Hug your A-Body today, carnage inside

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rhinodart

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The 69 383 4-speed GTS that I have owned for almost 35 years got burned in my house garage last Wednesday. I was charging the battery on my wife's 78 Trans Am and the plug apparently caught fire. I was outside working on my mailbox when I smelled smoke, but when I went inside the flames were already up to the rafters, so there was nothing I could do but call 911. I had a hard-wired industrial power strip on my bench that was installed over 20 years ago and I had several things plugged into it. I had used the car charger in the same plug for years with no problems. I still don't know why it caught fire this time, but please take the time to unplug anything you might leave plugged in. If my example can save just one Mopar then I might feel a little better. I hope to start the restoration over again, as I was within weeks of getting back on the road after 17 years.
 

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I also lost dozens of NOS Dart parts, plus my tools and things I can't even guess I had in the garage over the last 23 years. Here is my baby in better times...
 

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Wow, that's tough to look at, very sorry and I hope the car can be saved.
 
Sorry for the loss. I was told by a body man years ago that after sheet metal is burnt paint will not stay on it.
 
I'm very sorry. I hope you're back on the road before too long. Also good to disconnect the battery to avoid a fire in our old wiring.
 
Painful to look at, for both cars as I'm in "build mode" on a '69 Dart and one of my earlier rides (that my ex took in the divorce back in the mid-80s) was a '74 TransAm.
Just happy that no one was hurt in the fire.
 
Very sorry for the loss glad no one was hurt,that's why i have insurance on my car and i disconnect the battery. Thanks for the tip i always check to make sure everything is off/unplugged before i close the shop.
 
Sorry for your loss. I was told by my insurance company once that if I had a car in the garage and it was sitting on jack stands being worked on that the home insurance would cover it even if I didn't have insurance on the car. Might check in to it.
 
Sorry for your loss. Don't give up on her yet. Take a look at sleepyhead416's resto thread & that should give you some hope!
 
Sorry about those beautiful cars. Good luck with the rebuild on the car AND the house!! Glad you weren't hurt. Hey, it only gets better from here!!
 
Sorry for your loss and hoping you can get 'em back. Please let us know if there's anything we can do to help.
 
Holy crap!!! That sucks. Sorry to see that Jim. That is one of my favorite cars in one of my favorite colors. I just hugged my Demon and thought, Thank God its outside!
 
Man I'm speechless........... I hope things work out for you and she will come back bigger and better. Metal can hold paint after heat. I've rosebudded metal to form it and never had any issues after painting. Keep your chin up and move forward, what's really important is that you and your family are unhurt. Material $&it can be replaced but not family.
 
very sorry for your loss... as others have said, im glad no one was hurt.. things can be replaced.. people cant be.. Good luck with the re-restoration... My Dart is kept in a garage 10 miles from my house.. I think about stuff like this all the time..
 
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