EMP protection just for fun

[rohrt]

In the movie war of the worlds a EMP takes out all the electronics so none of the cars work. I took electronics and know that its a valid terorist threat. I have even seen personaly where a keyed up transmitter blow out a phone system. My question to any super geeks out their do you think a carburated points car would be anymore protected against a EMP strike then any other computer controlled car?

[Ralph LoGrasso]

Reason # 078 for going with a carburetor: immunity in the advent of an EMP strike.

Sorry, I had to..

[OHCbird]

If the points were the only concern- yes, that would be true. The alternator might not like the EMP.

[sinned]

Run a mag, carb, and twin deep cycles. Even after a nuke blast the damn thing would still run.

[zbugger]

Did you know that there is a channel on a CB radio that can shut off a car? It's been done, and I think they block that frequency.

[boodlefoof]

rohrt,

I think you are correct. When I saw this movie, my father-in-law (electrical engineer) commented that Tom Cruise's mustang in the movie would still be running (if it were in original form). Something about the EMP only taking out transistors... I don't recall exactly.

[TonyL]

It's highly possible the mustang had an aftermarket electronic ignition system and thats what failed. Changing the solinoid on the starter would'nt have helped the fact that the computer in the van would have been hoplessly fried.

But here's a question for those that saw the movie. how'd the heck did that guys video camera survive. He was close enough to catch it all on film before he got zapped. One of about a billion plot holes in the movie.

[Damn True]

Even if your car still ran you would only be able to drive for as long as you had fuel in the tank. When was the last time you saw a gas station that didn't have electronic pumps?

[TonyL]

True.

I'd look for farms. they have gravity fed tanks.

/a diesel would be even better.
//has thought alot about surviving armogeddon.
///maybe too much.

[rohrt]

I'm going home to ground my car in tin foil and chicken wire