Many dealerships offer "reconditioned" cars that have only had an oil change and a really good detail job. I propose "almost new," a government-controlled term that would refer to a car that has been 100% restored. It would probably have a slightly bored-out engine with new piston rings, new journal bearings, all new seals and hoses and belts, all new suspension bushings, new shock seals (or new shocks/struts), new carpet and dash components as needed, a fully rebuilt transmission, and a certification that the block and frame are in as-new condition. (This isn't an exhaustive list.) Then the "remanufacturer" might offer a 100 000 mile warranty on the "almost new" car and sell it in an eco-friendly or third-world country where it's not cost-effective to buy a new one--for reasons of the cost of manufacturing, freight, or VAT.-- kevinthenerd, Sep 15 2009 recycled wagoneers http://wagonmaster.comJeep Wagoneers rebuilt and resold (to country stars & such) [Sparkyplugclean, Sep 25 2009] Not bad. But it needn't be government controlled. The People are quite capable without such assistance. And why would these be sold specifically in the third world? I want one too.-- unfettered, Sep 15 2009 Erm - except that restoring an old car, especially to the degree you're talking about, is much more labour intensive and expensive than making a new one.
I have to agree with the sentiment though - it almost makes me weep that most "cash for clunkers" schemes mandated the scrapping of perfectly serviceable cars when, with some basic servicing, many of them could have been traded for older and even more polluting cars owned by those who could not afford new ones.-- egbert, Sep 15 2009 It would be prohibitively expensive to create even one assembly line for doing this, much less the many you would need for different makes, models, years, etc. If a company could find a large quantity of one particular car that would be highly popular and sell for a large amount of money, it might be made profitable for a short time period. (it has to come down to being able to make money (but that's in the real world)) for the halfbakery, I like it.-- Sparkyplugclean, Sep 15 2009 //it almost makes me weep//it made your wallet weep; who do you think paid for it ?-- FlyingToaster, Sep 15 2009 expensive, loses it's value quickly, almost always end up kicking yourself, hard to keep clean. New cars and taxes have a lot in common.-- Sparkyplugclean, Sep 15 2009 I can't see how the price differential between such a vehicle and a good quality "used" vehicle would be anywhere near sufficient to cover the costs of the overhaul. The only way I could see such an attempted overhaul making sense would be if a vehicle had racked up 60,000 or more miles during its first year of ownership; I doubt there are enough such vehicles to justify making an assembly line for them. Otherwise, by the time a vehicle had enough wear to justify an overhaul, its desirability would likely be limited by its lack of the latest gadgets.
Note, btw, that if the government does something obnoxious like requiring breathalizer ignition interlocks on all new vehicles, the demand for overhauled used vehicles would skyrocket (at least until the government starts demanding interlocks on those too). Under such a circumstance, such refurb programs might make sense.
As for "Cash for Clunkers", encouraging the destruction of perfectly good equipment which is overly suggestive of the "bourgeoisie" is typical communist behavior; China did the same thing.-- supercat, Sep 17 2009 /who do you think paid for it ?/ Our grandchildren.-- egbert, Sep 17 2009 Although the principle is good (I like it) from an environmental point of view, it doesn't make sense financially.
Blueprinting the engine and rebuilding the gearbox is all well and good, but there are other foctors. By the time you've re-wired the whole car, treated all the rust damage, replaced all the brake lines, ... , you'll have spent much more money and man-hours than to simply recycle the components into a brand-spanker.
Second-hand cars are cheap to buy because they are expensive to maintain... unfortunately this process is simply condensing the next 5 year's worth of repairs into one and hoping to sell for nearly new price.
This would work for 'classic' cars as they have intrinsic value beyond A-B driving, but if they're all being put back on the road then they'll become less classic :s-- Skrewloose, Mar 09 2011 random, halfbakery