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Minxy
Joined: 22 Sep 2010 Posts: 272 Location: West Northants
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Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2019 1:56 pm Post subject: Pyrene fire extinguishers |
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Good day all.
My latest must have for each of my cars but there does seem to be lots of variation on the theme. There are brass ones, polished ones, Chrome ones, etc etc. Now as I tend to be rather anal when it comes to accessorising can you kindly gents give me the lo-down on the type/style that would have been fitted to a early fifties and later fifties car (if not the same)
Thanking you kindly _________________ Hillman minx convertible. Lanchester LD 10 |
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Rick Site Admin
Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22438 Location: UK
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Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2019 11:28 pm Post subject: |
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It just so happens that on the floor behind me I have a near-immaculate Pyrene fire extinguisher, bought somewhere a few months ago (complete with the bracket, which is harder to find than the extinguisher itself). There are a few others around here, but this is the closest - it's a chrome one, and is dated 1955, so would be correct for a car of that era.
Or were the large ones more often found in commercial vehicles at this point in time, with smaller extinguishers making it into cars?
RJ _________________ Rick - Admin
Home:https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk
Videos:https://www.youtube.com/user/oldclassiccarRJ/videos
OCC & classic car merchandise (Austin, Ford ++):
https://www.redbubble.com/people/OldClassicCar/shop |
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Norseman
Joined: 09 Jan 2019 Posts: 78 Location: Essex UK
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Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2019 4:58 pm Post subject: |
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The larger versions were always found in the cabs of London buses (RT/RTL/RTW) but as the chemical was very efficient in removing oil stains from clothing the partial discharge Pyrenes were replaced with total discharge items as strangely enough an empty extinguisher isn't a lot of good in fighting a fire
I have a smaller chrome version (empty) somewhere, one of these days I'll dig it out & see if it's dated. _________________ 1987 classic Range Rover Vouge
1998 E39 523i SE sedan
A great many models have served me well since the 'sixties, all of them old & some even older than me. |
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winchman
Joined: 21 Feb 2014 Posts: 235 Location: Merseyside
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Posted: Fri May 10, 2019 5:43 pm Post subject: |
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I take it you know the stuff in side is very toxic? _________________ It will come in handy even if you never use it. |
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Norseman
Joined: 09 Jan 2019 Posts: 78 Location: Essex UK
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Posted: Fri May 10, 2019 7:48 pm Post subject: |
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winchman wrote: | I take it you know the stuff in side is very toxic? |
'Oh yes, carbon tech..... (forgotten how to spell!) Used in bulk at dry cleaners, or always used to be in the days when I used to carry it in road tankers. _________________ 1987 classic Range Rover Vouge
1998 E39 523i SE sedan
A great many models have served me well since the 'sixties, all of them old & some even older than me. |
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Bitumen Boy
Joined: 26 Jan 2012 Posts: 1735 Location: Above the snow line in old Monmouthshire
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Posted: Fri May 10, 2019 8:33 pm Post subject: |
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Norseman wrote: | winchman wrote: | I take it you know the stuff in side is very toxic? |
'Oh yes, carbon tech..... (forgotten how to spell!) Used in bulk at dry cleaners, or always used to be in the days when I used to carry it in road tankers. |
Carbon tetrachloride? Another of those useful and supposedly hugely dangerous things that have been banned although they probably killed far fewer people than knife-wielding thugs... I suspect it's akin to asbestos in that while it's undoubtedly dangerous if handled carelessly, if it was as dangerous as some people claim it to be it would have affected a lot more people than seems to be the case. |
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roverdriver
Joined: 18 Oct 2008 Posts: 1210 Location: 100 miles from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Posted: Sat May 11, 2019 7:35 am Post subject: |
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I certainly agree with you, Bitumen Boy. Carbon Tetrachloride was a useful product for the dry-cleaning industry, and I have a vague memory that it was used in cinemas for cleaning film. I wonder how many dry cleaning workers who used it wisely had ill effects?
Re the extinquishers, I have only seen brass ones in commercial vehicles here in Oz. Perhaps the plated versions were more expensive. _________________ Dane- roverdriver but not a Viking. |
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Keith D
Joined: 16 Oct 2008 Posts: 1129 Location: Upper Swan, Western Australia
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Posted: Sat May 11, 2019 10:14 am Post subject: |
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I seem to remember during my apprenticeship at Ekco in Southend, having to dip baskets of steel parts in a huge tank of bubbling Carbon tet to remove all traces of oil and grease. The fumes were very heady. We were definitely given no protective gear to wear. That was back in the early sixties.
Keith _________________ 1926 Chrysler 60 tourer
1932 Austin Seven RN long wheelbase box sedan
1950 Austin A40 tourer
1999 BMW Z3
Its weird being the same age as old people.
You are either part of the problem or part of the solution |
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alastairq
Joined: 14 Oct 2016 Posts: 1950 Location: East Yorkshire
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Posted: Sat May 11, 2019 10:22 am Post subject: |
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Thawpit, anyone? _________________ Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
----------------------------------------------
Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces. |
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Penman
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4755 Location: Swindon, Wilts.
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Posted: Sat May 11, 2019 10:53 am Post subject: |
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Hi
alastairq wrote: | Thawpit, anyone? |
Thanks for reminding me of that name.
Glass, wide necked, bottle with with an appllcator pad wedged in the top of it. and very useful for spot/small area cleaning. _________________ Bristols should always come in pairs.
Any 2 from:-
Straight 6
V8 V10 |
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Phil - Nottingham
Joined: 01 Jan 2008 Posts: 1252 Location: Nottingham
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Posted: Tue May 14, 2019 7:19 am Post subject: |
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Whilst the fumes are not good for you when used as a degreaser using Carbon Tetra Chloride (CTC) in fire extinguishers is deadly. Right up to the later 70s car, domestic and commercial extinguishers used this stuff.
When heated in a fire it creates Hydrogen Cyanide gas (HCN) which is deadly in minutes if breathed in
The old Pyrene ones were CTC but other stuff could be used or just water or wet water _________________ Rover P2
Rover P4
Rover P5 & P5B
Land Rover S2 & S3
Morris Mini Traveller Mk2 |
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Minxy
Joined: 22 Sep 2010 Posts: 272 Location: West Northants
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Posted: Tue May 14, 2019 9:12 am Post subject: |
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Thanks all for your input.
I have managed to pick one up quite cheap, mainly I think because it is in ‘as found’ condition and not polished to within an inch of its life. I have since found out that most are date stamped around the collar where the plunger enters so I have one that is dated 1956 so it sits in the Minx a treat.
I have no intention whatever of using it for its intended purpose, I carry a regular foam extinguisher in the car although in practice, after seeing more than one car burn, it is doubtful it would ever be used! I’m in the ‘let it burn camp’.
As a laboratory technician (retired) I am acutely aware of the dangers of carbon tetrachloride although like a lot of similar chemicals it is perfectly safe when handled correctly- much like a sharp knife really. _________________ Hillman minx convertible. Lanchester LD 10 |
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