Insert BS here A place to discuss anything you want

Cash for Clunkers has me thinking stupid?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 08-01-2009, 12:51 PM
  #1  
Elite Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (13)
 
cueball1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Tigard, Oregon
Posts: 3,875
Total Cats: 2
Default Cash for Clunkers has me thinking stupid?

I've got an old Aerostar van with a blown headgasket worth about zip I can use for cash for clunkers. $4500 toward something new gives me some value out of it that isn't there otherwise.

First I was thinking something popular and cheap like the Honda Fit just to resell. As popular as they are I would think 2k off retail with no miles should move it.

Now I spot a brand new 2008 MX5 on a dealer lot. Brand new, no miles for $16,500. Take $4500 off + the extra $500 Mazda throws in I can have a brand new MX5 for 11.5k. My 94 is my DD car but it's more set up for the track than comfortable commuting. Turn my 94 into a track **** and daily drive the MX5? Try to make a few bucks reselling that MX5?

God I hate spur of the moment crap. Pretty much have to do it this weekend or the cash for clunkers will likely go away. Any ideas or suggestions?
cueball1 is offline  
Old 08-01-2009, 12:58 PM
  #2  
Senior Member
iTrader: (2)
 
naarleven's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Tallahassee, FL
Posts: 1,365
Total Cats: 0
Default

Has to be insured and driven for a year + in drivable condition.

If you can pick up the new MX-5 for 11,5k I'd take that in a heart beat.
naarleven is offline  
Old 08-01-2009, 12:59 PM
  #3  
I'm a terrible person
iTrader: (19)
 
FRT_Fun's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Arizona
Posts: 7,174
Total Cats: 180
Default

Meeeh I was never much of a fan of the new MX5s... Maybe resell it and try and get a few bucks.
FRT_Fun is offline  
Old 08-01-2009, 01:29 PM
  #4  
Cpt. Slow
iTrader: (25)
 
curly's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Oregon City, OR
Posts: 14,175
Total Cats: 1,129
Default

Track **** track **** track ****! I would LOVE to tear into a perfectly good miata again, its getting hard to find extra weight in mine to take out. But as naarleven said, your "clunker" needs to of been insured and registered for at least a year for it to qualify.
curly is offline  
Old 08-01-2009, 01:34 PM
  #5  
Elite Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (13)
 
cueball1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Tigard, Oregon
Posts: 3,875
Total Cats: 2
Default

No problem on the clunker end of things. It's registered and insured. I've owned it for 4 years. Head gasket went and it's been pretty much parked but I kept minimal insurance on it. Starts, runs, drives, just not very far! Perfect POS to get back some of the money the govt' has raped me out of over the years.
cueball1 is offline  
Old 08-01-2009, 01:36 PM
  #6  
y8s
2 Props,3 Dildos,& 1 Cat
iTrader: (8)
 
y8s's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Fake Virginia
Posts: 19,338
Total Cats: 573
Default

cash for clunkers even have any funding left? last I heard they were projected to run out a few weeks after it started.
y8s is offline  
Old 08-01-2009, 01:38 PM
  #7  
Senior Member
iTrader: (5)
 
thymer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: VA
Posts: 822
Total Cats: -2
Default

Originally Posted by cueball1
No problem on the clunker end of things. It's registered and insured. I've owned it for 4 years. Head gasket went and it's been pretty much parked but I kept minimal insurance on it. Starts, runs, drives, just not very far! Perfect POS to get back some of the money the govt' has raped me out of over the years.
Remember, "The Government" is our taxes paid, everyone's.
thymer is offline  
Old 08-01-2009, 01:58 PM
  #8  
Elite Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (13)
 
cueball1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Tigard, Oregon
Posts: 3,875
Total Cats: 2
Default

Sure it's everyone's money paid in. No reason for me to feel I'm not getting back some of what I've put in though. As a 44 year old, married, upper middle class couple we've likely paid state, local and federal govt's nearly 1 mil in our lives. Taking slight advantage of the clunkers program won't make me lose any sleep.

