A motor vehicle is essentially a motorised metal box normally with a wheels at each corner in which some the the wheel provide traction to propel the metal box in a certain direction. If this functionality of propulsion is unavailable then the you essentially have a static metal box, which is not much use except for sitting in. Best to concentrate on ensuring that the principle function of motorised propulsion is kept intact.

Many folks who find their metal box is now static, usually give up to easily to keep their motor vehicle going forward.

A lot can be learnt from these fellows.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xgalod_top-gear-bolivia-special-part-1-of-8_auto

Even the worst car in the world won out in the end.

You won't be able to cut up tires without ruining your knife, the steel belts are pretty tough. Likewise you won't make rubber bands from a tire like you would a tube, the rubber in a tire doesn't stretch that much.
Headliner material won't make a backpack, you probably won't even get it off the headliner in one piece. I'd use the material from a seat back or something though both our vehicles have re-usable shopping bags in then, but then they also have tools and other gear.
battery, wire, light bulb can make a fire starter. Seems most cars still come new with a lighter, instead of tossing it out put it in the glove box for an emergency fire starter.
I bet you could find enough material to make a snare.

The cause of the survival situation would probably dictate how much you would/could cannibalize the car.

Now, if we had a massive solar flare or an EMP, the usefulness of the modern car would deteriorate to the point where it would be more valuable for its parts than as a mode of transportation. And if the flare/EMP hit while we were fifty miles from home in snow country, the trick would be to survive until you could get clear of the snow and hike home. One problem with this scenario is that you would probably have to face the fact that it isn't likely anyone would be looking for you, you would be on your own.

If possible, maneuver the car around to face south and use it for solar gain during the day. I would like to think the occupants had some socket wrenches and a ratchet tucked in it somewhere.

Remove the seats, they're nothing but a hindrance; you can stretch out on the floor. Peel off the seat coverings and lift out the stuffing. Fluff the stuffing to use as insulation. Cover the windows at night with the seat coverings to help retain body heat.

I don't think you could use those silly new wheels for much of anything unless you had a liner. If you had some aluminum foil, you could probably set the wheel over a fire and melt water if you were careful not to melt the foil.

The owner's manual would now be useless except as something to get a fire going.

The tires would mainly serve as low outdoor seating.

A week or so ago, I was passed by a Lamborghini (accompanied by the whiplash-effect of my passengers coming to full attention). Can you imagine an Italian being stranded with only his beautiful car, having to make the decision that Dweste has outlined? The car would be found totally intact and polished, the driver dead of frustration.

Sue

While I don't have an Italian ride I do have cool cars and that would be me. Cleaning and polishing the car while waiting for rescue would not be out of the question. Now if I am out in the truck it would be stripped to the frame if it needed to be without a second thought.

Rule of Threes: Given the environment, you can die three minutes without air, three hours without shelter, three days without water, three weeks without food, and, some say, three months without human contact.

So what is your survival situation? Is it likely you will have to cross water that might pose a drowning hazard? Is it likely your environment does not have accessible water? is it likely you will be on your own for enough weeks to require you to obtain food to survive? Are you so remote that three months without human contact is likely?

I would treat this as a STOP situation, analogous to realizing you are lost. Although variouslyinterpreted, I think of STOP as an acronym for stop, think, obseve, plan. Literally stop, sit or otherwise take physical ease. Think through your situation, commit to surviving, and answer the Rule of Threes questions; if possible record your analysis on paper. Observe: first to answer the Rule of Threes questions, then to inventory resources available to avoid violating the Rule of Threes. Plan: determine how you are going to use your resources to avoid violating the Rule of Threes.

If you are with others, then involve them in STOP. One of your resources may other people. One of your biggest obstacles to avoiding the Rule of Threes may be other people. You want to know which it is most likely to be for each person with you.

The scenario restricts your inanimate object resources to the sedan and challenges you to think about what you could scavenge to meet any survival situation. One way to start would be to address what you could scavenge to avoid violating each of the Rule of Threes.

After working through the above, in a real world situation I would address any impending violation of the Rule of Threes in priority order. Indeed it very pressing, I would survive first and work through my plan second every time!

For some time now I have also broken equipping for survival into categories. For now, I look at the categories of First Aid, Shelter, Fire, Water, Food, Navigation, Light, Signaling, Self-protection, Hygiene, and Morale. Time permitting, I would think about scavenging whatever the car might offer in each of these categories. If resources permitted I would actually write this stuff down, too, to reduce the load on memory and prepare for its inevitable holes [and, for me, restore some sense of control and normalcy].

