This was the car in the mid 90s. I think it had around 3k miles at the time

I posted this late last summer on Ls2.com.....but I should have shared this here as well. So, a guy I know had a GORGEOUS 1989 Turbo Trans Am with only 7,100 original miles on it in a garage along with a red 1982 Corvette with 11k miles, and a 1982 Collector Edition Corvette with 14k miles. All 3 cars were just like brand new. Owner is the pickiest guy I have ever seen. For example, he would put masking tape around the wheelwell edges when he'd drive the TTA, and he'd recline the seat all the way back before he'd get in and out of it so his butt wouldn't wear the leather side bolsters on the seat. He was working on starting the red 82 Vette, and it backfired and started something on fire and it burned the entire garage down, with those precious jems inside. It about made me sick to my stomach when I drove by there the next day. Here's some pics... NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART.

 

 

14k mile Collector Edition Corvette

 

Red 11k mile 82 Corvette

 

 

What a shame!

 

My worst fear! This is why I always have a fire extinguisher in the garage and in both cars when I'm driving them. At least I can try to put it out!

 

What a shame. That was one hot fire.

 

Yep, those fiberglass vettes provided plenty of fuel for that one

 

I remember reading about that incident, but never saw those particular pictures.
Very sad indeed.

 

Horrible. Still some good parts on that TTA. I bought a gta drivetrain from a car that looked just like that. Ran very well after a cleanup and new fluids!

 

What a shame. However, that TTA body still looks rather solid. If someone jumped on that shell before it becomes a ball of rust you could have a good build. Not a TTA, no, but still.

 

I'm with Tony, to the vettes I say good riddance. That TTA could be farmed for driveline and brakes pretty easily. Still sucks. Hopefully he's got decent insurance.

 

I think he told me he had $25 g on the TTA, $22g on the collector edition vette, a d $20g on the red vette for insurance.

 

That body is GONE.

Look at how its bowed inwards on the B-pillar roof. And the rest of the body lines are warped. That entire car with MAYBE the exception of some drivetrain parts.

 

I can't imagine anything being usable on that car. I look at it like this, how much overheating does it take to warp or crack a cylinder head just by driving the car? By the looks of this damage, the entire car has experienced several thousand degrees of intense prolonged heat. Every metal object that's left in that car is compromised.

It's also interesting how the door handles, locks and mirrors are gone. I don't even see the steel hatch panel or surround anywhere. Hot fire indeed.

 

engines are probably salvageable on all 3 cars-especially the vettes,fire didn't burn all that hot under the hoods-hardly any melted aluminum,even on the TTA-probably still oil in the pans of each and some coolant left in the blocks.

 

I'm not sure how a backfire could have cause this fire.

 

I know, me too. Maybe he was pouring fuel down the throttle bodies to keep it running and it backfired and lit the cup of fuel in his hand and he spilled it all over? I dont know. I should have asked exactly how it started. He burned the crap out of his hands and face trying to put the fire out. He was wrapped up like a mummy for quite a while. I talked to him about a month or so ago and he's full of scars.

 

I rebuilt the TBs on my '83 Crossfire. I forgot to put in one tiny O ring on one of them and when I started the car with the hood up, a stream of gas hit the windshield. I killed the car immediately, but I could see a fire starting like that. The air cleaner cover is still on the red car, so something like that couldn't happen.

 

Well, thinking about it logically, the coolant system is good to about 230-250° when it can maintain pressure. However, original cars have plastic end-tanks. So the fire would have caused the radiator end tanks to melt.

And the boiling point of a 50/50 coolant mix in atmospheric pressure is about 230°. So all of the coolant boiled off.

EDIT, found an Amsoil MSDS that lists their 10w30 oil as having a fire point of 264°F. https://www.amsoil.com/msds/ase.pdf?zo=1181889

Some of those rims look like they got soft enough to deform. So even if it wasn't hot enough to approach the melting point of aluminum rims.

I think the engines could be rebuilt, but I'm sure there is damage to all of them.

Poor TTA.

 

Sure is a good thing that those cars were driven so little to preserve them for 3-4 decades so they'd be perfect when they burned to the ground.

 

Good catch! I didn't even pay any attention to that

 

I was surprised to see that the red car had a tire that still had air in it

 

Probably an engine fire, though.

 

Cars burn up FAST. Kitchen size extinguishers are most likely going to just **** off a fire once it's established. I'd recommend everyone have a considerable sized extinguisher in the garage.

Also, another thing to keep in mind, that probably won't cross your mind when you're fighting a fire.... If your fire is electrical, say your headers get a wire hot, the insulation burns and shorts to ground, you can put that fire out multiple times, but until you disconnect the battery or the power source melts, it'll keep burning.

IF your Fireball happens to have a manual transmission, set the parking brake and put the shifter in neutral, BEFORE you get out to fight the fire. You'll look REALLY stupid when the starter wires melt and your burning car takes off in gear while your legs flail in the wind out the window while you're trying to get the shifter out of gear.

Just a few thoughts, from a one time passenger in an automotive Fireball.

 

Oh, and fun-fact #177 - When you're pride and joy turns into a car-b-q, the breather can be launched 60 or more feet up the road, after ricocheting off the open hood. So don't be standing in front of it.

 

Wow. That is a shame. Sometimes common sense prevails over someone being OCD about cars. I have an extinguisher in each car and about 3 or 4 other larger ones in the corners of my garage. May be overkill but if something would happen I can say I tried.

 

As someone who has a car fire in his past, you need to have your wits about you when it happens. A single moment and a single decision will spell the difference between success and failure.