Old cars and trucks in case of an EMP

[bcraig]

Any of yall keep an old car or truck in case of one or more EMP's ?

I have sorta kinda thinking about it but I am not a mechanic and the most elaborate job I have done is changing the automatic 4whd hubs on a Ford Ranger ,I am thinking it was a 1986 model from Automatic front hubs to Warn lock in lock out hubs.

I want something that is known for being reliable.

What about something like a model T or Model A or would you go with something newer?

Also what would it take to emp proof a Honda Pioneer 500 side by side ?
Other than wrapping it in tin foil !

Thanks

[jeepnik]

Not an EMP expert, but most pre electronic ignition vehicle still had electrical components (condenser, alternator, voltage regulator, etc.) that would suffer during the pulse.

About the only thing I could think of is to store all of those types of components inside a Faraday cage then install them after the event.

Of course the most likely cause of such a pulse is a nuke. I’m thinking if you are close enough to worry about the pulse effecting you vehicle you might not have to worry about it.

Here’s something to remember. During the height of the Cold War folks we’re building “bomb shelters”. These and most other shelters weren’t resistant to bombs. They were fallout shelters designed to protect people from radioactive fallout.

[JBowen]

I have been working on that somewhat. I have a 86 chevy 4x4 pickup and a 76 Jeep CJ5 with a chevy engine and transmission. I have stored up spare engines,
transmissions and components like alternators, starters and distributors that could be affected by an EMP, though I have not built any Faraday cages.
My first objective was to do away with computers and electronic fuel injections. I have been working on old Chevys and Jeep since I was old enough to hand wrenches to my Dad.
These are not my everyday vehicles but I keep them up in good condition.

JBowen

[Rockrat]

Would an old steel ammo can work for a faraday cage?

[JBowen]

Would an old steel ammo can work for a faraday cage?

I haven't put much effort in studying this subject, but I watched a youtube video where a guy took an ammo can and lined the inside with cardboard to insulate
the inside from the metal. I think he also removed the lid gasket but can't remember.
I have also heard that you can make one out of metal trash cans. There is also a company that sells a device to put on your vehicle to protect it from EMP,
but I am skeptical of that. They claim they have tested it somehow? Snake Oil, I don't know?

JBowen

[Sixgun]

OK…..one of those pulse thingy’s hit and fry all of your components that fry on such things. ….what good will it do anyway. Even if you manage to survive the pulse thingy, where are you gonna go…to the movies?……to the gas station?…….there will be roving bands of BLM’s looking to take your S

After the 2019 tornado hit, nothing was working….you have no choice but to stay home……

Any moving object will be a target…if not from a bad man, then the poelice…... ….stay home and if you need to go somewhere, the Good Lord gave us two feet then you can walk to the beer mart and get a 6 pack then go back home and watch the news on your blank screen.

Gotta laugh at this people who have “bug out bags”…….

Even my Kubota tractor has a computer on it………the best any of us can do is maybe survive for a month or two….and that will be at home.

[Grizz]

Would an old steel ammo can work for a faraday cage?

from memory (!) the cans need to be sealed with metallic duct tape because the emp energy can get inside the can. the article was about using garbage cans, and i don't have the source article available. I think it's worth the effort. Maybe like keeping heritage seeds in a cool dry place?

perhaps a plan b track is useful. a 5w output vacuum tube morse code transmitter is stupid cheap to build. doesn't sound like much power but in today's radio environment low power transmitters routinely communicate over thousands of miles. after a pulse event there should be a lot less radio waves around, and quieter.. and radio kits that are dependent on semiconductors are also very inexpensive, maybe salting a couple of kits away in a cage is prudent, IDK. I am behind on all these projects.

car alternators won't work because the rectifiers are all solid state. an actual car generator should survive. solar panels will all be dead too. and windmills that have electronic controls.... the beat goes on.

[Grizz]

Gotta laugh at this people who have “bug out bags”…….

