OK so after only a few weeks of being an official and very happy and very excited Mini driver the worse thing in the world has just happened. I was driving along and then all of a sudden there was smoke everywhere from the back. Then there was fire. Then there was a fire truck. Then there was a tow truck.... well you get the picture.

Anyway, the interior is now all burn to nothing, but the engine and dash and wheels all seem OK. The roof though has gone from white to all crusty and burnt.

Can anyone tell me if this is OK or because the roof is structural that it may be bent and not as strong as before...?? I dont want my car written off.

_________________
If it moves... eat it. If it doesnt move... poke it to make it move.

OUCH , what was the cause of the fire ? It'll most likely need a new wiring loom as well which will add to the cost so insurance may well write it off on an economic basis . It's the paint that would have gone all flakey , not the metal itself , not sure about the hardness of the metal as it depends how hot it got (doesn't have to be too hot to kill the paint) and how quickly it cooled . It may well be warped and will rust quickly until new paint is put on it but it can be fixed by a panelbeater . All depends on the economics of it now .

_________________

Oh this brings back memories, Ionce upon a time I was driving a Green Mini clubman down beaudesert Road, Brisbane. I thoughto myself that I needed some fuel so I better pull up into Woolworths fuel. As I approched the driveway, I suddenly noticed the smell of something burning in the back, I looked in the rear view mirror and saw smoke belowing out of the boot, and rear seat. I then realised that I had turned into the pertrol station. I accelerated past the pertrol pumps and out the back of the fuel station. I stopped the car, got out and was confronted by other drivers who observed flames coming out the back of my car,. I opened the boot to see that the old boot cover that was made from horse hair was engulfed in flames. I quickly got my fire extinguiser and put the fire out........ So what had happended..... I had left a rachet in the boot and with all the hooning around it has slipped onto the battery and shorted the terminals out. Hence. little bit of fire works, a little horse hair, and boom, we have fire.

_________________
Mini, its in my blood........

lesson to all... get a bettery cover!!!

sorry to hear your loss mate. hopefully you can get back on the road soon!

_________________
78 Leyland Mini - Prince

Done that before, scared the crap outta me!

Oh Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...
that Sucks.....
Are you fully insured ???
you should have the car checked out for structural damage..
If there is none then redo the inside...no bright side but you can now pick what colour interior you have....

_________________
DVS K
Toad the Moke
Brutus the Ute
Mean Monster
Purple People Eater

thats sad to hear what was the cause of it?

oh sorry to hear that. what was the cause of the fire



TUCK3R

i did it after id owned the car for less then a week.....went through a chicane (sp?) wheel brace/tyre iron, flew across the boot and arc'd the terminals........ needless to say the tyre iron doesn't live in there anymore

_________________
00' Forester GT

I'm told that once the steel body has been subjected to fire, it is very difficult to get a decent paint job to remain in good nick for more than a short while...is this true?

_________________
SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

A subcontractor I had on a job was driving a Nissan Patrol wagon that was burnt out 8 years prior and it was immaculate , he did have the panels sandblasted and then etch primed though , maybe it's in the metal prep .

_________________

bummer mate, sorry to hear.
Get a battery cover for or a plastic box for all your gear.
maybe you could consider a reshell.