"Cash For Clunkers"

"Cash for Clunkers"

Does anyone else think this is a really bad idea?


I believe it's going to be just like the housing market mess we are in all over again... only with cars!
Didn't our stupid fucking government officials learn anything from the housing market mess???
Bad economy, people trading in cars that are paid for for new ones they can't aford, or lose job and get laid off, hours cut - it's happening everywhere - and won't be able to pay for the new car 6 months down the road - which get reposessed and poor blokes left without a car but owing a balance on a loan that we the tax payers will probably have to bail out the lenders again!

I mean... what the fuck???

Meanwhile - perfectly good running cars that are paid for get scrapped that could have went to a better cause!
Why not donate these so called clunker cars that are still in good running shape to people who say they can't work because they can't afford reliable transportation?


But fear not folks...
"Hope and Change" will save us all!
Hooray!

some of those clunkers are better then the car i'm driving but i'm still driving it... it's easy on gas and paid for who could ask for more?

What happens to clunkers that are traded in?
Updated: Aug 4, 2009 06:15 PM CDT


FORT SCOTT, KAN. - Cars that are part of "Cash for Clunkers" are taking a different road than they would have before the program.
The Shepherd Team Auto Plaza has had over 30 cars traded in through the Car Allowance Rebate System program since it started less than two weeks ago.
None of those cars will ever hit the road again, but the dealership says some might have been sold on used or wholesale lots before.
It's an effect that may increase the price of used cars in the long run.
"The more cars you take off the road, the higher the used car prices will get," explains Robert Tersinar, the General Manager for Shepherd Team Auto Plaza. "We haven't seen that, but our prediction is over the next 30 days you may see increases in used car prices. We haven't seen that yet, actually early in August we've seen used car traffic pick up a little bit but we haven't seen tremendous increases in used car prices, yet."
All the cars that are part of the Cash for Clunkers program must be disabled and eventually crushed.
________________________________________
By NINA CRISCUOLO

What happens to the clunkers?
Traded in cars destroyed, part reused


[size=9]11 Comments
Close By Marc Strauss
Story Published: Jul 30, 2009 at 3:39 PM CDT
Story Updated: Jul 30, 2009 at 3:39 PM CDT [/size]

While consumers get revved up about rebates for their old gas–guzzlers, auto technician John Eichorn is getting a kick out of wrecking the engines in the clunkers that have been traded in.

"It's kind of backwards because we're used to fixing them," said Eichorn. "But it's kind of fun to destroy them at the same time."

Eichorn works at Bob Lindsay Honda in Peoria, where they put to rest almost a dozen cars on Thursday. Its part of the "cash for clunkers" program.

Sales manager Mike Bowermaster says once a customer trades in their old, inefficient vehicle it can never go back on the street.

"Once we drain the oil out we put the chemical in there," said Bowermaster. "Once you start the motor that goes through the motor and freezes up the motor. Some of it is a shame because they are good running vehicles, but the program wouldn't be effective if the car wasn't destroyed because it can't be on the road anymore."

The engine is also stamped with a special label to show that the motor won't run anymore.

There is a criteria for the clunker you are trading in. First, it has to get 18 miles per gallon or less, you have to have owned it for at least a year and it has to be insured.

"Some of it is a shame because they are good running vehicles, but the program wouldn't be effective if the car wasn't destroyed because it can't be on the road anymore," said Bowermster.

Once the engines are wrecked the vehicles go to a salvage yard. Even though they can't be driven anymore their parts can be recycled and become useful again.


View Oldest Comments First

Tuesday, Aug 4 at 10:26 PM daleeff wrote ...
This hurts the poorer people. If they ahve a head crack etc they can't even use the head off the klunker after being destroyed. This plan is to help the rich get richer and poor get poorer.

Saturday, Aug 1 at 8:21 PM JUST WONDERING wrote ...
HOW MANY MILES PER GALLON DO NASCAR VEHICLES GET?

Friday, Jul 31 at 5:52 PM Chris Catlett wrote ...
What a waste! I'll keep my 1997 V8 Mercury Mountaineer rather than having it crushed! The dealers should be allowed to sell these cars at a tremendous discount so low income families can have reliable transportation!

Friday, Jul 31 at 4:48 PM Logan wrote ...Gross1, awful to say the least. This isn't doing anything for "poor" people. If anything, it's going to drive the market up for cheaper, used, more efficient automobiles. I'm sorry you're not going to be able to purchase the 1986 Ford Bronco that gets 8 mpg, but for real, do you even want that? This is the only stimulus program that has WORKED. If you were laid of from an automobile manufacturer you would love this legislation right now. This is helping WAY more people than it's hurting...

Friday, Jul 31 at 3:12 PM Gross 1 wrote ...
This is only hurting the working poor people who work but do to the amount of taxes paid can't afford a nice new car. We are the people who buy parts out of junk yards to fix our cars. This is just one more step to making us a sacialist country when people like me fall into needing goverment help. Obama is a socialist pushing a socialist agenda, WAKE UP America before it is to late>

Friday, Jul 31 at 11:29 AM Anonymous wrote ...
Believe me, there are plenty of used Toyota Camrys, Honda Accords and Chevy Cavaliers out there that get more than 18mpg. While the used car market won't have an endless supply of used Explorers, pickup trucks and other inefficient vehicles...there will still be plenty of used cars available for low-income folks. About time we got these gas guzzlers off the road. It'll help everyone in the long-run.

