These cars clung on for dear life to get Americans from Point A to Point B (albeit, sometimes with the help of a tow truck) for decades, and then they were handed in for scrap metal. The bond between clunker and owner is a sacred one. Only the owner of a clunker knows the secret trick to get that passenger side window to go down, or at precisely what speed the windshield wipers will stop working, or exactly the right combination of swear words to get the trunk to close. Talk to any good clunker owners and, sure, they’ll probably have their fair share of gripes with their cars, but they’ll also probably have nicknames for them and at least some degree of sentimental attachment. 

After the injection of an additional $2 billion to the Cash for Clunkers budget, hundreds of thousands of vehicles were traded in through the program. But what exactly happens in the final days of a clunker?

As if being traded in for a younger, sexier ride weren’t humiliating enough, many dealerships decided to add insult to injury and spray paint “clunker” on some trade-ins and stick them out in the lot for the world to see. Others found it amusing to put the cars in dumpsters. Most clunkers, however, went straight to the executioner.

The Cash for Clunkers bill stipulates that all traded-in cars must be destroyed and recycled. Dealerships are responsible for destroying the engine before sending the cars off to the scrap yard. They did this by replacing the car’s oil with a sodium silicate solution (often referred to as “liquid glass”) and running the engine until it seized up. The liquid glass simulates years of wear and tear on the engine and destroys it in a matter of minutes. 

Once the engine had been destroyed, the car was completely drained of all liquids and taken to a scrap yard. There, the reusable parts were salvaged and the car compressed into a small cube for recycling.

For those who resisted the temptation and stuck with their clunkers throughout the summer, take solace in knowing the fate you saved your beloved from. Hopefully, your car will appreciate it too and maybe spare you a breakdown or two in the months to come.

By Elizabeth Wolfe

With all the talk lately about new electric cars coming out, or the benefits of upgrading to a more fuel efficient ride via the cash for clunkers, It’s no surprise that most everyone these days is wanting to lesson their addiction to the pump. Unfortunately for a lot of us, especially in this economy, the cost of buying a Tesla, or even just ditching our gas guzzler for something like a Prius is just not an option. There is however something you can do right now to increase your miles per gallon without breaking the bank, in fact it will actually put money back in your wallet. I am of course speaking of hypermiling. For those unaware of how to partake in this environmentally friendly way of driving, here are some tips to get you on your way.

Keep You’re Tires Properly Inflated
Though ridiculed for weeks, President Obama wasn’t joking when he told Americans to keep their tire pressure at optimum levels. This simple task can increase your mileage by as much as three percent, not to mention improve the longevity of the tires. You can check what your ideal tire pressure should be by looking at the inside panel of your door, or in your car manual.

Accelerate And Brake Efficiently
While it may feel like your driving Miss Daisy, this is by far the most important thing you can do to increase mileage. And all it takes is a little patience and being aware of your surroundings. When you start at a stoplight, wait a second between letting your foot off the brake and accelerating. It takes much less energy to propel a car already in motion, however slight it is, then to move a completely still object. Next, when you know you will be coming to a stop, don’t wait until the last second to ease off the gas, instead try and coast to you’re stopping point. If it is a stop light, you can even
try to time a traffic light so you end up coasting until it turns green, thus never having to actually stop. And last but not least, quit gunning the engine to get up to speed, instead gradually accelerate, not only will it help increase you’re mileage, but it is better for the engine as well.

Get Rid Of The Weight
It’s time to put your car on a diet. From taking out the back row of seats you never use in the minivan, to just keeping the car less cluttered, you can easily increase you’re mileage by removing whatever you can live without. Some hypermilers even take out the spare, tire jack and jumper cables. While this may sound like they are asking for trouble, if it’s a car you only take short distances, do you really need them in the trunk at all times? Take an inventory of the items in your car, and decide what you need, and what rarely if ever gets use. I’ve noticed that most everyone has at
least a few things that could be tossed in the garage instead of adding weight to you’re car on a daily basis.

Turn The Engine Off When Idle
There has long been debate about how effective this is, or that it may even be counterproductive, but depending on the model of you’re car, it can help. Turn your engine off if you know you will be stopped for more than sixty seconds. Shorter than that, and depending on the car, you will gain next to nothing, or possibly even be wasting fuel. Mostly use this during heavy traffic jams, drive through windows, or when you just missed a stop light you know to be a sleep inducer.

There are other more extreme methods of hypermiling, but these can risk you’re safety, and in many cases break traffic laws. Methods such as not fully stopping at stop signs, rounding corners at high speeds, over inflating your tires, or not braking at all when going downhill. While they may increase mileage, if doing so risks you not getting to your destination in one piece or with a ticket, are they really worth it?

So now that you have a grasp of how to hypermile, get out on the road and give it a try. Put a pad of paper and pen in the glove box, start logging you’re mileage along with how much gas used, and you can start seeing for yourself just how much greener you’re driving will be.

By Mark Johnson