Wow, Steve, so sorry to see what happenned. Luckily you are okay. When my B
went up like that many moons ago I had melted insulation dripping down on my
legs as a was pulling over and trying to stop.
your questions:
1) I wonder if brake line failure was the cause, or if a fire had already
started and the failure was just a result. Looks like an awful lot of damage
on that side of the engine.
2) Depending on how bad the fire was, the core engine may not be hurt too
bad. My Dad's old ('69?) Chevy Impala had an engine fire once. We emptied a
fire extuinguisher on it, and went into a tavern for lunch. Came out an hour
later, duct-taped one of the hoses that was melted, and made it home. He
ehad to replace a few belts, hoses and wiresbut that was it. Your damage
does look more extensive though.
3) As for insurance, if you had comprehensive coverage, fire is covered. Put
in your claim. My guess is that this will be fairly close to being declared
a total loss. Figure what you will need: New wiring harness, brake system,
ignition system, fuel system, fuses, remove dash and restore (and possibly
replace some) instruments, complete paint job, new aluminum hood,..... just a
guess, but you are looking at several thousand in damage if repaired in a
shop. But you will not know until you get that ball rolling, so get out Moss
and start figuring. Are there any shops nearby that are capable of giving
you an estimate?
Again, sorry to see it.
In a message dated 5/17/02 2:52:43 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Steve@shoyer.com
writes:
>
> Anyway, a few questions:
>
> 1) How could a fault in the brake system cause a fire? I'm assuming that
> something burst and was spraying fluid in the engine bay.
> 2) What do I need to do to get it repaired? Is the engine usually junk
> after a fire? They put a lot of water behind the dash, and the instruments
> are pretty foggy.
> 3) What is the best way to deal with the insurance company? I have a
> regular policy on the car (low mileage discount, that's about it).
>
>
Steve in NJ
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