Sad News

[sad_rocc at yahoo.com (Dan Smith)]

Screw the car, glad you're okay! I think this is the first time I've ever thought, "Gee, glad our cars have metal gas tanks instead of plastic!" I was in a car fire once when I was very young, scary stuff! It started in the engine and ran the length of the underside of the car. We had no idea until a passing motorist pulled up along side us on the highway and started honking and flashing his lights and waving frantically. As rare as they are, there are other Cali's out there, but there's only one you and we're glad you came out unscathed.
 
Dan

Jan Folkson <jfolkson@optonline.net> wrote:
Damn sad news Craig :(

Glad you're alright though.


- Jan Folkson http://www.janfolkson.com
NYC

'86 16V
'03 Passat GLS 1.8t
'03 Jetta Wagon 1.8t

"Looking up is as scary as looking down"


> As some of you know, Jeff Toomasoon had sold his 500th California Edition
> Scirocco to me. I owned the car since Thursday, April 15.
> 
> On Thursday, April 22, this magnificent Scirocco left us. When driving on
> Hwy1 from class to home, I smelled smoke in the car. I glanced in the back
> and saw a small amount of smoke coming through the back seat and trunk area.
> I immediately turned off the car and all components I could find. When I
> came to a stop, a puff of brown smoke drifted pass my door. I got out and
> started inspecting the back. I was horrified to discover that the rear
> fender was on FIRE. I frantically tried to kick the panel off of the car
> (destroying my shoe in the process). When I could not put out the fire, I
> started waving for help with one hand and grabbed for my cell phone with the
> other. I could also see that the fire had spread to the entire back half of
> the car and was engulfing the gas tank. Knowing that there was not a damn
> thing I could do, I ran to safety. By this time, I could hear the tires
> blowing and saw the windows shatter one by one. Two people had stopped and
> were on the phone with 911 operators. Unfortunately, it took less than a
> minuet for the car to be completely engulfed in flames.
> 
> What also saddens me is I will never know what caused the fire. The most
> probable cause that I could come up with is the car is 21 years old (next
> month). I am hypothesizing that the fuel lines leading from the transfer
> pump to the main fuel pump had hardened, became brittle, cracked, and
> started leaking fuel. This fuel collected, ran across the tank and other
> body parts. The gas or fumes were probably ignited by the exhaust. Not even
> Moster Garage or Junkyard Wars could destroy the car this well. About the
> only thing I would be able to salvage is the left rear turn signal housing.
> No joke, that was the only part not damaged.
> 
> On a more positive note, no one was hurt and I very thankful for that. We
> can only hope and prey the remaining Sciroccos do not meet a similar fate.
> 
> -Craig
> "Nightmare" '88 16v (PG-T Proj.)
> "Calypso" '91 Golf GL (Daily Driver)
> 
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