Updates, the future, and treats from the past!

The future of The Last V8

Rejoice! So far we could not start the project, due to the restoration of the original S-Type, however the job is finally coming to an end, and we can start bringing you regular updates and actual, exciting, and original content.

Yesterday night the engine and transmission finally went back in the S-Type, so hopefully we can get it up and running in the next two weeks, and then it's all about The Last V8! Just to give you a bit of a treat, here's the S-Type ready and waiting just outside the garage for the engine to be replaced:




Now all that's left until the first start is tying the cables in, fitting the coolers, and filling her up with transmission fluid and oil, which are getting delivered just as you're reading this. So if everything goes well, you might get a quick update tonight about this beast of an engine in action!

So far we could not bring as much exciting content as we would have liked to, and we do apologise for that, but as Summer is coming, and university is ending, Sándor will come back to Budapest, which means you guys will get a lot more exciting video updates, which is a more appropriate method of documentation for The Last V8 project.

So if you were our faithful reader so far, hold on for a while longer, and you'll soon be able to see us get to work on the project. As a little taste of what is to come, next week we're going to set up the post apocalyptic repair station, so that we can do the project in full authenticity, and perhaps you'll get more on the S-Type as well as it gets back on the road and we can take it out for a spin finally.

Additionally, you get some old pictures from the last v8 archives that I just found:

Getting the engine removed

The Last V8 on the left next to her twin

Waiting to get the engines swapped

​Ps.: Before people freak out that we're going to ruin a beautiful S-Type to make a The Last V8 out of it, don't worry, we're going to salvage pretty much everything we can from it that is not necessary for the build project itself, so as to save them as spares for the S-Type on the road. 

Wasteland Weekend and OldTown Festival!

In case you weren't so pumped about building a Mad Max type post apocalyptic death machine, then our suggested video of the day for you is the official introduction to Wasteland Weekend! In case you haven't heard of it yet, it's held every year near California City, CA, in the desert, with over a thousand people attending from all over the world, bringing their war rides and Mad Max style costumes, to live 4 days in post-apocalyptic circumstances. If a picture says a thousand words, videos say millions, so watch this little introduction into what you can expect after the apocalypse:

Yes. As you can see it's pretty awesome. However, it is in the US, so if you're from Europe, it might be slightly difficult and pricey to get your ride across, or even to just attend yourself. However, don't ever give up! Europe has its own post apocalyptic festival, called OldTown Festival! OldTown Festival is a 3 day larp festival, where similarly to Wasteland Weekend, you get to try living in a world after the apocalypse! Unfortunately it is not as car centered as we would like it to be, but if you show up with your ride there, you're definitely going to get some attention! OldTown is in the Northwestern part of Poland, near Stargard, just 150 kilometers from Berlin, and in case you want to go this year, you still have time to prepare, as it's held from the 18th to the 24 of July!

Hopefully watching these videos got you in the mood for more wasteland madness and stay tuned, because next week you'll finally get to see the start of our project, where we'll finally start puting out videos! And should you want to meet The Last V8 in person, keep an eye on these festivals, because it might appear on one of them. ;) 

How to armour your car?

​How do you armour your car? A question I'm sure we all ask ourselves from time to time. But is it possible? Can a normal street car be equipped with armour that protects it from gunfire?

The secrets of an armoured car

The answer is yes and no at the same time. Real armoured cars are designed from scratch to be able to support the weight of the extra armour material to protect them, with which the overall weight can reach up to 7 tons. On top of that, they come with a whole array of extra defensive features, which - unless you are the president of the United States - you won't really need for your daily commute. However I said yes, because to a certain level, it IS possible to make your car bulletproof. Nowadays a lot of companies specialise on outfitting your car with a bit of extra protection, offering a wide range of options. You can choose different types of kevlar, polyethylene, fiberglass and polycarbonate, and depending on your choice this can cost you quite a fortune. However, you can do it relatively cheapely, depending on your skills, your aesthetic needs and the level of protection you're looking for.

If you're looking for cost effectiveness, the best choice is kevlar. It's easy to apply, lightweight, and cheap. In comparison to other materials, it might not be able to withstand armour piercing rounds, or larger calibers such as .50 or 12.7, but it will give you an adequate protection against regular small arms fire, and even shrapnels coming from explosions. Even though the end result won't really be an armoured car, rather than a bullet and shrapnel resistant one, it's still worth the effort.

But how do I make an armoured car?

As this is exactly what we're looking for, it would be a perfect solution for us to make The Last V8 a lot sturdier and increase the chances of survival in a post apocalyptic world. The concept of armouring with kevlar is relatively simple. Kevlar works just like fiberglass, laying the sheets on the desired surface, and then applying epoxy resin on it to harden. However, since kevlar is UV sensitive, it has to be covered with an additonal layer to be protected from the harmful rays. Since you're going to end up with a rather rough surface after applying the kevlar, a good idea would be to cover it with something that is not particularly smooth itself. In this case I would recommend bed liner, as it provides a formidable layer of protection as well. Now if you got yourself some extra bed liner left over after spraying your car, don't be afraid, it will serve as a perfect spall liner for the inside. Spalling can occur when a high kinetic force hits the armour from the outside. Even without penetrating, the sheer power can make the material spall, which basically means that small fragments will break off, which might hurt the passengers. If you apply a coat of spall liner, which will be bed liner in this case, it will protect you from this effect, and will generally improve the protection of your vehicle.

As a small demonstration, here you can see how much a thick coat of bed liner can actually improve your protection.

​So there you go, if you follow this very scientifically accurate guide, you'll get your own armoured car in no time! All it take is some kevlar and bed liner. ;)