VIN 1780 - The Resurrection Blog

[DMCNI]

Some of you will know I bought VIN 1780, back in June of this year. My friend Dan and I set off on Friday 28th June to collect my car, it was a long haul down going from Larne to Cairnryan all the way to Deal in Kent and back....a journey that was close to 1200 miles.

We drove most of the night, stopping off at a couple of Service stations along the way to grab an hour or so's sleep each time, and we reached Deal at 8am on Saturday morning. I had to meet Steven (bttf car) who I had been liaising with regards the car (Steven was the middle man for the family, so we had a bit of time to work out how we could get the car out of the garage, and out onto the main road as space was tight. After looking at what we were facing I made my way to the previous owners sisters house "she was selling the car" and introduced myself. I was invited into the house and before my eyes I was presented with 3 folders, containing the cars history, photographs, workshop manuals, issues of Delorean World magazine and parts catalogues, both sets of original keys were there as well!! To say I was gobsmacked was an understatement. Eventually Steven arrived and we made our way to the garage where the car had been housed for over 20 years.

The garage door opened and I near dropped, the car was in great condition, I handed over my money and set about getting the car onto the trailer. We hooked the tow rope to the van we travelled in, released the handbrake of the Delorean and much to my
delight/surprise the car moved, we had feared the worst that it would not budge, but it was the opposite. The rear tyres were flat but we managed to winch/push the car up onto the trailer and fasten it down, then the jockey wheel gave way on the trailer, so we had to use tie the trailer the van, haul it around into position, jacking the trailer up and then connect it to the van. We thought that was the hard bit over....but alas it wasn't!!!

The car was located in garages that were just off a narrow street so access was tight, trying to get the van and trailer out took all Dan's skill as we couldn't get the owners of the cars that were causing a hazard. We managed to scuff the wall of a house that had been freshly painted and 3 inches of black paint came of the wall, the owner heard the trailer hit her wall and was out like a flash. Her reaction was so over the top you would have thought we had taken the side of her house down, there was threats of police insurance etc, and she started saying the Delorean should not be down in those garages (don't know what she was smoking when she said that one). The lady's daughter came out, I showed her the damage she talked to her mum and £40 in compensation was paid the argument soon went away and she became nice as pie. By the time I had sorted that problem out, Dan had the car out and on the road and ready to go, I completed the required paperwork and Steven brought his BTTF car round and we got a photo of the tow cars together, we then said our goodbyes and got escorted out Deal by Stevens car.....the reaction the cars got was great, people coming out of their houses to see them and kids going look the BTTF car, and there's another one as we drove by.

We charged up the M6 stopped at the Services, where one man stopped me and said had never seen a Delorean on real life before, I was shocked at that comment. We missed the boat at 8pm boat by 10 mins and ended up on the 07:30 boat on the Sunday morning. We headed into Stranraer and got food again the car was getting positive reactions from people. On the boat home an old fella who must have been near 70 and from Northern Ireland said to me what's that car? I said a Delorean and he said Ohh is that a Delorean? Where has he been living for the last 30 odd years?

The car was left at my mechanics house when it got home, we managed to inflate the original Goodyear NCT's, and when he got a chance to work at the car he tried to turn the crank but the engine appeared to be seized and he has put some special stuff in the engine to try lube it up which worked....a new started motor was fitted as was a fuel pump and the car started but wouldnt idle the metering head was/is the problem, the car is currently at parents house while I try to get the parts together.

Thomas (DMC4087) was able to source me a working metering head from a Volvo 760 which I bought along with the plenum chamber and the distributor....Thomas was able to identify that the metering head in my car wasn't original DeLorean. I also have I have ordered the Intake O Ring kit + hardware, a complete 13 piece Stainless Steel fuel line kit and Fuel Pump Boot from SpecialT Auto in the States.

I have also fitted 4 new tyres to the car, and replaced all the gas struts for the hood, doors and louvre......I am also getting a garage erected in November to keep the car at my house....so its all go at the moment, moneys tight but its well worth the hard work and effort to live my dream.

Here are a few photos for you to see Vin1780

[DMCNI]

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[DMCNI]

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[DMCNI]

This is 1780 in the street I grew up in, and where I watched the DeLorean's being transported to Belfast Docks.

[DMCNI]

Yesterday Thomas (DMC4087) popped over to look at the engine in VIN 1780, he fitted the metering head I had got from a Volvo and we tried to start the car. The car tried to kick into life and we could here it wanting to turn over but it just couldn't do it on its own, so Thomas controlled things from the engine bay as I turned the key over and he revved the engine from the throttle cable, plooms of smoke came out the back of the car....Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace would have had a fit.

The car still wouldn't idle and this continued to be the story of the day, so Thomas did a fuel injector spray test and found that they were not functioning properly with either no fuel getting through the injectors or any flow there was, was very limited....the injectors have now been stripped off the car and are going to be refurbished in the hope this sorts the problem out, or else a new set will be purchased.

Any way here is a video of VIN 1780's engine running for the first time in 20 plus years!!

http://youtu.be/Y7ELj1O3ZDI

[Chris Williams]

looks to be running not to bad considering how long since it last ran..
Chris

[DMCNI]

I was really pleased to hear the engine going and thought it sounded ok all things considered....

Any ideas what the high pitch shrill might be?

[Chris Williams]

Bit difficult to hear over the music! but probably one of the following: either A/C compressor or the bearings in the little pulley wheels/Drive belts/alternator.
Chris

[MikeWard]

Without seeing the video it's hard to say (youtube blocked at work), but I would concur with Chris' diagnosis - I had the same issue with mine about 6 months ago, pulley idler bearings were knackered - I just took the belt of the a/c pump (since my a/c doesn't currently work).

[DMCNI]

Excuse the ignorance and lack of knowledge can the bearings be replaced or does it require new units to be purchased?

[Chris Williams]

Fairly simple job, just press out the old bearings and replace with new if you look hear: http://www.specialtauto.com/delorean-pa ... oling.html about 2/3 rds down the page it shows the bearings at $4.50 each (someone should be able to provide a X-ref) and how to fit.
Chris

[MikeWard]

Metal shielded - £3.55 (inc vat): http://simplybearings.co.uk/shop/p6819/ ... _info.html

Or

Rubber shielded - £4.06 (inc vat): http://simplybearings.co.uk/shop/p6220/ ... _info.html

With the bracket removed from the car, remove the circlips, tap the old bearing out with a suitable sized socket, clean the bracket with some scotch brite / emery paper, tap new bearings in, replace circlips - refit.

[DMCNI]

Thanks for the info fellas, all taken on board and noted for when the time comes.

[DMCNI]

Well Vin 1780 finally arrived at my house, 6 months after purchasing the car. Between being stored at my mechanics for the first couple of months and my parents for the last 4 months it never really felt like the car was mine. In that time the back of my house transformed dramatically...













Last night the work to get 1780 back on the road began. Thomas (DMC4087) kindly popped around and give me a hand getting the car up on the axel stands...and we set about getting the fuel tank out, the whole process took a couple of hours as the tank was well wedged in and didnt come out too easily.

My homework for this week is to get the tank cleaned out, and take a wire brush to the rusty/flaky bits of the chasis and try dismantle the brakes...never done any thing mechanically before so its all a bit daunting but with Thomas' help guidance and advice (and all you guys here) I will get there

I know I need to get new ball joints, track rod ends and I think the steering rack is away with it.

[Chris P]

Glad to see its coming along OK. Keep listening to advice and resist fixing things that aren't broken, would be my advice.