We have a massive range of auction cars available here in our online car auctions at RAW2K, and equally, we serve quite a broad range of customers too. Some are first-time buyers looking for a cheap secondhand car to begin their driving career, whereas others are professional mechanics looking to salvage cars for parts. This is actually a notably popular (and lucrative) pursuit - depending on what you’re looking for, auction cars can provide an exceptionally cost-effective way to get hold of spare or replacement car parts. Some components are prone to wearing out sooner than others, which in turn means they’re frequently salvaged from crash-damaged cars like ours here at RAW2K. What kind of components, you ask? Well…
1. Engine and starter motor
The engine is one of the most vital and expensive repairs that a car might need, so it’s no surprise that it often tops the lists of most-frequently salvaged car parts. And while undamaged engines aren’t always a guarantee from crash damaged cars, here at RAW2K we stock a number of other types of cars - such as seized vehicles, or those that might have been passed on to us from insurance companies, which have their engines perfectly intact, fit and ready to be re-housed in another vehicle.
2. Air filter
Your engine relies heavily on a good air filter to keep it free of dirt and dust, so even though it’s a relatively small part, it’s more important than many people think! A car’s air filter tends to need replacing once every 40,000 miles or so. This may be even sooner if the car is regularly being driven on dirty or gritty roads, where greater levels of dust and dirt can be kicked up. Not great news for rural drivers!
3. Brake components
This is another category of parts which is probably hardly going to be a surprise! After all, when was the last time you did a car journey without using the brakes? Because they’re in such constant use, all parts associated with the brake fluid system will be under pressure from constant corrosion. That means that for every 100,000 miles, you’ll need to replace the callipers, wheel cylinders and master cylinders. As for the brake pads themselves, these will need replacing every 60,000 miles on average. This time it’s city drivers who have to watch out - the constant accelerating and braking required in urban areas means that this lifespan can be significantly shortened.
4. Clutch
Similar to brake pads, the friction involved in changing gear every time will wear down your clutch over time, and it’ll need replacing every 100,000 miles. Again, this is a general estimation; there are a number of driving habits and behaviours that can put increased pressure on the clutch, drastically shortening its operational lifespan. People who drive aggressively or ‘ride’ the clutch, for example, will find that it rarely gets to this 100,000 mile benchmark.
5. Alternator
The alternator essentially works with the battery to generate power for all electrical elements of a car. This includes the windscreen wipers, the instrument panel, and the front and rear lights. Unfortunately, if it’s used to run too many high-power applications at once - more easily done in high end models such as BMWs or Audis - it can subject it to undue stress, which makes it a common candidate for replacement. However, it’s worth noting that most mechanics will check the wiring and connections before replacing the alternator entirely - just to be on the safe side!
6. Oil, oil filter and fuel pump
Easily overlooked, but never unimportant, changing and replacing the oil is essential once every 4000 miles, to ensure the continued smooth running of the vehicle. Alongside this, the fuel pump is yet another part of the car which is under the most regular pressure from wear and tear, so it needs replacing once every five years. While oil itself isn’t commonly salvaged from auction cars (which often have their fluids drained entirely), the filter and fuel pump are both frequent candidates for salvage.
7. Tyres
The bane of any car owner’s existence, many first-time drivers often end up discovering that tyres can be surprisingly expensive. The constant pressure against the road surface means that they only tend to last about 70,000 miles before they all need replacing. Obviously this number can vary depending on the quality of the tyres themselves. Better-quality tyres will naturally last longer, though they can (for the same reasons) be more expensive. It’s often far more cost-effective, therefore, to salvage them from repossessed cars or crash-damaged vehicles. And there’s no better place to get them than right here at RAW2K. We’ve got a huge range of auction cars from leading manufacturers, including Renault and Volkswagen. All you have to do is search, sign up and then start bidding, allowing you to save up to hundreds of pounds on salvaged cars and car parts.
