Vehicle Review: Pontiac Montana

There are so many minivans out there I figured I would do another to compare the last one to, 2002 Pontiac Montana

Automatic
Front-wheel drive
17 MPG
Top speed – 163km/h (101mph)
0-60 – 10s
Tank 94.6 liters (25 gallons)


Pros:
Decent speed
Lots of fuel
Lots of space
Reliable
Common

As mentioned before, not a lot changes between minivans and what applies to one often applies to all. So keep that in mind when deciding what vehicle to use. Many things will be consistant in each class of vehicle and some will change or stand out. As with most minivans this one has lots of fuel capacity and space for gear or passengers (or sleeping.) It has a decent speed for a minivan but nothing special and most other classes will beat it in speed. The best thing about the Montana is that it is a very common van and most mechanics will have worked on it and be some what familiar with it. Also what started as a flaw will actually prove useful to survivors. When this vehicle was first sent out almost every single one had an issue with the intake gasket. But what that means is that now, at least nine years later, any that are still running have had that problem solved and probably other things looked at by mechanics as well. This also adds to the chances that a mechanic has already worked on this type of van and will be familiar with it in a tight spot.

Cons:
Power
Low mileage

The downfalls of the Montana are those of most minivans, power and mileage. The power of this vehicle does not match it's size. It can tow another vehicle of roughly the same size under controlled circumstances but don't expect any amazing feats of power and strength out of it. Even for a minivan this van has low mileage, while better then SUVs and some trucks the mileage to speed or power ratio is quite low and you will be using a lot of gas travelling around ruined cities. On the highway this van actually has much better mileage, going as high as 23 mpg.

Over all this van is great for length of travel. Lots of room and comfort with a standard that most mechanics know well enough to work on outside of a shop. Plus that high mileage while highway driving is a very nice surprise. This vehicle is not perfect and wouldn't even be amoung the top choices, esspecially if the planned use includes a lot of urban travel. But it is a decent choice and will serve the needs of a medium sized group needing to relocate.

Good luck, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate,
Mike D.

Vehicle Review: Ford Windstar

Getting around to doing another vehicle breakdown. This time is the 1998 Ford Windstar.

Automatic
Front-wheel drive
18 MPG
Top speed – 169km/h (105mph)
0-60 – 11s
Tank 94.6 liters (25 gallons)


Pros:
Decent speed
Lots of fuel
Lots of space
Quite

Now one thing that should be considered is this is a minivan and as such it is very similar to most other minivans. Not a lot changes between vans. The basics, lots of space for passengers and gear; always good. Also large gas tanks, able to hold roughly twice as much gas as a sedan, of course the van does use slightly more gas then a sedan so that doesn't mean you can go quite twice as far on one tank. The things unquice to the Windstar are its speed and sound, relatively fast compared to other minivans. The Windstar is also known for making less noise than most vehicles, esspecially when highway driving. This is an important thing to consider when trying to avoid drawing undead or living attention.

Cons:
Reliablity
Power
Low mileage
Standard

The Windstar unfortunately has some known problems, it is quite common for this sort of vehicle to have transmission issues which can make the van more or less useless to any but the most specifically equiped groups. Compared to other vans the Windstar is also about as lacking in power as it is ahead in speed which is to say not noticable unless directly compared to another minivan. In my mind anything under 20 mpg is bad mileage when fuel is going to become more and more scarce as time goes on after the fall. The Windstar unlike most Ford's is not very costumizable, very little besides the accessories of the car can be modded for speed or performance.

Over all this van is not one you want to rely on during the final days, because it will make them your final days. As part of a convoy or to quickly move for supply runs or the like this van makes the perfect tool but it should not be your primary vehicle or even if possible or secondary vehicle. If this van is used it should be for specific circumstances mentioned above, perfect for supply runs as it is quite and can carry a large amount of gear or people. Otherwise the best use of this vehicle is a place to take shelter for a night, storage space or syphoning gas.

Good luck, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate,
Mike D.

Vehicle Review: Grand Am

I've received a request to look at more vehicles for use during the end. The next vehicle listed is the 1993 Pontiac Grand Am.







