One reason why used and core engines are drying up in the U.S.

[cgwymp]

I understand the rationale behind it, redistribution of wealth and governmental dumassness.
Ron

Like there hasn't been a major redistribution of wealth over the last 30 years....

[rcavictim]

I understand the rationale behind it, redistribution of wealth and governmental dumassness.
Ron

Couldn't have put that in better terms!

I just posted quite a rant but decided it might be a bit too political for some sensibilities here so I yanked it. 

Cheers.

[BioHazard]

I was at the junkyard just after the cash for clunkers thing, about half the vehicles they had the engines were spray painted orange. That meant they killed it. It made me absolutely sick seeing all those perfectly good vehicles ruined like that. I would only classify a few as "clunkers". Lots of good non engine parts to pick though.  

I can't really say anymore on this topic without getting political....  

[fabricator]

Talk about making a mountain out of a mole hill "Perfectly good cars?" I'm sure there were way more clinkers than perfectly good cars, and all the steel and aluminum and plastic went right back into the supply chain.
As for the redistribution of wealth, easy or hard it's coming, I'm not saying I'm for it, all you have to do is look at history, nothing ever changes and nothing ever stays the same.

[BioHazard]

Talk about making a mountain out of a mole hill "Perfectly good cars?" I'm sure there were way more clinkers than perfectly good cars

Obviously you weren't around any dealers or junk yards when this was happening. Yes, perfectly good cars, better cars than what I drive, were totally destroyed. Very few of them qualify for a normal person's definition of "clunker", but they qualified under the law. There could have been so many better things done with those vehicles, the scrap value is nothing. By law the vehicles had to be in running condition before they could ruin them....

Search youtube and I'm sure you will find plenty of clips of nice cars being destroyed in this program. At a local dealer somebody even turned in a Maserati.

Here's an example of how stupid the program was:
My Jeep qualified to be traded in for the $4000? credit. Said Jeep was worth about $3000 according to blue book value. Jeep ran great, only 2900lbs with an unstoppable 6 cylinder engine, got 24mpg on the highway. Is that really a "clunker"? (And in case you're wondering, I still have it)

[deeiche]

SNIP
At a local dealer somebody even turned in a Maserati.
SNIP

I wouldn't use a Maz as an example, mid-80's "running" Maseratis can be had for under the cash for clunkers trade in value, not to mention maintenance costs.

your Jeep was a better example.  I remember we had the same discussion on an FSJ mailing  list.

[fabricator]

Talk about making a mountain out of a mole hill "Perfectly good cars?" I'm sure there were way more clinkers than perfectly good cars

Obviously you weren't around any dealers or junk yards when this was happening. Yes, perfectly good cars, better cars than what I drive, were totally destroyed. Very few of them qualify for a normal person's definition of "clunker", but they qualified under the law. There could have been so many better things done with those vehicles, the scrap value is nothing. By law the vehicles had to be in running condition before they could ruin them....

Search youtube and I'm sure you will find plenty of clips of nice cars being destroyed in this program. At a local dealer somebody even turned in a Maserati.

Here's an example of how stupid the program was:
My Jeep qualified to be traded in for the $4000? credit. Said Jeep was worth about $3000 according to blue book value. Jeep ran great, only 2900lbs with an unstoppable 6 cylinder engine, got 24mpg on the highway. Is that really a "clunker"? (And in case you're wondering, I still have it)

You are entirely missing the point of the program, it was to get dirtier cars of the road and cleaner cars on the road, and boost the auto industry as well, and with all three domestic builders making profits for the first time in years who is to say it didn't do any good?
I don't care if you were riding a bike and they were blowing up Cadillacs, that's not the point.

[BioHazard]

You are entirely missing the point of the program, it was to get dirtier cars of the road and cleaner cars on the road, and boost the auto industry as well, and with all three domestic builders making profits for the first time in years who is to say it didn't do any good?
I don't care if you were riding a bike and they were blowing up Cadillacs, that's not the point.

You are missing the point. Yes, the program was to get "clunkers" off the road. What ended up happening is they ruined thousands and thousands of vehicles that were not "clunkers" at all. The law was much to vaguely written.

