GTA San Andreas: Special Vehicles Guide

[Z-Fighter]

Having recently played Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas again, I felt it might be interesting to share a bit of trivia with those here whom have played this game too, so please reply to here in this thread if you want to know more.

Now, next to all the various vehicles that are present within the game, there are also so-called 'Special Vehicles' around. While these vehicles look like any of the ordinary cars you can find anywhere in the game, save for a very few, the Special Vehicles share either one or all of the following:

1. These vehicles only appear in certain missions.
2. The vehicles have a unique colour, which can NOT be found anywhere else or through mod shops like TransFender.
3. The vehicles have a unique modification which also can not be found on any other model or mods.
4. The vehicles have a resistance to certain types of damage.

This kind of resistances can be either or ALL of the following:

• Bullet-proof (resistance to any conventional firearms)
• Damage-proof (Vehicles can't be damaged through collissions)
• Fire-proof (Weapons like Flamethrowers or Molotov-cocktails can't harm them for one)
• Explosion-proof (Explosions from other vehicles or weapons like Satchel Charges won't damage this vehicle)
• Melee-proof (Fists or melee weapons like the Baseball Bat, Golf club etc. can't harm the vehicle)

If a vehicle has ALL of the above resistances, it's an ALL-PROOF aka Full immune variation.

Now, there are ways to still destroy a proofed vehicle, but these are done through unconventional means:

• Flipping the car upside down
• Starting the Lowrider Challenge will remove the special properties
• Punching the vehicle while wearing the parachute
• Sinking the car in the water (this is considered destruction by the game, but if you're able to push it out, it will retain its properties regardless)
• Taking it to any of the available girlfriend's house and have coffee with her will remove the special properties
• Using the car bomb from the Bomb Shops in the game.
• Using the 'Blow Up All Cars' cheat
• Getting in the vehicle while the player is on fire.

So, with all that said, I'll be posting up a step-by-step guide to obtain the vehicles I've been able to gain through missions. While it may not be possible to obtain ALL of the special vehicles in the game, you can still get a good amount of them if you so desire; my current finished playthrough has 52 special vehicles stored in the garages. In total, I have tested and succeeded in obtaining a total of 81 of these Special Vehicles.

Before I will post up the first one, here's a little guide to prepare yourself if you wish to attempt to obtain any of these vehicles by yourself. While I will be listing some requirements with each mission-based vehicle, here's a list of things you can do in advance to plan ahead:

1. Save your game BEFORE attempting a mission which features a special vehicle which you want to obtain. Since in most of the steps I will lay out to obtain a special vehicle requires/causes a mission to fail, it will save you a LOT of frustration in case you've made a lot of progress. That and there's also the risk of getting Busted, Wasted, your attempts fail in general or even a game crash.
2. Stock up on ammunition of certain weapons. As some of the vehicles may be coded to be too heavy or unconventional to be pushed, you can still make them move about the area by using a weapon, primarily the Sawn-off Shotgun.
3. Purchase ALL available safehouses prior to do any missions! Since most garages have space to store up to 4 vehicles, having plenty of space available beforehand is mandatoryif you wish to have as many of the special vehicles as you possibly can obtain. The best garages available include:
   1. The Santa Maria Beach Safehouse (Available from the start)
   2. The Verdant Bluffs Safehouse (Available from the Start)
   3. The Doherty Garage (Accessible after 'The Green Sabre')
   4. The Palomino Creek Safehouse (Available after 'The Green Sabre')
   5. The Hashbury Safehouse (Available after 'Are You Going To San Fierro?')
   6. The Paradiso Safehouse (Available after 'Are You Going To San Fierro?')
   7. The Abandoned AC Tower (Purchased in the mission 'Verdant Meadows')
   8. The Prickle Pine Safehouse (Available after 'Learning To Fly').
4. Once you've obtained one of the available special vehicles, SAVE YOUR GAME! That way you have a save file that includes one of those available vehicles for you to use.
5. Regarding the vehicles with a unique colour, use ONLY your garages to repair them in case of damage, as going to a Pay & Spray will make them lose that unique colour.

Now, with all that said, leave a comment if you please and I will begin soon with the first vehicle. Keep in mind that all screenshots I will post of the vehicles are the ones I've made myself, unless I specifically specify otherwise!.

 

[Z-Fighter]

Here is the first Special Vehicle that you can encounter AND obtain in GTA San Andreas:

This vehicle, known as the Voodoo, is a luxury two-door lowrider.

