Less Explorer's these days?

[wpurple]

http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/aut...Ec2VjA2ZwLXRvZGF5BHNsawNjbHVua2VyLXRyYWRlcw--


Don't people realize that you can buy alot of gas for the difference in gas and taxes? (Unless you have a very long commute)

 

[bluestream1]

I bet a lot of the 97-99's are the SOHC engines with the chain rattle. The average guy is not interested in fixing those problems...

 

[Tbars4]

...There is a big thread on this subject...
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=235395&page=5

 

[Todd82TA]

Yeah, my dad actually bought a brand new Ford Explorer last night. An 09 XLT Sport (blue w/ black trim, really nice... very loaded).

Before we left, I asked if I could take a look at the "clunker" section in the back.

About half the cars were Ford Explorers. Most of them were 2dr Sports, actually... a few of them were 4x4s too.

There was even a 2004 Ford Escape V6.

Pretty sad...

 

[celly]

I still feel that the sheer volume of Explorers being traded in on this very flawed program is a testament to not only the success of the brand (i.e. so many were sold), but also that they last. The market value of our Explorers is far less than the implicit value to a very loyal fan base. This site is evidence of that. I've never seen any automotive forum which so many members and the volume of activity.

Don't read so much into the clunker program fiasco. People are trading for the wrong reasons. Sure, cars are being purchased, but they're also taking out loans to buy them. I'll gladly tinker with my 10 year old Explorer over taking on a car payment.

Besides the majority of people are buying imports with their clunker credit so the real benefit is being felt outside of the very country this program is supposed to protect. Probably a blessing in disguise they ran out of money.

 

[Scott B.]

Probably a blessing in disguise they ran out of money.

It's good they ran out of money. It's our money they are giving away, remember?

 

[team]

I just wish I could go through all these explorers before they crush them and get all kinds of extra parts. Extra tires, a few rearends with different gear ratios, extra transmissions, engines, radios, the list goes on!

 

[Runnin'OnEmpty]

Insanity.....

I saw a blurb on TV the other day where a car dealer was supposed to
pour a gallon of mixture called a "Clunker Bomb" into his clunkers
to disable them and keep them off a potential black market.
These are perfectly servicable vehicles that obviously have
lots of miles left in them.
What a waste of America's resourses.

Don't get me started......

 

[celly]

It's good they ran out of money. It's our money they are giving away, remember?

Not mine. I'm Canadian.

 

[TheJackal]

Clunkers

Saw something on tv that some of the dealers didn't know about what to do with the cars afterward. Others just remove the engine and he rest is available for parts.

Either way, looks like the Explorer will live on a bit longer..

 

[03 Explorer XLT]

I just read an article on this today:

"The analysis of the first 157,000 or so transactions under the Car Allowance Rebate System, or CARS, also revealed that the most-purchased new car was the Ford Focus, which gets an average of 28 mpg." http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveonaCar/top-clunker-the-ford-explorer.aspx

I think a lot of the people that bought them wanted something fashionable at the time, and didn't really care about the utility part. I got mine because I'm tired of going to home depot to buy stuff that doesn't fit in a car.

They don't actually crush the vehicles, they only destroy the engines. Maybe the new flood of junkyard Explorer parts will make them really cheap.

 

[bluestream1]

Not mine. I'm Canadian.

I hope they start the program here as well. Seems Canada is the only counrty without a scrapage program. Not that I would dump my Ex, but my daughter has a 91 Lumina that she can't sell due to the lifter noise from the engine. It's a pig on gas and she's a student and has no money. I would gladly pay the difference if we could get $4500 for the old Lumina. She would look real good driving a new Focus...

 

[Joe Dirt]

Sorry guys- they're crushing the vast majority of them. The yards around here don't want them becasue they make the most money on the engines. Most of the cars on the west half of the state are going to Padnos iron and metal, and Kalamazoo Metal Recyclers.

Don't kid yourself- they're smashing them. I'm in transportation, and we have a towing division. We don't know ANY clunkers that have gone to a recycle yard yet, through our company or the others in the area.

These resources are not being recycled- except for scrap.

 

[Scott B.]

Not mine. I'm Canadian.

Sorry - I knew that.

