NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — After the mad rush of car sales sparked by Cash for Clunkers, dealers will now find they have plenty of downtime to count their money.

The popular program, which ended Monday, will leave many showrooms without cars to sell or customers looking to buy them.

What do you know? Cash for Clunkers was a great success in the short term, and now what? This doesn’t bode well for Washington’s other ideas for the economy.