[79TA]

**note**
I wrote this with a facebook audience in mind, so I sometimes go into what would otherwise be obvious background info.


Now that the CARS rebate program has been over for a bit, all of the statistics have been compiled on all 690,114 cars and are available for you to see.

http://www.cars.gov/files/official-information/trade-in-vehicles.pdf

One can also review which cars were bought on a similar list. It's equally depressing.

http://www.cars.gov/files/official-i...l-vehicles.pdf


There was no doubt that I was going to be angry about many of the cars turned in for the clunker program, but some of the trade-ins are unbelievable. Here are some of the things that shocked me.


Perhaps you saw the video of a C4 'vette being clunked?

cash for clunkers - YouTube

cash for clunkers - YouTube

Well, it turns out that 131 Corvettes were scrapped. 131 Corvettes!!! The oldest was a 1984 and the newest was a 1995(!) so they were all C4's. C4's are probably the least loved Corvettes right now as they don't have the classic lines of earlier 'vettes and are blown away by the performance of the C5's and C6's. However, these are still very modern fuel injected 5.7 litre V8 cars equipped with an all-aluminum cast suspension, big four-wheel discs, a feathery 3,200-pound curb weight, 150-plus mph top speeds, and mid- to low-14-second e.t's in the quarter mile. The LT1 cars are even better. Your average pro-touring build is lucky to equal the handling capabilities of a stock 4th gen 'vette. Surf Craigslist and you'll be hard pressed to find a Corvette for under 5 grand. They exist, but they are rare and are in bad shape. The people who traded these cars in could have likely parted them out for more if unable to simply sell them for more than 4500. Cars being worth more (whether whole or in parts) is going to be a common theme among the cars I mention here.


Camaro: 1004 dead

Well, this was expected. 3rd gens are some of the cheapest cars out there and are often in terrible cosmetic (if not mechanical) condition. The IrocZ's were the only 3rd gens with a decent powerplant, so the numbers make sense . . . and surely the clunked 4th gens were just plain jane V6's, right?



Wrong!


Trans Am: 233 dead

Since 1969, the Trans Am has always been the top of the line Firebird model, so there are no non-V8 engines in this category. Many of the 3rd gens can be discounted as even the Trans Am only came with the weezy 305 for a period of time. Nevertheless, 14 of the Trans Ams killed were 1999 or later, meaning that they were all 4th gens with the all aluminum LS1, an engine that is still very much in demand today. I really can't see what the owners were thinking here. 4th gen prices have been strong, especially since America's f-body market had been starved for 7 model years until the introduction of the new 5th gen Camaro. Even if the car was trashed, the engine and transmission combination alone should be able to bring in 4k.





Mustang: 1611 dead

1987-1993 5.0 Mustangs: 517 dead

Just like the Camaro, it was expected that there would be quite a few Mustangs traded in. When you do a bit of research on what Mustangs weren't eligible for the program, the numbers become more disturbing. None of the 4 cylinder fox Mustangs qualified for CARS and were therefore not clunked. No V6 Mustang after 1993 (there was on V6 offered from '87 to '93) qualifies for CARS. The only Mustangs clunked were either V8's or fairly rare '84, '85, and '86 V6 models. That's right, 517 5.0 fox bodies were clunked. This an obvious tragedy, but in this case, the rebate folks at least had some economic reason to kill their Mustangs. That is, the (already cheap '79-'04) Mustang market had really been in the tank since the financial crisis. I would not be able to sell my fox body for 4500, let alone 3000. At any rate, the number here shocked me. So much for bleeding Ford blue, Mustang owners.

The newest Mustang clunked, and possibly newest vehicle of the entire program was a 2008. That's a car that was at least 25k new and should have no problem selling for 15k+, even in this economy. Assuming there was something drastically wrong with it, it would still easily fetch over 5k. I hope I never meet that guy.



Taurus SHO: 107 dead

So you have the good taste to buy this unique boosted family hauler, yet have the poor taste to scrap it for some econobox???




Jeep Wrangler: 3686 dead

The iconic Jeep Wrangler is known for holding its value, even in these economic times. Even the old square headlighted, front leaf springed YJ's are hard to find a deal on. These people are insane.


Jeep CJ7: 85 dead

The CJ7 was the last classic Jeep and is already recognized as such. Regardless, people saw no value in what they had and opted for the 4500 towards and econobox. Well, let's be optimistic. We'll hope they were rusted out beyond repair and their neglegent owners went on to buy V6 Camaros (one of the few cars with any semblance of soul available to purchase through the CARS program.)


Jeep Comanche: 523 dead

The Comanche was the pick up truck version of the Jeep Cherokee. Like the Cherokee, the Comanche was a solid rig. Unlike any Toyota truck of the era, the Comanche came with a double-walled bed and had the beefy Dana 44 as an optional rear differential (as found in my sister's truck.) These trucks are fairly rare and are getting hard to find.


Jeep Cherokee: 26,286 dead

Sadly, the Cherokee was bound to be scrapped in huge numbers. It was the practically sized and capable SUV that everyone went out and bought whether they had off-road pretentions or not. Now, the Cherokee is last season's fashion trend and the market shows it. For what it's worth, a Chrysler built (as opposed to AMC built) Chereokee with the 6.0 litre, 4wd, and a manual transmission should be able to sell for 4k for those traits alone. The only good thing to come from this is that the local salvage yards are stuffed full of late model Cherokees. My family's own XJ fleet has already benefitted from this a bit.




Mazda RX7: 373 dead

RX7's have been regular's in LeMons endurace racing, so it's not a surprise that some got clunked. What is disturbing here is that one was a 1993. That's the newer and much sought after FD body style. If you can find an FD that's not an engine-less hulk for less than 5 grand, tell me and I'll buy it, sell it, and give you a finder's fee. If you still don't know what I mean, here's an ad for one with a blown engine for 6,500.
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv...378529410.html

no engine for 4,500
http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/1358804967.html



Maserati: 6 dead

1 222E, 4 Biturbos, and 1 Quattroporte. No comment.



Buick GNX: 1 dead

There were only 547 of these made to begin with!!!



Buick Roadmaster: 1999 dead

Sigh, more misplaced values.



Ford Lightning F-150: 24 dead

A nice rare truck, with a desirable drivetrain couldn't be sold for 4500? Right.




2006 Roush Stage 3 F-150: 2 dead

Who spends 35k+ on a performance truck only to have it scrapped 3-4 years later???



Aston Martin DB7 Volante: 1 dead

There were only 5000 of these ever made. This person had to have clunked it just to prove they could. That or it was fallout from an ugly divorce settlement. C'mon people, killing the car won't make anything better.






The best news that can be found here is that no 1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass Cieras (I own one) were killed. In fact, the number of 80's Oldsmobiles scrapped was surprisingly low. I guess the people who drive them are like me and are too cheap/poor to pony up the money for a new car, 4500 dollar discount or not. That and we Oldsmobile folks actually like our cars thank you very much.