Gun Car

(Redirected from Gun Cars)
Selecting a weapon for purchase from Little Jacob's gun car in GTA IV.

A gun car is a feature in Grand Theft Auto IV and its episodic packs, The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, that allows the player to purchase weapons and body armor from the back of a road vehicle in an isolated location in the city. The feature complements unnamed gun dealers dotted throughout the city (which is an easier-to-access but more expensive option), and is intertwined with the games' friendship system.

The gun car is referred to as a "gun van" in The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony due to the choice of vehicles used.

Description

Access to gun cars are possible to the player as soon as they are granted the ability to organize outings with a friend who specializes in selling weapons. Depending on the conditions set by the games (see list of gun cars for further information), the player will unlock the ability to request for a gun car via their mobile phone; they are notified of this via a phone call from the aforementioned friend, informing that they can now call for weapons.

Once unlocked, a gun car can be called in by selecting the friend's name on the mobile phone's Phonebook, followed by "Guns" (GTA IV) or "Gun Van" (The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony). The player character verbally requests for the gun car, and the friend responds by notifying where they will be waiting for the player. The game then marks the location of the gun car on the map, to which point the player may proceed to the gun car. It should be noted that the friend will only wait for the player for several in-game hours before they decide to leave; there is however no penalty imposed on their friendship for this. Often times, the meetup point is located in an isolated location such as an alleyway or vacant land, illustrating the covert nature of the business. If the player has one-star wanted level or more (including the cooldown period), the gun dealer will immediately cancel the meeting when the player meets them on foot, citing security concerns.

Upon arrival at the gun car, the player may interact with the friend in order to access the selection of items available for purchase. Much like regular gun shops, the player must pay more for a replacement firearm, but pay less if they simply wish to buy additional ammunition for a firearm in hand; however, purchases from gun cars have the added benefit of being generally cheaper than those from gun shops (typically 30-50% cheaper, although the price of certain items are unchanged), serving as a more practical method of weapon purchases. The range of items on offer will also be expanded only after the player progresses in the storyline, preventing the player from acquiring overpowered firepower early in the game.

Once the player completes their purchase, the friend leaves with their gun car. In most circumstances, calling the friend a second time too soon afterward results in the service being denied. This includes completing a mission in-between calls; usually, taking part in at least two activities, or waiting a number of hours, allows the service to be reactivated.

List of gun cars and items sold

Grand Theft Auto IV

The option to unlock GTA IV's gun car is available after the player is able to organize outings with Little Jacob following completion of "Shadow". Once the player manages to maintain their friend's liking towards the player at over 75%, the player can instruct Little Jacob and his red-and-black Virgo gun car to spawn at a meetup point; possible locations based on where Niko calls from can include behind Roman's taxi garage in Hove Beach and a parking lot on Charge Island, among other sites.

Item Cost Availability
Knife $100
9mm $420; $35 for 17 additional rounds.
Molotov $350 each.
Grenade $700 each.
(Combat) Shotgun $1,500; $100 for 10 additional rounds.
Micro SMG $840; $25 for 50 additional rounds.
SMG $1,750; $20 for 30 additional rounds.
Assault Rifle $2,450; $55 for 30 additional rounds.
Carbine Rifle $3,500; $70 for 30 additional rounds.
Combat Sniper $5,000; $500 for 10 additional rounds.
Body Armor $300

The Lost and Damned

As a result of a simplified friendship system, the player is immediately granted the ability to call for a gun van in The Lost and Damned, specifically for Terry Thorpe's black Slamvan, following "Clean and Serene", regardless of the condition of the player's relationship with Thorpe. Note that several weapons offered for sale are available for free, with full ammo, from Jim Fitzgerald as long as he is available as a friend, and all items in Terry's van are available for free at the start of the final mission "Get Lost".

Item Cost Availability
Knife $100 Clean and Serene
9mm $420; $35 for 17 additional rounds. Clean and Serene
Automatic 9mm $500; $15 for 17 additional rounds.
Molotov $350 each. Clean and Serene
Grenade $700 each. Clean and Serene
Pipe Bomb $700 each.
Sawn-Off Shotgun $600; $5 for 2 additional rounds. Clean and Serene
Shotgun $840; $70 for 8 additional rounds. Clean and Serene
Combat Shotgun $1,500; $100 for 10 additional rounds. Clean and Serene
Assault Shotgun $3,500; $25 for 8 additional rounds.
Micro SMG $840; $25 for 50 additional rounds. Clean and Serene
SMG $1,750; $20 for 30 additional rounds. Clean and Serene
Assault Rifle $2,450; $55 for 30 additional rounds. Clean and Serene
Carbine Rifle $3,500; $70 for 30 additional rounds. Clean and Serene
Sniper Rifle $5,000; $500 for 10 additional rounds. Clean and Serene
Grenade Launcher $7,500; $700 for 1 additional round. Action/Reaction
Rocket Launcher $10,000; $3,500 for 1 additional round.
Body Armor $300 Clean and Serene

The Ballad of Gay Tony

Accessibility of The Ballad of Gay Tony's gun car is similar to that in The Lost and Damned due to an inherently similar friendship system. The player is able to access the game's gun van, which appears in the form of Armando Torres's black Cavalcade, following "I Luv LC".

Item Cost Availability
Knife $100
9mm $420; $35 for 17 additional rounds.
44 $640; $50 for 8 additional rounds.
Molotov $350 each.
Grenade $700 each.
Sticky Bomb $800 each.
Shotgun $840; $70 for 8 additional rounds.
Auto Shotgun $3,500; $80 for 20 additional standard rounds or $160 for 20 additional explosive rounds.
SMG $1,750; $20 for 30 additional rounds.
Gold SMG $5,000; $60 for 30 additional rounds.
Assault SMG $6,750; $150 for 50 additional rounds.
Assault Rifle $2,450; $55 for 30 additional rounds.
Carbine Rifle $3,500; $70 for 30 additional rounds.
Advance MG $7,550; $400 for 200 additional rounds.
Advance Sniper $4,750; $200 for 10 additional rounds.
Combat Sniper $5,000; $500 for 10 additional rounds.
Grenade Launcher $8,000; $1,000 for 1 additional round.
Rocket Launcher $10,000; $3,500 for 1 additional round.
Body Armor $300
Parachute $100

Notes

  • The player can in fact steal a gun car at any point the car is in view, but doing so adds nothing to the player's arsenal of weapons.

Gallery