Before selling your junk car, remove personal belongings, license plates, and any valuable aftermarket parts you want to keep.
Items to remove before selling:
| Category | What to Remove |
|---|---|
| Personal items | Documents, registration, insurance cards, garage openers, toll tags, sunglasses, phone chargers |
| License plates | Most states require you to remove plates and return or transfer them |
| Aftermarket parts | Stereo systems, speakers, custom wheels, roof racks you purchased separately |
| Valuable accessories | GPS units, dash cams, phone mounts, cargo organizers |
What you should NOT remove:
- Catalytic converter: Removing it significantly lowers your offer and may be illegal in some states
- Engine or transmission: Removing major components drops the vehicle’s value
- Factory parts: Junk car buyers expect complete vehicles; missing parts reduce quotes
- Wheels and tires: Cars without wheels are harder to tow and worth less
Check the glove box, trunk, under seats, and door pockets for forgotten items. Once the car is towed or hauled away, recovering belongings is difficult or impossible. When you sell your junk car for cash, the buyer will remind you to clear out personal items at pickup.