I had the same car for 15 years and this is how I handled knowing it was finally time to scrap it. Of course I’d love to be superiorly-environmental and drive the same car for another 15 years, but I just can’t afford it, because it’s also not realistic due to the fact that they simply stopped making parts for my car and I’d have to spend a lifetime of cash to fix it. And right there’s the ticket to how I immediately accepted the fact that after all I was doing the right thing by scrapping my precious car.
When it comes time to accept that your car has reached its last leg and that last leg is now busted, you want to ensure your car is ethically recycled. Once you know that your car that you loved for decades is unfixable in your budget, you can rest a little easier knowing that at least the remaining parts may help other old-school car lovers in your area repair their equally-as-precious cars.
For a moment let’s forget about all the precious aluminum and steel that could be recycled out of your old vehicle to make can and other cr*p, and let’s just praise those amazing side mirrors, that bumper you kept scratch-free for so long, and that engine part people can’t find anywhere nowadays! Every car had its chance, and cars just like yours deserve there’s. (While accepting this myself I even secretly hid an out-of-print instruction manual in the back seat. It’s such a pity but I wish there was a better way. These salvage yards may become archeological sites though, remember that!)
So instead of thinking about deleting your car, think about donating its organs and materials to car lovers that are more or just as passionate as you are. In my experience that’s the healthiest way to do it, but it only works if you know for certain that your beloved vehicle is being ethically recycled by an auto salvaging expert, whom usually buys or picks up your scrap car for free. I also recommend staying at the scrap yard with a coffee just a little longer to watch that so-called expert at least lift the hood for the first time, so you can see their expression when they nod at the engine you treated so right for so long. Then you can walk away with less weight on your heart. Either way, walk away in peace.
Finding an ethical salvage yard is the hard part, but now that you know this is an option I bet you’ll find a new car that makes you almost as happy as that old one made you. I did! Time is finite; enjoy a modern car for a change!
All the best,
(if you need more tips, check out our post on how to get cash for your car the easy way)