Gilboy's_Schooner_Pacific.jpg

This man crossed the Pacific Ocean with 18th century technology, and multitudes more have done the same. I prefer mobility, even if it is slow......... you can row across oceans. . . but you can't row a Kubota

and

Screenshot 2023-07-24 102806_circumnavigate.png

I think this guy had an outboard engine. A small set of sails would cut the fuel usage to not much. It's not as much about the boat as it is about the operator.

[JimT]

Gotta laugh at this people who have “bug out bags”…….

If I were going to invest in anything it would be a "get home bag" ...

[GunnyMack]

If you have a properly operating microwave you have a Faraday cage.
If you take your cell phone and put it inside, close the door and call your cell and it rings your microwave is not right and is dumping radiation out into your kitchen. If your phone doesn't ring you are good to go.

[RIDERED350r]

I think the best you can do is an old school completely mechanical diesel with a manual fuel cut-off to shut it down. Those types of diesels need zero electrical current to run and will run until out of fuel. But then you still have the necessary electrical components needed for the charging/starting system so that would need to be protected or backed up.

Worth noting, most old style mechanical diesels will run on used engine oil. Could be a very valuable capability during the apocalypse. Unlimited fuel source from all those dead modern gasoline and even diesel powered vehicles sitting around everywhere with fried 'lectricals in that situation. Just one 14-16 liter big truck diesel will hold upwards of ten or more gallons of engine oil


Even better, steam power. All you need is wood, water, and some sort of oil to lube the external moving parts

[.45colt]

Unless things make a drastic turn around in the next election EVERYONE IN RURAL AMERICA IS SCREWED. I HAVE A DELAPIDATED PROPERTY NEXT DOOR....the owner? has been gone now for 10 months. grass is waist high, windows falling off....there are local "scrap Vultures " who want to go in and steal anything to be had. One guy driving a SUV from mad max pulls in to my yard and wants permission to go over there and scrap anything He can . I tell him I don't own the property and if He is over there I'll call the Sheriff. If You don't already live in a remote area far from anything You are a target for all the slime in the cities. All I want is 100k of 00buck and fifty pards to watch My Back........... .

[Malamute]

Back when I worried about such things, I realized there were some very different opinions on what the effect was, and by people with experience in the subject. The biggest safeguard, dont be close to the source. The farther from a pulse source, the less of an issue. There werent any widespread wipe-outs of electrical stuff from nuke tests in the past, and the .mil tests and training didnt wipe out everything in the country, its a localized effect.

Metal buildings shield quite a lot if not very close, most vehicles if they arent running during a pulse, and not very close, are ok.

Like much of this kind of thing, check your source, and if they are making money from getting people to believe their line, ...and see if theres also qualified opinion that differs.

[jeepnik]

Where I live the only serious threat is earthquake. I suppose wild fire could be but historically it hasn't been an issue. I live in a tsunami zone but again we've never had one in recorded history. Same with flood. In the zone, never ever had one. So earthquake it is.

Now assuming my house doesnt's fall on me, it's bolted down, has shear wall, etc. So It should survive somewhat intact. Actually, fire (think San Francisco) is likely to be the biggest natual danger. Now if and that's a big if, the water system remains intact enough to supply the hydrant across the street My 300" of hose and appropriate nozzles might protect my house. I still remember how to protect exposures with things like water curtains. Honestly though, the water system will be one of the first casualties.

But let's say Im not crushed or incinerated, how is it any different that when I go to the local desert for a couple of weeks?

Oh, and as to nukes and pulses, I live in the largest port on the west coast. I'm gone about a milisecond after the war starts.

[RIDERED350r]

A CME wiped out most of our telegraph infrastructure in the 1860s. Our concerns don't lie solely with unruly cohabitants of this rock, our own star can wreak some serious havoc.

