Well, I knew it was only a matter of time. Down in the furthest recesses of a new car dealer’s lot, I saw a line of vehicles with windshields covered in chalk. They all said the same thing: “C.A.R.S. Impound from K.O. Towing Company bought July.” There was a Ford Explorer, an Isuzu Rodeo, a purply swirly conversion van, and about 30 other bastard orphans. They were forsaken by their prior owners. Some voluntarily. Others perhaps on the influence of drug-laden stupidity. Then the real surprise came out . . .
We were told that we could have any vehicles on the other side of the fence for $2500. These were vehicles of the exact same type . . . with one exception. They were in far better condition. These were models that were rejected by the C.A.R.S. auditors for varying reasons. A lot of them surprisingly had no insurance at one point in the past year. This fact shocked the hell out of me because anyone who is involved in our industry realizes that most folks will drop their insurance when times get tight. Apparently these deals were done in haste.
But then again, what the hell were the impounded cars doing there? This made no sense to me unless the dealer had finally found some type of loophole, or friend. Hmmm. This store . . . a domestic . . . isn’t doing too well at all and has the inventory to show it. On the flip side, the Nissan dealer down the street has moved over 300 clunkers. It’s renting out several storage spaces between here and Deliverance.
Oh well. I knew certain dealers would win in the end. Que Sera, Sera . . . Or as this fellow is fond of saying . . .
I hope the dealer didn’t administer the lethal injection before confirming that the vehicles qualified for CARS vouchers.
So where is this dealer? I’ll take an Explorer for $2500 if it isn’t a total heap…maybe.
A lot of them surprisingly had no insurance at one point in the past year … most folks will drop their insurance when times get tight.
So you are saying people who were so hard up within the last 12 months that they couldn’t afford insurance, are now driving around in a sparkly new vehicle ? Some people really should get their priorities sorted out.
C4C was a brilliant government program that was used responsibly by financially stable Americans. Now if only the government had brilliant plans for other sectors of the American economy…
C4C was a brilliant government program that was used responsibly by financially stable Americans.
Evidence of this, please.
Shady.
Put them on transports and send them all to China to be melted down and resold to us as something else.
Most states revoke registration if insurance lapses. Insurance companies like this rule, keeps them in business.
What the hell is this supposed to be about?
jkross22… Exhibit 1.0: Me! Had a clunker and high mileage daily driver, took advantage of Uncle’s largess, credit score around 750.
$2,500? Don’t name the dealer, lat/lon coordinates from the GPS will do…
Most states revoke registration if insurance lapses. Insurance companies like this rule, keeps them in business.
And ***I*** like this rule. Helps reduce the chance that some idiot will total my car and not have the insurance to pay for the damages.
C4C was a brilliant government program that was used responsibly by financially stable Americans. …
Too bad the truth couldn’t be farther away.
dingram01 : “Most states revoke registration if insurance lapses. Insurance companies like this rule, keeps them in business.”
And ***I*** like this rule. Helps reduce the chance that some idiot will total my car and not have the insurance to pay for the damages.
Don’t count on it. First, you have to believe that “revoking” registration means something. It might mean the car will be impounded after an accident, but other than that the car the car will probably still be out on the road being driven by a low life who couldn’t care less about protecting your property.
Some years ago an illegal from Honduras driving an uninsured 10 year old Toyota pickup caused about 30 large in damage to my Merc when he ran into it from behind. Because my car was said to be worth so much more than the cost of the repair it was not totaled out by my insurance company. After 4 months in the shop I got back a worthless Merc (no one wants to buy a luxo car that has been repaired to the tune of 30K). The illegal walked away from the accident with a ticket (which I’m sure is still outstanding, if the statute of limitations has not run out). The Toyota was hauled off to who knows where.
mpresley,
Sorry you got rear ended. But the issue with the other driver was that he wasn’t insured, not his citizenship status. There are a lot more US citizens driving around without insurance than illegal immigrants.
“There are a lot more US citizens driving around without insurance than illegal immigrants.”
I doubt you can prove that, but it’s irrelevant in any case. If it’s true, then we don’t need to add more uninsured drivers from other countries. People who have no respect for the basic laws of citizenship of the United States have little regard about breaking another law. And they can always go home if the consequences are too expensive.
SherbornSean : But the issue with the other driver was that he wasn’t insured, not his citizenship status. There are a lot more US citizens driving around without insurance than illegal immigrants.
You are wrong. The “issue” was actually whether revoking a registration means something as far as protecting innocent drivers goes. In my case, it meant nothing since an illegal, who couldn’t speak the language, destroyed the property of an American citizen–me. I know, now I’m making things worse by bringing up his illiteracy. I admit it–I’m for closing down the border, even if it means paying more for tomatoes. All I know is that if my Honduran amigo had been captured at the border, I’d be a much happier American.
“I doubt you can prove that, but it’s irrelevant in any case. If it’s true, then we don’t need to add more uninsured drivers from other countries.”
We also don’t need to add more uninsured drivers from new driver roles, or add more uninsured drivers who are women, or add more uninsured drivers who are less than 5’8″. Illegal immigration has nothing to do with this conversation.
“it meant nothing since an illegal, who couldn’t speak the language, destroyed the property of an American citizen–me. I know, now I’m making things worse by bringing up his illiteracy. I admit it–I’m for closing down the border, even if it means paying more for tomatoes. All I know is that if my Honduran amigo had been captured at the border, I’d be a much happier American.”
Would you feel better if it was an uninsured American who spoke English more fluently than you? Illegal immigration has nothing to do with this conversation.
