On the way to Townsend TN this weekend and got as far as Barbourville
KY when the TD caught fire. As we were hurrying to get to TN the TD
decided to stop running so I in my haste tried not so gently to get it
to keep running when my wife pulled in next to me in the MGA and saw the
smoke and flames. 1st lesson: when the car trys to tell you
something-listen and look. I opened the left side of the hood and
quickly determined that the fire was on the other side, so I ran to that
side and opened the hood and tried to beat out the flames but all I did
was fan them. A local pulled up an asked if I would like to use his
fire bottle and he applied it to the flames and then to the interior
right had floor board. 2nd lesson: Have a fire bottle on board. The
flames had fused the wires to the fuel pump together so the igntion key
was not effective in shuting down the pump. Lesson 3: have a fuel and
battery cutoff installed (I have the battery cutoff, just not the
presence of mind to use it). Damage assessment: mild, I got lucky, I
think will know more in the morning. I think all I lost was about 6
inches of wires that go to the horn, fuel pume etc.. the wires to the
headlights, they still work but the wires look bad, the starter lead and
off course most of the paint on the right side of the hood and the
carpet up in the floorboard. Cause: the bolt on the bottom the rear
carb fell out and allowed the fuel to gush down on the manifold, the
harder I tried to start the car the more fuel the bigger the fire.
Hints on repairs? I did an award at Townsend for having the hottest car
not there. To top it all off I called the Days Inn in Townsend and they
made me pay for the room even though I could not get there due to a
burnt up car. I am going to take it up with the credit card company, I
called them before six even while my poor old TD was still smoking and
they were pure A##holes about it.
THANKS!
MIKE R
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