I agree with landtank. Yeah, it looks brutal right now, but after you pull the seats and the headliner, you'll have a much better idea of what you're dealing with.
White Trash Lexus Burnt Up - Now what?
- Thread starter Walking Eagle
- Start date
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I agree with landtank. Yeah, it looks brutal right now, but after you pull the seats and the headliner, you'll have a much better idea of what you're dealing with.
Sorry about your misfortune
The nice thing about this is that the wiring is mostly forward and low. Heat is extremely damaging, but heat also tends to go mostly up and out, very little goes down.
I've seen more than one campground where chimpmunks make their home directly under the fire pit. Despite having a raging fire, they don't get burnt up, and they're far more sensitive than wiring which is designed to be exposed to 200* or higher.
There's some wiring in the roof, but not much. None of the critical wiring components should have been affected.
I could see a gremlin in the light circuit maybe, but aside from that I don't think there's any other wiring up in the roof. There is some brake/turn/reverse wiring on the passenger side, but all the main harnesses run on the drivers side which should have been fairly protected.
All the wiring should of course be carefully checked, but considering everything seems to work, I doubt any major issues will arise.
It really is 'White Trash' now. 
Sucks man, sorry to hear and see it.
Sucks man, sorry to hear and see it.
same thing happened on my 85 4runner years back while i was welding in the cage........was crazy cause i was in the back seat welding with welding blankets all over the place..........i pulled back the MIG gun and waited for the auto-darkening helmet to brighten so could see but it didnt..........pulled off the helmet and the "door" panel next to the back seat was ablaze!!.....luckily i keep a small fire-extinguiser next to the drivers seat....i got the fire out pretty fast but when i ripped the panel off to be sure i realized that the fire had originated inside from sparks dropping down the holes where the top bolted on and had totalled the wiring harness for the taillights...........rewiring the taillights was the worst part but that was 4-5 years ago and i kept the truck........not having comp insurance on it it was the only option!!
here it is in 2005 when i bought it.....and a current pic of it on the trail Memorial Day
good luck brother!!......i say keep it.....makes a good story!!
here it is in 2005 when i bought it.....and a current pic of it on the trail Memorial Day
good luck brother!!......i say keep it.....makes a good story!!
- Thread starter
- #47
WOW!!!
Thanks everyone for all the well wishes and sympathies.
Thanks to everyone who said they like my participation on mud (that was a schocker since I can be argumentative
)
Thanks for the offers for parts - I may take you up on those.
Thanks also for all the support of the idea of calling it a loss and moving on.
Thanks also for all of the support of the idea of fixing it.
I do get quite a kick out of it cause most people who've put their two cents in one way or another seem to animatedly believe they are correct. Taste Great - Less Filling!!! Anyone who thinks it is definately repairable, I'm accepting offers for it (seriously - make my decision easier for me!)
My final decision though is.......... not to make a decision. At least not until I've ripped all the burnt and melted parts out and washed the inside real good. I'm not worried about the wiring, all the wiring runs down the drivers side that wasn't really damaged. If the worst thing is that the dome light doesn't work, that's no big deal, it wasn't working anyway (though I did have an LED in there that I bought with my gift certificate from joining Blue Ribbon and TLCA during that offer). I'm not worried about 99% of the interior parts. Shipping would be an issue but between the offers here and what my brother can get me, I can do most everything on the relatively cheap. Headliner replacement might be an issue. The biggest interior concern is the dash. I have no interest in trying to pull that puppy out, so if it stinks after being cleaned, that may be enough to force the for sale sign.
The one thing that many of you are missing is the Andrea Factor. She is of course, my lovely wife. She is pretty accommodating of my vehicular pursuits, and that's one of the many reasons I love her. The fire scared the crap out of her. While I was putting it out she came out wanting to know if she needed to get the kids out of the house. I had enough presence of mind that I wanted them in the house where they were safe and away from the smoke - the truck was far enough away the house was never at risk. In her mind the truck is a loss. She's concerned with the structural integrity after the metal has been heated. Someone here mentioned that as well, and mentioned having someone who knows something about it look at it. I'm an ME, and I know it didn't get hot enough to change the metal properties. How do I know this? My teacher brother was the one smart enough to ask "Did it melt the paint?" If it didn't melt the paint on the other side of the metal, it didn't get very hot. Dang, he can be smart some times. Ok, no structural damage, it's still safe for the kids right? Fact and wife logic aside, yes, it's safe for the kids.
