Price data · 8 September 2026·Cars & garages
Car parts scrap value UK
A whole car goes to an Authorised Treatment Facility and is priced by the tonne. Individual parts are a different business: a garage or MOT bay throws off brake discs, batteries, alloys, radiators and alternators every week, and each is a separate scrap grade with its own price. This page prices the common parts using today's rates.
Worth today
LatestBrake disc
£0.95–£1.71
per part, at 5–9 kg × £0.19/kg (Auto Cast (Engine Blocks))
UK yard average. Your yard will differ by region, load size and how clean the metal is.
What each type is worth
Weight × today's grade price
Typical weights from manufacturer data and yard experience. The value column is that weight multiplied by today's UK average for the grade a yard would pay it as.
Alternator
Copper windings: motor grade
Weight4–7 kg
Electric Motors
£1.67–£2.92
Starter motor
Weight3–5 kg
Electric Motors
£1.25–£2.09
Radiator (aluminium/plastic)
Plastic end tanks off for the best rate
Weight3–6 kg
£9–£17
Cast iron engine block, bare
Drained, no aluminium attached
Weight80–150 kg
£15–£29
Gearbox (aluminium casing)
Drained; steel internals lower the grade
Weight25–50 kg
£26–£53
Exhaust system (mild steel)
Catalytic converter removed and sold separately
Weight10–20 kg
£0.77–£1.53
How yards grade car parts
Parts are graded by what they are made of, not what they did. Brake discs and iron blocks are auto cast, a foundry grade paid above mixed cast iron because the chemistry is predictable. Aluminium heads, blocks and gearbox casings are cast aluminium once drained. Alternators and starters are bought as electric motors for their copper windings. Radiators go as aluminium-copper rads. Panels, exhausts and anything a magnet grabs are light iron, the lowest ferrous grade. Catalytic converters are a specialist trade priced on platinum-group metal content and are not covered by the general yard price list.
Getting the best price
- Drain everything. Oil and coolant left in a block or gearbox is a deduction at best and a refusal at worst.
- Keep brake discs separate from the general iron. Clean discs go in as auto cast and pay noticeably more than mixed cast.
- Strip aluminium from iron and vice versa. A cast block with an aluminium head still bolted on is paid at the lower grade.
- Batteries upright, taped, in a tray. See the car battery page for the rules.
- A pallet of brake discs from a busy MOT bay is a proper load; two or three discs are not worth the fuel.
The rules
- A whole vehicle, or a bare shell, can only be scrapped at an Authorised Treatment Facility, which issues the DVLA Certificate of Destruction. A general scrap yard cannot legally take one.
- Catalytic converters must be sold to a licensed scrap metal dealer with ID recorded and payment by bank transfer. Cash for cats has been illegal since 2013.
- Garages selling parts regularly need waste carrier registration if they transport the scrap themselves, or should use the yard's collection service.
Got some to sell?
Get a quote from a licensed yard near you
Tell us roughly how much you have and your postcode. We pass it to a licensed dealer buying car parts this week. Free, and payment is always by bank transfer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much are brake discs worth in scrap?
Brake discs are clean cast iron and are paid as auto cast, a premium iron grade. A typical disc weighs 5-9 kg. The table above gives today's value per disc; garages usually accumulate a pallet before selling.
Can I scrap a car engine at a scrap yard?
Yes, once it is drained of oil and coolant. A cast iron block is paid as auto cast by weight; an aluminium block or head goes in as cast aluminium. Complete engines with both metals attached are paid at the lower grade unless you separate them.
What is a scrap car worth?
A whole car is priced by weight at the end-of-life vehicle rate, typically a few hundred pounds for a hatchback, and must go through an Authorised Treatment Facility rather than a general yard. Stripping high-value parts first (battery, alloys, catalytic converter) can be worth more than the shell.
Are alternators and starter motors worth scrapping?
Yes. Both contain copper windings and are bought as electric motors, well above the light iron rate. Working units are worth more sold as reconditionable parts.
Related prices
Car battery scrap price
Alloy wheels scrap value
Electric motor scrap price
Auto cast iron price per kg
Other items: car battery, copper hot water cylinder, alloy wheels, electric motors, radiators, boiler, washing machine