How scrap car prices are worked out: weight, metals and the market

The most common question we get is "how much will I get for it?" The honest answer is that it depends on two things, and neither of them is the car's age or how it looks.

Weight

A scrap car is, in the end, a few hundred kilograms of steel with some aluminium, copper and a catalytic converter inside. The yard is paid for that metal by the tonne, so the heavier the vehicle, the more it is worth. A Ford Ka weighs around 900 kg; a Mondeo around one and a half tonnes; a Land Rover Discovery around two and a half. That is why we quote from the registration: it tells us the exact model, and the model tells us the weight.

The metal market

Steel and other metal prices move with the world market, sometimes noticeably within a month. That is why no honest yard publishes a fixed price list and why a quote is valid for the collection we arrange with you, not indefinitely. When you call, we quote at that day's prices.

What raises a quote

• The vehicle is complete: engine, gearbox, catalytic converter, wheels and battery are all there.
• It is a heavier model, a diesel, a 4x4 or a van.
• Easy access, so it can be loaded without a specialist recovery.

What lowers it

• Parts already removed, especially the catalytic converter or the engine.
• A vehicle so far gone it has to be lifted in pieces.

None of these stop us collecting. They just change the number, and we will tell you before anything is loaded.

The warning sign

A quote that goes down when the driver arrives, without the car being any different from what you described, is the oldest trick in the trade. Some national services quote high online to win the booking, then let the collector renegotiate on the drive. Our quote is worked out from the registration and the weight, and that is what you are paid, provided the car is as described. If it is not, we tell you before it is loaded and you can decline at no cost.

How you are paid

By PayPal, bank transfer or cheque, on the day. Scrap metal dealers in England are not allowed to pay cash for scrap, so a yard offering cash is not following the rules on that either.

Want a number for your car? Call 01603 916893 with the registration, or use the form on this page. We collect free across Norfolk and Suffolk.