Cash for clunkers was extended. Govt put up some extra money and said they'd cover any sales through this weekend.

Brand new 2008 NC for under 12k looks awfully good. KBB has it as 17K trade in value with 5K miles. I'll likely try to buy it if it's still there when i get off work this afternoon. Keep it if I enjoy driving it or sell it to make a few quick bucks.

Of course there's the problem of always wanting more power...

Put that $4500 savings toward a BEGI NC kit...

cueball1 is offline  
Old 08-01-2009, 02:50 PM
  #9  
Elite Member
iTrader: (11)
 
elesjuan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Overland Park, Kansas
Posts: 5,360
Total Cats: 43
Default

Cueball.. that has to be THE scariest avatar I've ever seen... What the fawk is it and where did Joe find that?

I'd do it, personally. The way that cash for clunkers thing is setup sucks IMHO. It has to run, drive, be insured and driven for at least a year... That means most likely its a good ******* car that some poor bastard or teenage kid could be driving on the cheap, and they want to destroy it?? Personally I think thats ******* retarded...


But if you can get 4500 credit for the POS, DO IT! lol.
elesjuan is offline  
Old 08-01-2009, 04:05 PM
  #10  
Senior Member
iTrader: (5)
 
thymer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: VA
Posts: 822
Total Cats: -2
Default

Originally Posted by cueball1
Sure it's everyone's money paid in. No reason for me to feel I'm not getting back some of what I've put in though. As a 44 year old, married, upper middle class couple we've likely paid state, local and federal govt's nearly 1 mil in our lives. Taking slight advantage of the clunkers program won't make me lose any sleep.

Cash for clunkers was extended. Govt put up some extra money and said they'd cover any sales through this weekend.

Brand new 2008 NC for under 12k looks awfully good. KBB has it as 17K trade in value with 5K miles. I'll likely try to buy it if it's still there when i get off work this afternoon. Keep it if I enjoy driving it or sell it to make a few quick bucks.

Of course there's the problem of always wanting more power...

Put that $4500 savings toward a BEGI NC kit...


Same boat, 40's, six figure income, still don't like socialism.
thymer is offline  
Old 08-01-2009, 05:05 PM
  #11  
Senior Member
iTrader: (3)
 
msydnor's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Fayetteville NC
Posts: 827
Total Cats: 0
Default

Do it. I wish I had something old enough to trade.
msydnor is offline  
Old 08-01-2009, 10:47 PM
  #12  
I'm a terrible person
iTrader: (19)
 
FRT_Fun's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Arizona
Posts: 7,174
Total Cats: 180
Default

It's not like you are abusing the system or anything... you qualify.. you have a clunker.. so you are entitled to use the program, I see no issues.


Doooo it
FRT_Fun is offline  
Old 08-02-2009, 12:04 AM
  #13  
Elite Member
iTrader: (46)
 
Stein's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 4,729
Total Cats: 166
Default

Just tonight we went to Omaha for dinner. It's 50 miles each way. I drove my wife's BRG. I had already forgotten how absolutely pitiful, rough, slow a stock NA Miata was. Now that I have done more to my 99 it's getting rougher around the edges for a DD. I myself was thinking on the drive, hmmm, NC would make a civilized DD if I could leave it alone.
Stein is offline  
Old 08-02-2009, 11:42 AM
  #14  
Elite Member
iTrader: (9)
 
miatamania's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Concord, North Carolina
Posts: 4,160
Total Cats: 6
Default

Originally Posted by FRT_Fun
Meeeh I was never much of a fan of the new MX5s... Maybe resell it and try and get a few bucks.
Ever driven one?

