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Date:         Thu, 18 Dec 2003 14:20:23 -0500
Reply-To:     robertmstewart <robertmstewart@MAC.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         robertmstewart <robertmstewart@MAC.COM>
Subject:      Re: Yesterday's Engine Fire in Rockefeller Center NYC
Comments: To: Jay L Snyder <Jay.L.Snyder@invista.com>
In-Reply-To:  <OF3FADB06A.B84CB5CF-ON85256E00.006356ED@lvs.dupont.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"

> Actually I sent that question the day after the fire to just fill me head with > possibilities for the reason it burst into flames. > > Robert > NYC > -------------- > > > I don't think VW is at fault here. As bad as I feel for robertmstewart, > just Wednesday he was asking about Vanagon fires. He must of suspected a > gas leak and was worried about it. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to > get it fixed before the disaster. The fuel line kit is only $68 from > Van-Again and is of excellent quality. > > > Jay > > > > > Andrew Fox <afox@CNR.COLOSTATE.EDU>@gerry.vanagon.com> on 12/18/2003 > 12:52:35 PM > > Please respond to Andrew Fox <afox@CNR.COLOSTATE.EDU> > > Sent by: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com> > > > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > cc: > Subject: Re: Yesterday's Engine Fire in Rockefeller Center NYC > > > Horrible story. I must say I dont think it is your fault that your van > caught on fire. I mean the vehicle is only 13 years old, 13 YO vehicles > should not burn up in flames like that. VW is obviously to blame, our > vans should have been recalled for bad fuel lines, faulty HG design, > failing oil cooler seals, amoung many others. VW is a really horrible > company that does not care about its customers. Their products are made > to be "cool" and "fun" but beyond that they are crap. This story just > illustrates that reality. > > > On Wed, 17 Dec 2003, robertmstewart wrote: > >> > So yesterday 12.16.03 at 5:30pm I pick up my 89 Carat Vanagon with > 150,000 >> > miles on it from the garage in NYC. Like always it starts right up and >> > drives great, 10 minutes later while listening to my new Little Feat CD >> > ³time loves a hero² we pull past the Rockefeller center area where the > big >> > Christmas tree is and thousands of tourist visiting the tree and the > city. >> > >> > I then hear a voice and turn around itıs a Police officer screaming at my >> > girlfriend and I that there is smoke coming from the engine! >> > >> > I scream out at her to turn the engine off and jump out of the van, in >> > seconds grabbing the fire extinguisher behind the drivers seat. >> > >> > I run to the back of the van to see ³dark black smoke² billowing out of > rear >> > drivers side of the van near the oil filter, I crawl down on the cement >> > floor of the street and see 6² round sheets of flaming liquid, gas or oil > is >> > dripping from the center front of the engine, closer to bumper area. >> > >> > I then aim the extinguisher at the fire area and hit it, the extinguisher > is >> > out in 8 seconds! I canıt believe it!... I try again but itıs dead! I > just >> > purchased the unit in July so it was new and had a full charge. I was > blown >> > away that this automotive extinguisher would last such a short time. >> > >> > So I see this Police officer stand 10ı away and hit the vanıs outer body! > I >> > am thinking to myself why is he doing this? I scream out at him to hand > it >> > to me, but he then says that itıs out! I ask if any of the 5 Police >> > officerıs have any other extinguishers, he says no.... I am absolutely > in >> > shock at this point. The middle of Rockefeller center with no fire >> > extinguishers! What would they do if there was small local fire I am >> > thinking!? >> > >> > So I am told by the police to Get back!, Get Back! As I am in complete >> > amazement and shock as I slowly watch the small flame become bigger and >> > grow, my blanket and sleeping bag in the back in the rear of van sitting > on >> > top of the foam engine pad all start to catch, the entire fire is on the >> > drivers side rear of the van where the oil filter is. It grows up the > side >> > of the van, than melts the interior and exterior vent, and then the ac > unit >> > melts off, and drops down, but that catches the rest of the vanıs > interior >> > and it just goes, and goes till there is nothing left... Every piece of >> > foam, seating material, the steering wheel, even