Most cars we buy on the South Side don’t run. Some died on the way home from work; some have sat behind a two-flat for three winters with a tarp over the hood. None of that is unusual to us, and none of it needs fixing before you call.
What “doesn’t run” covers
We hear every version of it on the phone. The usual ones:
- Won’t crank or won’t turn over. Dead battery, bad starter, a fuse, or something worse. We don’t need to know which.
- Runs but won’t move. A slipping transmission, a broken axle or a seized brake caliper. The truck pulls it anyway.
- Overheated or seized engine. Steam, a knock, then nothing. Common after a cooling-system leak was ignored for a season.
- Sat for years. Flat-spotted tires, mice in the air box, a stale tank of gas. The car is still worth something as metal and parts.
If your car fits one of those, or something stranger, the answer is the same: we can buy it.
How the pickup works when the car is dead
A tow truck driver doesn’t need the engine. On a flatbed, the winch cable hooks to the frame and pulls the car up the tilted bed. If the steering is locked because there’s no key, the driver uses wheel dollies or skates under the front tires. Flat tires slow the job down by a few minutes; they don’t stop it.
What helps the driver most is room. A car nose-in against a garage door or wedged between a fence and a utility pole may need to be pulled out sideways first. Our guide to alley and garage pickups explains what to clear before the truck arrives, and what to tell us if the car is in a spot the truck can’t reach directly.
Your papers, and how you’re paid
Have the title ready if you have it. If you don’t, tell us what you do have, such as an old registration card, a bill of sale or an insurance card. Illinois rules decide which of those can support a scrap sale, so we go through it with you on the call instead of guessing. The no-title page has more on that.
You’re paid when the car is loaded, in cash, by Zelle or by Cash App, whichever you choose. Towing is free and nothing comes out of the offer for it.
Before you spend money on a repair
A new battery is cheap and worth trying. A new transmission or engine on an older car usually isn’t, especially if the body has rust or the car fails emissions. If the repair estimate is more than the car would sell for running, selling it as it is tends to be the better trade. We’ll give you a number either way, and the offer doesn’t expire, so you can get the repair quote first and decide afterward.
Ready to see the number? Start your offer or read how a pickup goes from call to cash.