Scrap dealers weigh your vehicle. We value it. That single difference decides what you walk away with, and it matters most on work vehicles: the bakkies and light commercials that have done their years and stopped earning. Crush a tired Hilux for its metal weight and you throw away a gearbox, a diff, and panels that other operators are actively hunting for. Lou Appel’s Auto Spares has been buying vehicles in Johannesburg since 1939, and across more than 85 years as a used-parts yard we’ve learned to price what’s still useful, not what fits on a scale.
Bakkies and light commercials are worth checking first
A car gets driven. A bakkie gets used. Ranger, Hilux, NP200, Isuzu D-Max, the half-ton and one-ton workhorses rack up serious kilometres pulling trailers and running building sites. By the time the body looks finished, the mechanical guts often have plenty left, and that’s what makes them valuable to a parts buyer.
Demand on the commercial side stays steady because these vehicles stay in service for decades. Someone running a small fleet needs a replacement engine for an NP200 today, not in three weeks. A panel beater wants a clean Ranger tailgate. A farmer needs a diff for a Hilux that still has to fetch feed on Monday. Those buyers pay real money for the right part, and that flows back into our offer for the whole vehicle.
Why parts value beats scrap weight
A scrap yard pays a flat rate per ton and crushes the lot, whether the engine turns over or not. We look at it the other way around: what comes off the vehicle, what’s reusable, and what someone buys next week. On most vehicles with salvageable components the parts figure beats the metal figure, and on sought-after commercials the gap can be large. It’s why two yards quote wildly different numbers on the same bakkie: one is buying steel, the other a working drivetrain. We’ve set out the full case for selling your scrap car to a parts buyer instead. Either way, get the parts offer before you commit.
What we buy
Condition is rarely a dealbreaker. We take vehicles sellers often assume are worthless:
- Accident-damaged cars, bakkies, SUVs and 4x4s, front, rear, or rolled
- Non-runners, seized engines, blown head gaskets, gearbox and clutch failures
- Electrical faults, dead ECUs, wiring and immobiliser problems
- Flood, fire and hail damage
- Insurance write-offs: Code 2, Code 3 and Code 4
- High-mileage, financed, and unroadworthy vehicles
The write-off codes trip people up. Code 2 is an ordinary used vehicle. Code 3 has been written off but can be rebuilt and re-registered once it passes a roadworthy test. Code 4 is permanently demolished, parts and scrap only, never road-legal again. We buy all three, and the code doesn’t stop us quoting on the parts. If you’re not certain which applies, it helps to work out whether your car has actually been written off before you sell.
How the process works
Most sellers just want a problem vehicle gone, so we’ve kept it simple.
- Send photos and the basics over WhatsApp: make, model, year, mileage if you have it, and what’s wrong.
- We give you a cash offer. No drawn-out inspection, no haggling games.
- If you accept, we arrange free collection at a time that suits you.
- You’re paid on the spot, cash or instant EFT the same day, and we handle the paperwork.
Collection is free right across Gauteng: Johannesburg, Pretoria and the rest of Tshwane, the East Rand around Ekurhuleni, the West Rand, and down into the Vaal. We come to the vehicle, which matters when it’s a non-runner stuck behind a workshop. There’s more on what to expect when selling a damaged car in Gauteng.
Documents you’ll need
Have these ready before collection:
- Your SA ID or passport
- The vehicle registration certificate (RC1, the NATIS document)
- Proof of residence less than three months old
- Your banking details for the EFT
- A bank settlement letter if the vehicle is still financed
We complete the Notification of Change of Ownership (NCO) so the vehicle is properly transferred out of your name. That step gets skipped at backyard sales, and it’s the one that bites people later with fines and renewal notices. If the vehicle was in a crash first, the wider process of selling an accident-damaged car in South Africa is worth a read.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can’t I just take it to a scrap yard myself?
You can, and for a vehicle with nothing reusable left it might be the right call. But you’ll be paid metal weight. It’s worth knowing exactly what a scrap yard will and won’t pay for, because most bakkies and commercials are worth more in parts than in steel.
Do you really buy non-runners?
Yes. A vehicle doesn’t have to start, drive, or even have wheels. We collect non-runners on a flatbed at no cost, and a dead engine matters less than you’d think when the gearbox, diff, and panels are sound.
What if my bakkie is still financed?
Common, and not a problem. Get a settlement letter from your bank showing the outstanding amount. We factor it in and sort the settlement as part of the deal, so the vehicle clears the finance and transfers cleanly.
Get an offer on your vehicle today
Before you let any car, bakkie, or light commercial go for scrap weight, get a parts buyer’s number on it. It costs nothing and it’s the only way to know what you’re leaving on the table. Call 011 493 8260 or WhatsApp us photos. We’re at 233 Booysens Road, Selby, Johannesburg, a third-generation family yard trading since 1939.
