Heartbreaking News About My Charger

[ckessel]

I feel for you.

 

[Black_Sheep]

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. I hope it serves as a reminder to the rest of us. As collector car values and the price of parts and materials keep going up, our collector car insurance needs to keep pace.

 

[69 Charger]

I feel for you.

Oh, Man, that is a real bummer! I wish you the best in getting all this sorted out.
My garage houses a '73 MG Midget, a '66 Austin-Healey 3000, and a '69 Charger (original owner).

Several years ago I accidentally set fire to my Midget while trying to start it after a carb rebuild. Fortunately, I had pushed the car outside before trying to start it and I had two fire extinguishers handy. The damage was limited basically to the paint. This taught me a lesson: never start a car inside the garage, but push it outside. Now, I do it all the time.

 

[sam dupont]

Oh, Man, that is a real bummer! I wish you the best in getting all this sorted out.
My garage houses a '73 MG Midget, a '66 Austin-Healey 3000, and a '69 Charger (original owner).

Several years ago I accidentally set fire to my Midget while trying to start it after a carb rebuild. Fortunately, I had pushed the car outside before trying to start it and I had two fire extinguishers handy. The damage was limited basically to the paint. This taught me a lesson: never start a car inside the garage, but push it outside. Now, I do it all the time.

A friend was letting me use his small stick built garage to work on my Spitfire/6 project. I was welding a swingarm bracket. I struck an arc and the rod stuck. I tried to break it off and the mount came off with the rod, touched the fuel line which burned a hole that streamed burning gas that fanned out when it hit the corner of the frame. Big flame instantly. Luckily, I had the extinguisher handy.
I was having visions of the garage burning down.

 

[Benji]

On Sep 2, 2023 the unthinkable happened. First and foremost, let me say that thankfully, no-one was physically harmed. My 1968 Dodge Charger R/T caught fire inside of the garage, which is integral to my home. I can't post any pictures at the moment because the garage is sealed off like a crime scene. Preliminary investigations seem to be showing that it was fuel related. The car was idling for a few minutes to let everything warm up before I took her out for a ride. Suddenly there were flames in and around the carburetor, and within minutes it was completely out of control. It looks to me like the insurance company will want to total the car, but I'd really like to try to save her. She was a rotisserie restoration that scored 90 out of 100 at the Mopar Nationals in 2009. The car is all numbers matching, which has been verified numerous times. Unfortunately, the car was undervalued in my policy, and I'm guessing from today's prices would leave me at least 100K short of what a rebuild would cost. The other sad thing is my son's 69 Charger R/T was sitting next to mine was also burned badly. His was a real R/T also, but it was in a state of disrepair because he was just starting his restoration. At this point, he is in the same financial circumstance as me. He's kind of resigned to taking the insurance money as letting them take his car. I personally don't want to see either one go to the crusher, but we're hoping that given the history (23 years of ownership) and it being such a perfect example of a 68 R/T that it was, I can save one car, at least. To compound matters, I also have a 1970 Cadillac DeVille that was sitting outside behind the 69 that received fire damage. It seems to be manageable under my coverage so I think I'll ok with some minimal paintwork on the front of the car, from the windshield forward.
Since the garage is integral to my home, the fire spread throughout the house and it's going to be a to internal gut before it can be rebuilt. The house of course, is my main concern, since it is the only home for myself, my son and my 12 year old granddaughter, but I would still like to try to do everything possible to save the 68. Some friends have set up a gofundme page, so any help that anyone can give will be greatly appreciated I'm including a link here. Thank you, and God bless.

Birdland Community home lost to a fire, organized by Birdland Residents

Tell the insurance company you want to retain the salvage which means you keep the car. They will determine what the car is now worth, subtract whatever you both agree to, subtract you're deductible and the car is yours.

 

[threewood]

I had been stubborn about using anything other than rubber for the longest time. But I finally made the move to AN fittings and braided ptfe hose after going fuel injection. It has been rock solid and trouble free. I'll use it on everything for now on. No cracked hose, worm clamps failing, deterioration of hose.

 

[1STMP]

Ask your insurance agent if your
home owners policy would cover
all losses. Home owners insurance
should cover 'declared" value of your
cars and whatever personal property
was lost. Though your insurance
rates may increase on the house.
I had a car stolen from a friend's
driveway that was not insured. His
homeowners insurance covered the
loss.

 

[davek]

and any updates?

On Sep 2, 2023 the unthinkable happened. First and foremost, let me say that thankfully, no-one was physically harmed. My 1968 Dodge Charger R/T caught fire inside of the garage, which is integral to my home. I can't post any pictures at the moment because the garage is sealed off like a crime scene. Preliminary investigations seem to be showing that it was fuel related. The car was idling for a few minutes to let everything warm up before I took her out for a ride. Suddenly there were flames in and around the carburetor, and within minutes it was completely out of control. It looks to me like the insurance company will want to total the car, but I'd really like to try to save her. She was a rotisserie restoration that scored 90 out of 100 at the Mopar Nationals in 2009. The car is all numbers matching, which has been verified numerous times. Unfortunately, the car was undervalued in my policy, and I'm guessing from today's prices would leave me at least 100K short of what a rebuild would cost. The other sad thing is my son's 69 Charger R/T was sitting next to mine was also burned badly. His was a real R/T also, but it was in a state of disrepair because he was just starting his restoration. At this point, he is in the same financial circumstance as me. He's kind of resigned to taking the insurance money as letting them take his car. I personally don't want to see either one go to the crusher, but we're hoping that given the history (23 years of ownership) and it being such a perfect example of a 68 R/T that it was, I can save one car, at least. To compound matters, I also have a 1970 Cadillac DeVille that was sitting outside behind the 69 that received fire damage. It seems to be manageable under my coverage so I think I'll ok with some minimal paintwork on the front of the car, from the windshield forward.
Since the garage is integral to my home, the fire spread throughout the house and it's going to be a to internal gut before it can be rebuilt. The house of course, is my main concern, since it is the only home for myself, my son and my 12 year old granddaughter, but I would still like to try to do everything possible to save the 68. Some friends have set up a gofundme page, so any help that anyone can give will be greatly appreciated I'm including a link here. Thank you, and God bless.

Birdland Community home lost to a fire, organized by Birdland Residents

 

[stushug]

and any updates?

Not yet, still processing the claim, as far as I know.

 

[chargervert]

After assessing the two Chargers,do you think they are structurally sound enough to be reconstructed, or are they a total loss?

 

[stushug]

After assessing the two Chargers,do you think they are structurally sound enough to be reconstructed, or are they a total loss?

I haven't been able to fully assess them yet.

 

[#41]

Sorry to hear this. If it give you any hope, I have been through a similar circumstance ..... you will get through it.