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Mon Jul 21, 2003 7:03 am

There must be some horror stories out there about your driving and you smell smoke and realize your VW is on fire...Share.

Mon Jul 21, 2003 8:40 am

i have had two fires first was a 67 that my father had bought and had been restored by someone before him and the gasa tank was leaking i had jacked the frontend up to see where the leak was but could not find it and at the same time the fuel pump line had come out of the fuel pump when i started the car up not knowing about the pump problem it wasent pretty but was able yo put it out before to much damwge was done. then a couple of years later i had barowed a camper that he bought from a lady for 300 dollers thet was in exllent condition and (bay window) was driving and smelt smoke so i pulled over to check it out rememering that i had saw i fire extingisher i grabed it and went to the back of the bus lifted the lid and there was i fire on top of the engine then i realized the fire extingisher would not work ran about a 1/4 mile to a frinds house grabbed a 5 gollon bucket and filled with water his dad took me back to the bus and was able to put it out let out a sigh of relief and watched as it quickly reignited needless to sat it was a totle loss and dad was pissed

Tue Jul 22, 2003 8:59 am

This is funny because it just happened a few months a go(not to me). My Friend was driving his bug that his dad gave him. They have alot of bugs cause his dads a taxi driver in Mexico, anyways, He was in the Drive Thru of a Del Taco when he saw people at the bus stop looking at his car with a weird face and pointing. Well, he gets off the car and his decklid and vents are just flaming(i dont know how he didnt smell it). Well he didnt have a fire extinguisher, but two FBI agents that were staking out some house next to the Del Taco came to the rescue and extinguished the flame...hahah i laugh everytime he tells this story and now i pass it on to you...hahaha :)

Tue Jul 22, 2003 11:03 am

Spent a year and a half doing a full pan-off resto on my 65 beetle. Finally get everything back together, take her out on a short around the town trip to make sure everything is in working order. On the way back home, around two miles to go, cruising around 55-60, hear a loud bang, followed by engine dying. Coast to the side of road, saying a few choice words. Make my way back to the engine to find smoke coming out from under the decklid. Fan belt had let go (bad belt or maybe too tight). As it wraps around the pulley, it snaps the fuel line going to the carb. So the fuel pump was pumping gas into the engine bay will I was coming to a stop. Gas.....Hot exhuast.....You guessed it. Managed to put it out by beating it with an old towel (fire wasn't big yet). All this 2 weeks before I planned to take her to her first show (circle yer wagens 11 I think). Any way, pull the engine back out, back to the body shop for fixing, a few all nighters to get it all back together, made the show and placed 2nd in class. Moral of the story-always carry an extinguisher, make sure your belt is in good shape and properly adjusted, and route your fuel lines so they are out of harms way. Anthony

Tue Jul 22, 2003 3:26 pm

p.s if you dont have a fire extinguisher gas stations allways do and will be more than willing to let you use it if you park in the rite spot otherwise they could care less

Tue Jul 22, 2003 7:31 pm

My first bus. '66 13-window. I was coming home from getting pizza for everybody. Pulled up to a stop sign, noticed my generator light flickering (signaling that my engine was idling pretty low). Revved the engine twice, it went back out each time, so I said that I'd figure it out at home. Went through the intersection and then about another 100 feet before the motor stalled and the gas pedal went to the floor. Got out and noticed smoke coming out of the side vents. Grabbed my fire extinguisher, but was too late. The fire was already too big. Had to sit there for 15 minutes watching my bus burn before the fire dept got there. Sold it to a guy that did a partial restoration on it before he had to sell it.

Wed Jul 23, 2003 1:48 pm

I had one. I just finished up my 70 bug with fresh paint and all and Just dropped a 1776 in it to replace the stock 1600. I was taking it around back to tinker and the motor started stumbling. I look out my rearview and saw heat vapors rising. I hopped out and FIRE. I ran around in circles for about 2 minutes since I had left the fire extinguisher back at the house. I ran into a church that was near by and they let me have an extinguisher. I had dual Dells. A backfire through the carb caught an air filter on fire. I think it must of had a stuck float to get the airfilter that saturated with gas. Had to paint it and replaced a couple wires. Got rid of the flaming dells and picked up a set of Idfs, had to paint the car, and replace a couple wires. Always carry a fire extinguisher. The are cheap at your local autoparts store and you will never know when you need it until it comes in REALLY handy.

Wed Jul 23, 2003 8:56 pm

So those of you with the locking decklid latches ... do you lock them or leave them unlocked?

I have this fear of catching on fire, then I can't extinguish it because I locked the ^#@^$^ decklid to keep from getting parts ripped off!

Sure, I COULD lock and unlock all the time, but realistically who would remember to do that all the time?

