My Car Caught on FIRE

[JH27N0B]

After reading this thread, I went out and bought a fire extinguisher to keep in the interior of my car today.  I have an old one in the trunk I put in there because one time I was going to display at a AACA show, and they require a fire extinguisher for show cars.
Fact is, I don't know if it works!
So I figured it would be a good idea to get a new one and keep it in the interior.  Last thing I want to have happen is to have a fire and stand there on the side of the road watching my car burn to the ground because I didn't have a working fire extinguisher!

[wagesofsin]

exactly!!!

that would suck.

[BacardiCBR]

Back in high school, my 68 Charger caught on fire in the exact same location yours did.  Luckily I wasn't moving yet and had just started the car.  I smelt something funny after the car was running for a moment and I shut it off.  I figured a wire was burning against the header.  So I calmly walked around and opened the hood... that's when I saw what you did and freaked!  I didn't have anything to put it out with.  I started slapping at the flames with my hands (stupid, I know) and thought to remove my shirt to smother it and at that moment a neighbor dragged his garden hose over and put it out.  He was in his robes, guess I caught him watching TV on the couch.  I replaced the distributor, plug wires, coil, and fuel line.  I've never liked how a DP fuel line makes it's connection directly by the distributor.  So for the fuel line, I bought brass fittings and made my own to reduce the risk.  Oh ya, I have a fire extinguisher in my cuda now... mounted to the roll cage.  Glad you got that sucker under control!

[ShelbyDogg]

That's scary stuff. You are lucky that your air filter didn't catch fire too. I once had a carb backfire and my new oil-type filter caught fire. I had to pull my hood off, then unscrew the filter top then throw the burning filter to the ground.

I recently had a very scary garage fire. I was grinding and some sparks flew across the garage a caught a towel on fire and a hot spark melted its way into a FULL 5 gallon gas can. The heat from the towel was heating the gas can and it started shooting a stream out of the melt hole adding more heat to the towel. I grabbed for one of my 3 halon fire extinguishers abd it was out within 30 seconds after it started. This could have burnt my whole house down. I forgot the gas can was over there. I moved them to my shed.

You might want to get a halon extinguisher. No powder residue.