Yeah, if someone turned in a 1972 caddy with a 500ci big block, then that's what the program was designed for. Not a newer Jeep that gets good gas mileage. Jeeps were one of the most common trade ins for the program. Many, many, many perfectly good cars that got reasonable gas mileage and still had a lot of life left got crushed for no good reason at all. I saw the parking lots overflowing with turn ins. They were mostly nice used cars, not "clunkers", or gas guzzlers.

The real clunkers stayed on the road since their owners couldn't afford to buy a new car even with a $4000 credit, that's why they drive a clunker in the first place.

[LowGear]

An attorney I know still rejoices in being rid of his V7 Cherokee.  He didn't think he ever heard it hit on all eight.  They got a Prius and are still thrilled two years later.

I was at a Subaru dealer and he was admiring my 92 SVX.  He then proceeded to tell me about the many SVXs that were taken in during the program.  My SVX gets over 26 MPG on the road.  To now learn that they destroyed those wonderful six cylinder boxer engines makes me sick.  These cars must be destroyed in order order to be saved.  Vietnam all over again.

Casey

Oh:

The real clunkers stayed on the road since their owners couldn't afford to buy a new car even with a $4000 credit, that's why they drive a clunker in the first place.

I totally agree.

[cgwymp]

You are entirely missing the point of the program, it was to get dirtier cars of the road and cleaner cars on the road, and boost the auto industry as well, and with all three domestic builders making profits for the first time in years who is to say it didn't do any good?
I don't care if you were riding a bike and they were blowing up Cadillacs, that's not the point.

You are missing the point. Yes, the program was to get "clunkers" off the road.

No, the point was not to get "clunkers" off the road -- or at least not the main point. The main point was to boost new car sales. In that regard, it worked....

[deeiche]

SNIP
No, the point was not to get "clunkers" off the road -- or at least not the main point. The main point was to boost new car sales. In that regard, it worked....

we all have our own opinions.

the main point was to make sure one of the largest Democrat contributors in both time and money, the UAW, survived.  When cash for clunkers failed to "save" the auto industry they ended up with one of the strangest "bankruptcies" this country has ever seen.  But hey, it is only "evil wall street" they held auto industry bonds.  Oops, what about penson plans?  I know my pension plan took a hit when GM bonds defaulted.

[bschwartz]

     "Yeah, if someone turned in a 1972 caddy with a 500ci big block, then that's what the program was designed for"

I wish that were true!!!  My clunker 1982 mercedes DIDN'T qualify because it was TOO old!!!!

The REAL clunkers were exempt from the program.  I guess the thinking was that if you drove a 75 Pontiac, that you probably couldn't afford to buy a new car from one of the big three, so too bad for you if you are poor.

It also had the side affect of removing good running older cars from service, that poor people (like many of us) could afford.  This caused used car prices to climb!!!!!

I generally lean to the left of the political spectrum, but the cash for clunkers was a HUGE expensive mistake that benefited the auto industry at the expense of the poor.

/////  step off soapbox ////

[sailawayrb]

Well, it seems like many of the government policies over the past 30 years have benefited others (mostly corporations and the rich) at the expense of the poor and middle-class.  So there has already been a massive redistribution of wealth.  Frankly, I think it is already too late for this to change in any positive way given that corporations and the rich have now been given complete power to buy their political candidates into office via the super PAC process.  Seems like it's only a matter a time before there will be revolution between the "haves" and the "have-nots".  One should probably be prepared for this and why these "community forums" are a good thing to have.

Bob B.

[fabricator]

Well, it seems like many of the government policies over the past 30 years have benefited others (mostly corporations and the rich) at the expense of the poor and middle-class.  So there has already been a massive redistribution of wealth.  Frankly, I think it is already too late for this to change in any positive way given that corporations and the rich have now been given complete power to buy their political candidates into office via the super PAC process.  Seems like it's only a matter a time before there will be revolution between the "haves" and the "have-nots".  One should probably be prepared for this and why these "community forums" are a good thing to have.

Bob B.

Thanks to the Supreme Court the United States is now an Oligarchy, there is simply no disputing that fact, on the day that decision came down the fuse was lit.

[vdubnut62]

And people wonder why I have so many generators, why I stock pile fuel, why I have so many weapons and so much ammo for them, why I have so many tools, why I have a sawmill, why I have a hidey place so far out in the deep weeds that I have to pipe sunshine in...........
Ron.