Being a new Pantera Owner I'm still trying to wrap my head around the thought that :
"it would be advisable to carry an Extinguisher on board" and the scary thoughts that come to mind.
Can anyone recommend an Extinguisher that is compact as I just cannot bring myself to Drill Holes in the Interior to mount one near the driver's seat
Thanks as always
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thrillrider posted:Being a new Pantera Owner I'm still trying to wrap my head around the thought that :
"it would be advisable to carry an Extinguisher on board" and the scary thoughts that come to mind.
Can anyone recommend an Extinguisher that is compact as I just cannot bring myself to Drill Holes in the Interior to mount one near the driver's seat
Thanks as always
Just Don't mount the Fire Extinguisher in the Front Trunk! With the Fuel Tank and the Carb right behind your head it may be to late. There are Engine Department systems that might be a Option, not sure of the Cost?
It looks like you have harnesses, so maybe you have a harness bar? That's where I mounted mine on the bar between the seats, it's a 5lb halon, I made up a bracket that slipped over the bar, but zip ties would work.
My Motorsports background came in handy when I observed how this harness was dangerously mounted.There is a Harness Bar but the shoulder harnesses are attached to a single seat belt with a release button bolted to the floor then draped over the bar.It is so bad that
I will not street the Pantera until I install the MOMO 6 point but probably only a 4 Point.
Back to the thread:
A Fire Suppression System is expensive but the idea of mounting a bottle extinguisher to the harness bar sounds like a cheaper solution as I guess easy access to the bottle is key.
Is there a Brand of Halon Extinguisher Bottle that you recommend ?
I would mount mine in a less "in the eye" position. Like the floor mount or next to the seats like here: https://pantera.infopop.cc/top...nt-of-passenger-seat
Depending how far back you have your seat set, there's not a lot of room on the bulkhead panel outside of the seat, but that's probably where I'll mount mine next as I just removed the harnesses and went back to a 3 point belt system.
piney posted:This is also a mounting option.
Looks Great and accessible
What Brand of Extinguisher is that?
thrillrider posted:piney posted:This is also a mounting option.
Looks Great and accessible
What Brand of Extinguisher is that?
It´s a Swedish brand, Dafo. Came with the car. I think you can no longer buy new Halon extinguishers, but you may find older or "recycled" ones.
I must be short legged, mine just sits on the floor behind my seat.
I will try..there is an EFI ECU behind my seat...it getting crowded.
NOTE: Seat moved forward for photo of ECU...
Larry’s looks clean, plus double punch one on each side. If you ever need to get out your bulkhead you may be able to fit that ECU on the engine side (that’s where mine sits).
I love it.
It reminds me of the Twin Pearl Handled Six Shooters in those Western Movies
It's great..I couldn't install on my Bulkhead..ECUs,MSDs and Tachometer Relays live on the other side.
But I wish I could
Don't get a cheap dry chem extinguisher! They will make a huge mess when you use it, almost worse than the fire! I use (and have used!) A Halotron gas extinguisher from Amerex Corp. I ordered it online from Fire extinguisher Depot.
Why not just mount it in the rear trunk? If the engine is where you intend to use it, that's closer to it isn't it? The passenger compartment isn't normally what catches fire in a carb fire.
I don’t believe anyone knows where a fire will start. True, a fuel fire will only be in the engine bay but an electrical fire could be anywhere in the car with the right, or should I say wrong, situation.
I chose to mount them in the cabin at the far outer edges of the firewall because:
FIRST - I know I’m not going to fight a fire while sitting in the cabin - I am going to get out of the car to fight the fire where ever it is.
SECOND - I want to be able to get my hands on that extinguisher as quickly and as easily as possible. Mounted in the spots I have chosen, the unlatching and retrieving of the extinguishers is easily accomplished as they are at a working level and exactly where you are when you exit the cabin.
I have seen some extinguishers mounted on the floor directly in front of the seats. I don’t like this location because it is difficult to unlatch and retrieve from that position due to two legs being in the way. You could always exit the cabin and then bend down and re-enter the cabin to unlatch an extinguisher and take it off the floor (however long that takes), but if the fire is in the cabin are you really going to want to go back into it?
If the extinguisher is in the front trunk that means pulling the release, opening the hood, un-latching the extinguisher ( is it mounted in the open or are there towels or a car cover or something on top of the extinguisher ?) and ...now... you can begin to fight the fire.