[OldWin]

I like my vehicles as much as anyone, but in the case of something of that magnitude, they are pretty much a write off.
In the case of widespread breakdown, a running vehicle loaded with "stuff" is going to draw the the attention you don't want. The roads will be blocked by all the vehicles on the road when the incident happened, especially in more urban centers. Vehicles on roads are very vulnerable to ambush. Fuel today is terrible, even when fresh. It doesn't last very long nowadays when sitting. Diesel is a little better, but still not real stable.
You're best bet would be a moped or small motorcycle. Even more realistic is a solid mountain bike and a good pair of snowshoes. Look at the transportation in 3rd world, war torn countries.
Don't fall into the trap of thinking you're going to be the only guy in town that is unaffected by some catastrophic event. When everyone is going without, and your life looks unchanged, you'll be everyone's target.

[Grizz]

this is interesting stuff to think about . . . how would it affect us? no way to know for sure.

I live on the Cascadia Subduction Zone fault, which is predicted at max power to shake the west coast for 750 miles for over 10 minutes. The consequences of this are to destroy much stuff inland as far as I-5. There is geological history that supports the dire report.

I also live in between a boomer base and a carrier base. I doubt, if the rockets start flying, that they could miss.

BUT'CEPT one target to disable America is the electric grid, which is extremely vulnerable. It is said that the chicoms are developing this. perhaps the norkos as well.

And USA has a flying EMP generator capable of discreetly destroying individual targets, building by building. None of this changes the world-view of scripture. But it is interesting.

https://science.howstuffworks.com/e-bomb2.htm
.
https://science.howstuffworks.com/e-bomb3.htm
.
https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech ... se-weapon/
.
the question is, what could possibly restrain the use of any of these things?

† curiously,

[Blaine]

Living on the edge of Joint Base McChord AFB and Ft Lewis I think that I would be in the middle of a very large priority target. I'm pretty sure I would not survive the first 15 minutes of a coordinated west coast attack.

[RIDERED350r]

I like my vehicles as much as anyone, but in the case of something of that magnitude, they are pretty much a write off.
In the case of widespread breakdown, a running vehicle loaded with "stuff" is going to draw the the attention you don't want. The roads will be blocked by all the vehicles on the road when the incident happened, especially in more urban centers. Vehicles on roads are very vulnerable to ambush. Fuel today is terrible, even when fresh. It doesn't last very long nowadays when sitting. Diesel is a little better, but still not real stable.
You're best bet would be a moped or small motorcycle. Even more realistic is a solid mountain bike and a good pair of snowshoes. Look at the transportation in 3rd world, war torn countries.
Don't fall into the trap of thinking you're going to be the only guy in town that is unaffected by some catastrophic event. When everyone is going without, and your life looks unchanged, you'll be everyone's target.

Very true. It will be like that TV show "The Walking Dead" but worse, only the walkers will be roving masses of city dwellers. Any way you cut it, it's not going to be the romantic story of survival. It will be a s***show

[OldWin]

I like my vehicles as much as anyone, but in the case of something of that magnitude, they are pretty much a write off.
In the case of widespread breakdown, a running vehicle loaded with "stuff" is going to draw the the attention you don't want. The roads will be blocked by all the vehicles on the road when the incident happened, especially in more urban centers. Vehicles on roads are very vulnerable to ambush. Fuel today is terrible, even when fresh. It doesn't last very long nowadays when sitting. Diesel is a little better, but still not real stable.
You're best bet would be a moped or small motorcycle. Even more realistic is a solid mountain bike and a good pair of snowshoes. Look at the transportation in 3rd world, war torn countries.
Don't fall into the trap of thinking you're going to be the only guy in town that is unaffected by some catastrophic event. When everyone is going without, and your life looks unchanged, you'll be everyone's target.

Very true. It will be like that TV show "The Walking Dead" but worse, only the walkers will be roving masses of city dwellers. Any way you cut it, it's not going to be the romantic story of survival. It will be a s***show

Haha yeah.
To me, the only 4 wheeled vehicles that make sense are a model T or a flat fender Willys Jeep. They are almost mechanically perfect in their simplicity, compactness, and capabilities. A model T will go more places than all but a couple of today's 5 wheel drives. They have massive clearance and light weight. The spoked wheels aid in traction once they are sunk into mud or snow.
Most importantly, either of these vehicles can be moved or lifted from an end or side by 2 or 3 healthy people.

