VIN 2706's 20 year nap

[powerline84]

After wanting one since a kid and a couple years of looking I found 2706 south of Savannah Ga and brought her home on Dec 10 2016. I have restored a few classic cars and love the hunt and the build so I wanted a restoration candidate that I could bring back to life. I hate to say "Barn Find", because so many people throw that term around these days. However this car was literally driven into a barn in 1996 and sat there till about a week before I brought her home. Originally bought new in South Carolina the second owner passed away earlier this year and the Widow was cleaning out the cars. There was also 3 gto's and a mustang. All the typical stuff is ruined, fuel system, rubber etc. The frame and tub on this car are gorgeous. Being that it lived in GA for many years the ext and interior are sun faded but all the components are there. My intent is to get the car running then strip it down to frame and build her from the ground up.
5 speed
BAE477654776647767477684776947770477714777247773 turbo kit
black interior
thin strip
light wheels

[powerline84]

1st order of business was to get all the doors and everything to hold themselves up because it was pretty annoying so Rob sent me a set of pistons. I also picked up some cheap tires to get the car easy to roll around. I also ordered fuel pump, accumulator, tune up kit, fuel system parts etc. to try and get her to fire. 47774477754777647777477784777947780477814778247783

I don't know if I got a defective piston or if my drivers door needs and adjustment but my passenger door flys up and has a lot of power in the piston and the drivers door doesn't and sags. Ill have to ask Rob and see if it needs to be exchanged.

the only damage I have found on the frame is a little crumple zone rinkle but nothing that cant be fixed.

The rims were an interesting surprise. I took the tires of the front rims and found that one of the rims is a dark grey on the inside even thought all the rims on the car are light gray. I don't know if the outside is just to faded that I cant tell or what. the Dark grey rim is stamped year 80 on the back and the light grey is stamped 81. Interesting....lol I would love the know the story behind that. I plan on sending these in to DMC to get a refurbished or just exchanged for a Dark Grey set as I prefer them. I had to cover the rim in tire snot to get the bead to seal because so much paint was flaking of or corroding.

[SamHill]

1st order of business was to get all the doors and everything to hold themselves up because it was pretty annoying so Rob sent me a set of pistons. I also picked up some cheap tires to get the car easy to roll around. I also ordered fuel pump, accumulator, tune up kit, fuel system parts etc. to try and get her to fire. 47774477754777647777477784777947780477814778247783

I don't know if I got a defective piston or if my drivers door needs and adjustment but my passenger door flys up and has a lot of power in the piston and the drivers door doesn't and sags. Ill have to ask Rob and see if it needs to be exchanged.

the only damage I have found on the frame is a little crumple zone rinkle but nothing that cant be fixed.

The rims were an interesting surprise. I took the tires of the front rims and found that one of the rims is a dark grey on the inside even thought all the rims on the car are light gray. I don't know if the outside is just to faded that I cant tell or what. the Dark grey rim is stamped year 80 on the back and the light grey is stamped 81. Interesting....lol I would love the know the story behind that. I plan on sending these in to DMC to get a refurbished or just exchanged for a Dark Grey set as I prefer them. I had to cover the rim in tire snot to get the bead to seal because so much paint was flaking of or corroding.

My car came with a single dark grey rim, and it's November 81. Factory using what it had or a later replacement in the 80s? Quien sabe.

[dn010]

More than likely the piston is fine but you need a torsion bar adjustment to make it operate properly.

[Dangermouse]

Take the piston/strut off and note where the door hangs/balances without it. It should be about 6" open at the bottom.

[BLWNAWY]

I don't know if I got a defective piston or if my drivers door needs and adjustment but my passenger door flys up and has a lot of power in the piston and the drivers door doesn't and sags. Ill have to ask Rob and see if it needs to be exchanged.

Unlikely you got a bad strut, but it's easy to find out - just switch the gas struts to the opposite door. If the driver's door still sags then adjust the torsion bar. If the passenger door now sags you have a bad gas strut.

[Lwanmtr]

The door struts are one of the more easy to replace and not that expensive. If it sat closed for a long time, my guess is they'd need replacing.

[powerline84]

The door struts are one of the more easy to replace and not that expensive. If it sat closed for a long time, my guess is they'd need replacing.

See my second post lol. I replaced all of them with a set of pj grady pistons. I am sure it's just a torsion adjustment .

[Lwanmtr]

Lol..of I missed where you said that...my bad. Torsion bar is something I dont wanna mess with...lol

[powerline84]

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Spent today actually getting familiar with the car and giving a deep clean on the interior etc so I can get a better idea of what I am dealing with. I found a whole tables worth of random things, and plenty of mouse turds and mouse presents. There was a mouse nest in the relay compartment and after about 2 seconds of looking in there I ordered a new fuse block and relay kit. But its amazing what about 4 hours of cleaning will do.

[sdg3205]

Has the coolant turned into jelly?

[Lwanmtr]

Yeah, I did a bit of cleaning when I first got mine..oddly, other than a couple of nasty areas in the rear fascia didn't find much...and only found one penny couple months ago when I was doing my sound deadening...hehe.

[powerline84]

Has the coolant turned into jelly?

I looked into the bottle and it's empty but at the bottom there are some jelly deposits.

[DMC-81]

Cool pics! A good cleaning does make a difference!

Three suggestions came to mind as I looked at your pictures:

1) The seat covers look great! I would start applying leather conditioner many times before sitting in them too much. That will replenish moisture and the oils that they need, while avoiding cracks as much as possible.

2) That's a dirty brake master reservoir. You can clean that crud out of it though with carb cleaner, and patience when you rebuild that system. I used a tip (from Mark I think) to put some small washers in there while cleaning. When you agitate the reservoir with the cleaner and washers, the little washers help clean the crud from the nooks and crannies.

3) A relay and fuse box makes a world of difference. Make sure you verify each circuit has clean, solid grounds and is working before installing. You don't want your new equipment to melt as well.

Cheers,
Dana

[powerline84]

Dana,

Thanks for the tips. I have already conditioned the seats a few times, and unfortunately the bottoms have a crack in each seat but the tops are nice. I was able to get most of the crud out of the reservoir but still need to go back and rebuild/clean( washers is a good idea). My plan in the relay fuse box area is to literally remove and replace on circuit at a time, luckily it all looks to be intact. It looks like someone bypassed the number 7 fuse but I should be able to figure all that out.

