That old rust-bucket in the driveway. It’s been sitting there so long that the neighbors are starting to talk. Maybe it’s an old project car you swore you’d fix up, a daily driver that failed its last RWC, or a ute that’s just plain carked it.
It’s now in the “too-hard basket.” You know you need to get rid of it.
But here’s the million-dollar (or, more accurately, the hundred-dollar) question: How do you get the most Cash For Junk Cars?
It’s easy to get a car removed for free. Anyone will do that. But the difference between a $100 “scrap” offer and a $650 “salvage” offer is massive. And that difference comes down to a few insider tips.
As the team at Cars Wanted Melbourne, we have been in this game for a long time. We’ve seen it all. We’ve seen folks get ripped off, and we’ve seen people (who’ve done their homework) walk away with a surprisingly full wallet.
The truth? Your “junk” car is almost certainly worth more than you reckon. You just need to know how to sell it right. This is your insider’s guide to getting the absolute best price for your junk car in Melbourne.
First, stop calling it “junk.” In our industry, there’s no such thing. Every single vehicle has value. The trick is to find a buyer who can see all the value, not just the most obvious bits.
When you call for a quote, a buyer is mentally placing your car into one of three categories. Knowing which one your car fits into is the first step to getting top dollar.
This is the absolute lowest price your car is worth. It’s the value of the car as a big, heavy lump of metal.
A scrapper will tow your car, drain the fluids (hopefully!), and crush it into a cube. They then sell that cube to a metal recycler by weight. The price of scrap steel, as you can imagine, goes up and down. This is the “base” price. If your car is a burnt-out, stripped, rusted-through shell, this is likely all you’ll get.
Pro-Tip: Never accept a “scrap only” price unless your car is truly just a shell. You can do better.
This is the big one. This is what separates a professional car wrecker from a simple “scrap and tow” operator.
A real car wrecker (like us) doesn’t just see a 1.5-tonne cube of steel. We see a checklist of valuable, resalable parts.
A company that has an auto-parts business can pay you more for your car because they make their money back (and then some) by selling these components. They are buying a collection of parts, not just scrap metal.
Inside every car are a few “golden” components that have a high value all on their own.
The number one hidden gem? The Catalytic Converter.
This little part of your exhaust system is chock-full of precious metals like platinum, palladium, and rhodium. The value of these metals means that a single “cat” can be worth $100, $200, or even more, all by itself.
Dodgy operators might try to “forget” this. A professional cash for junk cars service knows the exact value of your car’s converter and will factor that into your quote.
Okay, so you know your car has value. Now, how do you make sure you get paid for that value? Here are the 7 essential tips.
When you call for a quote, the worst thing you can say is, “How much for an old Ford?”
You’ll get a vague, low-ball quote because the buyer is protecting themselves from the unknown. To get a high, firm quote, you need to provide precise details. Before you pick up the phone, write this down:
When you provide this level of detail, a professional buyer can give you a quote they can stand by. It shows you’re organised and you mean business.
This is the biggest mistake we see. People think, “I’ll get more money if I sell the battery, tyres, and radiator separately.”
This is 100% wrong.
A car wrecker wants the whole car. We offer you a price for a complete vehicle. Why? Our processes are efficient. We can strip a car in a fraction of the time a DIY-er can.
If you start pulling bits off, you’ve just turned your “Level 2: Salvageable Car” into a “Level 1: Scrap Metal Shell.” The value plummets. A car that was worth $500 as a complete unit is now worth $150 as a stripped shell. You’ve lost money.
Leave everything in. Don’t waste your weekend.
We buy cars “as-is,” “where-is.” We don’t care about mud on the floor mats.
But please, for the love of God, clean your personal rubbish out of it.
If the boot is full of old takeaway containers, dirty clothes, and garden waste, it’s a hassle for us. That means it costs us time (and money) to clean it out before we can wreck it. That will be factored into your quote. A car that’s empty of personal junk will always get a slightly better price than one that looks like a wheelie bin.
