These guys tried to start wrecked cars that spent a year buried underground
- Three cars were buried underground in Russia for an experiment
- A year later they dug them up
- They want to see which will start
Published on Aug 13, 2024 at 8:20 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Aug 14, 2024 at 5:39 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
Halloween is right around the corner and, getting into the spirit of things, these YouTubers raised three cars from the grave that have been buried underground for a year.
They include an Audi, a Lada, and a Toyota.
Like Frankenstein’s Monster, the Russian content creators wanted to jolt them back to life.
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Starting the once-buried cars
The team that post to the Garage 54 YouTube channel had buried the cars a year before in anticipation of their experiment.
Seems like the wrecked cars weren’t in great shape when they were buried – and, not surprisingly, they’re looking even worse now with parts of the rotten and mangled cars breaking away.
The team is literally shoveling dirt from the cars.
The Audi is ‘toast’, the starter motor is fried as the team broke the carburetor off. RIP.
Simpler carbureted motors in the Lada and Toyota mean that, when cleaned up and drained of water, they have a better chance of firing them up compared to more complex fuel-injected systems.
The Russian Lada, which it’s revealed spent some time in a lake is actually looking like it’s fared the best out of the three.
Yes, its roof might be caved in under the weight of the dirt, but ‘the contents of its engine bay don’t look half bad’.
Amazingly, the Lada started after replacing a gasket and cleaning the fuel system, proving its reliability despite the harsh conditions.
The Toyota also started but required additional fuel.
Proof, if it were needed, of the never-say-die durability of simpler, older cars with basic engines.
These vehicles are certainly reliable under extreme conditions.
Other amazing buried car stories
It might sound like the plot of a Hollywood whodunnit movie, but this buried Ferrari Dino 246 GTS has the most bizarre backstory ever.
On the other hand, a new car was deliberately interred underground in Oklahoma in 1957 to serve as a time capsule.
Sadly, 50 years later, it turned out that the attempt at making history went seriously wrong.
Meanwhile, this 1973 Plymouth Satellite was recently discovered under leaves in a US car graveyard – creepy.
All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