Jimmy

[Jonathan]

Your car looks to be in great hands now! That cleaning and tidying really does help, doesn't it? Same for tearing into the interior at some point for many owners, as when you pull out the seats and remove the carpeting, you can find a lot of little areas to freshen up. Helps sort things out, functional and smell.

I noticed you had a picture of your jack and the bag it is in. If that is one of the areas that mice called home, and it stinks still because of it, you'll be pleasantly surprised at how reasonably priced a new replacement jack toolbag is. I had my share of mice remnants come with my car when I got it and that bag was something that just didn't want to come clean. For $12, you can't do much better if you elect to just replace it.

https://store.delorean.com/p-9086-toolbag-jack.aspx

[powerline84]

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47854

Why people allow this to happen is beyond me. Never Seen gas this bad. It feels like maple syrup.

[powerline84]

Your car looks to be in great hands now! That cleaning and tidying really does help, doesn't it? Same for tearing into the interior at some point for many owners, as when you pull out the seats and remove the carpeting, you can find a lot of little areas to freshen up. Helps sort things out, functional and smell.

I noticed you had a picture of your jack and the bag it is in. If that is one of the areas that mice called home, and it stinks still because of it, you'll be pleasantly surprised at how reasonably priced a new replacement jack toolbag is. I had my share of mice remnants come with my car when I got it and that bag was something that just didn't want to come clean. For $12, you can't do much better if you elect to just replace it.

https://store.delorean.com/p-9086-toolbag-jack.aspx

Thanks !

[sdg3205]

Dear lord!

You may have to pull the heads to clean out coolant jelly.

[cdrusn]

That's a great project it looks like mostly remove fluids, flush and go. Don't skimp on the brakes, new master, new brake hoses, rebuild calipers. Don't forget to build up engine oil pressure before starting it up. If I was anywhere near there I would work on it for free. BTW is it too crass to ask how much you paid for it? I doubt it will cost more than a couple thousand dollars to get it on the road safely. Have fun. :race:

[Andrew]

Congrats on the car and the great progress that you are already making! The body, frame and interior look great! Judging by the condition of the seats, it appears like a low mileage car.

5052's brake fluid looked about as nasty after 20+ years. Without a doubt, replace the master cylinder, all four hoses and rebuild the calipers. DeLorean brake hoses seem to develop clogs after long term storage. Furthermore, the crud will likely plug the internal passageway of the front calipers. It may even clog the brake line between the two halves of the rear calipers. In contrast, I have never seen the metal line itself clog. (However, I'm sure it has happened to somebody.) I suspect that the clutch master cylinder is just as bad along with the hose from the supply tank to the master.

I've never seen jelled coolant. 5052's coolant was still liquid, as was the coolant in a DeLorean that I recently looked at that had been sitting since 1986. I wouldn't pull the heads. However, I would recommend draining the cooling system, replacing all the hoses and the thermostat and refilling the system.

The fuel in the tank actually looks better than what I would have expected, as it is still somewhat liquid. 4194's was a brown liquid after 7 years of sitting between 1991 and 1998. 5052's was like road tar after sitting from 1991 to 2014. Be careful with the rags that you use to clean the tank. I don't know if they can spontaneously combust.

These cars seem to get parked for any number of reasons. Often times they get parked due to other demands on the owner's time / health issues. Other cars get parked because of a minor or a major mechanical problem that the owner does not have the motivation or money to fix. Lots of DeLorean's got parked early due to a belief by the owner that a DeLorean with low mileage would appreciate in value with the passage of time. In the case of 4194, after spending a number of months getting it running back in late 1998 to early 1999, I discovered that the car likely got parked because it needed a clutch!

Keep up the great work!

[powerline84]

Thanks for all the props guys. So far my preliminary guess is that the car got parked for at least electrical...the stock fuze block is badly melted...half of the systems had to not be working when parked. I know the guy had other cars at the time...3 gto's so I am thinking he parked it and never got to it, but who knows. The mileage on the clock is 40,666 and it drove into the barn when it was parked. It seems like the owner took care of it and did not do his own mx as evident by oil change receipts. To answer the gentlemen who asked about price, I will say i got this car for under 10 grand, which I think was a steal for the condition. Still not sure what I am going to do about the turbo setup, I am going to get the car running first and then go from there. One thing for sure is I feel like a little kid every time I see it and am absolutely loving it. This forum is great to! The front left portion of the engine compartment has what appears to be a catch can, maybe crankcase bypass? It says water guard on it as a brand, and there is a digital box mounted under the dash with a red and green light that also says water guard. there is also a terrible 90s alarm system mounted in the lockable storage compartment behind the drivers seat with a pa that is literally just sitting in the engine compartment not mounted....Thats got to go lol.

[Timeless]

Congrats and great find! It looks like you'll ready to handle everything 2706 will need. :wrenchin: I look forward to more photos as you progress. Enjoy...

[HaleyJoe36]

No recognition for the truck that brought that thing home huh? I see how you are...

[powerline84]

No recognition for the truck that brought that thing home huh? I see how you are...

Everyone this is my friend Chris lol. Chris has a bad ass dually, and helped me go pick up my car lol. He is appreciated and will be involved with the project hahaha.
Jimmy

[Rich_NYS]

No recognition for the truck that brought that thing home huh? I see how you are...

haha....

Wow, what an awesome truck! I wish that mean machine towed my first DeLorean home [instead of trailering along behind my old Durango]....it would've been riding in style!!

47857

[HaleyJoe36]

Everyone this is my friend Chris lol. Chris has a bad ass dually, and helped me go pick up my car lol. He is appreciated and will be involved with the project hahaha.
Jimmy

Check my VIN dude...

I'm stoked to be at your guys' Delorean party. Look forward to learning about these cars. I'm a gear head and primarily a diesel builder myself but when I first pulled the cover off of this car, I instantly fell in love.

[powerline84]

Check my VIN dude...

I'm stoked to be at your guys' Delorean party. Look forward to learning about these cars. I'm a gear head and primarily a diesel builder myself but when I first pulled the cover off of this car, I instantly fell in love.

adoptive parent lol you planning on me dying ...more like approved babysitter lol

[powerline84]

haha....