Allow me to restate - I'm glad they're out of money, since it's my money they are wasting.

 

[Todd82TA]

I just wish I could go through all these explorers before they crush them and get all kinds of extra parts. Extra tires, a few rearends with different gear ratios, extra transmissions, engines, radios, the list goes on!

Yeah, as I had mentioned a few posts up, I took a look at some of these cars when my dad bought a new car a couple of nights ago.

Here's a few pictures of "clunkers" (that's my dad in the picture).

Most of those cars were in really good shape, and in many cases, the pictures don't even do them justice. There were THREE white Sport Explorers, I think I got pictures of two of them.


This is what my dad ended up buying:

I saw a blurb on TV the other day where a car dealer was supposed to
pour a gallon of mixture called a "Clunker Bomb" into his clunkers
to disable them and keep them off a potential black market.
These are perfectly servicable vehicles that obviously have
lots of miles left in them.
What a waste of America's resourses.

Don't get me started......

Yeah, they first drain the oil, then mix sodium silicate and sand with water into the tank. They then run it until the engine explodes.

You can watch these videos:


1999-2003 Volvo S80 T6 TwinTurbo Sedan (looks like an 02) in immaculate condition.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waj2KrKYTZo

1999-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjBilHH5z2A

2000-04 Oldsmobile Aurora V8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-ZP6aG2xl0&NR=1

1998-2002 Ford Expedition
http://www.youtube.com/watc...fAL4&feature=related

2001 Chevy Blazer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOEqJIGnXRw

Late 90s BMW 735
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3qXvDDhUpE

Late 90s Chevrolet Suburban
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LidmCvdUMeg


Note, I posted these videos on the Fiero Forum (yeah, I own a Pontiac Fiero) and several people who more or less support the program were shocked to see this and don't believe that any of these videos are real. They just think that in every case it's a bunch of kids vandalizing cars.

Some people are content with burying their head in the sand I guess...

I just read an article on this today:

"The analysis of the first 157,000 or so transactions under the Car Allowance Rebate System, or CARS, also revealed that the most-purchased new car was the Ford Focus, which gets an average of 28 mpg." http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveonaCar/top-clunker-the-ford-explorer.aspx

I think a lot of the people that bought them wanted something fashionable at the time, and didn't really care about the utility part. I got mine because I'm tired of going to home depot to buy stuff that doesn't fit in a car.

They don't actually crush the vehicles, they only destroy the engines. Maybe the new flood of junkyard Explorer parts will make them really cheap.

Yeah, I was REALLY happy to see that Ford was a major (THE major) benefactor of this program. If my money is going to be stolen from me and used for stupid stuff, at least have it go to things that I support. I was never a fan of Ford until recently, although I inherited my grandfather's 02 Crown Victoria in 04, I still wasn't really a big Ford fan. I was always into GM cars. Since this whole crap went down, I've turned to Ford as the last hope for American automotive innovation. Despite all the government "help" Ford has managed to improve itself while GM and Chrysler continue to fail.

As far as the vehicles go... the program requires by law that the vehicles get shipped off to an auto recycler. There are two MASSIVE hundred page PDFs available on the CARS.GOV website. The dealers are allowed to take parts off of them, but honestly, the only parts that a dealer would likely take are body panels, and maybe a few parts for the service techs if they need it for their own personal use. Otherwise, expect to see all these cars end up at your local salvage yard.

For me, that's U-PULL-IT in Davie, and M&L Auto Wreckers.


This kind of stuff is nothing new to U-PULL-IT... it's not uncommon to see a Rolls Royce or a Maserati in their junkyard. Usually, people pull all the badges and emblems off them. All the other parts usually remain until the car gets crushed since most Maserati and Rolls Royce owners aren't trouncing through junkyards looking for parts...

I've taken tons of pictures of them though in case you guys get bored and want to see some cool junkyard cars:


http://www.pontiacperformance.net/other/junkyard.html


And the main site:

http://www.pontiacperformance.net/

 

[bluestream1]

That Beemer just would not die.... It's not a late 90's, they stoped making those in 1991.

I would have thought the Escape would get too good fuel economy to qualify?

Looks like the Tech's are having lots of fun with this..