Straight answers, written out
The questions people actually arrive with, answered properly: what a VIN can and cannot tell you, how to buy a used part without wasting a Saturday, and how a scrap price is really worked out.
Where is the VIN number on a car? 5 places to look
Start at the driver's side of the dashboard, through the windshield. If that plate is hard to read, four other spots carry the same 17 characters.
How to Sell a Car Without a Title in Texas
In Texas, selling a registered car without its title is an offense. Get a certified copy (VTR-34) first. Here's how, plus liens, bonded titles and old junk cars.
How to Sell a Car Without a Title in Florida
Lost a Florida title? The usual route is a duplicate from the tax collector. Old junk cars under $1,000 can go to a licensed salvage dealer on a derelict form.
How to Sell a Car Without a Title in California
Lost your California title? The usual route is DMV form REG 227, which can replace the title and transfer the car in one step. Here's what to file and keep.
How to Sell a Car Without a Title in Arizona
In Arizona you usually get a duplicate title first. Cars 12+ model years old worth up to $1,200 can go to a licensed recycler or scrap dealer without one.
What a VIN cannot tell you about a car
A VIN describes how a car left the factory. It says nothing about the 200,000 miles since. Here is where the line falls.
What to ask a salvage yard before you drive out
The questions that decide whether a trip is worth making. Most of the answers are never published anywhere, so you have to ask.
Is my junk car worth more in parts or as scrap?
Two identical cars can fetch very different prices. Here is how a yard works out what to pay, and what moves the number up or down.