Friday, Jul 31 at 11:12 AM Aaron wrote ...
Agreed! My destroying the engines they are deteriorating the availability of good replacement engines and parts that many low income folks use to fix their cars. It also applies to auto enthusiasts who rebuild, race, or do any sort of project cars/trucks. What a flawed system...

Thursday, Jul 30 at 10:56 PM hahaha wrote ...
we are turning our back on low income people? give us a break. the poor already get free food, free rent, free coats, free backpacks, discount school lunches, etc etc etc.. granted, we just made the "good used car market" alot tougher, but turned our backs on the poor? i say screw the poor. we are already giving them a piggy back ride and they are getting more obeese every day. 'bout time they got down and walked.

Thursday, Jul 30 at 8:24 PM bigjohn wrote ...
i was very surprised to see kelly neal of neal auto parts so non-shalant about this program.if i was a auto recycler i'd be pissed off. first- if they arent supposed to be driven again, the salvage title is already the way that occurs, why trash the engine.? second- try buying an engine, it;s price just tripled because of this. third- why hurt the recyclers.?? they help the environment and are HUGE recyclers.......government should but out of a system that already works.

Thursday, Jul 30 at 6:56 PM Anonymous wrote ...
CONT..NOT EVERYONE IN THIS WORLD CAN AFFORD A CAR PAYMENT NOW ESPECIALLY WITH ALL THE LAYOFFS. IT'S SAD TO SEE THE WORLD TURNING IT'S BACK ON THE LOW INCOME PEOPLE!

Thursday, Jul 30 at 6:54 PM Anonymous wrote ...THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT CAN'T AFFORD A NEW VEHICLE..SO THEY SHOULDN'T DESTROY THE ENGINE IF IT RUNS GOOD. MANY JUNK YARDS SELL ENGINES TO PEOPLE SO THEY CAN FIX THE VEHICLE THEY ALREADY HAVE.



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What a person does not know can hurt them. Who would want to buy a car and set up monthly payments in an economy that is tanking?

This whole deal ( Cash for Clunkers) is nothing more than a carrot on a stick for the ignorant and unknowing .

Hooray for the politicians , they win again!!!!

Hope and Change will save us all! Yippee!!!

Oh boy car payments and paying for insuring a new car!!!! And where is the clunker (4,500.00 each) money for this gem coming from? I hear the presses printing worthless dollars. Hey if the country is going to dig deper into debt every ten seconds then I guess they want us to dig deeper into debt too. (We need a barfing icon)

And if they just HAD to do this then they should have made it for USA companies only ... Ford prefereably in the lead. I saw on the news this morning that the number one car being bought is a Toyota then a Ford. Toyota makes nice cars but lets keep Ford owned by someone other than the government and not begging for handouts.

Just think, all those new cars with their cool gps systems built in for your safety. Easier to track how many miles you drive to and from work to tax you. And easier to find your car to repo it when you can't make your payments since there are no new jobs being created to give you a job.

I like my old clunkers.

I know i was watching local Birmingham Fox news last night and they were showing some of these clunkers that were traded in for new cars that are doomed for the scrap heap!
A lot of these were really nice cars! They were showing how they had to pour a liquid into the motor and run it - ruining it so it could never be used again. Then the car is squashed and shredded - sold for scrap metal. No parts to be salvaged or anything! What a fucking waste!
I do have a new car I bought 2 years ago that I am making payments on... but I would gladly give up the car and payments to own one of these so called clunkers that is in nice shape and be payment free!
I sure some poor bastard down on his luck due to our tanking economy and lost his ride due to job loss or what have ya - that needs transportation for him and his family would really appreciate on of these so called clunkers to help get back on his feet!

But no worries...
"Hope and Change" will fucking save us all!
Hooray!

I just heard on the news that they are really trying to push another 2 billion, yes thats billion, dollars more for this program. None of them are saying where the funds are coming from. Who's financing this adventure into debtland? Some finance company is just looking for a way to get the government to bail them out in 6 months. They didn't learn a thing. They did find a new way to put the screws to the taxpayer though. Very creative.

Some of those trade-ins are really nice cars. The owners will be sorry. Especially when the repo man comes and the car owner can't get to work because he has no ride. another person on unemployement (I thought that would have run out of money by now) and another house on the foreclosure list.

Our newest vehicle is a tractor and it pays for itself in the work it can handle and the property it is freeing up from the brush and trees. Hubby cleared an area yesterday that has been nothing but tree and brush since we bought the place. Its beautiful!

attack-cat wrote:

I just heard on the news that they are really trying to push another 2 billion, yes thats billion, dollars more for this program. None of them are saying where the funds are coming from. Who's financing this adventure into debtland? Some finance company is just looking for a way to get the government to bail them out in 6 months. They didn't learn a thing. They did find a new way to put the screws to the taxpayer though. Very creative.

Letting our government control ANYTHING is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys! You are just asking for trouble!

Gotta agree with ya Speedy! Our government is hazardous to everything they touch. Look at what a wonderful job they did with social security.