This version has a rather unique pink-colored body colour and is used by the Ballas, a gang hostile to the player's gang, being the Grove Street Families. There are two of these pink Voodoos in the game, the first one is encountered in the mission 'Sweet & Kendl'.

How to obtain this unique Pink Voodoo
What is needed:

• Storage space at the Johnson House
• An assault rifle like the AK-47, or a Submachine gun (Tec-9, Micro-SMG or MP5 if you wish).
• Body Armor

The steps to obtain this vehicle:

1. Play the mission as normal, until you are ordered to get on the BMX. Get on the BMX, but do NOT follow Sweet! Keep your distance until the Ballas car shows up to attack.
2. Get off the BMX, take out your submachine gun or assault rifle and attack the Ballas car. Make sure you hit the driver so he will fall out of the car, leaving the door open at which the passenger gets out. Shooting the passenger first will make the driver leave the car, but also closes the door, which automatically locks the car, so you won't be able to get in.
3. Kill the other Ballas member, get into the Pink Voodoo, drive it to the Johnson House and place it in the garage. Exit the garage so the door closes.
4. Take any other random vehicle and go back to pick up the BMX you need to use to follow Sweet (indicated by a blue dot on the minimap).
5. Take the BMX and drive to the canal at Marina, and dump the BMX into the water. This will fail the mission, which is mandatory if you wish to keep the vehicle.
6. Go back to the Johnson House. If you open the garage, you will see the Pink Voodoo there still standing, but likely with locked doors.
7. Play the mission 'Big Smoke' and 'Sweet & Kendl' again, but this time play it completely as normal, so you have access to the save icon in the Johnson house. Save the game after completing the mission. Alternatively, if you've purchased the Santa Maria Beach Safehouse and drove the Voodoo there, make sure to 'confirm' the vehicle first (by opening the garage so it is there for you in pristine condition and then closing it) before saving.
8. If you then go back to the garage and see the Pink Voodoo there, you will now be able to access it and drive it yourself to anywhere you please.

 

[Z-Fighter]

This post covers the details of obtaining TWO special vehicles in one mission without failing! Yes, you can obtain the next two vehicles for your own use and you can still pass the mission. It concerns the following vehicles:


A second unique pink Voodoo used by the Ballas, and Sweet's Greenwood, both found in the mission 'Drive-Thru'.

Information

• If you couldn't obtain the pink Voodoo from the mission 'Sweet & Kendl', or you already did so and want to have simply a second, this is your only chance to do so; this car will NOT appear again inside or outside missions afterwards.
• Sweet's Greenwood car here is Fireproof, which means that it can NOT be damaged from driving through fires, or when attacking it using a Flamethrower or Molotov Cocktails.

How to obtain the cars:

What is needed:

• Storage space in the Johnson House Garage
• Body Armor, just in case
• A Submachine Gun (MP5) or Assault Rifle (like the AK-47) is recommended to have.

The steps:

1. Play the mission as normal until the cutscene of Ryder spotting the Ballas car has finished.
2. Do NOT chase the Ballas car right away! Instead, drive a bit backwards and go to the left, then drive forward to the right into the alley behind the Cluckin' Bell to come out ahead of the Ballas car, drive to the intersection leading to the railroad crossing and stop the car.
3. Get out of the Greenwood, aim your weapon at the driver of the Ballas car and shoot. If done right, you'll headshot the driver so he'll fall out of the car, like in the mission 'Sweet & Kendl', then kill the other Ballas member. Do NOT enter Sweet's car afterwards yet.
4. Step into the Pink Voodoo and drive it towards Big Smoke's House in Idlewood and park it beside the palm tree on the grass area, where you'll face Big Smoke's house across the street.
5. Get out of the Pink Voodoo, but do NOT close the door as that will lock the car, and making it despawn after the mission ends.
6. Run back towards Sweet's Car whom is still waiting for you (indicated by a blue icon on the radar)
7. Finish the mission as normal, but when arriving at Big Smoke's House, reverse the car into the marker, so that you will face the Pink Voodoo once the cutscene ends.
8. When the mission is complete, you can first drive the Pink Voodoo to the garage at the Johnson House, then return to pick up the Fireproof Greenwood, or you can step into the Pink Voodoo first so it won't vanish as quickly as it would, then get out and push the Voodoo to the Johnson House Garage using the Greenwood.
9. Park both cars inside the garage, let the door close up and then open it again. You now have (another) Pink Voodoo once used by the Ballas as well as Sweet's Fireproof Greenwood at your disposal to use at any time you like.

 

[Z-Fighter]

This post covers the details of obtaining an All-Proof Tampa car from the mission 'Nines and AKs'.

