Cash For Clunkers

[LTSmash]

What do high school and college students drive? What do financially struggling people drive?

Clunkers or something of the ilk.

Destroying these perfectly useful cars for automakers to build new and more expensive cars completely removes a market for automobiles. Plus it diminishes the trade cycle many cars go through. Whoever in our government came up with this idea clearly didn't study utility in Econ 101.

The only cars, I feel, that should be used for this program are cars that cannot operate at all.

[Dino Scuderia]

Not only that but many of these previous clunker owners now have a fresh $300-400 per month car payment....money which they will not be putting into other parts of the economy now.

[RacingManiac]

What do high school and college students drive? What do financially struggling people drive?

Clunkers or something of the ilk.

Destroying these perfectly useful cars for automakers to build new and more expensive cars completely removes a market for automobiles. Plus it diminishes the trade cycle many cars go through. Whoever in our government came up with this idea clearly didn't study utility in Econ 101.

The only cars, I feel, that should be used for this program are cars that cannot operate at all.

I rarely see college and high school student that drives a clunker that would qualify for this....most the the cars that got trade in are big old trucks and SUVs, while most of the beaters I've seen in school(and people's winter car at work) are shitty econoboxes, which already get decent mileage....

Thing is, just because there is a cash for clunker program does not mean everyone with a clunker will change their car. If I don't have the budget for a car payment, unless you are giving the car for free, I wouldn't go out there and get a new car if the old one still gets me around. But if I am in the market for one but maybe the cost is what deters me, then with some incentive such as this will encourage me to do so. Goes back to living within your mean theme.....If people have trouble with that, thats what needs to be fix for themselves, and that honestly can hardly be blamed on social program.....

[LTSmash]

But if I am in the market for one but maybe the cost is what deters me, then with some incentive such as this will encourage me to do so. Goes back to living within your mean theme.....If people have trouble with that, thats what needs to be fix for themselves, and that honestly can hardly be blamed on social program.....

Selling the car to another buyer (one who could feasibly use a "clunker" SUV or truck) still seems to be the logical route instead of hiking up spending and inflation. It goes back to utility.

[NSXType-R]

They already have collapsed.. now you're helping them rise from the ashes.

I agree that it's misguided on environmental grounds, that's just an easy way to get the general public to think it's a good thing. What it really does is support the factory workers and whatnot who are building the new cars. I thought there was a provision in there to aim people at the domestics, but if everyone just buys a Camry then at least they're still made in the US.. right?

Ford is doing pretty well after restructuring. They haven't collapsed yet.

Yeah, I had a good look at this program. Pretty stupid. They look at your cars as if they were new. It doesn't matter what condition your car is in. They only consider your car as if they just left the factory. So the Honda may be so worn out it is only getting 8 mpg highway and street, but in reality the EPA rates it as 20 and 28 or something, so you get screwed.

And plus, your car needs to be within the last 25 years and running. Which puts my Escort out of contention. So I don't give a crap about this program.

[LTSmash]

And plus, your car needs to be within the last 25 years and running. Which puts my Escort out of contention. So I don't give a crap about this program.

That's is what is so messed up about this. They only take running cars? It shouldn't matter if it's running or not if all they intend to do it turn it to scrap and ship it to China.

[NSXType-R]

That's is what is so messed up about this. They only take running cars? It shouldn't matter if it's running or not if all they intend to do it turn it to scrap and ship it to China.

Yeah, since the Escort threw a rod, it would need a new engine. Can't even have it hobble into the dealer.

In all honesty, it's a big waste. Like someone had said, it would put all the classic cars within the last 25 years in danger- the Acura/Honda NSX actually qualifies. What dumbass would trade in a NSX? Maybe an automatic one, but I'd love to own one just to swap in a 6 speed or something.

[G35COUPE]

Ford is doing pretty well after restructuring. They haven't collapsed yet.

Yeah, I had a good look at this program. Pretty stupid. They look at your cars as if they were new. It doesn't matter what condition your car is in. They only consider your car as if they just left the factory. So the Honda may be so worn out it is only getting 8 mpg highway and street, but in reality the EPA rates it as 20 and 28 or something, so you get screwed.

