Do Aftermarket Parts Help Resale Value?

The Short Answer

Perhaps, but not much. Most aftermarket parts won’t hurt resale value; so that’s the good news. But aftermarket parts aren’t likely to do much in terms of increasing market value.

If you totally restore a classic car, provided you do the best possible job, the worth of that vehicle will max out around $15k at a dealership—such an outcome will require aftermarket components, and true skill in terms of mechanical acumen. If the car isn’t classic, even a good mechanic may spend more in parts than the end result is ultimately worth in the market.

The Reality

How do after market parts impact resale value, and what are they? Well, simply put, aftermarket parts are components of a vehicle which don’t necessarily come from the manufacturer, and as such aren’t generally covered under associated insurance.

Even if an aftermarket part is made precisely the same in terms of materials and design as those components produced by the manufacturer, since they’re not from the same place where the vehicle was made, they’re going to be referred to by the aftermarket term; accordingly, vehicular value isn’t as great as the cost of the parts put in.

Now that we know the “what” behind the term, we can determine how such parts end up impacting vehicle resale. Essentially, as you own a vehicle, you’re going to have to “part it out” over time. Especially with older vehicles, there aren’t always “original” parts available.

For example, if you were driving about in a car from the late nineties, it’s just possible that many of the components in the engine are no longer manufactured. So if you were going to get original parts from the factory only, when something went wrong with the vehicle, repair may become impossible. Unless you were to use salvage parts, aftermarket options may be your only choice.

There Is A Reason To Use Aftermarket Parts

Unless you totally restore the vehicle, all aftermarket parts are going to do is make it so your vehicle can be driven, and can be resold. Even if you put $10k in parts into a car, it’s not going to be worth that sum of money. It’s a sad state of affairs, but as the old saying goes, “Them’s the breaks”.

So should you restore a vehicle using aftermarket components? It depends on what you’re using the vehicle for, and what your objectives are. If it still has some level of resale value, unless you plan on using it for an extended period of time, it may be best for you to flog it off as is. If you’re going to keep using it, effecting repairs with aftermarket parts makes sense.

Make Informed Decisions Around Your Budget

For Best Results With vehicles, the way value works isn’t always direct. Sometimes components will add value, often they don’t. Unless you’ve got the wherewithal and capital to invest in a cost-effective rebuild, in all likelihood, aftermarket components won’t make your used vehicle more valuable. So only put them in if you plan to use it, or if otherwise the car wouldn’t even run.

To learn more about aftermarket components and their place within your vehicle, as well as other key automotive tips and tricks, be sure to explore and subscribe to our blog at Anybody’s Autos.