Worried about the coming Zombiepocalypse? Sure, we all are, it’s understandable. And it’s equally understandable that you want to make sure that you’re totally prepared. Multiple tins of canned tuna? Check! Plenty of bottled water? Check! Fistful of boomstick? Check! Indestructible go-anywhere survival vehicle? Check! Or… perhaps not.
I posted this over on Facebook, but it was just too good not to share with the rest of the Hooniverse. The eBay seller claims it is one of two built, and his is a 1985 model and the only one surviving today. It is powered by a 300-horse, 12-cylinder “V-Type Deutz Diesel”. I don’t even know what that means, so clearly it must be awesome. It weighs in at ten tons, and has a rated top speed on ice of 6 knots. Let’s think about that for a second. 6 knots is almost appallingly slow, but this vehicle is so well-prepared for the coming Zombocalypse that it has a speed rating for ice. And water. And trees. And driving through abandoned shopping malls. Does your Corolla have that? Didn’t think so.
This is one of those vehicles that makes you wonder what the actual motivation was to build it. What scenario arose that required them to design a vehicle so insanely overbuilt? It is capable of traveling unhindered through water, and easily over ice, sand, swamp, bodies of the undead and yuppy sport-utes filled with empty Starbucks cups. It carries five in comfort… or… perhaps not in comfort, there are no photos of the interior, and the brochure is in Japanese. We’ll assume they’ll be travelling in that reasonable facsimile of comfort available in a Japanese car.
The seller claims it would be ideal for “arctic exploration”. Screw that nonsense, it’s getting parked in my bunker until the day the Zombies come.
The Archimedian Screw Tractor – For When A Tank Just Wouldn't Be Enough
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I believe there are various Russian incarnations of "screw vehicles" and at least one developed by Ford in the 1930s. All are pure awesome, as is this one.
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Well, I have no real use for something like this… but how much is it? You know, it's always good to keep your options open.
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[youtube L3NGCL-efRM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3NGCL-efRM youtube]
See a tractor in action on snow and ice. -
[youtube 1uynmApjhWI&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uynmApjhWI&feature=related youtube]
Russian Zil in action -
Screw Tractor > The Shaggin' Wagon
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FUCK YO TERRAIN!!!!
[img] http://www.sillyape.org/trash/fuck_yo_couch.gif [/img]-
They shoulda never given you hoons money!
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I'm thinking video of one of these on asphalt or other such very hard surface would quickly reveal a distinct problem with the screw drive. I.e. tearing the ever loving hell out of the irreplaceable screws.
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I'm sure that rig is listed here… http://tinyurl.com/cehkd
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Pretty bizarre, and yeah I can picture the thing screaming across a frozen nuclear winter lake at the breakneck speed of 6 knots, with Ice Zombies in cold pursuit. Don't have to worry about the coolant freezing up in those temperatures, Deutz diesels are German and air-cooled. We have a couple of mine vehicles at work with a four and a six cylinder, I've seen them in Wagner underground loaders, a big old Hanomag front end loader that I drove at one point, and farm tractors as a kid. Pretty good engines, I understand. Apparently the combustion chamber is in the cylinder crown. Why that's good, I dunno, but it sounds cool.
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Archimedes never envisioned this.
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I suspect this is one of those times when the purpose was designed to meet the vehicle, not the other way round.
Let's be honest, after coming up with an idea like that, who wouldn't try to find an excuse to actually build it. -
Until the zombies (or old people) come, this would be perfect for winter commutes.
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bright post, good work.
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Fantastic website
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I really like your post. Always been very informational. I hope you’ll keep up the good work and maintain the standard. Best of luck.
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