It’s a moment every car owner eventually faces. The day you say goodbye. Maybe it’s your trusty first car that saw you through your university years, or the family wagon that holds memories of holidays and school runs. Perhaps it’s a hardworking ute that’s finally succumbed to years of tough jobs. Whether its journey ends due to an accident, mechanical failure, or simply old age, handing over the keys to a wrecker can feel like the final, definitive end.But what if it wasn’t?
Here at WA Auto Parts, we know that this moment is not an end, but a transition. For over 15 years, we have been Perth’s leading auto wrecker, and we’ve seen thousands of vehicles roll into our yard. To the outside world, it might look like a place where cars come to rest. But we invite you to see it through our eyes: as a place where a car’s legacy is honoured, its hazards are neutralized, and its value is reborn.
You’ve trusted your car for years on the road; now you can trust us to handle its final chapter with professionalism, care, and an unwavering commitment to the environment. So, let’s pull back the curtain and take you on the step-by-step journey that every car takes when it enters the care of WA Auto Parts.
Step 1: Intake and Initial Assessment
The journey begins the moment your vehicle arrives at our facility in Perth, Western Australia. Whether it’s towed in or driven one last time, our first priority is you, the owner. We understand that this can be a difficult process, which is why our friendly team greets you ready to make the process as simple and transparent as possible.
We start by handling the necessary paperwork. This is a crucial step to ensure everything is done by the book. We’ll help you with the legal transfer and vehicle deregistration, giving you the peace of mind that ownership has been officially and responsibly passed on. No loose ends, no future worries.
With the formalities complete, our expert assessors get to work. This is where our team’s deep, hands-on knowledge, built over 15 years in the industry, truly comes into play. They don’t just see a single car; they see a complex puzzle of potential. They can expertly evaluate any vehicle, which is why we specialize in such a broad range: Japanese, European, Australian, Korean, and American cars, trucks, SUVs, 4WDs, vans, wagons & dual cabs.
Our assessor walks around the vehicle, their trained eyes scanning for opportunities. Is the engine from that Toyota Hilux still solid despite the frontal damage? Are the doors and leather seats on that Holden Commodore in great condition? Could the transmission from that Hyundai i30 give another car thousands more kilometres on the road? This initial assessment is a critical triage that determines how we can unlock the maximum value from your vehicle—value we pass back to you in a fair price and back to the community through affordable parts.
Step 2: The Depollution Stage – “Making it Safe”
Before a single bolt is turned or a part is removed, every car, without exception, is moved to our dedicated depollution bay. This is the most critical stage for environmental safety and our single greatest responsibility as a professional wrecker. Your car is a marvel of engineering, but it’s also a vessel for a number of fluids and materials that can be harmful if they escape into our Western Australian environment.
Our technicians, equipped with specialized tools and containment systems, treat this process with the utmost care. It’s a clean, methodical, and essential procedure where we safely drain and capture:
- Fuel, Oil, and Coolant: Every drop of petrol, diesel, engine oil, and antifreeze is siphoned into sealed, designated drums.
- Other Fluids: We also drain transmission fluid, brake fluid, and windscreen washer fluid.
- The Battery: Car batteries contain lead and corrosive acid. We carefully remove them and send them to accredited recycling facilities where their components can be safely reclaimed.
- Ozone-Depleting Gases: The refrigerant from the air conditioning system is professionally captured by certified technicians to prevent these gases from escaping into the atmosphere.
- Other Hazards: We also locate and remove potentially hazardous materials like mercury switches (found in older cars) and ensure any undeployed airbags are handled safely.
This meticulous process ensures that when the car moves to the next stage, it is no longer a risk to our land or water. It’s a clean shell, ready to give back its resources without taking a toll on the planet.
