Autoblog: REPORT: Cash-For-Clunkers dealers instructed to kill engines with sodium silicate

[Vette Boss]

These people having old cars killed, deserve to be driven over, with their own cars.

 

[thedguy]

VW things I thought were too old to even have any mileage recording by the EPA? (stopped being sold in the US by 76 I think).

Shame about the e30. Looks like the value of mine just went up a tiny bit more.

 

[Spectre]

I thought so too, but it was marked "C4C".

My camera batteries died before I got to the worst one - a 96 XJ12 (like my father's) in black/black with only 42,000 miles. Nothing wrong with it whatsoever. Hadn't been silicated yet as the government hadn't yet paid for it - started and ran just great.

It was traded in by the son of the deceased original owner for a Hyundai Accent.

I left my card with the dealership on the slim chance the government doesn't pay up for it.

 

[argatoga]

It was traded in by the son of the deceased original owner for a Hyundai Accent.

Stupid people shouldn't own good cars.

 

[Spectre]

And my tax dollars are going to go to destroy it.

 

[argatoga]

I'm still waiting for someone to clunk a V16 or XK120.

 

[Ezbok58a]

There might be some hope spectre...

According to one of the C4C videos on youtube a guy did save a C4C Fox Body LX 5.0 from it's fate.

A few of the dealers here have resorted to actually junking the 'clunkers' and flipping the decent/nice cars turned in under the program.

 

[Dogbert]

There might be some hope spectre...

According to one of the C4C videos on youtube a guy did save a C4C Fox Body LX 5.0 from it's fate.

A few of the dealers here have resorted to actually junking the 'clunkers' and flipping the decent/nice cars turned in under the program.

As they should. The dealer is more than within their right to say "we will give you $4500 for this", and then resell it for more than that.

 

[klankymen]

My camera batteries died before I got to the worst one - a 96 XJ12 (like my father's) in black/black with only 42,000 miles. Nothing wrong with it whatsoever. Hadn't been silicated yet as the government hadn't yet paid for it - started and ran just great.

Steal it, immediately!

 

[thedguy]

There might be some hope spectre...

According to one of the C4C videos on youtube a guy did save a C4C Fox Body LX 5.0 from it's fate.

A few of the dealers here have resorted to actually junking the 'clunkers' and flipping the decent/nice cars turned in under the program.

I can't see why this isn't legal either. I'm actually surprised we don't hear of more dealers flat out buying the cars or just reselling them and not submitting them for C4C.

 

[British_Rover]

I went by some of the local dealers today to see what was on Death Row thanks to C4C.

Come on Specter many of those cars get too good of mileage to be a clunker car.

That Saab 9-3 is a 2002 or older and all the 9-3s got too good of mileage.

The VW thing is almost for sure too old.

That C-Class also got too good of mileage.

So does that Lexus SC even if it was a V8 model.

The V70 is too high at 19 mpg even if it is an AWD model.

The E30 might qualify depending on what motor and trans.

The 940 also gets too good a mileage.

That 7 series does qualify but you know how troublesome those cars could be. Just because it has no body damage doesn't mean it isn't worthless.

You are a car guy you know many of those cars are too high on the combined mileage to qualify as a clunker. You pointed out 22 cars in your pictures. Depending on the engine in the E30 six or seven don't even qualify as clunkers.

Why are you being deceptive?

I know you don't like this program but there is no need to be outright deceptive.

I can't see why this isn't legal either. I'm actually surprised we don't hear of more dealers flat out buying the cars or just reselling them and not submitting them for C4C.

We have done that with a few cars. Some people just have no idea what their cars are worth. If we can give someone 4,000ish dollars real money for a car they think is a clunker and they buy a used car for thousands less then better for all around. They spend less money and we make more money on a used car then a new car where we probably lose money. With all the funny money incentives on new cars right now we could even over allow a little bit of money and take a car in trade instead of clunking it.

 

[Spectre]

ALL of those cars I photographed were either marked "C4C", "Clunkers", or were otherwise so designated. A couple of them were confirmed as such by the dealership managers when I went and asked.

No deception.

 

[British_Rover]

ALL of those cars I photographed were either marked "C4C", "Clunkers", or were otherwise so designated. A couple of them declared as such by the dealership managers when I went and asked.

No deception.

Well then that dealer is incredibly stupid and if there are other dealers doing the same thing no wonder stuff is screwed up.

They are not going to get paid on those cars. Sure they didn't just have them marked wholesale?

The VW thing is way too old.

The most powerful and least fuel efficient 9-3 of that bodystyle is the Viggen and that is not a Viggen.

 

[Spectre]

Yup, pretty sure "clunker" does not mean 'wholesale'. You want me to go back and take pics again? I can do that.

By the way, that wasn't just one dealer I got pics at. It was five.

 

[British_Rover]

Yup, pretty sure "clunker" does not mean 'wholesale'. You want me to go back and take pics again? I can do that.

By the way, that wasn't just one dealer I got pics at. It was five.

They are idiots then.

No wonder some dealers have been complaining about stuff if they are just doing things out right wrong.

No shit you are getting rejected claims if the car you are trying to submit doesn't qualify.

