Thought I Set the 98 on Fire

[Eric]

You all should enjoy this story...

I was driving the car around all over Friday collecting supplies for a new pup. I notice a strange smell, kinda like plastic burning as I'm sitting at a light. Thought nothing of it, figured it was someone else. I get home and pull in the garage. I see a puff of smoke coming up around the cowl and begin to flashback to when the alternator on my 71 caught fire. Plastic burning smell = electrical insulation = FIRE!

I start the car and hi-tail it back out of the garage (almost hit my Monte Carlo). Pop the hood latch, grab my extinguisher and open the hood expecting the worst. I see the smoke, barely a trickle - looks like it's coming from behind the engine. Pop off the covers - nothing. Shine a light, seems to be all the way down near the ground so I get on the ground and what do I see? ARRRRGGGHHHH! Lucky me, I have a plastic grocery bag stuck to my exhaust pipe. While that is far better than the alternative, I know it can take a long time for those things to completely burn off and man-oh-man does it ever stink!

So if anyone that the Cruise-In thought my car smelled funny, now you know why.

Ahh, nothing like having a heart attack for no reason:eyerole.

 

[RoadReady]

Smells a lot like a blocked catalytic converter doesn't it? Don't ask me how I know or why I went to the muffler shop........

 

[KANE]

You all should enjoy this story... ARRRRGGGHHHH! Lucky me, I have a plastic grocery bag stuck to my exhaust pipe. While that is far better than the alternative, I know it can take a long time for those things to completely burn off and man-oh-man does it ever stink!

I had a bag get stuck to a sidepipe on my old '78 once... it stunk to high heck!!

 

[srs244]

exact same thing happened to my wife's car (that's why i always try to watch for the debris in the rearview whenever i am forced over anything i think could be a problem).
the worst part (after the heart attack part, lol) is that the damn smell stays with the vehicle for what seems to be forever, lol!!
glad it all worked out well for you, however!!

steve

 

[Tuna]

Been there, done that. Stinks for a while.

I find myself looking in the rear view mirror after passing a plastic bag just to make sure I see it behind me. If I don't, I get to worrying about whether it got stuck in the radiator or on the chassis somewhere.

 

[Chrisr]

I had a plastic bag stuck to my catalytic converter on my 81 T/A. Wheeeeeww!!!! :ugh

 

[warren s]

Now you know why people weave in and out of their lanes in traffic to avoid a plastic bag floating in the wind a few inches over the road surface.

 

[XLR8]

Eric

Thank heaven it wasn't more serious! I always watch my rearview for stuff I pass too. I think I must have rode around 2 or 3 days with a bag hanging down from my girls nose. :L Try being COOL like that!

Jane Ann