Close call !!! FIRE

[bentpshrods]

    Had a little incident today.   Caught my cuda on fire.        My master cylinder developed a small leak out the back and was dripping down the power booster. Not a bad leak so I put a rag underneath it so the brake fluid would'nt eat my new paint in the engine bay.  Well I had a brain fart and left the rag there and was heading to my dads to start the tear down of a 68 mustang that I will be restoring for him.  All of the sudden I smelled something getting hot---then  smoke started pouring in from the steering column.   HOLLY CRAP !  I was next to a shopping center so I dove into the back of the lot and poped the hood.  Sure enough that brake fluid soaked rag had fell on the headers and caught on fire.   This in turned  caught the wires going to the starter and my speedometer cable on fire also.  That was the worst. That hard plastic coating was burning pretty good and the melted plastic was dripping off as it burned. I had no fire ext., not even my usuall mountain dew I could off thrown on it. All  I had was some rags I was taking over to dads shop so i grabbed  one and tried to smother the flames.   That dang speedo cable was down under the steering shaft with no room between it and the headers  so as I was trying to smother the fire the back of my hand hit the header and I have a nice blister all the way across it.  I could'nt get to it from the top so I dived under the car and had to reach up by the brake valve and get to it. While trying from the bottom the melting plastic dripped on my other hand and I got blisters on two fingers from that.  It's amazing how motivated you can get (freaked out) with your car on fire.      Ended up with Five blistered fingers and the back of  my hand----But not a whole lot of damage.  After it was out I was still able to start the car.  The speedometer cable is burnt pretty bad---have to replace the barred wires going to the stater from the starter relay and a couple going to the tranny plug but over all I GOT KINDA LUCKY.  Made it to dads and started stripping the mustang and then made it home.   That's my idiot move for the week.  Three guesses what I am buying the first thing tomarrow---first two don't count.     Doug   

[72rtchallenger]

  ouch that sucks dude

[Bullitt-]

Lucky is relative... for sure could of been worse...now I know what to put on my Christmas list

[Road_Runner]

You know, I ride with a pretty mature group of Harley riders and we are all very open with each other when we screw up or almost do.  Our thinking is that as each of us gets 'reminded' of what can happen when riding, sharing with the others could keep them from falling victim to the same thing.  Thanks for sharing your close call as we'll all learn or be reminded of things we should know working on & driving these old cars.  And like Bullit, I've been reminded how great a deal a small fire extinguisher is for cheap insurance against a fire such as yours!

THANKS FOR SHARING! 

Jim

[torredcuda]

Lucky is relative... for sure could of been worse...now I know what to put on my Christmas list

Don`t wait till christmas-if you drive your car buy one now and keep it in it and if you are still working on it make sure you have a large one in your garage!

[hotrod98]

My Superbird caught fire a few months ago when the horn relay under the dash came apart and shorted out. Luckily, I had a fire extinguisher in the back seat floor area.
The car shows around here won't let you enter your car unless you have a fire extinguisher in your car. It's been that way for years and I'm thankful for that.
There are extinguishers in every car including our drivers and we keep a large extinguisher about every 20 feet in both of our shops.
Glad to hear that you and the car will recover.

[dutch]

dude!!!      are you lucky or what...  that should teach you driving with no red bottle besides your seat...   

[drewcrane]

yea i had a fire too.the turn signal/flasher broke inside the column and shorted out causing a fire and yes i had a fire extinguisher in the car and used every bit of it so i agree with everyone get a fire extinguisher TODAY and dont wait just get it and put it in the car now

[ChallengerGary]

Thanks for the reminder about a fire extinguisher - gonna run and buy one for my 88 Ram Charger TODAY!!!

[TreeFrog]

made me think I need to get one in my Challenger now!

[DAYLEY/CHALLENGER]

I am sure that was a scary moment.  I have hauled a fire ext.  around for a while now.  The shows around like for you to have one. You never know when the 40 year old wiring  will give up.

[shadango]

Seems like shop rags are the cause of the problems, not the user.     

 

(Did you catch the post of the boner *I* pulled with a couple shop rags in my intake? LOL)

Glad it wasnt worse!

I have a fire extinguisher, just the powder kind...I want to splurge on the halon style though.

[Cooter]

'ya know, it's funny how I seem to put off spending the $30 or so for a fire Ext. but yet, when a time like this comes, I'd gladly pay 100 times what they cost just to use one...

Thanks for the reminder, and I will be buying a few for the cars brother...I'm glad you were able to save it...I've had a few freinds watch their cars burn and there's no more helpless feeling....I myself tend to forget just how many things have to "go right" in order for an evening of enjoymenmt to happen with these cars...I simply forget to think about what happens in case one piece of the puizzle goes wrong....

[dutch]

I have a fire extinguisher, just the powder kind...I want to splurge on the halon style though.

that powder will destroy your car just like the fire, it just takes a bit longer... 

[TreeFrog]

pressure wash after fire...