Rockstar Games added Salvage Yard Heists to GTA Online via the Chop Shop DLC in December 2023. There are five in total, and three are made available each week for you to partake in. The aim is the same across all of them: work with Jamal Amir to steal a car and either scrap it for parts at the Salvage Yard or sell it off to his brother, Yusuf Amir, at the Terminal. While you may want to keep these vehicles for yourself, the option to do so has yet to be added.

Since Salvage Yard Heists are relatively new, many players may be unfamiliar with the potential income they can generate, along with how to start and get them done. Hence, let’s take a comprehensive look at each aspect involved.

How Much Can You Earn From a Salvage Yard Heist in GTA Online?

Salvage Yard Heist Planning Computer in GTA Online

Now, things may get repetitive since there are only five Salvage Yard Heists in GTA Online, but Rockstar Games has thought of a way to keep things fresh. Aside from the very first run of each type, the background story will keep changing.

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Further, the selection of cars to sell in GTA Online is believed to be large as well, ensuring you are engaged week after week. This naturally creates a variation in pay, and the amount you gain at the end of each heist can range from $300,000-$500,000.

Before starting each heist, you need to pay a small sum of $20,000 towards prep costs. But considering that you can get done with all the missions in around two hours or less, Salvage Yard Heists in GTA Online are a pretty good way to make active money. If you regularly complete Tow Truck Service Missions from your Salvage Yard, it will keep generating a great chunk of passive income as well.

How to Start a Salvage Yard Heist in GTA Online

How to Start a Salvage Yard Heist in GTA Online

Once your base is up and running, the step to actually start a Salvage Yard Heist in GTA Online is quite simple. All you have to do is register as a Securoserv CEO or Motorcycle Club President and access the Planning Computer at the Salvage Yard. Then, select the vehicle for the robbery you want to do. That’s all.

If you don’t have the business already setup, the very first thing you need to do is buy a Salvage Yard from Maze Bank Foreclosures. Here are all the five properties and their rates that you can choose from to set up your base:

Location

Price

Paleto Bay

$1,620,000

Sandy Shores

$2,030,000

Murrieta Heights

$2,420,000

Strawberry

$2,570,000

La Puerta

$2,690,000

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By 
GTA Online: Salvage Yard - Start Tow Truck Service Missions

You may naturally wish to go with the cheaper choice to save some cash. But considering the long-term benefits and ease of operation, Strawberry and Murietta Heights are highly recommended.

Further, when choosing the property, buy the Tow Truck option at $650,000 to add the other segment to your shiny new business venture. You can also add Get Trade Rates to get discounts from Mors Mutual for all your future insurance claims.

All Salvage Yard Heists

If you are looking for a complete walkthrough of a specific robbery, you can find them in the table below.

The Duggan Robbery in GTA Online

The Duggan Robbery pits you against the crime family. The goal is to gain access to the VIP box of the private Arena War at the Maze Bank, kill the enemies present, use a drone to stop the car with an EMP, take it to Hao for bomb defusal, and then to the Salvage Yard to sell.

Here’s a look at the prep missions involved in this GTA Online Heist:

  • Scope Out (First time) - Take a picture of the Maze Bank’s front-door camera, the backstage door, and the rear exit.
  • Planning Work: Bypass Module (Mandatory) - Destroy Merryweather’s signal jammers, and steal the Bypass Module from their revealed warehouse. You will be using it to bypass the car’s immobilizer in the Salvage Yard Heist's finale.
  • Planning Work: VIP Pass (Mandatory) - Steal a VIP Pass from Peter’s office. You will be using it to enter the VIP box in the finale.
  • Planning Work: Disrupt Armor (Optional) - Destroy armor shipments so the count of armored enemies in the finale is less.
  • Task: LS Panic Trailer (Mandatory) - Steal the trailer, which you will need to approach Maze Bank without being attacked.
  • Task: Outfits (Mandatory) - Steal LS Panic outfits that will allow you to gain entrance to the VIP box in the finale.
  • Task: Masks (Optional) - Get a free mask to disguise yourself and get fewer pursuers after you steal the car.

