Many South African households have a vehicle that has stopped being useful. It may have been written off after an accident, damaged in a flood, or simply stopped running and been left in the driveway while the owner decides what to do with it. As spring clean-ups get under way this October, Lou Appel’s Auto Spares in Selby, Johannesburg is reminding motorists that a damaged or non-running car can still be sold, and is setting out exactly how its vehicle buying process works.
The business, which has been trading in second hand car parts under the Lou Appel name for more than 90 years, is always looking for accident damaged and non-running vehicles. Those vehicles are stripped on site and their usable parts go back into circulation for other drivers, mechanics and workshops.
Which vehicles the yard will consider
Lou Appel’s caters for a wide range of vehicle conditions. That includes cars with engine damage, water damage, mechanical faults and electrical problems. The business says that whatever the condition, it is prepared to offer a fair deal, and that a damaged vehicle does not need to remain a burden to its owner.
For many owners this is a practical alternative to paying for repairs that cost more than the car is worth, or leaving a vehicle to deteriorate on the property. A car that is not economical to fix still contains many components that are in good working order, and a yard that strips vehicles professionally can give those parts a second life.
The six step buying process
Lou Appel’s has broken its buying process into six steps, designed to keep things quick and transparent for the seller.
Step 1: First contact. The seller contacts the team by phone on 011 493 8260, by email, or by filling in the online form, and a consultant responds within 24 hours. The consultant asks a few basic questions about the vehicle and requests photographs.
Step 2: Review of photos and details. The team carefully reviews the photographs and vehicle details to understand the car’s condition, and then makes a preliminary offer. Lou Appel’s describes these offers as fair and transparent.
Step 3: Acceptance and inspection. If the seller is happy with the preliminary offer, an appointment is set up for an in-person inspection. This is typically arranged for the day after all photos and details have been received, at a time that suits the seller.
Step 4: Offer confirmation. An assessor inspects the vehicle and confirms the offer. Lou Appel’s states that there are no hidden fees or additional charges.
Step 5: Paperwork. Once the inspection is complete, the team handles the paperwork on site. To speed things up, sellers are asked to have proof that the vehicle licence is up to date, the original vehicle registration document, a certified ID copy of the owner or title holder, proof of residence from the last three months and their banking details ready.
Step 6: Payment and removal. Payment is made instantly, and Lou Appel’s then removes the vehicle from the seller’s property. The business acknowledges that saying goodbye to a vehicle can be difficult and aims to make the final step quick and respectful.
What happens to the car next
Every vehicle the business buys feeds its stripping operation in Booysens Road, Selby. Lou Appel’s is one of the most established used parts yards in Johannesburg, and its Scrap Yard holds a wide variety of makes and models, stripped with care so that every usable component is ready for resale. Parts are inspected and tested where possible, and the stock changes often as new vehicles arrive, covering engines, gearboxes, body panels, electrical parts and more.
Engines are a large part of that stock. The business keeps a dedicated engine room with local and imported second hand petrol and diesel engines and gearboxes, and the listings on its website cover brands from Audi, BMW, Ford and Toyota to Volkswagen, Nissan, Opel, KIA and many others. Buyers looking for Engines for sale can browse by brand online or call the team, who can advise on compatibility, specifications and installation requirements before a purchase.
This is where buying damaged cars and selling parts connect. A vehicle that has been in a front end collision, for example, may still have a sound engine, gearbox or rear body panels. Taking that vehicle in, stripping it and testing its components means a motorist elsewhere in Johannesburg can repair their own car with a quality part instead of paying dealership prices for new.
Second hand parts for motorists, mechanics and fleets
The yard’s customers include private car owners, mechanics, workshops and fleet operators. Demand for used Engines is strong among motorists who want to keep an otherwise sound vehicle on the road after an engine failure, and among workshops that need a reliable replacement unit for a customer. Lou Appel’s says every engine is inspected to make sure the buyer gets a dependable product.
For any other part, the business runs a request a part service. Customers send in their vehicle make, model and year and the part they need, either through the website form or by WhatsApp, and the team comes back to them with availability and pricing.
Three generations in Selby
The business traces its roots back to Max Appel, a blacksmith who bought the land where the yard still stands. His son Lou Appel started a second hand parts business there, originally believed to have been called Lou Appel’s Motor Graveyard. After Lou Appel passed away in February 1982, his son Raymond formed Lou Appel’s Auto Spares TVL (Pty) Ltd in January 1983 and continued the business. In 2014 Raymond sold a major portion of the business to his son, ensuring that it continued into its third generation.
That long history is one reason the business describes itself as the home of a million spares, and why it has the infrastructure to buy, strip and resell vehicles at scale.
Trading hours
Lou Appel’s trades Monday to Thursday from 08:00 to 17:00, Friday from 08:00 to 16:30 and Saturday from 08:30 to 12:30. The yard is closed on Sundays, and customers are asked to call ahead on public holidays. Motorists who want to sell a damaged or non-running vehicle, request a part or browse the engine listings can find everything they need at https://louappels.co.za/.
About Lou Appel’s Auto Spares
Lou Appel’s Auto Spares is a used auto spares business on Booysens Road in Selby, Johannesburg. It supplies second hand car parts, engines, gearboxes and body parts for most vehicle makes and models, strips vehicles at its own yard, and buys accident damaged and non-running cars. The business has traded under the Lou Appel name for more than 90 years and is now in its third generation of family ownership.
Media Contact
Lou Appel’s Auto Spares
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +27 11 493 8260
Website: https://louappels.co.za/
