<VV> Fire!

Roger Gault r.gault at sbcglobal.net
Sat Mar 12 18:13:06 EST 2005


OK.  You guys that have been thinking, "Yeah, I should put a fuse in the big red wire since some PO replaced the fusible link," go out and do it now.  I've been planning to do it for a couple of months.

Minding my own business today in the '65 vert, nice 80 degree day, top down...  I'm coasting down to a stopsign when the music stops coming out of the dash speakers and is replaced by smoke.  "Hmmm... This can't be good."  Moments later, "thunk", clutch is no longer pushing back on my foot.  More smoke.  "No, this is VERY unlikely to be good.  Stop, look down under dash - flames coming from the tunnel - time to panic.

Fortunately there's this nice fellow out front of the house I'm parked in front of, who sacrifices his fire extinguisher for the cause and runs to get his hose.  Car is saved.  

Melted carpet, melted defroster duct, other damage underneath floor unknown.  (Music came back on before I yanked the positive battery cable out of the cheesy screwdown clamp.)  I suspect the harness is toast and the clutch cable pulley is melted.  We'll see what else tomorrow.  After having it towed the mile to the house and then pulling it up 75 feet of very steep driveway with a rented come-along, I'm too tired to jack it up today.

Roger Gault
Austin


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