Her other big concern, as it is mine, and many here, is the smell. If it still stinks of smoke after all the interior is torn own and bedlinered over, even if I could stand the smell as a rough and rugged man, is it fair/right to subject my kids to it one or two times a week? Wonder if I could just seal the smell into the dash with bedliner?
The smell is going to be the big determining factor on if it stays or if it goes. If I was cutting it up and making it a convertible trail truck, wouldn't be a big deal, but if I cut it up and make a convertible trail truck out of it, I'm not going to be using it to haul the kids to daycare or school in the winter. Kinda defeats my purpose of having it. Sure it'd be great for that for someone else. Which is where the for sale sign will come from.
Right now I'm just stressing out about the insurance. It's 3:41 and they were supposed to look at it today, but I haven't heard from them today yet. I'll update ya'all after the insurance goes through and after the interior is cleaned out (likely this weekend).
Thanks again everyone, this is a good group, one of the big reasons I'd hate to be 80-less....
Thanks everyone for all the well wishes and sympathies.
Thanks to everyone who said they like my participation on mud (that was a schocker since I can be argumentative
)Thanks for the offers for parts - I may take you up on those.
Thanks also for all the support of the idea of calling it a loss and moving on.
Thanks also for all of the support of the idea of fixing it.
I do get quite a kick out of it cause most people who've put their two cents in one way or another seem to animatedly believe they are correct. Taste Great - Less Filling!!! Anyone who thinks it is definately repairable, I'm accepting offers for it (seriously - make my decision easier for me!)
My final decision though is.......... not to make a decision. At least not until I've ripped all the burnt and melted parts out and washed the inside real good. I'm not worried about the wiring, all the wiring runs down the drivers side that wasn't really damaged. If the worst thing is that the dome light doesn't work, that's no big deal, it wasn't working anyway (though I did have an LED in there that I bought with my gift certificate from joining Blue Ribbon and TLCA during that offer). I'm not worried about 99% of the interior parts. Shipping would be an issue but between the offers here and what my brother can get me, I can do most everything on the relatively cheap. Headliner replacement might be an issue. The biggest interior concern is the dash. I have no interest in trying to pull that puppy out, so if it stinks after being cleaned, that may be enough to force the for sale sign.
The one thing that many of you are missing is the Andrea Factor. She is of course, my lovely wife. She is pretty accommodating of my vehicular pursuits, and that's one of the many reasons I love her. The fire scared the crap out of her. While I was putting it out she came out wanting to know if she needed to get the kids out of the house. I had enough presence of mind that I wanted them in the house where they were safe and away from the smoke - the truck was far enough away the house was never at risk. In her mind the truck is a loss. She's concerned with the structural integrity after the metal has been heated. Someone here mentioned that as well, and mentioned having someone who knows something about it look at it. I'm an ME, and I know it didn't get hot enough to change the metal properties. How do I know this? My teacher brother was the one smart enough to ask "Did it melt the paint?" If it didn't melt the paint on the other side of the metal, it didn't get very hot. Dang, he can be smart some times. Ok, no structural damage, it's still safe for the kids right? Fact and wife logic aside, yes, it's safe for the kids.
Her other big concern, as it is mine, and many here, is the smell. If it still stinks of smoke after all the interior is torn own and bedlinered over, even if I could stand the smell as a rough and rugged man, is it fair/right to subject my kids to it one or two times a week? Wonder if I could just seal the smell into the dash with bedliner?
The smell is going to be the big determining factor on if it stays or if it goes. If I was cutting it up and making it a convertible trail truck, wouldn't be a big deal, but if I cut it up and make a convertible trail truck out of it, I'm not going to be using it to haul the kids to daycare or school in the winter. Kinda defeats my purpose of having it. Sure it'd be great for that for someone else. Which is where the for sale sign will come from.
