Purchased 1867 in the UK. June '81 build. Black interior, automatic transmission. It's my first DeLorean and generally a nice example, but there's room for improvement which I'll document here.
As you can see, my cat immediately set about exploring the car and left a lovely set of paw prints. This brings me onto my first question - how does one clean a DeLorean? Usual car cleaning products or something different?
Mild steel brillo pads in a circular swirling action.
*joking* (droll) (don't do that)
Microfibre clothes with normal run of the mill car wash, or windolene (again with microfibre clothes) for spot checking and finger prints. (YES. Windolene - some use store brand stuff. I don't I use the branded stuff. I find it gives much better results. Blue is fine, but if you manage to find a bottle of the clear non-coloured stuff - a thing of rarety nowadays, then even better)
I'm known for not washing my car very often, and just using Windolene a lot of the time. I always have a bottle in the car with me, especially for car shows for getting the 5yr olds jammy fingers off the car)
Rissy
(Forum Member 288)
(DOC Member 663)
May 1981 vin#1458 "LEX"
Grey, Flapped, Black
Chassis: #1073
Engine: #2839
Main Car(s):
2005 BMW M3 in Velvet Blue
2010 Honda Civic Type R in Sapphire Blue (1 of 115 made)
(25 May 2021, 22:13)Justwatching Wrote: Purchased 1867 in the UK. June '81 build. Black interior, automatic transmission. It's my first DeLorean and generally a nice example, but there's room for improvement which I'll document here.
As you can see, my cat immediately set about exploring the car and left a lovely set of paw prints. This brings me onto my first question - how does one clean a DeLorean? Usual car cleaning products or something different?
I favour "3m's spray stainless steel cleaner and a HUGE kitchen roll.
Spray... wipe.....spray.... wipe.... etc etc , only stop when the kitchen rolls comes back clean.......you can see it getting the muck out of the grain.
About £18 a large can off eBay .....Just started another can.......its good on the black bits as well. I usually finish off with windowlene etc just on the glass.
Chris Parnham
Ex RHD Auto's etc.etc
Main Car.. Kia E Niro 4+
Skoda Yetil 4X4.
Toyota Vitz 4X4 1999 (the smallest 4X4 by far!.
1970 Jago Jeep.
(26 May 2021, 10:43)Rissy Wrote: What's that on your gas flap? Looks like pop rivets?
It is. The seller insisted they were factory, but I don't think so. I've been drooling over DeLorean pictures for 15 years and never seen rivets. But how do I put it right? I'm minded to try removing the rivets, having the holes plug welded and ground down, then refinishing the flap panel. It probably won't look right, but I assume the panel is scrap anyway, so nothing lost. The only alternative I see is trying to find a replacement flap. That will be cheap and easy, I'm sure...
See those rusted off studs, i'm sure that's what is supposed to hold the flap to the hinges. Pop rivets are defo not stock. If it were me, i'd remove the flap from the bonnet, and send it to Chris Nicholson to fix up. No questions, no pointers. Just an instruction to "please fix this for me" and let him crack on.
I'll check mine tonight for you to let you see mine.
I was going to say, if you were turning the car into some sort of US racing stock car or something, those rivets look spot on to give the car a bit of rough and sturdy to it.
...But i'm sure you want it stock.
Rissy
(Forum Member 288)
(DOC Member 663)
May 1981 vin#1458 "LEX"
Grey, Flapped, Black
Chassis: #1073
Engine: #2839
Main Car(s):
2005 BMW M3 in Velvet Blue
2010 Honda Civic Type R in Sapphire Blue (1 of 115 made)
Quote:But how do I put it right? I'm minded to try removing the rivets, having the holes plug welded and ground down, then refinishing the flap panel. It probably won't look right, but I assume the panel is scrap anyway, so nothing lost. The only alternative I see is trying to find a replacement flap. That will be cheap and easy, I'm sure...
As Chris wrote above. ChrisN will be able to sort that out with no issues. Biggest issue will be finding time for him to do it!
Chris
Here we go, as promised. Here's what mine looks like. Not dissimilar to yours. You can see the two locking nuts you can unscrew carefully to release the gas flap from the bonnet.
I reckon perhaps there must be some bondo holding the stainless on to the frame with hinges or something. Maybe that let go, and instead of resticking it into place (I'd use polyurethane sealant myself), someone thought it'd be a really good idea to drill holes in it etc.
