Important Lessons learned tonight...(carnage pics)

Well I was welding away on my car a short time ago; I welded in a patch on the rear dog-leg on the passengers side and was almost done welding in a patch on the front passengers wheel well when I set my car on fire.

Now I'm used to welding by myself, I'm used to welding on cars with interiors in place. I weld along for a few seconds, stop, look at the weld, look for smoke, and then weld some more. Tonight I was looking up and inside the windshield and the passengers side window.

I welded, looked, and started welding again.

Lesson 0.5: Always wear welding gloves... and apron.. ow..

When I stopped the arc I could hear a funny noise. I stopped, looked around and couldn't see anything. I was about to start welding again when I realized the noise was getting louder so I stood up - just in time to see flames come shooting out of the fresh air inlet for the HVAC system - and the interior very quickly filling with smoke.

Lesson 1: fire travels REALLY REALLY FAST

I quickly looked around for something to put on the fire and the first thing I found was the jug of Antifreeze I had drained out, so on the flames and down the hole it went.

Lesson 2: While Antifreeze IS liquid, and it can extinguish some fires it is REALLY REALLY slippery/slimy/gross afterward

The Antifreeze didn't cut it - so I headed to the house for the only fire extinguisher we had.

Lesson 3: GET MORE ****ING FIRE EXTINGUISHERS!!!! HAVE ONE EVERY 6 FT!

In to the garage I went and was able to extinguish the flames - the smoke levels inside the garage at this point were INSANE. I knew enough to take a deep breath and get in there then out as fast as I could, but I still got some of the stuff... even now as I am sitting here typing this (about an hour later) I'm still hacking like a chain smoker...

After I was sure I had the flames out I thought "****... I've gotta get some pictures of this ****... this is insane - its already happened - why not get some pictures so I can (hopefully) laugh about it later" At this point I called JROC and told him I didn't think we were going to have to rush with putting the transmission in my car... :lol:

So camera in hand, fire extinguisher under the arm, and JROC on the phone I headed back to the garage...

It was about this time that I realized that there was still smoke coming from in behind the instrument cluster... I still had JROC on the phone and we figured it was best if I hauled the car out of the garage - so as quickly as I could on went the wheels, hunk of steel rod under the engine to support it and towed it out as quickly as possible...



I stuck around until the smoke stopped... and until the disgust set in good and hard...

Fire extinguishers sure make one hell of a mess... but it put the fire out - so that saved my garage...

Things I know for sure that I'm going to need to fix it:
- Dash
- HVAC system (may as well do the heater core I guess)
- Wiring harness
- Windshield
- Front bumper insert

There is likely more... I have the most of it - but I am loosing my borrowed car at the end of this weekend... not quite sure what I'm going to do... or now I'm going to pull it off... I guess if I can't make it in to work I'm going to have lots of time to work on it...

I won't comment until I can view the pictures. But I think someone needs a server upgrade.

Nothing is loading.

Really? This is the first complaint I've had about it - I've posted this on a couple forums (hence the 2 back-to-back posts here... apparently we're only allowed 10 images per post) and people have only made comments about the story/images...

I wish to send you a cross-border sympathy card - it really hurts when a error in judgment causes a major revision in usage of free time. Good thing it didn't cause any real damage to the structures. You are lucky there.

Looks like there's some pretty good smoke damage on the welder... Wanna sell it??!!!

Believe it or not Dewie, that was a good save. You could have been replacing your entire garage if not your friggen life! I know you'll get it back together, (the car, that is).

Pics load fine...

Hey guys, I know I lucked out... fast thinking and was quick to react, thankfully...

No smoke damage to the welder What you are seeing is a plasma cutter though, the welder is on the bottom part of the bbq stand - LOL...

Good to hear the pictures are loading fine.

wow that is kind of humorous seeing the smoke bellow out of the garage.....that smell is a permantent fixture iinside teh car and garage now.......good luck piecing that mess back together.

Fyrman said:

Pics load fine...

Click to expand...

Sure 12hrs later.


They didn't work, not even his site would load. Probably due to the fact that he posted it on other forums and several people were viewing em.


Dewie, I see it's a no-ip.org site. You run it out of your home?

Close call Dewie, wonder if Fyrman makes private house calls?

As for these pic's I see no attachments here in this post ...

Baconbit said:

Close call Dewie, wonder if Fyrman makes private house calls?

As for these pic's I see no attachments here in this post ...

Click to expand...

My server went down around 10:30 for some reason...

Baconbit said:

Close call Dewie, wonder if Fyrman makes private house calls?

Click to expand...

Maybe for his wife...

Fyrman said:

Maybe for his wife...

Click to expand...

Oh Oh looks like Dewie would be a goner! ....

Fyrman said:

Maybe for his wife...

Click to expand...

Baconbit said:

Oh Oh looks like Dewie would be a goner! ....

Click to expand...

I donno... I think Fyrman would have to worry about his old age sneaking up on him...

Or his wife!

Dewie said:

I donno... I think Fyrman would have to worry about his old age sneaking up on him...

Click to expand...

Oh man Dewie, sorry to hear about your mishap, but it could have been much, much worse.

I was working on changing a fuel filter on a Tracker one time. Had a trouble light plugged in, went to pull the filter and the clamp wrench holding the fuel line let go, fell down and broke the trouble lamp, with fuel all over the place. It's wonder it didn't go. Not as bad as yours, but it gave me the willies for days....

Ooooo, just found this site. You were very fortunate to get it out when you did. Are you planning to rebuild, otr replace?
I may know of a good buy on a Mk 3 diesel in Milford.

How good of a buy?

I think I am going to rebuild... it has all new bushings, all new shifter linkage bits, new rear seal on an engine which doesn't burn much oil.. new control arm bushings in the front - floors and rockers already done to it... as well as the trunk - added vented front discs... the hard stuff is already done - the shell isn't 100% but all the nasty stuff has been done... I have a great set of winter tires for it - though I need to find a set of summer 15's to mount on my rims... The suspension is beef'd up, and it has been an excellent car for me thus far...

I think I have rounded up the bits I need + some upgrades (like air conditioning, and power windows) for $100... now all I need to invest is way too much time and I'll have a running car again...

That is unless someone knows of a super cheap mkIV - in which case I may have to re-consider...

I think you could get it for $1000, but it doesn't start. I fear the AAZ crank pulley may be the culprit.

... $1000 for a non running mk3 (aka toilet)? Wow... I'll pass...

Engine is worth $500 - the rest of the car is negligible...

Cheapest MkIV that i can find runs about 4000 or a little less with 250 000 kms. New Timing belt. Inspection AUG 09

blackmagic16 said:

Cheapest MkIV that i can find runs about 4000 or a little less with 250 000 kms. New Timing belt. Inspection AUG 09

Click to expand...

Exactly - that has an extra 0 on it for what I could afford right now hence the "super cheap" comment....