A scrap catalytic converter is priced individually, not by weight: its value comes from the platinum, palladium and rhodium inside, which varies by make, model and serial number. Original factory converters usually beat aftermarket ones. Ring 08 7225 9998 with the serial for a current figure, then bring it to 12 Belfree Dr, Green Fields, with photo ID.
Read our guide: how to protect your car from catalytic converter theft
The steel shell is worth very little. Inside it sits a ceramic honeycomb coated with tiny amounts of platinum-group metals (PGMs): platinum, palladium and rhodium. Those three metals are what refiners recover, and the loading changes from one vehicle model to the next.
That is why two converters of the same size can be worth very different amounts, and why a per-kilo rate would short-change you on a good unit. We identify each converter and price it on its own, against the precious metal markets on the day.
Platinum, palladium and rhodium prices can move several percent in a week, so any figure you are given is a same-day figure. Our guide to what a catalytic converter is worth as scrap goes deeper into the metals.
These are the checks we make before giving you a figure, from the biggest effect on value to the smallest.
| Factor | Why it matters | Effect on the price |
|---|---|---|
| Source vehicle | Each make and model was built with its own precious metal loading | Largest single factor |
| Serial or part number | Identifies the exact unit and its loading | Needed for an accurate figure |
| OEM or aftermarket | Factory converters usually carry far more PGM than replacements | OEM is normally higher |
| Ceramic condition | The honeycomb holds the metal; loose or missing ceramic means missing value | Emptied shells are worth little |
| Metal markets | Platinum, palladium and rhodium move independently and often | Moves the whole figure |
Look on the flat face of the steel shell, not the pipe. Most factory converters have a code stamped or engraved into the metal, often a short run of letters and numbers, sometimes alongside the vehicle maker’s logo or part number.
Wipe the shell with a rag and a little degreaser if it is covered in road grime. A torch held at a low angle makes faint stampings easier to read. Take a clear photo of the code, then call 08 7225 9998 and read it to us for a figure before you drive in.
Aftermarket converters often have no useful code, or a brand label instead. They are still bought; we assess them on type and size when you arrive.
Catalytic converters are a common theft target, so we are careful about who we buy from. That protects legitimate sellers and keeps stolen converters out of the system.
A driver licence or other photo ID is recorded with every converter sale, as South Australian rules for scrap metal dealers require. No ID, no sale.
Be ready to tell us the vehicle the converter came off, or the workshop job it was removed during. Workshop paperwork or an invoice speeds things up.
Exhaust shops, mechanics and fleets bringing a batch should ring ahead with the number of units, so they can be identified quickly at the counter.
Converters are bought at our fixed yard: SA Copper Scraps, 12 Belfree Dr, Green Fields SA 5107, next to Parafield Gardens and Mawson Lakes. Opening hours are 7:30am to 5:00pm on weekdays and 7:30am to 2:00pm on Saturdays.
Read us the code and tell us the vehicle, and we give you a same-day figure.
Pipe trimmed, ceramic intact, serial readable. No booking needed for a few units.
We check the serial and condition in front of you and confirm the figure before anything is paid.
Photo ID and origin details are recorded, then we pay before you leave.
Google reviews from people who sell converters, batteries and metal to our yard.
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It depends on the converter. Value comes from the platinum, palladium and rhodium inside, which varies by make, model and serial number, so there is no single price. Original factory converters are usually worth more than aftermarket ones. Call us with the serial for a same-day figure.
We price each converter individually against the precious metal markets on the day, so a published flat rate would be misleading. Read us the serial number on 08 7225 9998 and tell us the vehicle, and we will give you a current figure before you bring it to Green Fields.
The code stamped on the shell identifies the exact converter and therefore how much precious metal it was built with. Without it we can only assess on type and size, which is less precise. Keep it clean and readable, and don’t grind it off.
Yes, but usually less than factory units, because replacement converters are made with lighter precious metal loadings. We still buy them and assess them on type and size when you arrive.
Current photo ID such as a driver licence, recorded with every sale. Be ready to explain where the converter came from, for example the vehicle or the workshop job. We won’t buy a converter whose origin can’t be explained.
No. The value is in the coated ceramic honeycomb, so a cut or emptied converter loses most of its worth, and the dust is harmful to breathe. Trim the exhaust pipe off the ends and bring the converter whole.
In Adelaide, bring it to our yard at 12 Belfree Dr, Green Fields, six days a week with no booking. We are a short drive from Salisbury, Mawson Lakes and Pooraka, and pay the same visit once the converter is identified.
An exhaust or service job usually leaves more than a converter. Check the scrap battery prices for old car batteries, radiator scrap prices for copper and aluminium radiators, and the alloy wheel scrap price for rims.
Call with the serial number for today’s value, then bring the converter to 12 Belfree Dr, Green Fields SA 5107. Identified in front of you and paid the same visit.
SA Copper Scraps is a scrap metal buyer and recycler at Green Fields in Adelaide’s north. Bring copper, brass, aluminium, cable, batteries and more to our yard. Every grade is weighed in front of you and paid the same visit.
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