Okay, I don't want to put too big a spin on this. It seems obvious, but I haven't turned up any evidence these exist.
And mind you I'm not thinking plastic, aluminum or steel; I'm thinking carbon fiber or some other strong composite suitable to the task. The screen should operate independant of the window itself so you can leave your windows down in the summer without worrying about someone walking off with your stuff (or at least no more than you would otherwise).
It also lets you sit at the drive-in (do they still have those?) without the bugs bothering you or allows you to drive home with a car full of balloons without losing a one.-- phoenix, May 27 2004 can't explain why, but i like this. (+)-- xclamp, May 27 2004 I've seen soft bug screens, but not a carbon-fibre version like this. It might be a bit dark, but apart from that it's nice.-- neilp, May 27 2004 What about collisions? Or would these only be used when the car is not in motion?<<obligitory>>"Don't push on the screen, you might strain yourself!"<<ob>>-- lintkeeper2, May 27 2004 Well, I want this for the hot days with dogs in the car, and to keep the sippy cups from flying out the window at 65 mph.-- oxen crossing, May 28 2004 Carbon fiber roving, or fabric, which has a density quite a bit greater than what a transparent screen would need to be, can easily be cut with scissors and is only marginally more difficult to cut when resin cured.-- bristolz, May 28 2004 A kevlar mesh might be suitable, although I can't remember how slash resistant it is.-- oneoffdave, May 28 2004 I'm good with Kevlar. I was only thinking basic theft deterence. People still drive soft top convertables, after all.
"What about collisions?" Using the screen (rolling it up into position, like closing the window) would be completely optional. I suppose it would complicate things if you needed to evacuate quickly, but I see using the screens as an exception, not a rule.-- phoenix, May 28 2004 this is a fabulous idea, I don't think collision or theft should be a consideration, for the reasons given, any soft screen which animals can't get through would serve the purpose. I had a cicada fly in, eeeeeeeek.-- dentworth, May 28 2004 fantastic idea-- luecke, May 28 2004 I am guessing it doesn't rain where you live (even in the summer). At first glance I thought this was just trailer trash screen door posting but it seems to be extraordinarily expensive. I would call it Upmarker Trailer Trash. Sorry bones...-- PainOCommonSense, May 28 2004 Our last car had a screen for the sunroof.-- DrCurry, May 28 2004 good idea, but why does it need to be carbon fibre? unless it starts an insectile arms race, with flys carrying macheties and cicadas with cute little chainsaws, a much lighter fabric would suffice. i'd use mesh from suction cupped sunshades for kids' windows, or even the stuff in screen doors.
speaking of which, [PainOCommonSense] how exactly does screen door equate to trailer trash? a lot of houses round my way have them, not just the trailers. i'd say they have more to do with bug prevailance then type of domicile.-- stilgar, Jun 01 2004 Hey, yeah, nice. +-- sartep, Jun 01 2004 Hey [Stilgar] I didn't want to dig up your financial situtation....
(kidding) ok perhaps they are a bit more classy than I thought. But hey you might try moving to a place with less bugs.-- PainOCommonSense, Jun 01 2004 [PainOCommonSense] Mendo is about as un-bugish as California gets, or so i'm told (i haven't seen the rest of it). as for financial status, the houses i referred to are very big and expensive. i however, happen to live in the garage of one of them. (still bigger than any flat i could have afforded in England though). a very novel idea, garages that admit cars larger than the mini (original).-- stilgar, Jun 03 2004 Half a garage in Notting Hill - London costs £150k back in 2002, but since prices have risen by 40% since then it is probably very out of date. £210k in USD that is about $380,000.-- PainOCommonSense, Jun 03 2004 This would work great for those times when you have to sleep in your car,because they can get very stinky if you have the windows up.-- SystemAdmin, Jun 03 2004 Shit, shit, shit!-- k_sra, Jun 03 2004 Lots of cars around here have ratty looking screen rolled around the front grille. Something about keeping bugs out of the radiators, would be my guess. +-- dpsyplc, Jun 03 2004 This is most useful in that very last stage of a car’s life, when the battery is dead and the wheels are gone. Now it sits on blocks on the side of a lonely country road. A man asleep on the back seat wakes. He rises to the sound of a rooster, and then the chirping of birds. The mosquitoes are massed just outside, and he thanks god that THIS car was abandoned here. A car with screens!-- ldischler, Jun 03 2004 Great Idea, and why not just the stuff on screen doors? It's pretty tough stuff. I tried to punch one out once casue I locked myslef out and ended up buckling the steel frame that held it instead. As far as theft it's not like car windows are that tough to break with a brick or large rock. In fact there somewhat theft friendly, they break into nice little non-sharp pieces unlike regular window pane.-- tedhaubrich, Jun 03 2004 This already exists as a product in at least one form...
magnascreen.com-- JeffG, May 23 2006 random, halfbakery