Re: IML: 64 Iml HORROR STORY

[Tim Durrer <tdkd99@xxxxxxxxx>]

Jay,

What an awful experience. I am going get a fire
extinguisher in mine right away. Don't get discouraged
by this unfortunate incident. Just git'er fixed and
enjoy the car again!

As Brooks pointed out, the engine could have jumped
time when you let off the gas. Please do let everyone
know how the repairs progress and if you find the
cause of this. 

Tim Durrer
73 Blue Sky

--- Frederick Joslin <fljoslin@xxxxxxxx> wrote:

> WOW!! I am glad it turned out as "well" as it did. 
> I had a slightly
> similar experience three years ago. Not nearly as
> dramatic. I had a 66
> Newport which had not been on the Highway for a real
> drive for a while. I
> took it out for a drive on I-90 and about 10 miles
> in smelled something
> burning. I stopped at the first exit and as soon as
> I slowed down there
> was a prodigious amount of smoke from under the
> hood. Popped the hood.
> There was power steering fluid spewing out of the
> reservoir and going
> onto the exhaust manifolds. It did not catch fire
> but I am sure that it
> could have. The power steering pump was over heating
> causing the fluid to
> overflow.  I used to have a fire extinguisher in
> this car which I had
> pulled out at this time. I did not need it, but
> could have easily. On my
> 69 LeBaron I discovered shortly after purchasing it
> that the fuel pump
> was leaking. I had figured that the really really
> lousy mileage and the
> constant gas smell was just a mediocre old carb and
> a big heavy old gas
> hog.  One day I started the car, moved it out of the
> garage and then went
> back into the garage. There was a small leak which
> had been under the
> car. I stuck my finger in it. It was gas. I think
> that normally you will
> not notice a gas leak under a car because the gas
> evaporates quickly and
> a gas smell is not unusual fior these cars . It is
> not like an oil, trans
> fluid, coolant leak which is "always" there . After
> you story I think
> that my LeBaron will have a fire extinguisher in it
> before its next
> outing. You just never know.  ----- Original Message
> -----
> From: "JAY D'ANGELO"
> To: "mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
> Subject: IML: 64 Iml HORROR STORY
> Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2006 15:38:55 -0800
> 
>   OMG!  It happened to me yesterday.  I took the car
> out for its weekly
>   cruise and was just getting off the freeway in
> Henderson when the car
>   suddenly "popped" and then the speed reduced from
> 65 to 50 and it had
>   no power.  I got off the freeway and while passing
> one of the
>   casinos, I smelled something burning.
> 
>   I looked down and saw that the carpeting on top of
> the transmission
>   tunnel a aglow and a burning hole was
> materializing and getting
>   bigger, as the carpet wafted its burning smell. 
> Then, the car
>   stopped running and I wrestled it to the casino
> driveway.  As I
>   stopped and to my horror, black smoke started to
> billow out from
>   under the hood.
> 
>   I ran to the trunk, got out the fire extinguisher
> and popped the
>   hood.  Flames were shooting up and completely
> surrounding the air
>   cleaner!  Two quick shots from the extinguisher
> and the fire was out,
>   along with an extra shot at my carpet.
> 
>   OMG!  I got this sick feeling in my stomach!  In
> the last year, I
>   spent 11 grand on this baby redoing absolutely
> everything under the
>   hood and underneath the car.  My head was swimming
> and thoughts of
>   financial disaster started running through it.
> 
>   After the smoke cleared and my blood pressure
> dropped a little, I
>   started to survey the damage and try to figure out
> what went wrong. 
>   Amazingly, the near perfect paint had not been
> touched.  The hood pad
>   kept the flames from the paint...all the wiring
> was toast and some
>   parts were literally disintegrated.  The burned
> wiring stopped just
>   before the firewall connector, but all the wiring
> and the hoses to
>   the rear of the engine went up in flames.
> 
>   I had noticed that the car wasn't running very
> smooth and a couple
>   weeks ago posted a question regarding it - but, no
> one responded. 
>   So, I checked the timing and retarded it a little
> back to specs,
>   checked all the plugs and wires and adjusted the
> carb and replaced
>   the fuel filter.  It ran better, but there still
> seemed to be a
>   little flat spotting on moderate acceleration.  I
> think it had been
>   running lean.  And, I think it was because some
> tiny something or
>   other got caught and was preventing proper fuel
> flow through the carb
> 
>   Well, apparently, on the freeway fuel started to
> come out of the carb
>   (I guess) after an apparent backfire and the damn
> thing caught fire. 
>   That sucker was flaming while I was still on the
> freeway and the air
>   flow blew the flames and perhaps some fuel back
> along the top of the
>   transmission where it superheated the tranny
> tunnel.
> 
>   The estimate to replace all the wiring, carb,
> detail the engine
>   compartment and replace the carpet is just under
> $3000.  I called
>   American Collector's Insurance - the company has
> insured me for many
>   years on several cars - I pay $226 a year for zero
> deductible
>   coverage - they didn't blink an eye.  As soon as
> the
>   appraiser/adjuster sees the car, work can begin. 
> Luckily, a very
>   professional classics and hot rod mechanic nearby
> will replace the
>   wiring with modern, no burn stuff and wrap the
> wiring so that
>   everything looks original.
> 
>   So, I will live to drive the car once again, but
> two points need to
>   be made here.
> 
>   Point One - Get a fire extinguisher and carry it
> at all times.  It
>   literally saved the car from destruction -
> because, it would have
>   been totally engulfed in flames by the time the
> fire department
>   arrived.
> 
>   Point Two - FULL coverage collector car insurance
> is an absolute
>   bargain.  I have mine covered for $36000 for only
> $226 a year.  There
>   really is no reason not to have full coverage. 
> Liability only is
>   fine - until you have a fire or crash, then you
> are in deep waters.
> 
>   I thank the Imperial gods that were watching over
> me yesterday.
> 
>   Jay D'Angelo
>   64 Iml Cvt
>   Las vegas
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  
>
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> 
> 
> Fred Joslin
> 



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