If you’re talking about ongoing scams, yes, all of these (except Cash for Clunkers) are the worst. If you’re talking about one-time scams, however, this at least deserves nomination:

I don’t remember the last time I saw a NASCAR stocker with (working) taillights, (apparently working) headlights and a windshield wiper.

Damn, you beat me to it! I was about to say that the #3—styled around a car produced in Australia—was not really Americana.

They caught him.

Well, now that they’ve identified the person himself—and apparently caused someone on Facebook with a similar name some grief—identifying the car seems redundant.

From what I understand: Up through the early 1960s, these cars came from the dealerships. As Dave C. said, that 1067 Fairlane was probably the first that did not; from about that time forward, NASCAR stockers started as “bodies in white”, which were made into full-fledged racing cars. In the early 1980s, when the…

I see your point (especially about the laughter) but there probably isn’t much a bystander can do in this situation. The car isn’t going anywhere without a wrecker, and I think most people would have serious reservations about giving strangers a ride these days. Perhaps, after they stopped laughing, the people who…

I hate to think of the damage had that been a front wheel drive car!

I had a Camaro when I was in my early twenties, and one day it would not start. The local mechanic replaced the spark plugs, but told me the car needed a camshaft—it was only firing on five cylinders. I took the car home, and indeed it had a heavy miss.

I absolutely loved mine (1995, 2.5, 5sp). Aside from having driven it 290,000 miles, about fifteen states and three racetracks, it made me smile almost all of that time. Weak spots included the automatic transaxles (get a manual), the distributors (most of which will have been swapped out by now), rear brake calipers…

Okay, I stand corrected! Thanks for the update! (I always thought that emissions regulations made it difficult, if not impossible, to register an older car. When did that change?)

I was under the impression that, due to emissions regulations (and the associated taxes) that cars over five years old were hugely uncommon in Japan. I take it that the regulations have since changed?

Or on the other hand, maybe this...

Although it's been eclipsed by other entries here, this is the first vehicle that came to my mind—per Wikipedia, 24 bhp in original form.

I do have to admit that it looks nice, though. Silver is a great color for that vintage Corvette.

Somebody else's.

To be fair, Ms. Schrader, can you blame them? They're human and you're gorgeous!

The picture is of a second-gen 929.

Both the Contour (the green car) and the Mystique (the Mercury version of the Contour) had the panel at the back of the rear door window. The 1998-9 Escort (the blue car) and Tracer (the Mercury version of the Tracer in those years) did not, which is why, based on the security photo car apparently having a full…

Unlike the first photo, the Contour does not have a separate (in the bumper cover, in this case) rear marker light.