Cool. I have an '86 Lincoln Town Car that's just been sitting in my driveway for about two years now, keep telling myself I'll figure out something to do with it, give it to somebody or another....but really, who wants a POS Lincoln Town Car?

This could work out.

The article forget one important piece of the puzzle. What is the government going to do with the "Clunker"?

Pay for it with an increase in gas taxes, and really incentivize people.

madmann: Cool. I have an '86 Lincoln Town Car that's just been sitting in my driveway for about two years now, keep telling myself I'll figure out something to do with it, give it to somebody or another....but really, who wants a POS Lincoln Town Car?

Sweet. Maybe I can get my father in law to get rid of that '79 Chrysler Newport that hasn't moved in 10 years. I told him I'd seal his driveway if he freed up the space.

1) Buy $1,000 clunker
2) Trade it in and get $4500 tax credit (number I heard on NPR this morning, may not be actual amount)
3) Buy an American car version of a Honda Civic (heard it may be for American cars only -- assuming that doesn't violate any treaties)
4) Profit, or at least come out ahead $3500 (or more depending on what you can actually trade the clunker in for)

/too bad our older car is a Civic that averages around to 30 MPG (doesn't do much highway driving)
//other car is a Forester (averages 22 MPG with our normal driving)

I have an 11 year old Hyundai (25 MPG)... and I figured that with incentives for buying a hybrid, and other rebates and deals I could end up getting a Prius for about 15K out of my pocket.

I think I will be getting a new car this year, the day after this bill is enacted.

damageddude: 3) Buy an American car version of a Honda Civic

That Honda may be more "American" than the Ford.

Would be a big boost for the lawn care industry also, as millions of rednecks are suddenly able to mow their lawns again.

Argggg. NO NO NO NO NO. Look, I understand that mortgage bailouts may not be the best idea, but mortgages are complicated and financial matters make people stupid. People should have known better, but I can understand some farkups here.

BUT:
Can you think of ANYONE who didn't understand that buying a car with low gas mileage meant buying more gas?

Just because gas costs more money now, well, that's their problem.

Katie98_KT: Can you think of ANYONE who didn't understand that buying a car with low gas mileage meant buying more gas?

Just because gas costs more money now, well, that's their problem.

Really this has more to do with stimulating the car industry, and improving overall gas mileage, which will go a long ways towards improving our nation's carbon emissions.

This has nothing to do with helping people out of their stupid car choices.

Code_Archeologist: Really this has more to do with stimulating the car industry, and improving overall gas mileage, which will go a long ways towards improving our nation's carbon emissions.

This has nothing to do with helping people out of their stupid car choices.

I know. I don't want to stimulate the car industry either. And I'm pretty sure making new cars produces more carbon emissions than continuing to run the cars people already own.

I'm a car moocher and renter and I vote!

- The forgotten demographic

Katie98_KT: I know. I don't want to stimulate the car industry either. And I'm pretty sure making new cars produces more carbon emissions than continuing to run the cars people already own.

Making a new car (a new fuel efficient car like a hybrid), will produce fewer emissions over the production cycle and life span of that car than keeping a jalopy on the road that get less than 30 MPG.

From an economic standpoint this is a good choice. We need to improve the gross fuel economy of the national fleet of cars. But car companies do not an economic impetus in the market for these cars that over comes the expense of designing, tooling, and building them. Incentivising the consumer to purchase these cars creates the market force that the industry is looking for.

JusticeandIndependence: The article forget one important piece of the puzzle. What is the government going to do with the "Clunker"?

Damnit son! You're not supposed to ask questions like that. Just nod your head, say "What a great idea!" and go on about your business.

I'm driving a 14-year-old Mazda that still averages 25 mpg on trips.

I'm guessing the rules of this program won't allow me to hand it over and get a break on a Cadillac CTS-V.

I've got a '99 Cavalier Convertible. It's flirting with 200,000 miles. I've never done a damn thing to it but replace and/or swap out the fluids on schedule, and replace the brake pads once in awhile. Nobody is more surprised than me that the damn thing continues to start up just as cheerfully every morning as it has every morning for the last decade. Difficulty: I live in Minneapolis.

I'm tempted to trade it in, but the morbid curiosity of just how long it will last keeps me driving it. I'm starting to think it's The Car That Won't Die. There is literally nothing but minor cosmetic wear wrong with the bloody thing.

I suspect one day I'll get out, and it'll just fall apart at the seams like the Bluesmobile.

My 13 year old clunker gets better mileage than most cars on the road right now. I can get 35 mpg with a good tail wind. 30 to 32 most weeks.

My 12 year old clunker gets 28-29 MPG. Not great, but good enough for me.

No thanks. My bland, little Audi 1.8T does just fine on the mileage & it's paid for. If I'm going to dump money into another car it's going to be a higher performance model w/ an evil V8 or a twin turbo 6cyl.

*slowly girates pelvis* "Lemme, lemme, lemme upgrrrraaade ya."

BobtheFascist: No thanks. My bland, little Audi 1.8T does just fine on the mileage & it's paid for.

Same here (1.8T), but mine's hardly "bland."

The Onanist: BobtheFascist: No thanks. My bland, little Audi 1.8T does just fine on the mileage & it's paid for.

Same here (1.8T), but mine's hardly "bland."

Actually, mine isn't bad either. It's actually pretty peppy. I was referring more to the car itself. Typical, entry level A4. Nothing fancy.

