Caddy caught fire

[LanceD]

So the wife said the engine was losing power randomly like it was trying to die. Took it to work to see if I felt the same thing. I definitely felt it, then smelled fuel and 2 seconds later it was smoking through the vents. Shut it off and by then there was flames coming out of the hood.
It's totalled and I'm thinking about buying it back to pull the drive train and engine. I'll chip all the burnt plastic off and rebuild it if it's not too bad.
I was thinking a single cab truck with the caddy awd and a fresh 6.2 would run pretty good.
I plan on parting out what's left of it.
What do you guys think?

 

[Doubeleive]

bummer, any determined cause for the fire?

 

[swathdiver]

So the wife said the engine was losing power randomly like it was trying to die. Took it to work to see if I felt the same thing. I definitely felt it, then smelled fuel and 2 seconds later it was smoking through the vents. Shut it off and by then there was flames coming out of the hood.
It's totalled and I'm thinking about buying it back to pull the drive train and engine. I'll chip all the burnt plastic off and rebuild it if it's not too bad.
I was thinking a single cab truck with the caddy awd and a fresh 6.2 would run pretty good.
I plan on parting out what's left of it.
What do you guys think?

Sounds like a good plan. Glad y'all are ok.

Do let us know what happened so we can add that to the knowledge base and prevent that from happening as much as possible. Any photos?

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[LanceD]

They didn't say. I can only assume it was a sudden heavy fuel leak based on the strong smell of gas just before it lit up.

 

[Danny3737]

They didn't say. I can only assume it was a sudden heavy fuel leak based on the strong smell of gas just before it lit up.
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Holy Smokes!! Glad nobody was hurt. Could have been much worse had you’d been driving at highway speed

 

[07Burb]

Are the things you're wanting to use off the caddy even salvageable after all that?

Glad no one was hurt!!

 

[LanceD]

I'm pretty sure the trans and axles are still good. Not 100% on the engine but a lot of people have rebuilt engines that looked worse with good results.

Hopefully I can find a cheap Silverado with a blown engine that way I can use the wiring, hoses, plastic stuff, radiator, coolers etc. and not have to replace too much.

 

[swathdiver]

I'm so sorry Lance, glad that happened to you and not your wife! Don't forget the air freshener, looks good still!

Lots of good parts still on that truck.

 

[swathdiver]

How do y'all think the aluminum heads fared in that fire? Could they have warped?

 

[Doubeleive]

ya that's a lot of work to salvage any engine parts, on the brighter side looks like the firewall worked as designed that's good to know

 

[thompsoj22]

IMO, walk away. Thats a mess and it would be an ugly teardown/part out. Not sure the effect of the temp's on the engine itself from the fire but i think it was exposed to temps that could only be duplicated in a foundry/kiln? Everything from the firewall forward is junk.

 

[Tonyrodz]

You could def sell the complete interior, make some money on that. It looks in good shape still. Hopefully the short block is still good.

 

[LanceD]

Well I told them I’d like to buy it back so I’ll update this thread with my progress.

 

[97audia4]

How do y'all think the aluminum heads fared in that fire? Could they have warped?

Valve cover isn't even melted .

 

[Warriorpluto]

Well I told them I’d like to buy it back so I’ll update this thread with my progress.

If you buy it back and decide not to rebuild it i would like first dibs on the cluster and the harness that connects to it. Let me know. Very interested

 

[Rocket Man]

Holy smokes is right. Following along to see what you do. Glad nobody got hurt for sure.

 

[LanceD]

Got it back home today. No brakes whatsoever so I made a rudimentary towbar to move it in and out

 

[swathdiver]

I bet someone would buy the frame when you're done breaking it down and someone else might even buy the body shell too.

 

[LanceD]

Chiseled off the plastic and got some of the water out of the engine

 

[LanceD]

Looks pretty decent. All of that debris is chunks of plastic that fell inside while I was bashing the intake manifold with a claw hammer.