Hi Volks,

The cost of scrap metal has risen, but so has the cost of
transportation.  If you live in a port city, the scrapyards nearest
the docks will pay the best $$ for scrap vehicles. The further you
are from the port, the lower the value of the scrap metal.

I scrapped out an aircooled engine this summer after putting a rod
through the top of the case and was able to get $40 for the aluminum
in the engine once I removed the crank, cylinders, studs and other
ferrous parts. The same yard pays $120/ton $CDN for scrap iron. I
have also heard that some people have scrapped out perfectly good
aluminum fishing boats because they are worth more as scrap than for
resale as a pleasure craft.

A few years ago I bought a $600 1988 vanagon and harvested about
$1000 in parts sales, but it cost me about 25 hours of labour and I
paid over $150 in towing fees to have it brought home and towed away
afterwards. The bulk of the profit on that one was a pair of captains
chairs and a set of almost new Michelin Agilis tires already mounted
and balanced, which were not counted in the $1000 income mentioned
above. So I guess I did all right. I considered saving the beast, but
it would have cost thousands to do so and every time I turned a screw
or bolt it sheared off due to rust. So it died that others might
live. That's just the way it goes with older vehicles.

Happy Trails,

Greg Potts
1973/74/77/79 Westfakia "Bob The Tomato
www.pottsfamily.ca
www.busesofthecorn.com

On 13-Feb-08, at 2:46 PM, Peter T. Owsianowski wrote:

> Just an article in the South Bend Tribune today about thieves hitting
> parking garages and cutting off catalytic converters.
>
>
> On 2/12/08, JordanVw@aol.com <JordanVw@aol.com> wrote:
>> In a message dated 2/12/08 10:18:51 PM Eastern Standard Time,
>> jrunberg@MAC.COM writes:
>>
>>
>>> We had a 78 Westy which *no* local yard would take. Even
>>> for $$.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> scrap metal is almost a dollar per 100lbs.   are you telling me
>> you actually
>> have to *pay* to get your carcasses hauled off?
>>
>> i can strip a vanagon down to the shell - no motor, no trans, no
>> spindles,
>> no
>> glass, no interior, no doors,  and still get $100 bucks for whats
>> left at my
>> local scrap metal place..
>>
>> scrap metal $ is up, people..
>>
>> chris