The real problem with fires due to rear end collisions in Pintos (or classic
Mustangs) is that the gas tank is mounted in the trunk by dropping the tank
through an opening in the body and bolting it down.This is common on many
makes, including BMW. In the event of a rupture the only thing between the
passengers and the flaming fuel is the press board trunk floor and maybe the
rear seat cushion, neither of which have any strength or structural integrity.
As a result there have been some horrible deaths. There was one of those "Oh
my God!" scare stories on one of the docu-drama shows (48 Hours, 20-20) about
how dangerous the classic Mustang is in this regard. The good news for those
folks is that somebody makes a retro fit steel bulkhead to be bolted in behind
the rear seat cushion to keep flaming fuel out of the passenger compartment.
The good news for us 'B owners is that our tanks are bolted under a steel
floor and furthermore there is a steel bulkhead between the passenger
compartment and the trunk. Not so good, perhaps, is that it might be possible
for flaming fuel to come up through the battery cover if its not secure. Food
for thought. Cheers, Andy Blackley
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