Fellow Spyder owners: Wanting to install a fire extinguisher in my cockpit, I’ve been looking at photos of same and have gotten several ideas. However, before I start drilling holes in my carpet and floors, I thought it prudent to ask the folks that have done it, and the pros and cons of certain placements.
Any wisdom to give?
Thanks!
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Wherever you feel it's not in the way, is easy access and quick to operate. I mount them on the center tunnel forward of the shifter.
@Alan Merklin Thank you, sir. I’ve been looking at it from a mostly aesthetic standpoint, with of course being able to get to it fast when needed. My fear was to put it where I wanted, and then have a Spyder veteran say, “Oh, well that’s not gonna work because xxxxx!” 😝
I like the idea of the new Element 50 fire extinguisher. Small size, last a long time if you have to use it, leaves no residue for easy clean up. You can check it out on Jay Leno's Garage site where it is demonstrated.
I don't know how well they would work on a gas/ engine fire .....Element Fire Extinguisher Test - Bing video
@Butcher Boy posted:I like the idea of the new Element 50 fire extinguisher. Small size, last a long time if you have to use it, leaves no residue for easy clean up. You can check it out on Jay Leno's Garage site where it is demonstrated.
Watch this video, you may change your mind.
@Wulfrik (John) i have mine behind the hand brake area...i got a magnetic small tool holder rail from harbor freight and removed the row of magnets (6 i believe) and stuck them to the mount which holds tight to the tunnel through the carpet
without the need for drilling mounting holes....all for show IMHO but nice to have...by time you smell smoke...pull over....jump out...pull the deck lid release...and run around to hopefully not fully involved BAR B Q grill....well the powder element may be MOOT....with SUBARU liquid cooling i feel the odds are less it will be needed ...but never say never....happy motoring !
I looked at this Holistically (I don’t really know what that means, but it sounds pretty cool).
By that, I mean I wanted a good extinguisher for a gas fire, mounted in a place very easily accessed from both inside and outside the car, but what do I know? I hit up my neighbor, the town fire chief, who recommended the type of extinguisher to buy and a size range from small to YUGE!
So then I looked at a placement on the central tunnel ahead of the shifter, but then I thought, “Wait. The shift lever is in the way if I’m in a hurry and I have to reach around that.”
Then I thought of placing it on the passenger side floor - Same problem AND it is in the way of the passenger’s feet. 😡
So I got out and really looked at things, and realized that there is a perfect place at the rear of the driver door opening to mount it vertically, right there. It is just behind the driver’s elbow and is totally out of the way when driving. If you see smoke, pull over and bail out and the extinguisher is right there to flip the release, pull the extinguisher and blast away.
So it’s out of the way until needed, it’s easy to get at as you’re exiting the car in a panic AND it is Fire Chief Mike Approved.
This is just food for thought as you go through this journey. Your mileage may certainly vary. Just think about it as I did and place your extinguisher where it makes the most sense, not necessarily where someone else put it.
not very impressive IMHO....we had this stuff in the Navy called purple K .....4' drum of burning diesel and a 10 second shot and it was out...
Just ensure it is securely fastened down --- you don't want it to be a flying missile in an accident. Might be worth carrying 2 or the Blaze-cut fire suppression engine tube.
@LI-Rick posted:Watch this video, you may change your mind.
Thanks Ll-Rick for the info. Interesting that all the fires the guy tried to but out had burning coals as a base. I don't know if any fire extinguishers would put them out, but I will take note and maybe try my own test as other have done. Gas fires are hot, fast moving and I've seen lots of burnt up VW's. I guess when all else fails, run and let it burn.
@Butcher Boy, I’m not advocating one way or the other, but at least it was an independent test.
I had an engine fire in a 1972 Beetle back in 1988. I was driving in a semi commercial area, the car just died. I tried to restart it and noticed a lot of smoke in the rear view mirror. As I jumped out, a guy comes running out of a building with a fire extinguisher. I opened the deck lid and he hit it with the extinguisher, the fire was out in 2-3 seconds. The cause of the fire was the nipple on the mechanical fuel pump pulled out and just sprayed gas. I towed the car home, replaced the fuel pump and burnt wiring. I drove that car with the burnt deck lid for another year before I painted the car.
@jncspyder -- Thanks for the tips! With my Spyder, there's virtually no room between my seats, unfortunately.
