Diesel Rat Rod Burnout

January 19, 2011 9:16 AM

Every time this guy peels out, God kills a baby panda. So offensive it becomes kinda glorious. (slyt, SFW)
posted by Tom-B (108 comments total)

If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burn at once onto the asphalt, that would be like the splendor of this mighty one... Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:20 AM on January 19, 2011 [4 favorites]

What is that thing burning? Coal?
posted by gruchall at 9:21 AM on January 19, 2011 [17 favorites]

Looks and sounds like a diesel. I wonder if I can do that with my TDI?
posted by photoslob at 9:23 AM on January 19, 2011

What is that thing burning? Coal?

Balled-up newspapers and mesquite.
posted by theodolite at 9:24 AM on January 19, 2011 [5 favorites]

Satan's tears & grain alcohol
posted by nola at 9:24 AM on January 19, 2011 [12 favorites]

I liked the part where the consumption was conspicuous.
posted by DU at 9:24 AM on January 19, 2011 [31 favorites]

Official site.
posted by Gator at 9:24 AM on January 19, 2011

Wow, never thought I'd be the type to be wishing lung cancer on another person, but here I am.
posted by explosion at 9:25 AM on January 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

Only way I could own a car like that is if I smoked cigars too. Huge cigars. Three or four at a time. Like, a professional cigar smoker who only smoked the biggest, smelliest damn cigars where lighting each cigar is like dropping napalm on Cuba and Virginia and South Carolina simultaneously, but I'm smoking four or ten of them simultaneously, and driving a rat rod that announces that a new Pope has been chosen at the same time it announces a new Pope hasn't been chosen.

This is high art, is what I'm saying.
posted by ardgedee at 9:28 AM on January 19, 2011 [37 favorites]

Every time this guy peels out, God kills a baby panda.

In that case, to paraphrase Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, I'm pretty sure God has a hard-on for this guy because he keeps heaven packed with fresh (baby panda) souls.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 9:29 AM on January 19, 2011

See kids? Entitlement is ugly.
posted by Burhanistan at 9:30 AM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

I was really hoping for a massive FAIL! in a collision with that lamp post.
posted by KingEdRa at 9:31 AM on January 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

Official site.

The goggles, they do nothing!
posted by eriko at 9:34 AM on January 19, 2011

That's what Oscar the Grouch would drive in Grouchland.
posted by SpacemanStix at 9:34 AM on January 19, 2011 [6 favorites]

If steampunk can usefully be blamed for this, I may finally have to decide that steampunk is, overall, a Bad Thing after all.
posted by gurple at 9:37 AM on January 19, 2011

... driving a rat rod that announces that a new Pope has been chosen at the same time it announces a new Pope hasn't been chosen.

Awesome.
posted by odinsdream at 9:39 AM on January 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

Where's Muttley at? Where the fuck is Muttley? Where's Muttley, Dick? Dick! Where the fuck is Muttley? Huh? Dick Dastardly?!
posted by robocop is bleeding at 9:40 AM on January 19, 2011 [5 favorites]

I don't think this is steampunk, unless someone thought steampunkers were too shiny and goody-goody. In other words, if he is steampunk anything, he's a steampunk villain.

That, or simply inspired by a Disney villain or three.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:42 AM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

Enough to make the Lorax drive his Prius into a bridge abutment.
posted by steef at 9:43 AM on January 19, 2011 [4 favorites]

Torque, lots and lots of torque. He should run it on bio-d and see what happens.
posted by Relay at 9:44 AM on January 19, 2011

He should run it on bio-d hash oil and see what happens.
posted by uncleozzy at 9:46 AM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

Reminds me of one of my pet theories I'd like to put into practice. Remove all vehicle emissions control regulations, except for one: the exhaust shall be vented into the drivers cab compartment.
posted by Xoebe at 9:48 AM on January 19, 2011 [12 favorites]

I love that it's in a church parking lot.
♬ America, America...
posted by chococat at 9:52 AM on January 19, 2011

@zackz22 Well obviously you have no idea what your talking about, diesel engines are more efficient than gas engines and the soot just settles to the ground like dust and doesn't put "holes in the ozone layer". Gas engines put out all the crap that "harms" the ozone, even then it's so miniscule it doesn't matter. Don't get your panties in a bunch.

