The fire a race car or hot rod is most likely to have is a fuel fire. Gasoline or methanol from a split line, oil or brake fluid on a hot header, a chafed harness shorting behind the dash — that hazard is Class B and Class C, and almost never Class A. It is exactly the duty Purple K was formulated for, which is why the smallest extinguishers Amerex builds in Purple K keep showing up strapped to roll bars and firewalls: the 1 lb 376T and its chrome twin the 376TC, and the 2.5 lb 377, B410T, and chrome B410TC.
This is the specification sheet for that family — UL ratings and Amerex item numbers for all five models, what the T suffix actually puts in the box, and the replacement bracket and service part numbers straight from the Amerex Parts Book. Sanctioning bodies write their own rules; this page gives you the Amerex data to match against your rulebook.
Five models, two suffixes
Amerex model numbers carry the configuration in the suffix. A T means the unit ships with a vehicle bracket in the box instead of a wall hanger. A C after it means the cylinder is chrome rather than red. (The full suffix system — TS, NM, CG, G, R — is covered in our guide to decoding Amerex model numbers.)
The small Purple K vehicle family reads cleanly: the 376T is 1 lb with the bracket included, the 376TC is the same unit in chrome, the B410T and B410TC are the 2.5 lb pair, and the 377 is a distinct 2.5 lb Purple K model that ships with a wall bracket instead of a vehicle one, per Amerex's catalog — the pick when mounting is solved separately.
The family, side by side
| Model | Amerex item no. | Capacity | UL rating | Finish | Bracket in box | Discharge time | Initial range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 376T | 27540 | 1 lb | 2B:C | Red | Vehicle | 8.5 sec | 5–8 ft |
| 376TC | 27653 | 1 lb | 2B:C | Chrome | Vehicle | 8.5 sec | 5–8 ft |
| 377 | 27541 | 2.5 lb | 10B:C | Red | Wall | 8.5 sec | 5–8 ft |
| B410T | 15250 | 2.5 lb | 10B:C | Red | Vehicle | 9.5 sec | 9–15 ft |
| B410TC | 15256 | 2.5 lb | 10B:C | Chrome | Vehicle | 9.5 sec | 9–15 ft |
Every unit here is Purple K — potassium bicarbonate dry chemical. All figures are Amerex's published catalog data; the chrome models are the optional chrome cylinder on the same listed model.
The step from 1 lb to 2.5 lb is bigger than it looks: the rating goes from 2B:C to 10B:C — five times the numerical Class B rating. If your rulebook states a minimum rating rather than a minimum weight, that difference usually decides the order. The two 2.5 lb models even differ in throw: Amerex lists the B410T's initial range at 9–15 feet against the 377's 5–8. And at 8.5 to 9.5 seconds of discharge time, you are buying seconds of agent, not minutes — plan your escape first.
Why Purple K is the motorsports agent
Amerex's current portable extinguisher catalog describes the agent directly: Purple K extinguishers "contain specially fluidized and siliconized potassium bicarbonate dry chemical that is particularly effective on Class B flammable liquids, pressurized gases, and Class C electrical fires. It is electrically nonconductive." Every model on this page carries a B:C listing (our UL ratings guide unpacks the notation), and a race car with no carpet, no upholstery, and no cargo has essentially no Class A load, so Purple K's missing Class A rating costs nothing here. The catalog also lists the line's temperature range as −65°F to 120°F, which covers a car that overwinters in an unheated shop.
The chemistry difference matters again at recharge time. ABC is an acidic-base chemical and Purple K an alkaline base, and Amerex's service manual warns against ever combining them: "Mixing ABC (acidic base) with Regular, Purple-K, Super-K or Monnex (alkaline base) dry chemicals may result in a chemical reaction capable of developing a dangerous pressure buildup." The full agent comparison, with published UL ratings at every size, is in our Purple K vs ABC guide.
What the T suffix ships with — and the Parts Book page behind it
Amerex's hand portable owner's manual instructs: "Use the mounting bracket furnished with the extinguisher or an approved Amerex vehicle bracket if required." For the T models, the furnished bracket is a vehicle bracket, and the Parts Book's vehicle bracket page tells you exactly which one fits what — and what to order when a bracket is lost or moves to another car.
For the 1 lb units, the Parts Book lists the 845: "Vehicle Bracket (Red) - All 1 lb., 1¼, 1.4 lb. Aluminum Valve Models." The same page lists the 845B in black and the two-strap 845S, "Vehicle Bracket (Red) 2 Strap," for the same models. The two-strap version captures the cylinder at two points instead of one — the one to consider on a car that sees real vibration.
For the 2.5 lb models, the bracket page lists the red vehicle/marine bracket for "All 2½ lb., 3 lb. Aluminum Valve Models" — the 817 family, with the two-strap 817S available for the same cylinders. Two bracket wear items sit on the same page: the 03412 pad, listed as "Rubber Pad - ½” x 1½”" for the 817, 818, 808, 821, 845, 846, 889, and 889HB brackets, and the 01264 rivet for the same eight. When an 845 strap itself is torn or stretched, the replacement is Amerex's 06070 strap assembly with rivet, sold as its own item number.