Katie98_KT: Argggg. NO NO NO NO NO. Look, I understand that mortgage bailouts may not be the best idea, but mortgages are complicated and financial matters make people stupid. People should have known better, but I can understand some farkups here.

BUT:
Can you think of ANYONE who didn't understand that buying a car with low gas mileage meant buying more gas?

Just because gas costs more money now, well, that's their problem.

You're a chick.

You have to prove to the men on this site why your opinions on money or cars are worth squat.

Dancin_In_Anson: Damnit son! You're not supposed to ask questions like that. Just nod your head, say "What a great idea!" and go on about your business.

Nice to see you offering solutions as always.

Snarfangel: Pay for it with an increase in gas taxes, and really incentivize people.

Regressive tax is regressive.

I traded in my 5.9L V8 Dodge Dakota last year and moved to a puny-ass Kia with 30+ MPG. Are you telling me if I had done the wrong thing and kept my clunker I could be looking at a sweet tax incentive today?

Too little, too late. Sadly when it comes to the government, this is just so typical.

The Gov't is broke. Where are they going to get the money?

Last time I saw this, I saw some language that said only those who make less than $125K would be eligible.


I thought the idea was to get people to buy new, get rid of old clunkers, and stimulate the economy.


I have an old Jeep I would do this with.

Just get it over with and take all my pay in taxes. Jesus fark.

LargeCanine: The Gov't is broke. Where are they going to get the money?

I'm as liberal as they come, but at some point you have to stop pulling initiatives out of thin air, don't you?

madmann: Cool. I have an '86 Lincoln Town Car that's just been sitting in my driveway for about two years now, keep telling myself I'll figure out something to do with it, give it to somebody or another....but really, who wants a POS Lincoln Town Car?

This could work out.

a gangbanger or wannabe rapper or someone embracing the rap lifestyle, imagery. You are sitting on a gold mine.

LargeCanine: The Gov't is broke. Where are they going to get the money?

They're going to raise taxes and get some that way, and then print some too so what little I'm left with is worth even less than it used to be.

I have a 1966 Mercedes Benz that still gets almost 20 mpg.

Have they gotten to student loan bailouts yet? Seriously, what the hells the delay.

Yeah, like I'm willing to trade my 69' Camaro for an Aveo.

LargeCanine: The Gov't is broke. Where are they going to get the money?

We haven't raised cigarette taxes in a while.

This is a great idea, because the trade in vehicles are going to vanish into nothingness, thereby increasing the overall average gas mileage of american cars.

Oh wait, they're actually going to be sold as used cars back to other americans, thereby NOT removing these inefficient vehicles from the road at all?

Oops.

Spanky_McFarksalot: Have they gotten to student loan bailouts yet? Seriously, what the hells the delay.

Corporations with lobbyists don't take out student loans, so that explains most of it.

GAT_00: Nice to see you offering solutions as always.

Solution to what?

2chris2: Oh wait, they're actually going to be sold as used cars back to other americans, thereby NOT removing these inefficient vehicles from the road at all?

Guess who actually ends up making the most money from this little scheme? Nope, not the guy selling the car. It's the car company. Corporate pigs in Washington DC strike again!

The difference between "Cash for Clunkers" and "Cash for trash" program for buying bad mortgage assets is that the Treasury isn't trying to bullshiat us into believing they could make money on this deal. This is a straight, honest new car subsidy, and I support it.

This will immediately create jobs with existing factories and labor (retooling can be done in under two weeks). Assuming they pass the law quick, they can save the companies that make the parts for the Three American companies and foreign brands made in the south.

The vehicles brought in for trade should be evaluated. Real clunkers with mechanical problems or body damage should end up in the scrap yard, and cars that still work and have good gas mileage could be resold. A decent used car could feed the lower part of the market that still couldn't afford a new car regardless of the subsidy.

A good idea from Europe. I'd wait until we had something other than clunkers tho -- and coupled with some serious regulation with what is on the highway.

You know, if people are serious about this getting off oil thing.

thenateman: LargeCanine: The Gov't is broke. Where are they going to get the money?

We haven't raised cigarette taxes in a while.

Cigarette and tobacco taxes were raised in the last federal budget. But when it comes to sin taxes, if it hasn't been raised in the last week, that's a while.

Sweet. All we have to do is steal cars from a salvage yard and make a killing. Thanks Obamessiah!

thenateman: LargeCanine: The Gov't is broke. Where are they going to get the money?

We haven't raised cigarette taxes in a while.

The fed tax just jumped from $.39 per pack to $1.01 to cover the cost of dear leaders bullshiat healthcare plan for poor kids.

All the more reason to lift smoking bans, IMO. If the health of poor kids is going to be dependent on smoking then smoking should be encouraged.


Smoke. It's for the kids.

Smeggy Smurf: Sweet. All we have to do is steal cars from a salvage yard and make a killing. Thanks Obamessiah!

I'm pretty sure they'd check the registration.

Dancin_In_Anson: Solution to what?



Every time they cut someone's head off, the people that don't like it know where the money to do it comes from DiA.

A good idea that could be enhanced in a revenue-neutral way with the use of "feebates" that incentivize more efficient cars even further--even for people without clunkers to sell.

it's called a GAS TAX. christ. all this bullshiat---if the gas prices had been more realistic, we wouldn't have overdeveloped "exurbia", gm wouldn't have gone full out on pushing SUVs... they might still be solvent.

paygun: Just get it over with and take all my pay in taxes. Jesus fark.

If the stimulus doesn't work you won't be earning enough to pay taxes, so don't worry.