Fires that burn up cobras

[Wisconsin_Snake]

Over the years I have seen a number of cobras that have burnt up for some reason or another...
Considering that these are kit cars and I am guessing that there is a good deal of "jerry rigging" to get things work...
So what tend to be the causes for these cars to go up in flames???

[Tim7139]

jury rigged wiring which is probably well behind fuel leaks in the engine compartment.

[Maricopa]

I'd imagine most of the time it's fuel related. Bad or loose hoses, leaky carbs, etc.

A surprising number of factory cars burn down too BTW, it's not just Cobras.

[keezling]

I'm thinking the fiberglass body puts the cobra replicas at higher risk when they do catch fire over a steel bodied car. I picked up some trash on a header that caught fire once. If it happens, likely won't be what you imagined...

[Detroit Bill]

Originally Posted by Wisconsin_Snake

Over the years I have seen a number of cobras that have burnt up for some reason or another...
Considering that these are kit cars and I am guessing that there is a good deal of "jerry rigging" to get things work...
So what tend to be the causes for these cars to go up in flames???

If you are concerned (and not just bored by the weather and trying to make conversation) an on board system is not as much money as you would think.
Take a peak if you have not already.

http://www.summitracing.com/search/p...sion%20Systems

[dallas_]

Another issue is that today's fuels can deteriorate certain types of fuel hoses fairly quickly.

[Wisconsin_Snake]

Actually, I was wiring up the wiring harness using the Classic Roadster wiring harness. That thing is a nightmare, and I am almost done. Then I got to thinking, how many times has a cobra burned to the ground because of a wiring harness... Or perhaps is not the wiring harness as much as people not using the harness proper wiring things to "hot" or non fused wires.

[jfmrsw]

Firsthand experience. Purchased the car second-hand. Unbeknownst to me the prior owner did mess with some wiring and the fuel delivery.

Live wire + nuisance fuel leak + car cover + Florida sun = total loss. Arson investigator could not pinpoint exact wire but definitely behind the dash; aluminum melts around 1250F and the dash was vaporized by the time the fire department got to it.

Lessons learned:
1. if you buy vs. build, have the car thoroughly inspected. I was distracted by the quality brand and original build quality and low mileage, not considering that the unqualified owner and his local wrench could have made compromising and potentially dangerous mods.
2. If you have a battery switch, use it. I did not.
3. Fire extinguishers. Make sure you -- and your neighbors -- have them. My neighbors spotted the flames (we were not home) but could not extinguish the fire in time because they didn't have a fire extinguisher in their garage.
4. Proper insurance.

We were lucky that we didn't lose our home or our lives. People often highlight that these cars can kill you; I would also add that the build can kill you if things were assembled or modified by someone without the proper skills.

Hope this helps.

[xb-60]

I had an immobiliser 'professionally' fitted to my '70s Alfa, and a week later, driving down my street, smoke started coming out from under the dash.
I stopped and pulled the battery +ve cable off, and the smoke stopped. Luckily.
The dope/idiot/moron/firebug who'd fitted the immobiliser had draped the loom over the top of the clutch pedal, and with just a week of occasional driving, the razor sharp edge of the pedal wore through enough wires to start the smokin'.
I was lucky. If flames had started, they would have kept going.
I did get the battery cable off easily, but I now have an isolation switch.
Pays to check over stuff that's done to your cars. If I had, I would have noticed the loom resting on the top of the clutch pedal.
Cheers,
Glen

[Tommy]

In my view there are four systems in a car that must be right all the time: Steering, braking, electrical and fuel. If you can't steer, stop or remain unburned, driving just isn't much fun. Most anything else is just inconvenient. .... OK, I'll add a leaky hydraulic clutch to the list. Not much worse than waiting for traffic with the clutch depressed when the car decides to launch forward on its own.

[xb-60]

Originally Posted by Tommy

.....Not much worse than waiting for traffic .....

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqpa1HB-wOc[/ame]

Not a Cobra, but worth as much.

Cheers,
Glen

[lippy]

My friend's mid 80s 911 burnt to the ground. He didn't have an extinguisher and by the time the fire dept came it was engulfed. No mods to the car, completely stock.

[Ron61]

The old Excalibur Cobras burnt more than normal due to the exhaust system. They ran catalytic converters which get super hot and they had them right against the under part of the car. I have seen several that burnt so hot they melted the steering columns and other metal and aluminum parts.

My main concern would be the wiring and fuel. I check my fuel hoses regularly and look for any sign of leaks. I also ground my fuel intake as I have seen a couple of Cobras that exploded and burnt at gas stations when the nozzle was removed due to gas fumes and a spark created by static electricity.

Ron

[Joey.S]

Originally Posted by Wisconsin_Snake

Over the years I have seen a number of cobras that have burnt up for some reason or another...
Considering that these are kit cars and I am guessing that there is a good deal of "jerry rigging" to get things work...
So what tend to be the causes for these cars to go up in flames???

There are people out there with these cars that should not be allowed to open the hood. I have seen a lot of dumb stuff done on Kit cars, fuel line held in place with zippy ties, hose clamps so tight that it's cutting through the rubber on the fuel line, regular fuel line used for FI, wires not run the right way and there rubbing every where, brake cable made for my kids bike used for a accelerator cable ETC.... So what do you expect over time???

I think that the inspection for kit cars should be a lot more strict in a way that the inspector (mechanic) looks at all these things for the owners safety and other peoples safety.

So Yes there is a lot of Jerry rigging on these cars.

[Morris]

This is High Temp Double Wall Silicone Hose so it does not catch fire, especially when it goes thru the foot box area where the headers are. Some folks will use other hoses and it will burn a Cobra down quickly. Stay with the High Temp Hose.... we use it just for that reason.

[ZOERA-SC7XX]

Fire can bite anyone. Just make sure you have plenty of insurance, and keep those fuel lines tight.

[Dwight]

I think the glass and plastic fuel filter are part of the problem. One of our bunch had a screw together metal / glass filter that started leaking on a return trip from a car show. He smelled the gas and pull over. A trip to the parts store and we were back on the road. Very lucky that day!

Dwight

[mickmate]

I had a fire recently. The fuel was bypassing the floats and squirting right out the carb whistles and away it went. The reserve electric pump made too much pressure for the needle and seats. It was fine as I had a fire fighter in the passenger seat with an extinguisher between his knees and we took a latch each and got it put out. Just as well as it was beside the gas pumps. Make sure correct gauge of wire is used, everything is fused or has a breaker, relays and dedicated harnesses are used where necessary, sensibly routed and well secured wiring and especially fuel lines. Make sure volume and pressure of fuel are matched to the fuel system.

[CowtownCobra]