Smart Guy Eloquently Says Cash for Clunkers Sucks

[ls7gto]

Re: Smart Guy Eloquently Says Cash for Clunkers Sucks

working at a Ford dealer we have a few cars and trucks to destroy. I WANT NO PART OF IT. It goes against everything I ever been taught . I spent years trying to fix peoples cars right the first time every time, now they want me to do this. when I hear them fire something up, I close my windows and turn the radio up. It just aint right.....

[Solsticefun]

Re: Smart Guy Eloquently Says Cash for Clunkers Sucks

Good write up speedy. I think all of this sucks. I still have my gas guzzling Chevy Z28, and now I will think I will drive it more and guzzle more gas. In the long run this will cost tax paying Americans a fortune.

[38P]

Re: Smart Guy Eloquently Says Cash for Clunkers Sucks

working at a Ford dealer we have a few cars and trucks to destroy. I WANT NO PART OF IT. It goes against everything I ever been taught . I spent years trying to fix peoples cars right the first time every time, now they want me to do this. when I hear them fire something up, I close my windows and turn the radio up. It just aint right.....

Way to go! Keep the faith, Bro!

It's sort of like that popular summary of the Hippocratic Oath: "Above all, do no harm." Vandalizing running engines just to qualify for a welfare voucher is the epitome of "doing harm."

Can you imagine how impoverished auto enthusiasts in the developing world must look at this "C4C" mess. Imagine some car-crazy kid who lies awake at night dreaming of a muscular American V8 or Autobahn-burner of his or her own (instead of a shared bicycle and the remote chance of a Tata Nano or some other tiny near-car), reading about a country that's so "affluent" that it can just destroy hundreds of thousands of V8s in a few days . . . .

It reminds me of a stupid rich kid who used his elementary school desk to crush a nearly-new Hot Wheels car back when they first came out in 1968. He didn't want it any more because it had a bent axle and no longer rolled straight.

I didn't have any Hot Wheels cars and I begged him to sell it to me for my lunch money (or even just to let me play with it for a little while). He just laughed as he tortured the little die-cast toy, grinding it into the terrazzo. And then he handed me the twisted pieces of it, just for spite. It had been a Camaro.

I still get angry about that over 40 years later . . . .

[ls7gto]

Re: Smart Guy Eloquently Says Cash for Clunkers Sucks

working at a Ford dealer we have a few cars and trucks to destroy. I WANT NO PART OF IT. It goes against everything I ever been taught . I spent years trying to fix peoples cars right the first time every time, now they want me to do this. when I hear them fire something up, I close my windows and turn the radio up. It just aint right.....

Way to go! Keep the faith, Bro!

It's sort of like that popular summary of the Hippocratic Oath: "Above all, do no harm." Vandalizing running engines just to qualify for a welfare voucher is the epitome of "doing harm."

Can you imagine how impoverished auto enthusiasts in the developing world must look at this "C4C" mess. Imagine some car-crazy kid who lies awake at night dreaming of a muscular American V8 or Autobahn-burner of his or her own (instead of a shared bicycle and the remote chance of a Tata Nano or some other tiny near-car), reading about a country that's so "affluent" that it can just destroy hundreds of thousands of V8s in a few days . . . .

It reminds me of a stupid rich kid who used his elementary school desk to crush a nearly-new Hot Wheels car back when they first came out in 1968. He didn't want it any more because it had a bent axle and no longer rolled straight.

I didn't have any Hot Wheels cars and I begged him to sell it to me for my lunch money (or even just to let me play with it for a little while). He just laughed as he tortured the little die-cast toy, grinding it into the terrazzo. And then he handed me the twisted pieces of it, just for spite. It had been a Camaro.

I still get angry about that over 40 years later . . . .

I mentor a young lad who built a tubbed and chopped model a coupe for his senior project. He is forced to apply the death sentence . his A has a tired 283 and he wants a good 350, today he had to put down 4 of them. just aint right.

as for the jack ass with the hot wheel, hopefully he drives a prius....would serve him right, A$$hole.

[38P]

Re: Smart Guy Eloquently Says Cash for Clunkers Sucks

I mentor a young lad who built a tubbed and chopped model a coupe for his senior project. He is forced to apply the death sentence . his A has a tired 283 and he wants a good 350, today he had to put down 4 of them. just aint right.

I'm thinking that all of this would be the core for a great, but sad "Henry Gregor Felson" type short story.