Step 3: The Dismantling & Harvesting Stage – “The Careful Harvest”
With the car rendered safe, the exciting part begins. This is where our yard transforms into Perth’s premier one-stop used auto parts shop. Our dismantling station is where the true art of wrecking takes place, and our skilled technicians are the artists. They don’t just tear cars apart; they carefully and strategically harvest the components that can live on.
Armed with an encyclopedic knowledge of makes and models from around the world, they move with purpose. They know the exact location of the alternator on a Ford Falcon, the specific bolts holding the headlight assembly of a Mazda 3, and the best way to remove the side mirrors from a Mitsubishi Triton without causing damage.
This “careful harvest” is a systematic process:
- The Powertrain: We start with the heart of the vehicle—the engine and transmission. These are often the most valuable components and can be the life-saving transplant another car needs.
- Major Mechanical Parts: Next come the supporting actors: the starter motor, alternator, radiator, steering rack, suspension components, and brake assemblies.
- Body Panels & Lights: Doors, bonnets, boot lids, bumpers, and guards that are in good condition are carefully unbolted. Headlights and taillights, which are often expensive to replace new, are a high-priority item.
- Interior Components: Inside the car, we salvage everything from full sets of seats and dashboards to stereo systems, instrument clusters, and steering wheels.
Every single part that is harvested is subjected to a rigorous quality check. It is thoroughly inspected, cleaned, and tested by our team to ensure it meets our high standards. Only then is it cataloged with a unique part number and entered into our massive, computerised inventory system.
This meticulous work is what allows us to say with confidence that we offer an array of used car parts at the lowest prices available. When you call us at (08) 9358 1392, you’re tapping into this huge, ever-changing library of quality parts. Our system allows us to tell you instantly if we have what you need, saving you time, money, and the environmental cost of manufacturing a new part.
Step 4: The Final Processing Stage – “From Car to Commodity”
After the dismantling team has harvested every viable part, a hollowed-out metal shell is all that remains. But even now, its journey isn’t over. This hulk is pure potential, ready for its final transformation back into a raw commodity.
The shell is first stripped of any remaining large non-metal items, like dashboards or wiring looms that weren’t salvaged. Then, it’s moved to the most powerful equipment in the yard. A giant hydraulic crusher flattens the car into a compressed, manageable rectangle.
This flattened hulk is then fed into a massive industrial shredder. In a deafening display of power, rotating hammers shred the entire structure into small, fist-sized pieces in a matter of seconds. What emerges on the other side is a mixed stream of metal and other materials, which is where the real magic happens. This stream passes through a series of separators:
- Giant Magnets pull all the iron and steel (ferrous metals) out of the stream.
- Eddy Currents create a magnetic field that repels the non-ferrous metals, effectively kicking the lighter, valuable aluminum into a separate container.
- Air and Water Jets help to separate the remaining materials, like plastics and fabrics, from the metal stream.
At the end of this line, instead of a car, there are neat, clean piles of raw materials—primarily high-quality steel and aluminum—ready to be sold to foundries and mills.
Conclusion: A New Beginning for Your Car
So, what happened to your car? It was given a new purpose. Its heart might be beating in another vehicle on the roads of Perth. Its door might have fixed someone’s accident damage affordably. Its nuts and bolts might be holding another project together.
And the steel that made up its strong frame? It’s on its way to being melted down and reborn as a structural beam for a new building, a home appliance, or perhaps even part of a brand-new car, completing the circle.
At WA Auto Parts, this is the story we are proud to be a part of every single day. We are not the end of the road for your car; we are the start of its next, vital contribution. We are a cornerstone of the circular economy, dedicated to maximizing value, minimizing waste, and providing our community with an affordable, sustainable alternative.
When you choose WA Auto Parts, you’re choosing over 15 years of trusted, professional service. You’re choosing a team that respects your vehicle’s past and is dedicated to its future.
If you have an old vehicle to sell or are looking for a quality, tested part for your car, truck, van or 4WD, call us today. Contact the team at WA Auto Parts on (08) 9358 1392.