And plus, your car needs to be within the last 25 years and running. Which puts my Escort out of contention. So I don't give a crap about this program.

My Nissan B13 is a clunker, as far as i am concerned. However, if I can get new injectors in her by this weekend, she is gonna get at least 34 mpg on the highway, and she has 262,000 miles. Does not burn or leak oil anywhere. Excellent GA16DE engine. Gets about 32 mpg at this time. I love her to death. I have no Tachometer in the car. So, I just rev as hard as I can until she can revv no more. Uses Castrol GTX 20W-50--excellent dino oil. She gets an oil change every 1,800 - 2000 miles or 1.25 months.

I welcome all those buying new cars. Its good for the economy, and it revs me up to show them that my old clunker can spank their newbie ride, fairly easily. Hahahahahahaha! LOL! Why?? Older cars were much lighter than the newer ones.

Just spanked a brand new 2009 Chevy Cobalt LS last night. It felt so good.

[LTSmash]

What dumbass would trade in a NSX?

This is grounds for murder.

EDIT:

I welcome all those buying new cars. Its good for the economy,

But where is the subsidy coming* from?

[Timothy (in VA)]

I don't much like it. The only thing I do like is that the trade-in has to be 1984 or newer. Before I found that out, I had nightmares about someone stealing my Cougar and falsifying paperwork to be able to trade it in as a clunker.

Of course, that clause eliminates most cars that could already be considered classics from eligibility, but who's to say what cars from 1984 to present will be the classics of the future? In my mind, the first Ford Explorers have potential to be future classics, as it's one of the cars that got the whole SUV craze going in the first place. Then again, I suppose the "clunkers" that manage to survive the great purge of aught-nine might be more valuable in the future due to their increased rarity.

Yesterday, my mom took our Windstar down to the local Ford dealership for service. Because I'm nosy, I poked around the lot until I found where they were keeping the "clunkers." There were 3 Ford Explorers, a GMC Yukon, a Jeep Cherokee, a Jeep Grand Cherokee, a Chevrolet Blazer, a Toyota 4Runner, a beat-up old Ford F-150, a faded first-generation Dodge Intrepid and two that surprised me: a Ford Windstar about the same age as ours (it looked to be in good shape and still had some Obama bumper stickers) and a lovely mid-to-late 90's Lincoln Continental.

[RacingManiac]

Selling the car to another buyer (one who could feasibly use a "clunker" SUV or truck) still seems to be the logical route instead of hiking up spending and inflation. It goes back to utility.

a lot of the heap I doubt you can get $4500 or something if you just sell it to another person. So if I were to get rid of an old car I'd be more likely to go with this than a private buyer...

a side question though, where are the clunkers going anyhow?

[LTSmash]

a side question though, where are the clunkers going anyhow?

Destruction, then shipped to China.

[G35COUPE]

This is grounds for murder.

EDIT:



But where is the subsidy comng from?

I think much of the cash-for-clunkers money came from funds that were diverted from the US Dept of Energy budget for certain nuclear and clean energy programs. The Senate had to vote to move the funds from one part of the budget into another. At the end of the day, its all part of the stimulus money which has already been slated for spending.

[G35COUPE]

a lot of the heap I doubt you can get $4500 or something if you just sell it to another person. So if I were to get rid of an old car I'd be more likely to go with this than a private buyer...

a side question though, where are the clunkers going anyhow?

The clunkers are going to be crushed completely. However, the junk yards can remove certain body parts of the car as used parts. However, the engine block and transmission is gonna be crushed. That was part of the agreement for the program.

[LTSmash]

I think much of the cash-for-clunkers money came from funds that were diverted from the US Dept of Energy budget for certain nuclear and clean energy programs. The Senate had to vote to move the funds from one part of the budget into another. At the end of the day, its all part of the stimulus money which has already been slated for spending.

Thank you, I was being hypothetical however.