Sad News

[jfolkson at optonline.net (Jan Folkson)]

Damn sad news Craig :(

Glad you're alright though.


- Jan Folkson  http://www.janfolkson.com
NYC

'86 16V
'03 Passat GLS 1.8t
'03 Jetta Wagon 1.8t

"Looking up is as scary as looking down"


> As some of you know, Jeff Toomasoon had sold his 500th California Edition
> Scirocco to me. I owned the car since Thursday, April 15.
> 
> On Thursday, April 22, this magnificent Scirocco left us. When driving on
> Hwy1 from class to home, I smelled smoke in the car. I glanced in the back
> and saw a small amount of smoke coming through the back seat and trunk area.
> I immediately turned off the car and all components I could find. When I
> came to a stop, a puff of brown smoke drifted pass my door. I got out and
> started inspecting the back. I was horrified to discover that the rear
> fender was on FIRE. I frantically tried to kick the panel off of the car
> (destroying my shoe in the process). When I could not put out the fire, I
> started waving for help with one hand and grabbed for my cell phone with the
> other. I could also see that the fire had spread to the entire back half of
> the car and was engulfing the gas tank. Knowing that there was not a damn
> thing I could do, I ran to safety. By this time, I could hear the tires
> blowing and saw the windows shatter one by one. Two people had stopped and
> were on the phone with 911 operators. Unfortunately, it took less than a
> minuet for the car to be completely engulfed in flames.
> 
> What also saddens me is I will never know what caused the fire. The most
> probable cause that I could come up with is the car is 21 years old (next
> month). I am hypothesizing that the fuel lines leading from the transfer
> pump to the main fuel pump had hardened, became brittle, cracked, and
> started leaking fuel. This fuel collected, ran across the tank and other
> body parts. The gas or fumes were probably ignited by the exhaust. Not even
> Moster Garage or Junkyard Wars could destroy the car this well. About the
> only thing I would be able to salvage is the left rear turn signal housing.
> No joke, that was the only part not damaged.
> 
> On a more positive note, no one was hurt and I very thankful for that. We
> can only hope and prey the remaining Sciroccos do not meet a similar fate.
> 
> -Craig
> "Nightmare" '88 16v (PG-T Proj.)
> "Calypso" '91 Golf GL (Daily Driver)
> 
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