unreal that it has come to this.

called "Bay Area Air Quality Management District's (Air District) Vehicle Buy Back Program"
http://www.baaqmd.gov/Divisions/Strategic-Incentives/Vehicle-Buy-Back-Program.aspx

So, I am looking to sell my beauty, and seriously financially stressed, and in this market noone is buying.
I am faced with this grizzly choice...yikes!

( http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/1298162891.html )

There sure is a huuuge amount of red tape and fine print associated with that $1000.

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

Cash for Clunkers. Good thing none of us own any clunkers.

Oh and Cash for Clunkers is only good for vehicles that are less than 25 years old, so that counts out a lot of forum member cars right there. (Edit: Hmmm, I heard that on the news yesterday, but now I don't see it online anywhere.)

__________________
'95 E300D ("Tank") - 231,000 miles
'79 240D ("Biscuit") - 197,250 miles (Sold)
'83 240D ("Ding-Ding") - 217,000 miles (Death by deer)
______________________________________

"Back off, man. I’m a scientist” ~ Peter Venkman

cash for clunkers is a different program, and it has just been suspended.

This is the Bay areas air control program, it used to be $650 but was just beefed up to $1000

The phrase "from my cold dead fingers" comes to mind.

I don't care how tight an individual's financial situation is, there is *no* economy in taking a pittance payment in exchange for the privilege of losing a good old solid repairable vehicle and trading it in for credit payments on some new cheap plastic box on wheels that was made with disposable parts that cost three times what Mercedes parts to when it's replacement time.

Getting rid of something reusable in exchange for a tiny payment, and then being obliged to pay eight times what a pile of parts is worth to replace it with something that will be a pile of parts far sooner than it ought to be... what's the incentive? Particularly in less-than-affluent times for the majority of people, trading in all your old goods for expensive and yet lower quality new ones is just... highway robbery by those in charge.

The whole cash for clunkers thing and all the related programs... it's so silly. They dangle a cash carrot in front of people, and it's just a lure to get people signed up for making higher payments to own an item of lower value. What's yours is always yours until *you* sell it; they can't take it from you if you already own it.

__________________


~Michael S.~
Past cars:

1986 300SDL
1987 300SDL
1982 240D
1982 300SD


Current:

1987 300SDL

I plan on driving my Benz



until petroleum vehicles are outlawed on the road




and then some

__________________
-Typos courtesy of my mobile phone.

Understood. Different program, but same idea. In the end a waste of money because most of the cars they are targeting will probably be off the road in a decade anyway. If things are that urgent then we're already screwed anyway.

__________________
'95 E300D ("Tank") - 231,000 miles
'79 240D ("Biscuit") - 197,250 miles (Sold)
'83 240D ("Ding-Ding") - 217,000 miles (Death by deer)
______________________________________

"Back off, man. I’m a scientist” ~ Peter Venkman

It wouldnt suprise me if that changed. Someday maybe vintage iron will be called "blighted" and will simply be seized from you.

__________________
1959 Gravely LI, 1963 Gravely L8, 1973 Gravely C12
1982 380SL
1978 450 SEL 6.9 euro restoration at 63% and climbing
1987 300 D
2005 CDI European Delivery
2006 CDI Handed down to daughter
2007 GL CDI. Wifes

If and then, I'll run biodiesel. If not sooner. I actually, think highly of the future of electric vehilces, but they are still in their infancy. There still is a lot of development needing to be done on biodiesel too. I wouldn't mind a lot of the junkers off the road. When I moved here (IN) in the early 90's, there were some real junkers on the road. I know, I drove one. They don't have vehicle inspection here. I think it is better now. Still, who decides what is junk or what is still viable? Then is the next step the gov. telling you to scrap your vehicle.
Tom

'Cash for Clunkers' Suspended? Funds Already Running Out
http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=8218841&page=1

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124898886526095011.html

"Cash for clunkers" is political, no real value otherwise. As many of us know, there are many rules and stipulations, plus you have to be in a situation where you have a car in the right age range, and you're driving it regardless of the fact that you can afford to buy and finance a new car. The real polluters are not going to be eligable or can't afford to buy a new car.

It is more of a political statement, "look what our administration/party is doing for the environment", and a good way to stimulate car buying to put a blip on the radar screen in the nation's car manufacturers' cash flow, makes it look like the stimulus is working and the economy is recovering as a result.

JMO, ... maybe I think too much.

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

I won't pass judgment on whther you think too much, but your analysis is right on the money- "feel good legislation"- just like the man-made global warming BS.

Man made Global warming. Man made media stories about global warming. Man made "fixes" to end global warming.

It is a typical summer here in Texas.

Where were the global warming "experts" during the heatwave in 1980?

So, I guess the man made cash for clunkers is suspended. How funny is that?

I checked all my cars, none of them qualify. The MB is too old (thankfully) and the rest have MPG ratings that are too high.

__________________
RRGrassi


70's Southern Pacific #5608 Fairmont A-4 MOW car

13 VW JSW 2.0 TDI 193K, Tuned with DPF and EGR Delete.

91 W124 300D Turbo replaced, Pressure W/G actuator installed. 210K

90 Dodge D250 5.9 Cummins/5 speed. 400K

"Buy Back Program" ?!! How do they buy back something they never owned?

....Beginning to sound alot like the wacko gun contol people with their "buy back" programs....

Cash for Clunkers lives again, "House approves $2B more for 'cash for clunkers'":
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090731/ap_on_go_co/us_cash_for_clunkers;_ylt=Alxrzuebd4WHvSBP5BDvRvGUU80F;_ylu=X3oDMTJuYjI3NTRtBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkwNzMx L3VzX2Nhc2hfZm9yX2NsdW5rZXJzBGNwb3MDMQRwb3MDMQRzZWMDeW5fdG9wX3N0b3JpZXMEc2xrA2hvdXNlYXBwcm92ZQ--