You may have an old car that no longer works and has been sitting in your driveway or garage for months accumulating dust. It is in no condition to drive so you decide to sell the parts and body for scrap metal. This can be a great way to earn back a few bucks while getting rid of a bulky item in your yard.

Before sending the car to the auto wrecking professional, there are a few steps you should take in order to maximise the amount of money you can make from the car. Here is some advice and steps to do just that.

Remove all parts from the body

If the car is to be sold for the scrap metal, all of the contents and parts need to be removed in advance. Therefore, all of the fluids need to be drained and the wiring removed. You can even get someone to flush out all the fluids for you to ensure nothing is left.

Some of the stuff you need to take out includes the seats, engine, radio, steering column and pretty much everything else you can see or think of. All you want left is the metal frame of the car. Be careful when removing these parts as you can sell them later on. The majority of car scrappers don't allow cars that have not been stripped down.

Keep the parts safe

Don't just rip everything out, do it carefully. Identify which parts you wish to keep and set them aside. The parts that have particularly good resale value depending on their condition include the wheels, brakes, transmission and engine. These parts need to be carefully stored where they will not be damaged or exposed to elements such as wetness. There are plenty of profits in these parts so choose carefully what you are going to throw away.

Learn the value of the parts

You need to calculate the value of the scrap metal before accepting any deal; you don't want to give them away for nothing. A good way of doing this is by searching online to see what prices the parts or similar versions are selling for. You can also get price quotes off a few different scrapyards in your area.

Find the right place to sell the parts

If a lot of your parts are in good condition, you can try selling them yourself online using a selling site. You can set your price and negotiate with potential buyers. This can be a nice source of revenue for you.