Why don't you post a scrap car price list?

Because a list would be wrong for most cars and out of date within weeks. Offers depend on the exact car and on metal markets that move, so we quote each car instead.

Does towing come out of the scrap price?

No. Towing is free and nothing is taken out of the offer to pay for it.

Will a missing catalytic converter lower my offer?

Usually, yes. The converter holds platinum-group metals, so a car without one is worth less. Tell us if it's gone. Why converters matter.

Does having no title change the price?

It can, because the title answer in the form is part of what we price. Title gone missing? We can still help. List the papers you do have, like a bill of sale, the registration or an insurance card; Illinois rules settle which of them count for a scrap sale, and we confirm it with you on the call.

Scrap car prices in Chicago

Scrap car prices in Chicago aren't fixed. Smart Scrap Metal Buyers prices each car from its year, make, model and title status, what's still on it, and where scrap metal markets sit that week. The quickest way to a real number is the form: two steps, then a call with an offer.

Get your car's scrap price

Any vehicle, any condition. Two short steps; free towing, paid at pickup.

What is the scrap price for a car in Chicago?

There isn't one fixed scrap car price in Chicago. An offer depends on the car's model and year, what's still on it (engine, transmission, catalytic converter, aluminum wheels) and where steel and nonferrous scrap prices sit that week. Sending the year, make, model and title status gets you a real number instead of a guess.

We know that's not the answer people hope for. Plenty of sites print a per-ton figure; the trouble is that a scrap car isn't a ton of clean steel. It's steel plus aluminum, copper and a catalytic converter, minus whatever's already been pulled off it.

The five things that move a scrap car offer

Factor	Why it matters
Model and year	Bigger, heavier cars carry more metal. Some models also carry more valuable converters or aluminum parts.
What's still on it	An engine, transmission, alloy wheels and the original catalytic converter all add value. A stripped shell is worth less.
Metal markets	Steel scrap follows mill demand; copper and aluminum follow their own markets. Offers move with them.
Title status	With a title the sale is simplest. Without one, Illinois rules decide which of your papers work, and we confirm on the call.
Condition	Wrecked, flooded or burned cars can lose parts value even when the metal is all there.

Why scrap car prices change week to week

Most of a scrap car's value is metal, and metal is traded. Chicago even has its own steel scrap benchmark: CME Group lists a Chicago No.1 Busheling Ferrous Scrap futures contract priced against a Fastmarkets assessment. Busheling is clean new-production steel, mostly factory clippings and stampings, and the industry specification excludes old auto bodies, so it isn't car scrap. It still shows the point: scrap steel in this city has a market price that moves, and every buyer's offer sits downstream of it. We explain the rest in what moves scrap metal prices in Chicago.

What's inside the car counts

A 2020 study by DuckerFrontier for the Aluminum Association expected North American light vehicles to average 459 pounds of aluminum. The Copper Development Association puts a typical U.S.-built car above 50 pounds of copper. Those metals sell for more per pound than steel, which is why a complete car beats a picked-over one. See how much steel, aluminum and copper is in a car for where each one sits.

How to get the best offer for your scrap car

Leave the car complete. Every part you pull comes off the offer, so only pull one if you already have a buyer for it.
Be exact about the title. Pick the answer that matches your paperwork so the offer holds at pickup.
Mention what's missing or damaged on the call: converter, wheels, engine, fire or flood damage.
Ask when it suits you. Metal markets move between quotes, but the number we give you doesn't expire.

Once you've got a number you're happy with, the rest is on us: free towing, payment at pickup, and the car goes into scrap car recycling rather than sitting on a lot. That's how we work as a Chicago scrap metal buyer and seller.

Questions about what a scrap car fetches

Why don't you post a scrap car price list?: Because a list would be wrong for most cars and out of date within weeks. Offers depend on the exact car and on metal markets that move, so we quote each car instead.
Does towing come out of the scrap price?: No. Towing is free and nothing is taken out of the offer to pay for it.
Will a missing catalytic converter lower my offer?: Usually, yes. The converter holds platinum-group metals, so a car without one is worth less. Tell us if it's gone. Why converters matter.
Does having no title change the price?: It can, because the title answer in the form is part of what we price. Title gone missing? We can still help. List the papers you do have, like a bill of sale, the registration or an insurance card; Illinois rules settle which of them count for a scrap sale, and we confirm it with you on the call.