Topic: Cash for clunkers. Why kill the motor? WTF America?!?!

[Laminar]

I got fuming mad and decided to leave when a guy came in and traded his almost new 08 Chevy 3500 Dually with a v8 for a brand new porsche.

Eh... whatever.

Did he get tired of picking up toothless country girls and decide to switch to the vapid country club type?

[HavocTurbo]

Well they gave him almost 30k for the truck, then he started #$%*ing about the cars program, and they added that also. (says you cannot combine but who cares right?)

Which means the truck gets scrapped.

[Laminar]

Well they gave him almost 30k for the truck, then he started #$%*ing about the cars program, and they added that also. (says you cannot combine but who cares right?)

Which means the truck gets scrapped.

That sounds like a gigantic ****-up on the dealer's part.

How do I know if my car or truck is an eligible trade-in vehicle?
There are several requirements (but you also have to meet certain conditions for the car or truck you wish to buy). Your dealer can help you determine whether you have an eligible trade in vehicle.

Your trade-in vehicle must

have been manufactured less than 25 years before the date you trade it in
have a "new" combined city/highway fuel economy of 18 miles per gallon or less
be in drivable condition
be continuously insured and registered to the same owner for the full year preceding the trade-in
The trade-in vehicle must have been manufactured not earlier than 25 years before the date of trade in and, in the case of a category 3 vehicle, must also have been manufactured not later than model year 2001
Note that work trucks (i.e., very large pickup trucks and cargo vans) have different requirements.

What rules apply to new work trucks?
A work truck, which is called a category 3 truck under the CARS Act, is subject to special rules. Work trucks are not rated for fuel economy by the EPA. Thus, the eligibility of work trucks for the program does not depend on combined fuel economy. Instead, work trucks may only be traded in under the program if they were manufactured not later than model year 2001 and not earlier than 25 years before the date of the trade in. In addition, work trucks may only be traded in for the purchase of a category 2 truck or another category 3 truck that is of similar size or smaller than the traded-in vehicle. Finally, the Act provides only for a $3,500 credit for trading in a work truck.

My bet is that they just gave him an extra $3,500 or $4,500 out of their pocket for the truck. There's no way the dealership would give him $30,000 out of their pocket then trash it.

[Gordon]

My bet is that they just gave him an extra $3,500 or $4,500 out of their pocket for the truck. There's no way the dealership would give him $30,000 out of their pocket then trash it.

+1

Just because they gave him some extra on his trade-in doesn't mean it came from the government.  Lots of dealerships are advertising that they're doubling the government payment on trade-ins, so it wouldn't surprise me at all if they gave someone an extra 4K on his 30K trade-in to get him to buy a Porsche when he started #$%*ing. 

[Inkscars]

Yea when they say "double" it's all on paper, there's no cash involved.
"sure you qualify for CARS, your vehicle is worth 3500 so we'll give you 7000k towards that brand new diesel you want." The government won't be giving them any money. an 08 doesn't qualify.

Oh, and I found out we're supposed to drain the oil from the engine and put in a bottle of LIQUID GLASS and then let it run until the engine seizes or detonates. They then give us $40 dollars for transport.

[HavocTurbo]

Well I drove by on my way home from work...

There's a cars sticker in the window.

Here's how I figure it.

30k for the truck..... and 150k for the porsche. I'd probably take that deal also if I was the dealer.

[333]

But clearly an example of someone who can't make up his mind.  Hmmm.  Let's see.  Pickup truck or sports car?

[Inigo Montoya]

Cant make up his mind or midlife crisis?

[333]

Either way, stoopid.

[Caymen]

6 out of the top 10 returned clunkers are Ford Exploders. Junk to the nth degree.

How would you figure?

Walking arount the local Pull-a-part, I see a half dozen Explorer's sitting in the yard. On average, they all have in excess of 250,000 miles on it. I happen to own a 2000 Explorer with 182,000 miles on it. A guy recently did the cash for clunkers on his "junk" 1997 Explorer. It had close to 300,000 miles on it, but only worth $1,000 in trade in value. This was a deal he couldn't pass up. He wanted something new, but didn't want to afford a car payment. He knew his time was limited on his Explorer. With close to 300,000 miles in NE Ohio snowy and salty roads, the body was showing its age after 12 years. It was time.