Strength is not left to judgment either. The owner's manual states: "UL specifies that a hanging device must withstand a vertical force of five times the weight of the charged extinguisher but not less than 100 pounds." A bungee cord or a plastic clip does not meet the standard the extinguisher was listed with.
Chrome for the show field, red for the track
The chrome C models are the same extinguisher underneath. Same capacity, same agent, same UL rating — Amerex's catalog carries chrome as an optional cylinder on these models rather than a separate specification, and Amerex's own item list describes the B410TC simply as the 2.5 lb Purple K in chrome. You are choosing a finish, not a specification.
So the decision is about where the car lives. On a show car, an engine-turned firewall, or a polished bay, the chrome 376TC or B410TC is jewelry that happens to be a listed fire extinguisher. On a track car, painted red is the traditional answer: it is the color a corner worker recognizes in a hurry, and scrutineers are reading the nameplate and the mounting, not the plating.
The rulebook comes first
SCCA, NHRA, NASA, and the vintage and autocross organizations each publish their own onboard fire protection rules. Those requirements differ between bodies and change between rulebook editions, and a tech inspector's reading is the one that counts — verify your class's current rulebook before ordering; this guide supplies the numbers to check against it. If your class demands more than 2.5 lb, the same logic continues up the line with the 5 lb B479T and its chrome twin, the B479TC.
Once mounted, keep it legal to its own listing: Amerex calls for the extinguisher to be "inspected at regular intervals (monthly or more often if circumstances dictate)" — verify it is in place, charged, undamaged, and that the pull pin and tamper seal are intact. A race car that sits all winter deserves that check before the first event, not after.
Service parts differ by model — match the number
The 376, 377, and B410 share one Parts Book parts list with the B416 and B417, but their metering parts are model-specific — ordering by capacity alone goes wrong here. From that list:
| Part | 376 (1 lb) | 377 (2.5 lb) | B410 (2.5 lb) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nozzle | 12494 (.076 SHORT) | 27604 (.120 5.5°) | 01276-P (.120) |
| Downtube/retainer assembly | 06069 | 01075 | 06212 |
| Gauge | 27611-P, "Gauge - 125 PSI for 376" | 03103-P, "Gauge - 195 PSI" | 03103-P, "Gauge - 195 PSI" |
The two 2.5 lb Purple K models are genuinely different builds — different nozzles, different downtubes — which shows up in their published ranges above. And the gauge split is not arbitrary: Amerex's catalog puts the 376's nominal operating pressure at 125 PSIG where the 377 and B410 run at 195 PSIG. When a nozzle goes missing at the track or a gauge lens gets cracked, order by your model number off the nameplate, not by capacity.
What we stock
The vehicle-mount Purple K family — the 376T and chrome 376TC at 1 lb, the B410T and chrome B410TC at 2.5 lb, and the wall-bracket 377. The full agent line is in the Purple K collection, and every truck- and fleet-suitable unit we carry is in Vehicle & Fleet.
Brackets and mounting parts — the 845, black 845B, and two-strap 845S for the 1 lb cylinders; the 817 and 817S for the 2.5 lb cylinders; plus the 03412 pad, 01264 rivet, and 06070 strap assembly that keep them serviceable. More small-cylinder mounting options are in Small Extinguisher Brackets 1–3 lb.
When the hazard outgrows this family — the 5 lb B479T and chrome B479TC, and beyond them the high performance Purple K line.
Building to a rulebook and want a second set of eyes on the model match? Send us the requirement and we'll come back with options, pricing and lead time — request a quote.
Sources
Model capacities, UL ratings, item numbers, included brackets, discharge times, initial ranges, operating pressures, temperature range, and the Purple K agent description above are taken from the Amerex Corporation Portable Fire Extinguisher Catalog. Bracket and service part fitment is quoted from the Amerex Parts Book (1–5 lb dry chemical fixed-nozzle parts list and the vehicle and vehicle/marine bracket page). Mounting and bracket strength language is quoted from Amerex's Owner's Manual for Hand Portable Extinguishers (No. 27794). Inspection and dry chemical mixing language is quoted from Amerex's Owner's Service Manual for stored pressure hand portable dry chemical extinguishers (No. 05602), which directs installation, inspection and maintenance in accordance with NFPA-10 and local authorities having jurisdiction. Chrome model item numbers are from Amerex's current item list. Before you buy for a sanctioned event, confirm the requirement against your organization's current rulebook and your tech inspector, and confirm any critical specification against the extinguisher's own label, Amerex's current documentation, and a qualified fire protection professional or your authority having jurisdiction.
ShopAmerex.com is owned and operated by Centurion Holdings Group LLC, an independent authorized distributor of Amerex Corporation products. We sell equipment and factory OEM service parts — we do not perform inspection, service, hydrostatic testing or recharging.