308 exploding at a gas station.

If anyone needs, have pictoral article on how to replace filler neck hose on 328. And I think there's even a simpler method than mine posted somewhere in archives.

Best,

Carl
[email protected]

 

This happened not far from me....the subject has been covered several times in previous threads...but here is the story from Tom Yang's site...it IS the fuel filler neck hose that is the culprit:

Roasting in a 308

A friend of mine asked me to help him troubleshoot some electrical problems in his 1978 308GTS. We'll call him Fred to protect the innocent.We worked all day replacing fuses and finding short circuits in in his electric cooling fans. We finished up just at sunset, and went for a ride to check our work. Fred removed the targa top to the car, and we both enjoyed the warm summer evening drive. Before returning to his house, Fred wanted to get some gas, and pulled into a Mobile station. I sat in the passenger compartment waiting for him to finish, and I turned to answer a question he had asked. Just then, I heard a "POP," and saw flames erupt between Fred, filling the gas at the left rear of the car, and me sitting in the car! The fire had grown so fast, I could feel the heat of it through the rear window!

Accessing the situation, I realized I was in a bad place because the car was on fire, and I was still sitting in it! I looked down, and realized I had never been inside a 308, and had no idea how to open the door! The flames were now up over the car, and I was still inside the car. I decided it would take more time to look for the door handle than it would take for me to climb out of the car, so I ungracefully threw my head and torso over the open window, followed by my arms, thighs, and feet. Landing on the pavement, I scrambled to my feet, and ran clear of the car.

Fred, by this time, reached into the driver's side compartment, and got a small Halon fire extinguisher and tried to extinguish the flames. I realized he was fighting a loosing battle because there were flames under the car from spilled fuel, and this could easily ignite the rest of the car! At that moment, I decided to return to try and push the car off the burning pavement. Luckily, the car was left out of gear, and it began to move. Fred came around and found an area cool enough to put his hands on, and helped me push. We soon cleared the pumps, and got the car away from half of the fire. At the same time, the gas station attendant came over with a 25lb chemical extinguisher, and doused everything out. Fred's Black/black Ferrari was now completely covered in white powder, but at least the fire was out, and the car wasn't completely destroyed!

You can imagine the phone call I made to my girlfriend telling her I was going to be a little late coming home!


The cause of the fire was from a crack in the rubber hose that connects the fuel filler neck to the gas tank. The 20+ year old hose had rotted, and began to leak. As Fred filled up that evening, enough fuel was leaking past the hose to drip onto the hot exhaust manifold, and catch fire. We were very lucky no one got hurt, and Fred was lucky to save his car. After a year of work, he got his beloved 308 back on the road!

 

wow, this is some scary stuff

 

When I was working at a Fiat/Lancia dealership in the late Seventies, we were getting cars (mostly X1/9 and Scorpions) that were only a couple of years old back into the shop with split filler neck hoses, some of the cars having caught fire from the leaks.

I can remember the road test of the De Tomaso Mangusta where the filler neck hose leaked all over - on a new car!

I've had my 348 for 5 1/2 years now, and I've NEVER filled the fuel tank all the way. I check the filler neck just about every time I open the engine lid.

 

Does anyone know what state this car was in...? City was Bellevue, but that could be a lot of places...? Was this in Washington state...?

 

Yes, in "Warsh-ing-ton" state.

 

Yeah, my mum called me down to show me. Poor Ferrari

 

While rare, acts of spontaneous human combustion are not altogether unheard of; for those fond of Dickens, you will remember the character in Bleak House who literally disappeared. But, such events antedate that. Apparently, like being buried alive, one could suffer from a healthy fear of self-combusting. This, however, is not to be confused with spontaneous involuntary human invisibility, which is reportedly even more rare. See generally, http://www.crystalinks.com/shc.html

 

API Safety at the pump

http://api-ec.api.org/about/index.cfm?objectid=3CBF133A-DD3D-4A2E-945550BEEC34CE3F&method=display_body&er=1&bitmask=001002001000000000

No mention of cell phones on the above; although most stations have a statement to the fact that you should not use a cell phone while filling.

Mythbusters were NEVER able to ignite a vapor cloud using a cell phone.

 

Oh 911Fan, you sure now how to stir the pot!

 

It happened close to me, Carbon. Watch for the car on Ebay soon (if not there already).

 

Hello, the 77 308 was a fiberglass body, its possible that the tank conection was not grounded (came loose over time) and couldnt discharge the static enough. Just a thought. Have fun and thanks Norm.

 

Uuuuuhhhh..............Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
A 77 fiberglass? I thought they were all (716) from 1976.

Never mind......................................

The guy always smelled gas. Makes me think it was a simple case of ruptured 28 year old hose.

 

This vid? http://www.ferrarirosso.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=501&cat=521&page=1

looks like the 355 blew up, but i could be wrong.

 

Didn't this happen to one of the guys from Aerosmith a few years back? He had a newer F-car.

 

Hello Spasso, I could be wrong, but Im sure all 76s were glass bodied and early 77 then on to metal. Anyway its a shame that happened. thanks Norm

 

Here's the answer according to QV500.com...

"Scaglietti halted production of the glassfibre 308 GTB's in June 1977"......

"However, glassfibre 308 GTB's were produced simultaneously with the steel bodied cars for just over six months."

 

Sure looks like it!

imo, the design problem in mid-engine Ferraris is the co-location of fuel and the hot engine/exhaust manifolds. For example, the 360 has two fuel tanks, one on each side, located above the manifolds. Unless you're in an impact, I doubt the fuel tanks themselves would be a hazard. But the plumbing would be the weak point, especially as the tubing/connector components age.

On the 911, at least, Porsche has a more sensible design which separates the fuel (and fill tube) from the engine compartment. As a side benefit, the person is farther from the engine while refueling.

I'm sure there have been plenty of 911 engine fires but I think Ferrari fires, in crashes and otherwise, are way out of proportion to their small production numbers.

 

i thinks its funny that fcar haters find time to visit our site, yet I never hear of fcar owners visiting their sites and throwing darts.......

MM

 

911Fan has a 360 and yes, Ferrari owners do stir the pot on other sites too. It's only human nature to entice one into an argument. But in 911Fan's case, he was just stating his educated opinion and not picking on any Ferrari owners.

 

Yeah, I thought the same thing right after I posted. Not only in early 77 but elsewhere on this site it was concluded that some steel bodied cars were interspersed with the 1977 fiberglass cars as they were being fazed out.

 

Thanks Spasso, oh and I thought only Fieros (Pontaic, for those whom have never heard of them) caught on fire. LOL . thanks Norm

 

i think 911fan is a slow learner all them porsches he has had and now got a ferrari seems to be learning now but one mistake to learn yet is that PROPER FERRARI'S HAVE 12 CYLINDERS IN THE REAR

 

Give me a break -a 911 a sensible design? While a late model 911 is a fine handling car Porsche has only had 40 years to take a fundamentally flawed REAR engine design and make it work.

 

...Ahem (clearing throat) It was Enzo Ferrari that said, "the ox is ALWAYS in FRONT of the cart."