I expect to see many people making the same choice as my workmate did. If I were in the market for a small car, I would trade in my 2000 Explorer for a Ford Focus or Fusion. Unfortunatly, I have no desire, or need, to buy a new car. My vehicle is not old enought and I haven't got enough miles on it.

One of my cars has 354,000 miles on it. It runs flawlessly.


Tom

[ofreen]

6 out of the top 10 returned clunkers are Ford Exploders. Junk to the nth degree.

How would you figure?

Walking arount the local Pull-a-part, I see a half dozen Explorer's sitting in the yard. On average, they all have in excess of 250,000 miles on it.

Yes.  It is stylish to pick on Explorers, but first and second generation Explorers are everywhere and still going strong.  To say they are junk is ridiculous.

[Joel]

This program is so wrong in so many ways. It is a typical liberal "feel good" program that cannot accomplish anything it proposes.

It will cannabilize future sales of autos by artificaially accelerating them to the present, thus exacerbating the auto industries problems, years out.

With the US government now owners of GM and Chrysler, this has conflict of interest all over it.

So sad.  

Human nature: Increasing the fleet's gas mileage will not decrease dependence on foreign oil, it will only increase the amount of miles driven, overall fuel consumption flat to higher, consuming other resources like tires, oil, and roads.

Simply look at the last 20 years. The fleets average MPG is way up, but even factoring out the increase in # of vehicles, fuel consumption is not down.

I don't have backup for this, other than my own research over time. So take it or leave it. Its my opinion.

PS: Another point I just heard from a financial site is that this program rewards people who have made bad decisions. That is a hallmark of the whole recovery effort. The bankers and brokers who screwed everything, the borrowers who went in over their heads, the auto manufacturers who didn't plan for the future, are all being rewarded (bailed out) for their bad decisions and those who made good decisions are left to their own devices. This is bad policy.

The incompetent must be allowed to fail and the competent will bubble up to take their place.  But so far the courage to let this happen is not there.

Or so i think.

I agree.  If there aren't any consequences for bad decisions, what motivation is there to change and start making good ones?

[number13]

This one takes the cake.
Man trades in Maserati Bi-turbo in cash for clinker deal:

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2009/08/16/Man-trades-in-Maserati-as-clunker/UPI-38421250399674/

[Bob Wessner]

Not that I'm a sceptic  , but I wonder if it actually makes it to the crusher. Perhaps some enterprising reporter will verify if it does or doesn't.

[Laminar]

This one takes the cake.
Man trades in Maserati Bi-turbo in cash for clinker deal:

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2009/08/16/Man-trades-in-Maserati-as-clunker/UPI-38421250399674/

.....

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/08/14/delozier.maserati.cash.KUSA

A 1985 Maserati bi-turbo with 18,000 miles gets traded in. Apparently the guy had been trying to sell it forever but couldn't, so he traded it in as a clunker and got $3500.

[Duke McDukiedook]

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/08/14/delozier.maserati.cash.KUSA

A 1985 Maserati bi-turbo with 18,000 miles gets traded in. Apparently the guy had been trying to sell it forever but couldn't, so he traded it in as a clunker and got $3500.

Oh my jesus god 

Don't worry or lament too much.
That model was utter #$%*e, made it to number 37 on the list of "crap cars".
Was Time Magazine's worst car of 1984.

[Bob Wessner]

Well,I feel better.

[HavocTurbo]

Well,I feel better.

why? lol im a loser and cannot follow. 

[Laminar]

why? lol im a loser and cannot follow. 

I assume he feels better knowing that the car was a POS and not a classic supercar.

[Inkscars]

Whatever. It has the name Maserati and obviously was worth half of a million dollars. 

[strangedaze39]

That artical is a little misleading since it has no good details or photo's. To give you an idea of the "Maserati" he traded in this is what they look like:


And this is how fast they are:
The Biturbo zips to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds and reaches 100 mph in only 21.4 seconds, covering the quarter mile in 15.3 seconds at 91 mph in the process.

IMO not even the Maserati emblem would make me want to spend over 4k on it and use it as a daily driver.

[razor02097]

Well the Bi-turbo is no Ferrari... Its like the Buick Riviera of Maserati.

[Inkscars]

I would agree with that and add
it takes 21 seconds to go 100? Whoa.

[DammitDan]

Think of it this way...

It takes 6 seconds to go from 90 to 100.

Not exactly a roaring beast 

[Inigo Montoya]

Well look at the average performance of cars built in the 80's. not exactly burning street machines!