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Cash for Clunkers

skywords

skywords

Donation Time
I'm not sure what to make of this, Is this a good thing or the beginning of the end for people like me that only wish to drive "Clunkers".

I do think I see an emerging market for shops that can re-engine some old cars with quote fuel efficient engines?

What do ya ll think?

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/
 
wipeout

wipeout

Donation Time
omg....

when will it end? We're living in a parallel universe...

gah....sky...you just sent me over the edge...

okay..okay...(deep breath)....and just who's money are they going to give these people that fall for this scam? ...grrrrrr....

what's next? Anybody NOT doing this is subject to a fine for not CARING enough about gas mileage....

they expect 1 million .... 1 million times 4500 ? its not enough that they are spending our money like it doesnt matter...they're making it a Federal issue and not a States issue?

I cant take it...I just cant take it....thats it...Im going to go buy a 454 with dual 640 double pumpers and put it in my lawn mower....

Im glad you asked Skywords...and I think you're right, a smart man would set up a shop to rework the old cars into compliance and ask the Feds for funding to do so.

:D
 
M

mikephillips

Donation Time
They were talking about this on the radio yesterday as I was heading home. It was apparently suggested that a 3-5k voucher be issued for the proof of distruction of cars meeting the specified criteria for age. Claim was to target things like rusty 80's sedans etc. The voucher then would only be good for the purchase of a brand new auto, with the idea being to both remove pollution and help the auto makers. The problem I see with this is it won't work since the very people it targets are the folks least likely to be able to afford another 10, 15, 20k of expense for a new off the lot car. I'd expect that most people driving the old rust bucket wouldn't if they could get something nicer already. And that doesn't even go into the question of who's going to pay for all this.
 
Nickodell

Nickodell

Donation Time
Off the main thread, but I just heard that it would have been cheaper to have given every member of the assembly line union at GM $300,000 and told them to get another job, than the current and proposed bail-outs.
 
tony perrett

tony perrett

Gold Level Sponsor
We have a similar proposal here in UK. On the one hand we are encouraged to recycle old bottles and bean cans in order to "save the planet" and on the other hand we are told that scrapping perfectly good cars makes sense - not to me it doesn't. Folks like us who preserve old cars and bikes are the true recyclers.
 
B

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
I see it as a great way for people to get rid of old SUV's . They really serve no legitimate automotive purpose (well, maybe one in a hundred does) and a lot of people are pouring gasoline into them because they can't afford to buy another car.

Bill
 
Nickodell

Nickodell

Donation Time
Eleven said:
But is it the role of government to do that? With our tax dollars.
Click to expand...

Soon we'll all be driving Priuses (Prii?). SUVs and cars weighing over 1500 lbs are bad, evil and sinful.

An Inconvenient Question (or two):
1) The present-day electrical grid system is stretched to capacity. Apart from the extra fossil fuel necessary, if a few million plug-in hybrids are connected to it each evening, it will collapse. Updating the system and expanding it to meet this load will take at least 10 years, and billions of dollars, and probably won't even happen then because of lawsuits and NIMBY.

2) What happens, in 10 years or so, when all the millions of those hybrid batteries have to be scrapped? What about all the toxic waste?
 
Series6

Series6

Past President
Gold Level Sponsor
Having the incentive for a $5000 coupon for a junker/clunker makes me wonder if there another problem about to surface. European countries have inspection standards that a car must pass before it's allowed to be on the road. We don't have that in all states, and in the states we have an inspection, it isn't as stringent as in Europe. Methinks, confronted with the option of fixing an unsafe car or running it until the wheels fall off (which they very well may do) the owner may operate an unsafe vehicle longer knowing he's going to get $5000 whether he pushes pulls drags or drives the thing.

The other thing that concerns me is assuming a guy has a clunker, and he wants the coupon but his credit doesn't support the purchase of a new car. Who's going to cosign for him?
 
skywords

skywords

Donation Time
Wow great replies by all. You have enlightened me in regards to this. I have a work truck that I have owned since 1982 which I bought almost new. I am on engine number two. It now needs a valve job. I have ripped the miles of vacuum tubing out long ago, for I live where smog checks are not required. My plan was to run the wheels off of it till they require a smog check then donate it too Junk for Jesus. Or just give it too someone in need. But now it looks like it's got trade in value. My dilemma is I wanted to go the other direction and buy an older truck such as a 1960 Ford that was restored. I think the tax credit and purchase of an older truck makes more sense.

They punish us at the DMV with high taxes on newer vehicles and yet that's the direction they want us too take, Ding Dong :D
 
B

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
Eleven said:
But is it the role of government to do that? With our tax dollars.
Click to expand...

Might be if you crank in the increased gas mileage, lower emissions, balance of trade. These are things the government is already involved in with our tax dollars.

Bill
 
65beam

65beam

Donation Time
clunkers

you guys all need to move to the buckeye state. drive what you want, no smog inspections, no kind of inspections at all . just tell the deputy registrar that you have insurance,pay your 37.50 and drive the wheels off of the car for the next year . you should see some of the smoking rust buckets out there but lots of people can't afford anything else .no personal property taxes to be paid before you license it . like i said, 37.50 each vehicle .isn't that simple !

bill, i love SUV's ! we have only one house near me that does not have an suv. some even have two . pickups and suv's are a way of life in this part of ohio.
 
B

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
65beam said:
bill, i love SUV's ! we have only one house near me that does not have an suv. some even have two . pickups and suv's are a way of life in this part of ohio.
Click to expand...

Suv's are popular here as well, although not so much with the price of gas. They are great vehicles, but I feel at least 99% of them could be replaced with a different type of vehicle and the owner would be better off. Unless of course he is into driving a top heavy, rollover prone gas guzzler that will haul only four or five people and not much luggage.

Note I'm talking about the truck based SUV's.

Bill
 
M

mikephillips

Donation Time
Bob may not have any county or city addons Jan. I know I pay about $50 each year for the daily driver.

BTY Bob, they're talking about reinstating emissions checks in SW Ohio, apparently they've decided we're one of the 5 dirtiest air locations in the nation. It would expand, if implemented, to include 3 or 4 surrounding counties as well and be an every year rather than every other. Just a way to grab money...
 
65beam

65beam

Donation Time
clunkers

the piggyback tax here is nothing and there are no city add on's . of course we have a total of 22000 people in the entire county . with the state of the economy in ohio, i doubt that the state will spend the money to hire and reopen the e check facilities .
 
M

mikephillips

Donation Time
While I'd like to think you're right Bob the poor economy and the state being cash strapped may be just more reasons for them to bring it back. Remember, those weren't state employees. It was, and still is in the Cleveland area, a contracting company that paid the state something like $5 per car tested out of every $20 charged.
 
John W

John W

Bronze Level Sponsor
Nickodell said:
Soon we'll all be driving Priuses (Prii?). SUVs and cars weighing over 1500 lbs are bad, evil and sinful.

An Inconvenient Question (or two):
1) The present-day electrical grid system is stretched to capacity. Apart from the extra fossil fuel necessary, if a few million plug-in hybrids are connected to it each evening, it will collapse. Updating the system and expanding it to meet this load will take at least 10 years, and billions of dollars, and probably won't even happen then because of lawsuits and NIMBY.

2) What happens, in 10 years or so, when all the millions of those hybrid batteries have to be scrapped? What about all the toxic waste?
Click to expand...

I could be mistaken, but isn't the electrical grid build for peak demand, perhaps during the day, then when the demand subsides, there's plenty of capacity to charge cars, etc.?
 
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