Fiberglass has been used to make pots for many years but whether that would be the same type of fiberglass as your car top carrier I'm not sure. As a rule fiberglass is pretty stable, even in contact with soil.

Dogs are not descended from wolves. While that is a rather nice theory, it has been disproven. Wolves are a separate breed of canine. The wolf is almost as social a creature as humans, and behave much differently than dogs. On the upside, there has never been a recorded account of an actual attack on humans by wolves, anywhere in the world, in spite of the fear of them by humans.....and I assure you that is NOT the case with dogs!!! There are animals that can be dangerous to humans, of which, bears, cougars, and the larger brutes such as bison (buffalo) or moose, who can be rather cantankerous, when provoked, are good examples. Naturally, the bears are most dangerous, and you should give them wide berth whenever possible, although in some areas of the country, cohabitating with black bears, has been found feasible. Cougars are most dangerous to children, rather than adults. An adult human with arms outstretched, looks to be too formidable a size creature, for cougars, and they will usually run off, if you make yourself appear larger and potentially dangerous. Of course, that doesn't mean you should put yourself in harm's way. Snakes, and other poisonous critters, like gila monsters, are most dangerous to man, because man tends to not be aware of his surroundings, very much, in today's world, and blunders into contact, which might have been avoided. There are some snakes that will actually chase humans, when encountered, so while most snakes are not actually dangerous, it is advisable to avoid them, if you are not well versed on species, as some can give you a painful bite, even when not poisonous. Those can also be infectious. Some tiny spiders are generally most dangerous, with Black Widows, and Brown Recluse, being the most dangerous of those, in the US. The next most dangerous thing to humans in the US, is probably the alligator and / or crocodile, with the alligator most common. These are almost always going to be around bodies of water, so it is good to be cautious around any bodies of water, whether they exist in known gator country or not. (They have been turning up in very odd places.) Obviously, rainforest countries have the most species of things dangerous to man, including some pretty nasty snakes, and some rather exotic spiders, and other insects, in addition to larger predators. Of course there are many animals in Africa, that are dangerous to man, either through sheer size, or as predators. The easiest way to avoid problems in the wild, is to know the other inhabitants of the planet, especially those indigenous to the area you will be in, very well. You should know their habits and temperaments, so that you can avoid unpleasant confrontations with them. I have lived in many places, and perhaps the most dangerous of those has been the wilds of American cities, where the most dangerous of all predators....humans....live. Other than that, my sojourns into the Everglades, and Big Cypress Swamp, were probably the most dangerous, and after that, the deserts of the Southwest and California. Those dangers were primarily gators, and snakes. I did have an 11 foot gator cross the path behind me, near Royal Palm Ranger Station, in the Everglades, once. However, he was not too interested in me, and I gave him a wide berth. I also have had gators come out of canals, around Miami, near me, but I always made sure I stayed away from the edges of the canals, so I had some safety space, there. It can be a little disconcerting to have a gator hissing at you, from a few feet away. You would be hard pressed to outrun one, but they usually feed in the water, so keeping away from the edge of the water, will usually give you a safety margin. Yet, I have been ten miles in, on foot, in the dry season, without any incidents. When going into the wild, anywhere, you need to understand the creatures there, and take the necessary measures to stay safe. Be aware that many of the predatory creatures hunt at night, so it is much more dangerous to move about in darkness. Naturally, food needs to be stored well out of reach and well away from your encampments, in bear country. Don't let your fears of the wild keep you from being one with nature, though. The other creatures of the world have equal rights, to be there, and if you conduct yourself properly, you can enjoy their company, and still remain safe. If you think more in terms of sharing space, rather than demanding it all for yourself, you will find you will get along well with the other inhabitants of the wild. Remember.....the most dangerous predator on the planet.....is the human.....and one to be very cautious with.

The Malibu really does get great mileage. The 3.5 liter V6 is, as others have said, nearly as efficient as the 4-cylinder, and it has lots of power, too. This is proof that "high-tech" engines are not necessarily better. This 3.5 in the Malibu is a fairly old tech engine, it's an OHV design, doesn't have 4-valves per cylinder. But it performs very well and gets excellent mileage. Compare the mileage of the Malibu with this engine that the car magazines say is "old fashioned" to some of the newer design engines with overhead camshafts and more valves per cylinder. What do you see? The "high tech" engines produce comparable power out of small displacements than the Malibu's V6, so they have more horsepower per liter. Okay, but then look at performance and fuel economy, and you see that the bigger engine is no less efficient than the high-revving little one. Plus the bigger one will probably last longer because it doesn't have to be run so hard to produce its power, and as a side bonus there's no timing belt to break and strand you in the middle of nowhere.

Your best bet in a used car will be a well-maintained American car. I don't want to get into the U.S./rest of the world "discussion" being held on other threads. I'll just say that proper maintenance has more to do with a car's trouble-free operation than where it is made. Right now, there are some decent American cars out there, but perception has not caught up with the reality, so American cars suffer more depreciation than many foreign cars. As a buyer of a used car, you can take advantage of that. Some of the cars you might want to look at include the Ford Taurus, or just anything midsize or larger from GM. I'm guessing that, since you got to the age of 16 without being a "gearhead," you mostly want a comfortable, reliable car. These will do the job. They shouldn't cost a fortune for insurance, either. Mikie is right -- even if you're paying for your own insurance, it will be cheaper to piggyback on your parents' policy than it will be for you to go solo. Ask about discounts if you get good grades in school or are willing to drive only a certain number of miles per month, etc. Finally, what else I wish I'd known about cars at your age? Having a car is a joy and a privilege -- and a responsibility. As a teenager, you have the benefit of quick reflexes and (I hope) formal training. You can be an excellent driver. But there's no substitute for experience -- especially at night in the rain and on icy roads. I knew how to steer out of a skid -- until the first time I found myself in one and narrowly missed a fence as I spun into a farmer's field. It's different when it really happens. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that you're immortal (every teenager thinks so; so did I). You're in control of almost two tons of metal and glass and plastic, so be careful. When I was 16, nobody had cell phones and we were lucky if the car had an FM radio, nevermind multi-channel stereo systems and iPod links and the like. I know teenagers are better at multi-tasking than they used to be, but you still have one primary task in a car -- driving. Don't be distracted by fiddling with the stereo or talking with friends. It's okay to concentrate on driving. Professional auto racers do. Have fun! Getting my first car was a blast. I hope you find one you really like and have many happy miles with it.