Lasting effect of "Cash for clunkers"?

[b5blue]

  Looking for used cars at lower pricing range has gotten weird to me. Just about anything older has much higher pricing then even remotely makes any sense. Newer more complex cars can bring costly repairs in a hurry. So in the "fixable" range of the market there is slim pickings under 2000.00 at least around Florida. ("Beaters")
  We have run out of Darts, Aspens and other slant six/318 cars and trucks that were cheap and decent condition. (Even non Mopar.)

[HPP]

I don't think, given the era of when the cash for clunkers happened, anyone was driving and turning in Darts, Dusters, and Aspens.  The primary target of the program was 10-20 year old cars that were already emission controlled and reaching the point of expensive component failures that people wren't willing to pay to perform. The most popular vehicle turned in for the program was 1990s era Ford Explorers.

[Mike DC]

        


Aspens, 318/slants, Darts . . . those things are hitting 40 years old.  No car exists in one piece (never mind in working order) for 40 years unless somebody is spending money to keep it that way.  Even just garage storage isn't 100% free.  Property values.  Insurance.  Etc.  All those costs shows up in the prices.  


Cash-for-clunkers has an impact but it's mostly just plain old time & currency inflation.  

The latter is a serious bitch too.   $2000 isn't car-buying money anymore, it's parts/repair money.  A usable Toyota 4-banger or F150 usually costs a lot more than that now even when it's 10-15 years old.  If you get a car repainted (just a basic stock re-spray, not a big resto), the shop's bill for the supplies will cost over $2000.  Bump into a modern vehicle at 5 mph and you'll probably cause $2000 in damage.  A clutch replacement at a repair shop can hit $1000.  It's not unusual to be approaching $1000 for a set of new tires.  Etc. 

[JB400]

With everyone voting in all these minimum wage increases, might want to bump up your budget to $3500 to get anything decent anymore.

[stripedelete]

Not cash for clunkers.  Most of what got sucked up by that was done for back then.

Transportation has been $2000 for a number of years. It's overdue to rise.

The recession forced many to "drive the wheels off"  what they had.   There are also twenty year old (and less) models that criticle parts can no longer to be sourced for them.

There's no such thing as second hand KIAs

I'm sure it's not all the reasons, but the OPs observation of a lack viable vehicles at a low price point is correct.

[odcics2]

A $500. 1968 Dart in 1980 is now $1500. just due to inflation. 
Factor in the extra "perceived value", and you get 20K cars! 

Used to cost me a 5 hours wages to fill my tank in 1972...

The problem with the Clunker Program was it should not have applied to non American cars. 

[Charger RT]

I drive a 94 spirit I bought about 4 years ago for 800.00 and 250.00 in parts to get in shape. My wife drives a 06 caravan I bought for 1000.00 and about 1000.00 in parts to make right. The spirit has gone 60k with few issues and the caravan 55k with no issues. Cheap rides are still out there. This is florida too
Tim

[Kern Dog]

Used to cost me a 5 hours wages to fill my tank in 1972... 

Hmm...The tank in my Charger: 19 gallons, Super unleaded at $3.25 per gallon....That is about 2 1/2 hours of wages. Where you a paperboy in 1972 ??

[cdr]

Used to cost me a 5 hours wages to fill my tank in 1972... 

Hmm...The tank in my Charger: 19 gallons, Super unleaded at $3.25 per gallon....That is about 2 1/2 hours of wages. Where you a paperboy in 1972 ??

The great Kernholio has spoken again LOL

[VegasCharger]

Just bought a 1992 Buick Century for $700.00 and $250.00 in parts to get it road worthy back in Oct 2018. This is my winter beater. My model year target range was 1989-92. My reason was that 1992 was the cut off year for e check exemption here in Ohio. And I didn't want to go back too far thus why I chose 1989 as a staring point (wanted EFI). I also targeted 4 door Buicks, Olds and Ponitacs because those cars normally don't get abused (old man cars). Plenty of parts available for these cars and not too old where you can still find them in junk yards for parts. Runs, stops and drives great. Great heat. No one will F@ck with it, it's a maroon Buick 4 door lol.

[DAY CLONA]

Used to cost me a 5 hours wages to fill my tank in 1972... 

