Cars of the Film Mad Max

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Rusted, armored, and thundering down the road, the cars of Mad Max: Fury Road stole the show in this apocalyptic blockbuster. Director George Miller’s love for practical effects shows in every death machine that roared across the desert, meticulously built in a garage, and destroyed in the dunes. Some fan favorites have car fanatics clamoring to carve up their classics for that Mad Max feel, and below is a taste of the fuel-injected mayhem that left burning rubber on our hearts.

peter bouchard - mad maxMax’s classic makes a return in this most recent installment, but it has seen better days. This XB Falcon Coupe, aptly named The Interceptor, is a rusted relic. With its trademark supercharger sticking through the hood like the snout of a dragon, its low grumbling sound is something to hear echoing off the pavement. Though it doesn’t last long in the film, The Interceptor was an amazing throwback to the classic series, and a fan favorite of the film.

What is made of two Cadillac Coup De Villes, twin V8 engines, and a couple of Monster truck tires? If you guessed the villains principal vehicle, you guessed right. Dubbed The Gigahorse, this beast is a marvel of modern engineering. Its massive frame was custom built to support the weight of not only its chimera-like body, but also multiple flamethrowers and harpoon guns. This memorable monster could be road warriors closest companion, or make for a fun Sunday drive across the wasteland.

The beast at center stage during Fury Road, taking almost as much punishment as it could dish out, is known only as The War Rig. This fusion of hot rod and semi sports six-wheel drive, end-to-end V8 engines, and enough firepower to take a small city. With thick armor plates, and shells of smaller cars welded to the frame as bunkers, The War Rig stands defiant against the apocalypse.

Listed above are just snippets of what Fury Road has to offer. Dozens more cars tear up the street in this classic action film, each with a unique twist that’s never been seen before. George miller’s vision of a world where humanity struggles over gasoline has spawned some truly amazing gas guzzlers.

Origin of the American Muscle Car

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Peter Bouchard - PontiacCars for the most part of been one of the world’s greatest inventions to date. It allows us to transport multiple people far faster than we ever would have been able to on foot. With the invention of cars came the innovation. In 1949, we were introduced to the American muscle car. It was at this time that people wanted faster cars and the muscle car delivered on that.

The first muscle car was brought to us by Oldsmobile, the Rocket 88. The car had a lightweight Oldsmobile body with a high compression overhead valve V8. The body is similar to the body of the Oldsmobile 76 which originally had a six cylinder engine. It was this combo that ultimately created the category of a muscle car.

A muscle car has a light body with heavy engine. At the height of the Rocket 88, it took NASCAR by storm in 1950. This ultimately had people thinking speed, speed, speed. This type of car was a long time coming, starting back in the 1920s. With prohibition taking place, moonshiners and bootleggers wanted a vehicle that could speed away from police vehicles. Moonshiners began modifying their cars and eventually racing to make money. It was these cars that gave inspiration for the Rocket 88.

Racing eventually slowed down and actually came to a stop when the Automobile Manufacturers Association banned factory sponsored racing in 1957. Eventually, Pontiac released the Gran Turismo Omologato (GTO). Initially priced at $3,200, the Pontiac GTO was for the young. Due to its inexpensive price, many young people were purchasing this car that was approved for racing. In its first year of production, Pontiac sold well over their projections. Pontiac ended up selling over six times as many as originally predicted proving to other automobile manufacturers that they should begin making muscle cars, and thats exactly what Ford did.

For more on this interesting topic, check it out at gentlemansgazette.com.

Buying a Used Car

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Peter Bouchard Used CarsBuying a used car can be very stressful. Why? Because you don’t know what it’s been through and maybe you’re not a car expert and can look at telling signs that would leave you to believe a car has been through something in the past. Of course there is the Lemon Law but how can you avoid that situation is better than going through the stress of exercising the Lemon Law. Sure they have carfax.com, but how far are you willing to trust it? Lets take a look at some issues that could help you determine if the car is a lemon, dud, or if it’s being over valued.

Always Test Drive

This is a no brainer. Give the car a run and drive it. Roll the window down so you can get a good listen to how it runs as well as if the brakes or axles underneath make any funky noises.

Tires

Tires can be expensive. Make sure you take a close look and see how bald, old, and when the last time they were replaced. The last thing you want to do is pay top dollar for a car and then invest another $500 in new tires and installation.

Check for Weathering

If you live in an area where hurricanes are frequent, this is big. Where there are hurricanes, there follows flooding. Check the trunk to see if there is any odd smell of mildew. It will be a telling sign if the car sat in water during a flood.

Always Check Under the Hood

The last thing you want to find is a engine with gum, tape, and cardboard holding it together. Make sure it all looks clean and proper.

If you’ve done all of the following, it’s always a good idea to take the car to a mechanic and have them take a deeper look at the car as well. A car is a huge investment, and you want to make sure you get it right the first time.