Wow, what an awesome truck! I wish that mean machine towed my first DeLorean home [instead of trailering along behind my old Durango]....it would've been riding in style!!

47857

I love those wide stripes on these cars.

[HaleyJoe36]

I love those wide stripes on these cars.

Agreed.

[Andrew]

Oh and I would add, penetrating oil and patience are your friends when working on a DeLorean! If you think you might need to remove a bolt or line connection anytime soon, start applying penetrating oil liberally now. I have found that a home brew 50/50 mix of ATF and acetone works wonders. This is especially the case with the a/c accumulator fittings..both sides.

As crazy as it sounds, one of the best things about bringing one of these cars back is the multitude of things to do. When one project becomes frustrating, or when you're waiting for a necessary part you can work on something else :-)

[Rich_NYS]

Oh and I would add, penetrating oil and patience are your friends when working on a DeLorean! If you think you might need to remove a bolt or line connection anytime soon, start applying penetrating oil liberally now. I have found that a home brew 50/50 mix of ATF and acetone works wonders. This is especially the case with the a/c accumulator fittings..both sides.

As crazy as it sounds, one of the best things about bringing one of these cars back is the multitude of things to do. When one project becomes frustrating, or when you're waiting for a necessary part you can work on something else :-)

+1 on all of the above...

[powerline84]

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Started out the night with the intent to pull off my fuel distributor, cold start valve, and metering assembly to send Josh at DPI for a rebuild...now i am starting to wonder if I should just send him the whole block lol. The motor is just filthy, everything is corroded. The spark plug tips actually look pretty decent but holy blow-by batman, look at the intake and you can see that the bae turbo kit is in fact deserving of its reputation for blow-by. Furthermore if I don't figure out how to get spark plug number 6 out I have to pull the heads anyway. It is so full of rust deposits I cant get a socket on it...I tried filling the tube and agitating the rust around but still couldn't get a bite on it. when I pulled the water pump hose to get better access it was dry inside with some calcium deposits... I think that hose had a leak in it and was dripping into the spark plug. Figured out that the fuel supply line goes through that water separator can and into the fuel distributer. I finished the night by putting some marvel mystery oil in each cylinder and putting all the fuel injectors in some B12 to soak for a couple of days. Not sure were I wanna go from here.
1. continue to try and get this motor running.
2. just have the motor rebuilt
3. mustang ecoboost turbo or LS swap.

Time will tell.

[powerline84]

I am gonna try a can of compressed air and blow all the rust and debris out of that number 6 Spark plug hole to try and get a bite on it . Then let it soak with some penetrate.

[Jonathan]

Started out the night with...

Nice progress. Do you also have a regular fuel filter on the car in addition to that water separator unit?

In terms of how you proceed next, I would suggest option #1 with a healthy dose of patience.

[powerline84]

Nice progress. Do you also have a regular fuel filter on the car in addition to that water separator unit?

In terms of how you proceed next, I would suggest option #1 with a healthy dose of patience.
I am with you...I am gonna continue to pull the intake and expose the valley of death to gain more accessible to the that plug and do some much needed work cleaning, replacing, restoring. I don't feel comfortable with the water pump or any of the sensors in the vod being good.

[powerline84]

Also this turbo system is garbage in my opinion by today's standards obviously....crappy blow through system...no fuel control....primitive ignition system for a turbo ...and terrible blow by....crappy components. It was probably ok for the early 80s but its coming off the car.

[powerline84]

Nice progress. Do you also have a regular fuel filter on the car in addition to that water separator unit?

In terms of how you proceed next, I would suggest option #1 with a healthy dose of patience.

yeah its still got the filter system on it on top of this stupid water seperator...that is also coming off the car lol

[Andrew]

You can't judge a book by its cover and, generally speaking you can't judge the internal condition of an engine by how it looks on the outside. Many years ago I purchased a junk yard Buick 455 that was covered in grease and mouse fur. I gave it a tune-up and a cosmetic cleaning with foamy engine bright and a can of Buick engine red spray paint, tossed it in my 72 Riviera and fired it up. That engine turned out to be the best 455 I've ever owned! The fact that your engine is complete and together is a very good sign. Be prepared to see a lot of crap in the VOD. Dirt and debris tends accumulate down there. The junkyard soured 84 Volvo 760 engine that I recently installed had a filthy VOD, but it runs like a champ and has ample power.

From a durability standpoint, the PRV is a decent engine with documented examples logging over 200K miles in a few DeLoreans and many Volvos. However, like any other aluminum engine, they don't like to be overheated. Thus, you could see a nasty looking PRV with 175K on it that runs like new, but you could also see a 5K spotless engine that is internally trashed from overheating. I've also noticed that PRV's like heavier weight oil. I previously ran 20w50; however, I recently switched to 15w40 Delo for the higher ZDDP levels.

Also, make sure you plug every spark plug, fuel injector and intake opening before blowing any compressed air on any parts. The oil in the intake is a sign that the turbo seal may be failing, but it is not necessarily a sign that the engine itself has internal problems. The blow-by that is a concern is not the blow-of the compressor seal to the intake, but rather the blow-by of the piston rings into the crankcase.

For an interesting thread which includes an extensive clean up of existing k-jet parts, you might want to take a look at the documentation of 11114's restoration from a few years back:

http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?3514-Raising-VIN-11114-back-from-the-dead

While engine swaps can be fun once they are done, they often quickly turn into a project car spiral. Dave of Project Vixen described it better than I ever could:

http://www.projectvixen.com/week244.htm

[powerline84]

You can't judge a book by its cover and, generally speaking you can't judge the internal condition of an engine by how it looks on the outside. Many years ago I purchased a junk yard Buick 455 that was covered in grease and mouse fur. I gave it a tune-up and a cosmetic cleaning with foamy engine bright and a can of Buick engine red spray paint, tossed it in my 72 Riviera and fired it up. That engine turned out to be the best 455 I've ever owned! The fact that your engine is complete and together is a very good sign. Be prepared to see a lot of crap in the VOD. Dirt and debris tends accumulate down there. The junkyard soured 84 Volvo 760 engine that I recently installed had a filthy VOD, but it runs like a champ and has ample power.

