My Bus caught on fire!

[halfmoon_bay]

So today, October 27, 2009 is the day my first car ever, my 1971 Volkswagen Westfalia Bus decided to go up in flames. I pulled out the drive way, got about a hundred yards down the street and all I hear is a click and everythings off. Had enough momentum to pull over on the side of the road. Tried to start it again but it wouldn't turn over. Got out to go check to see what was up and all I see is thick black smoke pooring out of the vents and rear end. First thought, grabbed my fire extinguisher and ran to spray in to the engine compartment but it would not open. I knew there was nothing I could do at this point. So I just sprayed it down the vents knowing it wasn't gonna help any but i did it anyways. Luckily I had enough time to grab my tool box , grab my blanket, and empty the dash. I couldn't get my Led Zeppelin cd out because there was no power to eject it!!!!!!! Then I got to watch as it went up in flames , it was pretty cool but very sad. At least i'm ok, besides a slight head ache from the smoke i am good and I at least got my tool box and some things out. Just gotta move on and I'll always remember the good times I had in it. Just a feeling of utter disbelief man but I accept what happened

If anyone wants anything off it or the whole thing just pm me, i need it gone by this weekend

Whats still good:
1) Front bumber, great shape...........1971
2) All 4 tires, rims, hubcaps, brand new Hancocks, no bubbling or melting
3) Front lights
4) I'm sure the cv's, transmission, and stuff like that underneath are good
5) Idk, sure somethin else is salvagible

Pictures are worth a thousand words

_________________
'71 westy 1600

[purplegodzilla]

Damn, that sux man. Your interiors look good too!. I know you probably panic , I would too. But I sure hell would have pried the chit out of that engine's lid with the some tools you had in that box.

I remembered when my bug caught on fire 20 yrs ago. I saw smoke coming out from the rearview mirror and I stopped right away. Luckily the fire was put out and I only had to jerry rigged couple of wires and got it back on the road the next day.
_________________
1995 Eurovan Camper (SOLD)
1971 Westfalia (SOLD)
1991 Westfalia (SOLD)
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o292/purpleGORILLA/P1020720.jpg
1985 Westfalia

[Dead 1]

That will buff right out! That sucks bro, what was the cause?
_________________
"I reject your reality and replace it with my own"

"The American Dream - true enough because you gotta be asleep to believe it"
________________________________________
71, 1776 cc.

[thegoodfight7211]

Another one bites the dust. Very sorry to hear about your loss...she was real solid looking too.
_________________
Percy: '77 sage Westy, 2.0L FI (GD), 091 trans

[rustbus]

that stinks man, glad your taking it well. getting another one?

I miss your mirrors already
_________________
May of '72 Deluxe. 2.0L L-Jet CS & 091 trans conversion
my Bus thread

[jimhendrixx]

Harsh toke dude, same thing happened to me 20 years ago!

I fell for ya my brutha!
_________________
Proud Caretaker Of:
1976 Transporter ---> Daisy
1970/74 Baja Bug ---> Ghobi
1967 VW Beetle ---> Dave
1977 Super Beetle Convertible ---> Mildred

[timo78]

That is f'ing horrible. Bus fires always bring back bad memories of the two times it has almost happened to me. I am going to go find solace in checking my hoses.
_________________
> 78Grµn Westfalia `Donkey`
.
It may be bigger than you and it may be bigger than me, but it’s not bigger than you AND me; can you dig it?

[SGKent]

sorry about your loss.
_________________
"Most people don't know what they're doing, and a lot of them are really good at it." - George Carlin

[heerojyuy]

_________________
1979 Volkswagen Bus - Daily Driver
2000cc
FI

[davis911s]

Sorry to see those pics and hear about this.

Any idea of cause? How old were the fuel lines? I hope we can all learn from this unfortunate incident.

Hope it was appraised and insured, that bus was in real nice shape
_________________
"I choose to use CAA on old cars with character...instead of car payments on a new car "

1973 Westfalia, Camper Special with 75 FI. Automatic 003 . Non-pop top
1977 Porsche 911S Targa, 2.7 L with 5spd
1992 Passat G60 Syncro Wagon (SOLD)
1975 Westfalia (SOLD)
1979 Westfalia (SOLD)

[Daverham]

Sorry man. For real.




Can we learn anything from this? What can you tell us about suspected causes and the condition of some of the usual suspects?

