WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. -- When Anthony Gallegos heard about Cash for Clunkers, he went to Medved Autoplex in Wheat Ridge to see if his clunker, a 13-year-old Chevy pick-up, would qualify.

“It has 240,000 original miles, and it’s a gas hog,” said Gallegos.

He is part of a growing crowd hoping to cash in on the government rebate – up to $4,500, available starting July 24.

Dealer John Medved predicts a mad rush next week.

“It’s truly a lottery ticket that has a value and you can cash it,” said Medved. “Everybody is going to press the button at the same time… and the whole things, as far as I can see, is going to run out of money in a hurry or go in tilt.”

Medved is encouraging customers to choose their car, fill out the forms, and get credit checks early, so that at 12:01 a.m., July 24, their requests will be in.

Not everyone believes the money will be gone immediately.

“It’s going to be a very hot market for a few days,” said Tim Jackson, president of the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association.

Still, Jackson said it will be a learning process for car buyers.

“It’s not a one-size-fits-all model,” said Jackson.

Trade-in’s have to be drivable vehicles made in the last 25 years, continuously insured by the same owner for at least one year with a fuel economy rating of no more than 18 miles per gallon.

There are also restrictions on what cars can be bought to replace the clunkers.

To find out more about the Cash for Clunkers program, visit cars.gov.

To find out your car's fuel economy rating, visit fueleconomy.gov.