From a durability standpoint, the PRV is a decent engine with documented examples logging over 200K miles in a few DeLoreans and many Volvos. However, like any other aluminum engine, they don't like to be overheated. Thus, you could see a nasty looking PRV with 175K on it that runs like new, but you could also see a 5K spotless engine that is internally trashed from overheating. I've also noticed that PRV's like heavier weight oil. I previously ran 20w50; however, I recently switched to 15w40 Delo for the higher ZDDP levels.

Also, make sure you plug every spark plug, fuel injector and intake opening before blowing any compressed air on any parts. The oil in the intake is a sign that the turbo seal may be failing, but it is not necessarily a sign that the engine itself has internal problems. The blow-by that is a concern is not the blow-of the compressor seal to the intake, but rather the blow-by of the piston rings into the crankcase.

For an interesting thread which includes an extensive clean up of existing k-jet parts, you might want to take a look at the documentation of 11114's restoration from a few years back:

http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?3514-Raising-VIN-11114-back-from-the-dead

While engine swaps can be fun once they are done, they often quickly turn into a project car spiral. Dave of Project Vixen described it better than I ever could:

http://www.projectvixen.com/week244.htm
I am with yah. I just came home cranky lastnight lol. I woke up fresh and ready to keep working on this engine. I still have hope for her and agree with you yhat the turbo was probably worn out . Progress continues lol...

[FABombjoy]

The oil on the throttle body & the mixture unit is almost certainly from the crankcase, tho.

Oil in the intake manifold is probably from carbon seal failure but could be from a bad drain. I've never seen a BAE turbo setup with a correctly clocked center section.

[powerline84]

47871

Well first the good news....
-After some pb blaster, a can of compressed air, a tap of a socket onto the spark plug and a lot of patience I was able to get the number 6 spark plug out and head looks ok.
-The vod looks good, it looks damp cause of me but inspected and poked and couldn't find any holes.

The bad...
-disconnected the distributor but I cant get it out of the block...seized? (any ideas?)
-the valves look just down right nasty and gunked up....i poured some marvel mystery oil into the heads and cylinders.
-I cant get the motor to turn by hand, I had good tension on the alternator belt but couldn't get it to turn. I pulled the starter to make sure it wasn't seized on the flywheel and still no luck.
-last ditch effort will be a 4 ft breaker bar and a 35mm socket on the crank...if she doesn't budge then unfortunately I think the motor is toast and I will have to pull it for a full rebuild. any ideas here?

[Andrew]

47871

Well first the good news....
-After some pb blaster, a can of compressed air, a tap of a socket onto the spark plug and a lot of patience I was able to get the number 6 spark plug out and head looks ok.
-The vod looks good, it looks damp cause of me but inspected and poked and couldn't find any holes.

The bad...
-disconnected the distributor but I cant get it out of the block...seized? (any ideas?)
-the valves look just down right nasty and gunked up....i poured some marvel mystery oil into the heads and cylinders.
-I cant get the motor to turn by hand, I had good tension on the alternator belt but couldn't get it to turn. I pulled the starter to make sure it wasn't seized on the flywheel and still no luck.
-last ditch effort will be a 4 ft breaker bar and a 35mm socket on the crank...if she doesn't budge then unfortunately I think the motor is toast and I will have to pull it for a full rebuild. any ideas here?

The rings are likely stuck from sitting for so long. Hold off on the large breaker bar for the moment...you don't want to risk stripping the treads on the crank or breaking the crankshaft. Pour a 50/50 mixture of ATF and diesel fuel into the cylinders through the spark plug holes and wait a few days to a week. If you can get even the slightest movement, things are going in the right direction. I successfully freed up a motor with this technique, which I found on an old tractor webpage (apparently tractor mechanics run into stuck piston rings often). It may also be beneficial to take the valve covers off and coat everything with a layer of ATF.

With regard to the distributor, will the base turn? I suspect that it may just have a little corrosion against the head, I highly doubt the gear has rusted to the camshaft. Give the joint between the distributor and the cylinder head a soak with a penetrating oil of your choice and let it sit.

[cdrusn]

I had an engine from an Alfa Romeo that hadn't been run in 10 years and would not turn by hand. I poured ATF fluid into each spark plug hole until it came out of the hole. At first very little would seep past the rings and I would keep filling them up as necessary. Slowly more and more fluid went through until finally a full hole would be empty by the next morning. Changed out the crankcase that had old engine oil/ATF fluid, refilled with light weight oil and it started right up although smoked like crazy for a few hours until the ATF burned off but it also had the effect of softening up the carbon and blowing that out. :race:

[powerline84]

I took your guys advice and dumped a 50/50 at diesel mix in the cylinders and valves . Now to let it work it's majic. I talked to Rich , he told me not to get grumpy lol. Staying positive...worst case it's just an oportunity for an engine rebuild:-).

[powerline84]

after a few hours of pb blaster soak I can now turn the distributor by hand, cant quite pull it out yet but gave it another good soak, I think it will pull out by morning

[Dangermouse]

I took your guys advice and dumped a 50/50 at diesel mix in the cylinders and valves . Now to let it work it's majic. I talked to Rich , he told me not to get grumpy lol. Staying positive...worst case it's just an oportunity for an engine rebuild:-).

With my old triumph, I used Marvel Mystery Oil and let it sit for a week or so. The TR owners advice was then to put the car in 4th, handbrake off and push it to turn the engine.

Why that method and not directly on the crankshaft, I'm not sure, but it worked out well for me.

[Andrew]

For what it's worth, I would recommend deferring the removal of the distributor until you get the engine freed up. It's a real pain in the butt to get the distributor on the exact correct tooth if the crank has been turned without the distributor in place. Before removing the distributor make sure to mark the position of the rotor and take a picture or two, then don't turn the crank until you have the distributor back in the engine. I've learned this one the hard way.

[dn010]

You might take all the belts off the engine and make sure everything else turns, not just the crankshaft. Then put the socket on the crankshaft pulley and try to turn it. You aren't going to "break" the crankshaft, and if you're trying to push it hard enough to strip the pulley bolt - obviously you've got a problem. If something is wrong enough to hold up the engine to this extent, it should be disassembled and the cause should be identified. If rings are rusted, you'll have all that debris in the cylinder if not more should you break a ring, plus you should probably figure out exactly why the rings are rusted in the first place.

