Future Classics and Design Icons

[Dan6457]

Ouch what was wrong with the cavalier?

[Chris Hawes]

My DeLorean has been my ONLY car since Nov '06. I sometimes use my wife's car as that isn't in the garage for some small runs. For ALL of the long journeys (800 mile round trip to Cornwall and back the weekend before last) we use the DeLorean because of the Sat Nav, ability to watch/listen to movies and of course the fun factor.

Providing you know your car well enough condition wise there is no reason whatsoever that I can see why it can't be treated like a new car. My fully comp policy (limitless mileage and class 1 business use) with Adrian Flux is £350 per year so why would I want to tax and insure a cheap run around when the MOT/parts/servicing/insurance/tax of a second vehicle could be spent fuelling the DeLorean and have change...

My car was doing 25mpg for the Cornwall trip (aircon on and carrying lots of luggage and a passenger). It also went to Land's End (I wonder if it is a DeLorean first?)

Just my 5 pence

[Flux Capacitor]

Cool, I too will use my D as my main car when I get it.

Did you get a lot of looks, points and crowds on that road trip?

[Chris Hawes]

LOTS of that plus people politely asking to take pictures. Lots of pointing from cars whilst on the move too.

[Flux Capacitor]

That must be so great! It would be sooo cool!

[stunned_monkey]

Claire Usher Wrote:If I wanted to drive stupidly and illegally fast, I certainly wouldnt do it in
a car that was nearly 30 years old - I'd take one of my bosses Merc's out
for a thrash instead :wink:

Not wishing to piddle on the pyrotechnics here, and I'm sure Rob is very
pleased with the work done, so please dont get me wrong, its just my 2pth

I was always going to put a 3 litre turbo into a DeLorean because it's the "ultimate" PRV (production anyway) but after working on Tony Smith's GTA, I abandoned that idea for the simple fact that it's waaaay too powerful for a DeLorean without serious modifications. The 2.5's are more readily available as donors and make the car properly quick without being totally insane. The 3 litre turbo PRV pushes as much torque at 2500rpm as an Audi R8 at 4500rpm. The accelleration is savage and the brakes, suspension and chassis need to be up to the task. My Venturi has 315mm discs and M3 calipers up front for example.

Rob's finances were tight on this project and after his very first test run immediately went and spent more money on suspension upgrades in the form of new shocks and DPNW's roll bar kit - this was in addition to high temperature kevlar brake pads, stainless flexi hoses, a new servo, recent master cylinder and DOT5.1 fluid, Ed's stiffer lower front springs plus the fact that the entire chassis had been dismantled and reassembled - we know everything is sound as a pound. We went into this with our eyes open.

Rob also has a boost controller so he can dial down the power for poor weather etc.

FWIW I MOT'd a GTA LeMans about a week after Rob's, and it scored way lower than the DeLorean on the brake test. Similarly sized discs, but vented.

Of course, despite what I said above, and all being well on the wallet front, there will be a twin turbo, twin chargecooled 3 litre going into a certain curly-haired nutter's car in the next couple of years.... on the strict understanding that he doesn't go and kill himself in it afterwards, obviously... 8)

[A Van]

I am sure there are a few DeLoreans in Cornwall, obviously the Goldsmiths one, plus one in a garage in The Lizard that hasnt been driven for twenty plus years and I dont think the owner has any intention of restoring it or selling it.

But I am sure there at least 2 that exist that are driven regularly in Cornwall...Truro rings a bell I think for one.

There was something in a club mag yrs ago.

[Guinney1971]

stunned_monkey Wrote:Of course, despite what I said above, and all being well on the wallet front, there will be a twin turbo, twin chargecooled 3 litre going into a certain curly-haired nutter's car in the next couple of years.... on the strict understanding that he doesn't go and kill himself in it afterwards, obviously... 8)

Yes Martin, we all hear what you say, but from my perspective, having been
driving all sorts of cars/vans/trucks and bikes for 20 years, if I wanted a
fast sports car, then I wouldnt mess about with a DeLorean turning into something
it isnt.

I always thought the De was designed to be more of a GT then an out and
out racing car.

Yes, its nice to have "decent" performance, but if I wanted to race around
like an idiot then I'd rather have a factory set up car designed for the purpose.

We all know about the "Max Power Brigade" trying to get maximum BHP and
performance from cars, and I'd hate the DeLorean to get tarred with the same
brush if you get my drift :wink:

Anyway, if you're going at 'turbo nutter bastard' speeds, then people wont
be able to admire the car :lol:

I think though, at the end of the day, there are folks who want to turn the
DeLorean into a modern day Porsche rival, and those who just want to enjoy
the car for what it is and the ownership enjoyment.