@Gordon Nichols -- Well, I must admit that I'm approaching it "holistically" as well. Oh, and I looked up the philosophical meaning of the word (as I'm assuming you were working the deep meaning of things in your contemplation😉): "In a way that is characterized by comprehension of the parts of something as intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole."
Yeah, that's about it. It well describes the level of overthinking that surrounds most of my decisions regarding this little car. 
Your suggestion is one of the two places I've decided upon. The other place is the bulkhead just left of the driver's knee. There's plenty of room there, and I can't imagine it ever getting in the way.
@WOLFGANG -- Indeed. Sort of my thinking about mounting it somewhere in front of me, rather that behind.
On the inside of the inner fender well, outboard of the frame rails, seems to be the most popular of rus. And most go with it on the passenger side. It's such a small cockpit you can still reach it easily. Only advise I can offer is use sealing washers or a little silicone on the washers, the spray off the tire (should you get caught in the rain) will soak the carpet if not.
Next most popular would be left of the driver's seat, both on the rear firewall and on the floor. I don't; like the floor because that is where I step when I get in, but it is readily accessible there.
Mounted my fire extinguisher under the dash, pull the pin and gravity helps it drop into your hand. Otherwise pretty discrete.
@chines1 -- Thank you, Carey. I'm liking the inner fender well, too. It'll have to be on the driver's side for me, as I've discovered that my wife likes to prop her feet against this same spot on the passenger side. Also -- thanks for the tip regarding waterproofing the pass-throughs. ;-)
Speaking of waterproofing, several weeks ago I washed down the engine with an approved cleaning agent and applied some engine dressing from Griot. Much to my dismay, though, I then found my cockpit carpet soaked with water. I looked back and found that the two cavities on either side of the firewall, at the bottom, were full of water and were leaking into the front of the car. I can't imagine why there weren't drain holes in them. Finding the largest drill bit in my tool box insured that it wouldn't happen again, with two holes now in each spot.
@Quadmod -- Thanks for the photos >> very cool mount.
@Wulfrik (John) posted:@chines1 -- Thank you, Carey. I'm liking the inner fender well, too. It'll have to be on the driver's side for me, as I've discovered that my wife likes to prop her feet against this same spot on the passenger side. Also -- thanks for the tip regarding waterproofing the pass-throughs. ;-)
Speaking of waterproofing, several weeks ago I washed down the engine with an approved cleaning agent and applied some engine dressing from Griot. Much to my dismay, though, I then found my cockpit carpet soaked with water. I looked back and found that the two cavities on either side of the firewall, at the bottom, were full of water and were leaking into the front of the car. I can't imagine why there weren't drain holes in them. Finding the largest drill bit in my tool box insured that it wouldn't happen again, with two holes now in each spot.
Yes, added drain holes will help, also a bead of black silicone around the frame rails in the same location (and in front) can prevent water trailing along the main frame rails and finding its way to the carpet.
@chines1 -- Great tip, Carey >> I'll do it. Thanks!
Years ago on a project, I mounted a fire extinguisher in the frunk, ran a line along the same path as the front to rear brake line & into the engine bay, split that with a tee fitting then aimed both line ports L & R in the engine bay. I mounted a small lever w/a safety pin up under the dash. No idea if it worked but, in theory it would.
@Alan Merklin -- Sophisticated! Sounds like a cool setup.
@Quadmod posted:Mounted my fire extinguisher under the dash, pull the pin and gravity helps it drop into your hand. Otherwise pretty discrete.
Mine was mounted under dash as well...on the passenger side. The cannister mounting bracket is zip tied to the frame cross bar (not drilled) and has a single pull strap to release the cannister.
Back when I was a kid (1960’s) my Dad had a bunch of school buses and he put an extinguisher in each one. Amazingly, back then Massachusetts did not require fire extinguishers in school buses, but they have since about 1980 - It just makes sense.
Even more interesting, we would go through one or two extinguishers per year. It was always when the driver stopped to put out a car fire in a passenger car, never in a school bus (which was surprising with the number of high school smokers sitting in the last back seats, thinking they were getting away with something).
It is a little know fact that if the school bus driver cracks his side window open and the last-seat smoker cracks his/her window open, too, the air flow in the bus pulls the smoke scent up forward to the driver in about 2 seconds after lighting up. Works every time. THAT is why you smokers always got caught smoking on the bus. (yes, YOU, Merklin!)
I have an Element mounted between driver-side seat rails.
I also have a fire suppression system in the engine compartment.