I had a '50 Buick with a straight-8 parked since '73. Cleaned the carb, fuel tank, put a 6V battery in it and it fired right up. My '57 Cadillac was parked with a bad head gasket which means coolant/water in the cylinder. Even after two weeks of Mystery oil in the cylinder with the head off, it wouldn't budge. It took my wife cranking the starter and me with a breaker bar on the crankshaft to finally free it up after a very long time. Even running, the motor was trashed with scored cylinders and broken rings - needed to be rebuilt and we knew that anyway.

Also to add - I know it's too late but it's a good idea to use a shop vac and a dental pick to clean out the spark plug holes before you remove the plugs, this way you don't shoot all the crap from them all over the rest of the engine. I would also change the oil prior to starting it, and then again after a little while running so you can get any deposits out of the engine.

Good luck.

[powerline84]

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While I try and decide what to do with motor I started to check out the doors. Discovered my first cave paintings.

-WRSOIS (W.R. SOIS? Worker )
-07/13 M.I.
-Blue T sticker
-89 or 68 on passenger door.

Any insight ?
Also both doors have repairs needed....rivets popping behind torsion bars. The Drivers door got side swiped at some point and it tweaked the door to the point it impacts the pontoon when closed. For those who have been down this road before my gut tells me it will be cheaper in the long run to just order a new blank door from dmc and throw all my guts in it instead of repairing this one . Any thoughts ? I can't wait to pull the body of the frame.

Also In regards to the front license plate lol I had to do it. I am a fan of BTTF.

Jimmy

[dn010]

The numbers could be the key code, it looks like K5015. The rivets are holding the weather stripping on, if you are careful you can remove the rivets and install screws or something similar instead so that way you don't have to drill anything should the strip need to be replaced again in the future. I also had a bad dent on my passenger side door from a large rock kicking up and hitting the door. I was able to pop it out and some people don't even notice it but I plan to buy a good, used door in the future. If yours has been impacted hard enough to hit the fiberglass, I'd start by taking the door interior apart and seeing what is salvageable, and then looking for a replacement door. Be warned, though, replacing a door isn't easy when it comes time to align the damn thing.

Edit: Here are other cave paintings if you're interested in seeing some more:
http://www.dmcnews.com/cavepaintings.html

[Dangermouse]

Yes, the WK number is your keycode. You can still get new keys cut at DMCH if you give them that code.

The T is a factory quality sticker. Not sure what it means specifically.

[Dangermouse]

The WK number is the key code and you can get a newly cut key at DMCH with that code.

The T is a factory quality control sticker. Don't know what it specifically refers to.

No idea on the 68

07/13 MI is most likely the date the door was assembled by employee, initials M.I. The problem is that while the 7 is written in the European fashion, the date format is reversed.

[Jonathan]

Agreed on key code (for the doors). Likely WR5015... as opposed to a K.

Excerpt from Knowledge Base article:

On VIN's PRIOR to 4200, the door key code will probably be written underneath the drivers side headliner. It will be a 4 digit number starting with a three or five, and possibly prefixed with the letters "WR", as in "WR5004". THIS IS NOT THE CODE FOR YOUR IGNITION. Instances of the key code for the ignition being written under the headliners of a pre-4201 VIN are few and far between. If your car doesn't have anything written under the door headliners, contact us as we do have an incomplete list of keycodes by VIN, but we may have one for your car. There are also known instances where the locks were changed on a car after it left the factory, meaning that the code written under the headliners will no longer be correct.

Full article here:

http://support.delorean.com/kb/a9/delorean-keys-and-locks.aspx

[powerline84]

Cool thanks for the info guys, I was excited to take that headliner off and start finding my own cave paintings, discovering my cars personality. My motor continues to soak as I start considering other options if the block is toast. Good news for the day is I Scored a really nice used/repaired driver-side door from Mike at DMC Midwest and they are crating it up in the next week. Him and Stephanie are very nice people. So far I have had great experiences with all of the vendors. Josh at DPI, Rob at PJ Grady, and James Espy at DMC Houston have all been very helpful as well. 47890478914789247893

[Rich_NYS]

At the rate you're going, your car will be done before mine....!

[Lwanmtr]

Lol...probably be done before mine too

[powerline84]

At the rate you're going, your car will be done before mine....!

Haha not true lol once I head back home this summer I'll need to sell my classic truck to free up funds for the restoration and make room in the garage to roll the chassis out from under the body to restore . So yah could be quick could not be quick lol

[Jonathan]

At the rate you're going, your car will be done before mine....!

I was gonna say that at the rate he's going, it might be done by the middle of next week!!

Good stuff Jimmy... nice seeing the enthusiasm. That rubs off on everyone :)

[powerline84]

I was gonna say that at the rate he's going, it might be done by the middle of next week!!

Good stuff Jimmy... nice seeing the enthusiasm. That rubs off on everyone :)

Thanks man. I sometimes see fights on here and also vendor bashing but I try not to get involved. It's all about the cars and so far I have had pretty aweosme experiences with this forum. Very knowledgeable and nice people. It would be a lot harder to restore these cars without this community. I am finally "living the dream" and every time I pull the car cover off my non runner it turns me into a little kid lol

[Rich_NYS]

I was gonna say that at the rate he's going, it might be done by the middle of next week!!

Good stuff Jimmy... nice seeing the enthusiasm. That rubs off on everyone :)

This right here.....totally agree!

[DMC5180]

[QUOTE=powerline84;210580]Good news for the day is I Scored a really nice used/repaired driver-side door from Mike at DMC Midwest and they are crating it up in the next week. Him and Stephanie are very nice people. QUOTE]

Not sure who Stephanie is.

It's Mike & Suzi at DMCMW [emoji6]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[powerline84]

[QUOTE=powerline84;210580]Good news for the day is I Scored a really nice used/repaired driver-side door from Mike at DMC Midwest and they are crating it up in the next week. Him and Stephanie are very nice people. QUOTE]

Not sure who Stephanie is.