Here are the bonus challenges that can net you an extra $50,000:

  • Over 15 headshots - $10,000
  • Disable target vehicle on first attempt - $10,000
  • Reach Hao in one minute - $10,000
  • All challenges complete - $20,000

The Cargo Ship Robbery in GTA Online

In this Salvage Yard Heist, you have to steal a car from the La’oub Princess - a cargo ship that is transporting a car that once belonged to Solomon Richards. Since Yusuf likes this vehicle, and it is being sent to a rich distant cousin that the brothers hate, your job is to prevent it from happening.

When you start the finale, your first job is to use a boat to reach the cargo ship. Then, gain access to the bridge, kill the enemies, and find potential containers that house the car. Find the one that you need, escort the Skylift that comes to take it, and then take the delivered car to the Salvage Yard.

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Here’s a look at the prep missions in this Salvage Yard Heist:

  • Scope Out (First time) - Take pictures of the cargo ship, the shipping manifesto, and the containers that will be used.
  • Planning Work: Sabotage and Disguise (Mandatory) - Delete digital documents and destroy documents so La’oub Princess can’t dock in the finale. Steal uniforms to approach the ship without problems.
  • Planning Work: Skylift (Mandatory) - Steal the Skylift helicopter that a staff accomplice will use to take the car’s container from ship to safe land. Ensure you use an Oppressor Mk II for this GTA Online mission, or strong weapons, to safely clear out ground enemies.
  • Planning Work: Disrupt Air Support (Optional) - Find and kill a pilot. Get data from his computer to locate and destroy Mavericks to reduce aerial resistance in the finale.
  • Task: Bolt Cutters (Mandatory) - Locate and steal a pair of bolt cutters to cut open and check containers in the finale.
  • Task: Boat (Mandatory) - Steal a boat to use for approaching the La’oub Princess.
  • Task: Flares (Mandatory) - Steal some flares from a lifeguard station to mark the correct container for the Skylift to take in the finale.
  • Task: Masks (Optional) - Get a free accessory to disguise yourself.

Here are the objectives that will get you bonus cash from the finale:

  • No lives lost - $10,000
  • Reach the bridge undetected - $10,000
  • Over 80% Skylift health remaining - $10,000
  • All challenges completed - $20,000

The Podium Robbery in GTA Online

The Podium Robbery is a Salvage Yard Heist that takes place in the Diamond Casino. The first story is that the target car is a special prototype, and since Yusuf likes such cars, getting this one would be a real treat for him.

This heist isn’t particularly difficult, but going for the bonus challenges can be tricky. The aim is to enter the Diamond Casino’s working area disguised as an LSDS worker, and then sneak through a lights-out floor to the elevator hatch. Then, you have to eliminate enemies and take off with the target car.

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Here’s an overview of the prep missions in this Salvage Yard Heist:

  • Scope Out (First time) - Take pictures of the exit tunnel, the side entrance, and finally the target car on the podium in the lobby.
  • Planning Work: LSDS Disguises (Mandatory) - Go to a waste treatment plant and contaminate the environment. Steal an LSDS truck with uniforms once workers come to the scene. It is recommended to use an agile helicopter like the Buzzard to go to the plant and kill enemies.
  • Planning Work: Storage Key Card (Mandatory) - Find the Diamond Casino’s valet and steal his storage key card.
  • Planning Work: Disrupt Personnel (Optional) - Eliminate enemies to reduce the resistance you will face in the finale.
  • Task: Gas Masks (Mandatory) - Steal gas masks from the fire station. You will be using this to not get knocked out by the toxic gas in the car storage area.
  • Task: Rappel Equipment (Mandatory) - Steal climbing equipment from a gang building. This will be needed to climb down the elevator shaft.
  • Task: Sabotage the Casino (Mandatory) - Plant an explosive in the Diamond Casino’s toilet. The detonation will trigger the heist operation.
  • Task: Masks (Optional) - Get a free mask to reduce pursuers once you steal the car.

Here’s a look at the bonus challenges for The Podium Robbery:

  • No lives lost - $10,000
  • Reach the elevator hatch undetected - $10,000
  • Escape the casino in 1 minute - $10,000
  • All challenges completed - $20,000

The Gangbanger Robbery in GTA Online

This is one of the longest Salvage Yard Heists in GTA Online, but the better cars (so far) and missions make up for it. The car you’re gunning for belongs to a high-ranking gang member. The problem is that King Tiny is the only one who knows its location, and he’s currently in Mission Row Police Station.