As with shopping for gear, I would also like to consider scavenging things that are light weight, durable, and multi-tasking. But I would also look for handy consumable or one-time use stuff, such as burnables or strap metal that can be wrapped around a nut ot bolt as a one-time wrench.

I also would try to look at the scavenged stuff as raw materials for primitve crafting. Examples would be use of glass to form cutting tools, fabrics to turn into cordage, etcetera. This is where having learned some primitive skills comes in handy.

I would say the most practical approach to the issue is "What can you scavenge from a car without disabling anything important?"

Without decent tools, you can only go so far anyway. And most people in most situations will want the vehicle back, or need it to bug out after the initial crisis.

For example, stuck in a three-day blizzard I'd be willing to:
- cut up seats to supplement clothing and bedding
- cut off seat belts in the rear to improvise a tow rope
- pull out speaker wire for cordage
- pop off the glass in a side mirror for signalling

Since these things are repairable/replaceable, they do not really trash the car. People might be more willing to do them as a result, perhaps leading to more positive outcomes. My 2c.

Think of the scenario as a contest-type situation. The vehicle is not yours. The test is of your knowledge and creativity in scavenging everything possible from the car. Think of it being done inside a large building if that helps. Harvest whatever you can!

Again, "no contents beyond whatever normally comes as safety equipment" means no tools, so whatever you can lever off or smash with the tire iron is about it. EDC isn't part of the exercise.

- - -

Glass from mirror or headlamps: small cutting edges. Safety glass is useless by design, so leave in place as shelter, solar collector, and stationary signalling device (flashes when sunlight catches it).

Reflectors from lamps or headlights: sun-driven firestarter using parabolic or fresnel lens, possible night signalling in bright moonlight.

Spark plugs: smash tops off for a ceramic sharpening stone (for the knife you don't have)

Antifreeze (glycol): poison small animals. The meat should be okay, but toss the head and guts.

Tires on alloy rims: may be light enough to have some positive buoyancy. (Steel rims are said to be neutral or sink.) Lash together with wire and undertake Titanic deeds on the briny deep.

Airbags: hat, clothing, moccasins, kite to get attention, loincloth, hot air signal/aerial balloon. Whether you can get them out without blowing up the high pressure cannister and gassing yourself, I don't know.

Vinyl from seat backs: rough waterproof clothing or groundsheet, protective mitts/moccasins/wrapping for hands or feet, pouch for foraging, fabric for snowshoe frame.

Airbag cannister: throw in fire (and run, baby) to generate signalling boom. You probably don't want to use it for cooking given the very toxic contents.

Seat belts: hammock to get you off the damp/bug-infested ground, tow/winch strap (overhand knot will hold), belts and pouches, material for crude fishing or bird catching net, rope ladder to get into tree.

Metal tongues on seat belt buckles: good steel, may take a cutting edge with lots of work and patience.

Resistor board: uses resistors to drop voltage and control speed of cabin fan. Will also drop voltage from the car battery, possibly to a level where you could charge a cell phone or other small battery.

Aerial: skewers for fishing spear, drill for tool construction.

Windshield wiper frames: skewers, fish hooks

Speakers: contain strong permanent magnets to give you a crude north-south line, or magnetize other iron/steel objects.

Car hood or trunk: if you can twist it off, a crude sled to transport stuff on low friction surfaces (e.g., snow).

Windshield washer tubing: tube to blow coals into flame (may have some methanol in it, so rinse a lot and don't use to ingest anything); tourniquet if you really need one; crude slingshot

In that case,1st-I would gather some gas from the fuel line for signaling purposes & build 3 piles of Flammables to have at the ready,24/7,2nd-then I would salvage some plastics for rain catch/funnels to containers securely fastened to keep from knocking over,3rd-Fashion a knife from some high carbon steel such as the bracket for the alternator or trunk door hinges,once I had a useable knife,I'd cut out the headliner to make solar stills using windshield washer fluid for the catalyst for condensation.4th-I'd take off the power wheel(Right rear usually)Chock the front tires with rocks,Jack up the rear of the car,start her up,put it in gear with a rock on the gas pedal,& further fashion my knife by grinding it on the wheel cylinder,also any aluminum parts could be ground down & The shavings would make a nice Bright flash when burned,to further the signaling process!5th-Flash cannons could be made from tubing & gas fumes,again furthering the signalling process.Use the radiator fluid for poisoning purposes set out near snares made from accessory wires or nylon pulled from the carpeting,basically unweaving it.Gather expendable flammable material to have at the ready for adding to the signal fires.Any bugs that happen into my AO will be appetizers,& Immediately dispatched via my fingers&teeth!