This comments gets thirty-four thumbs-up. Can we power a car with stupid?
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 9:52 AM on January 19, 2011 [7 favorites]

We've come so far since the days of primordial ooze.
posted by cjorgensen at 9:58 AM on January 19, 2011

That's a lot of wasted dinosaurs.
posted by Navelgazer at 10:03 AM on January 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

What global warming, amirite?
posted by Camofrog at 10:06 AM on January 19, 2011

What global warming, amirite?

Seriously, it's so cold out!
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 10:07 AM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

rat rod, y u give us all cancer?
posted by Ad hominem at 10:07 AM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

That thing pollutes, but is pretty awesome.
posted by scrowdid at 10:08 AM on January 19, 2011

mmm, smoky donuts...
posted by chavenet at 10:11 AM on January 19, 2011

I was driving home one day, and there was this asshole in a little convertible that was weaving in and out of traffic, y'know, to get to the stoplight slightly ahead of everyone else. Well he makes his way to the front of the line, and this huge, jacked up Dodge diesel pickup pulls up next to him in the other lane. Truck's tailpipe is pointed right at the jackass in the convertible. Light turns green and the guy in the truck just puts his foot into it, and fills that convertible with a beautiful cloud of black smoke.

If only he would've been driving this thing. >:D
posted by xedrik at 10:14 AM on January 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

God didn't do that! He did! He's a fucking narcotics agent!
posted by cmoj at 10:14 AM on January 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

Satan's tears & grain alcohol

Actually ethanol burns pretty clean, cleaner then gasoline. I don't know about Satans tears though, but wouldn't he enjoy this kind of thing?
posted by delmoi at 10:19 AM on January 19, 2011

Satan doesn't cry, silly.
posted by Burhanistan at 10:19 AM on January 19, 2011

That engine is being run well outside its ideal power band.

THANK YOU CAPTAIN OBVIOUS.
posted by clvrmnky at 10:20 AM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

All I could think was: "wonder how often he has to replace those tires?"
posted by valkane at 10:23 AM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

This is awesome, and yet obviously if it caught on we'd all have blacklung or something. Therefore: there should be a government sanctioned "Asshole Day", sort of a Mardi Gras to the environmental Lent of the rest of the year, where we all eat veal, burn plastic, smoke cigars indoors, build and operate contraptions like this, and do donuts in parking lots. Then, we go back to our hybrids the next day. Earth could handle one day like that every year, and it would give those with the inclination a little release.

Alternatively, you could pick one state (Texas is the obvious choice, although it's large) to be an "Asshole Preserve", functioning the same way but in space instead of time. It would be sort of like the cake that Marge makes for Homer to ruin, instead of Maggie's birthday cake.
posted by condour75 at 10:24 AM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

Awesome.

But I really wanted to see him hit the light post.
posted by The World Famous at 10:26 AM on January 19, 2011 [3 favorites]

I was expecting a flock of dead birds to rain down on it at some point.
posted by orme at 10:28 AM on January 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

This is like a really awesome, adorable dog that can do all kinds of tricks and stuff, but it takes a gigantic runny dump in the middle of your lawn.

I like dogs better when they don't do that.
posted by 23skidoo at 10:28 AM on January 19, 2011 [5 favorites]

I came here to chew gum and favorite comments from posters that were also hoping he hit the light post. And I'm all out of gum.

and favorites
posted by norm at 10:29 AM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

FREEDOM!

We are all sooooo fucked.
posted by lalochezia at 10:34 AM on January 19, 2011

Tokyo drifting everywhere
posted by clearly at 10:35 AM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

That's some farts.
posted by stormpooper at 10:41 AM on January 19, 2011

I've been to plenty of burnout shows and they usually lay down mats or otherwise have it in an abandoned parking lot. That's going to leave a nasty stain on that lot that won't go away till it's resealed, and lord knows maybe they're in a part of the country that doesn't seal their parking lots. Which is to say, everybody who parks there is going to think, "Oh look, some jackass did burnouts on this parking lot here."
People, parking lots are part of the building and grounds. Treat them with respect.
posted by Baby_Balrog at 10:46 AM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

Okay. I tried to be amused, really I did. But watching this made me feel physically ill.

Extinction of the human species in 3... 2...
posted by kinnakeet at 10:47 AM on January 19, 2011

I did not think it was even possible to create an internal combustion engine that produces almost pure uncombusted carbon as exhaust.

That's it's done in a church parking lot layers on for even more hate from the stereotypical atheist environmentalist. But these guys are definitely trying to immanentize the eschaton. or blood libel. or something.
posted by GuyZero at 10:55 AM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

It's easier on the soul if you pretend it's an historic coal-fired locomotive.
posted by zippy at 11:02 AM on January 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

The Little Engine That Could But Shouldn't Have.
posted by tommasz at 11:04 AM on January 19, 2011 [13 favorites]

It's weird that people are applauding when under normal circumstances, that guy would get punched. Are there other events like this, where people do assholish things in front of an inexplicably appreciative audience? Like an all-Black Eyed Peas dance party in a hardwood floor apartment at 3am on a Tuesday that you have to sign up to sleep under? Or a contest where people compete to say "post-racial America" with the straightest face?
posted by "Elbows" O'Donoghue at 11:09 AM on January 19, 2011 [5 favorites]

Oh great, another lunatic from Montana that enjoys despoiling the environment.

Instead of griping (or perhaps, in addition to griping) I called the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. I gave them the guy's name, the plate number of the vehicle, and the website. I told the DEQ agent that the custom vehicle was deliberately designed to emit as much pollution as possible and is an obvious, flagrant violation of about any environmental law they could pick. The agent took the data and said she would call me back to keep me advised of their enforcement action.
posted by charlie don't surf at 11:15 AM on January 19, 2011 [11 favorites]

Man, I never get tired of whatchin cars drive in circles!!!! Nascar, Hot Rod funny car, it's about the circles man!!!
posted by Liquidwolf at 11:15 AM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

People, parking lots are part of the building and grounds. Treat them with respect.

Also, as chococat pointed out above, the parking lot is in a church -- Jesus, woohoo!
posted by exogenous at 11:16 AM on January 19, 2011

Or rather, the parking lot is in front of a church. Doing donuts inside a church would be interesting.
posted by exogenous at 11:18 AM on January 19, 2011

Budweiser is a hell of a drug.
posted by Liquidwolf at 11:19 AM on January 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

Was anyone else watching this subliminally reminded of Macho Salad?
posted by dougrayrankin at 11:23 AM on January 19, 2011

Vandalism is so sexy.
posted by maxwelton at 11:28 AM on January 19, 2011

Funny cars don't drive in circles, though.
posted by dead cousin ted at 11:46 AM on January 19, 2011

This kind of advanced car trolling can only be the work of Bubb Rubb & Lil' Sis.
posted by dgaicun at 11:52 AM on January 19, 2011

It's not God killin' them Pandas... it's iPhones!
posted by Mister_A at 12:24 PM on January 19, 2011

"Elbows" O'Donoghue: "Are there other events like this, where people do assholish things in front of an inexplicably appreciative audience?"

Rock and Roll
Comedy
Professional Wrestling
Religion
Performance Art
Oprah WInfrey

I am sure there are many more examples, those are the first few that come to mind.
posted by idiopath at 12:31 PM on January 19, 2011 [3 favorites]

Clearly this is diesel punk.
posted by Lorem Ipsum Wilder at 12:31 PM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

That'd be so cool to drive, especially if the horn was one of those toot-toooot kinds that you get on locomotives, and doubly so if it played La Cucaracha.
posted by UbuRoivas at 12:35 PM on January 19, 2011

I am sure there are many more examples, those are the first few that come to mind.

You forgot politics.
posted by UbuRoivas at 12:37 PM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

Water-injected monster diesels are not a significant contributor to any problem facing the environment or public health.

I'm sure all the people sad about this guy's use of hydrocarbons got to work today in cars powered by magic pixie dust, trains powered by hope and airships towed by dragons. I'm sure they're reading this on their computers running on solar power. I'm sure they've never gone on a ride on a real choo-choo train that burns coal, nor sat in front of a toasty fire and spewing particulates into the atmosphere while roasting marshmallows.

This is art. If anyone is going to burn dinosaurs, I want it to be this man. When the oil is all used up and all we have left is boutique crafted $1000/bbl synthetic diesel, I hope to god they use it to fire this motherfucker up and do some donuts.
posted by pjaust at 12:49 PM on January 19, 2011 [7 favorites]

"The only way you know where he is, is by the black smoke"

Who's driving that thing? Dick Cheney?
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 12:50 PM on January 19, 2011

Bonus points if this guy (or this guy) are running cooking oil...
posted by Lorem Ipsum Wilder at 12:55 PM on January 19, 2011

FYI dragon-drawn conveyances are inhumane (dragons are sentient, sapient, sententious creatures) AND ecologically unsound (they fart a lot).
posted by Mister_A at 12:57 PM on January 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

For what it's worth, a lot of what you're seeing is steam created by injecting water into the intake system of the vehicle. At least, that's what they do for pulling tractors.

This is almost certainly causing a lot less environmental damage and a lot more happiness than a diesel powered truck driving from San Diego to Boston loaded down with Greenpeace literature or hemp bracelets.
posted by pjaust at 12:58 PM on January 19, 2011 [7 favorites]

I do agree with you on general principle, pjaust. It's the same kind of reaction I have to people who freak out about auto racing. Auto racing isn't the problem, it's a symbol of the problem, but oftentimes people are much more comfortable attacking symbols than attacking the true source, because that lies, in cases like this, too close to home.
posted by Mister_A at 1:05 PM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

I know it's politically incorrect to use it these days, but this is the kind of thing the word "retarded" must have originally been intended to describe.

Retarded.
posted by klanawa at 1:44 PM on January 19, 2011

What is that thing burning? Coal?

Didn't you read the OP? Baby pandas. Why do you think there's black smoke and white smoke?
posted by obiwanwasabi at 2:03 PM on January 19, 2011 [5 favorites]

Yeah, it was fairly predictable that this video would elicit the most whiny vitriol MeFi has to offer.
posted by ReeMonster at 2:06 PM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

a diesel powered truck driving from San Diego to Boston loaded down with Greenpeace literature or hemp bracelets.

Why single out those particular items?

Anybody who isn't eating in-season produce sourced from within, say, 100 miles of their home town is doing more environmental damage than this recreational vehicle - which I'm certain would only taken out a handful of times a year, by the way.
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:09 PM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

Bang! This car is definitely a hit.
posted by jonesor at 2:15 PM on January 19, 2011

Yeah, it was fairly predictable that this video would elicit the most whiny vitriol MeFi has to offer.

What???

You need to read more political threads.
posted by GuyZero at 2:23 PM on January 19, 2011

That was boss!
posted by whuppy at 3:15 PM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

The Snidelywhiplashmobile!
posted by Ron Thanagar at 3:40 PM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

I'm sure all the people sad about this guy's use of hydrocarbons got to work today in cars powered by magic pixie dust, trains powered by hope and airships towed by dragons. [...] This is art. If anyone is going to burn dinosaurs, I want it to be this man.

First of all, most people don't have a choice when it comes to cars. Until electric cars or other alternative forms of transportation become viable replacements (both in convenience and cost), a lot of us are stuck with cars.

Secondly, this is not really art... it's someone acting like a petulant child making a passive aggressive anti-environmentalism statement. While this person's actual environmental impact is minuscule, his message screams of ignorant entitlement.
posted by spiderskull at 4:45 PM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

Needs more Rat Fink.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 5:09 PM on January 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

Haven't any of you people heard of bicycles? That's how I got to work today (and, indeed, every day).
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:15 PM on January 19, 2011

Haven't any of you people heard of bicycles? That's how I got to work today (and, indeed, every day).

In America, riding a bicycle to work would take most people 10 hours.
posted by empath at 5:32 PM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

I live in Hong Kong and can smell that rank odor from here.

And our air quality isn't the greatest right now.
posted by bwg at 5:36 PM on January 19, 2011

I rode my bicycle to work too, UbuRoivas. We are better than them.
posted by Mister_A at 5:40 PM on January 19, 2011

Why yes, yes we are.
posted by UbuRoivas at 6:22 PM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

I'm certain would only taken out a handful of times a year, by the way.

"You drive the mini-van to work today, Bob?"

"No, the rear tires are getting a little bald and I don't want to take the kids to school in it till I get them replaced. I brought my... other car."
posted by quin at 7:20 PM on January 19, 2011

most. popular. kids. in. entire. school.
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:29 PM on January 19, 2011

No mention of Glottis? I am disappoint.
posted by dirigibleman at 8:06 PM on January 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

I drove a French car to work. That's sorta like riding a bike, yeah? Right?

i just want to be cool too
posted by obiwanwasabi at 8:20 PM on January 19, 2011

I rode my bicycle to work too, UbuRoivas. We are better than them.

Yes! 8 kms. It was -21'C (-6'F) and the wind was at my back. I arrived at work in less than 30 minutes, sweaty and refreshed! I would have it no other way!
posted by kneecapped at 8:59 PM on January 19, 2011

I rode my bicycle to work too, UbuRoivas. We are better than them.

Yes! 8 kms. It was -21'C (-6'F) and the wind was at my back. I arrived at work in less than 30 minutes, sweaty and refreshed! I would have it no other way! There was a holy host of pandas clapping and shouting my name!
posted by kneecapped at 9:01 PM on January 19, 2011

Shitty connection, I clicked, waited, clicked again, hit a lamp post and woke up to a double post of my comment. Why did I have to hit the lamppost?
posted by kneecapped at 9:06 PM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

I was led to believe there would be dead baby pandas. F'n welfare bears.
posted by JV at 9:29 PM on January 19, 2011

I drove a French car to work. That's sorta like riding a bike, yeah? Right?

You might almost be onto something there:

Paris government officials are well down the track towards passing regulations that would completely ban large four-wheel-drives and smoky older diesel vehicles from entering the city heart - or else tax them until their owners' wallets bleed.
posted by UbuRoivas at 9:36 PM on January 19, 2011

not art? holy moly how is that thing not art but this is? what a bunch of classist fucks. there is some seriously cool vision in that thing. did you see what holds up the steering column, or the finish on the body?
posted by Mei's lost sandal at 10:57 PM on January 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

not art? holy moly how is that thing not art but this is?

Um, yeah, don't compare SRL with a bunch of Montana junkyard rats.
posted by charlie don't surf at 12:51 AM on January 20, 2011 [1 favorite]

Why not? What's the difference? THe guys in Montana like Springsteen? Are the people who put together the diesel rat not craftsmen? Explain.
posted by Mister_A at 4:47 AM on January 20, 2011 [1 favorite]

All the Priuses in the world undone by one American Jackass.
posted by eperker at 7:38 AM on January 20, 2011

Wow. You guys are going to be really mad when you find out what people do at Burning Man.
posted by The World Famous at 8:37 AM on January 20, 2011

> Wow. You guys are going to be really mad when you find out what people do at Burning Man.

Is there any pretense at all at Burning Man about it being some kind of Earth-friendly endeavor? They generate tons of non-recyclable trash, bury excrement where the environment traditionally didn't have any, and emit tons and tons of carbon exhaust.
posted by Burhanistan at 8:40 AM on January 20, 2011

My point exactly, Burhanistan.

But when one guy does donuts in his ridiculous rat rod, he apparently is the one American Jackass who undoes all the Priuses in the world.
posted by The World Famous at 9:02 AM on January 20, 2011

But when one guy does donuts in his ridiculous rat rod, he apparently is the one American Jackass who undoes all the Priuses in the world.

It's entirely possible for this guy to be a jackass at the same time as people at burning man.
posted by odinsdream at 9:45 AM on January 20, 2011

It's entirely possible for this guy to be a jackass at the same time as people at burning man.

D'ya think?
posted by The World Famous at 10:27 AM on January 20, 2011

I liked Burning Man when it was all about the public nudity, man.
posted by Mister_A at 10:53 AM on January 20, 2011

I liked Burning Man when it was all about the public nudity, man.

In my experience, private nudity is a lot more fun than public nudity.
posted by The World Famous at 11:00 AM on January 20, 2011 [1 favorite]

In my experience, private nudity is a lot more fun than public nudity.

Someone hasn't seen Girls Gone Wild.
posted by dougrayrankin at 4:54 PM on January 20, 2011

You're right. I have not. But it would have to be a hell of a show to be better than the real thing in private.
posted by The World Famous at 4:59 PM on January 20, 2011