All-Proof means that the car is Bulletproof, Damageproof, Explosionproof, Fireproof AND Meleeproof.


The only ways that this car can be destroyed is by either tipping it over on its roof, punching it while wearing a parachute or equip it with a Car Bomb for example.

How to obtain this car:

What is needed:

• Storage space in the Johnson House
• Body Armor (mandatory here)
• Forklift (either parked in the Johnson House beforehand, or fetch one from Ocean Docks)

The steps:

1. Play the mission 'Nines and AKs' until you are instructed to shoot the bottle with the 9mm pistol. Don't shoot the bottle, but instead, take Big Smoke's Glendale car and drive it back to the Johnson House and store it in the garage, and then push it sideways, so when you open the garage, you see the car as if you were looking at it from the side (like in the Tampa image above).
2. If you haven't obtained a Forklift yet, move to Ocean Docks to get one and park it in the Johnson House Garage. This will be important later.
3. Make sure you have Body Armor on. You can pick up one underneath an overpass close to the Johnson House cul-de-sac on the left side if you need to fetch it.
4. Move back to Emmet's location as indicated on the Radar. Don't do anything there in terms of shooting bottles, instead, move about to push the Tampa back to the Johnson House Garage. This can be easily done on foot.
5. Park the Tampa in the Johnson House while making it face the same position as Big Smoke's car at the back!
6. Use the Forklift to flip the Tampa over. The Forklift's forks can be raised and lowered by using the Num8 and Num2 keys on the keyboard respectively.
7. Once the Tampa is flipped over, move the Forklift backwards, get out of it and get into the garage while the Tampa catches fire. If you have the Body Armor on, you will survive the explosion of both the Tampa and Big Smoke's car, which also fails the mission.
8. Get out of the garage and let the door close up.
9. Approach the garage again. Both vehicles are restored, and the All-Proof Tampa is now completely at your disposal to do what you please with it. Be sure to remove Big Smoke's car if you want to store the Tampa and another car beside it later on.

 

[Z-Fighter]

This post covers the details of obtaining an All-Proof PCJ-600 bike, owned by a Vagos member named Freddy from the mission 'OG Loc'.

All-Proof means that the bike is Bulletproof, Damageproof, Explosionproof, Fireproof AND Meleeproof.


How to obtain this bike:

What is needed:

• Storage space in the Johnson House
• Body Armor (optional)
• A Submachine Gun or Assault Rifle

The steps:

1. Play the mission 'OG Loc' as normal, until the cutscene of Freddy moving away on his bike has played and you have regained control of CJ.
2. Drive the bike you're given up onto the street, but do NOT pursue Freddy! Instead, stop on top of the street, keeping Freddy in your sight and get off of the bike.
3. Using your Assault Rifle or Submachine gun, shoot and kill ANY Ballas member you see right away from your position.
4. Then, shoot and kill OG Loc, which will fail the mission.
5. If done right, Freddy will get off of his bike and move to attack you. This is your opportunity to get on Freddy's Bike and drive it to the Johnson House garage to store it.
6. Now you have an All-Proof PCJ-600 bike at your disposal to use.

Note: Should this attempt fail at the 5th step and the mission has failed, you can try again with a neat little feature that is coded into the game; this is one of the missions that contains a so-called 'Trip Skip', which allows you to skip the ride to a certain destination past the first attempt.

 

[ShineCero]

It's been a while since I've played this game (basically a decade!!). Great write up! Makes me wonder if they ever (make a proper) remake, this stuff will still be useful.

 

[Z-Fighter]

Glad you like the write-ups so far. I've got more:

This post will detail the steps to obtain a Mesa with a Unique Green Colour from the mission 'Robbing Uncle Sam'.


How to obtain this car:

What is needed:

• Storage space in any safehouse garage, Verdant Bluffs would be the closest.

The steps:

1. Play the mission 'Robbing Uncle Sam' as normal, until you have to shoot the lock of the warehouse containing four of the crates, and after you let Ryder drive the Mule inside.
2. Don't open the warehouse yet; instead, step into the Mesa and drive it to the safehouse of your choice. Stash the car in the garage.
3. Return to Ocean Docks and just play the rest of the mission as normal. Yes, you can obtain this car without having to fail the mission first.

 

[Z-Fighter]

This post details the steps needed to acquire the Pony van used in the mission 'Life's A Beach'. This Pony van is unique in two ways: it has a unique teal colour on its body, and it also has a unique modification: Off-Road Wheels, which is unique as the van itself can NOT be modified at a mod shop like Transfender.


