Sad, Sad Day.

[Dave L.]

Rick - I feel your pain!! What a shock. I recently replaced my intake manifold and needed a longer fuel line. Someone suggested I just cut it and lengthen it with rubber hose. I took the time and got an all steel one made. Maybe your loss can prevent anothers........If thats any consolation.

take care,Rick.....................Dave

 

[offshore]

If a69vette had a battery switch the car would have still caught on fire... right?

not if it was an elec. fire. and if your driving down the road and you smell elec. smoke you can through the switch and save the car.

 

[LEEJANDZ]

offshore -- not if it was an elec. fire. and if your driving down the road and you smell elec. smoke you can through the switch and save the car

OIC

 

[Wamp]

gas fire

That switch would work if it was an electric fire, but this sounds gas related. I have replaced my carb and put in a inline fuel filter with glass housing after car is warm I can see the gas boiling in fuel filter. This makes me not want to start my car till I get new engine in and all metal fuel line installed. My Hooker headers put off ALOT of heat also. I am so Sorry to see this happen to such a nice car.

 

[a69vette]

I had the same inline filter with 2 very small pieces of rubber hose. When the rubber burned thru, plenty of more fuel for the fire.

 

[offshore]

No. I did not leave it running. I shut the car off, no hint's of trouble. I was in the house talking with my wife when I saw the smoke.

That's what makes me think this was an elec.fire

 

[Chas]

SOOOO Sorry....

those pics make me wanna my thoughts are with you pal..im sure it will be back to new in short order.

 

[pax]

Rick,
Sorry for your loss, seeing those photos gave me a sick feeling. The 69's are one of my favorites and yours was exceptional, hope you can bring her back.
I'm new to corvette ownership and it sounds like this is a problem for various reasons so on top of my list of many things to do I have put a fuel shut off....could be a theft deterant as well.
Thank you for sharing,
john

 

[69MyWay]

My guess is that at first, the car won't be a "total loss" as it will be difficult to write an accurate estimate for all of the damage. I think it will be a long process to finally resolve the insurance issue as (and only my guess based on the photos) it will later be determined to be a total loss.

Most insurance companies won't want to bother fixing it because they will be married to the car. In other words, in the future when you have electrical problems, no doubt your first impression will be fire related. The insurance company may take the stance of normal 30 plus year old car problems....and you end up having to negotiate out everything from this time forward. That is why it is often best to just total it.

They will be looking for the estimate to come up around 80% of the $25K value.

In the same respect, it is possible to replace the carpet, and interior portion. Install a new firewall forward wire harness and vacuum harness, and replace all the wires, hoses, etc. on the engine as well as repaint everything. I am sure it could be done for less than $10,000. Then, however comes the "what if" later. These are simple cars, but...they only owe to repair what has been damaged leaving the front of the car to look new and the doors back to look old. Thus, you have to come out of pocket to wrap it all up like new.

Very difficult situation.

I am sorry to hear about your loss.

 

[ChuckG]

Wow. I'm very sorry to read about this. I wonder if you'll ever know if it was electrical in nature.....or just leaking gas on a hot motor. Chuck

 

[69blushrk]

wow, I thought I was having a bad dream. I have a car almost identical to the one you have. Sorry to see such a beautiful machine in that state. Hang in an rebuild if possible

Lar

 

[offshore]

Wow. I'm very sorry to read about this. I wonder if you'll ever know if it was electrical in nature.....or just leaking gas on a hot motor. Chuck

just gas leaking on a hot motor is highly unlikely the gas still needs an ign. source ie; spark,backfire hot exhaust,and his car was not running. what a shame.

 

[69blushrk]

just gas leaking on a hot motor is highly unlikely the gas still needs an ign. source ie; spark,backfire hot exhaust,and his car was not running. what a shame.

here are some kindling points of various materials

IGNITION TEMPERATURES
Material

Temperatures _F ( C )
Aluminum

959 (515)
Coal

600-900 (316-482)
Cotton, sheeting

464 (240)
Film, nitrocellulose

279 (137)
Fuel Oil #2

494 (257)
Gasoline, regular

700 (371)
Gasoline, 100 octane

800 (427)
Matches, heads

325 (163)
Nylon, cloth

887 (475)
Oil, soybean

833 (445)
Paint film, oxidized

864 (462)
Paper, newsprint

446 (230)
Paraffin wax

473 (245)
Rayon, viscose, cloth

536 (280)
Rubber, synthetic

590 (310)
Silk

1,058 (570)
Tin, powdered

1,094 (590)
Wood

380-870 (193-466)
Zinc, powdered

 

[Vette/Berlina-coupe]

-Damn shame, big job to get her back to previous condition, so while could have been caused by an electrical-short, more likely--- maybe now you guys will understand why I (and others) have harped on the subject of not using rubber/fuel-hose of any sort (only properly tightened steel/fuel-lines), and the inherent danger of the lousey Holly-carburetor with its designed-to-leak screw-on fuel-bowls!!! Doubtful fire could possibly be caused by a float-leaking petrol into intake-manifold, --in as much as the combination metal/air-cleaner and airfilter-donut are engineered to arrest such flaming (acting as a flash-barrier); -best airfilter-units are further made with a perforated metal-band. Remember, its the vapors that ignite, not the raw petrol; --a tiny spray of petrol (oil or gasoline) on a hot exhaust-manifold does it every time; -indeed a miracle you caught the burn while only this bad, --they usually burn to the ground (very fixable, -just $$$; -oh, and how did you manage to put out the fire with the hood closed, -that's the biggest problem in such a fire (how to get the hood open without getting flamed)! -owe your neighbors big-time for their efforts!)... ~Bob vH
ad :eek :cry

 

[offshore]

here are some kindling points of various materials

IGNITION TEMPERATURES
Material

Temperatures _F ( C )
Aluminum

959 (515)
Coal

600-900 (316-482)
Cotton, sheeting

464 (240)
Film, nitrocellulose

279 (137)
Fuel Oil #2

494 (257)
Gasoline, regular

700 (371)
Gasoline, 100 octane

800 (427)
Matches, heads

325 (163)
Nylon, cloth

887 (475)
Oil, soybean

833 (445)
Paint film, oxidized

864 (462)
Paper, newsprint

446 (230)
Paraffin wax

473 (245)
Rayon, viscose, cloth

536 (280)
Rubber, synthetic

590 (310)
Silk

1,058 (570)
Tin, powdered

1,094 (590)
Wood

380-870 (193-466)
Zinc, powdered

I'm glad you posted that most people look at me like I'm crazy when i tell them high octane fuel is less volital than reg.

 

[offshore]

Now a little fire story about my 69. I started it one day it had a slight backfire on start up no big deal! then as I started to pull away smoke starter to billow out from under the hood it scared the s t out of me. I hopped out opened the hood and the paper air filter element was cooking. Ripped it off no damage. Then I got out my GAF RIG catalog and orderer a stainless steel flame arester $250. does'nt filter the air as good but my car is'nt going to burn up. And it looks a lot better than the chrome air filter too.

 

[joevette57]

-), and the inherent danger of the lousey Holly-carburetor with its designed-to-leak screw-on fuel-bowls!!!

Rick,
Didn't you still have the Quadrajet on the car??

 

[Ctfoodguy2000]

What can I say that the others already haven't? I am so sad to read this thread & look at your pictures. Good luck!

 

[72VETTETORONTO]

sad sad day

very sorry, this is no consolation but agreed value helps

 

[a69vette]

Joe, The Rochester is still on the car. I'm trying to get in touch with Matt. I think Matt would be able to look at the car and determine if it is rebuildable. But, I'm afraid that it's a total loss.