Cash for clunkers?

FinsnFur · August 27, 2009, 10:43:03 AM

I didn't follow much on this. I heard the gov was doing it and thought that it was an opportunity for folks with an undependable vehicle to upgrade and get something newer and more reliable, and a way to get some of the old oil burning, ozone depleting, smoke bombs off the roads.

I had no idea that the Government was demanding that the vehicles be destroyed, by locking up or blowing up the engines.

There's clips all over YouTube of dealers pouring some sort of Elyxer into the crank cases of these vehicles and running them until they seize. What the heck is the purpose behind all that?
The Government was even issuing pretty hefty fines to any dealer not following through with this destroying.

Hawks Feather · August 27, 2009, 11:05:09 AM

They want them to only be used for "scrap" - no parts. That way they can sell the "scrap" to China. I was talking with a retired teacher who has done body work for many years and he said that it is a real shame that none of the parts can be salvaged. He said that he saw some vehicles on the "Clunker" lots in Toledo that could have been parted out by salvage yards. But that won't happen. It made no sense to him, nor me, but it must make sense to Obama.

I know it has been mentioned here before, but it is the same thing they are doing with once fired brass used on military ranges. In the past the brass cases would be sold to remanufacturing firms and reused. Now it is all being shredded into small pieces of brass and being sold to China. The kicker is that the Brass Czar is selling the shredded brass to China for less than it was being sold to the remanufacturing firms. Then there is the small cost of shredding it so the Obama Czar is getting WAY less for it than they could. But none of that brass is being resold and that will help keep the price of ammo going up.

I guess China is Obama's and his Czars new best friend.

Jerry

vvarmitr · August 27, 2009, 11:32:30 AM

It isn't much different than the CRP program. Paying a farmer to not till all his land.

pitw · August 27, 2009, 12:35:23 PM

I've been giving cash for clunkers pretty much my whole life

Why is it different for this Obama feller

.

Huntinbull · August 27, 2009, 01:09:49 PM

Amen Pitw,
I went to 4 dealerships and all they wanted to give me for my clunker was trade in value, no cash. I do not want another clunker, or some poorly designed and uncomfortable little boxy bumper car. I guess I will just get ANOTHER 100,000 miles on my Bronco that already has nearly 200,000 miles on it. I would rather have a vehicle that will do what I need done and make my car payment to the part store, than have a car which isn't suitable for my needs and make a car payment to a bank or dealership.

Huntinbull

JohnP · August 27, 2009, 02:28:59 PM

Just another big waste of the tax payers money. We now have people driving expensive cars that in the past they could not afford. With a $4,500 down payment they got approved credit but still can't afford their monthly payments - sound familiar, kinda like the housing crunch. I would guess that in another few months we will be seeing Joe the Re-po man hooking up to some of these new cars.

Getting closer and closer to "lock and load" time.

KySongDog · August 27, 2009, 05:21:25 PM

Quote from: vvarmitr on August 27, 2009, 11:32:30 AM
It isn't much different than the CRP program. Paying a farmer to not till all his land.

Not really the same. The CRP program protects highly erodible soil and provides wildlife habitat. The clunker program uses tax dollars to enable folks who can't pay buy Japanese cars. 8 out of 10 cars bought on the clunker program are foreign.

alscalls · August 27, 2009, 05:52:18 PM

I would imagine that some dealers are taking used cars they already had and turning them into free cash....by just making the paper work look good......

pitw · August 28, 2009, 12:17:32 AM

Quote from: alscalls on August 27, 2009, 05:52:18 PM
I would imagine that some dealers are taking used cars they already had and turning them into free cash....by just making the paper work look good......

I hope so

alscalls · August 28, 2009, 09:47:39 AM

I mean without a customer being involved.......

pitw · August 28, 2009, 10:32:42 AM

Quote from: alscalls on August 28, 2009, 09:47:39 AM
I mean without a customer being involved.......

I hope so

alscalls · August 28, 2009, 01:26:18 PM

The object was for both the customer and the dealer to get a break and stimulate the economy.....not for one of them to hord money from the govt.

Roundman · August 28, 2009, 01:36:52 PM

The funny thing is a few months ago most vehicles were marked down 10-15k. Now people are buying cars just because the gov is giving them $4500

The dealer/manufacture is discounting less and the buyer is paying more.

We have taken in one truck on this program and it is still setting out back waiting on the paper work. So I can't say this package has helped us at all. This has been the worst summer in 19 years, but I'm sure the president is working on it.

pitw · August 28, 2009, 02:00:34 PM

Quote from: alscalls on August 28, 2009, 01:26:18 PM
The object was for both the customer and the dealer to get a break and stimulate the economy.....not for one of them to hord money from the govt.

I hope one of them is smart enough to screw the government program or else there isn't much hope I think.

. The government should not have tried to put splints on the stilts under the economy in any shape as far as I'm concerned.

George Ackley · August 28, 2009, 02:16:35 PM

Jim the solution they are using is the same stuff you would poor into a home boiler to fix a crack in the cast iron water tank , if someone calls me saying they need to keep bleeding there heating system or keep adding water most offen the tank or ( HEATEXCHANGER) is cracked and the water is steaming out of the crack, well silica glass will fill the crack and seal it for years sometimes if they dont have the money to replace .. silica glass or as we call it( liquid glass ) will react to the heat and harden thus sealing the crack

its some nastyy chit man

ps , its only known about for fixing heater by us old timers , new kid cant fix chit

alscalls · August 28, 2009, 04:47:00 PM

I Know what ya mean Barry ....thing is ......our Govt. dont have the money in the first place......

Trillions in debt and giving it away like we still got it......

FinsnFur · August 28, 2009, 10:01:00 PM

That reminds me....my theory, (and not that I agree with what I'm about to say)....but regarding what Jerry said bout the metal from the cars being sold to China, and our brass being ground up and sold to China cheaper then what they were selling it for over here. I'm thinking they HAVE to do that in order to pay for the stimulus money they borrowed.