Dear toasted:
What a positively horrible and embarrassing incident.

But what a way to go, it midtown Manhattan under the cameras of the
international media. No wonder the cops thought you were a terrorist.

Heavy duty condolences.

--Gnarlie

Entity robertmstewart spoke thus:

> So yesterday  12.16.03 at 5:30pm I pick up my 89 Carat Vanagon with 150,000
> miles on it from the garage in NYC. Like always it starts right up and
> drives great, 10 minutes later while listening to my new Little Feat CD
> �time loves a hero� we pull past the Rockefeller center area where the big
> Christmas tree is and thousands of tourist visiting the tree and the city.
> 
> I then hear a voice and turn around it�s a Police officer screaming at my
> girlfriend and I that there is smoke coming from the engine!
> 
> I scream out at her to turn the engine off and jump out of the van,  in
> seconds grabbing the fire extinguisher behind the drivers seat.
> 
> I run to the back of the van to see �dark black smoke� billowing out of rear
> drivers side of the van near the oil filter, I crawl down on the cement
> floor of the street and see 6� round sheets of flaming liquid, gas or oil is
> dripping from the center front of the engine, closer to bumper area.
> 
> I then aim the extinguisher at the fire area and hit it, the extinguisher is
> out in 8 seconds! I can�t believe it!... I try again but it�s dead! I just
> purchased the unit in July so it was new and had a full charge. I was blown
> away that this automotive extinguisher would last such a short time.
> 
> So I see this Police officer stand 10� away and hit the van�s outer body! I
> am thinking to myself why is he doing this?  I scream out at him to hand it
> to me, but he then says that it�s out! I ask if any of the 5 Police
> officer�s have any other extinguishers, he says no....  I am absolutely in
> shock at this point. The middle of Rockefeller center with no fire
> extinguishers! What would they do if there was small local fire I am
> thinking!?
> 
> So I am told by the police to Get back!, Get Back! As I am in complete
> amazement and shock as I slowly watch the small flame become bigger and
> grow, my blanket and sleeping bag in the back in the rear of van sitting on
> top of the foam engine pad all start to catch, the entire fire is on the
> drivers side rear of the van where the oil filter is. It grows up the side
> of the van, than melts the interior and exterior vent, and then the ac unit
> melts off, and drops down, but that catches the rest of the van�s interior
> and it just goes, and goes till there is nothing left... Every piece of
> foam, seating material, the steering wheel, even part of the dash and most
> of body panels are melted off.
> 
> The Fire Department finally arrives and puts out the fire with their hoses,
> axes out all of the windows and it just sits in a smoldering smoking dark
> water bath scented by burnt toxic plastic.
> 
> I am interviewed by 2 detectives, they take take my address, and name, ask
> to see my license and ask if  there is anything explosive in the van? I tell
> them just a can engine degreaser that I could hear popped but was no big
> boom.  Then I talk to someone from Rockefeller Center Security, and then 2
> other Police officers, then all of a sudden I see a video camera in front of
> me and two people with press passes hanging on their neck. It�s a major
> Japanese news network and they interview me about what happened and video
> tape the van�s burning and water dousing. Finally I speak to the Fire
> department and I am able to fish out of the rubble my original Vanagon
> silver pouch with my registration and insurance info to give to Fire
> Department captain.
> 
> The Police tell me they are towing the van several blocks away, from their
> it�s my responsibility to get it taken away to salvage yard. So my
> girlfriend and I walk following the van as it is slowly dragged while in
> park, down 5th Ave past Saks fifth avenue�s famous Christmas window. I am
> walking in the street following the van and then loose it. I go home and my
> girlfriend calls the police to find it�s location several times, we
> eventually find it, and I start calling salvage companies to pickup the
> vehicle to take to junk yard. I finally get one of them to come and pick up
> the van for $75 dollars. I go and meet the truck and they tell me they can�t
> take it it�s to badly damaged. So today a day later, I finally found someone
> to take it, the operator says to me... �Yeah I know this van, I have picked
> up 3 of them this year... You have bad fuel line that leaked right?� I
> say... �I think so but I don�t know.�. He then tells me that it�s little
> known fact that the fuel lines go on these vans and most early VW�s. I take
> some photo�s of the toasted vehicle and say goodbye to my beloved 89 Carat
> that for the 6 months that I owned her brought me so much driving joy and
> happiness, camping in it and making wonderful country summer journeys, I
> then decide not to watch him pull off but to walk away and not look back. I
> know she�s gone and my VW dream is gone.
> 
> I had spent 5 years looking for that Blue Carat van, and had it shipped from
> Florida to NY.
> 
> http://www.homepage.mac.com/rmstewart
> 
> (see photo�s of the van and the toasted carat)
> 
> So that�s my long winded story, sorry if it bored you, maybe it even
> entertained you. I learned some lessons, but now my girlfriend tells me she
> does not want me to buy another one cause of the fire so I will look for
> something else, not sure what. Maybe one day I will get another and next
> time put on steel braided fuel lines (if that�s possible).
> 
> Thank you to everyone on the list for your years of advice, and wealth of
> knowledge. Eventually when I have some time I plan on signing off the list
> but until then thanks again for everything.
> 
> Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all.
> 
> Robert
> 89 Carat � Toasted
> NYC