After TSHTF, what to do with your car?

There are a few sceanrios that would leave cars unusable...EMP attack, economic collapse leading to a halt in oil production/import, etc.

My question is What can you strip from these now useless vehicles?

Obviously, the first thing that comes to mind is the battery. You can use it to make a spark and start a fire. Use it to power lights, cigarette lighter or other gadgets, at least temporarily. I'm hoping there are some more knowledgable people on here with some good ideas.

I guess I'd cut out the seat belts. That material is very strong and I'm sure could come in handy for something. I'd imagine someone who is mechanically inclined could remove the air bag and use it as a booby-trap (if you haven't seen it, check out the youtube video of the mechanics playing a trick on their friend. they put an airbag inside a stack of tires and have their victim sit on the tires. then they activate the airbag. the guy flies up several feet and lands pretty hard on the concrete. cruel joke, but effective self-defense set up).

You could strip out all the wiring to use for snares,etc.
What are your ideas?

Im okay if anything goes down. I live right on the beach in New York and there is a ferry here that does regular trips to Toronto Its literally in my backyard I just have to hop on and present my passport

reply to post by canselmi


If I could figure out what TSHTS means - I might be able to say...

The fuel. In a bad EMP scenario, there will likely be cars abandoned all around. I do not condone theft, but if the vehicles are truly abandoned by their owners, it might be time to start collecting the fuel.

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reply to post by AnonymousCitizen


I agree. I wouldn't steal from anyone else's vehicle. But the sceanrio I envision would have lots of stranded vehicles. And I wouldn't hesitate to scavenge from one that I knew no one was around to claim.

Fuel is an obvious item, but now that I think about it, I'm not sure I have a way to siphon it out. We have a small gas generator so fuel would be nice to have.

Originally posted by canselmi

Originally posted by newcovenant
reply to post by canselmi

 

If I could figure out what TSHTS means - I might be able to say...

You can start by googling the word 'douche bag'.

A little touchy I'd say.

If you mean SHTF then the car is going to be the least of your worries.


I got a feeling you can't wait to start stripping your neighbors cars.

Scrap the car. Gas will be too expensive anyways...may as well sell the heap and buy an electric scooter, then set up a generator to create my own fuel supply.

When cars are too expensive to maintain, electric scooters and bikes will make a comeback.

Originally posted by newcovenant
reply to post by canselmi

 

If I could figure out what TSHTS means - I might be able to say...

[snip]...all you have to do is use a moment of comment sense to realize either he made a typo or the first T stands for the word THE as in when THE SH!T HITS THE FAN..


anyway...

depending on the senario, i would continue to use my car until it ran out of fuel or i would just siphon (i guess thats the right spelling. just woke up so meh) fuel from vehicles and continue using my car. no point in abandoning your vehicle if it still works.

in an EMP scenario: id turn my car into a shack as a first step towards shelter.

reply to post by XelNaga


[snip]. lol The OP is as mature and as intelligent as I suspected from the question and the way he asked it. Sometimes you have to field these things before bothering to offer a serious reply. It is a bunch of letters...I mean come on. A typo? People can fix typos, especially in the title of a thread. Careless. This guy is not going to live to see TSHTF.

Me? I cannot imagine a scenario where the car does not stay with me. My car is the "last resort" so to speak. Survival gear is in it and I drive it to where ever the fan is not getting hit. A duh. Uppity? That's hysterical since I am the only one here so far with a sense of humor and no stick up his arse. Lighten up folks. TS ain't hitting nothing yet.

Bucket seats....mighty comfortable sitting around my campfire.

Windshield and back window...stripped out for use in generating heat and setting over seedlings to give them a growing boost. Like a mini greenhouse effect.

Des

Nice and accessible hunk of sheet metal in a hood....

reply to post by canselmi



You could remove one of the car doors. In case it got too hot, you could roll down the window.

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Originally posted by canselmi
There are a few sceanrios that would leave cars unusable...EMP attack, economic collapse leading to a halt in oil production/import, etc.

My question is What can you strip from these now useless vehicles?

Obviously, the first thing that comes to mind is the battery. You can use it to make a spark and start a fire. Use it to power lights, cigarette lighter or other gadgets, at least temporarily. I'm hoping there are some more knowledgable people on here with some good ideas.

I guess I'd cut out the seat belts. That material is very strong and I'm sure could come in handy for something. I'd imagine someone who is mechanically inclined could remove the air bag and use it as a booby-trap (if you haven't seen it, check out the youtube video of the mechanics playing a trick on their friend. they put an airbag inside a stack of tires and have their victim sit on the tires. then they activate the airbag. the guy flies up several feet and lands pretty hard on the concrete. cruel joke, but effective self-defense set up).

You could strip out all the wiring to use for snares,etc.
What are your ideas?

edit on 23-2-2012 by canselmi because: (no reason given)

use what you can and make a planter out of the rest.

After TSHTF, what to do with your car

If the buildings are down ... then I'd say sleep in it. If the buildings are up ... I'm wondering if you can use the glass enclosure as part of some kind of hot house thing for plants in the off growing season.

Originally posted by newcovenant
reply to post by XelNaga

 

[snip]. lol The OP is as mature and as intelligent as I suspected from the question..... This guy is not going to live to see TSHTF.

Come on dude. A mature and intelligent person as yourself could have surely deduced it was a typo. But you're right, there is the well known and documented connection between people making typos and their lack of survival skills. I mean, surely I must use the same attention to detail while typing on a freaking conspiracy website as I would in a survival situation. So I guess I'll just throw in the towel. Anyone want to buy my gear? Real cheap. I'll even make sure I leave my truck full of gas.

you can design

filtration systems for fluid maybe water or waste from some of the parts

remelted tires for boat floor sealing

mirrors for reflective communications with flashlites ect

ofcourse wiring for cunductive transmission of energies

after is all guted you may have a nice size oven to cook large meals with

makes you think if a planet like MARS experienced tshtf would any real evidence be left after so much time.

good question OP

There's lots you could use from a car...here are some ideas off the top of my head:

battery -- especially if you have a solar charger, it can be used for several years by charging up during the day.

lights -- dome lights, headlights, etc, connected to the battery (which is charged up each day).

ignition coil -- can be used to rig up a simple electric fence, to keep wild animals out of your yard. Use the turn signal flasher unit to send pulses of electricity to the coil, which steps up the voltage from 12 volts to 50 or 60 thousand volts.

seats, carpet -- use to furnish your post-apocalyptic hideaway

hood -- turned upside down, useful for sliding down hills in the winter.

antifreeze/windshield washer fluid -- use to melt snow on footpaths, walkways.

emergency brake cable/clutch cable -- strong wire rope, use for snares to catch food

brake fluid/transmission fluid/engine oil -- use as general lubricants, or as fuel for starting a fire

I'll probably think of some more and post later.

Take the tires for a GIANT tire fire ive been wanting to do for awhile.
take the battery and alternator and create a power generator (yes I know how to do this)
eat the candy off the floor