Cash For Clunkers bill

[jason-1995fbody]

what do you folks think/know about it

me personally i think its awesome and should include used cars because most people that do it cant afford a new car payment that's why they are still driving their beaters

['97ventureowner]

I'm not a big fan of it. The way it's written now, consumers would get $3500 if they replace their current vehicle with a new one that gets at least 4 miles more a gallon. They would get $4500 if that figure rises to 10+ a gallon more. I've seen bills in the 1980's meant to clean the air by getting rid of older cars and a lot of classic and older restorable vehicles were destroyed by those unfamiliar with the value or the hobby of old cars itself. I'm afraid something like that could happen again. The Bill proposes that all of the vehicle including the body and drivetrain be destroyed. That could cause more shortages and drive up the prices of these used parts for everybody involved in maintaining their older cars whether it be a daily driver, a casual driver, or a show car.
Also with the current state of the economy. and the ever tightening credit industry, I don't know too many people who can finance a new car today.
I think the money could be better spent to hasten the development and production of more fuel efficient vehicles all the while keeping the prices low. The President this past week announced new mileage standards that are supposed to take effect in a few years. and the car manufacturers have already said it will drive up the cost of a new vehicle by at least $1300, probably more in a few years. That is not right. These manufacturers should implement these changes to make their vehicles more fuel efficient with mimimal increases in the current prices. Other, foreign manufacturers are able to do it, so why can't we?

EDIT: I also wanted to add that some of the money should go towards programs to educate the public to keep their vehicles maintained and tuned up so that their vehicles would get the best possible gas mileage possible. I'm just afraid the target may be older cars that are the heart of our hobby and something that we can pass on to future generations as part of Americana. The real target over the past decade or so has been the rise in popularity of gas guzzling SUVs and trucks. We might not be in this situation if their popularity had not increased as much as it did.

[Blackcrow64]

Originally Posted by '97ventureowner

EDIT: I also wanted to add that some of the money should go towards programs to educate the public to keep their vehicles maintained and tuned up so that their vehicles would get the best possible gas mileage possible. I'm just afraid the target may be older cars that are the heart of our hobby and something that we can pass on to future generations as part of Americana. The real target over the past decade or so has been the rise in popularity of gas guzzling SUVs and trucks. We might not be in this situation if their popularity had not increased as much as it did.

Very much agreed!

It'll be interesting to see what happens with this bill.

[jason-1995fbody]

EDIT: I also wanted to add that some of the money should go towards programs to educate the public to keep their vehicles maintained and tuned up so that their vehicles would get the best possible gas mileage possible. I'm just afraid the target may be older cars that are the heart of our hobby and something that we can pass on to future generations as part of Americana. The real target over the past decade or so has been the rise in popularity of gas guzzling SUVs and trucks. We might not be in this situation if their popularity had not increased as much as it did.[/quote]

i also agree for the most part but the older "collectible" are not the problem but the millions of identical suvs out their back in the day they made car different and more personalized
man i wish i lived in the late 60s

['97ventureowner]

Originally Posted by jason-1995fbody

i also agree for the most part but the older "collectible" are not the problem but the millions of identical suvs out their back in the day they made car different and more personalized
man i wish i lived in the late 60s

While you and I and most people on this site know that these older cars aren't the problem that doesn't mean that everybody thinks that way. I remember reading stories back in the late '80s of older, classic cars being crushed under a program in California in an effort to "clean the air". I believe back then the bounty was $600 per car, and some groups interested in saving some of the cars that were too good to be crushed, set up down the road from the drop off place and offered the vehicle owners more money for their vehicles in an attempt to save them.
Just because a vehicle is 30, 40+ years old doesn't mean they should be done away with. Like I said in an earlier post, most of these vehicles aren't daily drivers and aren't driven many miles per year. They also tend to be better maintained by their owners, compared to those large SUVs and other gas guzzlers that litter the highways driving many more miles a year overall and many are probably poorly maintained, making their gas mileage even worse. It kills me whenever I see a large Ford 4x4 pickup hauling a heavy trailer tearing down the interstate at 75+ mph. Yeah buddy you're getting great gas mileage : Many of these gas hogs were needlessly purchased by those that wanted a status symbol and could have gotten by with something less. How many large trucks do you see where the owners never use them to haul a single thing?

[jason-1995fbody]

yeah my aaa well exboss wore a suit and tie and drove a 4 door chevy3500 dully every day and refused to haule any thing because it might scratch it would make a great car hauler but not a daily driver im sure there are millions of other examples like this out there

[2.2 Straight six]

I feel there would be a big benefit in putting this money into less harmful fuels, like biofuels and petrol/ethanol mixes and such. To the extent an unmodified car can run on them fine (or with minimal work) and those fuels put out less harmful emissions. We have a scheme over here where you turn in your car of over a certain age and you get get money off a new car for it. (up to £2,000, i think.)

People just can't afford a new car. I'm looking for a 10-year-old Sprinter van. Over here the insurance cost is the killer for me.