This is the difference between a dodgy deal and a professional transaction. A legitimate cash for junk cars service will require two things from you:
Why? We need to prove you are the legal owner and have the right to sell the car. This protects you and us. The tow truck driver should provide you with a “Notice of Disposal” or a receipt. This is your legal proof that you’ve sold the vehicle, which you’ll need to show VicRoads to cancel the rego and get any refund you’re owed.
Red Flag: If a company doesn’t ask for ID or proof of ownership, they are operating illegally. Run away.
This is the ultimate insider tip.
Many of the “Cash for Cars” websites you see are just middle-men. They are marketing companies (often based overseas) that run a flashy website and a call centre. They take your details, give you a vague quote, and then sell your lead to the cheapest local tow truck driver they can find.
The middle-man takes their cut. The towie takes their cut. What’s left for you? Not much.
You need to call a real, local, Melbourne-based car wrecker. A company that has its own wrecking yard, its own fleet of tow trucks, and its own auto parts business.
A company like Cars Wanted Melbourne can pay you the most money because we process the car ourselves. There is no middle-man. We get 100% of the car’s value (from parts and scrap), so we can pass 100% of that top-dollar quote on to you.
This is the oldest, dirtiest trick in the book.
They know you’re busy. They know you’ve already committed to this in your head. They are betting you’ll just say, “Fine, whatever, just take it.”
How to avoid it: When you get a quote, ask this magic question:
“Is that a firm, guaranteed price? Or is your driver going to try and hagg-le me down on-site?”
A professional company will say, “As long as the car is as you described, that is the price we pay. Guaranteed.”
This one is simple. The service is Unwanted Car Removals. The “removal” part (towing) should always be free.
If a company says, “We’ll pay $400, but there’s a $75 towing fee,” they are just playing with numbers. The real offer is $325.
A genuine cash for junk cars offer is the final, total amount of cash you will have in your hand after the car is gone. Period.
Getting the most cash for your junk car in Melbourne isn’t about luck. It’s about being an informed seller. It’s about knowing your car has value, giving a clear description, and, most importantly, choosing a local, licensed, and professional car wrecker who wants your car for its valuable parts, not just its scrap weight.
At Cars Wanted Melbourne, we built our reputation on being the good guys. We are a real, Melbourne-based company. The quote we give you is the cash we pay. Our towing is always free, and our service is fast, professional, and fully licensed. We want your car, and we’re willing to pay top dollar for it.
Don’t let that car rust for another day. Turn it into cash. Give our expert team a call on 0415 836 537 for an instant, no-obligation quote, or visit our Contact Us page to fill out our online form.
Q: How much cash can I actually get for my junk car in Melbourne?
A: It genuinely ranges from $150 to over $9,999. A basic end-of-life scrap car will be at the lower end ($150 – $400). A more recent-model car, even if it’s damaged or written-off, or a desirable ute or 4WD, could be worth thousands. The only way to know for sure is to call for a free quote.
Q: Does my car need to be running or have registration?
A: Absolutely not. We specialise in non-running, unregistered, and written-off vehicles. It doesn’t need to have a Roadworthy Certificate (RWC) or any rego. We buy cars “as-is, where-is.”
Q: I’ve lost the keys and the car is locked. Is that a problem?
A: Not at all. This is extremely common. Our tow truck drivers are equipped with all the gear needed to remove a car without keys. As long as you have your ID and proof of ownership, we can handle it.
Q: How long does the whole process take?
A: The fast part. From your phone call to us, we can often schedule a same-day pickup. The pickup itself is quick and painless. The driver will arrive, confirm the paperwork, pay you the cash on the spot, and have the car hooked up and gone in about 15-20 minutes.
Q: What happens to my car after you take it?
A: This is why it’s so important to use a licensed wrecker. Your car is taken to our wrecking yard. First, it is “de-polluted”—we safely drain all the oils, fuels, brake fluid, and battery acid. Then, we salvage all the usable parts for re-sale. Finally, the remaining shell is crushed and recycled. It’s the most eco-friendly way to dispose of a car.