Each to their own :wink:

[Guinney1971]

Dan1986 Wrote:Ouch what was wrong with the cavalier?

well........ bearing in mind the car had done less then 500 miles since being
MOT'd when I got it........

Both CV boots were moshed - common on Cav's tho, so no big shakes.

OSF suspension ball joint - excessive play - bit of a git to get out, but did it ok.

Here's the biggy - there was no nut holding the NSF track rod end on!
Basically, at anytime, the steering could have come adrift, and I would have
been upside down in the nearest field. I've done 3000 miles in that car since
March 2008, and the car has been like that all this time!! Someone had
deliberately moshed the bottom of the thread on the track rod end to make
it 'splay out' to try and reduce the risk of the thread flying out of its hole.

We've not been anywhere near the suspension, and it was MOT'd before the
guy I got it off bought it, so I reckon the Prev-Prev Owner got a 'bent' MOT
on it just to sell it knowing about the various problems, including the blown
head gasket (which I knew about when I bought it, and hence why I only paid
£46 for it )

All sorted now anyway, and 'Eric Da Shed' has a nice new (and legal) MOT
valid until July 2009

Cheers,

[Jonny Jones]

Chris Hawes Wrote:LOTS of that plus people politely asking to take pictures. Lots of pointing from cars whilst on the move too.

Yeah like that time we were driving back from Liverpool and that crazy Mini started weaving in and out of traffic just to get photos on their phones lol! Some people go to extreme lengths to get pics of these cars it seems!

[stunned_monkey]

Claire Usher Wrote:if I wanted a
fast sports car, then I wouldnt mess about with a DeLorean turning into something
it isnt.

...but certainly should have been. Nobody disputes the car is/was underpowered, and DMC were developing turbo engines for 1984.

The chassis is more than capable of handling the power (lotus Esprit), and my intention was never to turn it into a balls-out racer. Having power doesn't mean you drive everywhere with your hair on fire, but it puts a much bigger smile on your face when you squeeze the loud pedal.

As for the 3 litre conversion... this will be a one-off and I officially don't recommend it! (that said, much of the budget is going on suspension and brake improvements including my 4-pot calipers and vented discs conversion).

[Rottbott]

The DeLorean has excellent handling and was clearly made to be much faster than it is. There is a reason it has those huge tyres, the wide track, low centre of gravity, quick steering etc. Although they are getting on a bit now, mine is pretty much like new underneath (in fact better than new). It's more than capable of handling the engine.

I love it because it's a really good looking and interesting car with excellent handling. I really don't give a stuff about the history, or 'keeping everything original'. Shocking to some people, but the original designers weren't perfect, and there are things about the car which can be improved. Going a lot faster is one of those things. In the end I want a car I enjoy driving, not just something I can look at on the driveway and take to car shows on a truck.

As for stupidly fast: yes, this car can now go far faster than I will ever need to on public roads, but I intend to be tracking it too, which will no doubt horrify some people here.

[Guinney1971]

I guess it all depends on your own interpretation of the word underpowered.

In our current 'surveillance society' you cant 'enjoy' fast cars anymore.
What with all the traffic congestion, cameras and speed bumps, I cant even
get the maximum performance out of my 82bhp Cav Diesel, so for me, personally,
I can't see the point in having a 200bhp DeLorean. Now on the Autobahn,
or on a private race track........ that would be a different matter entirely :wink:

But, its a free(ish) country still, so each to their own

[Rottbott]

In terms of top speed I entirely agree. There's no law against acceleration (yet) though. :)

[Daniel Shane]

The Delorean's Chassis is much closer to the Lotus Europa's chassis than the Esprit's.

Look at the Europa's



Compared to the Delorean's



Compared to the Esprits




The Esprits is a tubular rear section made to be lightweight and stronger than the Europa's and the Delorean's.

If you had ever driven a Europa you would find a fare bit of chassis movement in it.

Also the TAB Bushes are inline with the engine on the Esprit NOT infront of the engine like on the Delorean. Thats why Esprits dont have many problems with there TAB's.

The Esprit and the Delorean are 2 different cars. They share some desing similarities, such as all the bolts rust and you cant get them out , but the chassis are different and just saying that because an Esprit can handle the power a Delorean can is just dumb.

Things like the front wishbones, brakes, stearing etc are all different in the Esprit for a reason.

Dan