“There are a lot more US citizens driving around without insurance than illegal immigrants”
Could be, but then tell me why in my NoCal community I saw last wekend (Sat, 4P), a half mile up the road from a police check point, groups of people waving signs in spanish reading “checkpopint ahead”. Either the hispanic population is more organized and more civic minded toward one another than the anglos, or there are more of them driving (in some way or other) illegally.
Either way checkpoints are heinous
# sitting@home :
August 12th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
A lot of them surprisingly had no insurance at one point in the past year … most folks will drop their insurance when times get tight.
So you are saying people who were so hard up within the last 12 months that they couldn’t afford insurance, are now driving around in a sparkly new vehicle ? Some people really should get their priorities sorted out.
Any guess on how long it will take for there to be a spike up in used/repo cars purchased under the CARS program by people who couldn’t afford a new car? How long does it usually take to lose a car for not keeping up with the payments?
I’ve been waiting for C4C funny business. I figured some stuff had to go on, as one guy I work with who is trying to get the C4C money is finding that it involves jumping through a lot of hoops.
GS650G:Most states revoke registration if insurance lapses. Insurance companies like this rule, keeps them in business.
Not here in NH. Auto insurance is not compulsory, however if you are in an accident, you’ll be required to post a bond or cash. Also people with certain types of convictions (DWI is one obvious one) must carry insurance.
davejay : Would you feel better if it was an uninsured American who spoke English more fluently than you?
Yes. Because in that case, in addition to being angry at one low life who can’t drive, I wouldn’t also have to be angry at my government–the one that refuses to protect me by allowing a human invasion from south of the border. Comprende?
This brings up the rest of my interesting (and somewhat funny in a sad way) story:
The accident was morning rush hour on the Interstate between two municipalities. A cop stopped and asked if I was OK, but since it wasn’t his jurisdiction, he just drove on–no sense getting involved when do-nuts are calling, I guess.
When Mr Honduras hit me (going about 45) it pushed my Merc into a smaller Nissan in front of me, popping its foam bumper. The young girl driving became hysterical, and never did completely recover (as far as I could tell she wasn’t hurt, at all). I think she blamed me, somehow.
Next, another pick-up full of Mexicans (I guess) stopped. They were “signaling” my Honduran pal to take the license plate off the damaged Toyota, and get in with them. Not sure where THEY were going, but even my compadre had enough sense not to get involved with a pick-up load of Mexicans.
Next, a cop showed up who could take charge, but we had to wait another half hour for a cop who spoke Spanish to arrive. After all, you don’t want to Mirandize someone in English. When the Spanish speaking cop arrived he simply gave the the guy a ticket. I couldn’t believe it, and asked him why they wouldn’t arrest an illegal?
The cop looked at me like I was the one who just got off the banana boat, telling me that if they took him in they’d just have to feed him for a week or two until INS showed up and let him walk. Made me real proud to be an American.
And I can’t tell you how much fun it was to wait several months for the car to be fixed, while having the dealer tell me they’d never take the car in for trade since it had been wrecked. I never owned an expensive car after that. Maybe if I move to Montana, but not as long as I live in the heart of the United States of Mexico.
USAFMech
C4C was a brilliant government program that was used responsibly by financially stable Americans. Now if only the government had brilliant plans for other sectors of the American economy…
Oh, my god!
If the was TTAGovernment, you’d have some serious xplainin to do.
But without even trying to fix you, let’s just focus on the C4C program.
Wait.
No.
Let’s not even try this.
Trying to teach once again the workings of capitalism, both good and bad, would be once again inviting another endless string of nonsense.
I think I will just call it the end of another day. Go upstairs and fix myself a glass of Lagavulin, water back, no ice.
Turn on TCMovies and accept my fate.
Hopefully they will put me to bed.
But lately been waking up with dry mouth and Chinese food or frozen pizza cartens around me.
.
“Any guess on how long it will take for there to be a spike up in used/repo cars purchased under the CARS program by people who couldn’t afford a new car? How long does it usually take to lose a car for not keeping up with the payments?”
I doubt there will be any such spike. Credit standards are still relatively tight. Also, most of the inexpensive smaller vehicles being sold under this program hold their value pretty well. If they are repossesed, they are likely to have decent residual values. In fact, some of the people who took Chrysler up on their double your voucher offer (since taken away) could probably flip their new ride at a profit if they wanted to … but then they would not have a car to drive.
I’m not worried about a repo-bubble from the C4C program.
I thought my sarcasm was self evident. Too subtle? Too soon?
Hmmm
I just want to ask..
What is the point of the vehicle in picture?
Is this what a GM puzzle looks like?
GMC / Caddy front lights. Avalanche body for GMC.
A ill fitting cap. and wheels from the standard GMT parts bin.
troonbop>
I think you are using the wrong terminology.
People don’t have to be “citizens” here to be legal.
My wife is a legal resident alien. Outside of not being able to vote, there isn’t a whole lot of practical difference.
I think she thinks some facets of citizenship laws here are silly (where she has to give up her Brazilian citizenship in order to be an “American”), but respects other laws such as driving with a valid drivers license + being insured just fine.
Also: Is there a law that says she must speak fluent English? I mean she does, but I don’t think that was required anywhere in her green card application.
davejay:
“Would you feel better if it was an uninsured American who spoke English more fluently than you? Illegal immigration has nothing to do with this conversation.”
Just in case you missed this point:
troonbop:
“People who have no respect for the basic laws of citizenship of the United States have little regard about breaking another law.”
Does C4C contain any no-flip provisions?
Could I, for example, C4C a $100 piece of insured-registered junk for a $4,500 credit on a $9,999 Versa, then sell it in 2 months for $8,000, pulling a 20%+ profit on my out of pocket $6,000 spend (including reg/taxes)?