Is your old car a classic or just old? Check before you junk it
When is a car considered a classic?
There's no single age that makes a car a classic. Illinois law treats a car over 25 years old as an antique only if it's driven just to shows, servicing or demonstrations, and that's about plates, not value. Value comes from the model, originality and condition, so check a collector guide before junking it.
We'd rather you asked this question before calling Top Dollar Junk Cars than after. Our figure is for a junk car: its weight in metal and the parts that still sell. If a collector would pay for the car as a car, that's money our kind of quote doesn't count, and you should know before the truck comes.
What Illinois means by an antique
The word you'll find in the Illinois Vehicle Code's definitions is "antique vehicle." Section 1-102.1 defines it as a motor vehicle "more than 25 years of age or a bona fide replica thereof" that is driven on the highways only to and from an antique auto show or exhibition, or for servicing or demonstration (625 ILCS 5/1-102.1).
Section 3-804 lets the owner of such a car register it as an antique. The owner affirms that it will be driven only for those purposes, and that its mechanical condition, brakes, lights, glass and appearance are the same as, or as safe as, when it was built (625 ILCS 5/3-804).
So the law's interest is in how an old car is used on the road. A 27-year-old sedan you drive to work every day isn't an antique under that definition, and qualifying as one is a matter of registration, not price. Value is a separate question, and collectors answer it differently.
How collectors grade an old car
Hagerty, which publishes a collector car price guide, describes a 1 to 6 condition scale as the industry standard for classics, with lower numbers better (Hagerty's guide to condition ratings). It also notes that value goes beyond year, make and model: options, drivetrains and even colors count.
| Grade | Hagerty's description, in short |
|---|---|
| 1, Concours | Flawless, better than new, and almost never seen outside major judged shows |
| 2, Excellent | Like new inside and out, or close to it; most fully restored cars |
| 3, Good | Looks good from a short distance, with minor age and flaws up close; most collector cars sit here |
| 4, Fair | Visible wear anyone can spot, from faded paint to cracked dash; it runs, but not perfectly |
| 5, Project car | Salvageable, but can't be used until it gets serious, often professional, work |
| 6, Parts car | Missing major components and too far gone to save; its value is in hard-to-find parts |
Be honest about where your car sits. A price guide's figure for a grade 3 car tells you nothing about a grade 6 one, and Hagerty's own example of a grade 5 car is a family car that has sat outside for years.
Four checks before you scrap an old car
- Look up the exact model. Year, make and model aren't enough; trim, engine and factory options can separate a sought-after version from an ordinary one. A collector price guide is the place to start.
- Grade it against the scale. Use the table above, and grade it as it stands today, not as it was when it was parked.
- Note what's still factory. Hagerty lists options, drivetrain and even color among the things that move a collector value, so write down what the car still has from new.
- Look for scarce parts. Even a grade 6 car may have hard-to-find parts worth saving, Hagerty notes, especially ones the aftermarket doesn't make. Restorers of the same model may want them.
Who to ask when you're not sure
A price guide gives you a range; people who restore the model tell you whether anyone would actually buy yours. A club for the make, a dealer who sells classics, or an appraiser who values collector cars can each give a view while the car is still yours to sell.
If there is interest, the car is better sold as a car. Our comparison of selling privately or junking it covers the listing, the viewings and the Illinois title steps, and our rundown of how parts yards and private buyers set a price shows why a restorer may value it differently from a scrap yard.
When scrap is the right answer
An everyday model that's rusted through, missing its engine, or sitting at grade 6 with no rare parts is a junk car whatever its age. That's not a failure of the checks; it's what they're for. At that point the figure comes down to the things our guide to how value is worked out walks through: weight, the parts still worth pulling, and condition. The year matters mainly through which parts still fit cars on the road.
A car parked outside while you decide can also run into village rules on dead or unplated cars, so don't let the research drag on for a season.