Got a Wrecked or Dead Car? Lou Appel's Auto Spares Buys It

Spring cleaning season often turns up an awkward problem in South African driveways: a car that no longer does its job. Some were written off in a collision, some were caught in floodwater, and others simply refused to start one day and have been sitting idle ever since. This October, Lou Appel's Auto Spares in Selby, Johannesburg wants owners of these vehicles to know they still have something worth selling, and it has published a clear outline of how its vehicle purchasing works.

Trading under the Lou Appel name for over 90 years, the second hand car parts specialist has an ongoing need for accident damaged and non-running vehicles. Each car it buys is stripped on site, and the parts that are still usable are returned to the market for motorists, mechanics and workshops.

Vehicles Lou Appel's will buy

The yard accepts cars in a broad range of conditions, from engine damage and water damage to mechanical faults and electrical problems. According to the business, it will put forward a fair deal regardless of the state a vehicle is in, so owners do not have to keep carrying the burden of a damaged car.

Selling can make more sense than funding repairs that exceed the car's value, or watching the vehicle slowly deteriorate on the property. Even when a repair is not economical, plenty of components inside the car are often still in good working order. Professional stripping allows those parts to be reused.

How the buying process works in six steps

To keep selling quick and transparent, Lou Appel's follows a six step process.

Step 1: Get in touch. Sellers can phone 011 493 8260, send an email or complete the online form. A consultant will reply within 24 hours, ask some basic questions about the car and request photographs.

Step 2: Photos and details assessed. The team works through the photographs and vehicle information to build a picture of the car's condition before presenting a preliminary offer, which the business describes as fair and transparent.

Step 3: Accept and book an inspection. Sellers who are satisfied with the preliminary offer can book an in-person inspection. This usually takes place the day after the photos and details have all been received, at a time convenient for the seller.

Step 4: Final offer confirmed. An assessor examines the car and confirms the offer. Lou Appel's says there are no hidden fees and no extra charges.

Step 5: Documents handled on site. After the inspection, the team takes care of the paperwork on the spot. Sellers can help speed this up by having the following ready: proof that the vehicle licence is current, the original vehicle registration document, a certified copy of the owner's or title holder's ID, proof of residence dated within the last three months, and banking details.

Step 6: Paid and collected. Payment happens instantly, after which Lou Appel's collects the vehicle from the seller's property. Recognising that parting with a car can be hard, the business aims to keep this last stage quick and respectful.

Where the vehicle goes after the sale

All purchased vehicles supply the stripping operation on Booysens Road in Selby. As one of Johannesburg's most established used parts yards, Lou Appel's runs a Scrap Yard stocked with many different makes and models, each stripped carefully so that every usable component can be resold. Where possible, parts are inspected and tested, and with new vehicles coming in regularly the stock of engines, gearboxes, body panels, electrical parts and more is constantly changing.

Engines make up a significant share of what the yard offers. A dedicated engine room holds local and imported second hand petrol and diesel engines alongside gearboxes, and the website lists brands including Audi, BMW, Ford, Toyota, Volkswagen, Nissan, Opel, KIA and many more. Anyone searching for Engines for sale can browse online by brand or phone the team for advice on compatibility, specifications and installation requirements before buying.

Buying damaged cars and selling parts are two halves of the same operation. Take a car that has been in a front end collision: its engine, gearbox or rear body panels may be perfectly sound. By buying, stripping and testing that car, the yard gives another Johannesburg motorist the chance to fix their own vehicle with a quality part rather than paying dealership prices for a new one.

Parts for drivers, mechanics and fleet operators

Private car owners, mechanics, workshops and fleet operators all buy from the yard. used Engines are in strong demand, both from motorists hoping to keep an otherwise healthy vehicle running after an engine failure and from workshops that need a dependable replacement unit for a client. The business says each engine is inspected so buyers receive a reliable product.

Customers looking for other parts can use the request a part service. They submit their vehicle's make, model and year along with the part they need, via the website form or WhatsApp, and the team responds with availability and pricing.

A family business across three generations

The story begins with Max Appel, a blacksmith who purchased the land the yard still occupies. His son Lou Appel set up a second hand parts business on the site, which is believed to have first operated as Lou Appel's Motor Graveyard. Following Lou Appel's death in February 1982, his son Raymond established Lou Appel's Auto Spares TVL (Pty) Ltd in January 1983 to carry the business forward. Raymond then sold a major portion of the company to his son in 2014, taking it into a third generation.

This heritage helps explain why the business calls itself the home of a million spares, and why it has the infrastructure in place to buy, strip and resell vehicles at scale.

Opening hours

The yard is open from 08:00 to 17:00 Monday to Thursday, 08:00 to 16:30 on Fridays and 08:30 to 12:30 on Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays, and customers should phone ahead on public holidays. To sell a damaged or non-running car, request a part or look through the engine listings, visit https://louappels.co.za/.

About Lou Appel's Auto Spares

Based on Booysens Road in Selby, Johannesburg, Lou Appel's Auto Spares is a used auto spares business supplying second hand car parts, engines, gearboxes and body parts for most makes and models. It strips vehicles at its own yard and buys accident damaged and non-running cars. Having traded under the Lou Appel name for more than 90 years, the business is now run by the third generation of the family.