Your job is to break him out and take him to his private chopper at LSIA, and then go steal the car from the location he reveals to you. It may not be one of the best cars to steal in GTA Online, but it will net you some decent cash.

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Things can be difficult during the second leg of the Salvage Yard Heist’s finale, but the complete walkthrough has a trick to help you out. Meanwhile, here’s an overview of all the missions involved:

  • Scope Out (First time) - Take pictures of the parked police helicopter, an air vent, and the station’s rear exit.
  • Planning Work: Police Maverick (Mandatory) - Hack a news channel’s feed to discover the location of a police scene. Go there, steal the Police Maverick, and deliver it to the safe spot.
  • Planning Work: Tactical Gear (Mandatory) - Infiltrate a rogue IAA agent deal, kill everyone present, and escape with a Riot van that has tactical gear.
  • Planning Work: Disrupt Equipment (Optional) - Destroy equipment shipments to reduce the amount of enemies who have gas masks, reducing the resistance in the finale.
  • Task: Stun Guns (Mandatory) - Steal stun guns from a Merryweather Security Dilettante in the parking lot. The first leg of the mission has to be non-lethal.
  • Task: Getaway Vehicle (Mandatory) - Steal a getaway vehicle from stolen models in an autoshop and park it in a marked spot for later.
  • Task: Weapon Stash (Mandatory) - Get a cache of unmarked weapons to use in the second leg of the finale.
  • Task: Masks (Optional) - Acquire a free mask to face less resistance in the last leg.

Here’s a look at the bonus challenges you should complete in this Salvage Yard Heist:

  • No cop lives lost: $10,000
  • Jailbreak in 3 minutes: $10,000
  • King Tiny Has At Least 75% Health: $10,000
  • All Challenges Complete: $20,000

The McTony Robbery in GTA Online

The McTony Robbery's first run has a fun little story of high-stakes revenge. Jamal is apparently quite wealthy, and he dislikes billionaire Tony McTony for basically living his lifestyle of partying and driving luxury vehicles and boasting about it. As such, he asks you to steal the latter’s prized car, which he keeps safe in his Kosatka submarine out in the middle of the ocean.

Once the finale starts, you have to use Tony’s submersible to reach and infiltrate the Kosatka, destroy the navigation systems and eliminate enemies, and finally steal the car. Since there’s close-quarters combat and a long chase, which you can make easy, the heist can be fun.

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Let’s take a look at the prep missions involved in this Salvage Yard Heist in GTA Online:

  • Scope Out (First time) - Take pictures of the Kosatka’s landing pad, blueprints, and sonar equipment.
  • Planning Work: Tony's Submersible (Mandatory) - Attack the docks and steal Tony’s submersible. Store it at a safe place for Salvage Yard worker to bring around later.
  • Planning Work: Sonar Equipment (Mandatory) - Steal some sonar equipment that will be used to locate and home-in on McTony’s massive submarine in the ocean.
  • Planning Work: Disrupt Weapons (Optional) - Destroy weapon shipments to reduce the level and amount of firepower you face in the finale.
  • Task: Cutting Torch (Mandatory) - Steal a cutting torch. You will need it to go through locked doors in the Kosatka submarine.
  • Task: Security Outfits (Mandatory) - Steal a pair of security outfits so that you can approach the submarine without any issues.
  • Task: Masks (Optional) - Get a free mask to disguise yourself in the finale.

Here are the bonus challenges that can net you an extra $50,000. As such, you can skip a couple rounds of the Payphone mechanic to earn money in GTA Online:

  • Over 15 Headshots - $10,000
  • Find the Head of Security in 1 Minute - $10,000
  • No Lives Lost - $10,000
  • All Challenges Complete - $20,000

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GTA Online
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Released
October 1, 2013
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Developer(s)
Rockstar North
Publisher(s)
Rockstar Games
Platform(s)
PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Genre(s)
Racing, Shooter, Action-Adventure