Well, damn. My car is getting ready to give up the ghost, my

husband is considering buying a new car for the first time ever, and we don't qualify for cash for clunkers: our car has a theoretical MPG is 19 and the limit is 18.

After rebates or CHeap Toyotas or Honda models for 18/19K with zero financing.

We got a great deal from them, on a fantastic used car

If there's one in your area, try there.. Even if there;s not one hear you, you can gauge what a fair price will be:)

They have to meet the govt requirements or they won't get reimbursed.

The Gov't rules are quite clear, and a car with an EPA combined mileage estimate higher than 18 do not qualify.

For EPA mileage estimates, go to http://www.fueleconomy.gov

What more proof do you need?

Just like teh deth boaurds!

since the pickings on the lots for good, efficient used cars are so slim.

The good news is that there are now a lot of great new cars out there to choose from.

Other bad news is that the clunkers program will probably mean he'll have to wait to take delivery.

I would reccomend the Ford Focus, but the Versa is great if you are strapped for cash. Also check for any new 2009 models that are sitting on the dealer's lot. Toyota is offering &2k off of new 2009 models. Other dealers might make you a deal.

Then go for the cash for clunkers program.

Must also have been registered and insured during that time.

The rules have been posted here many times, no need to just shout shit out.

mine. There is an entire subculture of people who trade around used cars rather than buy new. Your suggestion sounds like something my husband would have done if it hadn't been ruled out.

Right now we have 3 (4?) cars stashed behind the barn that are unlicensed and don't run. My husband was working out of town last summer and never got a chance to strip out the parts he wanted. Last summer we had people pull up in the driveway every week wanting to pay cash for those cars because the price of scrap was so high. My husband meant to sell them as soon as he stripped out the parts he wanted, but he spent the summer working out of town. Now, no one is buying scrap.

We have a 1992 Toyota Corolla and I'm sure it doesn't qualify, so I haven't read the details of the program.

I gave away my 1996 plymouth Concorde to a charity just before they started cash for clunkers. I think I'll get a $500 tax rebate

My 1994 Grand Prix doesn't qualify.

Now my Grand Prix is broken and I can't afford to fix it. No AC and the DRIVER's WINDOW WON'T ROLL DOWN.

Funny how that works, isn't it?

Seems like my whole life has gone into the toilet as of late.

In many cases, power window problems are nothing more than a loose wiring harness (at the window switch, or at the window motor). Those are usually a simple fix. A 12-volt battery charger can be hooked to the window motor wiring harness to check whether the motor is operating.

AC problems may be something serious, or nothing more than low freon level. Most AC compressors have a built in shut-off switch if the freon is too low. If there are no other problems, just a few ounces of freon will be all you need. Since your car is a 1994, it may have the older type freon (R-12) though, which is more costly to add. If you AC uses R-134 freon, it would be less expensive to have some added.

By safe, I mean it's likely to be a waste of money because the R134 molecule is much smaller than the R12 molecule and in many cases the stuff just leaks out in a few days. Real R134 systems have special seals and barrier hoses to deal with emissions.

I have used Enviro-Safe refrigerant successfully in several older AC systems. It is available on Ebay, is legal to use without a license and does not cost more than R134. Freeze-12 is another version of the stuff and is sometimes found in auto parts stores. Websites for both can be found with Teh Google.

As for the window, the parts are in the junkyard.

I just had a new AC system installed two years ago.

The thing is, it worked real well in July... I went to Florida for a month and upon my return realized the problems.
Feh!

My brother's a mechanic, but he's in Jersey.