They are a great car. More torque...some minor mods we'd put into these cars anyway and they are a BLAST.
miatamania is offline  
Old 08-02-2009, 12:20 PM
  #15  
Tour de Franzia
iTrader: (6)
 
hustler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Republic of Dallas
Posts: 29,085
Total Cats: 375
Default

NC's are awesome daily drivers. They're also awesome on that track but that's another story. I'd love to drive one of those daily.
hustler is offline  
Old 08-02-2009, 01:05 PM
  #16  
Cpt. Slow
iTrader: (25)
 
curly's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Oregon City, OR
Posts: 14,175
Total Cats: 1,129
Default

Well, you said you were going to look at the dealer again yesterday. Did it happen? Do you own an NC?
curly is offline  
Old 08-02-2009, 01:29 PM
  #17  
I'm a terrible person
iTrader: (19)
 
FRT_Fun's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Arizona
Posts: 7,174
Total Cats: 180
Default

Originally Posted by miatamania
Ever driven one?

They are a great car. More torque...some minor mods we'd put into these cars anyway and they are a BLAST.
I have not driven one. I just think they are ugly as hell.
FRT_Fun is offline  
Old 08-02-2009, 03:18 PM
  #18  
Elite Member
iTrader: (3)
 
Pitlab77's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Houston
Posts: 2,914
Total Cats: 5
Default

NC are not nice, the NC version 2 is though. reword suspension
Pitlab77 is offline  
Old 08-02-2009, 06:05 PM
  #19  
:(
iTrader: (7)
 
magnamx-5's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: nowhere
Posts: 8,255
Total Cats: 4
Default

sucks of all the **** i have none of it qualifys for the clunkers **** cause i dont insure all of them year round just the ones i wanna drive. Even though ive owned most of the cars and paid taxes etc on them for years they arent elligible this is super lame imo. Fix the insurance stipulation and just make it taxes and registration loophole and i would love to take advantage of it. But sadly it doesnt seem to be a possiblilty.
magnamx-5 is offline  
Old 08-03-2009, 01:38 PM
  #20  
Elite Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (13)
 
cueball1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Tigard, Oregon
Posts: 3,875
Total Cats: 2
Default

**** the ****** *******.

Hate to be racist but sometimes the stereo-types fit. The dealership is owned by some sort of arab, middle eastern, pakistani, sort of guys. I walked in Satuday evening. First salesman that comes up I tell him I'm here to see that 08 Miata advertised on the internet. It's parked right out front so that's not a problem. He pokes his head in the office, gets the keys and takes a minute to talk to the boss. We go out, look over the car, looks great. I tell him I don't need to drive it, lets just get the deal done. He's all happy. Walk in the office. The two guys running the place are madly working at the computer. Tell me to hold on a minute. 5 minutes later they call me in the office.

"So how much did you see that car for?"
"16,900 on your internet special page."
"I'm the owner, I never put it up for that price."
"It was right there all day. I looked again just before driving out."
"No. It was never there. Take a look on the computer."
"Gee guys you are right. It's not on the computer anymore. In fact it doesn't even show up in your inventory list now, let alone the specials. Why did you delete it? Don't you want to sell a car?"
"No. It was never there. If you want it it is $17,999."
"Wow, that's a shame. I was going to buy it. I guess even with the clunker money and the extra $500 Mazda puts in it's still a good deal even though you aren't being straight with me."
"Clunker? No. No clunker. No clunker for that car. We sell you other Miata not discounted for clunker."
Insert sound of door closing as I leave before he can finish his tirade here.

Why the hell are so many new car dealer such friggin dishonest pieces of ****. That applies to all races in the car business, these guys just happened to be middle eastern.

**** me. That car was there and a great deal. All they had to do was close the deal. They were still taking clunker money, there were two other deals happening while I was there, they just wouldn't take it on that car. I called the salesman back the next day. He said he could make it happen at $16,000 with the trade in. That's a hell of a long way from the 12k it was supposed to be. My *** hurts....

I guess I'll just use the clunker to pick up a Honda Fit to turn and resell.
cueball1 is offline  


Quick Reply: Cash for Clunkers has me thinking stupid?



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 06:10 PM.