In one of the most gut-wrenching automotive e-mails we have ever gotten, the woeful tale of a local (to our Eastern HQ) gearhead’s vintage Plymouth burning to the ground was shared, with photos. The poor guy finished his car the previous day and decided to take it for a shakedown ride the next morning. What happened next is every BangShifter’s worst nightmare.
According to the e-mail the car was running a rear end from a 1990 Ford Explorer, we’re guessing it was a stout 8.8 factory piece. As the driver was making his way down the highway, all five lug nuts came off the studs (reportedly the threads were stripped), dropping the car onto the pavement, which punctured the gas tank and caused the blazing inferno shown below. The car looks to be a total loss.
Grab your torque wrench and check your lugs before you cruise your junk next!
Thanks to Phil Cooper for sharing this e-mail with us!
I work on construction equipment. I use my torque wrench for all skid loader lug nuts, you’d be surprised how many won’t hold the torque. I blame impact wrenches..they will over torque very easily, stripping the studs. So as Brian says, grab your torque wrenches and check. Most automotive lugs are 80-100 ft. lbs, but look up your size and make sure.
That is a crying shame, if ever there was one.
It looks like the great guys at the Fire Department got to it pretty fast. The tires arent melted. So I bet that while the paint is gone as is the interior and everything else the body is still good. As long as you have a good body anything can be replaced. So heres hoping this is not the end of one beautiful Mopar.
This is a heart breaker. At least the driver got out. Stuff can be replaced, lives can’t. If this happened to me I think I would just QUIT!
I always carry a lug wrench and check lug nuts often.
This happen to me several years ago after picking up a 68 AMX from paint shop. Was lucky and got to problem before it really became an issue.
As mentioned……I know it looks bad but looks like that car can be restored……again.