Anyone know what happens to the "Clunkers" after they're traded in?

[DuaneBidoux]

It seems to me if they just get dumped back onto the used car market we haven't gained a whole lot.

[tekisui]

1. I have heard they get crushed within days. But, I haven't seen that

confirmed. I am curious too.

[MercutioATC]

2. There's a list of parts that can be salvaged. Most of the car is crushed.

[tridim]

3. The engines are permanently disabled and the rest of the car is recycled.

They are NOT resold as used cars.

[krispos42]

6. They take out the engines?

I figured they would have stripped the frame for part (including engine and transmission) and crushed and recycled the frame.

[TransitJohn]

9. They don't take out the engines

that's where all the value to the salvage yard is..the engine and tranny are a lot of weight in steel. They are disabled by pouring sealant into them. Then the cars are crushed for their value on the recycled metal markets.

[krispos42]

10. I phrased that badly

I meant "take out" as in "destroy", not "physically removed".

:dunce:



I'm just kinda suprise they disable the engine rathe than remove it for parts. I guess it makes sense, but it's going to be hard on people with vehicles that use the same engine when they need spare parts.

[kirby]

13. That is the whole purpose...

If engine/drive train parts are unavailable for the older clunkers, people will buy a new car which will help increase the avg fuel efficient of the cars on the nations roads.

[krispos42]

14. It winds up being a double-whammy

It takes out the vehicles that are traded in, but then also limits the lifespan of other vehicles that are still on the road.

[kirby]

17. Again, that is the whole point of the incentive...

To create an incentive to get the less fuel efficient vehicles off the road. From a national security dependence on oil point of view, we want those existing vehicles to be replaced sooner than later with the newer more fuel efficient vehicles. You see it as a double-whammy, I see it as an incentive program having the desired positive effect.

[damntexdem]

19. If it's hard on those with the same type of vehicle, ...

they should have traded them in under cash-for-clunkers.

The idea is not to make it easier for those who drive gas guzzlers.

[gmoney]

23. There are PLENTY of beat up old cars in America's scrapyards to pick from...

This will take a few hundred thousand off the road, but they are from various manufacturers and various years, so it's not like there will all of a sudden be a drought of fenders for 78 Escorts or anything.

And, most of these vehicles probably aren't in any condition to be "donors" anyway.

[MADem]

16. They run them without oil (long way) or take this short cut

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0IcIxhd8ks&feature=PlayList&p=FEAC2AC1708B4D61&index=3&playnext=2&playnext_from=PL

This is a video document showing how to seize an engine under the Cash for Clunkers program...After draining the engine oil the vehicle is filled with approximately two-three quarts of salt/water/silica mix. The vehicle is then started and ran till the engine seizes.....

[napi21]

4. The engines are destroyed by pouring a chemical into them, and

the rest of the parts are turned over to junk yards for recycling. They will not be back on the market as running vehicles ever again.

[kirby]

5. The engines are disabled...

The car then can be sold to a wholesaler who can sell the parts so that current owners can use to repair their clunkers. I think it is really up to the wholesaler. They could remove all the parts and then crush the body for scrap, etc.

[NYC_SKP]

7. Sent to be salvaged.

My cursory Google Search for the answer to your very good question produced this answer:

Q: What will happen to the car I trade in?

A: The car will be sent to the salvage yard. Some parts may be kept but the engine and drive-train must be destroyed. Specifically the engine will be injected with a liquid glass solution to permanently disable the engine and it will be the responsibility of the dealer to make sure this is done to the engine.

It's not an official government site, however: http://www.cashforclunkersfacts.com/bill-faq

[woodsprite]

8. Here's a NewsJournal article that was in the DE paper today.

It talks about how they're being salvaged.

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20090804/NEWS/908040338&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

[kirby]

12. Just goes to show that you cant please everyone...

The article mentions that junk yards are upset because people are getting a new cars instead of repairing their existing ones.

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. They have to be disabled

There are a ton of youtube videos of these engines being blown up.

[MADem]

15. The engines are boiled dry and they're recycled.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OhW9u9R49w&feature=PlayList&p=FEAC2AC1708B4D61&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=2

[damntexdem]

18. I believe that the government has bought them for recycling their parts.

But I'm not at all sure how it works.

[Brother Buzz]

20. They are building a pyramid with them in at out Ford® dealership

Looks pretty cool, and interesting enough, they are using only Asian cars.

[Scurrilous]

21. They're given to this guy:

:thumbsup:

[quiller4]

22. A liquid that destroys the engine must be poured into the engine

block before the cars ever leave the dealership. Then they are sent to a scrap yard. The dealer must get paperwokr from the approved scrap handler which the dealer must file with DOT before they receive the cash for the car.

[Avalux]

24. The point is to get them off the road. Crazy DeMinted was all worked up about it today.

He said we were destroying perfectly good cars that people could drive. Moran. :crazy:

[Yavin4]

25. They Go To A Farm For Clunkers

Where they run around free with other clunkers.