Automatic
Front-wheel drive
29 MPG
Top speed – 193km/h (120mph)
0-60 – 7.7s
Tank 57.8 liters (15.2 gallons)


Pros:

Decent mileage
Reliable
Easy to repair
Tough design
Good control

The main thing about this car is it's reliablity. It will take a lickin' and keep on kickin' as it were. In field tests this vehicle showed great promise in terms of surviving very rough crashes including one crash test in which a Range Rover hit a parked Grand Am: the Range Rover was completely destroyed and the Grand Am suffered extremely minor body damage. The mileage on this vehicle is great ranging from 29-35 MPG which puts it ahead of most of vehicles but not quite in the very top rungs. The vehicle is quite easy to repair, with the entire body easy to take apart and replace also the inner working of the car being comparitively simple too other cars. This sports car has a bit of an edge in it's control, tests show that even while racing at 190km/h this car stays easy to control and rides smoothly, a huge asset when dodging wreckage or debris. Though I doubt you will get in many high speed chases in the end days it is good to know your vehicle can hack it if the need asrises. A very good thing about having a strong body is the ability to mow through the undead, a car that can't handle smacking a few zombies around isn't worth the fuel.

Cons:
Crash safety
Power

Part of the problem with a lot of older vehicles which can with stand a lot of damage is that they don't absorb much of the impact: the chances of getting injured are much higher. The car isn't big enough and powerful enough to be an actual powerhouse when it comes to crashes so it will still take the worse end of things. So while the body of the car takes little damage all the force is directed to the passengers. The Grand Am has been given one of the worst safety ratings of all vehicles. The car also doesn't have the weight or horsepower to do much besides get you from A to B. That means I wouldn't suggest pulling anything or trying to push anybody out of the way.

Over all this car is great if your tough enough to take the scraps and bangs OR have the skill to keep this easy-to-use car out of harms way. I would say this is an excellent car for the inexperienced survivor who just needs something easy to use and tough enough to not have to replace after a few close calls.

Good luck, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate,
Mike D.

Survival equipment: Gear kept in Vehicle

As promised here is a detailed list of gear to keep in your vehicle for use in the final days.

Gear:

• Hatchet
• Flashlight (wound up and battery powered)
• Knife
• Sewing kit
• Screw driver set
• Cross wrench
• Battery booster
• Crowbar
• Spare tire
• Blankets (at least one)
• Energy bars
• Juice boxes
• Pad of paper
• Pen
• Pencil
• Extra shoes
• Change of clothes
• Mini-car jack
• Booster cables
• Lighter and matches

Hatchet:
The uses of a good hatchet are harder to count then heads in a horde. The most obivous use of this item is as a weapon, so obvious it barely needs mentioning. But I will anyway... in another blog. The other uses of this weapon are a great many and I will begin to list them only to show how versitile an item this can be. The hatchet can be used to break glass should you be stuck in the vehicle or find yourself underwater or cut your seatbelt under the same cercumstances. It can also be used to hack through ice which may get your vehicle stuck or be between you and an objective. It can be used to break down doors or weaken walls. It can be used to cut down small trees or break objects to be used for resources (burning or building). As you can see this item is a very valuable asset to your survival efforts. Not to mention the uses of this item as a weapon are almost as varied.

Flashlight:
I mention two flashlights for a very specfic reason. First of all if you aren't alone. It will make things much easier on yourself and raise your survival chances if you do not have to provide the only source of light for a group of any size larger then yourself (ideally every person should have a light source of some kind but you need to balance that with space in the vehicle and resources avalible.) I suggest two types of flashlights also. The reason I do that is battery powered flashlights are easily more reliable and easier to use, thus if you can use it you should. However as time passes and stores become looted and people realize what they need to stock up on batteries will become harder to find and thus a more renewable source of light will be required, thus the wind-up flashlight. Use this whenever you have the luxury of time and relative safety to conserve on the battery life in the better flashlight. Note if possible have a hand-held flood light as well: these are ideal but may be harder to aquire. Make sure for your vehicle to have the battery varity and not the one's which must be plugged into a soccet.

Knife:
DO NOT USE A KNIFE FOR COMBAT AGAINST A ZOMBIE! I will go into this more when I review knives in terms of combat use but this is a warning. A knife will get you too close and unless you are an expert at hand-to-hand combat you will not kill a zombie with a knife. It can be used in combat with raiders or animals however. Regardless of it's inability to be used against the undead effectively this is a valuable piece of gear. It can be used to skin or prepare meat or other food better served cut up. It can be used to sharpen wood to form tent poles, spears, arrows, or impropto building material. A knife can be used to open cans, either cutting open the top: stab it into the side of the can near the top and cut around until it come off or for many cans stab the knife in between the lid and the side and pry it off. A knife can obviously be used to eat with. These uses may seem obvious but can be easily overlooked when looking at an item so often used as a weapon. The list of uses continue and include cutting rope, seatbelts, anything stuborn and needing a good slice through. It can also be used to cut out the seats of your cars to use as blankets, you can pull out the stuffing and sew the seat covers together to make pillows, blankets or if needed clothing. Knives are one of the most useful items to have in a survival kit, the full extend of which cannot be covered in such a sort time but you will see the uses begin to pile up as the blog and survival tips continue.

