Topic: I hope this isn't anyone's burnt W116 here in NSW

[chinny4290]

I hope this wasn't anyone's W116 here...let alone, someone caught in the recent bushfires in NSW.

Was writing a news article about it and searching the Getty Images database and I saw this burn W116. I know there's a strong Australian presence here.



Sad loss for a W116 but i hope whoever it belonged to, they made out OK as that's more important. Again, hope it wasn't anyone here

[ptashek]

Seems to be a 6.9 as well.
Never mind the car though, I too hope everyone made it out OK.

[nathan]

cmon PT, thats not a 6.9, steel wheels!    interesting though, do you think the springs would melt and thats why it dropped or is it just because the tyres are gone?

[ptashek]

cmon PT, thats not a 6.9, steel wheels!    interesting though, do you think the springs would melt and thats why it dropped or is it just because the tyres are gone?

Dunno, the way it dropped made me think it could be a 6.9, i.e. springs would somewhat support the car still, unlike a cooked-out strut.
Doesn't really matter; 6.9 or not, someone had a really bad day.

[floyd111]

At the same time, somewhere out there may be a celebrative wife with college-heading kids 

[TJ 450]

With all the rubber components gone, that would probably cause it to drop like that.

Quite a sad sight.

Tim

[UTn_boy]

Well, don't rule out the fact that it could have been a standard 6 cylinder or v-8 model that had the optional hydraulic suspension.  Nor would it be the first time someone put steel wheels and hub caps on a 6.9. 

[UTn_boy]

Well, don't rule out the fact that it could have been a standard 6 cylinder or v-8 model that had the optional hydraulic suspension.  Nor would it be the first time someone put steel wheels and hub caps on a 6.9.  (You'd be surprised how much hate there is for the Bundt wheels). 

[Squiggle Dog]

I wonder if coil springs will collapse with the weight of the car on them when there is enough heat.

[UTn_boy]

I wonder if coil springs will collapse with the weight of the car on them when there is enough heat.

Yes and no.  Yes because with enough heat any metal will soften.  No because if the surrounding fire had caused enough heat to melt the springs the sheet metal on the car would have distorted/melted.  It takes a lot more heat to affect the springs in this regard than sheet metal.  Then again, given the situation I'd imagine the fire caused all of the rubber pads atop the springs to melt.  Combine that with flat/melted tires and it might look like this.  It's so hard to tell from this one picture. 

[s class]

I once bought a 280S that had suffered an engine bay fire.  The heat had been so I tense that the tyres and rubbers had all melted out, and the left front spring had softened and shortened to the point that it fell out when I tried to move the car.  The body panels in the area had also distorted, but not as severely as one might expect.  It had been a very clean low miles car, and I got lots of nice rear end panels and trim off it.