I have not seen many fire extinguishers in Cougars, but I am curious if the members here recommend having one mounted in the car. Any horror stories of carb/engine fires out there? Where do you mount your extinguisher and what do you recommend?
Cheers!
I have one in the back floor of the car. I have not mounted it and probably won’t. It’s better to have and not need, than to need and not have! I am more scared of electrical fires than engine fires. Be sure to get the HalGuard Clean Agent extinguisher. If you ever have to use it, it won’t leave the nasty film/residue that other extinguishers leave behind.
I got mine from Summit Racing…
I too would like to mount a fire extinguisher inside my Cougar. Not a huge one, but one that would do the job if needed. I also understand/hear that a halon fire extinguisher is better to use than any other. I think inside the driving compartment would be best over mounting it in the trunk. Also, if the need ever arises and your hood is down, don’t open the hood to put out a fire. Just put the hose into the grille and try to put it out that way. I have a console in my Cougar so mounting one there is not an option. Maybe down on the passenger side kick panel.
I have one, unmounted, behind the front seat.
I really ought to mount it as, although I try to ensure its secure, a lose extinguisher in a heavily braking or rolling car could be lethal if it hit your head.
Once had a weird fuel line leak from a loose clamp and another had a burst ps line spray the engine down with fluid and smoke like crazy.
Anyway, after those incidents I got an extinguisher, mounted it in the passenger side just below the console (so I could reach it if the car flipped and I was belted in), and made sure it was charged, the inspection wasn’t out on it, etc. twice a year.
It’s really cheap insurance.
Andy, we need a like button. You are actually more likely to use the extinguisher on someone else’s car. But you can’t do anything if it has lost its cahrge.
I just put stuff like that on my biannual maintenance list. I have to service my zero turn mower and generator twice a year. so I include all the fire extinguishers in that.
It also helps to use one, if you haven’t, to put out a fire made from Class A and B fuels, just to get a feel for what it’s like to use one.
My fuel leak fire was put out by a cop who had pulled me over to hassle me. The fuel line was leaking at the carb inlet, and had puddled fuel on the intake. I started the car and fwoof! I jerked the hood up on it and he came running with an extinguisher.
It was just a weird thing where the hose started leaking while I was driving. I smelled gas and was 2 blocks from my place where I was mentally planning to check it out. But I didn’t get that far.
After that, I figured I better have one. Things happen.
I too keep an extinguisher in my car and have been trying to dream up a nice looking way to mount it in the interior. If anyone has ideas, please be sure to share them.
I have a Halotron extinguisher in the trunk. I used to have one mounted like Andy described (on “Cleveland Rocks”), but have not come up with a good way on Isabel that does not involve drilling mounting holes in the floor - so it stays in the trunk.
On the Hero, mine’s in the trunk for all the same reasons… no good alternative inside. In all my other cars, I have one under the seat. So far, I’ve spent two of them on hopeflessly stranded motorists’ cars on my commute to or from work.
Mine’s just rolling around on the floor like everyone else here. This thread has a couple of good ideas. I like the mount behind the driver’s seat.
If you don’t have a console you can mount it just under the dash in the middle. A co-work did that on his Chevy II with a custom made bracket that looks real nice. You can just barely see the bottom of the extinguisher under the dash. I have one next to me in the race car but not the best option for a daily driver.
I guess I have a little different perspective on the fire extinguishers as I work in the Fire Service and I’m a SC State Licensed Fire Extinguisher Technician. My first suggestion is that which ever clean agent extinguisher you purchase make sure it carries a Class A, B and C rating. Then figure mounting it in a ready available place, this is a must. I have mine mounted to a piece of core-form plastic. I sit it on the rear floor behind the drivers seat. The plastic keeps it from rolling around and I can easily remove it at a show, bracket and all.
Here is a mounted picture.
It was stated in a previous post to discharge the extinguisher through the grille and not open the hood. This might work in some cases but the chances of extinguishing a fire like this is very slim. In the event of a engine compartment fire (or any fire) you will need to reach the seat of the fire with the extinguishing agent. Fire extinguishers are best suited for the incipient phase (beginning stage) of fire.
Here is a extinguisher that I’d recommend, the Amerex Halotron I.
I hope this information helps.
Steven
Where does one get “core form” plastic Steven? Good idea, BTW!
Bob and sign shop should carry it. Most likely they have scraps/leftovers from different sign jobs that can be purchased for little or nothing. I pick up my piece from our construction department where I work on my days off from the Fire Department. It was in the scrap bin getting ready for it’s trip to the dumpster. So I repurposed it. 
I figured it was better than a block of wood.
Steven
As someone who had their very first car ('73 Mercury Capri) burn to the ground due to a gas leak, I can tell you that trying to put out an engine fire without opening the hood is useless.
I was in the Air Force at the time and won the Chernobyl Meltdown Award at that years open mess since it melted into the asphalt.
Why not mount it under the back seat? It can pop out/open real quick for access and it would be invisible if you did not know it was there.
The only bad point of leaving it loose inside the car. If you get into an accident it becomes a flying projectile inside the car. Not something I would want hitting me in the head during an accident. could also break the valve which most likely would be my luck. Get in an accident the car is on fire and the vale broke off the extinguisher 
Small fire extinguisher in the same place on each side - driver side and passenger side. Thankfully, never needed them!
This is great! I just ordered the Black H3R Performance HG100B. But what is the bracket you used for this on the driver/passenger side? Can you please share…
Thanks