Keith Winans of Picture Rocks has a problem with the Cash for Clunkers program: His 10 mpg work truck is too old to qualify — it’s a 1976 Chevy 3/4-ton pick up and it’s not even close to qualifying under the 25-year limit.

“I’ve been using it for a work truck for over 10 years. But if I could get $3500, $4500 for it, I’d trade it in in a heart beat. It’s insured,” Winans says.

He knows he’s not alone.

“I live out here in Pix Rox, there’s a ton of these old cars out here that they’re driving around,” he says. “In Arizona things don’t rust, but they’re still getting really poor mileage.
“They might want to make an exception for Arizona, New Mexico, make an exception for these western states,” Winans says.

I know how he feels. I’ve got a 1984 I was thinking about trading for a gas sipper, but the 1984 missed the magic cutoff date by several months.

If the idea was to get the gas hogs off the road while stimulating the economy with the sale of new cars that get better mileage, it would seem the vehicle’s age shouldn’t matter.

I’ve had a couple Tucson new car dealers tell me they’ve taken cars in trade under Cash for Clunkers that weren’t worth more than $200, clapped out old Suburbans, cars that looked like they were dragged into the lot — yet they qualified. So, the value of the vehicle doesn’t seem to be part of the equation.