New owner

[robin993]

Hi all.
it is an exciting day today as i collect my DMC 12 from the docks. fingers crossed that it is as good as it looked on the photos. It is a red car. i am told that it is one that was painted red when new by the dealer network and has had one owner since 1986.
My plan is to get it UK road worthy and then look at the cosmetics. I have a set of RHD headlamps and will try to integrate the fog light into the rear cluster. any tips for all of the jobs will be appreciated.

I think that it will need seat covers, headlining and then i have to decide if i keep it red or go back to stainless, as it left the factory. I like to do most of the work myself and am thinking of getting it soda blasted and then trying to re-grain it. i think that it may be worth pulling the panels off to see if they are damaged from the inside? presumably removing the panels and doors would reduce the amount of mess and damage to the rest of the car. The door shuts are painted also.

The chassis number is 6100. it has covered 27,000 miles and looked like new on the underside.

I will be sending my membership application form in after finishing typing this.

[robin993]

Hi again. the membership form is sent and i have paid up now.

[Chris P]

Welcome to DeLorean ownership.

Personally i'd keep clear of any sort of blasting…it could dent / distort the panels . (You may find enough of that when / if you start stripping them……hopefully not…but…..).

Chemical stripping is messy but safe.

I'd enjoy getting it going and driving it for a few months before deciding if you want to strip it. ……. Just my opinion of course.

[Chris Williams]

Hi Robin
Welcome to the club/forum and DeLorean ownership!! I know chris mentioned about steering clear of blasting but there is an interesting article over on DMCTalk regarding the same: http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?11754 ... +stripping
You may have seen it and it may be what gave you the idea. I would also live with the car for a bit before deciding if to strip it or not, some have stripped them and found no damage underneath again some have and found large amounts of damage. I do understand some dealers in the US did paint some of the cars but I dont think any left the factory as such.
Chris

[JamesRGUK]

I have seen three painted cars in recent years which have been stripped by soda blasting, it has been used a number of times to strip delorean paint, I don't think it has any issues, stainless steel is hard, soda is probably the softest medium for blasting with.

Personally I think if it's a decent paint job, keep it, especially if it has history to it, too many cars are being stripped back to stainless even though some of the painted history is quite interesting.

I'm only down the road in Colchester (Layer de la Haye), another red DeLorean was spotted on Mersea Island recently, Surly there can't be two new red painted DeLoreans in this area, they're common as muck round here!

James

[Stuart Rees]

Congrats on becoming an owner

Post some pictures of the car when you can...

[robin993]

Hi Again
so i have the car and it seems to be okay. I plan to get it on the road and registered before doing the cosmetic work. The paint job looks okay in the flesh, i have to keep reminding myself that it is a 1981 car. i think that it will buff up okay. I have headlamps and will fit them and a fog light and then go to my local and sensible MOT garage.
Cosmetically i have to do the following;
1 The instrument binnacle is badly cracked.
2 The drivers seat cover is horridly split.
3 The carpets are dirty, but look like they will clean up.
4 The grill badge is missing
5 The dash is cracked.. it may repair?

On the mechanical side
1 it has a misfire. idle is fine, as is mid range running, but it coughs and splutters when I pick up the throttle from idle. i have drained and refilled the fuel with fresh, looked at the plugs and leads, flushed the fuel injectors.. i am open to ideas.
2 Reverse is difficult, the lever is stiff to lift.
3 Brakes good.
4 Chassis all good
5 Steering column has some play, up and down.
6 AC isn't working

So experts. any ideas on the misfire?
what is the best place to buy the replacement seat covers and other parts? The place in Holland is more expensive than Texas, i am off to LA to see some friends in a few weeks.. open to ideas..


Robin

[Chris P]

Great that you have got your hands on the car, have you had a good look/ cleaned out the tank? American fuel is famously dirty. Could change the fuel filer and possibly the spark plugs... make sure you get a good grade. Put some injector cleaner in there and soon as can….give it some use…that often sorts out loads of problems. The dash and binnacle can be recovered and repaired by Lee Patterson. Just my idea's.

The paint looks Nice, i'd definitely live with that for a year or so.

[robin993]

Thanks Chris
I will have a look at changing the fuel filter. Injector cleaner is in the fuel as of last night it already seems to be running a little better. Re covering sounds like the best plan with the binnacle.

i will not get much of a chance to work on it for the next couple of weeks, but that is the joy of a project car.. no time pressure. the Porsche in the garage next to the DMC was a similar low pressure project.

[88mph]

Red Robin, got to stay red fella!
All those problems sound about right for a fresh US import. Nothing that can't be sorted easily enough by the sounds of it.
Good luck, when sorted, will be interesting how you feel the D handles compared to a car like a Porsche.

[Chris Williams]

Looks really good in red, I do like the painted cars. We did have a yellow one in the UK, anyone know if it's still around? Anyway as ChrisP wrote Lee Pattison is the man for your interior he can re-cover any of the interior and do a great job of it. Dave Howarth (contact details in mag) does full carpet sets at a reasonable price if you need them also.
The questions on running have been answered and I agree with all the suggestions!
Steering, is probably the bushing that needs replacing. Most vendors sell them.
A/C is it still R12 if so you may wish to get it converted to R134. Or it may have been done and simply be out of gas.
Chris

[robin993]

Hi again
i have just popped to the garage and pulled the fuel pump from the tank. it was filthy, really bunged up with black crud. I have ordered a new fuel filter. I hope that it will help. I have never seen so much crud in a fuel system.
The arrangement is odd with the pump on slide rods.
Lets see what happens when the filter arrives.. fingers crossed.

Robin

[JamesRGUK]

Just a thought....

Sounds stupid, but are you sure that the up and down play in the steering column isn't just because the adjustment knob isn't tight.

Many owners never realise that the car has tilt & telescopic steering wheel adjustment, knob located just to the right behind the canopy.

James

[Chris Williams]

Quote:it was filthy, really bunged up with black crud. I have ordered a new fuel filter

Not uncommon I'm afraid. If you can get all the old fuel out and clean the interior of the tank out (Acetone works best) it will make your life an easier one! Despite what a lot of people say the fuel system is fairly reliable but does rely on perfect fuel and perfectly clean fuel system. Sometimes it's the rubber boots that support the pump breaking down that contaminate it.
Chris

[Dangermouse]

I would thoroughly agree that your best plan would be to drain the tank and give the inside a good clean otherwise that nice new fuel filter will get plugged up too. Draining and cleaning is done from the top, through the access hole that you have already used to look at the pump.

Almost all of these cars have sat for a lengthy period of time with crappy US fuel in the tanks.

Robin, if by "LA" you mean Los Angeles, then you might want to visit DMC-CA in Huntington Beach

http://delorean.com/locations/

(their individual website seems to be down)

If you mean "Louisiana", the you face a long drive to Houston :lol:

Chris, the black one that Al Vanstone has, used to be yellow many years ago, if that's the one you are thinking about. I think there are 4 or 5 red ones floating around too.