Thanks cash for clunkers...

btw, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this program backfiring or something? I say that because someone told me at work that the highest selling car since this program started have been gas guzzlers like those Hummers and other big SUVs.

 

Nope.
No matter how good or bad the car, the 326 page program requires that it be immediately disabled by pouring some sort of epoxy cocktail into the engine, then required the car to be crushed in full within 3 days.

I don't know how Jamie bought parts, they aren't allowed to sell ANY part.

Those were the rules anyway... The dealers were supposed to be compensated within 10 days, and THAT AIN'T HAPPENING! So I guess all sides are playing fast and loose.

When has anything good for the country happened lately.

 

They say it was for the environment... However, it is clear for a number of reasons that it was for the unions. So it doesn't really matter.

If it was for the environment, they would have left out the big cars you mention, AND would have allowed recycling the auto parts.

The aim was nothing short of getting usable cars off the road, selling a replacement immediately, while shorting the used car market a car so that another new car might be bought in the future.

 

The top selling replacement vehicle is the Ford Focus.

Actually, they can sell everything but the long block and body shell. The dealerships here are sending the cars to the local Pull-A-Parts, and there are areas sectioned off in the yard just for the cash for clunkers cars.

 

Why can't the body shell be sold? I can understand the motor, but why not the shell?

also, can any idiot just go on in, say their car "only gets .05mpg" and walk out with the $4500?

 

I would assume because the body shell has the VIN attached, and the VIN has to be reported to the government under the program. Evidently you can buy the whole body off a truck though, because there was a bare pickup truck frame with just the engine still attached sitting there in the cash for clunkers area...

And no, you can't just go trade any old car in, and they don't give the full $4,500 for all vehicles either, it depends on a number of factors.

 

They only did cars 1984 and up.
They used EPA ratings for the cars, so they told you what increase you were getting, not the other way around.
You had to get an increase.
Under 2 mpg increase got you 3500, over 2 mpg increase got you 4500.
They had a sub-set of rules for companies and HD trucks and such.
Pretty much limited 3/4 ton and larger trucks to 3500.

 

So let me get this straight. These cars are bringing 4500 or less on trade for a new vehicle??

 

I was looking through the law (short version), and it says that the person trading the car in is to get their voucher amount, 3500/4500 plus all scrap proceeds and parts sales from their trade in, less 50 bux to the dealer/scrapper.

I bet lots of folks got xkrewed out of that one.

 

Cars are being sold to junk yards once the engine is destroyed at the dealer. Junk yard has 6 months to sell whatever they can off of it. After that...it has to be crushed. There are also rules as far as how many pieces of the vehicle can be sold to one individual. Yards around here will sell the heads if you want them.

Number one selling car in the program is a Toyota. I believe Honda is second. The Ford Focus in #4 and I believe it is the only domestic car in the top 10.

 

As of Monday, the U.S. Department of Transportation reported more than 625,000 dealer transactions worth $2.58 billion in rebates.
That's a lot of cars!!!

 

That is amazing, i bet some of those cars are better than my daily driver, i can see a whole generation of cars disappearing more or less over night.

 

... but it is over, right? last i saw the news was 630 sayin cash 4 clinkers ends at 8. and that the governments next plan is cash 4 junk appliances.if it is indeed over; good riddance to bad rubbish, and if not, well, nothing unexpected there.

 

Yeah its over now anywhere from $50 to $200 on a new fridge.. We will be doing this one.

 

Imagine if the government would have done this 25 years ago....imagine how many Maverick and Comets would have been scrapped!!!