Of course it’s my right to comment, just as it is your right to comment in this forum.
I will add another possibility to the list of possible causes that I posted previously. What if the nurse in question was clinically depressed, and went into the water intentionally–as an act of suicide? In case you think that this possibility is ridiculous, I offer this sad news item that was in the local news media last month:
Bingo!
If the OP abhors modern technology, that is his right, but if he thinks that he is going to find a modern vehicle in the US marketplace that doesn’t have the features he dislikes, then he is essentially looking for a purple unicorn.
I seem to remember reading that once an option was ordered on 90 percent or more of a given model, the maker would likely turn it into a standard feature. Simplifies manufacture and design.
If we’re on the topic of cars going into a lake or a river, I can relate one case where there is very sharp drop-off, rather than a slow descent. Yesterday, I hiked in a nature preserve that I had never before visited, and one of the nice sights was a lake that can only be seen if one ventures into that preserve. Posted around the lake are multiple warnings that there is a very sharp drop-off, and that swimming is prohibited.
That lake formed accidentally, many years ago, when a sand and gravel mining company hit a large underground spring, and they wound-up having to abandon that site because their former quarry was now a sizable lake. If somebody was to–somehow–drive into that lake, they would apparently be in deep water just a few feet from the shore, but because there are no roads in the vicinity, this type of tragedy is very unlikely at that location.
I like your style, algernonsidney. Your post has a lot of replies here. I have two suggestions for you depending on your budget.
Try a used bare-bones Jeep Wrangler 2-door stick. It is the most basic vehicle made today. Or ever, for that matter. Used ones cost more than new sometimes because there are a lot of fans of simple things. If you find one circle back and send us a picture.
Try the 2022 Mitsubishi Mirage. It’s $17K NEW. 5-speed manual. 10-year warranty. It’s the closest thing on today’s market to the Tercel and Echo.
But, even the most bare-bones Mirage has the following high-tech features, which would probably make it a no-go for him:
7.0" Smartphone-Link Display Audio
Automatic Climate Control
Forward Collision Mitigation system (FCM) with Pedestrian Detection
Front USB Port
Steering Wheel Audio and Phone Controls
Electric Power Steering
Apple CarPlay® and Android™ Auto
Automatic Climate Control
Bluetooth® Wireless Technology
Cruise Control
Power Windows
Rearview Camera
Remote Keyless Entry
Steering Wheel Audio and Phone Controls
Active Stability Control (ASC)
Advanced Dual-Stage Front Airbags
Anti-Theft Engine Immobilizer
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist
Driver Knee Airbag
Forward Collision Mitigation system (FCM) with Pedestrian Detection
Front Seat-Mounted Side Airbags
Hill Start Assist (HSA)
Side Curtain Airbags
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
You should attend major auctions like Barrett Jackson or Mecum and look for the cheap stuff from the 1940s through 1960s. You could easily pay less than $20,000 for a car with power nuthin. Just your style, and in all likelihood, restored. It’ll be a 4-door sedan or hardtop and not one of the more sought after models, but you don’t want the popular stuff anyway.
Holy cow, look at all the free advice. Buttons pushed I guess.
The thing is times have changed. I used to order cars with just the options I wanted within reason, but the last 20 years the dealers just buy what the market demands and no point ordering anymore.
The other side of course is resale. No one may want the car that suits only you, even though you don’t buy many cars. Our company cars were all stripped down to save money with no air etc. Then we got a new fleet manager that started buying fully equipped cars. The reason he said was resale value. He’d get twice as much when the cars were sold again than trying to sell a stripped econo box. Hate to say suck it up, but that’s about it.
Back in the 80’s American manufacturers were still doing one-offs…by this I mean you’d order all (or most) of the features separately. Reclining Seats - extra, Carpeting in rear of truck - extra, intermittent wipers - extra…etc…etc. The Japanese were selling vehicles in very specific configurations and very very few other options you could actually order. It turned out it was cheaper to manufacturer a vehicle that way. Then in the 90’s US manufacturers started doing the same. You buy this package if you want these features…you buy this other package if you want more features. So sometimes you either have to buy a vehicle with too many features or a vehicle with not enough features. You now have to decide what features are important to you.
This continued well into the 1990s. My father ordered a new 1993 Caprice station wagon with certain features upgraded (towing package, full instrumentation dash, etc.) but no power windows/locks/seats and just a basic AM/FM radio.
I had a 1995 Caravan (bought it used) and the original owner must have special-ordered it since it had the 4-cylinder engine, 3-speed transmission, no power options, not even a rear window defroster, but it did have the full instrumentation dash, deluxe audio system with CD player, and A/C, all of which were expensive options when new–far more expensive than the cost to upgrade the engine to the 3.0L V6 which was most common.
Even Japanese manufacturers did allow customization to some extent, or maybe it’s just that the dealer where we bought our cars and had them all serviced did us a favor. I know that my father was able to order a 1998 Toyota Camry with no power options, etc, but with the automatic transmission and A/C. I have seen several other base model examples of this car and the similar 1997 model, none were automatic.
Back in the early '80s, I worked with a guy who was a member of a religious group that believed radio (and TV) to be the work of the devil. Listening to recorded music was apparently okay, but listening to it via the radio waves was… bad.
Anyway, he ordered a new Chevy wagon that was devoid of a radio, but it had a factory in-dash cassette player. He rode around listening to Sousa marches, bagpipe music, and stuff like that.
Depending upon your budget, the only thing I can think of within the parameters of your wishes, would be to go really old school and see if you can find a '70s or '80s vehicle you like, purchase for next to nothing and then spend the remainder of your budget fixing it up.
I can’t swim and I’m too old to learn so I don’t know what good it would do me, but I have in each car one of those tools to cut seat belts and break windows. It might help others but I tend to be super careful on high bridges though to avoid the problem. Ice on the water is a nice problem in winter but the landing would be hard on tires.
Heh heh, the other problem is, in icy water, whether you can swim or not, and windows open or not, likely you would not be able to breath and instantly succumb. The result is death where we all are heading sooner or later anyway. Yes I once went through the ice and managed to roll myself out and lived another 60 years and counting.
I imagine the sunroof would make a good exit if you have one and not totally submerged. If I had a window breaker and a sunroof I think I would go that route!
My mother grew up around White Bear Lake. As a child her brother fell through the ice, they managed to get him out and home, where grandma gave him a hot bath, put him in dry clothes, and sent him right out on the ice again.
Things like that and grandpa having to bring the car battery inside at night are why she moved to CA at 20 and never looked back!
Yeah there are advantages to warm weather but snakes and alligators scare me more. Only a few people know the circumstances but the kid that helped me out, in later years ended up killing someone and spending time in prison. I went to his funeral though out of respect for what he did. A guy that risks his own life for someone deserves some points.
