This is unfortunate....

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Joined
Jan 30, 2014
Messages
244
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5
Location
United States
My Car
1973 Convertible
Father /Son resto-mod project
1 year in:
351 Cleveland- modified
Maier suspension
Tremec 5 speed

As Jake and I were heading to our local auto parts store this evening and on the way in we see a 69 Convertible Camaro on a flat bed. We look at each other and say - nice car- wonder why it's on the wrecker?

When we pulled into the store parking lot, the counter guys come out to check out our car, and tell us about the Camaro. Turns out the fella just rebuilt the 396 and was having alternator problems , so he popped in to get a new one. He walks in the store after paying for the new unit, walks back in and asks for a fire extinguisher " My car is on fire " is all he says. They expire 4 extinguishers, before they can get it out.

69 on fire.JPG

 
Wow, that brings back memories. In 1977 my '69 Camaro did the same thing. The car ran but I was not using it. One day while working on another car I need a fuel line hose clamp. I told a friend, "Just grab one off the Camaro." I guess because I was busy working on the other car and somebody else pulled the clamp from the Camaro I quickly forgot the the car went from drivable to a fire waiting to happen. A couple of weeks later I needed to move the Camaro. I pulled it onto the street and left it idling while I moved another car. It was at night and I glanced over at the Camaro and thought to myself, "When did that car get yellow fog lights?'" I realized that the yellow light was really a fire burning under the car. It was still running and the fuel pump kept spraying gas into the burning engine compartment. I experienced time expansion and it is like some people described. It felt like the world went into slow motion as I opened the hood, burned off my eyebrows, ran to the garage for a fire extinguisher and put the fire out. It was out before any of the three friends watching this moved anything but their gaping jaws.

Four years later I finished the car and decided to give it more flames.

norridge.jpg

 
I'll wager he had to call the flatbed operator back for a ride home.

Bummer - that's a good-lookin' car.

 
I once accidentally set the engine in a Bronco on fire by using engine cleaner and turning the ignition on. Oops.

I ran into the house, got an extinguisher, ran back out hosed it down and the only damage was a burnt vacuum line. I've never cleaned an engine since ;)

 
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