, explained that by scrapping a motor vehicle, it is
likely that one will make more money than selling the entire automobile.
However, there will be leftover parts for which there is no
use.

LEFTOVER PARTS

"Selling the car
in pieces, you will get more money. You can get more from scrapping the
vehicle, but a downside to this is that you are going to have parts
left over and you are going to have to deal with that," Brennan
said.

He said selling the vehicle is immediate.
"Selling the car is a done deal. If there are no mechanical issues, then
you can go right ahead," Brennan said.

He added that
there are certain cars - such as most models of the Toyota Corolla,
Honda Civic and Fit, Nissan Sunny and Toyota Probox - for which there is
a high demand on the used-parts market.

Branch
manager of the Hagley Park Road branch of Alex's Import Limited, Howard
Cameron, seemed to echo a few of Brennan's sentiments.

"Some parts will never sell, and it depends on how
much you pay for salvage. You will have parts for even years that will
not sell. Parts like the suspension, however, will sell," he said.

Like Brennan, Cameron pointed to vehicles such as
Toyota Corolla and Nissan Sunny which have parts that are in high
demand.

Managing director of Wynter's Auto Spares and
Repairs Limited, Winston Wynter, explained that if a car has crashed,
sale of the engine and transmission could realise enough money to buy a
similar year and model.

He also added that the owner
would get money more quickly by selling it whole, rather than having it
scrapped.

Nissans, Toyotas and Hondas, he pointed
out, are better vehicles to scrap. He further mentioned that Subaru
parts are in high demand on the used-parts
market.