<VV> Car Fires WAS fuel tanks & Nader

[kenpepke at juno.com]

Of course the Corvair had the best plan BUT the Falcon / Comet / Maverick / Mustang / Pinto etc. cars had a VERY substantial top on those gas tanks and they were firmly bolted and sealed to the surrounding trunk floor pan.  Most of the problems resulting in fire came from gas going under the car and not though the back seat.  At the junkyard we had to remove the tanks from those cars before we could send the bodies to the shredder.  We hooked off the filler pipe and yanked the tank out with a crane ... AFTER the bolts were removed.  Funny thing is [funny strange, not ha ha] most of the fires in Corvairs back in the day came from someone adding an electric fuel pump.  How times have changed.  Today, most cars come with electric fuel pumps and they are seldom the cause of automobile fires!
Ken P   


*****************************
"Dennis Pleau" <dpleau at wavecable.com>

It would have worked if there was a firewall between the trunk and passenger
compartment.  The back of the rear seat springs and padding weren't much of
a gas fire deterrent.

A few dollars worth of steel to complete the fire wall between the trunk and
passengers compartment would have made the Pinto, Maverick and Mustang a
much safer car.

dp
 

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