U98 Catalytic Converter Scrap Price – Can You Earn Some Money?

Toyota catalytic converters have always been welcomed by recycling companies because they usually contain some precious metals. Especially valuable are the cats from the late 80s and early 90s. This was the time when rhodium cost a little and platinum or palladium weren't so valued. That's why manufacturers used to include a lot of them in their cat converters without thinking of the economy like today.

Today, we'll be talking about the catalytic converter in your Toyota (U98 cat) and the way to sell it. Want to know the scrap price for the U98 cat? Just keep reading the article. We'll find out if you need to find any better option than just selling your old catalytic converter to a scrapyard in your area.

Here are some important things we'll be talking about:

1. U98 cat converter application and features.
2. Scrap price of the U98 catalytic converter.
3. What are the ways to sell your converter?
4. What should you install instead of the U98 cat?

Let's get started!

Where was the U98 cat converter used?

The U98 catalytic converter is an original Toyota cat that was mainly used in a Camry from 1988 and during the 1990s. Also, these converters can be found in many other models of Toyota cars in Japan (JDM vehicles). In the US, you will mainly find them in a Camry and also in some other popular Toyota vehicles.

The cat is quite big, it has one single ceramic honeycomb inside. It weighs a lot. The converter is protected from rust and many other damaging factors, so it still can be in a normal condition, even after dozens of years in action.

Here are some facts about the U98 converter:

• this is an old cat and it's not going to be in a perfect condition which may change its value;
• not all Toyota cars from the 1990s used this type of converter, though many of them did;
• the cat is still well protected from rust, but finding the number and the Toyota logo can be difficult;
• the converter is very simple, it's one of the first mass-produced converters Toyota installed in passenger cars;
• it's not that hard to recycle these cats, so they may cost a little more expensive than other cats of that epoch;
• these cats are not hard to replace with an aftermarket catalytic converter thanks to their simple construction.

So, if you need to replace the converter, you will have to buy something else instead of the original Toyota cat because these ones are not produced and sold now. Also, these catalytic converters are old enough to be broken at any moment, so they keep failing. Fewer converters of this type are left each day on the roads.

These cats are still not rare. And probably the worst thing you can do when your old Toyota is no more drivable is to sell it to a scrapyard without taking off the converter. They are likely to pay you about $300 for the car and they will not care if it has a converter or not. But you can sell it separately and get more money!

How much is the scrap catalytic converter (U98 Toyota)?

The scrap price of the catalytic converter is not specified and you can't say for sure that the cat should cost some money. Because everyday things keep changing. In a month after this article is online, rhodium may fall in price and the price of catalytic converters will also go down. But we can talk about historical average prices.

And here we can see that the scrap price of the U98 Toyota catalytic converters should be around $140. This is an average price, one person may be lucky enough to sell the converter for $200, while some other will only get $25. Why is the difference so big?

Here's what can change the price of the converter:

• very bad appearance - if the cat is in bad condition, no one will give a lot of money for it because it can be just empty;
• low market prices for platinum, palladium, and rhodium - let's say, platinum and palladium will influence the price of the U98 cat;
• any new inventions or laws in the sphere of recycling - this will reduce or on the contrary raise the expenses of recycling companies;
• the ability to see the serial number and the Toyota logo on the body of your catalytic converter;
• the place or the person who pays money for the old cat - this is also one of the most important factors.

So, basically, you cannot control any of these factors but the last one. You can choose a person or the company who you want to sell your catalytic converter to. It can be a big company or a private buyer, but the most important thing is that they should offer the best price for you. But how will you know you are getting the best price?

First of all, now you know that the average price of the U98 Toyota catalytic converter is $140 at the time when this article is written and published. Everything higher than this price is going to be a good deal. Everything lower is going to be a bad deal. Let's now see who you can sell the converter to.

Some ways to sell your U98 catalytic converter

Scrapyards. Better forget about them. They tend to offer very low prices and they are still the most popular companies among people who want to sell their old and malfunctioning catalytic converters.

eBay. This is not a bad option for those who have a lot of time and patience. You can try to advertise the catalytic converter from your Toyota on eBay or any other website or forum. The prices should be better but the waiting time is insane.

Private buyers. Middlemen are guys who want to buy your catalytic converters a little cheaper than they really should cost and then sell them at an actual price. These resellers are easily found on social media.

Recycling companies. You can sell the catalytic converters to recycling companies. It means you can get more money and sell your cat officially. These companies are usually the final destination of all old cat converters.

Selling a catalytic converter from Toyota to a recycling company

So, we would recommend this option because it allows you to sell the cat converter at a much better price than you may think. Usually, the prices are above average. Getting a good price offer is not hard - you can quote online and get full information on your cat and its possible prices.

Well, the process of quoting is easy and straightforward for those who have already done this at least once. If you haven't, you should know some rules.

Here are the steps to sell your old U98 cat to a recycling company:

• start the process by taking pictures of your converter - take some pics to show all sides of the cat;
• then, just find some recycling companies that buy old converters - they should have websites with the opportunity to quote;
• send the pictures you've taken before and describe the condition of the cat in your quote, ask them to tell you the price;
• in a day or two, all companies will have sent their price offers to you and you will have the chance to compare them;
• compare the offers and just ship your converter as the instruction says on the website of the chosen company.

Recycling companies are competing for the chance to get catalytic converters from people. And they will offer you better prices than any scrapyards or private buyers. You should know that any other people and companies are just resellers because only licensed companies can recycle catalytic converters in the US.

Can you buy a new cat converter for your old Toyota?

You cannot buy a new OEM U98 converter because they are out of production now. They are pretty outdated and not efficient anymore, so, you can't replace the old U98 cat with the new one. But you can buy an aftermarket catalytic converter.

If you still want your old Toyota to be on the road legally and pass all the fog tests, you can try aftermarket cats. But be careful - the cheapest option is going to be of very bad quality. The optimal price for the new cat that will satisfy your Toyota is about $500 currently.

Final words

We know that many Toyota owners sell their original U98 catalytic converters at a very low price just by dropping them in the nearest scrapyard. You shouldn't lose the money. You can get much more just by searching for some ways to sell your catalytic converter to a recycling company. We've described how exactly you can do that and what steps you should take.

Unfortunately, a lot of U98 Toyota catalytic converters will not be in very good condition because they are pretty old and shabby. You need to bear it in mind when trying to sell the old cat.