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Insta Cash for Junk Cars

Sell an old car in Chicago

Insta Cash for Junk Cars buys old cars in Chicago, running or not. You send the year, make, model and title status, we call you back with a cash offer, and a truck collects the car with free towing. You're paid at pickup.

Start your offer

Fill out the form and we call you with a cash offer for your vehicle. All fields are required.

Step 1: Vehicle Information

Request Received!

We'll call within 15 minutes.

Can I sell an old car that doesn't run in Chicago?

Insta Cash for Junk Cars makes offers on old cars in Chicago whether they run or not. Send the year, make, model and title status, and we call with a number. We tow it at no charge, can often collect it the same day, and pay you at pickup. The offer holds if the car matches what you told us.

What an old car is worth to a buyer

A 2004 sedan with a tired transmission isn't going back on a dealer lot. So the number you get isn't a used-car price. It's built from two things: what the car is made of, and which of its parts someone will still pay for.

That second part is where the model year earns its place on the form. A buyer can sell a headlight, a door or an alternator from a model that's still common on Chicago streets. For a model that disappeared from the roads a decade ago, fewer parts have a buyer, and the car leans more on its metal. Neither is bad news. It's just a different kind of number.

Year, make and model: why we ask for all three

  • Year tells us which generation of the car it is. Two cars with the same name ten years apart share almost no parts.
  • Make and model tell us how many of that car are still being repaired, which is what keeps its parts in demand.
  • Title tells us how the paperwork will go at pickup. Yes, no, or registration only: pick the true answer and we sort out the paperwork on the call.

Put those four in and we have enough for a first number. The call covers the rest.

Running or not

A car that starts and drives is worth more than the same car that doesn't, because a running engine and transmission are worth more than dead ones. It's that simple. What matters is that you tell us which it is. If it ran last month but not this week, say that. The driver will check, and a car that matches its description keeps its offer.

Old cars that have been parked for a long time often come with a few extra problems: flat tyres, a seized brake, a battery that's gone. None of that stops a pickup. Mention it on the call so the truck arrives ready.

Mileage, in one line

On an old junk car, mileage is a small factor next to whether the car is complete; the details are in our guide on how age and mileage count.

Getting an old car ready for the tow

  1. Take out personal things: glovebox papers, garage remotes, child seats, the spare key you forgot about.
  2. Find the title. If there's no title, have whatever papers we agreed on the call ready.
  3. Check the car is where you said it would be, and that the truck can reach it.
  4. Take your plates off if you plan to keep or return them.

That's it. You're paid at pickup, and the car leaves on the truck.

Ready for a number? Use the form on this page, or read how an instant cash offer for your junk car works from start to finish.

Old cars: short answers

How old is too old?

There's no cut-off year on the form. A very old car is priced mostly on what it's made of and which parts still sell, so age changes the number rather than ruling the car out.

Does high mileage lower the offer?

Sometimes, a little. On an old junk car, mileage matters less than whether the engine and transmission are there and whether the car is complete.

How age and mileage count

The car has sat for years and won't start. Can you still take it?

Yes. Tell us it doesn't run and whether the tyres hold air, and the driver brings the right equipment. Flat tyres and a dead battery are common on old cars.

I lost the title on an old car. What now?

We can still help. Choose that answer on the form. Tell us what papers you have (bill of sale, registration, insurance card). Illinois rules decide which papers work for a scrap sale, and we'll confirm on the call.

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