For many enthusiasts, collectors and owners the idea of scrapping a classic car would be understandably unthinkable. However, it is something worth considering, because sometimes you might have no choice but to send a beloved classic to the scrap yard.
Are there other options?
Keeping a classic car can sometimes requires a lot of effort, either for restoration work or for just general maintenance and keeping the vehicle running. Often there aren’t enough hours in the day or funds available to successfully keep your project going.
It can be incredibly disappointing to suddenly discover extensive rot, or that you’re going to have to chip away at your savings in order to restore your classic to its prime. Before you know it, you can start to feel completely out of your depth.
There are people out there who are willing and able to put in all the extra effort required, and you might be one of them, but life can get in the way. If you don’t have an unlimited cheque book to source parts, and endless hours to pour into your project, then it may be time to consider other options before you start practically living in your garage. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean a trip to a scrap yard is your only option. You could consider:
- Seeking out a new owner – because when it comes to classic cars, there’s always someone out there with more resources to make restorations a success. Trying to sell your classic to a new owner should be the first thing you think about. Plus, there’s a possibility you might get to see your project completed and out on the road one day.
- Donating your classic – could be another option for you if your project has become impossible to complete. You can look at breaking the car down to its parts and sell them on, in order to help other projects and restorations of classics. If you have the space to hold on to parts (because you could have them for a while), and plenty of options to keep advertising them, this could be the solution for you.
Taking your classic to specialist scrap dealers
If you’re unable to find a new owner for your car, or breaking it down for the parts isn’t an option either, then scrapping it might be. However, this doesn’t mean you need to start worrying, as the number of great online scrapping services has actually increased in recent years. So, sending your classic to the scrap yard might not be the terrible end you think it is.
Many scrap comparison services can actually offer your car up to a UK-wide network of dealers, who can then bid on it. This can potentially result in your classic going to more specialist scrap dealers, for a much better price. When these specialists get your classic, they can strip it down to its component parts, with the possibility of moving those parts over to other enthusiasts.
It’s never going to feel great to send your classic car off to be dismantled, but at least in the hands of specialists you can rest assured knowing your passion project won’t just be crushed and forgotten about. Thanks to these continually emerging specialist scrap dealers, you car will likely get to live on in various other classic vehicles.
