Junk does not automatically mean scrap weight. What the car is, what is still on it, and where it sits all change the number — sometimes by a factor of three.
The common assumption is that an end-of-life car is worth its weight in metal. Sometimes true. Often not, and the difference is large.
What actually moves the number:
Most legitimate buyers want the title, and in most states it is required to transfer ownership even on a car headed for dismantling. Selling without one is possible in some places through specific procedures, but the options narrow and the price drops.
If you cannot find it, start the duplicate process before you start getting quotes — see selling a car without the title for how that works in California.
Be wary of anyone who does not care about the title at all. There are legitimate scenarios, but there are also buyers who are not handling the transfer properly, which can leave the car registered to you after it is gone.
The car leaves, the money arrives, and nobody files the paperwork. Months later a parking fine or an abandoned-vehicle notice arrives, because the car is still registered in your name.
File the release of liability with your state DMV as soon as it is collected. It takes minutes, it is usually free, and it is the only thing standing between you and somebody else's problem.
Keep a copy of the bill of sale with the date, the buyer's details and the mileage.
Any buyer who handles end-of-life cars has collection arranged. Towing should be included in the offer, not deducted afterwards and not billed to you.
Watch for the quote that drops on arrival. The honest version is a number given on an accurate description that holds when the truck turns up. Describing the car accurately — including the missing converter, the stripped parts, the fact it does not roll — is what makes that possible.
More than scrap weight in many cases. The catalytic converter is often the most valuable single part, and parts demand for the model matters as much as the metal. Completeness and location both affect it too.
Yes, materially — it is frequently the most valuable part on an old car. Disclose it up front, because the buyer finds out at collection and that is when offers get re-cut.
Usually yes. Most legitimate buyers require it and most states need it to transfer ownership, even for dismantling. Some states have procedures for selling without one, but the options narrow and the price drops.
No. Free collection is standard with buyers who handle end-of-life cars. A towing charge deducted after the fact is a reason to get another quote.
File the release of liability with your state DMV immediately and keep a copy of the bill of sale. Skipping it is how people end up with parking fines for a car they sold months earlier.
No title? Common on a car this old and usually not a blocker — see selling without a title.