jshertx

I'm sure some of you have heard and noticed that the goverment car allowance program, aka "cash for clunkers", goes into effect today. Guess what? My 2007 Mustang GT Fastback qualifies for the $4,500 voucher toward a brand new vehicle. Well there's a preselected list to choose from because the government doesn't want you returning to a "gas-guzzling clunker". WTF? Everyone needs to read the fine print on this wonderful program! Basically, you get $4,500 as your trade value, the car gets destroyed, and you drive home to plug in your brand new lunch box with wheels to charge up for a full day of driving 30mpg. Yes, the dealership has strict orders, with legal penalties for not following the program, to DESTROY THE ENGINE AND DRIVETRAIN.

"Though all trades must be in drivable condition, dealers are required to disable the engines before scrapping them. Regulators’ accepted procedure: Drain the oil, then run several quarts of sodium silicate through the engine. As engine heat evaporates the solution, deposits of dehydrated sodium silicate line the engine’s oiling system, abrading all the moving parts and causing the engine to seize." (caption taken from msn.com article explaining the cash for clunkers program)

Well Uncle Sam can't have my Mustang! I don't care if it gets 10mpg. I doubt very few Mustang owners will even give this program a second glance. My car is part of the family, and the above captioned requirement for "gas-guzzlers" under this program is MURDER!
For those non-Mustang vehicles, why not give them to third world countries that are still plowing fields with a jackass? My God this is just wasteful! There are places in the world that could seriously benefit from just one good motor to irrigate crops, generate electricity, or the whole vehicle so they can retire vehicles that are 50+ years old and smoking like Cheech and Chong. What do you all think?

Topless06

I like the program.. I think im going to use it on my 95 blazer that gets 12mpg if i am lucky. I bought it for my winter car and had to put a tranny in it and some other odds and ends. And this program will help me get out underneath the POS.
I do like your idea about sending the cars to a third world country. But if it breaks over there what are they ganna do with it? If they are a up and coming country they probally dont have anyone to work on them lol.

Vrazhilov

Wow. The way it is described makes it sound like genocide..like sending a generation of cars to the gas chamber to be poisoned.



And it is wasteful. It's like the whole story with the Prius. Yea, it is a little more fuel efficient but bringing it all the way from Japan to your friendly West Coast port takes a lot of energy, more than the Prius saves. Similarly, sending these older cars (some of them 5 or 10 y.o) to the developing world provides people with transportation which is BETTER than having those people buy a brand NEW car. A lot of resources are 'wasted' building an entirely new car.

Matt's 95 Stang

Why doesnt the government hire people to take about these cars apart, and rec all the parts? WOW create jobs, and save the enviroment at the same time? geezzzz thats a new way of thinking...this program was not looked at very well....

Matthew

Werecow

I agree. The car gets destroyed, you get some salvage cash after the fact, big deal. I'd rather see the parts go to someone who needs them to keep their ride running. I'd glady give up the small amount of cash to have them resell the parts for someone who could use them.

MegaWatz

Okay, so now we're playing Holocaust with our "older cars". Great. This is efficiency! (not).

It seems to me like you should be in the government Matt. That WOULD of been a great idea. To me this is just a "poor peoples bailout". Then again, it's not a bailout because your spending an average of 16k for the car. Thats still 12k you owe if your car qualifies for the 4k "CFC" bailout. This is another ridiculous government program that will eventually fall through. Anyone remember "No Child Left Behind", yeah... Bullsh**.

I swear if i find an owner of a mustang that trades his/her car into the CFC Program, I WILL order a B*tch slap directly to their face, and post it on youtube. Cause that's how i roll. :-D

Just another gov't act that THINKS it's doing good for the country, but again, it fails harder than trying to have sex with Courtney Love, like throwing a hot dog down a hallway, it gets you NOWHERE in the end.

ckosiek

I think somebody is making money somewhere on this, it's always about the benjamins!