Going to Scrap my car - any bits i should take off?

Lum

I don't think it counts as a business if you're selling bits off a single car that you own.

MrSmartprice

It is an offence to break cars without a licence or exemption if you are doing it as a business. In the way described, it would almost certainly be classed as that.

I did say 'technically' however. The only way there would be a problem in practice is if the activity created a nuisance and the neighbours complained. It's an Environmental Protection matter though, and the penalties are quite harsh.

Rolandtheroadie

MrSmartprice wrote: »

Technically, that is illegal. You need to be licensed or exempted in order to carry out car breaking for business purposes.

Is it really so much different to doing a carboot sale to clear out your garage? Its not a commercial enterprise, it's a one off, selling things that you own yourself.
As long as theres no fluids getting poured down drains and it's still going to a place that decontaminates the car to the laid down standards, I cant see any problems.

MrSmartprice

scotsman4th wrote: »

Is it really so much different to doing a carboot sale to clear out your garage? Its not a commercial enterprise, it's a one off, selling things that you own yourself.
As long as theres no fluids getting poured down drains and it's still going to a place that decontaminates the car to the laid down standards, I cant see any problems.

But that IS the problem, and why the restrictions exist. Car breaking contaminates land and can only be done with a licence so that the disposal is controlled. I am just stating what the legal situation is!:o

Lum

samanthab wrote: »

Why not advertise the car as a "scrappage" car and get people to buy it if they want a car to use for that £2000 discount on new cars that we have now.

Think you have to have owned the car for a year to take advantage of the scrappage scheme, oh and it expires in March so you can't just buy a banger and sit on it.

anewman

MrSmartprice wrote: »

But that IS the problem, and why the restrictions exist. Car breaking contaminates land and can only be done with a licence so that the disposal is controlled. I am just stating what the legal situation is!:o

Worst thing I can think of that contaminates the land is iron filings through cutting the metal up. Engine oil, gear oil, and coolant can easily be drained off into a pan. Likewise brake fluid can be sent through a tube and into a pan. They can all then be disposed of safely and legally. Once you have the petrol pump out the petrol can be safely siphoned out of the tank into a suitable container (I wouldn't bin such liquid gold myself and would pour it into another car ). There will of course be small uncontrollable drips here and there, but that's no worse than a car that happens to leak these fluids anyway.

MrSmartprice

anewman wrote: »

Worst thing I can think of that contaminates the land is iron filings through cutting the metal up. Engine oil, gear oil, and coolant can easily be drained off into a pan. Likewise brake fluid can be sent through a tube and into a pan. They can all then be disposed of safely and legally. Once you have the petrol pump out the petrol can be safely siphoned out of the tank into a suitable container (I wouldn't bin such liquid gold myself and would pour it into another car ). There will of course be small uncontrollable drips here and there, but that's no worse than a car that happens to leak these fluids anyway.

It's amazing how many people just don't bother with careful disposal though. Land decontamination of old scrapyards costs a fortune!

Lum

anewman wrote: »

Once you have the petrol pump out the petrol can be safely siphoned out of the tank into a suitable container (I wouldn't bin such liquid gold myself and would pour it into another car ).

Petrol does go off, so if the car has been standing a long time this may not be advisable.

In principle though, I agree. When the insurance wrote off my last car I kept it on the driveway for a bit until they came to take it away, it had no fuel in the tank by the time they got around to collecting it.

BaileyB

Phoned a load of scrap dealers today and was offered between £40-£80 for it. Only one could take it with no wheels and as there are 3 new tyres on it worth £120 and they fit on of our cars going with that guy. Also he offered the most too. Win win.

I could ad trader it or ebay but ebay will cost at least £20 to sell it and the going rate is about £100 or so. Have not looked in ad trader yet.

Lum

Might be worth ringing that dealer back, he knows you want to keep the wheels, but see if he'll give you any more money for it if you drive it there then take the wheels off once they've put it where they want it?

This assumes you have tax/mot/insurance to drive it, of course