Thu Jul 24, 2003 10:41 am

The most tragic fire story I ever recall was a guy who lived here in San Diego who restored a '54 Right Hand Drive Oval to all stock beautiful condition. It had a 36hp engine, split case trans, 2 tone stock wheels with bias ply wide whites, mohair headliner, etc. Anyway, he just finished the car and let his wife take it to the grocery store. She was at a stop light when the car quit and the engine compartment was up in flames. She had no idea what to do and danced around the car screaming and flapping her arms for help. By the time the fire department got there, the car was burned all the way to the front hood emblem. When they sprayed the water on the car it's body buckled everywhere from the temperature change from intense heat to cold, the glass cooked and blew up, the tires melted down to the ground, and quite literally the only salvagable piece on the whole car was the front hood emblem and front bumper. Everything else was completely wasted. That was the worst one I have ever seen or heard of.

Thu Jul 24, 2003 11:20 am

I was almost part of a tragic fire story a little while back. Long story short- detailed the motor, started it up, sat listening to some tunes and smoking a cig before going for a spin. Smelled gas, put my cig out in the ashtray, opened the door and stepped into a puddle of gas. I was stunned- just stood there for a second before realizing I was standing in gas! I cut the ignition and opened the decklid and was like- oh that was dumb! I was looking for the problem before hosing the thing down... so then I grabbed the hose and washed the engine and driveway for 5 min or so. Turned out the PO had put stock fuel line on the dual Kads and they were stretched so far they split. The scary thing is that I had just gotten home that week from driving it 1400 miles to my house!

Fri Jul 25, 2003 8:55 am

I had a fire last February when I just purchased my Porsche 912, I went out to the garage to just start it and warm it up and to keep the battery up because it was about 30 degrees out that day. I went to start it and it wouldn't start because the carbs didnt have any chokes on my 40's, very hard to start in the cold, so I thought I would spray a little starting fluid through the aircleaners to give it a little boost. When I went to start the car I heard a back fire and didnt think much about it so I kept cranking it over and I look into the rear view mirror and saw flames shooting up out of the engine compartment and I just freaked out. I had no fire extinguisher so I grabed the nearest thing,a bath towel and I tried to smother the flames out on the carb but all that did was catch the towel on fire so I ran right out of my shoes to the house and grabed a bucket and filled it with water,the whole time I'm thinking my new garage is going to burn down with my new car. So I run back to the garage and I just throw the water on the motor and it put the fire out but it burned the generator wires up and my K&N's. My wife had to do a load of whites that day if you know what I mean, that scared shiat out of me. I'll never use starting fluid again!

Fri Jul 25, 2003 4:07 pm

In high school I had a 60 ragtop bug. I was driving to work on the freeway and heard this loud thunk!! The car kept running just fine and I thought I might of hit something in the road. Anyway as I am going along, a few minutes later I start to smell smoke. Like a dumba$$ I stick my head out the window thinking something else is on fire. Then pretty quickly the whole car fills with thick smoke and I pull over. I run to the back and the whole engine is just smoking like crazy. I don't think it ever caught on fire because I did not see any flames but my dry powder extinguisher sure made a mess. As it turns out my cooling fan was the thunk I heard as it left the generator. One other stupid lesson I learned was while I was working on the carb on my 67 kombi I forgot to tighten the fuel line that attaches to the bowl. Needless to say the pressure from the fuel pump popped it off. I had been driving the car and it was at operating temperature (nice huh!) As I am sitting up in the front cranking away I hear this woosh like air leaving a confined space!! (yea the oxygen in my engine compartment!) I look in the rearview mirror and see nothing but flames in the mirror. I had a walkthru in my bus and the cargo doors were open so I bolt thru there and tag my head on the top railing of the cargo doors full speed. I managed to put the fire out very quickly and nothing was hurt, but spent the next 5 minutes squirming in pain in my driveway trying to keep an eye on the bus for a reignition of the fire. I cursed alot that day!!! Jay

Tue Sep 09, 2003 12:27 pm

I was headed to church one Sunday in my 56 beetle when the engine died. I coasted to a stop and the car filled with smoke. I jumped out and ran around back and opened the deck lid to find a nice fire toasting my engine. I didn't have a fire extinguisher so I ran to the house I had stopped in front of and grabbed the water hose. I got the fire out with little damage. I change my hose every 2 years now. And I always carry a extinguisher too.

Wed Sep 10, 2003 3:30 am

man i must be lucky,12 yrs and 7 vw's later and i have had no fires.i have developed some Fire prevention policies for my vw.{all thow when i was younger didn't think much about it}they are as follows:
1.carry a fire extingisher{maybe even two}'make sure it reads full!
2.i don't use cheap rubber hose,only german braided.when my kadrons came w/that rbber hose it went sraight in the trash!
3.replace my fuel line every time i rebuild the engine.whether it needs it or not.
4.hose clamps couldn't hurt.
5.be careful how those fuelines and distributor,and wires are routed.{keep it neat}

paranoia or good policy,you decide.
i have heard too many hooror stories and don't want to be another one.

Wed Nov 12, 2003 9:46 pm

I remember an old trick from My car rally days... I double hose clamp everything.... You can forget doing up one hose clamp but never two...
and I use steel braided fuel line..
and I cannot believe how many people DO NOT Carry a Fire extinguisher.
I left it at home etc doesn't make any difference to a fire...
and Two fire extinguishers are better than one...
Like the fellow who had his fire extinguisher in the dicky seat
(below the rear window) He couldn't get it because of the heat...
Great place to keep it huh??
Do YOU have a Fire Extinguisher ??