Sewing kit:
See above for easy use of seat covers to turn into many objects. Sewing kits can also be used for simple repairs on clothing. The more thread you have the more you can do, even creating your own clothes. This requires practise to do well but it's not a difficult to learn the basics of. Put the thread through the small hole in the needle, pull it a couple of inches so it won't easily slip out, then put the edges of the two things you wish to sew together touching, fold over a tips of each piece of cloth and feed the needle through them, then feed it back the other way, continue to do this until you have done the repair or run out of thread, near the end of the thread/repair tie a knot into the thread on both ends so it won't slip through and undo your hard work as easily. This is a very simple explaination but it is actually that simple to sew, however becoming good at it or creating clothes does require practise or lessons. A sewing machine would seem to make a creat asset but infact sewing kits for minor repairs or extreme cercumstances are useful. Sewing machines are large, can be hard to find, heavy and the need for homemade clothing will not be that great. With the amount of retail outlets and "Urbanwhatever" stores everywhere in every city and the break down of society you should be able to have your choice of clothing.

Screw driver set:
Uses for this tool are fairly obvious and those are pretty much all they are good for. But that will come into use if you need to make any emergancy repairs or take pieces from other vehicles. A solid set can be used for prying as well for this reason I suggest having one solid Philips screwdriver (most common in vehicles) and a set with multiple sizes and heads in one to save on space and convience. The solid screwdriver can also be used as a weapon if need be, with enough force the metal end can pierce the skull of an undead making it a good last ditch weapon should you have little to choose from (which if you follow this advice you will have two other more suitable weapons to choose from).

Cross wrench:
Used to change tires. Also usually quite heavy can be thrown at raiders or animals.

Battery booster:
Can be used to boost your vehicle or the vehicle of another friendly survivor. Can also be used to boost a new vehicle to either add to your convoy or replace the one you have. Some boosters can be used to run small appliances or charge batteries. Also light enough to throw but heavy enough to hurt. Don't recommend that type of use for it though.

Crowbar:
A nice reliable crowbar is a priceless ally in the battle against the undead. Uses include: prying open doors (cars or buildings), breaking through objects (walls or windows), opening secure boxes, removing pieces of vehicles. It never hurts to have a long piece of iron around. A solid crowbar can also make an excellent weapon, it's solid enough to break bone and has a sharp enough end to go through most materials with a good amount of force.

Spare tire:
You should be able to find an actual tire somewhere to replace the spare tire that comes with most vehicles. The advantage of having this is that you will not need to change the tire again when you find a new one but simply find a new spare. Here is a step by step guide to changing a tire for those who don't know.
Step one - Put the car in park and set the emergency brake.
Step two - Retrieve spare tire and tools from car. With your crowbar or screwdriver, you need to remove the hubcap. Now loosen the lugnuts that are holding the wheel in place using the cross wrench. About ½ turn clockwise. Do not completely remove the lugnuts before jacking up your car so the tire does not drop off and injure you.
Step three - Jack the car up. It is generally easy to find the place to put the jack, either an indent or a rather solid part of the frame. Jack the vehicle far enough off the ground so that a new, fully inflated tire will fit easily under the car. Too much space is better than not enough.
Step four - Now it is safe to completely remove the lugnuts from the flat tires. Be sure to keep track of them, put them in a safe place. You will need them to secure the spare tire. Remove the flat and put it out of your way. Lift on the spare tire. Align the holes before attempting the placement.
Step five - Now the tire is on, replace the lugnuts you have set aside using your lugnut wrench. Tighten opposite nuts as you continue around. Work in a star pattern and only slightly tighten your nuts during this step.
Step six - It is now time to return your vehicle to the ground. Slowly lower the car using the jack. Once the vehicle is safely on the ground, you can finish tightening the lugnuts. Secure them as tightly as you possibly can. Now reattach your hubcap. You did it, you changed your flat! You are now ready to drive off safely until you uncounter one of the many dangers of the new world. Though be sure to replace your tools and equipment so that you can easily locate them next time you need them.

Blankets:
Blankets can be used for shelter, to create tents to keep warm and dry. They can be used of course as normal blankets. They can also be used as clothing if stuffed inside a jacket or sewn. An odd but in times useful way to use a blanket is to block vison. Zombies hunt through a number of means using all of their senses. One you can take away is by using blankets to cover your windows and block lines of sight. This can also be used to hide your from raiders. In all these aspects I suggest fleece blankets as they provide the best warmth for the lightest meterial as a ratio. I would also recommend having at least one of your blankets be a snuggie (a blanket with sleeves) so you can wear the blanket and have all of it's benefits while still being able to opperate the vehicle or other equipement/weapons. Note that a snuggie will hinder you greatly if worn during hand-to-hand combat, make sure to remove it if this becomes even a possiblity.