Gas Pulling Plug on Electric

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The decreasing price of gas is making consumers second-guess themselves about the positives of trading in their guzzlers for electric vehicles. Or at least some sources report so; other media remain hopeful, viewing the crests and troughs in sales as a more natural fluctuation than one strongly correlated with gas prices.

peter bouchard - electric carWhile only a few years ago the activists of environment-friendly driving controlled the podium, and drivers everywhere leaned toward making the switch, a new obstacle is presenting itself for companies trying to entice potential clients with the alternative to regularly fueled cars. What’s more upsetting to companies that relied on the takeoff is the fading excitement over the green benefits that come with driving hybrids and electric vehicles. What originally seemed like a growing conscious effort to reduce wastefulness seems only to have been a preliminary and transitory appeal. Drivers simply care more about the money they save than they do about their contributions to resourcefulness. Electric cars come with higher prices that some conclude only looked attractive in the wake of rising gas prices and further speculation of the same, and as gas prices fall, less efficient cars make a return.

A few figures make it clear that the industry is not suffering devastating losses—suggesting little to no influence of gas prices on electric car sales. New models including Tesla and BMW cars are still bringing new faces to driving electric. Nissan, however, which saw record-high sales through 2014 and boasted the most bought plug-in that year faced a decrease of 20% in sales from January 2015. This was the most significant change for the year. Yet, Nissan is not the only company facing unforeseen complications. Many companies including Cadillac, Chevy, and Toyota have already lowered prices and may continue to do so with hopes of arousing interest in upcoming models.

Edmunds.com, which more realistically considers the flux of fuel prices offers a piece of advice useful for customers and companies alike facing questions of pricing: “the longer you intend to keep a vehicle, the less you should rely on the present price of fuel.”

Top 10 Vintage Cars for Under $5,000

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Owning a weekend car isn’t only for the wealthy, there are classic and vintage cars in all different price ranges.  Here are some of the budget classic cars to get you started.  Also, if you want to tinker with an older vehicle, these make good cars for a project.

chevy nova

10.) Chevrolet Nova SS

Behold a classic Chevy Nova. The one we found is a little rough around the edges but appears mechanically sound.  You can’t complain about a 350 and no air conditioning in a car that looks this cool.

mgb

9.) MG B

There are a number of MG Bs out there for under 5k. The question is, how much money will it take to get it running smoothly? You will you end up spending more than 5k to get it back out onto the road, at least.

datsun 510

8.) Datsun 510

There was one 510 wagon up for sale on eBay recently, but bidding has ended. When we last looked, it was going for $4,550, which seems like a good deal. The car’s interior was  ragged, but for under 5k, who would complain?

spitfre

7.) Triumph Spitfire

For a very small price in the classic car world, you can be the owner of a Spitfire. Much like the MG B though, the purchase price of a Sptifire is an initial investment. If you like puzzles, a Spitfire might be for you.

alfa romeo

6.) Alfa Romeo GTV6

Once it’s running smoothly this GTV6 will be worth the trouble it took to get there. T  If you’re looking for a home project with an Italian twist, a GTV6 might be a good place to start.

plymouth fury

5.) 1966 Plymouth Fury

A fun big production car that you can work on with a socket set, a crescent wrench, and some weekends.  This was how cars were supposed to be built.

datsun z

4.) Datsun Z

This sleep stylish sports car for under 5k?  Who wouldn’t want that?

bmw 2002

3.) BMW 2002

eBay says there are 10 2002s for sale in the United States for under $5000. This is my personal favorite of the cars listed.  This car means business.

citroen DS

2.) Citroen DS

This weird looking car is a one of a kind, and at 5k, she’s a car that only her mother could love.

mercedes benz 190e cosworth

1.) Mercedes-Benz 190e Cosworth

These older Mercedes are safe, reliable, luxurious, and hold their value.  A car like this will turn some head on the street, and best of all, it can be yours for under 5k.

 

Best Selling Cars

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Ranson E. Old created the mass market with his Curved Dash Olds, which sold 600 the first year, and in three years was selling 5,000 cars in the very early 20th century.  Here are the top 5 best selling cars of all time:

4. The Ford Escort

Over 20 million Escorts have been built since 1968, despite it being being out of production since 2000. To help compete with the Japanese cars which have been dominating the compact-car scene, Ford decided to introduce the Escort in both a two-door hatchback or four-door wagon models. After multiple design tweaks to both the body and the  engine, the Escort was considered a solid compact car for the price (base under $12,000). 

3. Volkswagen Beetle

The “Bug”, as it’s known, first hit the road in 1933 and has seen very little change in its design. It has been a very well-loved car for many decades, and it has sold more than 23 million. Mr. Walt Disnsey himself helped to further idoliz the car by making the movie “The Love Bug” in 1968. The Volkswagen Beetle has had international success all over the world. Volkswagen also re-introduced a newer model in the 1990s, and it became a favorite car for a new generation. Base price is  under $20,000.

2. Volkswagen Golf

Originally, this car was branded as the Rabbit when it was introduced in 1974.  This Volkswagen’s started at $17,995. To date, they have sold 27.5 million of these sedans.  The Golf has a reputation for being quick and fun. 

1. Ford F-Series

This pick-up truck, which which was first sold in 1948, happens to be the best-selling vehicle of 2011 and is second most sold car with 35 million  sold. The average price for is $22,990.