Several years ago I bought a thoroughly wadded up Formula for a drivetrain transplant into my coupe. Many of you have seen this pic. All the useable parts were stripped, and the hulk was hauled off. Some of the leftover parts found their way to the area under our back deck / screened porch.
This afternoon, Tammy and I were sitting out on the porch relaxing and playing with the dogs. Every once in a while we would both get a whiff of smoke. Neither one of us thought anything about it, because our neighbors frequently burn leaves and yard trash. Suddenly Tam said, "Something's burning! Look!" And she pointed to the other end of the porch. I saw a wisp of smoke come up from between the decking. She ran into the house to grab the fire bottle. I ran out in the yard to see what was on fire. My first thought was that it was the heat/air unit. That's the only electrical thing under there. It took me a few seconds to figure out what was going on.
I had saved the sunroof glass off of the donor car. The latch was broken but the glass was in perfect condition. It was leaning against the side of my camper shell, which also is stored under there. The glass was laying bottom-side up. The curve of the glass just happened to be the right shape to perfectly focus the reflection of the afternoon sun on the bottom of the porch decking. (Think "parabolic reflector") The beam was so intense that it actually burned tracks in the underside of the boards.
Here's a pic
You can look at the tracks and tell that it's been doing this for a while. I think I can count 8 separate lines burned into the wood in different places.
It's a good thing that we were on vacation today. Normally, neither of us would be sitting out on the deck at this time of day.
Think we dodged a bullet?
*I* certainly do.
------------------ Raydar 88 3.4 coupe........... Coming soon... 88 Formula, presently under the knife.
[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 03-19-2004).]
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06:40 PM
PFF
System Bot
DotTC Member
Posts: 2345 From: Hamlet, North Carolina Registered: Nov 2003
------------------ "As we live on, we lose a little bit more. Shrouded in falsehoods and lies, we stand frozen to the spot, unable to cry out" - Deep Forest
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06:44 PM
NotAFieroAnyLonger Member
Posts: 4413 From: 75762/Texas/USA Registered: Dec 2003
I'm gonna have nightmares after seeing that photo.. what in the heck happened to that poor thing?
Previous owner blew a turn in the rain and put it into a ditch, doing about 35. It bent structural metal on the passenger side all the way back as far as the floorboards. The impact actually elongated the hole in the right spindle, where the lower balljoint goes through. Glad I wasn't there for the ride. Having said all that, When I got home with it I actually cranked it up and drove it off the trailer and into the garage.
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07:21 PM
Francis T Member
Posts: 6620 From: spotsylvania va. usa Registered: Oct 2003
I've heard of Fieros causing fires, but THIS is RIDICULOUS! So this wou;d be the first fire caused by a Fiero that did no harm to the actual car?
I second the Christine comment. Go get the Formula's old Delco radio, smash it to bits, and send the parts to the four corners of the Earth, BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!!!
NO WAY!!! Thats insane!! You've actually Dodged the bullet on every sunny day!!!! See Each line is actually one day! And as the sun moves across the sky its burning tracks!! The darker spot of the track is where the sun is at its best point to reflect off the glass. And Each one of the lines represents days, because the earth rotates (think seasons)!! WOW Thats realllly freaky! Thanks because from now on we should all take something like this into account!
BTW Just how long has the glass been there? This could of been doing the burning for a while and just cauterizing the wood over time and now that its charred it's actually able to burn. I'm a pipe smoker so I know what it takes to burn wood over a long period of time.. LOL WOW. Thank you for the post and pics!
------------------ Ferrari 308 GTB rebody on a modified 86SE chasis Soon to have a highly hooped up 3800SC..Ohh yeah baby!! Contacts _ AIM / Zildjianfx _ Yahoo / djdraggin Remember, always brush your milk, drink your teeth, dont do sleep and get eight hours of drugs.
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10:40 PM
1MohrFiero Member
Posts: 4363 From: Paducah, Ky Registered: Apr 2003
Good thing you found out about before something cought fire.........imagine the fire fighters telling his cheaf what the cause of the fire was lol
And imagine the insurance adjusters.........lol
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85 GT undergoing a 2000 3800SC transplant. The wiring hell ugh......headach Digital dash in progress.........more wiring ugh Making it all work together.........wheres my advil
90 GMC suburban (for sale $3000 firm or trade for a good running fiero! ask for pics and details) 2000 dodge intrepid- the daily driver (snore) 2000 Ford focus (SHO engine swap soon!) 2004 BMW Z4 convert, cause gotta have a bitchin chick magnet!
you're a lucky man there raydar. NOW GET RID OF THE POSSESED FIERO! BEFORE THE DEMON IMMAGRATES TO YOUR CAR!
The posessed Fiero has been gone for a while. Here it is, patiently waiting for the rollback to haul it away. Doesn't look *that* sinister, does it?
It's spirit (as well as its cradle, tranny, and rear suspension) lives on in my 3.4 coupe. Yes, the engine was about to give up the ghost, as well. Hence the 3.4.
Anybody wanna buy a haunted sunroof glass?
[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 03-20-2004).]
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04:09 PM
BtotheB Member
Posts: 2581 From: Peterborough, Ontario Registered: Dec 2001
thats where my Hair is going
1986 SE 350 V8
