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Cash for Clunkers: Would you kill your car for $10,000?

2K views 43 replies 26 participants last post by  redstuff 
#1 ·
Back in the '90s, California was giving people money if they turned in their old cars for crushing--all in the name of smog fighting.

Of course, the cars from the '50s and '60s that began to roll in for crushing were hardly driven enough to have any impact on smog, and of course, they also had obvious historical value.

I didn't follow the legislation, but I think they stopped accepting cars that were built before the emission laws went into effect.


But here we are again. Congress is debating a nationwide "cash for clunkers" program, wherein people of low and middle incomes can turn in their 10 year old or older cars for $10,000 toward the purchase of a new one with a better MPG rating.

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20090205/CARNEWS/902059989


Would you do it?

My Fleetwood, besides a parking lot scrunch by a hit and runner, is in great shape for its age. But it's not worth $10,000 on the open market. If I want a new car, say a Volt, would I let some junkyard flatten my baby for my financial gain?

It's a tough question (also, I don't know what they mean by middle income, so I may not qualifity). I was very much against the California crushings because of the vintage cars that we lost forever because of the program. My Cadillac isn't vintage now, but who know, in 20 years it could be the next 1955 Buick and I'll be sad that I betrayed the enthusiast/hobbyiest crowd by allowing something like that happen.

But, man, 10 Gs is good money!
 
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#2 ·
I would do it in a heartbeat. I have a 1998 Honda Civic with almost 160,000 miles on it. It still runs fine and gets great gas mileage, but I would be lucky to get $3,500 for it. My wife and I are looking at getting a new car soon anyway, so this would make it a no-brainer.
 
#3 ·
I don't know the exact provisions that would be included in such a bill, but there should be some sort of caveat to prevent cars of a certain age that may have historical value form being destroyed.
 
#6 ·
I honestly don't see a problem with the program. If you don't want to crush your car, don't hand it over to them for cash. But for a piece of junk car that I just have sitting around, I'd do it without hesitation. But something like my Monte Carlo or a nice classic? No.
 
#7 ·
Places in California STILL offer cash for old cars. Every year I owned my 1971 Cadillac, some organization offered me $650 to take the gross polluter off the roadway for good.

I'd easily take $10k for my 1993 Camry. I could sell it for $3,500 to a private party, but why? Crushing for !0 Grand sounds like a win for #1.....me! ;)
 
#10 ·
The problem is you have to put it toward the purchase of a new car...but for $10,000 off a G8, bye bye K-car :sad:
 
#11 ·
The problem is you have to put it toward the purchase of a new car...but for $10,000 off a G8, bye bye K-car :sad:
No dice buddy,

AUTOWEEK.COM said:
The Senate could vote on the plan on Thursday, which would offer $10,000 to any moderate- or low-income consumer who trades in a car or truck that is at least 10 years old and buys a new one that is more fuel-efficient and "assembled in the United States." The trade-ins would be scrapped rather than resold.
 
#13 ·
Um, what about lower-income people that need to buy a car? It's not like the car is a luxury here, for most Americans it is a necessity. If everyone is just throwing them away for $10k there won't be any cheap vehicles for the lower-income/new drivers. Not to mention car donation programs for groups like Rawhide that will suffer from it.

And the aforementioned collectible market.


So no, I am 100% opposed to this plan. A better idea would be a program to help owners of older vehicles properly maintain their vehicles. That would probably be better for the environment anyway.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Seems as tho there are many ways around this...Buy a nasty 70's slush mobile gas hog one day for 1k, bring it to the crusher the next and walk out 9k "richer" so long as you want to buy a new car. Sounds like a very nice plan to me :yup:

And no i would not personally do it with my car, since i would most likely only be able to afford and Aveo or something. Dear god that would be awful.
 
#30 ·
In reality if this passes, those who can squeeze threw the regulations, wont get enough in a rebate to make it worth the time to benefit. Those who have that old of a vehicle as a dd more than likely can't afford a large car payment.
Every other article I have found is in the ball park of 1-5 thousand.

If it was to pass for 10Gs, in a heart beat, take the POS.:D
 
#38 ·
So how much are they raising taxes to pay for this stupid program? If they do it, there need to be rules saying the car much be safety inspected (do they do that in the USA?) and owned and insured for at least a year to prevent people from picking up $500 junkyard clunkers and taking your tax dollars.

Good idea in theory, if the money was free, but that isn't how the world works. $10,000 used cars are still relatively nice vehicles, say a Cobalt thats a year or so old. Seems to me that these cars are plenty clean as is, and the slightly lower emissions from a 2009 vehicle seem hardly worth 10K from the taxpayers. The law should be vehicles older than whatever the latest emissions standards were implemented, otherwise it's money for nothing.
 
#40 · (Edited)
For $10,000? I think I would. I have a 154,000 mile Explorer Sport 4WD. I love it to death & planned on keeping it forever, but for $10K I could probably swing on trading it for a new 2.3L 5 spd Ford Ranger. Unfortunately, the 2.3L's are 2WD only, but I would simply liberate the transfer case, front drive shaft, differential, and axles before trading it. Then, I'd scrounge up the correct 4X4 tailshaft housing for the M5R1 trans, correct 4X4 front spindles, 4X4 switch, bolt up my old hardware, and go.
:cool:

Edit: Went over to the Ford build your own website and built a 2009 Ranger XL to my liking. $17,890 base for an extended cab 2.3L (I don't fit in the reg. cab), $20,015 if I add tilt wheel, A/C, privacy glass, and door rub strips.

Figure invoice is about $1,100 less, plus a measly $1,500 rebate, and the $10K trade credit, and I'm looking at a price of $7,415, +TTL (or $5,290 if I am willing to drive with my arms outstretched, while sweating, and get more door dings).

Not bad I guess, but I was expecting cheaper--that's a lot of money for a very basic Ranger. No wonder they aren't selling, & I'd save a lot more by just keeping my worn but very well working clunker.

...money for nothing.
And chicks for free.
 
#39 ·
At this point I'd kill you for $10,000


And by you mean whomever thinks I'm talking about them and not anyone in particular. But you'll only know that if you reply to this post, or highlight it. ;-)
 
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