It's Mike & Suzi at DMCMW [emoji6]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks


I Am aware....there is also a Stephanie to...

[DMC5180]

[QUOTE=DMC5180;210691]

Thanks


I Am aware....there is also a Stephanie to...

Hmm, must be a new helper for Suzi


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[powerline84]

Update: hope everyone had a good Christmas. The motor has been soaking for two weeks and I still can't get the bottom end to rotate so I am pulling the motor out. More to follow.

[Rich_NYS]

Update: hope everyone had a good Christmas. The motor has been soaking for two weeks and I still can't get the bottom end to rotate so I am pulling the motor out. More to follow.

Sorry to hear about that, just this morning I was wondering how things were progressing...

[powerline84]

Sorry to hear about that, just this morning I was wondering how things were progressing...

Been out of town on vacation ...just had time to check on it today then left out of town again...work will continue in about a week. Lol just a minor roadblock ...I bought the car assuming the engine was bad. It won't stop forward progress.

[Josh]

Been out of town on vacation ...just had time to check on it today then left out of town again...work will continue in about a week. Lol just a minor roadblock ...I bought the car assuming the engine was bad. It won't stop forward progress.

I like where this is going :burnout::burnout:

[powerline84]

Well after some serious thought I was a millisecond away from doing an LS swap but I decided that I don't wanna go that route. I really want to restore my car and just didn't feel right doing the swap. That's not what I want out of my car. So after inspecting my block it is siezed and parts of the valley are even questionable. Mike at DMC Midwest has a few options on blocks that I am currently working. I really enjoy working with them so far. My buddy Chris hooked me up and went and picked up my door on vacation and they were nice enough to give him and his 3 boys a tour. So I spent the morning gathering up all banjo bolts fuel injectors and everything above the longblock basically the whole top end of the motor. All the kjet parts need professionally restored. I cleaned the crap out of the parts and they are on there way to Mike. It's amazing how hard it is to get 35 year old dirt of off parts. Spent a long time in the parts washer and got them as clean as I could. 481084810948110

[powerline84]

48112

Thanks Chris!

[powerline84]

48118

My new door has arrived safe and sound

[Lwanmtr]

Cool. Good luck with installing.

[powerline84]

Decided to stop waisting my time with used questionable engines. Just got off the phone with Josh at Delorean Performance Industries ....he custom tailored an engine package for me and will be building a brand new spec 1 engine for the car starting next week. Problem solved

[Lwanmtr]

Cool...Ill bet thats gonna be expensive

[SS Spoiler]

It can be expensive if you're waiting
for engine core refund....

[powerline84]

Not really he gives you 30 days to send the core motor back after you get the new motor. Not a problem...and my motor is torn down to the longblock...I'll pull it in a couple hours

[powerline84]

Cool...Ill bet thats gonna be expensive

Thanks! Not looking forward to the weekend of time that's gonna take. Looks like a giant pain in the ass lol

[powerline84]

Cool...Ill bet thats gonna be expensive

Not cheep lol but when u start looking into rebuilding an engine or buying used engines it's really not bad. Parts for these engines aren't cheep. If u are willing to so a swap from a Volvo etc it can be pretty cheep but it's still an old engine. The engine is the heart of the car and as far as the restoration goes I wanted to start with a solid foundation. Pretty excited :-)

[powerline84]

Thanks! Not looking forward to the weekend of time that's gonna take. Looks like a giant pain in the ass lol

Oops I was talking about the door replacement and quoted the wrong guy lol my bad

[Lwanmtr]

hehe...no worries...I think it applies to both instances...lol

[powerline84]

4812848129481304813148132

Made some progress today. I put a gallon of acetone in the take, scrubbed in there for a while and am gonna let the acetone sit a little longer. I pulled the clutch hydraulics and the brake hydraulics/booster. Pulled the rusted fuel filler neck and hoses. Cleaned up the tub. Once I give the tank a final clean and pull the slave on the firewall for the clutch it will be ready for all new parts to go in. I Feel like this car is pretty easy to work on so far for the most part. My thread can be another example to potential new owners out there what it takes to save a car like this. If you enjoy the work like I do not a big deal but if your someone who thinks you can change fluids and go you'll be in for a sup rise lol I love the journey of bringing a car back to life.

Jimmy

[HaleyJoe36]

481394814048141

Cleaned out the fuel tank today before we headed to work. Made a sweet ass "tool" to get in the nooks and crannies.

[powerline84]

we got the tank finished. 4814348142

[Lwanmtr]

Nice...wanna come clean mine out? hehe

[powerline84]

Nice...wanna come clean mine out? hehe

Haha no thanks ...not fun lol

[powerline84]

48187481884818948190

Got new fuel pump in and clutch slave out. Got to order all the hydraulics before I put the rest of the fuel stuff in. Pulled passenger seat to get ready and do the electrcal.

[DMC5180]

Fwiw, all the large digit fuses are original

Your fuse box is really toast. Yours is the first I've seen with the 30 amp fuse 10 by-passed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[powerline84]

Fwiw, all the large digit fuses are original

Your fuse box is really toast. Yours is the first I've seen with the 30 amp fuse 10 by-passed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yeah as soon as I looked in there I was like yep time to order some parts lol

[Rich_NYS]

Fwiw, all the large digit fuses are original

Your fuse box is really toast. Yours is the first I've seen with the 30 amp fuse 10 by-passed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think Jimmy's car & mine has a weird cosmic connection -LOL

48193

[powerline84]

I think your right! Lol

[powerline84]

48194

Adult Legos lol

[Lwanmtr]

lol

[DMC5180]

Wholly crater Batman!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[powerline84]

4829548296

Pretty damn productive day. My buddy Chris and a few others helped and we got the old motor and transaxle out. ToMorrow will be prepping the engine compartment for the engine Josh at Delorean performance is building as we speek. Today was a good day -Ice Cube lol

[Lwanmtr]

hehe...Looks like you had some nests growing in there

[powerline84]

A damn mouse mansion lol

[DMC5180]

Wholly crap! You better check the Jack storage area and pontoons for more rodent hotels. My jack storage area had quite a pile of dog food in it when I got my car.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[powerline84]

4842948430484314843248433

It's amazing what elbow grease can do. Scotch bright pads, 2000 grit wet sand, 3 coats of sem trim black and engine bay is ready for new engine .

