Ask James48843

[Buster]

those cars are already made. Many autoworkers are laid off and probably won't get called back for a very long time as they sell off the excess inventory. The ones that are working will work a lot of over time before they hire back workers.

Ah..that's a hard one to call for sure..but judging by the rabid sales this past weekend already..the inventories will be depleted soon..

 

[McDuck]

I have a 1995 Nissan truck with 96,000 miles on it that I plan to drive another 100,000 been paid for a long time!!

Those Hardbody (pre-1998) Nissan trucks were great. That's low mileage for a '95. Have you had it since it was new?

 

[PessOptimist]

WOW! Just wow. I never figured this would be such a hot button issue here. Chill out!
My 1.16 cents:
Most of the gross polluters I see in my daily commute are older than "84s. This does not count "classics" though some I see are just daily transportation or work truck registered as classics.
Arguing about Toyotas or Nissans that won't qualifiy for this program is something you ought to take to another place. Yeah, were all happy you don't waste your money. Congrats.
Some people are getting screwed on this deal, their cars are worth more than the maximum amount. Are they actually checking what the trade in is worth?
I actually got an e-mail from the sales manager at my local dodge dealer telling me i should trade in my 2001 Dakota under this plan. Six months ago, it was worth $6500.
Same sales manager quoted me a deal six months ago on a $9998 plus tax and license Caliber plus my $6500 trade in for $16,995. When I asked him to show me the math, he said he had to talk to the owner. As I was walking out he tried to block me from leaving. My truck was in for a repair and they did an "appraisal" on it without me knowing. The service manager had a problem "finding" my vehicle. I pointed it out to him. He told me there was a "sales hold" on it. I dialed 911. He gave me my vehicle.
That last paragraph may have belonged under a different thread in a different forom
The sad part is that most of the people driving these "clunkers" are upside down on their payments and there is no way they can qualify for a new car loan.So it doesn't help them.
So this program isn't really doing s**t for anyone who couldn't all ready afford to buy a new car. But it sure looks good in the media! And it's not really adding that much money to the deficit our grand children will have to try to pay off. What's a couple billion more.

 

[Show-me]

The sad part is that most of the people driving these "clunkers" are upside down on their payments and there is no way they can qualify for a new car loan.So it doesn't help them.
So this program isn't really doing s**t for anyone who couldn't all ready afford to buy a new car. But it sure looks good in the media! And it's not really adding that much money to the deficit our grand children will have to try to pay off. What's a couple billion more.

Amen! That is one of my many points, wag the dog comes to mind. The media is eating this up and it is no better a idea than bailing out banks IMO. Folks we're broke. We just had a record $200 billion bond auction we are so broke.

If Congress can take $1 billion out of a budget and reallocate it for cash for clunkers give away. Did that money really need to be in the budget in the first place?

Here is a idea. Instead of buying a new car, how about just giving the folk the money for the clunkers instead of the auto dealers. I sure a lot of folks have clunkers around that need the money, like to buy food, clothing for back to school, rent, utilities. I have $9k worth of clunker sitting here and would like a bail out or stimulus. I'll spend it, I promise.

 

[Show-me]

Once again. What is the return on the tax payers $1 billion?

How many jobs created?

How is it helping the economy?

Is this a shell game just to make the car sales look better?

If the market rallies because of all of the Government intervention, does that mean the economy is on solid ground or that we have learned how to throw money at the right areas to skew the indicators?

What do you want to bet that car sales go back down the next few months after the money runs out?

 

[Show-me]

No chill pill need here, I think this is good discussion/debate. I'll take that massage tho.

 

[Show-me]

"This proves one thing: If you hand out money on the street corner, people will take it," said James L. Gattuso, a senior fellow in regulatory policy at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

He warned that while people might be buying cars the gains from their purchases won't overcome the lost economic activity from using the government dollars for more productive programs.


"The money has to be taxed or borrowed. It doesn't come from thin air," Gattuso said. "You aren't going to fix the economy by the government being the consumer and paying for consumption directly."

"Is the government going to be the consumer of last report?" Gattuso added. "I don't think that's a viable economic plan."

The Cash for Clunkers program was designed to help the struggling auto industry by giving owners of old cars money toward the purchase of a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle. Owners of old cars and trucks can get $3,500 or $4,500 toward a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle in exchange for scrapping their old vehicle.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=8242391&page=1

I sure the executives appreciate the free money.

 

[Gumby]

By The Way..do you have any Grey Poupon?

That brings back old memories of silly commercials.......

 

[McDuck]

James, How long do you think the current rally is going to last?