Right now I'm just stressing out about the insurance. It's 3:41 and they were supposed to look at it today, but I haven't heard from them today yet. I'll update ya'all after the insurance goes through and after the interior is cleaned out (likely this weekend).
Thanks again everyone, this is a good group, one of the big reasons I'd hate to be 80-less....
Walking Eagle- very rough, I really liked your rig, too. Important thing is nobody was hurt. Hope you do something you like with it whether that means repairing it or selling it off as parts. There's always another 80 out there and I'm guessing you can swap most of your parts onto it. Good luck!
I wonder if you could get a self etching primer and spray paint it. I know most paint does not stick well to dashboard material (will peel).
might check and see if there is a local fire restoration service near by and see what they recomend.
Your smart to take the wait and see approach. The insurance settlement will clear a lot of it up. I would also research your state's insurance rules.
The insurance company has to follow them, so you will be way ahead if you have a good working knowledge as well. I would concentrate on the rules regarding the valuation of vehicles, if they don't follow them, your state insurance board is your friend.
I hope it all works out for you.
The insurance company has to follow them, so you will be way ahead if you have a good working knowledge as well. I would concentrate on the rules regarding the valuation of vehicles, if they don't follow them, your state insurance board is your friend.I hope it all works out for you.
Sorry to here of your loss. Your lucky it wasn't worse for sure.
As far as fire smell inside try Fire D. Nice bubble gum smell after for a while but it kills the smell.
Most all auto fabric supply houses have the product called Fire D or one like it. It will remove the smell for you very nicely. Remove the door panels and the headliner and leave them loose inside the car and follow the directions. Wait a month and do it again and it should be gone for good.
Good luck with your insurance company. I hope it goes well for you.
http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Shot-After-Fire-Aerosol-Twelve/dp/B000AQNDSA?tag=ihco-20
As far as fire smell inside try Fire D. Nice bubble gum smell after for a while but it kills the smell.
Most all auto fabric supply houses have the product called Fire D or one like it. It will remove the smell for you very nicely. Remove the door panels and the headliner and leave them loose inside the car and follow the directions. Wait a month and do it again and it should be gone for good.
Good luck with your insurance company. I hope it goes well for you.
http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Shot-After-Fire-Aerosol-Twelve/dp/B000AQNDSA?tag=ihco-20
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"Thanks to everyone who said they like my participation on mud (that was a schocker since I can be argumentative )"
Yes, I agree!
Now Get busy and fix that thing!
)"Yes, I agree!
Now Get busy and fix that thing!
First off sorry about the damage
However I think its just cosmetic damage as others have said. The smell shouldn't be bad seeing you will most likely have to replace most of the interior.
However I think its just cosmetic damage as others have said. The smell shouldn't be bad seeing you will most likely have to replace most of the interior.
the smell shouldn't bother you if you take the top off
Thanks to everyone who said they like my participation on mud (that was a schocker since I can be argumentative
I'm an ME, and I know it didn't get hot enough to change the metal properties.
I'm an ME and I can be argumentative...... kind of like saying I'm a lawyer and I can be greedy, isn't it?
That sucks bro. Sorry for the loss on that one. Hopefully you get full price for it.
- Thread starter
- #58
Ya', at this point I'd just be happy if they'd look at it. Adjuster was suposed to look at it yesterday, but never called. I called ins. company, they called that office, she wasn't in, but gave me a cell #. No answer on the cell left a message. Called cell again later, adjuster's husband answered cause he had her phone. So I call her office #. Message says I'm out till Friday - leave a message and I'll call you then. Well, that's no go, since I don't know if the truck has even been looked at or not. And her supervision and the Office head were not in, but got messages saying "WTF?" and it's after 9 today with no call from anyone.
- Thread starter
- #59
Any link to info on this? I can't seem to find anything.
Horrible. Very sorry to see this.
Note to self, NO WELDING.
Note to self, NO WELDING.