Older cars and trucks or vehicles that have been in accidents are often no longer roadworthy, but that does not mean they don't have any value. Some businesses pay cash for junk cars, but you need to know where to find them.

Vehicle Salvage Yards 

One of the most common ways to get cash for junk cars is to sell the vehicles to an auto salvage yard. The salvage operator will often pay for vehicles with good parts, then resell the pieces as used auto parts for people to use when making repairs.

Not everyone buys used parts for their car or truck, but when you are trying to reduce repair costs, and the vehicle you are making repairs to is older, it may make sense because it can save you a significant amount of cash. In some situations, the parts you need are no longer in production, so used parts are easier to find, and salvage yards that pay cash for junk cars may have a large inventory.

Vehicle Rebuilders

Another business interested in paying cash for junk cars is auto rebuilding shops which will take several cars and combine the parts to make one good one. The vehicle can then be sold as a rebuild in many states once all the repairs are complete, provided the vehicle passes an inspection. 

Sometimes the car you are selling will be used solely for parts, and the rebuilder may have a good chassis and body but need an engine or transmission for the car they are assembling. Buying the junk car allows them to harvest all the parts they need from it, then scrap the rest of the vehicle for a small profit to offset the project cost. 

If the car you are selling is fixable, some shops will buy it and then go through the car and make all the necessary repairs to it. The car may then be sold at auction, and the shop can make a nice profit on a car that might otherwise have ended up in the scrap yard. 

Scrap Collectors

Another business that will pay cash for junk cars is a scrap collection business. Often these businesses have no intention of reselling the car or the parts but would prefer to sell the vehicle to the scrap yard. The car is weighed, then the scrap seller will collect a specific amount of money per pound, so if they can get the car cheap enough, there is profit to be made. 

Most scrap yards require oil and antifreeze to be removed, and some will require the seller to remove the tires and interior from the car, but that varies from one scrap yard to another.