 

[alevin]

delete

 

[alevin]

Me n nnuut, great minds and all that!

I have a 1995 Nissan truck with 130,000 miles on it that I plan to drive another 70,000 been paid for a long time!! I'll drive it until the wheels fall off!! But that's just me, frugal!! Call me cheap if you like, I love it!!

 

[McDuck]

The cars ARE being recycled.

There will be no shortage of salvage parts- this will HELP the salvage market.

Where on earth did you get the idea that the parts were not going to be recycled?

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/08/03/clunkers.trade.ins/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

 

[Birchtree]

My 1976 Triumph TR-7 still lives. It is being revitalized by a sixteen year old and his father as a project. They have sent me pictures and I've talked to them on the phone regarding history of the car. This will be the young man's high school ride - it'll be like "Route 66" all over again. There is absolutely no rust on this Triumph - a cherry automobile.

 

[luv2read]

"This proves one thing: If you hand out money on the street corner, people will take it," said James L. Gattuso, a senior fellow in regulatory policy at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

He warned that while people might be buying cars the gains from their purchases won't overcome the lost economic activity from using the government dollars for more productive programs.


"The money has to be taxed or borrowed. It doesn't come from thin air," Gattuso said. "You aren't going to fix the economy by the government being the consumer and paying for consumption directly."

"Is the government going to be the consumer of last report?" Gattuso added. "I don't think that's a viable economic plan."

The Cash for Clunkers program was designed to help the struggling auto industry by giving owners of old cars money toward the purchase of a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle. Owners of old cars and trucks can get $3,500 or $4,500 toward a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle in exchange for scrapping their old vehicle.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=8242391&page=1

I sure the executives appreciate the free money.

The government (taxpayer) is both the consumer and the seller. Money out of your pocket into treasury, back in your pocket as rebate, back in treasury thru automakers. WE (taxpayers) own GM, people. Do you want it to fail? The bailout has to be repaid. It's the same money being recycled.

 

[James48843]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/08/03/clunkers.trade.ins/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

Ah Ha.

CNN's reporter is wrong. There is no rule that says only those parts can be reused.

Here is the rule itself- from http://www.cars.gov/files/TheRule.pdf

As you can see- the rule ONLY requires the engine block not to be reused- and the drive train, unless the drive train is disassembled into parts. If it is, then the drive train could also be reused.


From page 53 of the rule: (Section 599.400 to 403, disposal requirements)

View attachment 6636

A disposal facility is free to remove and sell doors, airbags, (both items that the CNN reporter said they could not), as well as any other component of the vehcile traded in. The ONLY exception is the engine block, and complete drive train. The drive train would have to be disassembled into parts to sell the parts. (Transmission, drive shaft, rear end, each could be sold as a seperate unit).

I never said CNN was accurate in their reporting.

Thanks for the reference. We all ought to bombard CNN with the facts, and demand a retraction.

But then it wouldn't be as good a video to stir up opposition to the program, now would it?

CNN never lets facts get in the way of a story, eh?

 

[McDuck]

Thanks for the reference. We all ought to bombard CNN with the facts, and demand a retraction.

The original NYT article, a CBS Sunday Morning report, and now this CNN all say that the car goes to the crusher.

 

[James48843]

Again- who do you believe?

(mcduck, I can't believe I am saying this, but here goes....)

Who are you going to believe?

The media?

Or the actual government published rule?

(There, I said it.)

 

[James48843]

BY the way- more details emerging today:

The Top Ten Cash for Clunkers Trade-Ins:

1. 1998 Ford Explorer

2. 1997 Ford Explorer

3. 1996 Ford Explorer

4. 1999 Ford Explorer

5. Jeep Grand Cherokee

6. Jeep Cherokee

7. 1995 Ford Explorer

8. 1994 Ford Explorer

9. 1997 Ford Windstar

10. 1999 Dodge Caravan

 

[James48843]

The Top Ten Cash for Clunkers New Cars Purchased:

1. Ford Focus

2. Honda Civic

3. Toyota Corolla

4. Toyota Prius

5. Ford Escape

6. Toyota Camry

7. Dodge Caliber

8. Hyundai Elantra

9. Honda Fit

10. Chevy Cobalt

 

[McDuck]

With all due respect, where did you get your data?

The Top Ten Cash for Clunkers New Cars Purchased:

1. Ford Focus

2. Honda Civic

3. Toyota Corolla

4. Toyota Prius

5. Ford Escape

6. Toyota Camry

7. Dodge Caliber

8. Hyundai Elantra

9. Honda Fit

10. Chevy Cobalt