Junk and Scrap Car Removal in Cochrane

That car that hasn't moved in years? We'll haul it away for free and pay you for it. No keys, no battery, flat tires, none of that is a problem.

Open 7 AM to 8 PM, seven days a week.

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Free Towing Cash on Spot Any Condition

Cochrane Car Buyers takes junk and scrap vehicles off properties anywhere in Cochrane and Rocky View County, free of charge, and we pay you for them.

We bring the truck, hand you cash or send an e-transfer on the spot, and sort out the paperwork so the vehicle is properly off your name. You never pay us anything. It goes the other way round.

Old rusty junk car sitting in a yard

What counts as a junk or scrap car

If you're wondering whether yours is too far gone, it isn't. We'll take:

  • Cars that haven't run in years
  • Anything with no keys, no battery, or flat and missing tires
  • Vehicles rusted right through
  • Cars missing an engine, a gearbox, doors or wheels
  • Anything that failed an inspection and never got fixed
  • Old farm and acreage vehicles sitting out in a field
  • Something you inherited and don't want
  • A car taking up a garage, driveway or condo stall you'd like back
  • Motorcycles, RVs, trailers, and retired work vehicles
  • Anything a scrapyard wanted to charge you a drop-off fee for

On that last one: we don't charge drop-off fees, tow fees or environmental fees. If another company quotes you a price and then takes towing off it, that's a fee with a friendlier name on it.

What a scrap car is actually worth

The value comes from three places, and knowing them helps you tell a fair offer from a bad one.

  • Weight. The floor price on any scrap vehicle is its steel weight against whatever scrap metal is going for that week. A full size pickup weighs a lot more than a compact car, so it's worth more before anyone even looks at it. Scrap prices move constantly, which is why no honest buyer publishes a fixed price list.
  • Parts that still work. Even on a genuinely dead car, the alternator, starter, wheels, glass, panels and interior bits may still be worth something. This is usually where the difference between a $300 offer and a $900 offer lives.
  • The catalytic converter. On most vehicles this is the single most valuable part, sometimes worth more than everything else put together. If yours has been stolen, please tell us. It changes the offer, and we'd much rather know on the phone than find out in your driveway.

We pay between $200 and $20,000, though genuine scrap vehicles tend to land near the bottom of that.

Vehicle Typical range
Full size pickup or large SUV, complete, cat intact$500 to $1,400
Mid size car or SUV, complete, cat intact$350 to $900
Compact car, complete$250 to $600
Any vehicle with the catalytic converter gone$150 to $450
Stripped shell, no engine, gearbox or wheels$150 to $350
Newer vehicle with resale or parts valueWell above scrap

Scrap prices shift week to week, so treat these as a guide rather than a quote. And if your car is newer than you're giving it credit for, say so. A 2016 that won't start isn't a scrap car and shouldn't be priced like one.

Acreages and rural pickups

This one gets its own section, because a lot of companies quietly avoid it.

If you're out at Cochrane Lake, Springbank, Bearspaw, Bragg Creek, Water Valley or anywhere in Rocky View County with vehicles sitting on the property, we'll come to you. More than one in a trip is welcome and usually earns you a better price on each, since we only have to make the drive once.

Grown into the grass, sunk into the mud, tucked behind a shed with no clear way in? Just tell us what we're dealing with and we'll bring the right equipment.

Everywhere we come →
Old truck parked in a rural acreage field

What happens to your car after we take it

Around 80% of a vehicle can be recycled, which makes cars one of the most recycled things in the world.

Usable parts resold

Yours goes to licensed Alberta recyclers. Usable parts come off and get resold, extending the life of working components.

Fluids & hazards handled

Fluids and hazardous materials, things like engine oil, coolant, refrigerant, battery acid and mercury switches, get drained and dealt with properly under provincial rules.

Metal recycled

What's left, mostly steel and aluminum, gets recycled. A dead vehicle sitting on a property isn't harmless; fluids work their way into the soil over time. Getting it moved is the right call.

How it works

01

Call or fill in the form.

Year, make, model and rough condition. If you've no idea what year it is, the VIN on the dash or the door jamb will tell us.

02

We give you a firm number.

Not "up to". An actual figure.

03

We come and take it.

Free, at a time that works for you, usually the same day here in Cochrane. Cash or e-transfer before it goes on the truck.

04

We handle the paperwork.

We prepare the bill of sale so the vehicle is properly off your name and you're not carrying any liability for it afterwards.

Questions people ask us

Is junk car removal really free? +

It's better than free, because we pay you. There's no towing charge, no call-out fee, and nothing gets taken off your offer.

What if I don't have the keys? +

Not a problem at all. We don't need keys to load a car onto a flatbed.

What if the registration expired? +

Expired registration is fine, because in Alberta the registration isn't the ownership document anyway. The bill of sale is, and we prepare that at pickup. If you've lost everything, ring us and we'll talk you through it.

Can you take a car sitting for 10 years? +

Yes. Seized brakes, sunken tires and plants growing through the windows are all routine for us. Let us know about access and we'll bring the right truck.

Does a junk truck pay more than a car? +

Usually yes, because trucks weigh more and their parts are in higher demand in Alberta. If the vehicle is damaged rather than just worn out, have a look at our damaged car page, as that often pays considerably more than scrap. View damaged car page →

Can you take more than one vehicle? +

Yes, and please mention it when you call. Several on one property normally means a better price on each.

What's the difference between scrapping it and selling it to you? +

Scrapyards usually pay on weight alone, and some will charge you to bring the vehicle in or take towing off the price. We buy the whole vehicle, which counts the reusable parts as well as the weight, and our towing is free.

Can you remove an abandoned vehicle from my property? +

If it isn't yours, we can't buy it until ownership is sorted out, which protects you as much as us. Alberta has a proper process for abandoned vehicles on private property. Give us a call and we'll point you at the right steps rather than leaving you to work it out alone.