When finding the right solution to get rid of your damaged or unwanted car, we usually use the words ‘scrap’ and ‘salvage’ interchangeably. However, these two are different, having different meanings to classify.
In this blog, we will unravel some facts surrounding the difference between salvage and scrap cars. Educate yourself about the literal meaning of the two terms and know why one can be worth more than the other.
What Is a Scrap Car?
Scrap cars are end-of-life vehicles that are no longer fit for the road. Whether these vehicles have been damaged beyond repair or have reached the end of their useful life. In a nutshell, scrap cars don’t have any parts that are worth recovering or reusing. Therefore, they tend to have less value than the salvage cars.
Most car dealers prefer cars with salvageable components; therefore, the market worth of the scrap cars goes below the line for selling. Scrap cars are usually involved in an accident or come to the end of their useful life.
Scrapping cars positively impacts the environment as they can provide materials to make something different for other vehicles. This means that scrap cars cannot become roadworthy again, but a few pieces in the vehicle can be used to make other vehicles.
Scrap cars go through a disposal process abiding by strict waste standards and government recycling regulations.
What Is a Salvage Car?
Salvage cars still hold some value and can still be fixed. They might need to be more economical when it comes to their repairs. Vehicles brought for salvage will replace their parts to make the vehicle roadworthy again, or the parts will be stripped to fix other cars.
Salvage cars are usually less than 10 years old, which means their parts are in a better condition to get fixed or repaired and can be out for resale. Salvage cars tend to become roadworthy again with investment.
Salvage vehicles fall into different categories depending on the damage the vehicle has encountered.
Category A
The vehicle cannot be repaired. It must be crushed entirely.
Category B
The vehicle cannot be repaired, and the body must be crushed. However, some parts can be salvaged before crushing.
Category C
The vehicle can be repaired, but it will cost more than the car’s value.
Category D
The vehicle can be repaired, and it will cost less than the car’s value.
Category N
The vehicle can be repaired following non-structural damage.
Category S
The vehicle can be repaired following structural damage.
Difference Between Scrap & Salvage Cars
The main difference between the scrap and salvage car is that a salvage vehicle has the potential to be repaired and be back on the road. Whereas a scrap car can never become roadworthy again, the ultimate step in handling them is crushing and selling partwise.
Scrap Cars Are Not Salvageable
The junkyards in Sydney are the best place for scrap cars, as they can no longer run and perform effectively. Their repair cost is much higher than the salvage cars because all the essential car parts must be replaced to make it functional again.
Scrap cars are complete junk with no spark of getting back to life. The best use of these vehicles is to extract scrap material and use it to manufacture other cars.
Scrap Cars Are Lower in Value
The second main difference between a scrap and a salvage car is the resale cost. With the least productive components, there are minimum buyers in the market for scrap cars. Usually, scrapyards are the only potential platform that deals with scrap cars, as they know well how to make the best of them.
Salvage Cars Have Valuable Parts
Salvage cars are not just metal; but they have many usable spare parts and components. The functional interior and exterior parts increase the worth of the vehicle. Salvage cars can be sold for the highest cash for cars in Sydney if the parts are sold individually, recouping a good amount from the car.
Scrap Cars Are Great for Recycling
Scrap cars are best suited for recycling purposes. The damaged vehicle has no other purpose for servicing; instead, they are sent to the junkyard, where they are treated by professional management for dismantling. The process of dismantling extracts useful amounts of metal, which is used for many other productive purposes.
Conclusion
Salvage cars can be sold for more money than scrap cars for the reasons identified in this blog. A concrete grip on the difference between the two phenomena is very important. At the time of sale, one must be aware of the car’s condition so no buyer can take the wrong advantage by paying as per the value of a scrap car for a salvageable vehicle.