Energy bars:
Carry at least two or three bars to last one person for one day in an emergancy. More bars are recommended for more people or if longer trips are expected.

Juice boxes:
Light and easily disgarded keep a few around incase need for liquids or sugar is found.

Pad of paper:
Paper can be used to keep information on should you so need. It can also be used to start fires or stuff in clothing for warmth. Paper can also be used for entertainment value. Entertainment should not be a top priority but it should not be completely forgotten, if people are left with nothing to keep their minds occupied than insanity and depression will set into even the hardest survivor over time.

Pen:
To use with the paper. Also makes a good improvized weapon, as proven by Jason Bourne.

Pencil:
Can work underwater and on almost any meterial. Also makes good kindling if in dire need.

Extra shoes:
Shoes will take a lot of wear and tear during your travels and you never know when you will find yourself in need of a new pair quickly. Esspecially if some emergancy wrecks your current ones.

Change of clothes:
Same as the shoes. Clothes can also be used for added layers, shelter or even in a fire.

Mini-car jack:
For changing the tires or doing minor repairs. Also throwable.

Booster cables:
For use to give or receive a boost. With the live battery running begin by connecting the red handled clip to the positive terminal of the dead battery. Then connect the red handled clip to the positive terminal of the live battery. Then place the other black handled clip to the negative terminal of the live battery and the black handled clip to an unpainted metal surface of the dead car (grounding it). Start the car with the dead battery. Remove clips in the opposite manner in which they were placed.

Lighter and matches:
Used to start fires. Not much else. Fires of course can be used for many many things. Lighter and mtaches because if one doesn't work you can try the other, each may not work under certain cercumstances.

Note: I mentioned a choice of clothing in the sewing kit section, while you should be able to make a lot of choices on your style in the new world clothing and style does come into effect during the fight for survival and youshould never put your own life or those of the survivors around you in danger in order to get cool clothes or accessories.

UPDATE: I did not include a firearm on this list for one reason only. Firearms (esspecially handguns) are illegal in many countries and hard to obtain or just keep stored in your vehicle. If you are fortunate enough to live in a place where this is not illegal then by all means I suggest always keeping a rifle and a handgun in your vehicle for defense against the undead or violent raiders.
Anytime I mention firearms or any sort of weapon I am not suggesting you break any laws. You will not be able to help anyone, even yourself if you are in a prison cell somewhere when the apocalypse comes. Federal prisons are the ideal safehouses but too many things can go wrong if you are caught in one when the end comes round.

Good luck, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate,
Mike D.

Vehicles in the end

The Facts:

Last night I was in a major car accident. I was driving a 1995 Ford Mustang when I was sideswiped and then T-boned by a Range Rover. The mustang spun out of control and hit the meridian as well. These are the unbiased facts.

The Truth:

Here is the truth. I feel like it’s my fault because I started to leave my lane and then decided not to. The Range Rover sped up to take my spot but when I didn’t leave he had to jerk into the left lane which spun him out of control. He was still going quite fast so I thought he was trying to pass me and slowed down. The rest is much the same.

The Feelings:

What it felt like? Well when I saw an SUV twice the size of my little sports car come slamming into me my first thought was, “Oh my God! He hit me because I cut him off!” I started thinking about trying to get his licence and maybe catching up with him. Then when he hit me the second time I thought “This guy is trying to kill us.” My window shattered into my face as rage built up and I realized all of a sudden people in the real world don’t just do this to other people. At this time I also noticed my brother’s side of the car was now headed straight for the concrete wall that is the meridian in the middle of the highway. This is when I panicked, realizing I would be fine no matter what but I could do nothing to protect my younger (but larger) brother. As soon as the car stopped I checked that he was okay, I then opened up a compartment in my car and pulled out two energy bars which we ate to get sugar into us and avoid the shock. My brother grabbed the two blankets from the back seat and we settled in because the mustang had been completely crushed into a windowless cage which held us in but did nothing to stop the -30 wind and snow.

The Relevance:

Why do I bring this story up? For two reasons: the first is a question of reality. Things that can happen in the “real world” versus what will happen when it’s the end of the world as we know it. Second is a look at how good this car will be after the fall.

