# Is this a believable vehicle? (1 Viewer)



## Bruno Spatola (Sep 13, 2010)

I have this character called Norman Tanner who is an ex-sheriff, and I really wanted to give him a set of wheels that matched his personality. He is hard-headed but kind, stubborn but understanding and very good with children. 

So this is how I see him driving around the small town in Texas I created, do you think it works, as a mental picture for the book?

It's set in the present day, but switches between him as a young sheriff and now. I'm worried because, I thought it might seem a bit odd for someone to be driving a 30-year old car.


----------



## Sam (Sep 13, 2010)

Why would it seem odd? People love driving old vehicles, especially muscle cars and souped-up trucks. It's entirely plausible.


----------



## Bruno Spatola (Sep 13, 2010)

I don't know, I've never driven and am very uneducated on the subject. . . I only know stuff about super cars really. 

Thanks


----------



## KangTheMad (Sep 13, 2010)

Absolutely. I can easily see a small town texan sheriff driving that truck.


----------



## JosephB (Sep 13, 2010)

I'm seeing something more like this:


----------



## Kat (Sep 13, 2010)

I about snorted my coffee there Joe. 

My husband has spent countless hours and dollars to get his over 30 year old car on the road. I have driven the thing once!


----------



## garza (Sep 13, 2010)

The old F150 is perfect for the sheriff. The flower-child VW is, of course, driven by his chief deputy, the luscious Lana 'Ladylaw' Lumkin. The running thread that ties the novel together is the continued frustration felt by Tanner and Lumkin as they try to find a private spot for some serious conversation about law enforcement. Neither the Ford nor the VW seem suitable and the nearest motel is 100 miles away. After the climax in which there is a general slaughter of bad guys, the dénouement is reached when both vehicles are traded for a 1955 Nash Rambler with lay-back seats and curtains for the windows.


----------



## caelum (Sep 13, 2010)

That truck looks very sheriffy.  A jeep, if they were around back then, would also be cool.


----------



## Bruno Spatola (Sep 13, 2010)

Thanks Garza, I actually don't even have a deputy character which is really dumb of me, so thanks for reminding me. I have shoes to fill.

Thanks Joseph 

I think Jeeps have been around since like. . . 1940 Caelum. I'm glad this one looks "sheriffy" though, thanks 

Was the Cherokee a Jeep (One of the 80's ones) ? That could be a good alternative.


----------



## SilverMoon (Sep 13, 2010)

Perfect for your scheme. In fact, I'm using the same truck (though red not burgendy) for my quirky New Yorker society girl who's had enough of formalities and takes off to the small clanish town, Woodstock. Gotta get a dog for the back of yours so you can use "wind swept ears". Ha!  My protagonist has a mut. No more fancy poodels for her, anymore.  A red truck is a must for multi-faceted characters! Good luck with your story. Laurie


----------



## Bruno Spatola (Sep 13, 2010)

Thanks! I saw this truck in the movie _No Country for Old Men_ and it just looked great for my Sheriff and town. He doesn't have a dog, but one of my characters does have one called Banjo. 

My fictional town is called Touchstone. Touchstone and Woodstock, kinda nice sounding together.



SilverMoon said:


> A red truck is a must for multi-faceted characters!


 
Amen sister.

Good luck with your story too


----------



## k3ng (Sep 13, 2010)

I'm pleasantly surprised with the effort in casting the right wheels. Most people don't quite care and I know some people do a terrible job at it. (Dan Brown, Smart cars? Really?)

Good job.


----------



## Bruno Spatola (Sep 13, 2010)

Why thank ye K3ng 

I'm creating the most realistic setting and characters I can. It's my first book, and everything is going to be done right. . .I hope.

At the moment I'm writing full bio's for my characters. Height, weight, interests, vehicles, eye colour, favourite song, fave colour etc. It's just bringing them to life, I feel like Gepetto 

Smart cars? *Spits* Pah!


----------



## RoundEye (Sep 13, 2010)

It’s a nice choice for a policeman, red seems more like a fireman’s truck. The Jeep mentioned is a nice alternative. Those trucks came with a straight six cylinder motor or a more powerful 302 V-8, it’s probably the V8 since its 4 wheel drive. A friend of mine had a truck about the same year that had a 460 cubic inch big block in it. That thing was a beast, I bet it could pull a house down if need be. We used to go off-roading all the time in it. I’m just giving you some more info since you’ve never driven before.


----------



## Eluixa (Sep 13, 2010)

F.O.R.D. Found on road dead. Wondering if it would last 30 years? Maybe restored, or maybe use a Dodge or Chevy. Definately a truck like that though. And lol on Jeeps not being around 30 years ago Caelum. You make me feel like a dinosaur. However, VW's can go anywhere a jeep can! Independant suspension baby!


