The gearbox is one of the most important components of a car, whether it’s an automatic or a manual. No gearbox, no moving. It’s as simple as that. So what do you do if your gearbox has gone missing? Thankfully Scrap Car Comparison is on hand to give you the lowdown on getting rid of your tired, old, gearboxless car.
Just because you have no gearbox doesn’t mean you have no options left, as we’ll explain in the next few paragraphs. But if time is of the essence for you, simply call our friendly team today and see just how much your car could be worth as scrap or salvage. We work with certified scrap specialists up and down the country, and we’ve recycled every car you could think of – so why not let yours be our next?
Can you scrap a car without a gearbox?
Absolutely! You can scrap a car with any number of parts missing or indeed in any condition, you just need to temper your own expectations when it comes to the figure you’re going to be offered. It goes without saying that a car in a better condition is going to make more money, even when it comes to scrapping a car. This is because if you have any parts that can be reused elsewhere, naturally they are going to come with a higher value attached to them.
Another thing to be aware of is that most scrap prices are determined by the weight of your car, and gearboxes aren’t light. Therefore, if you’re missing your gearbox, or you’ve removed any other major components, your car will be considerably lighter and as a result will likely fetch a smaller price when you try to scrap it.
Why might a car be missing its gearbox?
It’s rare for a car to be missing a component as significant as a gearbox, as it’s a fairly hefty piece of equipment and is unlikely to be taken out and mislaid. Chances are the car in question has been used as a donor car for another repair job that was requiring a gearbox, and usually suggests that the donor car has greater issues elsewhere if it’s had its gearbox swiped from it.
Can you scrap a car with a faulty gearbox?
Of course you can, if you can scrap one without a gearbox then having a faulty one isn’t an issue at all! The key point you’ll want to bear in mind is whether the gearbox is a total dud. If it’s just got a few niggling issues then you could look into repairing it, but if the dodgy gearbox is just one of a mountain of problems under the body, such as engine woes or worse, then scrapping is going to be a much better option for you – removing any possible difficult and pricey repair jobs.
Is a faulty gearbox a write off?
That entirely depends on the car that you’re driving. If you’ve got a tired old banger that’s worth less than the clothes on your back, then it probably would become a write-off if your gearbox packs up. If you’re driving something more modern then it’s likely that simple gearbox hiccups would cost much less than the car is worth. Remember, it’s considered a write off when the costs to fix your car, no matter the damage, are deemed “uneconomical to repair” – i.e. you’re not going to get a decent profit if you were to sell the car after you’ve totalled up the costs of repairs.
What happens if a gearbox fails?
Depending on what you drive, you might notice a few telltale signs of impending doom for your gearbox. If you’ve got an automatic, you might find it’s sitting in a lower gear for longer than you’d expect, or it may feel particularly sluggish when you’re pulling away. If you’re driving a manual, it’ll probably be easier to find. You’ll notice it’s not as responsive as it has been in the past with a delay between gear changes – if you’re able to change gears at all, that is.
Is it worth repairing a faulty gearbox?
Again, this boils down to what the price of your car is and how bad the faults are. If it’s an easy fix (although most gearbox issues are rarely easy fixes), then it probably is worth getting it repaired, especially if you plan on keeping the car for the foreseeable future. If your car is on thin ice in general, you’re looking to get rid of it soon or it simply isn’t worth much, then it’s probably not going to be worth it and you’d be better off selling it as scrap, or even salvage if the rest of the car is in a decent condition.
Tips and advice for scrapping a car without a gearbox
- Be honest. If you try to pull the wool over a potential buyer’s eyes, they’re not going to be happy when they arrive and find it’s got problems and will likely haggle you down on collection. Being clear from the outset means everyone knows exactly what they’re dealing with.
- Don’t try and fix it yourself. Unless you know exactly what you’re doing, attempting a self fix before a sale could actually have a negative impact on your car’s value rather than the intended positive. A broken car is often easier to fix than one someone’s tried to fix and made worse.
If your car’s gearbox has completely given up, or even if it’s nowhere to be seen, Scrap Car Comparison is the place for you. We’ll scour the market to get the best price in your area, and with collection agents operating in 99% of all UK postcodes, we’ll even arrange a collection, absolutely free of charge. Get started today and see just how much your car could be worth as scrap in as little as sixty seconds.
