C8AX Fire in Texas Queensland.

[Jeff Gordon]

Hi, a mate sent me this sad photo it came via a mate of a mates mate.
Last weekend it was on the side of the road near Texas in Queensland.
Does anybody have more detail?
I hope all are ok.
It was for sale a few years ago.
Did it sell?
Can't remember the guys name but feel very sorry for him!

Sorry I am having trouble uploading the photo from my phone.
Just picture a C8 burnt out on the side of the road.

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Jeff Gordon

Last weekend it was on the side of the road near Texas in Queensland.
Does anybody have more detail?
I hope all are ok.
It was for sale a few years ago.
Did it sell?

Hi Jeff,
Texas rings a bell, I think the guy who restored it was on this forum, he was going to drive it around the country raising money for service charity or something like that. Then it was for sale, as you say.

cheers Richard

Just found the thread;
http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ighlight=texas

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Jeff,

Very sad to hear. Can you email me the picture? I will post it here.

Hanno

[Pete Solomon]

On Sunday my CA8X Blitz suffered a catastrophic engine failure while I was driving it. She spluttered a bit but kept running, smoke filled the cab and I opened the inspection cover to see what the problem was and a flame thrower came out! I was covered in burning fuel and was on fire!

Needless to say there were some expletives exchanged with my passenger, I dumped the old girl off the road into the scrub and we made a hasty exit - me still on fire. My passenger bravely returned to the cab to retrieve my pistols and 400 rounds of ammo (we were on the way to the shooting club) and then ran to help put me out.

I have some nasty burns to my hip and under arm and 1st degree burns to most of my left side. I am sans hair on that side as well - all very sore and uncomfortable but I will recover. The same, unfortunately can not be said for my Blitz - it started a scrub fire and has been completely destroyed.

My mechanic has examined the wreck and thinks the main fuel line nipple into the front of the carby actually blew the thread out and came loose - pouring fuel onto the exhaust manifold. The worst thing I could have done was open the hatch as we were traveling at about 35 mph and it forced burning fuel & flames through into the cab (I did'nt expect it you know!)

All in all a very sad day. I'm just happy to still be alive actually - it could have been a lot worse. I've never been on fire before and becoming a human candle is not recommended by me!

I've tried to attach a couple of photos. My passenger took a few on scene before th ambulance arrived and I went back out and got some the next day.

Cheers

[Jeff Gordon]

Hi Pete,
I am so glad you are alive!
I bet you were in a lot of pain!
Burns are so painful!
Total shame about the Blitz.
It would be worth restoring but a lot of work.
I watched a mates pride FC Holden burn to the ground.
It was frightening how fast it happened.
Just glad your OK.
Cheers
Jeff

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Peter

Sorry to hear about the incident, obviously that you and your passenger got out is the prime thing to be thankful for. Glad your injuries though uncomfortable will not have any long lasting affect.

Sorry the truck is a right off, but that you are around to look for another is the big thing.

Cheers Phil

[gordon]

... any landing you can walk away from.

Sorry to hear about the injuries, but your mission now has to be to find another one to rescue and balance up the numbers.

[motto]

I hope you were insured Peter!

David

[Pete Solomon]

Thanks everyone for your words of concern and support - It's been a week now and I'm starting to feel much better. I returned to work Thursday but still have dressings on my hip and I am not wearing my uniform shirt rather an issued T Shirt as the polyester/nylon number was rubbing under my arm too much.

The Blitz was insured - with Shannons. For those of you in Australia who have access to them all I can say is go with them. They have been very good. I lodged the claim over the phone, they told me the steps I need to take and handled everything with no mess, no fuss. The claims assessor rang last Thursday and they have written off the vehicle but as it is over 30 years old I have rights of Salvage. I have been very impressed with their service, speed of claim and professionalism.

I'm not sure where too next. I have been grounded by the bride who doesn't want me owning or working on any more projects for awhile - it was pretty scary for her to take "That phone call" so I'll let things cool off at home for bit before we see whats next. A Landrover LRDP vehicle would be nice!

Cheers
Pete

[Lionelgee]

Originally Posted by Pete Solomon

Thanks everyone for your words of concern and support - It's been a week now and I'm starting to feel much better. I returned to work Thursday but still have dressings on my hip and I am not wearing my uniform shirt rather an issued T Shirt as the polyester/nylon number was rubbing under my arm too much.

The Blitz was insured - with Shannons. For those of you in Australia who have access to them all I can say is go with them. They have been very good. I lodged the claim over the phone, they told me the steps I need to take and handled everything with no mess, no fuss. The claims assessor rang last Thursday and they have written off the vehicle but as it is over 30 years old I have rights of Salvage. I have been very impressed with their service, speed of claim and professionalism.

I'm not sure where too next. I have been grounded by the bride who doesn't want me owning or working on any more projects for awhile - it was pretty scary for her to take "That phone call" so I'll let things cool off at home for bit before we see whats next. A Landrover LRDP vehicle would be nice!

Cheers
Pete

G'day Pete,

It was sad to read the thread about your C8AX catching fire on you and for the fact that you got hurt as well. Good to hear that it was insured and they were easy to deal with.

I am in Bundaberg and we had the fire engines around yesterday after the next door neighbour set fire to his paddock with a lawn mower. The fire went straight for my spare parts Land Rovers - three of which are going to be made into one good Fitted For Radio Series 3. I put one branch of the fire out which went straight under the middle of the Land Rovers. I let the rest of the paddock go because despite it being mown down low the fire was moving too fast with a westerly wind behind it. Two fire engines later and about three hours of mopping up after the fire brigade left.

Queensland is in for a very bad fire season after the floods. The bulk of the area that burnt in my paddock was under water in January.

Kind Regards
Lionel

[Private_collector]

Jeezus...............thats a very close call, Pete. I'm embarassed to say I only just became aware of your incident, now. When I read the first post, I thought there must have been some wreck by the roadside that a bushfire had gotten at. Saw your own post and the accompanying photo, then I understood!Speedy recovery to you! Hope you are not in great pain still. I would wish you to be in NO pain, but i'm sure we both know better than to expect that, right?

Anyone else ever entertain feelings that these old trucks really don't want to be restored? That, and that they occasionally try to kill those who love them most! Bastards of things.

I am REALLY giving serious consideration to a fire supression system firing down from above the engine somehow. Guess that's not gonna help greatly at speed, but might buy a little time to eject.

Pete, you and your drivers mate are lucky to be alive. Your friend sure has some steele in returning to the inferno to retrieve the arms & ammunition.

[Private_collector]

Originally Posted by Lionelgee

Queensland is in for a very bad fire season after the floods. The bulk of the area that burnt in my paddock was under water in January.

Thats the truth, Lionel! All that rain then, dry as a buzzards crotch now.

I put my fire pump in for a service last Friday. Had been backburning behind the dam, with pump running, just in case I got nervous. Fat lot of bloody use it was though, because the wretched pump kept stopping less than a minute after each time I started it up. That is NOT what I want to happen in an emergency situation! Hearing Petes horror story goes to show, anytime, anywhere, when you least expect it, expect it!

[Ausmick]

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=13576

I just was looking at a Blitz on an Aboriginal Community here in NT and got me thinking about doing up another, got on MLU and just found out my old project got burnt. I sold it to Pete as it was a Kiwi truck and he was ex military and a Kiwi himself so a perfect home.

I drove it from NSW to Alice Springs in 2010 to attend the Alice Springs Truck Show, 6000km at 60km/hr........

Glad no one got burnt to death, sad ending for the old girl.