Don�t forget to check out your "other" vehicles.  There was another vehicle
fire out on the road yesterday.  I knew the tow operator and he let me look
at the engine compartment before he hauled it off.  The officer let him hold
for a minute after he told him that I have been doing some private research
into engine fires. (nothing to publish that hasn�t been said in here and
other lists).
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I had an MG Midget for about 11 years. The dual SU carb manifold was right
over the exhaust header pipes.
The carbs mounted through a sheet metal shield that was supposed to keep
fuel from dripping onto the hot manifolds.
One look at this arrangement would scare the hell out of anybody since the
carbs might pop because of low vacuum or stick because of temperature and
any number of things could cause leaks.
They often smelled of fuel leaks but appeared to NOT be leaking.
I saw many of these cars burned out over the years both before I got mine
and after I was driving mine.
Taught me to carry a nice big fire extinguisher and a couple of 2 liter
bottles of club soda (pressurized water source).
Then I found the most scary thing in the world ............ worse than the
possible fuel drips.
The steel brake line was run under the battery.
Right! You got it. I nearly had a terrible wreck when the encrusted rust on
the brake line finally flaked off and emptied my tiny master cylinder and
tiny brake fluid reservoir.
This is just my way of encouraging you guys to reconsider that your VW
busses and Vanagons are still several notches above many OTHER cars in
safety and dependability features.

Stan Wilder
Engine Ceramics
214-352-4931
www.engineceramics.com