[Rich_NYS]

Nice...!!!

[Lwanmtr]

Wow..very nice.

[powerline84]

48436
Before and After. Forgive Wiring harness and the painted resister etc. they are gonna get pulled and repaired/replaced. I am not wasting my time chasing shorts.

[powerline84]

484774847848479484804848148482

Chris and I got the bad drivers door off today. I dont know why so many people are afraid to do it. With two people its easy, and no jig is needed. We used a cargo strap to hold door up to roof in garage and it was pretty easy. Hardest part was to get the bracket off that the door harness goes through. Screws were stubborn. Just used a breaker bar and a 3/8s hex from lowes. Figured out why among many reasons the doors werent closing right. The roof panel that buts up to rear windshield has popped off the glue. So I will need to repair that. I have a few questions for those who are in the know on the subject.

1. What rust proofing paint did you use inside your roof box.
2. What sealant did you reseal everything up there with.
3. Just 3m tape on the t panel right?
4. Is there a safe way to remove the light surface rust on my torsion bar?
Jimmy

[powerline84]

Talked to Mike and got some advice. I am going to do the typical 4, 3 inch bolts through the top of the rear roof box repair.

[Delta DeLorean]

Have a look at the door strut ball mounting plate. There is no better time then now, the t panel is off and the door strut is removed. The design is so poor, the plate that is bolted to the fiberglas is to small. If you peel down the weather striping from the top a bit more and remove 3 litle screws from the left rear fender, you can lift your fender a little at the top,and see if the fiberglas is cracked arround the strut mounting area.
My roof was also lifted from the fiberglas. Have put in the four bolts yesterday. Easy repair.

[powerline84]

Have a look at the door strut ball mounting plate. There is no better time then now, the t panel is off and the door strut is removed. The design is so poor, the plate that is bolted to the fiberglas is to small. If you peel down the weather striping from the top a bit more and remove 3 litle screws from the left rear fender, you can lift your fender a little at the top,and see if the fiberglas is cracked arround the strut mounting area.
My roof was also lifted from the fiberglas. Have put in the four bolts yesterday. Easy repair.

awesome thanks, I already ordered some reinforcement brackets for the ball studs as mine aren't to bad but I figured while I am in there I mine as well do it. Can you post some pictures of your repairs?

thanks !

[Delta DeLorean]

I will be working on the D tomorrow and make some pictures, still have the t panel removed.

[Delta DeLorean]

Here are some pics from the roof repair. I used 4 M8 bolts, so i drilled 8 mm holes in the roof. Most people use M10 bolts, but personaly I think M8 bolts can do the job. Inside the car i used a thicker washer then the ones on top of the car, because it is on the fiberglas.
For the door strutt ball mounting plate you have to remove the black part. Carfully drill out the rivets and remove it.
My car has only 12000 miles and the plate has bended. Passenger side is not much better.

[powerline84]

Awesome thanks !4850948508

Stripped the bad drivers door today and pulled the glass. I have a glass guy coming on tuesday. Wasn't to bad of a job just takes patients and I took a lot of photos. Only thing I haven't removed was the door lock which was kicking my ass so I took a break lol.

[Lwanmtr]

Those old door locks are a pain to get out...unless you're really sentimental about having the old lock, dont worry about busting it...hehe.

[powerline84]

In all seriousness can someone explain to me how to get that door lock out without breaking it? I am stumped.

[DMC-81]

In all seriousness can someone explain to me how to get that door lock out without breaking it? I am stumped.

Hi Jimmy,

Does this thread help?....

http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?13721-how-to-remove-door-lock

[sdg3205]

Just disconnect the rods and there are only the screws you see from the outside.

[powerline84]

It's just the door lock itself that is left in the old door. That thread all he did was nock the pin out and lube the internals. I guess I'll have to mess with it. I may just order new style locks . I got the passenger torsion bar out and the drivers side finisher. Just waiting on parts now.485294853048531

[Lwanmtr]

Good luck. When I removed mine I tried to finess it out...but ended up mangling it to get it out. I didnt really care as I'm gonna be replacing both with new ones anyway. Even Toby at DMCNW said they are nearly impossible to get out, unless you have special tools.

[powerline84]

4856348564485654856648567

Drivers glass is installed on replacement door. Right passenger fixed glass butyl tape was barely holding on so we reglued that as well. Right rear qaurter glass back in. Forward progress continues.

[dn010]

It's not so much being afraid of removing the door, it's getting it back aligned after disturbing the factory alignment that is the PITA. I've taken mine off several times, even have a write up on the old DMCNews site long ago but it took hours to align it and I still don't have it perfect.

Just wanted to say while you have everything apart you should put an inspection camera down into the roof access, if you don't have one you can use your cellphone camera on video recording mode with the flash on, put it in the access and move it 360 to get an idea of what it looks like inside...



Chris and I got the bad drivers door off today. I dont know why so many people are afraid to do it. With two people its easy, and no jig is needed. We used a cargo strap to hold door up to roof in garage and it was pretty easy. Hardest part was to get the bracket off that the door harness goes through. Screws were stubborn. Just used a breaker bar and a 3/8s hex from lowes. Figured out why among many reasons the doors werent closing right. The roof panel that buts up to rear windshield has popped off the glue. So I will need to repair that. I have a few questions for those who are in the know on the subject.

1. What rust proofing paint did you use inside your roof box.
2. What sealant did you reseal everything up there with.
3. Just 3m tape on the t panel right?
4. Is there a safe way to remove the light surface rust on my torsion bar?
Jimmy

[powerline84]

Oh I agree, but thats doors on any classic car and I am sure this is going to be harder but its still a task that someone with patience can do themselves. I will let you know how pissed I am after I re-install it lol, I am sure it wont be fun. Yeah I have had a look in the box, typical rust but repairable.

[powerline84]

Does somebody have a copy of the door fitment procedure or alignment guide or tips for installing door from scratch that has done it ?

[dn010]

Does somebody have a copy of the door fitment procedure or alignment guide ?

Is there such a thing?

