Fire extinguisher

[oz3litre]

Does anyone have any ideas as to how to mount a fire extinguisher in a GT so that it doesn't get in the way in normal driving? I might do a bit of sprinting in future so I will need one. I might remove it for everyday use.

[shiny_car]

I made a custom bracket from aluminium stripping, bolted to the seat bolts. Pretty easy DIY. Doesn't affect seat travel.







I've seen someone use a 'sheet' of aluminium/metal that is simply cut to size and bent on an angle, positioning the extinguisher in a similar position to mine. Simpler than my brackets, and can even buy the sheet from Bunnings.

[Brad M]

I've seen someone use a 'sheet' of aluminium/metal that is simply cut to size and bent on an angle, positioning the extinguisher in a similar position to mine. Simpler than my brackets, and can even buy the sheet from Bunnings.

I had the Aluminium sheet in my GTA and it did the job perfectly, your version looks better ... and would be lighter

[oz3litre]

Good ideas guys. Thanks.

[colcol]

First of all, buy the fire extinguisher, i went around to Repco, Supercheap, Autobahn, Bunnings and checked the extinguishers that first had a steel bracket, plastic ones are a no no, and were of the correct capacity, for sprinting, 1kg?? and that is Australian design standards compliant, not all are.
Then work out which extinguisher will suit your car design best, a too long extiguisher won't fit between the seat runner pressing in the floor and will sit up too high and you won't be able to move your seat forward, a too big in diameter will sit up too high and effect the seat travel as well, so you need to go to these places and try them in your car, when you find the correct one...don't buy it just yet, but check the production date and expiry date, if possible go through them all, and see if they were all the same batch or the newer ones are at the back, just like buying milk from a stupidmarket!, as the expiry date for sprinting is 5 years after the production date?
Then make up a mild steel bracket, the one i made was 25mm, [1 inch] wide and 3mm [one eighth of an inch], thick, i mounted under the seat with 2 - 8mm [five sixteen of an inch] holes drilled in the bracket so it lines up with seat runner mounting holes, the seat will sit up an extra 3 mm at the front, but you won't notice it, now the piece of steel that you puchased will be about 1 metre long, because thats how you buy it, so cut it to length, then cut 2 pieces off at 50mm long and bend them 90 degrees in the middle to look like a bit of 90 angle, weld them on to the bracket on the seat and bolt the extinguisher bracket onto the 2 pieces of 90 degree angle.
The reason i prefer to weld the 2 brackets onto the seat bracket is for strength, if you drill holes in the bracket and the 2 angled brackets, you will weaken it.
I prefer to use mild steel instead of aluminium, is because its stronger for a given size and its easy to weld, in an impact, the fire extinguisher will increase its weight dramaticaly and break any flimsy brackets, so you want it as strong as possible, without going overboard, in an accident the extinguisher will hit the drivers legs, Colin.

[oz3litre]

Good advice about the extinguishers Col. Your bracket sounds good but I am having a bit of trouble picturing how it looks. Do you have one bracket on each side and if so how long is each approximately? Where are the 90 degree bits welded on? Sorry, I am not an engineer.

[Mick A]

I prefer to use mild steel instead of aluminium, is because its stronger for a given size and its easy to weld, in an impact, the fire extinguisher will increase its weight dramaticaly and break any flimsy brackets, so you want it as strong as possible, without going overboard, in an accident the extinguisher will hit the drivers legs, Colin.

If you hit something fast enough to break the aluminium bracket and turn the extinguisher into a projectile, you are probably going to have broken legs anyway from the massive impact you've just had. So probably not something to worry about.

The first response to this thread was the best way to do it. Simple, and effective. I would take Shiny Car's advice and do it that way and not worry too much about little details.

Also, please don't mount it under your seat. Mount it under the passenger seat. I hate seeing fire extinguishers under the drivers legs when I'm scruitineering,  It is a shit place for it.

Remember, the fire extinguisher isn't to put out a fire in your car, it's to help someone else. If there's a fire in your car, you get the fuck out and run.

[oz3litre]

Remember, the fire extinguisher isn't to put out a fire in your car, it's to help someone else. If there's a fire in your car, you get the fuck out and run.

Good point. Having had one of my 75s catch fire on the road, I know exactly what that is like. When you have flames licking round the driver's door the last thing you are thinking about is putting the fire out or switching off the ignition as the firies asked me had I done. I like Shinycar's idea too and putting it under the passenger's seat sounds sensible. Back in my drag racing days I mounted my extinguisher on the passenger's door pillar of my Beetle. As far as the age of the extinguisher goes, our sprinting supp regs say it should be serviced every three years.

[krysRAW = AROCA-Vic PR =]

Might be a silly question, but then again I haven't done sprints before:

Does the extinguisher have to be in the cabin? I have a 1kg one mounted on the side, inside my boot.

[colcol]

Back in the olden days, when i was sprinting, the rules for mounting the fire extinguisher were, that it had to be able to be reached by the driver while sitting in the drivers seat, this was to stop fire extinguishers being mounted in the boot, glovebox or engine bay, and that if someone got to the car to put out a fire, then they would find in close proximetry to the driver, the mounting backets had to be good to stop the extinguisher becoming a projectile, Colin.

[Mick A]

Might be a silly question, but then again I haven't done sprints before:

Does the extinguisher have to be in the cabin? I have a 1kg one mounted on the side, inside my boot.

To actually answer your question for you...

Yes. In the cabin, within reach and able to be retrieved without unclipping from your harness.

Cheers and see you at the track soon. Hope these replies have given you the answers you seek.

[shiny_car]

First of all, buy the fire extinguisher, i went around to Repco, Supercheap, Autobahn, Bunnings and checked the extinguishers that first had a steel bracket, plastic ones are a no no, and were of the correct capacity, for sprinting, 1kg?? and that is Australian design standards compliant, not all are.

Mine happens to be from Bunnings. It is also 'CAMS Approved', which I believe includes a metal bracket.

You should be right if it's CAMS Approved.

I have this paranoia, that I may be unable to get out of the driver's seat and need to reach my extinguisher (hence prefer it mounted under the driver's seat). Granted, I'm likely to be up pooh pooh creek under such circumstances, but you know...

[colcol]

And you know you should take it out regulary and give it a good shake, [the fire extinguisher], as the powder compacts and it won't come out, strangely, never had a car go up in flames, but twice in my life, i have put other cars out, just driving along, and they have always said they will buy me a new one......but never did!, but you don't think of theses things when you see a car go up, but it reinforces in your mind that an extinguisher is a good thing to have.
I used to see Alfa 33's in wreckers with the under bonnet burnt out, due to petrol hoses leaking, because of old age and the JTS is not unknown for catching fire with its high pressure fuel injection and the V-6, remember that clip on youtube of a 147GTA going up?, Colin.

[oz3litre]

So would it be deemed within reach of the driver without unclipping from the harness if it is under the passenger's seat?

[Evan Bottcher]

Mine is in front of the passenger seat mounts (occasionally I do mount a passenger seat, too!).  I can't reach mine while strapped in with my harness on, and I've thought about moving it closer for that reason.  My mounting location does pass scrutiny. 

From the cams manual:

1.1 HAND-HELD FIRE EXTINGUISHERS:
(i) must remain restrained under an acceleration of 25G;
(ii) must be capable of removal by the driver (or crew, where applicable) without the aid of tools.