How to obtain this van:

What is needed:

• Storage space in the Santa Maria Beach Safehouse garage (as it is the closest to the beach party).

The steps:

1. Play the mission 'Life's A Beach' normally (dance sequence included), until you're tasked to steal the sound van.
2. Get into the van and drive away, but do NOT drive to the storage destination! Get to the road and drive towards the Santa Maria Beach Safehouse instead.
3. Drive the van onto the beach and towards the water.
4. Carefully drive the van into the water until you see the 'Mission Failed' message pop up. If you do this right, you should be able to reverse out of the water.
5. If Step 4 has succeeded, you are now the proud owner of a Unique Pony Van with Off-Road Wheels and a Sound System inside for you to store inside the Santa Maria Beach Safehouse.

 

[Z-Fighter]

This post is the first out of four in regards to the mission 'Just Business', as it is possible to obtain multiple unique vehicles, but only one at a time for the best options.

Just Business 1/4: the All-Proof Sultan

The first post will detail how to acquire an All-Proof Sultan, a four-doors sports sedan from the mission 'Just Business'.


How to obtain this car:

What is needed:

• Storage space in the Verdant Bluffs Safehouse
• Body Armor
• Infinite Sprint (optional but recommended, obtained through Burglary Mission)
• Luck

The steps:

1. Play the mission 'Just Business' up until the shootout outside the Atrium.
2. Take out the two Russian Mobsters whom are actively attacking Big Smoke (one is crouching close from your starting position outside, and the other is standing a bit further back).
3. Sprint to the left side of your position and jump down. You'll survive the fall regardless, and Big Smoke won't take any further hits from the mobsters.
4. Once on the ground level, sprint towards the Going Gas Station nearby and stand in front of the Sprunk! Vending Machine and make sure you see the prompt to buy a drink. DO NOT DO ANYTHING! Just stand there and let Big Smoke finish the shootout himself, at which the cutscene comes of Big Smoke driving the BF-400 with CJ going at the back, but be a bit 'hesitant' about the shooting the enemies (as in let the health of the bike drain gradually to about half-way).
5. Continue the mission as normal until after the cutscene of a packer carrying the All-Proof Sultan landing in the drain channel.
6. Once you gain control of CJ, press Enter as if you were to 'buy a drink'. This will let CJ get off of the bike.
7. The bike's health will be quickly depleted which will also kill Big Smoke, failing the mission, but you are still alive.
8. Kill the remaining Russians that may exit the pursuing cars.
9. Take the All-Proof Sultan off of the Packer as it is unlocked and get it on the road.
10. You are now free to take this new car to any of your safehouses (Verdant Bluffs should be the nearest) to store it.

 

[Z-Fighter]

This post is the second out of four in regards to the mission 'Just Business', as it is possible to obtain multiple unique vehicles, but only one at a time for the best options.

Just Business 2/4: A BF-400 (Damage, Fire and Explosion-proof)

The first post will detail how to acquire a Damage-, Explosion- and Fireproof BF-400 from the mission 'Just Business'.


How to obtain this bike:

What is needed:

• Storage space in the Verdant Bluffs Safehouse
• Body Armor
• Infinite Sprint (optional but recommended, obtained through Burglary Mission)
• Luck

The steps:

1. Play the mission 'Just Business' up until the shootout outside the Atrium.
2. Take out the two Russian Mobsters whom are actively attacking Big Smoke (one is crouching close from your starting position outside, and the other is standing a bit further back).
3. Sprint to the left side of your position and jump down. You'll survive the fall regardless, and Big Smoke won't take any further hits from the mobsters.
4. Once on the ground level, sprint towards the Going Gas Station nearby and stand in front of the Sprunk! Vending Machine and make sure you see the prompt to buy a drink. DO NOT DO ANYTHING! Just stand there and let Big Smoke finish the shootout himself, at which the cutscene comes of Big Smoke driving the BF-400 with CJ going at the back, but be a bit 'hesitant' about the shooting the enemies (as in let the health of the bike drain gradually to about half-way).
5. Continue the mission as normal until after the cutscene of a packer carrying the All-Proof Sultan landing in the drain channel.
6. Once you gain control of CJ, press Enter as if you were to 'buy a drink'. This will let CJ get off of the bike.
7. The bike's health will be quickly depleted which will also kill Big Smoke, failing the mission, but you are still alive.
8. Kill the remaining Russian mobsters that may exit the pursuing cars.
9. Take the BF-400 Which the Russian mobsters have been riding on and drive it to any of your safehouses (Verdant Bluffs should be the nearest) to store it.