If it is in the engine bay are you really going to want to open the decklid ( only to perhaps find that it is locked and the keys are still sitting in the steering column?) and then reach into the burning engine bay, unlatch and grab the extinguisher?
My 2¢
Larry
get one of these, better than anything else you can get. I was building fire extinguisher brackets for 308 Ferraris and these guys made my brackets obsolete. never need recharging, non toxic, and they are very small and can put it about anywhere....
i think the fire extinguisher lobby doesnt like these......
Robert,
I went to their website and checked the FAQ and questions and specifications and model information and I am not very impressed at all.
Traditional extinguishers are rated in the type of fires they can successfully combat and the SIZE of the fire they are rated to successfully extinguish. The importers of the Element extinguisher, it is made in Italy, state that their extinguisher does not meet definitions required for testing and certification. I found nothing in their literature where they offer any information on the size of the fire their extinguishers are capable of extinguishing. Whatever the true story, these extinguishers are also not legal where they are legally required such as boating and transportation applications.
They mention the types of fire the extinguisher is rated for and the length of time the extinguisher .... operates. They make absolutely no mention of the size of the fire this extinguisher can successfully combat.
The extended operating time this extinguisher offers, their biggest selling point, is in my humble opinion a totally and completely worthless specification,
for example:
I have a gallon jug of water that I grab to fight a paper fire. I can take that gallon jug, unscrew the cap and dump it on the fire and the jug is empty in say five seconds.
I have another 1 gallon jug of water in which I punch a quarter inch hole and I watch it trickle out to put out the fire, and it takes five minutes for that water to drain from the smaller hole.
Because it took longer to drain out of the jug does that mean that I have more fire fighting power? I don’t think that is how it works, do you?
This extinguisher is not legal where legality is required and does not indicate what size fire it can successfully combat.
I will stick with my fully rated and approved Halon extinguishers, thank you very much.
Despite what some may have heard, Halon extinguishers are still legal to buy, sell and refill. The restriction on that gas applies to the manufacture of that gas, not the continued use of that gas. Much like the old refrigerant R-12.
Larry
P.S. - if my reasoning above is not enough for anyone to question the benefits of this extinguisher, keep in mind that Robert said the ...Ferrari... guys really liked it. 😉
I have halons in my 2 Ferraris but will reach for this if there is a fire. The reason they are not certified in this country because the fire extinguisher lobby is so strong they cant accept a product that will replace theirs so effectively. I did not like this when I saw it, as I was making brackets that were very nice. The more you look into these you will (may) be convinced like me. Just thought I would throw it out here....
lf-tp2511 posted:
I did this.
Larry
Are the Safecraft Extinguishers really worth approx $300
robertgarven posted:get one of these, better than anything else you can get. I was building fire extinguisher brackets for 308 Ferraris and these guys made my brackets obsolete. never need recharging, non toxic, and they are very small and can put it about anywhere....
Kinda Cool, but not sure I want to get that close to a Car Blazing Fire!
thrillrider posted:lf-tp2511 posted:
Larry
Are the Safecraft Extinguishers really worth approx $300
For me, yes they are.
Those that know my car, at least in better days, know I am strongly driven to present a clean, coordinated and refined impression, tied together by the entire car’s details.
The machined aluminum and black wrinkle paint of the extinguishers provided the appearance I felt coordinated best with the rest of the car’s details. Two bright red decal-covered, plastic nozzles Pep Boys offerings or the fully chromed hot-Rod units were not ever under consideration.
I adhere strongly to the approach that a car’s character is best defined by all the little details that are casually overlooked but subtly tie everything together.
Bling for the sake of bling is not on my menu.
Larry
robertgarven posted:get one of these, better than anything else you can get. I was building fire extinguisher brackets for 308 Ferraris and these guys made my brackets obsolete. never need recharging, non toxic, and they are very small and can put it about anywhere....
I bought a couple of these Element extinguishers earlier this year. They look promising. And given the form factor, it's not an "either/or" decision, but "in addition to." So, I have both my 5 lb. standard ABC rated extinguisher as well as the Element.
The function of an on-board fire extinguisher is primarily to give you time to get away from a fire unscathed. EVERYTHING else is a secondary benefit. Appearance counts for nothing if you ever need to actually use one on a fire. This could be your fire or that in a friend's machine. They have other uses, too, One young woman used one to discourage a bear investigating her Miata roadster... while she was in it.