----------



## Bruno Spatola (Sep 13, 2010)

I had a go in a motorized wheelchair once, but I'd rather not talk about it. 

I wanted a vehicle that if need be could suddenly go off-road, but I don't want it to be a beast. I want it to be quite tricky to handle across different terrain, but do-able. . .does the Ford (F-250?) meet those specs? 

Thanks 

It's definitely either the 1980 Ford F -250 or a 1987 Cherokee. . .

Those names are probably wrong, I literally have no idea what I'm talking about


----------



## Bruno Spatola (Sep 13, 2010)

Thanks Eluixa. I bet you're a very pretty dinosaur, don't be modest.

I just realized what you said, found on road dead lol.


----------



## caelum (Sep 13, 2010)

Bruno Spatola said:


> I think Jeeps have been around since like. . . 1940 Caelum.


 
You know, I _thought_ I saw them in some WW2 movies or something. Maybe some WW2 books.  And correct me if I'm wrong here, but I'm pretty sure the way Hitler was killed was getting ran over with a jeep.  I haven't really checked up on that, but I'm pretty sure that's how it went down.  Pretty sure.


----------



## Bruno Spatola (Sep 13, 2010)

I heard he was killed by a Whales vagina, but I'm not sure at all. Jeep sounds good, I like Jeep.

Forget what I said, forget it!


----------



## RoundEye (Sep 13, 2010)

Eluixa said:


> F.O.R.D. Found on road dead. Wondering if it would last 30 years? Maybe restored, or maybe use a Dodge or Chevy. Definately a truck like that though. And lol on Jeeps not being around 30 years ago Caelum. You make me feel like a dinosaur. However, VW's can go anywhere a jeep can! Independant suspension baby!



Your bias against Ford products shows through in your post. Two of the longest lasting trucks are probably Ford and GMC. I’d stay away from Chrysler products, their heyday of performance hotrods is long gone. I haven’t cared for Jeep products since they were bought by the Chrysler Corporation a while back.


----------



## Bruno Spatola (Sep 13, 2010)

I might go completely mental and make him drive a '56 Ford Thunderbird in turquoise. . .


----------



## RoundEye (Sep 13, 2010)

Eluixa said:


> … VW's can go anywhere a jeep can! Independant suspension baby!....



Come on, do you really believe that to be true? An unmodified Volkswagen doesn’t have the ground clearance needed for off-roading, no matter how good its independent suspension is. A modded Volkswagen makes for a hell of a off-roader.

*EDIT: *






Something like this would blow a stock Jeep’s doors off.


----------



## RoundEye (Sep 13, 2010)

Bruno Spatola said:


> I might go completely mental and make him drive a '56 Ford Thunderbird in turquoise. . .



He’d be a super cool cop then.


----------



## Bruno Spatola (Sep 13, 2010)

I'll give you a million dollars if you can identify the two cars in the background of that picture:king:


----------



## garza (Sep 13, 2010)

caelum - Take a look at this:

Jeep History

My dad bought a CJ-2A shortly after WWII. That's the vehicle I learned to drive on, starting in the back yard in double-low 4wd when I was about nine years old.


----------



## RoundEye (Sep 14, 2010)

caelum said:


> You know, I _thought_ I saw them in some WW2 movies or something. Maybe some WW2 books.  And correct me if I'm wrong here, but I'm pretty sure the way Hitler was killed was getting ran over with a jeep.  I haven't really checked up on that, but I'm pretty sure that's how it went down.  Pretty sure.



It is widely believed he committed suicide with Ava Braun.

Look


----------



## caelum (Sep 14, 2010)

I was _kidding_, Roundeye.  Sheesh.  I thought all my "pretty sure"s gave me away.


----------



## The Backward OX (Sep 14, 2010)

RoundEye said:


> It is widely believed he committed suicide with Ava Braun.
> 
> Look


 
I think KLM may've been joking.

And it's spelled Eva even though it's pronounced Ava.


KLM - look here YouTube - Burning Bridges - Kelly's Heroes


----------



## The Backward OX (Sep 14, 2010)

If you can't afford a Dodge, dodge a Ford.


----------



## Bruno Spatola (Sep 14, 2010)

The Backward OX said:


> If you can't afford a Dodge, dodge a Ford.



Well _that's_ going on my best quotes of Writing Forums list.


----------



## TheFuhrer02 (Sep 14, 2010)

An old F150 Lightning for the win!


----------



## RoundEye (Sep 14, 2010)

caelum said:


> I was _kidding_, Roundeye.  Sheesh.  I thought all my "pretty sure"s gave me away.



Oh...... oops


----------

