Junk in the trunk

Aoi Tsuki

My fiance has a shitty old '89 Crown Victoria. It is rusty, impossible to pass on state inspections (they don't like a chip in the taillight's plastic or something, idfk) and increasingly unreliable for highway driving. Its end is rapidly approaching, because it's a piece of shit, and unsafe to boot. :?

It is full of fairly new parts (belts, etc. have recently been replaced to eke more use out of the car) and a shitton of solid steel, so if we were to sell it, say, to one of those "I'mma buy ur car, running or not!!!!" scammy-ass Craigslist posters, or a scrapyard, or whatever, what would be the most profitable option?

uean

If it still drives you could phone the scrap metal yards and see what they'll give you for it. Quote them the year and make model, and the curb weight. Personally I got $150 for a non running 1991 Toyota Camry (about half the car you're talking about) and the tow truck dealer paid me so he could resell - he probably sold it for at least $100 more. But I wouldn't expect much more than a few hundred bucks.

Other option is to donate it to meals on wheels or the local firefighters for jaws-of-life practice. You'll get a receipt and it'll be a tax writeoff/donation at the end of the year.

L Ron Howard

There are lots of other places to donate your car. I've donated two of my (crappy, run-down, pieces) to women's shelters. My sister donated her car to a community college to teach kids from the ghetto how to basic car mechanic.
You'll get a warm, fuzzy feeling and a tax write off for something around the Kelly Blue Book value for the car.

Barring that, if it still runs, you might be able to get more raw money out of it selling it on CL. Just make the price more than what you'd get for taking it to the yard, say it's firm, and then deal with that. I don't know if that's something you're even considering, because you have to do the whole sell-a-car thing, and that takes time.

spool32

Check your local public radio station as well. KUT operates a vehicle donation program that will let you write the cost of the car off next tax year.

Don't expect more than $300-400 from a salvage yard.

MushroomStick

As of a few years ago, in Illinois at least, the donation places no longer give bluebook value on the tax write off - its a flat $500. It doesn't matter if you're donating some rusted out pos or a brand new Ferrari. Also, if I recall correctly, if you don't make out better by itemizing your taxes, the write off wont get you anything.