Burning Magnums, Tell Me This Ain't True!!

[Big Red Ram]

My strp dad was talking to a buddy (both CHP Officers) and he was told that Michigan was crash testing the Mags and said that all of them caught on fire upon impact!! Can anyone shed light on this?? I remember seeing DC gloat about the safety of the Magnum, showing one hit in the rear at 50mph and staying intact. He also said that (the buddy) he worked a minor accident and the Mag burned up. Now, maybe he's confused, because I heard that the Crown Vics have that prob and are being sued by several different PD's over that. Can anyone help?? I want him to get that Magnum!!

[E8502]

I think he's thinking of the flaming 'Treps frm way back.

[mikeyb]

I believe this is what he heard. A while back DC was testing a modified Magnum for police use. Note, this car was a prototype and probably had a bunch of test equipment inside. The driver lost it on the test track, the car went off the track and rolled several times. There was a small fire.
No known issues with the production Magnum.
Can't say the same for the Ford Crown Vic.

MikeyB

[E8502]

Yeah, either way, the LX's are safer then the Crown Vic's.

[Fred]

I've seen the crown vic test, and what they use as a "test instrument" it's an axe with some screwdrivers and a crow-bar all welded together aimed at the gas tank... So how someone could be taken serious after making a claim with one of those in the trunk is far beyond my comprehension...

[lawdog2k]

don't know about the Mag's but the Crown Vic only caught fire when it was loaded with all the radio equipment, etc.. in the trunk. I drove one in my line of work for several years and was never worried because I didn't have any of the big electronics equipment in the trunk. The weight and size of the equipment gets pushed INTO the trunk floor which pushes the tank retention bolts for the strap INTO the tank. and kabloom. No equipment no kabloom.

[Dr Bonz]

I think he's thinking of the flaming 'Treps frm way back.

The Flaming Treps? They were a GREAT band. Are they touring again? :lol:

[hemi operator]

I'm not sure what happened to this Crown Vic, but if a Magnum could come out of the same accident looking like this, with the passenger compartment still intact, I'd be very impressed!

[Dr Bonz]

Does the "police package" have anything special that the regular Crown Vic doesn't though? Like some added reinforcement of the passenger compartment?

[FStephenMasek]

This was posted elsewhere here back in March of 2004:





[i]Auburn Hills, February 6 - Mark Chernoby, Vice President, Advanced Engineering Technology, shows journalists how the Chrysler Group's 2005 Dodge Magnum withstood a 50 mph rear impact test - -a test that is two years ahead of a federal government requirement, during a safety briefing at Chrysler GROUP headquarters. [/i

[Dr Bonz]

Can you say WHIPLASH!

[lawdog2k]

As far I know, the Interceptor does not have any extra reinforcement in the cab or chassis for that matter. It did have terriffic brakes which I changed for the first time at 117,000 miles and still had 1/2 pad left. It has a certified accurate speedometer and some extra coolers for the fluids. Other stuff cosmetically different, but not any structural difference as far as I know.