Cash-for-Clunkers: the final chapter

[No Bux Rod]

I just read the Cash-for-Clunkers (C4C) trade in thread and wanted to add some inofrmation. Here is the answer to the question: what happens to the cars?

I visited 2 self service junk yards yestarday (near Atlanta) and took a look at the C4C cars, yes cash for clunkers cars can end up at your favorite salvage yard. Off course there is plenty of paperwork for the operator. I think the Junkyard operators are doing the engine destruction and marking the cars. Here is what I found.

C4C care had their engines ruined with the silica silicate or whatever. Engines were marked with orange paint and tags.

There were papers taped on the windshield that mentioned that the core engine: block head(s), crank and cam were NOT for sale. All other parts were for sale Alts. water pump, dist...etc. as well as the rest of the car.

The good news is that these cars are (were) in much better condition than junked cars of the same year. These cars had to be licensed and driveable. So if you need a Dakota front or rear end then they are probably in better shape.

The bigger lot had about 75-80 C4C cars and trucks, including; Dodge dakotas, RAM 1500 PU, Grand caravans. Other models in large numbers were Ford Explorers. Most cars were 1990s with some newer than 2000 and only a couple 1980s machines.

IN some ways this is a secondary stimulus package in that it is helping the junkyards and we car guys get access to some newer parts.

Happy shopping. N B R

[greg g]

todays numbers showed the Explorer was the #1 clunker turn in, and the Toyota Corolla was the #1 new car purchased. So if you take the Exploder average of 16mpg, and compare it to the 29 mpg of the corolla, guess there might be a net fuel savings out of this. 3 billion dollars worth, hmmmmm even at 3 bucks a gallon thats a billion gallons.

so it might save a couple days worth of national usage.

[dezeldoc]

I had a 91 explorer and it went well over 300,000 miles with no problems at all! the thing would get 23mpg with it loaded down on vacations with me, wife and 4 kids. heck i towed my old 19ft boat with it and the car trailer and it had plenty of power, stopping well that was another story. about 6 months ago i saw it running around town and stopped the guy and asked how it was running and if he had done anything to it, said he only did the brakes and shocks and it was running great, he loves it. it is sad to see the cars go down the toilet, their are a lot of people who could have traded their junk for the good ones and had a much better car than they had and that they could afford.

[Don Coatney]

Follow this link for a how to.

[Don Jordan]

What I don't understand is why the American tax payer is paying for cars to be destroyed or so others can profit from them. What exactly is our benefit?

I understand that car dealers got a shot in the arm - good for them.

I understand that thousands of people now have car payments for the next 5 years.

But I think both the car dealers and car buyers are going to wake up tomorrow with an after party hang over saying "I did what?"

I don't mean to repeat my self but what did the tax payer get for his $2 Billion investment. No interest, no payback.

We could have better spent the money starting another war some where.

HMHO

[Captain Neon]

Don-

The taxpayer got nothing; just the bill. Same as any other government program.

"A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship."

For more background read, Hamilton's Curse by Thomas DeLorenzo.

[Captain Neon]

He happens to be an Economics professor at Loyola as well as an historian. A unique combination, and he has a particular interest in the time period after the Revolutionary War, but before the Civil War. Yes, there are others that hold an opposing view to Dr. DeLorenzo. His also happens to be one of the most recent books on the subject in particular.

[Captain Neon]

Never said that he was the final authourity, if you actually look. I just said that his book was a resource. It isn't like I stated that Thomas Jefferson wrote the US Constitution in 1776, Galileo was charged with heresy in 1787 for stating the world was round, or something along those line...

[Young Ed]

Ben' date='

That was my point. He's only the final authority if one believes in his views.[/quote']

Norm thats pretty obvious. On stuff like this no one is the final authority. Ben obviously believes in him and I tend to agree. You can only go along so long taking money from those who want to work hard and giving out to those who don't before too many stop working and you go broke.

[Dennis Hemingway]

Here is something about the cash for clunker program that was in the Las Vegas Review Journal.

Dennis:D

THE PUNCH LINE

"There's another 'Cash for Clunkers' program scheduled for six months from now: That's when the Minnesota Vikings will try to trade Brett Favre." -- late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel