Cars and ComradesExplicit
by Brandon, Bryant, Conner, and Zach
Fusion of car culture and leftist politics.
Doing our part to make car culture more inclusive and approachable.
Racing on the road to revolution.
Podcast episodes
Weird Wankels
You've probably heard of the Wankel rotary engine found in the Mazda RX-7, but it was also tested in all kinds of experimental vehicles, including torpedoes, Soviet cop cars, helicopters, and diesel tanks. But first: our project car updates, and some history about the inventor Felix Wankel. Main topic at 28:08 Email us with tips, stories, and unhinged rants: carsandcomrades@gmail.com // Our social media links etc: www.linktr.ee/CarsAndComrades // Music by King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard: www.kinggizzardandthelizardwizard.com/polygondwanaland // Links/Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Wankel // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wankel_engine // How Rotary Engines Work https://youtu.be/sd6pJtR4PaY // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wankel_Diesel_engine // Rolls Royce Made A Diesel Rotary Engine With Four Rotors! https://youtu.be/1pDjwaqU0dU // https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/man-builds-3000hp-34-7l-2100cu-turbocharged-big-block-rotary-engine-its-insane // https://tractorzoom.com/equipment/tractors/john-deere/the-angry-dorito-john-deere-rotary-power // https://driventowrite.com/2022/09/06/join-the-wankel-party-lada/ // https://jalopnik.com/the-soviets-made-fast-ish-rotary-powered-ladas-for-the-1850125728 // How USSR Stole Wankel For KGB https://youtu.be/Bo8oalHcW3g // https://www.thedrive.com/news/soviet-five-pointed-rotary-is-the-final-boss-of-wankel-engines //
[FIXED AUDIO] News: Rusty Cybertrucks, Union Busting, and Goodbye to Kum & Go
Rollout of the new Tesla Cybertruck has been less than smooth, and it turns out that their stainless steel body panels aren’t very resistant to stains or corrosion. Meanwhile, the UAW is fighting to unionize auto plants in the South, Chinese companies are getting ready to sell electric cars in North America, and beloved gas station Kum & Go considers a name change for some reason. Main topic at 53:23 Email us with tips, stories, and unhinged rants: carsandcomrades@gmail.com // Our social media links etc: www.linktr.ee/CarsAndComrades // Music by King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard: www.kinggizzardandthelizardwizard.com/polygondwanaland // Links/Sources: https://www.theautopian.com/tesla-cybertruck-wheel-covers-are-chewing-up-tires/ // https://www.wired.com/story/this-is-why-teslas-stainless-steel-cybertrucks-may-be-rusting/ // https://finance.yahoo.com/news/spacex-illegally-fired-workers-critical-192839382.html // https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/29/uaw-launches-union-campaigns-at-tesla-12-others.html // https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/4454085-uaw-says-majority-of-workers-at-tennessee-vw-plant-signed-union-cards/ // https://www.thedrive.com/news/chinese-carmakers-want-factories-in-mexico-that-can-mean-only-one-thing // https://www.thedrive.com/news/ford-kills-self-parallel-parking-feature-to-save-a-few-bucks // https://www.thedrive.com/news/kum-go-will-change-names // https://www.theautopian.com/full-size-suvs-are-twice-as-likely-to-kill-pedestrians-as-cars-study/ // https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/12/manufacturer-deliberately-bricked-trains-repaired-by-competitors-hackers-find/ //
Interesting Engines: Offenhauser
Designed in the 1930s, Offenhauser racing engines dominated at Indianapolis until the 1970s, winning 27 times. We chart its evolution from a 2.5L boat engine to a 1,000 horsepower turbocharged screamer. Main topic at 45:55 Email us with tips, stories, and unhinged rants: carsandcomrades@gmail.com // Our social media links etc: www.linktr.ee/CarsAndComrades // Music by King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard: www.kinggizzardandthelizardwizard.com/polygondwanaland // Links/Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Miller_(auto_racing) // https://silodrome.com/miller-91-race-car/ // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offenhauser // https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/assembling-270ci-offenhauser-indycar-engine-step/ // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offenhauser_Sales_Corporation // https://www.museumofamericanspeed.org/drakev8.html //
The Kharkovchanka in Antarctica
Since the discovery of Antarctica, many have tried to explore the frozen continent with dog sleds, airplanes, and various wheeled and tracked vehicles. In this episode, we cover a less successful American exploration vehicle of the late '30s, and some much more successful Soviet vehicles of the late '50s and '70s. Main topic at 32:00 Email us with tips, stories, and unhinged rants: carsandcomrades@gmail.com // Our social media links etc: www.linktr.ee/CarsAndComrades // Music by King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard: www.kinggizzardandthelizardwizard.com/polygondwanaland // Links/Sources: https://www.thedrive.com/news/33433/theres-a-massive-antarctic-exploration-vehicle-lost-somewhere-at-the-bottom-of-the-world // "The Snow Cruiser"-Antarctica's Abandoned Behemoth: https://youtu.be/zR0M7KjnJTE // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_Snow_Cruiser // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_Treaty_System // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AT-T // How to pronounce Kharkov: https://youtu.be/Q-Tdb6ihQ5M // How to pronounce Kharkovchanka: https://www.howtopronounce.com/kharkovchanka // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kharkovchanka // https://www.rbth.com/history/327680-soviet-off-road-vehicles-antarctica // "Kharkovchanka" - The Colossal Soviet Antarctic Cruisers: https://youtu.be/f6R-h06IsJw // https://jalopnik.com/soviet-versions-of-the-antarctic-snow-cruiser-were-so-m-1844211018 //
UAW Strike Recap with JT from Second Thought
We're joined by JT Chapman from the First Thought and Second Thought YouTube channels, and The Deprogram podcast, to recap the recent UAW strike, how the working class won big, and how this might lead to a general strike. Plus: Elon is up to his usual union-busting antics, but this time he's up against nearly every union in Sweden. And the Cybertruck roll out hasn't gone as smoothly as he would've liked. But first: JT's hotrod Volvo project. Main topic at 54:13 Email us with tips, stories, and unhinged rants: carsandcomrades@gmail.com // Our social media links etc: www.linktr.ee/CarsAndComrades // Music by King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard: www.kinggizzardandthelizardwizard.com/polygondwanaland // JT's channels and podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb5CyUGW_tODKqsOknphG-A // https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJm2TgUqtK1_NLBrjNQ1P-w // https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-deprogram/id1596666465 // Links/Sources: https://www.labornotes.org/2023/10/big-3-buckled-stand-strike-spread // https://twitter.com/UAW/status/1721954556924371150?t=zaHL79rTIrGCTpgtxXJFSg // https://twitter.com/UAW/status/1719100638494159171?t=MIBSFV0qB0jzcpuG7qhVwg // https://twitter.com/UAW/status/1718800729266082186?t=iBniVKhzsReaWhPc0kX5mA // https://www.theautopian.com/why-the-uaw-would-love-to-unionize-tesla-next/ // https://www.npr.org/2023/11/17/1213157550/tesla-sweden-union-workers-boycott // https://www.thedrive.com/news/tesla-cybertruck-isnt-nearly-as-bulletproof-as-elon-musk-wants-you-to-think // https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/10/elon-musk-sweden-unions-tesla-labour-car // https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-sweden-if-metall-compromise-issue/ //