A diesel would probably be your best option in that scenerio.

Why is that?

diesels don't require electricity to run.

Very cool. Not even to start or anything? Would an older diesel be even better?

They will need electical power to start. And if you want things like headlights to function.

Ahhh..headlights would be a luxury in that situation. But I wonder what effect massive flares would have on batteries. They essentially convert a chemical reaction into electricity right? If they are NOT effected by flares that may be a great alternative for many things in this scenario? If they are effected though, is there an alternate method to start?

Would an older diesel be even better?

It would have to be an older diesel. My 1976 diesel could run without a battery, but my 2002 diesel would just laugh at me if I thought I could run it without power. It has more computers than Microsoft.

An old diesel,with a air starter(mechanical injection shouldn't be affected) store you a bunch of spare electronic and eletrical parts in a grounded metal container or Faraday cage.
Had a lively exchange with a Librarian about global warming(she apparently holds Al Gore in high regard) told her she should worry more about Yellowstone blowing then global warming. She said you cant do nothing about Yellowstone,but you can Global warming.Really?(You can stay away from there I suppose and lay in some supplies and such)(About Global Warming,I suppose you could go to the poorhouse)-Kevin

Ha!! Awesome. Nothing like finding something that's happening naturally that nobody really thinks about anymore (climate change) claiming to be a pro at it and telling people that humans are causing it and using it for political influence. The UN and others are going to feel pretty damn stupid (but will never admit it) if this "climate change is natural" group continues to gain momentum. Some amazing statistics on, I think it was Glenn Beck, about the miniscule percentage effect all human production ever of CFC's et. al. compared to just the eruption of all the volcanoes in the last 50 years which is nothing historically.

Then these crazy ideas that the Gore-ites have of cooling the planet? I'm concerned would do much more harm than good. Similar to the Fish and Game trying to restore habitats from supposed evil human effects and just really decimating things. Interesting times.

(You can stay away from there I suppose and lay in some supplies and such)

re Yellowstone blowing: No, you couldn't stay away or lay in supplies. Yellowstone is a caldera, and a big one; if it blew it would take out life on the planet, at least anything beyond deep sea, bacterial and (maybe) cockroaches.

sounds like somebody read war of the worlds...

That's some flare *and* in exactly the right place. I bet your garaged car would be just fine.

Don't worry about your car. You will never see it have a problem due to solar flares. It might be damaged, but you will be dead first. :-)

Are you thinking of making the resistance too solar flares one of the items on your list to look for in choosing your next car? being prepared is OK but not in this way

The Stanley Steamer will probably be fine, but be careful because the traffic signals probably wont be working.

Stanley Steamer; beautiful. I thought of that and scrolled down; there it was. No kerosene powered radio?

This has been a fun, if somewhat morose, intellectual exercise for my wife and I also discussing all the other implications this type of even could bring. But I don't understand your last sentence. Why would being prepared in this way not be OK?

Things like food, clothing,shelter,protection,etc would come first. If a solar flare destroyed everything electrical you would have a bit of civil unrest to say the least.

Holy cow...that's for certain. Can you imagine? Preparation for that could 'somewhat' overlap for what HLS wants us to prepare for related to the next big terror attack, etc..

We would likely see the best and worst of people.

Awesome..I love all your responses. Especially about the Stanley Steamer signals...HA!!

Let me clear up a couple things and maybe expand this topic.
1. Solar Flares happen all the time of course, but they are usually small enough to have a nominal effect on things. But historically, large enough flares occur every few hundred years that are large enough to fry every electric circuit on the planet unless it were in an underground bunker. It's just that the last one that occurred of this size was pre-electricity, circuitry, etc... but not large enough to destroy the atmosphere as in the recent movie "Knowing", and thus killing...well..everything (sounds like Mr. Meehan saw it too). The book that best represents the former scenario I read is "Solar Flare by Larry Burkett" (no aliens, sorry totallytempo). So a garage "might" work but for kicks I'm assuming a larger flare.

This is purely an academic exercise, I'm not planning the purchase of my next vehicle on this...unless the 50 something truck I've always thought would be neat to have would also be "solar flare proof".

I guess what I'm wondering from those of you with more engineering knowledge than, is what year/generation of vehicles do not have micro-chips, electrical systems, etc.? When vehicles had points, and brushes and such would that still be electrical and thus vulnerable?