What Happens to Your Car After It Goes to a Car Wrecker?
When an old or damaged vehicle reaches the end of its useful life, you might wonder what actually happens after a car wrecker takes it away.
Does the entire vehicle simply get crushed? Are the parts removed? Can anything from an old car be used again?
The answer depends on the vehicle and its condition. Even when a car is no longer practical to drive, it can still contain components and materials with potential value.
At Hamilton Auto Spares, unwanted, damaged, scrap and non-running vehicles are assessed individually. Here’s a closer look at what can happen to an end-of-life vehicle.
Usable Car Parts May Get Another Life
Just because the entire vehicle is no longer roadworthy doesn't necessarily mean every component has reached the end of its life.
Depending on condition, an end-of-life vehicle may contain reusable components such as:
- Engines and engine components
- Gearboxes and transmission parts
- Alternators and starter motors
- Doors and body panels
- Mirrors
- Headlights and tail lights
- Interior components
- Wheels
- Suspension components
- Electrical parts
Components need to be assessed individually before reuse, but recovering suitable parts can help make better use of an unwanted vehicle.
Fluids and Other Vehicle Materials Require Proper Handling
Vehicles contain more than metal.
Depending on the vehicle, there may be engine oil, coolant, transmission fluid, fuel, batteries and other automotive materials that require appropriate handling.
This is an important part of responsible vehicle dismantling and recycling.
Rather than leaving an old vehicle deteriorating indefinitely on a property, sending it through an appropriate automotive recovery process provides an opportunity for useful components and materials to be dealt with properly.
Valuable Metals Can Be Recovered
Cars contain substantial quantities of metal.
Once reusable components have been considered and appropriate dismantling has taken place, suitable metals may be separated for recycling.
Common automotive materials can include:
✓ Steel
✓ Aluminium
✓ Copper
✓ Other recoverable metals
Recycling suitable automotive metals can reduce the need for those materials to simply become waste.
Does Every Car Get Crushed?
No—not immediately, and the process can vary depending on the vehicle.
A car may first be assessed for potentially useful components and recoverable materials. Once suitable parts and materials have been dealt with, the remaining vehicle shell may eventually move further through the recycling process.
This is why car wrecking is more than simply crushing old vehicles.
What Cars Can Go to a Car Wrecker?
You don't necessarily need to wait until your vehicle becomes a completely rusted shell.
Hamilton Auto Spares can consider vehicles including:
- Old cars
- Scrap vehicles
- Accident-damaged cars
- Non-running vehicles
- High-kilometre cars
- Failed-WOF vehicles
- Cars with engine problems
- Vehicles with gearbox failure
- Deregistered vehicles
- Unwanted cars
If you're uncertain whether your vehicle is suitable, the easiest option is to provide its details and have it assessed.
Looking for Car Wreckers in Hamilton?
Your old vehicle may have reached the end of its time on the road, but that doesn't necessarily mean everything in it has lost its usefulness.
If you have an old, scrap, damaged or unwanted car in Hamilton, talk to Hamilton Auto Spares before leaving it to deteriorate.
Ready to Get Rid of Your Old Car?
Tell Hamilton Auto Spares what you've got and get a no-obligation quote.