Heard Bad stuff...

[Cobain03]

i eard that if you get rearended hard that the gas tank could liek spill and go forward and make a fire and stuff and make a wrose situation...is there anyway to prevent this???

 

[The Hopkinator]

Fuel Safe fuel cells will do the trick for you.

 

[69stang351]

why yes there is one easy solution that can solve your problem, no problem...

DON'T GET REARENDED!!!

 

[2nd Mustang]

i eard that if you get rearended hard that the gas tank could liek spill and go forward and make a fire and stuff and make a wrose situation...is there anyway to prevent this???

Stay out of Monterey Park!

 

[StangDreamin']

Well, several vendors sell a piece of sheet steel that replaces the cardboard liner on the trunk-side of the rear seatback - the idea being that the steel won't soak up any gas a bring the flames into the cabin of the car.

My thought.....you're driving a potential gasoline bomb; deal with it. Prior to my present Rice-Eating Chebbie Truck; I drove a '76 one-ton Chebbie truck. Big, heavey hunk of pig-iron, needed those twin 20 gallon tanks to pass more than one gas station per day. Oh, yeah, the tanks were mounted between the quarter panels and the frame rails - "60 Minutes" ran a piece on them popping and causing fires during "t-bone" wrecks. I'd have made more off the truck by turning it in during GM's recall . Before that, I had an F100; the back tank was between the frame and the driveshaft (good), but the front tank was in the cab behind the seat (not good). Before that, a '73 Gran Torino. When "60 Minutes" did their piece on the infamous exploding Crown Vic/Police Interceptors; the "under-the-car" videos looked just like my '73. The layout was virtually identical - which would mean that, should I have gotten rear-ended by something going 50+ MPH, the gas tank would have ruptured when it was wrapped around the diff.

A fuel cell would help - a lot. Situational awareness is less expensive and more effective. Bleeding-heart Libs notwithstanding; the world is never gonna be 100% Nerf - you will always stand a chance of being hurt somehow by your surroundings. For the deeply religious, it's part of the irony of "God's granting us free will". For the secularists, it's Darwinism in action.


Still Dreamin'

 

[gp001]

Ah yes, the ol exploding mustang. Think about it in order of what would be hit: Bumber -> weak rear structure -> gas tank -> muffler -> rear end. And what stops the gas from spraying into the passenger compartment? Card board, foam, vinyl.

 

[RogerC62]

A coworker in my department had his 69 vert rear ended by a dump truck while stopped at a light several years ago. Either he was lucky or it's not as big a deal as it's made out to be but, his didn't catch fire or explode. It totaled the car. I can't say I've ever seen one that's been hit in the rear that did catch fire. If you're worried about it get the steel plate or a fuel cell.

Ironic tidbit, Ford had planned on foam filling pinto fuel tanks but at the last minute decided not to, to keep manufacturing costs down.

 

[Edbert]

Either he was lucky or it's not as big a deal as it's made out to be but, his didn't catch fire or explode.

You don't think the news media and the prime time "news magazine" shows would over state an existing problem to gain...ratings?

It seems every day I turn on the TV or radio there's some new threat to our lives, and don't forget THE CHILDREN!

Sure a Mustang can catch on fire if it is rear ended hard enough. GP is right about the foam and vinyl being the only thing separating the fuel tank from the passenger compartment but I've got more news for you. The same situation exists on the SN95s! I'd hazard a guess that the same thing is true for 90+% of the cars on the road.

 

[rbohm]

if you are really worried about your stang catching fire if you get rear ended, dont drive it. park it in your living room as a giant sculpture, and drive something like an H1 hummer.

 

[Cobain03]

well,,this stang that im trying to find, is going to be my first car...

 

[eric n]

well,,this stang that im trying to find, is going to be my first car...

Take a look at how many kazillions of old mustangs are still on the road and you might just assume this isn't the giant problem that some have made it out to be. I have no doubt that some have caught fire, but when was the last time someone in your state had that problem????

 

[randy66gt350]

The same situation exists on the SN95s! I'd hazard a guess that the same thing is true for 90+% of the cars on the road.

Not quite...On my 66, the gas tank forms the trunk floor. The only thing between it and the pass. compartment is the rear seat back. Today's cars have a steel trunk floor and the gas tank is located beneath it, outside of the vehicle...I don't know how much better they will absorb the impact, but at least if they leak, most of the fuel will be outside of the car vs. inside with you.

 

[gp001]

well,,this stang that im trying to find, is going to be my first car...

While it is good that you are thinking about safety, you shouldn't overplay any one aspect. Can it happen? Sure. But like others have said, think about how many are on the road, think about how many have been rear ended without this happening. Even Formula 1 race teams and cars have problems and they spend a hundred million per car for the year. If you look at the problem like a lawyer you would think ALL classics are going to burst into flames. All cars will have their problems.

Just so you know, so can also be skewered by the steering column if the Dixie cup master cylinder can't stop the car and you have a hard enough frontal collision

 

[67GTA-FB429]

Buy a $1000+ fuel cell, use steel tubing or braided fuel lines also -AN connectors. And even then you are not 100% safe. What if you leak fuel on the engine and you get a fire through the openings in the firewall?? Better get a nomex suit, too.

Just kidding around. Don't believe the hype reports. Overall your stock steel fuel tank is very safe.

Also, Gas (liquid) does not burn. It is gas (vapor) that burns.

 

[gp001]

Also, Gas (liquid) does not burn. It is gas (vapor) that burns.

Gas doesn't burn ??? You mean if I pour some gas on the ground and throw a match on it it won't burn? It won't explode, but it'll burn.

 

[Edbert]

Gas doesn't burn ??? You mean if I pour some gas on the ground and throw a match on it it won't burn? It won't explode, but it'll burn.

Not to split hairs...oh yeah, we already are...it is the vapor that is evaporating off of the liquid that flames not the liquid itself. The heat causes an increased evaporation rate, which burns faster, which makes more heat, which evaporates faster, which burns faster, which makes more heat, which....

etc. etc. etc.

...then you get the explosion.

 

[hindle]

Correct. You could put out a match, blowtorch, etc with gasoline. But it has to be pressurized..


It's the gas vapors that burn, not the liquid.

-john

 

[Randy'65]

Back to the original topic, I'm sure I have read that the gas spray in the passenger compartment from being rearended has actually happened only a handful of times in the 40 years mustangs have been on the road. And I'm sure more than a handful have ben hit hard in the rear. Same goes with the exploding chevy trucks. It's all just media hype to scare the unknowing general public. Unfortunately, it usually works.

I say don't worry about it. Odds are strongly in your favor that it won't happen. If your numbers up, you're gonna go whether you are in your mustang or not. I'd rather spend the grand that a fuel cell costs on other goodies. Not saying that if I didn't have an extra grand lying around I wouldn't spend it on a fuel cell, though, but only after I had all my other toys.

 

[steelhorse]

I would have to say make yourself a sheet metal panel for behind the backseat just incase (maybe $100) and be done with it. Not really a big problem but hey a little safer is a little better and besides if you do the panel right it could make it look a whole lot better

 

[Randy'65]

Spend the money on a big a$$ brake light.