Anyone know anything about this car? Red GT with flames @ Buttonwillow?

[427Aggie]

Empty with all the time on your hands you should be able to use the search better than me.

For all the neysayers that say..oh the stock muffler won't catch anything on fire...I GIVE YOU THE THREAD>>>>>

http://www.fordgtforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1303&highlight=flame

 

[Gierkink]

It depends...I don't know if there is a difference in the muffler we have and the one the europe cars have but I know of one that got burned a little by the muffler over there...so it can happen. That car looks like the hot dog cooker that just lit it up...I say he isn't running the stock muffler but that picture sure does look like he is...Does anyone know the car?

Of the 101 cars officially imported into Europe by Ford only the twenty-eight sold in the UK have the stock muffler. The stock muffler was too noisy to pass standards in the other countries and were replaced with another after-market product. The car you mention in your post is a German car and did not have the stock muffler.

Rob

 

[BlackICE]

I am surprised that the stock muffler is too load for Europe. I was shocked at how quite the stock muffler was on my 1st drive!

 

[Ed Sims]

Hot Damn! GT on fire at Buttonwillow

Hey - I'm taking my GT to Buttonwillow (near Bakersfield, CA) for an open track on Saturday June 23. I hope it doesn't get that hot! Whoa!

A fire suppression system wouldn't have helped that poor GT owner. At least he has some cool photos of it! I wonder how far he went before a corner worker found his black flag! Holy shit Batman.

Ed

 

[BlackICE]

Time for a bumper delete on that car and a little detailing work. It is only cosmetic damage. I bet the car still runs fine.

It seems that the fire originated from the exhaust pipes igniting the bumper. What cause flames out the back of the exhaust? Excess fuel, a super rich mixture? Can't a tune stop this from happening? It seem to happen when cars lift the throttle and not at WOT. Does it only happen to cars without cats?

 

[tpraceman]

Jack Roush had a Gulf car in his Museum with the same rear fate. A/F tune was the reason. Beating on it at the track the tune had fuel build up in muff and then when de-accelarating the car goes lean and the oxegen allows it to ingnite and poof. But this is true with any car watch a NACAR race when they go into the turns the unburnt fuel in the muff lights up and when on the throttle it blows out. A good tuner should take this into account when doing the tune.

 

[SteveA]

I think the last two posts are dead on.

 

[STUNTS]

OK Guys, I'll let the cat outta the bag. It's my buddy w/ the firey hot GT. So Cal guy w/ heaps of racing experience and just on the GT..... 10,000+ miles of track time alone. Everything is STOCK on this car. His Camber and toe in/out have been played with, but that's it. He told me about this over the weekend and wanted me to ask some questions. I agree the muffler gets HOT!!! I think he's getting it covered. More info later

 

[Ed Sims]

red GT on fire

I met the owner/driver of the red GT that was on fire. I drove my GT at Buttonwillow Raceway near Bakersfield, CA yesterday. He was driving his Viper since the GT is at a dealership waiting to be repaired. He reports it was a malfunctioning injector that allowed excess fuel into the engine & exhaust which ignited the black plastic exhaust shroud of the bumper. His engine & exhaust were stock. $20K damage!

Ed

 

[Specracer]

Great news (not that the car was damaged), but that it was something that malfunctioned, causing the damage.

Thanks for the follow up post

 

[Neilda]

Aaaaaarrrgggggghhhh! :frown :eek Horrid.

 

[tpraceman]

I met the owner/driver of the red GT that was on fire. I drove my GT at Buttonwillow Raceway near Bakersfield, CA yesterday. He was driving his Viper since the GT is at a dealership waiting to be repaired. He reports it was a malfunctioning injector that allowed excess fuel into the engine & exhaust which ignited the black plastic exhaust shroud of the bumper. His engine & exhaust were stock. $20K damage!

Ed

Ok I was sorta right:shrug

 

[Shadowman]

I heard of this however until seeing the pictures did not understand the true situation

This was FRICKEN terrible and am very glad that you and your gal are alright and that FORD is doing the right thing and making her whole again.

This is not so much a plug but rather a reminder for folks to consider a "Fire Suppression System" for you and your gals.

Takes care

Shadowman

 

[SYCO GT]

I hope the guy gets manufacturer or warranty assistance on that kind of damage...

Would only seem fair if the underlying cause was a malfunction on an essentially stock GT.

 

[cobrar1339]

Sounds like the fire system needs a nozzle over the license plate area.

I was at the track with ED. The owner said he did not know he was on fire. A corner worker flagged him down. Had he know it may have been contained a corner earlier.

The fuel did NOT spill in the engine bay. The injector hung up dumping excess fuel into the cylinder. He said it started to run kinda funny, but he was not sure if it was heat soak or something wrong. When that happen he was taking it easy and planning to come in to check it out.

The fuel got lit up in the cat and it spewed both flames and raw fuel out. The raw fuel soaked the bumper surround. And then it was just combustion taking over.

So in this case I think the outcome would have been the same in a cats vs. no cats contest.

I doubt the fire suppression system would have done much good in preventing this freak occurance ( but any fire is a freak occurance). If it had got any worse and worked it's way cab forward then it would have likely helped a bunch.

The corner workers are there for our safety...learn to trust on them as your external set of eyes. Thank God that worker did his job well and also put out the fire. Kudos to the hard working focused corner workers at ButtonWillow Raceway Park. :thumbsup

BTW ...Ed had no flames shooting anywhere. I followed him for about an hour off and on. The car looked like it ran great to me. He has cats and IDA. His exhaust was never black or even noticable.

 

[Beach-GT]

If I was going to run at a track I think I'd make two 90 degree down turn tips to blow the exhaust down into the airstream under the car. There seems to be a back draft the blows exhaust crud on the back of my car so flames would probably get blown back against the car too. The pictures of the wind tunnel tests show a pretty clear stream under the car and out the diffuser. The tail turn up on the deck is probably making the back draft roll on the rear. :cheers