I borrowed her car this morning. After fixing the flat tyre and sorting out the empty tank, and at the same time noting the new dent next to the reversing camera, and between the proximity detectors, then clearing a space between all the bags and piles of study paper for my briefcase and cleaning the windscreen (which meant pulling the stalk so that water came out and the wipers wiped it clean), I had time to ponder. Since keeping the car in some sort of driveable and reasonable condition is not exactly high on her list of priorities, and high performance even less likely to be a concern, I think the following adjustments would help:

Solid tyres.
No reverse gear.
A reservoir-for-life water tank in the roof, with feed down into the windscreen washer bottle.
Ditto oil, but with blow down tank, and huge fit-once filter system.
Ditto coolant.
Back seat replaced with shelving (horizontal).
No warnings at all on the dashboard.

But why did I borrow her car? She took mine to be serviced. Bless her.
-- Ling, Apr 13 2008

Maintenance-Free Recyclable Car Maintenance-Free_20Recyclable_20Car
Possible solution [csea, Apr 13 2008]

Why not by her this one? http://news.bbc.co....usiness/3528757.stm
[zeno, Apr 13 2008]

Sounds like she needs a bus pass, not a car, if she doesn't use it.
-- DrCurry, Apr 13 2008


Sounds like she needs a Maintenance-Free Recyclable Car [runs off to consider this idea.] [link] Could use one of these, myself, for around-town use.
-- csea, Apr 13 2008


when she next used the car, she would have had to re-set all the mirrors, re-adjust the seat position, put back her favourite radio setting, and given herself a hernia by taking off the handbrake.

while she's out doing the shopping AND taking your car for a service and coming home to clean the house, feed the children and pets possibly? do you not think it would be gentlemanly to help out with a little weekly car maintenance?
-- po, Apr 13 2008


[po], you presume too much. I do the shopping, usually on the way home from work at around 7 or 8pm. Then I often pick-up the kids from the baby-sitter and take them home. At weekends, I normally take care of them because my wife is running a business and studying for a Phd in her spare(?) time. I usually sign on the HB when I get fed up with watching Cartoons, and reading books with them etc. they are too much to handle for long periods outdoors.

Cleaning the house? We have a maid, thankfully.
-- Ling, Apr 13 2008


i don't think this has much to do with having a maintenance free car as it has to do with taking care of your stuff. if your water leaks in your roof than you fix it. if your car leaks then fix it. when you wake up in the morning you look at yourself before you go to work hopefully. you should look at the car every once in a while too. sorry but this is one of my pet peeves, if you don't know how to check the fluids in your car and air in your tires then you shouldn't be allowed to drive it.
-- F_R_O_G, Apr 13 2008


[F_R_O_G]: Nonsense.

Are you an expert in child rearing? <Presumes answer is no>. Then you shouldn't be allowed to breed.

By that logic, we have no need for mechanics, hairdressers, accountants etc.
-- sprogga, Apr 13 2008


[Ling] let me know if you ever find yourelf single!
-- po, Apr 13 2008


[ling] I can relate, your day sounds just like mine, except for my wife substitute teaching cert for PhD and baby for own company.

All I can suggest is getting service at a place that supplies rental/loaner cars, and going in for periodic service. Or how about a night garage that does pickups? Hmmm, now that sounds interesting.

Oh and I'll tell you, you will miss reverse. I've owned both a motorcycle and a broken car without reverse and it stinks. The car was nearly unusable. Parking was a nightmare.
-- MisterQED, Apr 13 2008


Yeah, I can do the maintenance, no sweat. I've just changed all the bushes and shocks in my MX5 (Miata). The other cars are regularly serviced, so I don't take the same notice of them. The kids love to help too, by hiding all the nuts and bolts in various toys, compartments, and other exciting hiding places where daddy has absolutely no idea where to find them.
-- Ling, Apr 13 2008


//how about a night garage that does pickups?//

Hey, that's one of my ideas ... a bonded para-mechanic that comes 'round to the owner's residence or business at least once a month and does the basic owner stuff: fluids, filters, tires, lights, interior-cleaning... and drives the car around the block to test everything.
-- FlyingToaster, Apr 13 2008


Baked, see link.
-- zeno, Apr 13 2008


Obligatory WIFRT: When I first read the title I was going to tell Ling we don't make trades.
-- Canuck, Apr 14 2008


What [F_R_O_G] and [boysparks] said. The problem is that the manufacturers themselves are replacing the roles not only of the mechanic but also of the owner.

Again, this is actually a problem of urban form or settlement pattern, which is ultimately a problem of economic systemics.

Is that Volvo for real? "What branches grow out of this stony rubbish? ..."
-- Ned_Ludd, Apr 14 2008


//how about a night garage that does pickups//
Ninja valeters?
-- coprocephalous, Apr 14 2008


[+] for the nutty Volvo link and "women-friendly Volvo boss Hans-Olov Olsson" and his women friends Tatiana Butovitsch Temm.
-- james_what, Apr 14 2008


Ouch, ranty but funny.

Howzabout: Instead of rear doors for the back seat, the doors themselves are replaced with deep drawers, that pull out the shelves contents complete for easy access? Shelf paper may be applied to make it pretty.

Windshield squirter replenished by rainfall?
-- elhigh, Apr 14 2008


+ for Back seat replaced with shelving (horizontal).

(no trash can, though?)
-- Zimmy, Apr 14 2008


/replenished by rainfall/

I was thinking exactly this. The trunk lid already has a mechanism whereby water is routed thru gutters and out. The gutters could have screened catchholes.
-- bungston, Apr 14 2008


Remember the car she had serviced for me? She kept Durian in it overnight! I think she must be a closet Halfbaker: I've been found out, and this is punishment. I'm afraid to get in the car, now.
-- Ling, Apr 14 2008


//A car for my wife// ...fair swap I suppose, but I'd have to see a picture first.
-- ConsulFlaminicus, Apr 15 2008


//She kept Durian in it overnight!//

Isn't that the fruit that some cities ban bringing them on busses?
-- Zimmy, Apr 15 2008


I was asked to "top off" the coolant for this girl once, and after pouring an entire gallon of 50/50 into the radiator I asked how she knew it needed coolant. She said because "it doesnt like to start when its hot".

She had no coolant at all, burned out pump, bad hoses and an engine that knocked, smoked and stalled.

And she had plenty of money to fix it, just had no idea there were problems.

And would somebody please explain to all women that the oil light being on is a HORRIBLE THING. I have been in 2 cars with women and have been asked what the oil light ment they needed an oil change......

I agree with everything this idea brings to the table. ++++++++BUN++++++++
-- evilpenguin, Apr 15 2008


//Isn't that the fruit that some cities ban bringing them on busses?// Maybe, but definitely hotels, public buildings, airplanes and so on.

[evilpenguin], I've known males who do similar stuff, too. How about filling the oil up to the very top?
-- Ling, Apr 16 2008


The PPL test includes a section on "Engines and Airframes". Sadly there is no such test for ground vehicles.

// filling the oil up to the very top? //

THIS IS NOT, REPEAT NOT, AN URBAN LEGEND.
-- 8th of 7, Apr 16 2008


My good friend Keith killed his first Chrysler Alpine by not putting any oil in it. He bought another one and over-corrected, thus blowing up the engine.
-- james_what, Apr 16 2008



random, halfbakery