[AJMD429]

Gotta laugh at this people who have “bug out bags”…….

If I were going to invest in anything it would be a "get home bag" ...

Yeah me too.

I pretty much always try to have whatever I need to walk home from wherever I am, in whatever weather or 'conditions' might apply. Needless to say, I'm lucky in that I don't generally go over about 50 miles from home unless there's a real good reason.

We all think about the fun exciting stuff like guns and knives and things to start a campfire, but don't forget the potential need for a dry change of clothes, especially socks. An extra pair of shoes isn't a bad idea either.

[AJMD429]

.
.
This book (link is to audio version) might well portray things as they really could manifest.

https://youtu.be/a5FDHm-igIE

The authors seem credentialed pretty well

Anyway, it's a good read regardless.

[JimT]

I figure in an EMP if we want to go someplace we will take a lesson from the Russians and hook the rototiller to a wagon and drive it to town.

1.JPG

[Grizz]

in those scenarios, the complete fragmentation of society, I would target a marina and harvest the Smallest seaworthy boat of the lot. after that i could trade it in for a better one if that need arose. small boats can be managed on beaches and up rivers, they can carry provisions for months at sea, they can hide out in ways that the the jumbo versions can't, they can be very Quiet, and go anywhere in the 70% of the globe that is wet, and they are less likely to be hijacked by people who can't live without tv and microwave ovens . . . it's not very romantic, but it's very do-able

g

[jeepnik]

in those scenarios, the complete fragmentation of society, I would target a marina and harvest the Smallest seaworthy boat of the lot. after that i could trade it in for a better one if that need arose. small boats can be managed on beaches and up rivers, they can carry provisions for months at sea, they can hide out in ways that the the jumbo versions can't, they can be very Quiet, and go anywhere in the 70% of the globe that is wet, and they are less likely to be hijacked by people who can't live without tv and microwave ovens . . . it's not very romantic, but it's very do-able

g

“Harvest” a boat? Try stealing a boat during bad times here could get you shot.

One of my exit strategies is by sea. But the local small harbors and even the Ports of L A and Long Beach would also be nearly as jammed up as the 405 freeway.

While sailing vessels can go a long way without the need for fuel. They are neither as fast or maneuverable as a power boat. Think horse drawn wagon versus riders on horseback.

[Grizz]

“Harvest” a boat? Try stealing a boat during bad times here could get you shot.

perhaps. I'm not thinking of something routine like a short power outage. For the scenario of "grid down", ZERO ELECTRIC GRID, checking up on a boat will be the last thing on anyone's mind. I don't recommend stealing, I already have boats... it's proposed in response to the scene. Getting past a fifty million man traffic jam at two knots is perfectly satisfactory. I've rowed and sailed across San Francisco Bay a number of times, surrounded by Millions of people, and utterly alone on the bay, rowing or sailing with no one knowing I'm there . . . This is what I imagine it could be like, AFTER the lights go out and all the outboard boats run out of gas.

My point is that low-tech, what was considered normal 200 years ago, is still normal for sea folk. I don't have any other experience to go on.

[jeepnik]

Don’t know about where you live but here the live aboards are usually very protective of their neighbors boats.

[Grizz]

Don’t know about where you live but here the live aboards are usually very protective of their neighbors boats.

yeah. I know. In spite of that, I know two people whose boats were stolen, and the owners were murdered and thrown overboard. fishermen in Alaska are live-aboards during fishing seasons, there are thousands of boats and people moving about the eastern gulf of alaska. well, tens of thousands more likely, yet a boat can sink within a mile of other boats, and the crew disappears after calling for help, and no trace is ever found. this in the best of times when the grid is up, even in secret cove, and all the radios and comm towers are up and running.... LOTS of live aboard experienced boaters have flat out disappeared off the face of the earth in my time line. . . . , without a trace. people I knew..., this isn't the scenario I'm talking about.