Hmm...The tank in my Charger: 19 gallons, Super unleaded at $3.25 per gallon....That is about 2 1/2 hours of wages. Where you a paperboy in 1972 ??

Gas was about 40 cents a gallon in 1972 I just started working as a pump jockey, minimum wage was still $1.60 per hr, do the math on a 20 gallon tank, that's about 5+ hrs... a year later things got even "better" when the OPEC embargo hit the pumps

[Kern Dog]

My reason was that 1992 was the cut off year for e check exemption here in Ohio.

Bryan...I thought you actually lived in Las Vegas.

[RiverRaider]

I don't think, given the era of when the cash for clunkers happened, anyone was driving and turning in Darts, Dusters, and Aspens.  The primary target of the program was 10-20 year old cars that were already emission controlled and reaching the point of expensive component failures that people wren't willing to pay to perform. The most popular vehicle turned in for the program was 1990s era Ford Explorers.

I was not a fan of cash for clunkers which took out a big part of the used car and parts supply of that era of vehicles. 
But the scrappers removed most of the old cars.  The stock car guys "myself included" in the late 70's thru early 90's took out a lot of the muscle cars
and the demo derby guys got the rest.  Q5XX29 post about the F250 yesterday brought back a lot of memories about my F250 in the 80's trying to stay a
head of the scrappers and getting to the Mopar's first.   

[odcics2]

Used to cost me a 5 hours wages to fill my tank in 1972... 

Hmm...The tank in my Charger: 19 gallons, Super unleaded at $3.25 per gallon....That is about 2 1/2 hours of wages. Where you a paperboy in 1972 ??

Washing dishes at a podunk restaurant.

Jumped at a chance to double my wages at a local Sears!

[Aero426]

The effect of cash for clunkers has passed.     There are plenty of used drivers out there.    There will be more passenger cars coming into the used car market with the move to crossovers and SUV type vehicles as well.    $5k will buy something pretty decent.       A $3000 car is the new $1500 car we used to buy.    

[b5blue]

Okay so I'm right decent 2K cars would be a bargain. (So likely snapped up so fast to be gone by the time you look.)

[Aero426]

Okay so I'm right decent 2K cars would be a bargain. (So likely snapped up so fast to be gone by the time you look.)

They are out there, but often you hear about them by word of mouth. 

[Todd Wilson]

CfC really screwed up the used car market. I have a friend who has a small used lot and buying cars in the price range he likes to resell in has been tough at the auto auctions. Prices of used cars have gone up and gone up a a lot. There are still some deals out there if you can stumble up on something.  I needed a car for commuting a year or so ago and stumbled on a 2002 Corolla with 124000 miles for 1500$ and I jumped on it. Didn't even haggle price. Most cars like it were close to 200k on miles and 3000$.



Todd

[b5blue]

  Agreed I looked and searched 2 months wanting something that wasn't a total POS. I missed a decent 90's T-Bird then found my 92 LX T-Bird with 69K for 3,000.00. 600.00 in repairs and it's a pretty nice ride now.

[VegasCharger]

.....I thought you actually lived in Las Vegas.

I did but moved back to Ohio (where I'm originally from) last spring. Helping out my siblings with my dad.

Gonna miss you at Spring Fling lol.

[Mytur Binsdirti]

The effect of cash for clunkers has passed.    

Agreed, years ago

[Kern Dog]

.....I thought you actually lived in Las Vegas.

I did but moved back to Ohio (where I'm originally from) last spring. Helping out my siblings with my dad.

Gonna miss you at Spring Fling lol.

Hey, yeah....Did you move after the 2018 show? I thought we spoke there.
Good luck with your Dad. Taking care of elder family members is the respectable thing to do. 

[VegasCharger]

Hey, yeah....Did you move after the 2018 show? I thought we spoke there.
Good luck with your Dad. Taking care of elder family members is the respectable thing to do. 

Thanks.

Yes I was at SF 2018 and you came to my swap spot. I hit the road the following Monday (8 days later).

Happy New Year 

[69rtse4spd]

Where about in OHIO you located, going to make the Nat's this year if so would like to say hello if your at the swap meet. .     

[odcics2]

The effect of cash for clunkers has passed.    

Agreed, years ago

A blip in time. Here's a retail look at it.