Dealers that stupid deserve to go out of business.

 

[thedguy]

They are idiots then.

No wonder some dealers have been complaining about stuff if they are just doing things out right wrong.

No shit you are getting rejected claims if the car you are trying to submit doesn't qualify.

Dealers that stupid deserve to go out of business.

Agreed. I know for a FACT that VW thing will not qualify, it's too damn old. Spectre go read any page on the and the first thing they say is "combined EPA mileage" EPA never had a chance to rate the VW thing. It wasn't even manufactured when they started doing it.

The e30 is likely a 325 which was recently adjusted to make it in to C4c.

I can definitely see why you are having such trouble getting parts from them and what not, the people *at the dealerships* taking in the cars obviously have NO idea WTF the law actually says. Not that it's vague, just they don't give a damn.

Edit: didn't clearly state what people I was talking about.

 

[Ezbok58a]

I can definitely see why you are having such trouble getting parts from them and what not, the people taking in the cars obviously have NO idea WTF the law actually says. Not that it's vague, just they don't give a damn.

99.9% of the people actually doing this C4C thing are the people that don't need a newer car in the first place, they're just doing it because the gov is giving them an easy 4500 on a new car...

These are the same people that got this country into the mess it's in...and we're giving them even more reason to screw it up even further.

 

[thedguy]

99.9% of the people actually doing this C4C thing are the people that don't need a newer car in the first place, they're just doing it because the gov is giving them an easy 4500 on a new car...

These are the same people that got this country into the mess it's in...and we're giving them even more reason to screw it up even further.

Thats hard to say. They might be doing it because their current car loan is in the whole (because they are the kind of moron that got this country into this mess in the first place) and trading it in on the voucher might allow them to even it out and get a lower payment. Especially if they trade in on some pile of crap Focus or Cobalt. Gotta remember a lot of car companies and dealers are offering huge incentives on top of the government offer.

I think a local nissan dealer was offering $1500 any new Nissan on the lot, and taking C4c cars. Take a new Versa for 10k, get the dealers 1500$ incentive and 4500 off... you're getting a brand new, with warranty, "reliable", car for what $4000. Then we can factor in cheaper insurance and fuel bills.

We also don't know how many of these people were on the verge of buying a new car and then took advantage of this to finally buy something. They may have not needed it, but how many people are in a constant case of owing money to the bank on a new car loan because they never keep a car until it's paid off?

 

[British_Rover]

99.9% of the people actually doing this C4C thing are the people that don't need a newer car in the first place, they're just doing it because the gov is giving them an easy 4500 on a new car...

These are the same people that got this country into the mess it's in...and we're giving them even more reason to screw it up even further.

You have to stop with the bullshit made up statistics. You have no idea what other people's needs are.

People don't have to buy a new car. You are almost always better off buying a used car that is a couple years old. They are exceptions of course as Civics, Corollas, Accords, Tacomas and MINIs are usually better to buy new. They don't depreciate very fast so buying new is generally better.

The thing is if people don't buy new cars then there won't be any used cars for the rest of us smart people to buy. Late model, 2006 or 2005 and up mostly, used car prices have been going up for the past 9 months because their are less used cars on the market. The 36 month leases on the 2006 MY cars are almost all termed out. Sure you will get a few odd ball 39, 42 and 38, month leases left but they aren't many of those leases generally. Sure people will trade in cars over the next few months but the vast majority of used cars are leases not tradeins.

New car sales have been consistently off for over a year now. There are less used cars hitting the market because their are less new cars being sold. Without a jump start in new car sales their won't be any high quality late model used cars on the market in 12 months.

As to the people taking advantage of this program being the people who got us into this problem you are wrong. The people who got sub-prime mortgages have credit much too poor to get a car loan now. Most of them don't have the cash to buy a new car with cash either. If your FICO is under 700 now you will have a very hard time getting a car loan. A very large down payment will help but it might not be enough. A couple of years ago someone with a 700 score would get the rate that a 750 score gets now. A person with a score under 700 probably isn't getting a loan at all.

Thats hard to say. They might be doing it because their current car loan is in the whole (because they are the kind of moron that got this country into this mess in the first place) and trading it in on the voucher might allow them to even it out and get a lower payment. Especially if they trade in on some pile of crap Focus or Cobalt. Gotta remember a lot of car companies and dealers are offering huge incentives on top of the government offer.

You can't clunk a car unless you have the title free and clear. If you have any liens on the car then you can't clunk it.

The title can be a salvage title or branded in some other way but it must be free of liens.

 

[Ezbok58a]

You have to stop with the bullshit made up statistics. You have no idea what other people's needs are.

Oh and you do?

Sorry but when I see a few year old vehicle with low miles being turned in on this program, I see a owner who's nothing more then a godddamned moron.

Then again I see humanity as a whole as a bunch of goddamned morons so nothing really changes.

But a few year old car with low miles that anyone with a little bit of a brain could see is better to hold on to then to trade it in on a new car you don't really need, is a sure sign of stupidity.

We live in a disposable society, this kind of spending is what got this country in the trouble we're in today...they're out for the short term and not for the long term...which is never sound to do.