Large GM Catalytic Converter Scrap Price From Different Buyers

And that's exactly what we are going to offer you in our today's article. We'll be speaking about large General Motors cat converters that were usually used in trucks, SUVs, large sedans with big-displacement engines, and also in vans, MPVs, and other bigger types of transport. These converters may cost over $200, on average.

Here's what we are going to talk about today:

1. What are large GM catalytic converters and where are they placed?
2. Situations when you can't sell your cat converter at a good price.
3. Who will buy your old catalytic converter?
4. What exactly do recycling companies do with old cats?

Let's get started!

What do large GM converters look like?

Actually, large converters look just like the small ones, but they are... you've guessed... large. These cats may come in different shapes, the main idea is that they are bigger in size than an average converter. They are also heavy which is quite important to check. We'll tell you later why.

These converters are not hard to locate in your vehicle:

• the usual place for a converter is the exhaust pipe that comes from the exhaust manifold in the engine;
• in most cases, the cat is located under your vehicle, but sometimes it can be placed in the engine compartment;
• you will also find it before the muffler - it can actually look a lot like a muffler;
• one important thing - the cat converter has a sensor (oxygen sensor) with some wiring coming out of it;
• the converter has a serial number and a Chevy or GMC logo on it, so you can distinguish the part by them.

It's not hard to locate the part. But usually, it's an integral part of the exhaust system and you can't just take it off when you want. You will need to cut it out and then weld the new converter in its place. This is how you can say if a converter was already replaced in your vehicle before. But let's continue with the discussion of how to sell it.

How much will they give for your GM converter?

It's hard to say for sure how much money you can get for the catalytic converter. In some cases, the final price may be around $300, but this is possible for the largest cats with a lot of potential metals that a company may get out of it. In most cases, you will get around $200 or $220 for the converter. But sometimes prices for precious metals drop and the average price goes down to $170 or even less.

Also, we should say that the final price of the converter depends much on who you sell this part to. Some companies will try and offer a fair price for you while some other companies will only offer $20 or $40 for the large GM cat.

Here's what can reduce the price for your scrap converter:

• a lot of rust - sometimes, rust destroys the serial numbers and some other important parts, so a recycling company will not be able to specify the model of the cat;
• internal damage - if your cat converter is rattling or if it is empty inside, the price will be close to $0 because it doesn't make sense to buy this part anymore;
• if this is an aftermarket converter, not an original one, the price will probably be around $10 because the converter doesn't contain any precious metals;
• if the honeycomb inside the converter is melted or damaged any other way, the company will sharply reduce the price offer for you;
• if the pictures of the converter are too general and couldn't show the actual condition of the car, all companies will offer worse prices.

As you see, a lot of factors depend on the condition of the converter. If your large GM converter is OK, you will be able to sell it at a good price. When saying OK, we don't mean that it should be ideal. It can have quite a lot of rust, but it shouldn't be destroyed, rattling, empty, light, with holes in the body, etc.

And there is one important factor that depends on you. If you have taken good pictures of the cat, the recycling companies will be ready to offer better prices because they will be sure that the cat is full and it can be recycled with some revenue.

Who and why will buy your old GM converter?

Let's start with a "'why". All OEM converters contain platinum and palladium. Also, some of them contain up to 1 or 2 grams of rhodium. These are precious metals, the price for them can be between $35 and $650 per one gram. Most companies hunt for platinum and palladium because they are cheaper and easier to get and then sell. But rhodium is also important.

Now, let's turn to "who". Nearly all converters eventually get to recycling companies. These companies specialize in converters and get precious metals out of them. They make their revenues by buying converters cheaper and then by selling the precious metals to industrial companies. But you may sell your cat converter to different people and companies.

Let's talk about them!

Car shops and repair stations

You may try your luck here. For example, your mechanic can offer you some money for the cat converter. Usually, they will offer up to $50, and if you don't have much time and wish to sell your old cat, then why not? But we recommend you follow our instructions that are given further in the article and get more money for the old GM cat you have.

Scrapyards

These companies are all over the US and they buy metal parts or even cars you don't need anymore. Unfortunately, they will not offer you the best price because usually, they don't even know how to distinguish between a valuable and worthless converter. We know about cases when scrapyards offered $10 for a large GM cat in a good condition saying that this was an aftermarket converter. Obviously, they just wanted to make more money.

Private sales on eBay

When searching around eBay, you may have seen ads of people who sell their old converters. This is not a bad chance of selling the cat converter even more expensive than a recycling company will buy it. But you will have to wait. Trying your luck will not be bad at all.

Middlemen

These people are also everywhere and they try to buy the OEM converters at lower prices to then resell them to recycling companies and earn money. We don't see any reason why you should lose your money, but if you have no time and want to sell your old GM converter right now, you may get in touch with one of these people. You can find them in forums and on social media.

Recycling companies

The last option is actually the best one. You will get a certain price offer, you will cooperate with a company that recycles these converters and is actually the last institution in all these chains of cat converter business.

Here's what you should do to sell your cat converter to such a company:

1. Take pictures of your cat as we've described before.
2. Find at least 4 or 5 companies online that buy converters.
3. Send them the pictures with basic information about your vehicle.
4. They will probably ask for some documents like your driving license or whatever.
5. Wait for the price offers and compare them.
6. Choose the best offer and sell your converter.

Pay attention to the conditions of your cooperation with these companies. Some of them will offer free shipping and some other perks. Count everything carefully and then decide which recycling company gives you the best offer. Usually, a large GM cat will be sold for $200 or even more.

Please check as many companies as you can check. This way, you will get more money for your old scrap cat!

Final words

Well, you shouldn't sell your cat converter to the first person who agrees to buy it. Chances are this person offers you a bad price. You should spend some time investigating some other chances and then you should choose the most lucrative option for you. Of course, this will take some time, but the difference between a bad and a good price offer can be around $150 or even bigger.

Large GM cat converters are always in demand. Before you agree to sell your old cat, please check whether the company you are dealing with has a good reputation. If not, you can find some other company.