Exploding question...

[1970impala]

Hi one and all, I have a question that I really would like to have answered. Are our MII's, since they are soo close to the pinto in design, do we have to worry about that infamous exploding gas tank thing that has pleagued pinto owners for years? I'm really worried about this as i want to go to parks with my wife and child. Was the design changed at any year??? The reason i am asking now is because i watched on VH1 this past weekend an all-day super 70's show with an hour for each year. they had a guy from I think they said, the barrett-jackson auction come on and say, i just don't get it, why would anyone want to restore a pinto? didn't they get the memo that they are critically dangerous? and with that they showed several exploding clips of pintos getting hit from the rear.

Do we need to worry about this? is this another thing that pleagues our MII's?? (like we don't get enough hassles..well, use to anyway)

Hey, no thing against you, 78Pinto. Just something I desperately need answered for myself.

 

[dmoody]

From what I remember, the Pintos are more severely flawed than the II's. However any car with a gas tank in the rear faces the danger of exploding in a hard rearend collision.

d

 

[cobraii351]

As I recall the Pinto problem was caused by the bumper or bumper shock bolts that were almost pointed at the tank. When hit from the rear they would spear and puncture the tank, spilling the fuel....... The MII shouldn't have the same problem with the different configuration. But it was basicly any short 2-door car with the rear tank they claim this could possibly happen. It's almost as bad as the "classic" mustangs the the fuel tank being the trunk floor and spraying the interior with gas possibly from a rear end hit.

Tim

 

[THE COBRAMAN]

IIs (and later pintos, I think) were fitted with a plastic shield to prevent the rear axle from puncturing the tank.

This problem still exists, witness the furious debate over the current Crown Vic Police Interceptor.

Any car with a rear mounted tank, hit hard enough, will suffer a ruptured fuel tank.


I think in a II it's a minimal risk, but life is full of risk. Would I stop the car on the shoulder of a turnpike and sit in it? No, but I wouldn't do that in any late-model car, either. Too many inattentive "drivers" (aka makeup artists, cellphone users, readers, snackers, narcoleps).

I still vividly recall being rearended by a motorcycle that went under the car way back about the time the Pinto thing was getting lots of press. I (and the car) are still here, though the tank still wears the dent from attempting to swallow the bike.

 

[Power Surge]

From what I recall, the Pinto gas tank issue was only on the first 2 or 3 model year cars, before the MII came out and the Pinto switched to it's platform upgrades. The issue was that the rear bumper bolts would puncture the tank, and the threaded bolts acted like a flint, causing the sparks that would ignite the fuel vapors. The MII setup is quite a bit different, as the MII bumpers have the steel re-enforcement brace behind the bumper, that sits between the body/gas tank and the bumper bolts.

 

[1970impala]

Hey thanks guys, I was really concerned after watching that show on Saturday. Its strange, i was in an accident a few weeks ago after a 1996 honda civic pulled out right in front of me crossing the lane. I hit him with my Caddy with a solid steel bumper and heavy bumper shocks, his rear bumper was on a guy's front yard and the two cops carried it over to the guy i hit. I hit him in the quarter panel. nothing left. the guy didn't have collision either. it was all his fault too. cops sited him for reckless driving. replaced my bumper with one i had in the back yard as a spare and on my way.

 

[jshcobra]

As I recall from several of the court cases from back in law school, some of the exploding pinto problems were due to the gas tank sliding over and against the back of the integral carrier axle housings which had a bolt-on cover on the back. In these cases, plaintiffs' attorneys provided evidence that a 5 cent per car plastic shield placed on the bottom of the gas tank would have allowed the tank to slide over the axle housing without catching on the bolt heads and cover flange and thereby rupturing.

On my II, I notice it has such a plastic shield and with the 8" housing, there are no bolts to catch and rip the tank.

 

[75stang302]

what i have heard was the part about the axle housing ripping the tank and also that the doors would become jammed from the collision trapping the passengers inside

 

[1970impala]

Damn! thats bad! I'm going tot have to look at mine to be sure mine has some plastic, or covering, or whatever. That really is a mess. I'm glad we only have to be concerned with the firestone 721's.