  Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 6561 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 70.236.198.22 |
I just caught the tail end of a minor tragedy outside the Fire Department Maintenance warehouse on the north end of Eastern Market. Seems a woman from the medical center's Focus decided to end its life in dramatic fashion...by catching fire, consuming everything under the hood. Flames were shooting up a good ten or fifteen feet above the car, from various excited reports. Luckily, it all happened about 75 to 100 feet from the door where they park one of the pump trucks, and the fire-dudes were able to stop it before it reached the gas tank. She seemed shook up, but otherwise uninjured...hope her insurance company moves quickly to total it and get her on the road soon. | ||
Buddyinrichmond Member Username: Buddyinrichmond Post Number: 51 Registered: 02-2004 Posted From: 70.236.176.158 |
Did you happen to catch what year it was? I have this friend who did some work on the electronicals on that vehicle. I don't think he wants to be testifying at any grand jury. | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 6572 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 70.236.198.22 |
Ew-w, no. Three door...did they come out in the first year? Hell, I don't even know how long its been out...what, six years now or seven?! This thing was unbelievably clean...spit polished wheels and all. Didn't get close enough to look at the tail-light numerics...that IS still the easiest way to date an American car, right?! | ||
Detroitej72 Member Username: Detroitej72 Post Number: 206 Registered: 05-2006 Posted From: 66.184.3.44 |
Hope this was a one in a millon freak occurance, as I just sent my 3rd payment to Ford Credit for my 06 Focus!!! I't would sure be shitty to loose my first new car in 6 years to a frikken fire. | ||
Bvos Member Username: Bvos Post Number: 1961 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 70.228.57.79 |
My brother bought my Ford Escort a few years ago off of me. Luckily I didn't charge him much for the already POS car ($200) because it burst into flames as he pulled into the driveway at home about 9 months later. I think it's a cheap Ford car thing. | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 6574 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 70.236.198.22 |
The lesson for today is that IF a Detroit Fire Station is NOT on your driving route, you'd better carry a fire extinguisher. I had ONE car engine fire in my life...an old 1966 Beetle that I'd worked on enough to unfortunately wear out the compression clamp on the gas line into the carb...and a few Ford engineers ruined their suits helping me put it out on Rotunda Drive at Southfield in the spring of 1980. Never forget my FIRST reaction...as I opened the engine cover and saw the two-foot flame shooting out...I simply slammed the lid in disbelief. Didn't work...fire was still there! Heh. | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 6575 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 70.236.198.22 |
For the numbers that these things sell, if it WERE a real issue...we'd hear about them all the time. | ||
Bvos Member Username: Bvos Post Number: 1963 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 70.228.57.79 |
Here comes the next Exploder/Firestone debacle for Ford! | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 607 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 68.42.162.164 |
My second favorite car was a '78 pinto, despite the fire threat. My first favorite is a Mustang GT but I still carry a fire extinguisher.  | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 6581 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 70.236.198.22 |
Still cannot forget the first time I saw a Pinto with 'Flammable' waring signs on the back!! | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 182 Registered: 04-2006 Posted From: 64.131.176.232 |
The original model Focus had an issue with the gas tank being exposed. You all might remember how you could see the gas tank of a Focus if you were driving behind it on the freeway. On the 02 models and beyond they lowered the rear to cover it... too many bad memories from the Pinto. | ||
Goat Member Username: Goat Post Number: 8788 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 70.53.97.7 |
Sounds like the Lions. Same ownership, same results...coincidence? | ||
East_detroit Member Username: East_detroit Post Number: 738 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 69.212.169.194 |
And also includes people who jump on and off bandwagons at a moments notice without facts. What caused the fire? Nice job, Detroiters, assuming that it was an engineering problem. | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 6586 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 70.236.198.22 |
Heh. Good catch, East_d. I was trying to defend Ford, in my oblique way, because this is the FIRST one I'd heard about burning. They sold a bunch of these, and while they had a string of funky recalls in the beginning, I heard nothing derogatory about the Focus since. Except maybe they cancelled the killer SVT version too soon...heh. At least I can rule out insurance fraud...the woman was a bit in shock, but very distressed. She didn't start the fire herself...in the middle of the Russel and Erskine Street intersection!! | ||
Rjlj Member Username: Rjlj Post Number: 137 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 63.171.81.130 |
Way to continue the tradition of this forum for being the biggest rumor mill on the world wide web. It could have started fire because of numerous reasons. Did the lady have anough coolant in it? Was there a birds nest or a cat in the engine compartment that caught fire? etc., etc... | ||
Kathleen Member Username: Kathleen Post Number: 1571 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 140.244.107.151 |
Or maybe she had somebody working on the car? Many years ago, my future-brother-in-law who is a real car tinkerer gave my car a tuneup. Somehow a wire was left hanging and so was in contact with the hot manifold (I think that's what it was touching). And it caused a fire under the hood while driving! Yes, that was pretty much the last time that my bro-in-law worked on one of my cars!! I stick with the dealer or local Firestone guy for my auto work. | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 6596 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 70.236.198.22 |
Hey, if she put HALF the amount of effort maintaining the mechanicals as she did keeping it clean...I doubt it was in great disrepair. This vehicle was digustingly cherry...except, of course, for the big pile of burned plastic between the front wheels and the buckled hood. | ||
Focusonthed Member Username: Focusonthed Post Number: 461 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 198.175.55.5 |
LOL, complete rubbish. The 00-04 Focus models have the same bumpers, body panels, springs, etc etc etc. There is nothing wrong with the fuel tank. There was a recall on the fuel PUMP but it had nothing to do with safety, accidents, or fires. HOWEVER, there was a recall on a limited number of 00-01 models that was for a defective battery cable that could potentially start engine bay fires. There were a handful of instances, I don't ever remember hearing of one actually BURSTING INTO FLAMES though, just smoke usually. (Message edited by focusonthed on September 12, 2006) | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 4323 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 71.236.229.212 |
jjaba demands American cars on rentals. He rented a Ford Focus at Hertz, ORD Station two weeks ago and drove it 1,600 miles. No problems. Great car. jjaba always tells the rental dealers he's going to Detroit and they don't allow foreign namebadges inside the City Limits. Most of the time they can't find a car in your class and upgrade you. So jjaba is often seen in long Cadillacs and Buicks, at compact prices. Try it. Tis great sport. It will work even in Miami, LA, or Denver. The farther from Detroit, the better. They just don't stock Detroit models much. When they ask how will you reach Detroit and back with a four day rental, tell them when you drive Detroit iron, you push the envelope. Then, turn down the extra insurance. jjaba, LOL. | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 6608 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 70.236.198.22 |
LOL. They THEN put you in the car with the GPS system that will track your speed. They're clamping down on those who abuse rental vehicles! I can just imagine you, Jjaba, left hand draped over the steering wheel...right elbow DEEP in the center console padding...leaning WAY into the center of the seat...spliff between your grinning lips...and a wide-brim hat pulled down over your brow. Perhaps an older, Jewish version of Hunter S. Thompson when he drove to Las Vegas from LA... | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 4326 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 71.236.229.212 |
Gannon, you're killing jjaba. Really funny. You got it, "Fear and Loathing in a Ford Focus on the Dan Ryan." jjaba, LOL, Westside Gonzo Journalist. |
