8/24: Melted van

Undertoad • Aug 24, 2001 11:25 am
Image

Those brush fires are hot. The van shown here was left in one, and it mostly MELTED DOWN to a pool of aluminum - check out the flow of metal in the foreground.
dave • Aug 24, 2001 1:04 pm
shit. i was wondering where my van went... :)
Whit • Aug 24, 2001 11:30 pm
Is it just me or does this 'van' look like an ice cream truck? Oh well, at least I know that jerk that made us chase him an extra block finally got what was coming to him.
elSicomoro • Aug 24, 2001 11:41 pm
What the hell was in the van? Meth? I've seen burnt out hulls of cars and vans, but I've never seen an automobile burn like that...I mean, are the fires burning THAT hot?
CyclopONE • Aug 25, 2001 3:12 am
Originally posted by sycamore
I've never seen an automobile burn like that...I mean, are the fires burning THAT hot?

Syc,

Aluminum needs about 1200 degrees F to melt. Add the possibility of gasoline being in the vehicle, and it can add more fuel to the fire (pun intended) and melt the thing down.

-Cyc
Slight • Aug 25, 2001 10:55 am
Whit thanks for pointing out it looks like a ice cream truck. I couldn't figure out what it was befores.

I think it is interesting that the right side mirror is still intact but the frame that is supposed to be holding it up is mostly gone. it must be made of a different metal. I think some trucks/vans like these are made by grumman (sic) the aircraft manufacturer so it would not surprise me if it was made out of Al ewh min E uhm.
dynamo • Aug 27, 2001 3:11 pm
Originally posted by Slight
Al ewh min E uhm.


it took me several episodes of junkyard wars before I figured out that Al-ewh-min-E-uhm was, in fact, just aluminium.

dynamo
elSicomoro • Aug 27, 2001 8:23 pm
Cyc, thanks for the info. I wasn't sure of the melting point of Aluminum. I actually thought it was higher.