The thoughts that go through some people's heads. I honestly don't know.
Anyway, every car is an adventure. You're car will hold all manner of different adventures from what others have had. It's guaranteed. Some will be the same. But DeLorean's typically....they're all unique. Especailly with the factored in variable of "previous owners" and 40yrs!
(26 May 2021, 09:16)mattjeh Wrote:
I just watched that video. About 10% of that video is fair. The rest is garbage.
Don't use magic sponges. It slowly takes out the grain of the brushing in the metal.
Don't use car polish.
I still find car wash is ok, but maybe he used too much. I always go over it with my trusty Windolene afterwards anyway. Most of the time i skip the car wash altogether and just go straight to the Windolene (at this point i must ad, i'm not being sponsored by Windolene - they wouldn't pay me enough)
I wouldn't use washing up liquid, or if i did, i'd use very little and avoid getting it on my bumpers or it'll ruin your paint finish.
Don't use any oils on any part of the car as part of your cleaning regime (where the hell else have you ever heard this for anything else like this other than for a DeLorean?). It's wrong, and messy and smelly and you'll regret it, and as he says, particularly with WD40, it turns your stainless yellow and tarnished looking! I don't have photos unfortunately, but i've seen how much yellow comes out of the metal when i used Aldi stainless steel reviver on the car to bring my car back to a white shine! I've used it twice, it only counted the first time I used it to get rid of the yellow. Years later, using it again made no difference. Back to the Windolene (other brands are available).
Use proper bumper/trim reviver like from Autoglym on your louvres. Use it sparlingly. A little goes a LONG way!
I hear many people talk good aobut barkeepers friend. I've never used it though.
This is all just my 2p ith of course.
Rissy
(Forum Member 288)
(DOC Member 663)
May 1981 vin#1458 "LEX"
Grey, Flapped, Black
Chassis: #1073
Engine: #2839
Main Car(s):
2005 BMW M3 in Velvet Blue
2010 Honda Civic Type R in Sapphire Blue (1 of 115 made)
The rivets are definitely going. I can't abide such an egregious botch job on my dream car. Neither would DeLorean - he was very keen for the car to look like a professional product, not a kit car.
Cleaning wise, I'll try the glass cleaner first, and maybe stainless steel cleaner if needed. Wet washes will be a rare thing as I don't intend to let the car get dirty enough to need it.
Next problem, and this is the big one, the transmission doesn't shift properly. It selects drive, reverse, neutral and park properly and without hesitation. It doesn't jerk when engaging or disengaging the transmission. I didn't notice obvious slippage. However, it holds onto gears far too long. It's especially reluctant to give 3rd and will only do so after revving out to 5K.
The ATF is old (5 years) but has had little mileage and is in good visual condition (retains red colour). I will change it as a matter of general maintenance along with the filter, but I don't think this will solve the problem. My suspicion currently sits with the transmission's governor computer, but I'd really appreciate your thoughts.
I know a man who would be potentially best to answer questions on auto boxes, but that person aint me. I'm a dirty manual bloke with simple human-aided shifting qualities.
Rissy
(Forum Member 288)
(DOC Member 663)
May 1981 vin#1458 "LEX"
Grey, Flapped, Black
Chassis: #1073
Engine: #2839
Main Car(s):
2005 BMW M3 in Velvet Blue
2010 Honda Civic Type R in Sapphire Blue (1 of 115 made)
As far as i know what everyone else says, highly likely the governer...and i think a sod to get at...i have not yet driven my auto so dont know mine, but i have bought the rare auto filter and will change when i get chance...
Steve Saunders
Wolverhampton
ex owner vin 1621
doc 370
It could be as simple as the kickdown cable being incorrectly adjusted. This goes from the throttle spool to a bell crank on the gov computer.
If it's fully tight,i.e. bell crank is fully open, the gov computer thinks you have your boot right down and hangs on to each gear for much longer.
Governor computer failure is often more erratic than that. It is a classic failure point and due to the nature of the circuit is will definitely fail one day unless it has been modified. There are a couple of components which are unprotected from the voltage spikes caused with each shift. They can only stand so many spikes before they go pop. So as manufactured they are a 100% failure item, eventually. The more it is driven, the sooner this will be.
When they do you get erratic behaviour and it is important to stop driving if this happens. Setting off in 2nd will kill the box itself.
The good news is that in the right hands the governor computer is fixable.