Thu Nov 13, 2003 4:18 am

June 1997 i was driving on the parkway. I noticed that my car had no "pep". As it started to slow down, it got worse. The slower it went the less i could keep it running. I finally got off at the 1st exit. When the engine finally died i saw flames in my rear view mirror. I grabbed the fire extinguisher that i had and ran around the back. There were flames coming out of the right side of the deck lid. I opened the lid and found the right carb on fire. A qucik squeeze of the fire extinguisher and it was out.

My right K&N filter was melted, but everything else looked OK. I let it cool off and then removed the air filter. All looked good. The carb was fine, the fuel lines were fine, the wires were fine. I decided to turn the key and the engine started right up.

I decided to take a chance and drive home. The car ran perfectly... no problem on the 12 mile driver home.

The next morning i pulled the engine and found no damage. Only the inside of the decklid and the outside under the window were damaged by smoke. The only thing i could figure was the air filter caught fire from a backfire.

At this point i decided, for a number of reasons, to finally redo the entire car.

The moral of the store is to not only carry a fire extinguisher, but to make sure it's a Halon or Halotron I. They are "clean agents" and leave no residue. If i used a dry chemical fire extinguisher, i never would of been able to start the engine and would of had a major cleanup.

It's you car... isn't it worth a $100 fire extinguisher to save it?

http://amerex-fire.com/sales/halotron.html

Thu Nov 13, 2003 8:05 pm

Once the battery shifted in my 1964 Ghia. The positive terminal connected with the battery strap when I had pulled into a gas station. I got out of the car when there was this *puff* *puff* of smoke and some loud *pops*. I opened the decklid right quick to see the battery litterally jumping. I pushed it really quick, but the strap was partially melted and so was part of the battery. Had to call my dad to bring another battery, and then I cleaned the engine bay with baking soda. That was the worst I ever experienced.

Sun Dec 28, 2003 4:54 pm

jterry28 wrote: p.s if you dont have a fire extinguisher gas stations allways do and will be more than willing to let you use it if you park in the rite spot otherwise they could care less

When I was 18 I loaned my roomates sister $800 to buy a 72 bug. She drove the damn thing everywhere, covered it with goofy band stickers and took all her friends with her. Long story short she thought it would be funny to get as many of her friends into the car as possible. They shorted the battery on the seat springs....at a gas station....while filling the tank. She freaked, attendent had no clue, finally some guy grabs an extinguisher and puts the fire out. Windows are black as night from the smoke, windshield cracked, seats were toast...literally. The dumb c$&t has the car towed to my house, says "its your car, deal with it" and leaves. nevermind the money she owes me, she takes off for california.

After getting really effing pissed, calling her parents and demanding money, and almost killing my roomate I take another look at the car. Not too bad. Interior is totally gone, seats are burned down to the frames. I go buy a junkyard windshield to replace the fire destroyed one. Cleaned the hell out of the other windows, cleaned the speedo off, got a new shifter and I wrapped a beach towel over the bottom half of the drivers seat, pulled an old t-shirt over the top half and drove the damn thing to work for a month.

I finally sold it for $200. The guy only wanted the engine but the deal was he had to take the whole damn thing. So in the end I'm out $600. I finally caught up with the w$@#e at my old roomates wedding this past summer, 7 years later. The look on her face was priceless, the only thing I said to her all night was "Wheres my $600".

Tue Dec 30, 2003 8:35 pm

Back in the mid 80's, my buddy and I went to a bar that let kids over 18 in with a big stamp on your hand UNDER 21. Well we would sit around the corner and get hummered in the 65 VW bug and stagger in. One night we met up with a friend that had no ride home so we offered her one. I jumped in the backseat and as the doors closed the back seat caught fire. So we piled out and I ripped out the back seat and proceeded to stomp the crap out of the burning seat on someone’s lawn. After the fire was out I put the seat back in upside-down so it wouldn't short the battery again, and the car wouldn't start. We figured that the wiring was toast so I ripped out some speaker wire and ran it outside the car to the coil. Then we managed to bump start the ol 1835 with 12:1cr and piled back in. Buddy was driving and I had a chick on my lap with no headlights and a open stinger on a Friday night. The story goes on but I'm not gonna type it out. It might incriminate me HAHA

Tue Dec 30, 2003 8:54 pm

Ok one more, My 65 notch and I were cruzing over the bay bridge at 5am doing 75+ and it was cold and foggy outside. Suddenly I couldn’t see anymore through the cloud and as I grabbed my handy squeegee to wipe the window, then the smell hit me. Electrical fire! With nowhere to go I kept driving rolling down windows, opening the sunroof, popping the vent wings and then I saw the tinny flame in my fusebox. I started slapping the flame to put it out and I noticed the headlights flickering with each blow. Then it started to sputter. I finally got it out and the smoke cleared. I looked at the fusebox that day and couldn't find what burnt. It ran for 4 years without anymore problems before I parked it.