Instead of cash for clunkers as a solution to getting ‘gas guzzlers’ off the road, why did we not employ prevention and good maintenance procedures to cure the “ruin a good engine” problem? A lot of people don’t know this but many clunkers can get realistic fuel mileage and lower the emissions with some application of today’s modern technical fuel mileage features to yesterdays engines.
Maybe the government could have set up a program where the choice was there for you to have your clunker tuned up and the proper repairs and some modern technology used to bring them back to specs or even better. I’m suggesting that the old Ford van your driving behind that is filling your car with the aroma of exhaust fumes and blasting smelly oil out the tailpipe be trashed. It’s beyond recovery.
But the ‘gas guzzlers that are in good condition and the engines are solid should be modernized somewhat. We have the technology to improve fuel mileage and efficiency better than we did when the clunker was made. We have incentive too.
The law should have allowed people with good running clunkers the option of putting the rebate money into some viable repairs and upgrades to improve mileage and emissions. No matter what, economic stimulation will occur, plenty of new cars will get sold and plenty of folks who do not have the means to get a loan or afford a new car could then have their ‘clunker’ improved. Thus more business to the engine repair shop side of the equation.
A rebuilt engine could be purchased for much less than 4500 bucks. Rebuilt engines with more modern camshaft designs like some of the newer cars use. It is easy and cost effective to do at the time of a rebuild. Better fuel intake systems and better ignition systems. In all it could improve clunker fuel mileage 3 to 6 miles per gallon and lower emissions to acceptable levels.
FYI: On a personal note, I had to replace the camshaft on my 1988 GMC 1 ton pickup with the 5.7 L or 350 Cubic inch engine with TBI. I decided to put a ‘fuel mileage’ improvement camshaft in the engine along with a modern ignition system at the time. After the engine was reassembled, it ran much stronger and picked up 3 miles per gallon across the board.
I think a lot of folks would have liked the choice. As it stands now, the future will leave the folks who could not afford to buy or get approved on credit for a new car, a chance to contribute to the environment and improve their gas mileage, which saves them money.
The way the whole deal was mishandled will now leave a lot less good use-able engines for sale in the future for ‘clunker owners’, and the people who own clunkers will still be polluting the air and wasting gasoline.
If you own a clunker and need a used engine, GotEngines.com has terrific inventory of good used engines for clunkers and ‘modernized rebuilt engines’ ready for delivery at the most affordable pricing ever. Not to blow our horn, but we saw the writing on the wall in the early stages of ‘clunker elimination talks’ and decided to located and put in stock as a many of the good running used engines from clunkers in our inventory.
Need a replacement engine? We stock replacement engines of every variety and type for every car. Need a clunker engine? We have plenty of them too, ready for delivery anywhere in the continental US. Call 1-877-268-0664.
PS. Why not bring back emission tests to every state and prove my point?
