diy maintainable car by design

I think you have the wrong idea about cars. For one, most car drivers want their car to be maintenance free. They don't want any upgradability either. I would that at least 90% of car drivers want to simply get in it and drive it.

In a word 'legislation'. The way a car is designed has more to do with construction and use regulations now. If they designed a car to be upgradeable and self maintained, the liability issues could be endless.

It wouldn't work in the real world, not with current safety standards and whatnot to consider...

anyone

wouldnt)

priority?I

body/engine

Have a look at kit cars. You get the body panels, the engine etc., and build it like a computer. I would imagine most of them are REALLY easy to service too. It doesn't cover all of your points, but I think these are the closest thing you'll ever find.

priority?I

upgradability

The fact is that cars aren't maintenance free, and probably won't be for a long time. Women may expect the car to just keep working, but after a while it will die if it's not serviced. Servicing is a regular thing (usually at least once/year), so it would make sense to make it easy.

In practice though, with modern cars they are probably just trying to shove as much as they can in them and hope it fits. They will be more worried about the looks, and safety than the servicing of the car.

body/engine

suspension,

endless.

I can service my car, and it'll be legal. It has a yearly MOT which should make sure that it's fairly safe.

why are computers different then? i think a large number of people dont even know what a CPU or hard disk is when they buy a PC, they probably just want the internet, yet when they buy they dont choose a proprietry brand, they end up choosing a modular/DIY upgradable PC with standard parts.

why do complete IT newbies make the right decision from a maintainability viewpoint when chosing a PC, when the same people choose a horrendesly complex car to maintain, but one that looks pretty or in adverts can change its shape to a robot.

maybe because they choose PCs like the ones they have at work? Or maybe they ask their local neighbourhood nerd for advice and actually

*follow* the advice?

I miss my 2CV!!!

Ben

i am not sure if kit car manufacturers have the resources to make a less complex car that passes emmission tests or crash standards. but i have no doubt that the major brands could make such a car.

it might cost more to build, but the car would have a longer useful life and a greatly enhanced second hand market value.

& then they don't maintain it, where do you think all those zombie pcs come from

I'm failing to think of a car that needs more maintenance per running hour than a pc, short of offroad race cars

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And, in the case of my wife, refuel itself.

Why, it's going to be heavier, more expensive,less aerodynamic, use more fuel & have slightly lower maintenance bills in th first 100,000miles. If you want an easily accesible engine bay then any luxury car has plenty of space on the four cylinder models & a clutch that'll last 250000miles, you don't need to tune the engine on any car made in the last decade & they all already talk to a laptop.

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Because the consequences of jamming the RAM in the wrong way round regardless of the keying notches is a fried RAM stick.

The consequences of failing to correctly upgrade the brakes in your car may be that you crash and die.

And - I can fiddle about with the computer indoors in the warm and dry with minimal tools and without having to have arms like an orangutan with tentacles instead of fingers. And it only weighs a few kilos and if I screw up I can probably afford to replace the whole thing.

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So that would benefit the manufacturers how? They're not there to please us, they're there to make money for themselves. They do this by creating a market - then supplying it.

I hope thats not based on the reliant robin. Don't fancy rear wheel steering ;-)

Yes, although the manufacturer also wants to get the customer back to the dealer as well.

Yes. However, it is also consumer demand that governs what goes into a car. In a way it's *you're* fault!

The car will be possibly legal. Or will it? An MOT is total bullshit, and does *not* guarantee the safety of a car. Indeed it is only actually valid for the time of the test.

Also, by servicing a car yourself, and say that you are not a qualified mechanic, your insurance could be void - go check the small print.

furthermore, modifications to the car, such as tuning that you mention, it can also void insurance, and also affect emissions, which can both be illegal and fail the MOT: also note that parts of a car can be illegal, yet pass an MOT.

There is also a question of liability. If a manufacturer makes a car purposely consumer maintainable, then they could be liable for any injuries or deaths caused by poor workmanship. This is the claim-for-everything society we have now. Yet again the fault of the consumer.

TBH, I have little sympathy for the consumer (and yes, I am one as well). They demand so much, and yet fail to notice that their demands can have adverse affects.

Actually you're right. Apple actually did some research on this a while ago. It's basically why they stuck to a ready built option. Less than 5% of PC owners do actually upgrade them, tending to replace the entire machine when they need to upgrade.

NO offence but have you ever seen an insurance policy that says a car has to be serviced by a qualified Mechanic. Ig noring the question of what is a qualified mechanic.

I think you're completely and utterly wrong, most people don't have the foggiest that computers are modular and upgradeable. Also, witness the increased number of people who buy laptops instead of desktops as they are more practical.

You wish.

Both cars and computers have become or are consumer devices, like it or not. What people are interested in is "does it look good" and "does it do what I want".

A minority of people - who tend to hang out in newsgroups like this one

- actually care about maintainability, cheapish spares and easy repairs. The general public would not be able to recognise an oil level if it hit them square in the face, nor computer RAM. Where do you think all those hardly maintained cars come from?

Please note the words 'say' and 'could'. All insurance policies (AFAIK) do have as a condition of the proposal that the car has to be maintained in a roadworthy condition. This can be interpreted to mean as much detail as service standards, shoudl the insurer so wish. Which is also why I mentioned checking the small print, as the wording may vary.

If you manage to make your car dangerous, and you cannot prove competence, you could void your policy.

Don't forget that insurers can try to get out of paying a claim if at all possible.