On the radio, they discussed what type of vehicles qualify. They
should be getting less than 18 mpg and be less than 25 years old...

Most of the Vanagons I know get around or slightly better than 18mpg.
And some of them are older than 25 years now.

On Jul 27, 2009, at 12:57 PM, Don Hanson wrote:

>  Ugg!  That sounds awful!
>  Seems to me like the "cash for clunkers" program is a huge gift to
> the
> auto industry and has significant downsides for 'poor' car owners.  In
> essence, they've just made the lowest possible price for used cars at
> what..$4500?  I mean, if a seller can get that from the government by
> destroying the vehicle or they'll get less to sell it...they'll see it
> destroyed.  Us guys with little money will see fewer vehicles we can
> afford,
> for sure.
>  It won't be long (probably already happening) until someone figures
> out
> how to get round all the rules and starts taking in old vehicles and
> using
> them to get that government 'rebate'.  Just like that really
> ridiculous SUV
> tax break that got everyone buying super gas hogs and getting paid
> for it
> until just last year.
>  An aside:  California recently "decreed" (my word) that only the
> newest
> diesel trucks could haul freight out of the ports of that state..No
> new
> truck-no freight..period.  So a bunch of guys are buying new trucks
> now,
> those that can afford them.  The rest of the truckers who want to
> haul in
> California are paying other guys to go get the loads at the ports
> and 'drop
> ship' them outside the ports...Hundreds of thousands of expensive
> tractors
> are now 'second class' units because of CARB..for a marginal
> decrease in
> emissions.  Another blow to the "little guys"...Wonder if any of the
> big
> truck companies had any thing to do with that rule by CARB..
>  Don Hanson
>
>
>
> On Mon, Jul 27, 2009 at 9:22 AM, Jim Akiba <syncrolist@bostig.com>
> wrote:
>
>> I wonder if any vanagons are going to be euthanized via this program.
>> Here is the official government procedure for the dealers to ensure
>> engines are destroyed when you go to trade in the vanagon for a kia
>> ha.   It's disturbing in many ways.  I thought this was particularly
>> relevant to vanagons owners because vanagon owners tend to use
>> recycled parts, including engines for upkeep and conversions.
>>
>>
>>
>> Appendix B to Part 599 - Engine Disablement Procedures for the CARS
>> Program
>> Engine Disablement Procedures for the CARS Program
>> THIS PROCEDURE IS NOT TO BE USED BY THE VEHICLE OWNER
>> Perform the following procedure to disable the vehicle engine.
>> Since the vehicle will not be drivable after this procedure is
>> performed,
>> consider where the procedure will be performed and how the vehicle
>> will be moved after the procedure is complete.
>> 1. Obtain solution of 40% sodium silicate/60% water. (The Sodium
>> Silicate
>> (SiO2/Na2O) used in the solution must have a weight ratio of 3.0 or
>> greater.)
>> 2. Drain engine oil for environmentally appropriate disposal.
>> 3. Install the oil drain plug.
>> 4. Pour enough solution in the engine through the oil fill for the
>> oil pump
>> to
>> circulate the solution throughout the engine. Start by adding 2
>> quarts of
>> the
>> solution, which should be sufficient in most cases.
>> CAUTION: Wear goggles and gloves. Appropriate protective clothing
>> should be worn to prevent silicate solution from coming into
>> contact with
>> the
>> skin.
>> 5. Replace the oil fill cap.
>> 6. Start the engine.
>> 7. Run engine at approximately 2000 rpm (for safety reasons do not
>> operate
>> at
>> high rpm) until the engine stops. (Typically the engine will
>> operate for 3
>> to 7
>> minutes. As the solution starts to affect engine operation, the
>> operator
>> will
>> have to apply more throttle to keep the engine at 2000 rpm.)
>> 8. Allow the engine to cool for at least 1 hour.
>> 9. With the battery at full charge or with auxiliary power to provide
>> the power of
>> a fully charged battery, attempt to start the engine.
>> 10. If the engine will not operate at idle, the procedure is
>> complete.
>> 11. If the engine will operate at idle, repeat steps 6 through 10
>> until the engine
>> will no longer idle.
>> 12. Attach a label to the engine that legibly states the following:
>> This engine is from a vehicle that is part of the Car Allowance
>> Rebate
>> System (CARS). It has significant internal damage caused by operating
>> the engine with a sodium silicate solution (liquid glass) instead
>> of oil.
>>