I read in "old cars weekly" that due to the efforts of SEMA and other car enthusiast organizations that the so called "cash for clunkers" bill was dropped from the gazillion dollar stimilus package. Unfortunately, it still has legs. Sen. Schumer (D-N.Y.) "And most importantly help families trade in expensive, low miles per gallon vehicles for cheaper fuel efficient vehicles." Da-huh.

He is smoking crack and SEMA will snuff it.

I don't mind, on the surface, the idea of getting the clunkers off the road. When we were in FL, a state with no drivers ed, emissions testing or inspections of any kind, I was appauled. The driving was horrid, so many cars with in-op tail and brake lights... but it was one car that stuck in my craw... a mid 90s Ford Escort. Not old by any standard, but it was belching this ugly cocktail of unburnt hydrocarbons and oil. That piece of shit should be crushed. That one car was belching more garbage in 1 mile than my Vette does in 1000 miles. I am serious; it was THAT bad.

That's what I define as a clunker. And if someone who is under privledged can replace that piece of shit with a late model rental car return or fleet vehicle, I am all for it.

I even proposed such an idea to a state rep friend back in DE a few years back. Take those pigs off the road and offer them used state cars at discount. Even with 100k miles on them, they had been well maintained and are properly equipped (you know, AC, AT, radio).

Now... if granny starts taking her 1965 Buick down, I see an op for the government to make good on this deal... auction it to collectors!!! Win-win, right?

Most of those cars stay in garages... go to shows twice a month... no biggie there.

Bogus,

State regulations (in my case Provincial) demand that I pass a sniffer test IN ORDER TO INSURE MY VETTE.

With my alterations, I am about 4% above the max allowable for a stock '95 LT1....so I always fail. Every tune, every adjustment I make, I take it down the street for another sniffer test......hoping THIS time it'll pass. Always a fail. 4 FRICKING percent! And every test costs me $48.00 (I've had about 20 so far, btw.)

So instead, In order to drive my vette, I must buy a TRANSFER permit (which costs $39.00/day....or $234.00 for 7 days)

Even IF I passed and insured the car for the entire year (at over $ 2,500.00/year) I'd only put on 2 or 3,000 miles total.

In the next month or so I'm heading down to TJWongs and get a proper dyno tune (he did my ECM on his bench but still failed sniffer....running awesome though) I'm gunna determine once and for all if I need better cats (than the bullits I put on) and I'll do that.

Anyways, yes. Every day I see those smoggers polluting the air. They're worth $100.00 tops. But they somehow pass...or are driven without insurance.

Life is unjust. But we knew that.

My point was that the Escort in FL has nothing to check it.

My 92 requires it pass a sniff, also, or else I can't register it. I don't get all the fees you do, but that's only a matter of time with the way the state budget is hosed here.

The test costs me about $50.00... but mine passes the first time out. I would get it down to TJs ASAP and get it tuned... I think some money would be saved.

Ironically, burning oil doesn't always tick up the sniffer... the cat catches the bad stuff and the smoke is rather low in nasties... the problem with that Escort was the combo... fuel issues and oil... and I am not even touching on the safety issues.

I hear THAT.