Alternators & Starters
Dead units from daily shop work: copper windings in every alternator and starter.
ALTERNATORS • STARTERS • COPPER RADIATORS • NO MINIMUMS
WE BUYSCRAP ALTERNATORS & STARTERS
Every car alternator and starter motor is wound with copper, and auto shops pull them daily. Bins and drums of dead units are one of the steadiest copper streams in the automotive world. Copper-brass radiators ride the same program. If you work on cars, this copper is already in your shop.
AlternatorsStartersCopper RadiatorsNo Minimums
WHAT IT IS, PLAINLY SAID
Copper, wound into every unit.
An alternator is the car part that generates electricity while the engine runs: copper windings around a steel core, in every one. A starter motor is the powerful little motor that cranks the engine: copper windings again. Shops replace both constantly, and the dead units pile up in bins. Copper radiators are the older and heavy-duty style: copper-brass tanks with a copper core. Modern radiators are aluminum and plastic, which is a different stream: the copper-brass ones are the buy here.
Bins and Drums
The normal unit of this trade: a 55-gallon drum of units is serious copper weight.
Copper-Brass Radiators
Older and heavy-duty radiators with copper-brass tanks and copper cores.
WHO GENERATES THEM
The automotive world’s copper stream
- Auto repair shops: alternators and starters replaced daily
- Auto recyclers: every end-of-life vehicle carries both units plus the radiator
- Fleet maintenance shops: trucks and vans burn through starters on schedule
- Parts rebuilders: cores that do not make the cut go to scrap
- Radiator shops: copper-brass radiator replacements and recores
- Municipal fleets: police, utility, and public-works vehicle maintenance
NO MINIMUMSEvery bin counts
A bucket of units or drums of them: all welcome.
DAILYShop generation
Auto shops produce dead units every single day.
BIG LOTSFreight handled
On bigger lots, we handle the freight so you do not lift a finger.
WHAT TO SEND
What to send for an auto-copper quote
Auto-copper quotes are fast with a photo and a count.
- PHOTOS — The bins or drums, plus a look at radiators if included.
- COUNT — Unit counts or drum counts. Rough guesses are fine.
- MIX — Alternators, starters, radiators, or mixed: mixed lots are normal.
- LOCATION — Shop city and state, so bigger lots can be routed for freight.
Prefer email? [email protected]
FROM SHOP TO PAYMENT
How an auto-copper deal works.
Send Photos & Count
Photos of the bins, how many units you have, and your location. One bucket or drums: every lot starts the same way.
Get a Fast Quote
A real number based on copper content and current market levels. Compare it with confidence.
Ship or Schedule
Small lots ship with simple instructions. On bigger lots, we handle the freight so you do not lift a finger.
Weigh, Settle & Get Paid
Your units are weighed in the open and priced by type. Then quick payment by check, wire, or cash.
WHY IRONCREST
Why auto shops sell their copper to Ironcrest
- No minimums: a bucket of dead starters gets the same straight answer as drums of them
- We know this stream: alternators, starters, and copper radiators priced for their copper
- Fast quotes from photos: know what the bins are worth before the core truck comes
- Quick payment once your lot is weighed and settled: check, wire, or cash
- One direct contact: Sonny Johns at 312-880-8174, not a department
- Your material never leaves the United States
ONE DIRECT CONTACT
Talk to Sonny, not a department
Every quote and payment runs through one person who answers the phone: Sonny Johns at 312-880-8174. No portals, no ticket queues, no waiting on a committee.
- FAST QUOTES — Call or send photos for a fast quote on your material.
- QUICK PAYMENT — Quick payment once your lot is weighed and settled.
- NO MINIMUMS — One bucket or a truckload: every seller gets the same straight answer.
- US ONLY — Your material never leaves the United States.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Asked by people holding this material.
How do I tell a copper radiator from an aluminum one?
Weight and color tell the story. Copper-brass radiators are noticeably heavier, with copper-colored tanks and core: usually older cars and heavy-duty trucks. Modern aluminum-plastic radiators are light with black plastic tanks. When in doubt, send a photo.
Do cores with a core charge still make sense to scrap?
If the rebuilder will not take the core, or the core charge is less than the copper value, scrapping wins. Send a photo and the quote will tell you plainly which way the math goes.
I only have a few dead starters. Is it worth calling?
Yes. There are no minimums and every bin counts. A few units still get a fast quote.
Do you buy the copper radiators separately from the units?
They ride the same program. Radiators can go with your alternator and starter lot, or as their own lot: either way they are graded as copper radiators.
What about aluminum radiators?
Those are a different metal stream. This program buys the copper-brass ones: send a photo if you are unsure and you will get a straight identification.
We replace starters and alternators daily. Can this be recurring?
Yes. Shops with steady unit flow can set up a collection rhythm: fill the drum, call, and the units move on your schedule.
NO MINIMUMS
Those dead units are copper.
Send photos of the bins, a count, and your location. You will get a fast quote and a clear breakdown before you commit to anything.
Call 312-880-8174 or email [email protected].