What kind of fire extinguisher should I get and where should I mount it?

First off all, it's important to know that you do need a fire extinguisher in your Ferrari. They are required for track events, but even if you don't plan on running your car on a track, it's a small price to pay for the protection they offer.

The general consensus among Ferrari owners is that a Halon fire extinguisher is the best for your Ferrari. Halon is a special type of gas that removes oxygen from the area around a fire, but that will not harm metal or electrical components like the more common chemicals found most fire extinguishers. Halon is a bit more expensive than standard extinguishers, but well worth the extra cost. You can find Halon extinguishers at most motorsports stores, or you can check the nwrfca.org Resources Page for mail order information of Halon distributors.

When you consider mounting your extinguisher, keep in mind that you'll want it accessible quickly in the event of a fire. You may want to purchase the kind of system that is installed in the engine bay, with a trigger somewhere in the cockpit. Some of these systems have automatic triggers that engage the extinguisher system once a certain temperature in the engine bay has been exceeded. Most Ferrari owners, however, purchase hand-held units that mount either behind the driver's seat, on the floor above the emergency brake lever on the driver's side, or just in front of the brackets that bolt the passenger seat to the floor. A Web page that shows how to build a passenger-side under-seat mounting bracket for the 308 (which can be easily modified to fit other Ferrari models) has been created by Mike Charness at http://www.weatherlysystems.com/raceprep/.

Contributions to this FAQ by: Steve Jenkins