Remove personal belongings, valuables, important documents, and custom accessories you want to keep. Don’t remove mechanical parts unless you have the time and skills to sell them separately for profit. Most people maximize value by selling the complete car rather than parting it out.
Always remove before selling:
- Personal items (sunglasses, phone chargers, loose change)
- Important documents (registration copies, insurance cards, receipts)
- Garage door openers and toll transponders
- Custom accessories you paid for (aftermarket stereo, GPS unit)
- Valuables left in trunk or glove box
- Child car seats
- License plates (required in most states)
Consider removing if valuable and saleable:
- Aftermarket wheels and tires (if better than stock)
- Premium sound system (if easily removable)
- Recently purchased new tires (swap with old ones)
- Custom parts with resale value
Leave on the car:
- Catalytic converter (adds to offer, legal issues with separate sale)
- Engine and transmission (buyers pay more for complete cars)
- Battery (adds value, not worth hassle to remove)
- Factory parts (difficult to sell, time-consuming to remove)
Junk Car Medics and similar buyers price vehicles based on completeness. A car with all major components intact receives a better offer than one that’s been picked over. Unless you’re committed to parting out the vehicle fully, leave it whole and get the best complete-car price.
For more detailed preparation steps, see how to get a car ready to be junked.
