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Hi all,

There is talk of fitting a battery disconnect switch on another thread, let me say that i would recommend fitting one, it would have saved my '32 DB DK8 from being reduced to a smoking ruin.

The fire more than likely started on the battery leads heading to the starter, maybe it was frayed from rubbing against the chassis. It is hard to tell as there is not much left. It is amazing how quickly these old cars light up, this one was well ablaze within 60sec's and destroyed totally within 5min. there are pools of lead and melted glass on the ground. The full fuel tank did not catch fire.

There were no injuries but the car caught fire while parked in the garage beside the Packard, I pulled it out with a rope and a truck....whatever about the DB, the Packard far more important!

I have now fitted a cut-off switch to my other cars and turn off every time I am leaving them.

Pat.

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AND AGAIN..

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Pat,

So sorry for your loss. As you said these old cars go up very quick. I disconnect my battery cables during extended storage. However, during the driving season (fast approaching) I just park it in the garage and leave. The garage is attached to the house no less ! I will definitely invest in a quick disconnect and use this everytime. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Thanks for the wake up call.

Oh, What a LOSS!
I mourn for the Dodge Bros and your crispy remains.
Glad no injuries, ... luck of the Irish?
I have a disconnect but also only use it for long term storage.
I may need to re-think that practice.

DanL

Was that Dodge the model known in the USA as the "Victory 8"? Rare indeed, I've only seen a very few over the years.

A word of advice on battery cut-off switches. The very best are the Cole-Hersee rotary types, extremely robust and heavy duty but take a bit of work to install as at the least you'll need to make one additional cable from the switch to the starter, and find a place to locate the switch. You can get these thru any number of sources including the Model A/T vendors like Snyders, or MSC or McMaster-Carr, or thru a Cole-Hersee distributor. Guys, buy the best. Cars with batteries under the seat lend themselves to locating the switch on the floorboards or on the seat riser. If the terminal lugs of the switch are going to be in very close proximity to the frame or body, make sure you're breaking the ground cable, not the hot cable.

The cheap little items that go on the battery post are just that, cheap little items. Better than nothing I suppose, and NO GOOD for 6 volts (not enough contact area). If you must use one on a 12-volt car with a top metal battery hold-down, make sure you put it on the post that goes to ground so that, should the switch body contact the hold-down, you'll avoid a direct short.

We should get into the habit of using the cut-off religiously. Everytime.

I park my car in an integral garage. I consider it a huge bomb with 20 gallons of gasoline just waiting to be ignited. EVERY time I pull the 400 into the garage, I raise the hood and disconnect the battery via the cut-off switch - every single time.

"this one was well ablaze within 60sec's and destroyed totally within 5min. "

Within 60 seconds of what ????(it starting)

Let me guess, u've owned the Dodge less than a year???? (sorry I dont understand this!)

Prehaps you might explain what you are saying?.

Any new additions to my stable requeire at least a year before i can trust the electrics or the fuel system for sudden leaks. Takes about that long unti l i have had a chance to analyze everything deeper than just cursory visusal inspection.

So, in the case of it catching fire upon starting then how would a cut off at the battery have done any good????

Hmmmmmmmm. ok. i think i see now. My post sounds like some kind of synister accusation or something. Not in the least.

I'll go back and delete the text.

Sorry if I picked up on something that was not intended, there was a particular tone to the message!

A fire caused by an electrical short circuit is, of course, a different matter to a fuel fed fire. If the disconect switch is thrown, there is some hope of removing the seat of ignition. (same could be said for an electric fuel pump I suppose)

Smoke started to come from the front seat area, I opened the door and lifted the seat base. The heavy smoke ignited (maybe due to the rush of fresh air) and from there the interior was a sea of flames within seconds. The scary thing is to think that if there was someone sitting in the back of a 2 door car I cannot see anyway they would have got out. The fire was intense and short lived. the tyres and paintwork within inches of the fire remain untouched.

My Packard now has a disconnect switch mounted on the seat base, where I can get to it while in the car or by opening the door.

Pat.