[chabanais]

Almost happened to me. Was driving, smelled gas, pulled over turned the engine off saw gas leaking... split fuel line. I change all my fuel lines every 5 years now.

When was the last time you changed yours?
_________________
"I spud therefore I yam."

[halfmoon_bay]

Thanks guys.

I honestly can't tell you what caused it. I just replaced all the hose lines about a year ago when I got it. I did everything I was supposed to do when you get a new bus. I just checked the oil and gave everything i nice tug and glance last week. I had it runnin great, no problems and then outa no where it decides to catch on fire.

I don't know if anyone else has done this, but sometimes I would play in my head what I would do if I noticed my engine smoking or on fire and how I would have ninja fast reflexes and put it out. But I gotta tell ya man, when that thing lights it just goes, there's no stoppin it. Especially considering the 10 seconds or so I took once it turned off till I got out and noticed it on fire.

The sad thing is I had to push it down the street back to my house in 30 mile hour head wind and it's just sittin out front lookin all burnt and sad. There was some girls around when it happened too and I walked up and took off the VW emblem off and all I hear behind me is "Ahhhhhhhh". They knew it was my first car, my first bus.

As for gettin another bus. I'm only 18 so i'll take what I can get for now. Maby a few years down the road............
_________________
'71 westy 1600

[borninabus]

glad you are OK.
at least the zeppelin is easily replaceable.

just out of curiosity:
prior to the fire, when was the last time you attempted to open the engine compartment?
_________________
88 Van WBX, A/T - 13 JSW TDI 6M/T - 2012 Touareg TDI Sport

[halfmoon_bay]

[Traveling Writer]

Dude, so sorry about your loss! Everyone's nightmare for sure.

Please, please, do us all a huge favor (and yourself for later), and go over everything in the engine and try to find out what caused this fire. If you can't do anything else and don't have a lot of time (you said you have to get it out of there soon) then get your camera and photograph the engine from a few angles and whatever else you can document, and post them here. Maybe someone will be able to spot something too...

Man, that SUCKS.
_________________
Cheers,
Davi

1977 2.0 FI Westy
2011 1200cc Yamaha Super Tenere
1976 Feet (they work surprisingly well)

[aryue]

Add my condolences to the list of people here - Good luck in getting another vehicle.

Best Regards - Andrew in Austin, TX
_________________
OldandSlow - but still chuggin.
http://www.ph.utexas.edu/~yue/VW/VWBus.html

[Mr.Mexi]

oh man -gutted for you! just out of interest - why could you not get into the engine bay?
_________________
my resto thread: http://forum.earlybay.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=15384

[WestyPop]

Sorry for your loss. That is such a bad feeling.

I've been so lucky; never one of my own, but have helped put out quite a few fires on others' favorite rides. Not happy times when it all turns ugly like that.

When this happens, it makes me wonder why no one is offering a relatively-low cost plumbed-in extinguisher system for our bays, or has even come up with a design that can be adapted to use.

Looks like you can pull quite a bunch of parts off there to save or sell. Might get you started down the road to another bay. Even the front end sheet metal should be useful to someone.

Best wishes for lots of future good times in bus #2.
_________________
Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.
______________________________________
J.R.
68 Westy
(+ others)

[Wildthings]

Sorry about your loss.

People need to understand that the stock VW fuel system, even factory new is an absurd fire hazard. With the tank sitting up high and all or most of the fuel lines being rubber hose it is an invitation for buses to burn readily and as we have seen here they do. It is pretty hard to move the tank to a lower location, but you can get rid of most of the rubber hose and replace it with steel line. This is especially easy on a carburated model. Make your junction from steel to rubber high in the engine compartment, above the level of the top of the fuel tank, so that when the rubber hose burns through the fuel flow will stop.

Contrary to the normal Samba rant, placing the fuel pump and filter under the bus does not make your bus particularly safe from fire, unless they are installed without the use of rubber hose. A fuel pump with an anti drain through valve will help, the stock mechanical pump had such a valve. The use of stainless steel AN braided hose will also help, but to me the best solution on a carburated model is to use a Facet style pump and filter installed high in the engine compartment fed all the way from the tank by steel tubing, with only a length of rubber hose between the pump and the carb plus another short piece feeding the pump.

This is the system I have on my old '74. Once a fire starts and burns through the hose on the inlet side of the pump, the flow will stop even if the pump keeps running. I now use AN hose on the outlet side of the pump to buy some time, but still use the regular fuel line on the inlet side.