Reality is strange. Straight up. Reality doesn’t make sense to me; perhaps this is why I am so prepared for when our world will change. My first thought was that this person was hitting me because I cut him off, I then lost all “reason” and thought he was trying to kill me. This threw my entire body into battle-mode and my mind was racing through safety issues, how to catch the guy, what I would do if he approached the car to finish us.

This of course seems like a completely illogical mind set but it kept me focused and ready for anything. When I realized it was just an accident and my brother was in danger I suddenly felt like my world had spiraled into chaos and there was no reasoning behind it. Which there wasn’t. It was an accident, pure and simple. Neither of us wanted it to happen: I was unsure what I was doing and he tried to pass me too fast in icy conditions. But it makes so much more sense and my mind and body were so much more ready if it were an act of vengeance or even a random act of violence.

In the apocalypse accidents will still happen but more so we will have to watch for these moments when we have to be ready. Because in that world just like in this one, everyone will be looking out for themselves and just trying to survive. And sometimes this will mean doing violence to other people, for defense, supplies, territory or even less “humane” reasons. –Wrath, greed, lust, pride… interesting how the deadly sins become reasons to commit atrocious acts, but revenge is not listed among them and even in today’s society revenge is looked on as a motivator for “good guys” while the others are motivation for “bad guys”. Will this opinion stay the same after the fall? Just a thought for now, will put more research into this later.

Now onto the more gritty down to earth part. Survival relating to vehicles.

First let’s look at the vehicle in question:

1995 Ford Mustang

Automatic

Rear-wheel drive

27 MPG

Top speed – 241km/h (150mph)

0-60 – 5.6s

Tank 70 liters (18.4 gallons)

Pros:

·         High speed

·         High acceleration

·         Decent gas mileage

·         Save cage

·         Lots of room

·         Easily repaired

·         Hard to break into

This car is a powerful machine. The mustangs have a reputation for a good reason. Smoothly going to about 140km/h and then pushing to 190km/h without any trouble at all. The body is weak but makes a good cage, it will take any impact and protect the passengers. It’s also a powerhouse when it comes to pushing through rough road conditions, it has been field tested in a golf course covered in high snow and the mustang surpassed all expectations. This car is reliable and has the space to carry up to five passengers or a large amount of equipment and supplies. In the real world this car ranks among the top quarter of economically efficient vehicles, how does this relate? Simply put, gas; the mustang doesn’t use a lot of it compared to most other vehicles. One major asset to the mustang which many people will overlook is that it is easy to repair, most of the pieces easily slide in and out with only a few bolts or screws and due to the popularity of this car there are a good number of them out there to find and take parts from. The vehicle is relatively weak except when trying to break into it, various experts and professionals have tested it and require specialized equipment to break into the vehicle without smashing the windows, but who cares about smashing the windows? This is useful when needy to have safe gear, it will not prove very useful against the undead themselves as they will simply attempt to break the glass if you are inside, not the locks and won’t give the car much attention if unoccupied of course.

Cons:

·         Automatic

·         Weak body

·         Low center

·         Large body

·         Hard to break into

·         Reputation

The downsides of this car aren’t openly obvious but they are definitely there. First off with this model is that it is an automatic: making it easier to drive but losing all the power of the transmission and during this car from a winner and a real speed machine to a competitor who can’t reach its full potential. The mustang also has a weak body, after multiple field tests with different models of the famous Ford it never survives past the first serious crash.  Minor bumps and scraps are easily fixed but anything at speed or with full impact will render the vehicle into scrap parts and cover. The car is also low-centered, meaning if you live in an area with a lot of snow, thick grass, deep mud, or debris the car will probably get caught on everything you can see. It rests a measly five inches above the ground in most places and even lower on the front. For having such a low center and weak body the car is very large in its class. The front end of the vehicle is almost as long as the rest of it and the trunk are much larger than it looks from the outside and sticks out far from the back of the cabin. The vehicle is relatively weak except when trying to break into it, various experts and professionals have tested it and require specialized equipment to break into the vehicle without smashing the windows, but who cares about smashing the windows? This will cause a problem if you need to get into the car in a hurry or to acquire the car if it is left abandoned and you are in need. Finally a problem with this car that many people may over look is its reputation. This can go both ways and is solely a physiological effect, tempting the driver to feel more powerful and invincible then they are but it will also draw attention from people looking to loot and scavenge.

Overall the vehicle is a good choice but has a few faults that hold it back from being a number one pick once the end arrives.

I underestimated my time and was unable to post a listing of equipment to keep in your vehicle and uses for these, why to use them instead of others, and situations in which this gear will save your life. Look forward to it in another post soon.

Until then, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate,
Mike D.