I'm talking about grid down > all normal electricity stops in every city on the continent, that's the scenario. many of the live-aboards you are thinking of are dependent on shore-power to run heat and cooling and cooking and entertainment, and to stay afloat. what happens when that suddenly instantly stops due to a massive EMP event?

I lived off-grid for 300+ days every year, but I was still dependent on an electricity-dependent infrastructure. You know, hoists for delivering product, connection to banks, ability to refuel, ability to re-ice the fish hold... what if all that stuff goes away? My thought experiment is about the what-ifs after the grid goes away . . . after the last generator runs out of fuel... after the last gas can runs dry...

regards, grizz

[JimT]

what if all that stuff goes away? My thought experiment is about the what-ifs after the grid goes away . . . after the last generator runs out of fuel... after the last gas can runs dry...
regards, grizz

But that can't happen to us! We are the good guys!

[Grizz]

what if all that stuff goes away? My thought experiment is about the what-ifs after the grid goes away . . . after the last generator runs out of fuel... after the last gas can runs dry...
regards, grizz

But that can't happen to us! We are the good guys!

Of Course ! I'm concerned about the ones it does happen to

[Eddie Southgate]

How about a good mule ? They have 0 electronics and full time four foot drive, plus you get free fertilizer.

[AJMD429]

How about a good mule ? They have 0 electronics and full time four foot drive, plus you get free fertilizer.

Best idea.

[cas]

OLD CARS AND TRUCKS DUE TO EMPty bank accounts and full gun safes.

[marlinman93]

I have old cars and trucks, but not because I fear an EMP. Just because I love old stuff, and find it enjoyable to own and build. I have a 1939 Chev coupe, 1937 British Austin sedan, and my 1969 Chevy Suburban. Not sure if they'll work after an EMP, but not losing any sleep worrying about it either.

[Pitchy]

Back when i was a kid if ya drove around the country here you would at least one horse out in the pastures, wonder if the old timers new something we didn`t.
I think they new if the car or truck wouldn`t run they could always get around with the ole hay burner.

[Grizz]

Back when i was a kid if ya drove around the country here you would at least one horse out in the pastures, wonder if the old timers new something we didn`t.
I think they new if the car or truck wouldn`t run they could always get around with the ole hay burner.

not to mention the added benefit of automatic weed cropping, and automatic fertilizer service. gotta love those animals.

[Rockrat]

Friend of mine was worried about things if the nukes started flying and wanting to be prepared to live afterwards. Telling me about what is being said on podcasts and stuff had him really worked up. Told him not to worry about things, you live about 10 miles from a main AFB which would be one of the first hit, so it would be over fairly quickly. He got quiet and then said he never really thought of that.
Now if the power goes out , thats a different story. IIRC, the Mormon faith requires at least a year of supplies in storage, per person, for the family. Smart move.

[marlinman93]

Maybe I should just buy a couple school desks for my wife and me? Back when we were kids the drill in school was to climb under your desk to survive a nuke. If we have a couple school desks we should be more than ready!

[jeepnik]

Friend of mine was worried about things if the nukes started flying and wanting to be prepared to live afterwards. Telling me about what is being said on podcasts and stuff had him really worked up. Told him not to worry about things, you live about 10 miles from a main AFB which would be one of the first hit, so it would be over fairly quickly. He got quiet and then said he never really thought of that.
Now if the power goes out , thats a different story. IIRC, the Mormon faith requires at least a year of supplies in storage, per person, for the family. Smart move.

I had a neighbor years ago that was a full on survival nut (it's one thing to prepare it's another to horde stuff). I can't count the number of times I reminded him we lived in the largest west coast port and, at that time, the largest naval base. Add in the USA & USAF units and we'd be gone. He passed. HIs wife gave away or sold most of the stuff and moved into a condo.

[Grizz]

Maybe I should just buy a couple school desks for my wife and me? Back when we were kids the drill in school was to climb under your desk to survive a nuke. If we have a couple school desks we should be more than ready!

Me too. We were sternly told "Don't Look" Heh. I saw the flash of 2 nukes, lit up the Las Vegas school room bright as sunlight.