Most original Delorean Question I have had

[Phil Peters]

Dan1986 Wrote:On the subject of silly delorean questions, at the classics on the common the other day somone came up to me really amazed looking and said "wow how did you get one of these because they were all burried when delorean was arested weren't they?"

That may come from a newspaper article back in 1982 in one of the national newspapers (can't remember which one off-hand).

They ran a front page story about some of the underbodies being scrapped and buried in Andover.

[PJ Grady (Europe)]

The 'turn a DeLorean updide down and see if you can get out' test was an informal effort by Lotus engineers who were curious to see if it was possible to get out should the car turn upside down.
This would have been done around 1979/80 using one of the pilot build cars.
Apparently the engineer inside was able to open the door just enough to squeeze through. He was 14.5 stone, and said at the time that if he was any bigger - it would have been impossible!
This story was confirmed by one of the Lotus engineers who was there when they did this - apparently there were photo's, but I haven't seen them.
Of course this was never a formal test - and in anycase wouldn't necessarily guarantee escape (if the car landed in uneven ground or in a ditch). As Belfast Boy said - if you're unlucky enough to land on your roof, you're probably dead - or not in a fit state to try and open doors!

As for cars being buried - there was a story about spare parts and panels being buried/hidden in Northern Ireland, on the basis that the British government couldn't get their hands on them - and that they may be needed if JZD could get the company going again....although I've never heard any evidence of this (although the story claims to have originated from a senior DMC source!)

That's what makes these cars so interesting...

Darren

[BELFAST BOY #1458]

hey , if I wanted a boring and safe car I would of bought a Silver Ford Focus.

Interesting that Lotus Set up a Test on what I assume would be a wooden Buck or a paneled under body, I dont doubt that those guys in Lotus would do this, they also blown air in between some soft alloy sheets and wha'la the Elise Chassis was created.

My favourite safety test of all time is the Rolls Royce, throwing frozen chickens into a Jet engine of theres'...now thats Genius :lol:

[Stuart Rees]

I've got a few pictures of a UAE Delorean that has a roll cage and what looks like hydraulic or pneumatic rams that open the doors. Probably installed by a sheik to protect the cars wealthy occupants.
It wouldn't surprise me if the rams would flip the car back onto its wheels.

[PJ Grady (Europe)]

It was a real car that Lotus used - one of the early trial build pilots, which had come to the end of it's useful life.

On the subject of frozen chickens, our local train company had a similar mishap in trying to test their new trains against 'bird strikes' by firing chickens from the supermarket using an air powered 'cannon'.
After smashing through the windshield and destroying the instrumentation - they realised that maybe the chicken shouldn't have been frozen after all...

but I digress...

[Barson]

did you get that from Mythbuster?

[BELFAST BOY #1458]

:lol:
That is one Funki Delorean,

"yep I think I'll paint this Ford Escort red and not use the right primer, then I'll leave it to the vultures!"

makes sense to use a pilot car for the unique upside down testing, it was obviously approved by Lotus Designers to go ahead.

2 weeks ago I was testing the new Skoda Superb LHD around the Millbrooke Alpine and town tracks, as well as ESP testing. these cars where on German plates, after we left, then the press got hold of them, aka Autocar, Then they where sent to the Dealerships for one day, sent back to Milton Keynes, put on transporters, Send back to germany and all 40 of them are now little metal boxes.

Car Development is a cruel sport!

[delorean12uk]

A few years ago at eurofest 2001, Mr steven Wynn was some what bemused at the little trap door I fitted in the rear fire wall to adjust the distributor, Most members found it either funny or an imaginative idea what I had come up with, but Mr Wynn made his protests quite clear that what I had done was clearly "Anal". Little did anyone know at the time, that underneath the passenger seat, James Bond styley was a reverse Ejector seat, In the rare event that my factory standard 90 BHP auto Delorean should eskimo roll on it's roof, I could fire the passenger out the floor pan and then clamber out my self to safety and then watch my already launched passenger land on there head. Your probably thinking I'm weird, in which you wouldn't be far off the mark, Just ask uncle Tony what sort of Pubs we Visit.

[BELFAST BOY #1458]

:lol:
I dont doubt this is true :lol: now a days Jaguar are using pyrotechnical released Bonnets on the XK models.

in the Skoda Estelle/Rapid/S100 R There was a trap door behind the rear seats to get acess to the Starter motors top bolt and check the gearbox oil level :lol:

I love Skodas they need love too

[Guinney1971]

BELFAST BOY #1458 Wrote::lol:
2 weeks ago I was testing the new Skoda Superb LHD around the Millbrooke Alpine and town tracks, as well as ESP testing. these cars where on German plates, after we left, then the press got hold of them, aka Autocar, Then they where sent to the Dealerships for one day, sent back to Milton Keynes, put on transporters, Send back to germany and all 40 of them are now little metal boxes.

Car Development is a cruel sport!

sounds like my Astra Coupe had a lucky escape then!!

[Outatime]

Barson Wrote:did you get that from Mythbuster?

Yeah man! All hard core Mythbusters fan knows how frozen chicken flies :lol:

[Darren C]

Outatime Wrote:

Barson Wrote:did you get that from Mythbuster?

Yeah man! All hard core Mythbusters fan knows how frozen chicken flies :lol:

Frozen or not Chicken's can't fly