I just got my car ('56 Fairlane Tudor) back from a shop after it was repainted & had a radio mounted under the front seat. On the way home I had some smoke appear under the dash. I pulled over & couldn't find the source but I think there may have been something on the exhaust manifold / headers that may have burned off when the engine got hot. So to play it safe I went out & picked up a fire extinguisher. Now - where should I put it ? I think mounting it under the driver's seat (I still have the original bench) would make it convienent but not sure how easy it would be to pull it out of the supplied bracket. So - where are you guys keeping your fire extinguishers ?
I've always kept mine (two of them!) loose under the back edge of the driver's seat. They don't seem to rattle and they are instantly available for use. Just grab one of 'em, pull the pin, point and pull the lever. If the fire should reignite, you've got a backup fresh and ready to go. Good luck finding the source of your smoke before it get's serious!
I like the loose storage idea as well....it's gotta be handy in a crisis. Wrap it in a towel if it rattles...you can throw the towel off fast, and you'll probably need a towel after you put out a small fire. I've had some cars make some funky smells after paint jobs and engine overhauls....smells that go away after a while. But an electrical burn smell is pretty distinctive. If you're not familiar with it, get some old wires and torch them on the workbench with a gas burner, etc. It pays to know exactly what that smells like. It's pretty awful smelling....unlike the smell of engine paint or other paint getting hot for the first time (which I oddly sort of like).
Im gonna put mine on the trans tunnel. I'm gonna get a tuck and rolled cover for it and everything, so it goes a long with the rest of the interior. I might throw it in the blove compartment aswell, I dunno, there are so many good options! Just keep one in reach!
Just my 2 bits worth here guys. I've made it a habit to try to mount the extinguisher in a position where it can be reached from the drivers seat WHILE WEARING A SEATBELT . My reasoning for this - if it all went horribly wrong and you have a crash/wreck or a rollover you may find you need the extinguisher in a hurry before being able to free yourself from the car. Most often I've mounted the extinguisher to the floor just in front of the drivers seat. My '53 F100 has it mounted to the A pillar - still easy to get at and not so crucial as no 'belts in it.
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