With so many people AGAINST this dumbass program...how is it that it is coming to fruition??? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31443485/ns/business-autos Obama's Government Motors apparently wants to scrap all the old cars so they can start over selling all new cars. Well...it isn't going to work. How many people are going to rush out and cop a big car payment for the next 5 years. Or, how many are eligible?
Look at how whacky that logic is: (from the article): "... the plan could give them a reason to visit their local car dealer during an economic downturn..." We built our countries thanks to transportation in less than 100 years, and now the transportation industry says we're here to build them??? WTF is that? :banghead3: Get with the people, man. We weren't born to serve your game!
First off, the program is funded to $1B, not the original $5B as the Senate wanted, so that's good. Secondly, the program would involve cars that are built from 1985 to 2005 as eligible trades under the $2,500/$3,500/$4,500 program. Many of these cars are worth more than that, anyway. The target is cars and trucks that get 18 mpg or less in combined city/highway driving, so basically it's after a few select cars and trucks...specifically full-sized pickups, SUVs, and a handful of full-sized cars and wagons. So, that junk Cavalier isn't eligible, nor is that '76 Caprice wagon. It is a feel-good mechanism by Congress to say "Look, America, we're doing something! The thing is, the people this program targets, can't afford a new car in the first place, or do not want one! The new car must get only TWO miles per gallon better than the trade, or more than 18 combined, to qualify in this fiasco. That would give the buyer a $2,500 trade value, period. If the difference were EIGHT mpg or better, then the buyer would qualify for the $4,500 trade-in. The trade MUST be in the trader's name and be registered AND insured over the course of the last year, so a guy can't zoom to the auction, buy a $200 beater Lincoln Town Car, and go straight to the dealership and trade it off in this program. Trades will be sent directlly to scrap. The engine blocks will be removed and destroyed, thought the remainder of the car or truck can be parted or scrapped. For the time being, our old cars are not a target, but it's NOT because of any benevolence by our Congressional idiots. It's because reliable EPA mileage data does not exist on many models built pre-1985. They'd get rid of ALL old cars and trucks, given the chance. This is just an incremental step towards that goal.
Only $1 billion for how many cars? That's not enough to print the legislation and distribute it, pay the advertising and brochures, set up computer systems across how many DMV's and DOT offices. Sounds like smoke and mirrors pocket change. You're safe. We're not up here though. For some reason, our provincial government isn't promoting the times and dates for public comment on our 'clunker' program. They've got a majority and they don't have to.
The true answer? Because none of us are doing anything about it... no protests, no letters to our representatives etc.. we are letting it happen. Everybody things someone else will say something...and then nobody does. Its a sad truth...
why why why!!!! they mentioned the ford bronco leave the bronco alone...that was one of the best vehicles...they are getting rare too!
I'm concerned that if this is happening in the US, it will only be a matter of time before it happens down here. Sometimes, when issues like this come into play down here, we refer to ourselves as the 51st state. The gov here also does not float ideas for public comment anymore. The problem we have is that the local gov, state gov and the federal gov are all of the same party?? Democracy. I posted in another thread this is how it started with gun regulation down here. And as Silverfox rightly pointed out, the majority of the public is disarmed but the criminals still manage to have guns!!
The Fleet's getting up there. Could almost say it's getting Olds-fashioned. I've never seen that year of Olds wagon, face-to-face, but I had a 1963 4-door hardtop starfire, in the Army (many moons ago).
yes, these new legislations are doing away with all the good ones. im sure if theyre still inefficient cars on the road, theyll find a way to get us, like a steep fine or penalty or some kind of gas consumption gas tax or something. "my friends, i believe that they are starting to tighten theyre grip on our gonads!!!!!!"
Yeah, but not our cajones! I'm gonna be the forum's water injection guinea pig. Now that I've got a tripmeter, I can watch my MPG better. The vacuum gauge will tell me what's happening with the currently stock advance, and after I install the Advanced Timing Curve Springs (Mr-Gasket kit for $10.00 and a couple hours). I expect to drop fuel consumption by 10% with the springs alone, and up to 15% with the water injection. The payoff is the extra torque and HP by about 5 to 10% for each step. There's a way to do this and do better than the regulations. We just have to dig into it.
