Anyone who has owned a classic car or truck knows that they come with some trade-offs. On the plus side, they tend to be astonishingly simple, at least by modern standards. Instead of a digital engine control module with tendrils woven into the ignition, fuel injection, transmission, brakes, and other critical systems, you get a distributor and a carburetor — systems that can be maintained in a driveway with basic handtools. However, these aging vehicles can also be more temperamental than their modern counterparts, so occasional tinkering comes with the territory.
When Brandon Barton started shopping.” That novel tells the story of the aftermath of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack within the United States, which fried the sensitive electronics in newer vehicles, but left classic cars relatively unharmed. Barton admitted that’s an unlikely event, but liked the idea of a low-tech, easy-to-maintain vehicle that could survive a wide range of catastrophes.