part of the dash and > most >> > of body panels are melted off. >> > >> > The Fire Department finally arrives and puts out the fire with their > hoses, >> > axes out all of the windows and it just sits in a smoldering smoking dark >> > water bath scented by burnt toxic plastic. >> > >> > I am interviewed by 2 detectives, they take take my address, and name, > ask >> > to see my license and ask if there is anything explosive in the van? I > tell >> > them just a can engine degreaser that I could hear popped but was no big >> > boom. Then I talk to someone from Rockefeller Center Security, and then > 2 >> > other Police officers, then all of a sudden I see a video camera in front > of >> > me and two people with press passes hanging on their neck. Itıs a major >> > Japanese news network and they interview me about what happened and video >> > tape the vanıs burning and water dousing. Finally I speak to the Fire >> > department and I am able to fish out of the rubble my original Vanagon >> > silver pouch with my registration and insurance info to give to Fire >> > Department captain. >> > >> > The Police tell me they are towing the van several blocks away, from > their >> > itıs my responsibility to get it taken away to salvage yard. So my >> > girlfriend and I walk following the van as it is slowly dragged while in >> > park, down 5th Ave past Saks fifth avenueıs famous Christmas window. I am >> > walking in the street following the van and then loose it. I go home and > my >> > girlfriend calls the police to find itıs location several times, we >> > eventually find it, and I start calling salvage companies to pickup the >> > vehicle to take to junk yard. I finally get one of them to come and pick > up >> > the van for $75 dollars. I go and meet the truck and they tell me they > canıt >> > take it itıs to badly damaged. So today a day later, I finally found > someone >> > to take it, the operator says to me... ³Yeah I know this van, I have > picked >> > up 3 of them this year... You have bad fuel line that leaked right?² I >> > say... ³I think so but I donıt know.². He then tells me that itıs little >> > known fact that the fuel lines go on these vans and most early VWıs. I > take >> > some photoıs of the toasted vehicle and say goodbye to my beloved 89 > Carat >> > that for the 6 months that I owned her brought me so much driving joy and >> > happiness, camping in it and making wonderful country summer journeys, I >> > then decide not to watch him pull off but to walk away and not look back. > I >> > know sheıs gone and my VW dream is gone. >> > >> > I had spent 5 years looking for that Blue Carat van, and had it shipped > from >> > Florida to NY. >> > >> > http://www.homepage.mac.com/rmstewart >> > >> > (see photoıs of the van and the toasted carat) >> > >> > So thatıs my long winded story, sorry if it bored you, maybe it even >> > entertained you. I learned some lessons, but now my girlfriend tells me > she >> > does not want me to buy another one cause of the fire so I will look for >> > something else, not sure what. Maybe one day I will get another and next >> > time put on steel braided fuel lines (if thatıs possible). >> > >> > Thank you to everyone on the list for your years of advice, and wealth of >> > knowledge. Eventually when I have some time I plan on signing off the > list >> > but until then thanks again for everything. >> > >> > Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all. >> > >> > Robert >> > 89 Carat ­ Toasted >> > NYC >> > > > > > > > This communication is for use by the intended recipient and contains > information that may be privileged, confidential or copyrighted under > applicable law. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby > formally notified that any use, copying or distribution of this e-mail, > in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited. Please notify the sender > by return e-mail and delete this e-mail from your system. Unless > explicitly and conspicuously designated as "E-Contract Intended", > this e-mail does not constitute a contract offer, a contract amendment, > or an acceptance of a contract offer. This e-mail does not constitute > a consent to the use of sender's contact information for direct marketing > purposes or for transfers of data to third parties. > > Francais Deutsch Italiano Espanol Portugues Japanese Chinese Korean > > http://www.DuPont.com/corp/email_disclaimer.html


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