I've owned both a 73 and 74 Porsche 914 and often find myself looking at all the fabulous cars shown here and available for sale out there. I long to own one again some day. Now, to my question.

What's with the fire extinguishers? I often see a 914 with one mounted in the passenger compartment. I'm wondering is this really for a sudden engine fire, or is it used to solve the occasional vapor lock problems? What's the story?

Well, old cars can have interesting issues and it is better safe than sorry

With old fuel lines (Actually most of us changed to new ones) and possible gas leaks and fires that can happen rather too quickly its good to have one on hand just incase it ever happens. Most times you will never need it, but its nice to know you have one there.......AND they also look cool in your car if you want to score poser points or racer looks. I am trying to figure out some way to mount one in my own car right now. Personally I love the look of them and having the added security makes me feel at ease

Due to the battery location in the engine bay over the motor & fuel lines, which can cause battery acid from fumes or boil-over to get washed down from rail/wash water coming in the engine lid cooling grill, down onto the motor, & then to eat through the original fabric covered rubber fuel lines, leak on the hot engine & ignite. A fair number of 914s have been damaged that way.

Ergo, for safety's sake it's smart to carry a fire extinguisher in a 914 - or ANY car, truck, boat, RV - & it's required for the latter 2 by law, as well as in any racer by the race org's. regulations. Our 88 VW Westy came with one from the factory, being classified as a RV.

NHTSA made Porsche issue a recall in the mid-70's called the "HO Recall" to replace the battery cover with a full cover (orig. had cutouts for the top posts), and replace with solid rubber acid resistant lines. It's also smart to wash off the battery & tray/support/hell hole with baking soda regularly, coat the tray with battery tray protectant &/or use a battery acid absorbing pad available at FLAPS/Pcar parts dealers.

You can check with PCNA Customer Care using a 914's VIN to see if the HO was ever done (&/or any other NHTSA recalls), and any not done are required to be performed by your local Porsche dealer at any point in time now/future. PCNA will give you a claim/service number for it to be done on your 914 in that case (I got one for my 73 914-2.0).

You can find copies of the actual original recall documents here (as well as excellent 914 info throughout the site, & a PPI Assessment Form in tech docs for when you're ready to buy one):
http://www.bowlsby.net/914/Classic/Recalls.htm

Also good 914 info in general at: p914.com

Not trying to steal a thread but it sure is damn good to see a post by you.JJackson

Reason number one to always carry a fire extinguisher in your car. (Any car).

If you decide to get a extinguiser...get a FE-36 or Halon type....NOT the dry chemical type.....unless you don't mind cleaning up a huge mess....just sayin'....With no backpad mine is between the seats on firewall....

Or better yet have both, a hand held and onboard system.....

I keep one in my 914. Rather than mount it, an average size unit fits very well standing up between the back side of the driver's and the firewall, right near the driver's seatbelt anchor.

I keep one in my 914. Rather than mount it, an average size unit fits very well standing up between the back side of the driver's seat and the firewall, right near the driver's seatbelt anchor.

I have one in every car I own ! Even the diesel truck. (Halon type)

Only used the 1 in the truck once and that was on some one elses car.
(The be-uch didn't even offer to refill it or replace it after I saved her car !!!!)

Doesn't Halon eat through/ damage the Aluminum engine block? I know, I know...it's easier to get a new block than a new car, but isn't it true? Thought I've heard that before.

How well do extinguishers hold up to heat? Being in Texas and car outside, I'm sure with the top off and the sun beating down on the FE, it can get up there in temp. Will it be fine, no explodey mess? I'd rather leave it in the car than take it out every day.

Here in Minnesota I need to remove my onboard AIFF system bottle to keep from freezing.

countless hours and money, it makes sense.. of all the problems you can fix does not matter when you watch it burn.. I do not mount it like I am ready and expecting it like morning cofee but I drop some coin on a nice one and it sits in the trunk.. best insurance.. e"every see a fireman take an axe to a gas tank.. they do. and I would hat eto see them try to guess where its at..

A small bit of insurance that might make the difference between an annoying disablement and a heartbreaking inferno.

Thanks for reminding me. Got to bolt mine back into 222.

Nope. Some of the dry chem powders do; they eat aluminum and they eat wiring.

--DD

on board saves your ass, hand held saves your cash.

in our offroad race cars we use a piece of balsa wood instead of a steel pin.

I mounted one on the passenger side screwed into the center tunnel. It's halon, I find now that the guage shows just barely in the green so I guess it needs to be recharged. It's probably 15 -18 years old.

After comming up on a friend of mine parked on a straw bail outside turn 3 at SCR in a Viper, he was pretty happy I had a hand held.

So was his wife. Damned exhaust systems get hot on those things.

I am pretty sure I am going to have an on-board extinguishing system installed in my car during the build. I will try to make it as low profile invisible as possible.

I have nightmares of that picture of the nice yellow six in flames.

I have Halon extinguishers in all my cars, but I'd also consider the foam type extinguishers as they will smother the fire and help cool down the area to prevent reigniting of the fire. My extinguisher did help save a friend's 914-6 years ago when it got a carb fire coming off the track, so I always carry one as insurance.

As halon is getting more hassles from the EPA, the foam may be the way to go. I got mine from an outfit called Fire Fight. They are popular with the RV set, and are on the internet (http://www.firefight1.com/). Some of their products are automatically activated when a fire is detected, and would be nice to have mounted in the engine compartment. I mounted some of there products in the engine compartment, by the generator, and in back of the fridge in my GMC RV, and feel safer as fires are a problem in RVs as well.

I had a 3 year old extinguisher just fart a few little clouds of dust on me when I needed it for a garage fire. Had to go for the garden hose. Don't assume your fire extinguisher will actually work...

I squeezed the metal handle so hard when it did not work that I bent it all to sh*t.

Not sure what the gauge was reading when I tried to use it, but I wish I had checked it now and then.

Went out and bought new ones that day, and spent some money on good ones. Get one for your garage, kitchen and bedrooms while you are at it. Its a lot cheaper and easier to clean up than a raging fire no matter what type you get.

People who build and sell cheap sh*t fire extinguishers should be issued one of their products when they get to hell.



John