The need for a fire extinguisher goes up severely if ANY PART of the fuel system has been modified. In the case of a 45+ yr old GT driven anywhere near its capabilities, many OEM fuel system parts should be modified. This works against us. All my cars & trucks carry a functioning on-board extinguisher.
The first thing that shatters in a Pantera engine fire is the big rear window. It only takes seconds of direct flame. So you want the extinguisher VERY close at hand. Ours is mounted like Larry's, right behind the driver's left shoulder. I can detach it from its mount without releasing belts or harnesses. Another place is cross-wise on the floor under the driver's thighs. It should not interfere with the anti-submarine belt bracket (if present) on the floor in the same area.
If you ever decide to drive in an open track event, at least in the U.S, your extinguisher MUST have a metal bracket securing it to a hard part of the car. Plastic mounts often break- most sanctioning bodies ban them. Tech Inspectors may force you to remove a plastic-mounted fire bottle before going out on track. In the event of a non-fire incident, a 3 lb chunk of loose metal flying around inside a tumbling car can cause surprising damage- to yourself and/or to the interior.
All this is not intended to scare anyone. It is a simple fact of life: the universe is dangerous. Some forethought may pay off for you some day.
For those interested in a non-destructive mounting solution, I fabricated a simple bracket which mounts using the upper seatbelt bolt. The metal bracket from my Halon fire extinguisher is bolted to the new bracket. Zero damage to the car and an easily accessible extinguisher in the event that I ever need it quickly.
Very nice idea, Mark. 👍👍
Too late for 2511, but thanks for sharing this for other owners choosing this location to mount their Halon extinguishers.
Larry
thrillrider posted:My Motorsports background came in handy when I observed how this harness was dangerously mounted.There is a Harness Bar but the shoulder harnesses are attached to a single seat belt with a release button bolted to the floor then draped over the bar.It is so bad that
I will not street the Pantera until I install the MOMO 6 point but probably only a 4 Point.
Back to the thread:
A Fire Suppression System is expensive but the idea of mounting a bottle extinguisher to the harness bar sounds like a cheaper solution as I guess easy access to the bottle is key.
Is there a Brand of Halon Extinguisher Bottle that you recommend ?
I am making progress installing the Harness the "Correct Way "
I will now consider all the great suggestions on where and how to mount an extinguisher..thanks to all.
Boss, I had more than a few debates with plane owners about properly securing the fire extinguisher as had a friend of mine. He sent me a photo saying this will end those debates. It was of a pilot sitting in his seat after a crash landing. Looked very survivable aside from the fact that his head had been smashed in from a loose extinguisher. A 9G impact was the retention minimum. All metal with at least 3 structural attach fasteners.
So Punkdog,
What do you suggest?
I haven't purchased an extinguisher yet and wont until all these threads are considered
I've never thought about installing an extinguisher in the cabin so I have nothing to offer on that. My car does have one mounted in the trunk by a PO.
You do want an all metal bracket and extinguish . No plastic. We usually used AN 525R10 screws with nylon or metal lock nuts. Never a sheet metal screw.
Charlton's install looks good. A belt attach point is very strong . Probably the best you can do considering the limited space. Ask him for the bracket details.
Another option if you want to blow a lot of coin is a remote system. A canister remotely mounted with plumbing and discharge nozzles in the cabin with a covered trigger switch. Seems excessive to me but you could do it.
All my cars, house, shops all have a minimum 5lb halon up to 20lb. I have yet to mount mine in my new pantera. Most likely between seats. I only own halon as ABC's once fired can screw up engines and all electronics. The clamp system seems to be the best way to hold down and remove.
punkdog posted:Another option if you want to blow a lot of coin is a remote system. A canister remotely mounted with plumbing and discharge nozzles in the cabin with a covered trigger switch. Seems excessive to me but you could do it.
I had a Fire Suppression System in one of my old Racecars.
I have seen them go off by accident .I would lean towards not having it in a "Road Car"
When you trigger one it empties the bottle. I wouldn't want one.
I look at my car today and no. The cabin is too small so I'll keep the one in the trunk and insurance.
Punkdog, with all respect, no cabin is too small for a fire extinguisher, and keeping it in the trunk means there is a good possibility it WON’T be accessible when you really need it. Mine is never in the way, is very secure, and even if my legs are pinned under the dash I can still reach it. Hopefully I never NEED to.