It's great you're mentoring this guy. (Sticking with the hot rod literary theme, it sounds a bit like Phillip Harkins' juvenile novel from the 1960s Road Race, wherein an older racer/mechanic mentors a juvenile delinquent owner of a hot Model A roadster)

Of course, as an unrepentant Ford guy, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that he ought to be putting a Ford in a Ford . . . . ;)

[autocracy]

Re: Smart Guy Eloquently Says Cash for Clunkers Sucks

I would have to say this is by far the dumbest idea I've ever heard of for two reasons:

1. It will damage the used car market (which could have been bolstered by allowing trade-ups to better fuel efficient used cars at a MUCH lower subsidy--a win-win). I'm curious how BO will bailout the used car dealers.... (where does this circle if insanity end? oh, yeah--WE ELECTED THEM.)

2. Buying a new car for most people during a severe recession is a BAD IDEA. (In my opinion, it's seldom a good idea--when is it ever a good idea to plop $20+k (plus 4.99% interest-- and I'm being conservative at that) on ANYTHING that the moment you sign the papers it IMMEDIATELY DEPRECIATES.

BONUS ROUND: Has anybody considered the environmental impact on the actual recycling of these supposed "clunkers"?

So what is the solution? First, the US Government is not in the "business of business"--its sole role is to deal with foreign relations, foreign trade, treaties and national defense. Period. STATES and MUNICIPALITIES deal with business. So Unca' Sam needs to stick with what he knows best ('nother argument for another time...)

The better solution is to convert the so called "clunkers" (my 1997 F-150 qualifies, but it runs like a champ--I love it!) to run on natural gas. Not a long term solution, but a healthy one for the remaining life of that automobile. If there's no way to bury this sucker, then it should be modified to include trading-up to used cars that meet the improved fuel efficiency rates.

I do agree that we need to encourage auto makers to improve fuel efficiency. Giving them "free money" promotes the status quo--they do NOTHING to get it and owe NOTHING in return.

Hail to the Chief...

[SpiderGearsMan]

Re: Smart Guy Eloquently Says Cash for Clunkers Sucks

harvard is the most expensive school -therefore it is the best

[antmnte]

Re: Smart Guy Eloquently Says Cash for Clunkers Sucks

Just heard on FOX news that the freakin program is saved .The freeholes somehow found two billion more of our
dough to buy cars.Hopefully it will be gone in 2 weeks with alot of other cars and that will be the end.Remember this in the 2010 mid term election.


They should give us the 2 billion I bet we can find some cars to buy, call it cash for keepers.Maybe get another going for tires and call it cash for burnouts. How about we all build up a fund and call it cash for getting the douchebags out of
office.

[Packratdave]

Re: Smart Guy Eloquently Says Cash for Clunkers Sucks

In the last 20 years most cars I have owned/driven would have gone to the junkyard had I not saved them. I feel this is real recycling. My current driver/beater (98 Chevy) was on the truck for the yard when I bought it. Less that $400 in parts later it's a good runner. Killing good working used car pisses me off. While out at a local Chevy dealer yesterday, had to pass the line of recently killed car to leave. A nice looking mid 1990s GMC pick up, extended cab and all waiting to be crushed was there. Better truck that I can afford as a honest car mechanic with 2 kids and a mortgage. Last week it was a sweet looking 87 Cutlass coupe, hard to find now in the northeast, that is crushed by now. I would have even taken it with the wreaked engine, got a spare. I told my wife seeing those cars, for me would be like the humane society putting dogs that they were going to put down on the front lawn with a sign saying "we are going to kill these dogs and you can't help them." Just make me sick. My wife thinks I am kind of strange, but I bet you guys (and girls) would understand.

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: Smart Guy Eloquently Says Cash for Clunkers Sucks

We're with you man. Puts a pit in your stomach.

Brian

[Aircooled]

Re: Smart Guy Eloquently Says Cash for Clunkers Sucks

For you, Packratdave
From Omaha Word Herald.

[38P]

Re: Smart Guy Eloquently Says Cash for Clunkers Sucks

harvard is the most expensive school -therefore it is the best

That's sort of like what the "gold chainers" in the Ferraris and Porsches say (just before you smoke 'em in some home-built primered "heap" ;D)

In the last 20 years most cars I have owned/driven would have gone to the junkyard had I not saved them.

We're with you, Bro!

Freiburger had an editorial on this same theme a few years back in Hot Rod.

And as Jay Leno often says, that's what real hot rodding was originally about

They should give us the 2 billion I bet we can find some cars to buy, call it cash for keepers.Maybe get another going for tires and call it cash for burnouts.

Cash for Burnouts! That's almost tempts me to go for some of this welfare . . . No! Got . . . to . . . stay . . . strong . . .

[realsteelfreak]

Re: Smart Guy Eloquently Says Cash for Clunkers Sucks


thats just me standing on my soapbox preaching about imports, bring back our manufacturing and responsible management and goverment .
Wait,lets pad our pockets and stockholders first.