Edit:

I've done it, and it is a lot of trial and error. Grab a be...drink, and get prepared to spend quite some time on this. I've tried keeping the hinge bolts snug but not tight, removing the pins and closing the door. Closing the door would be perfect without the T-bar or strut and then once they were installed the door would be misaligned again. Then it would be aligned with everything but seals and misaligned once seals were in. You can't adjust it with the T bar installed because it forces the front hinge up so I've found it is best to try aligning it with the bar removed and the seals in place. I've gotten away with getting it very close and then moving a fender or quarter panel in or out depending on what was needed. You're trying to make the gaps as even as possible along with it being even with the stainless (in which case you'll move the fender), you don't want the door hitting the header panel which will rip up the front part of your seal and you want it to close without catching the striker pins along with latching twice. You also want the door to close all the way to the bottom of the door opening, and opening and closing without catching and tearing up any part of the seals. So basically you've got about a million different things to move and a million different things to make even. I'd start by trying to get it as close to what it looked like on the old door and going from there, assuming you can tell how high up the hinges were or how far in they were bolted. After a few hours you'll get the idea of what the results might be if you move the door in or out, up or down etc. on the hinge. Make small adjustments at a time - you'll get there eventually...

[powerline84]

Is there such a thing?


I thought someone had mentioned it, maybe not. Can you give any guidance on installing a door since you have done it? Much appreciated.
Jimmy

edit,
thanks !

[dn010]

See above, I added an edit to the post.

EDIT:

You can get the door on, opening and closing no problem with minimal adjustment if you just want to have it on the car and over with. It is the tedious effort in aligning the door to make it "perfect" (is there such a thing on this car?) with latching properly, aligned so it closes and seals without a gap problem ripping the seals, and then finally aligned with the rest of the car so it looks normal. For example, when the door sits too high in the front and the fender is lower, it is that, that annoys the hell out of me and requires further aligning. Also, you can move the header panel up or down to make it level with the door if you need, same with the rear of the T-panel. Be careful once you put the T-panel on, that opening the doors don't catch the curve in the stainless t-panel, and when both doors are open they don't violently squeeze the panel between both doors. Just another adjustment to make.

[powerline84]

Today's task was cleaning inside of roof box and sealing it with a rust proof coating. I used Eastwood frame rust encapsulater. Rigged up a sick vacuum tool and used some picks of different sizes to root around in box. Also got both door roof seals drilled out . Prepped both gas strut mount points on fiberglass for reinforcement brackets I am still waiting for. Then it's remove remaining sealent, paint roof, mount door. No luck on getting early door lock out without breaking it. Plastic was just to brittle . Got my rivnut gun in and repaired the missing rivnut for door wire loom.48651486524865348654

[Lwanmtr]

Making good progress there.

Luckily you can get new door locks set to your key.

[powerline84]

Painted roof box. All that's left is sealing and then bolting down the rear.

Started electrical restoration and I am going to need some help to fix some previous owner hacks. I'll post a thread in the electrical section.

Jimmy4869748698

[vwdmc16]

Nice! cleaning up the rood box and gutters really makes the car look fresh and clean everytime you get in.

[powerline84]

http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?14734-electrical-restoration-help&p=212576#post212576

any help on this electrical will be greatly appreciated :-)

Jimmy

[powerline84]

487324873348734

Roof box is now bolted and re sealed. Not a hard job but I vastly underestimated the hours of labor involved lol. But why not take the time to restore the box and pull all the old sealent. Fixed! Just gotta chop bolts to clear headliner . Hang door. And reinstall tpanel.

[Rich_NYS]

Will there be any work left to do when I come visit?

At the rate you're going, I'm thinking I should leave a bunch of stuff "undone" on MY car and we'll work on mine instead of yours! lol

Lookin' good....

[Lwanmtr]

Dont forget to wash that back window....hehe.

Looking good... Give ya beer to come do mine :)

[powerline84]

Ha being that you and I own Deloreans, I am sure there will always be some work that needs done lol. Thanks man

[powerline84]

4880948810

New door strut mounts and reinforcement brackets installed. They'll be hidden once I put the upper door finishers back in. I got these from Delorean Club UK. They are made by a member there and most of the money goes to a charity of your choice. Pretty cool

[Rich_NYS]

4880948810

New door strut mounts and reinforcement brackets installed. They'll be hidden once I put the upper door finishers back in. I got these from Delorean Club UK. They are made by a member there and most of the money goes to a charity of your choice. Pretty cool

I have a set from delorean.eu, but I think I like those better. I haven't yet installed mine....maybe I'll make a change in plans.

Lookin' good, man!

[Drive Stainless]

A surprisingly big job that many cars need whether the owners want to admit it or not.

Great work!

When I did this job, I also glued them to the fiberglass with (fiberglass) epoxy resin.

[powerline84]

Thanks guys ! They were way more of a pain in the ass to install then expected but I figured why not while I had everything apart. My fiberglass was in good shape but my drivers side origional was slightly bent and I figured it's only a matter of time untill they break. Seems like one of those things the factory would have changed if they had not gone out of business as the stock bracket seems ridiculously small.

[powerline84]

4886348864

Minor progress but progress this week none the less. Picked up a brand new DMC radiator and cooling system hose kit from StainlessBullet. Got the passenger roof seal installed.

[powerline84]

490664906749068490694907049071

Busy couple of days. New upper finishers and door strut balls installed and sealed. New (used) drivers door built and installed. The T-panel is just resting there right now. Waiting on some screws to show up for passenger fender and t-panel. Also a bunch of fine tuning that needs to be done but the torsion bars are properly adjusted and with a set of new grady struts watching them both come up evenly and close is a thing of dreams. 5 total days of work in roof box and door repair.

[Lwanmtr]

Coming along nicely

[Stainless]

What's your plan for the new door missing the stripe? Will you remove them everywhere else on the car?

[powerline84]

The stripes in rough shape. My plan is to get a nos grey stripe kit from grady. As far as the rub strips I have them just haven't put them on yet.

[Lwanmtr]

I always liked the grey stripes....have fun getting the old ones off..acetone works though..I had some funky orange stripes on one of my doors..had to spend hours with acetone, scrubber and razor

[powerline84]

491074910849109491104911149112

Christmas in February!

[Rich_NYS]

christmas in february!

niiiicee!!!

[Lwanmtr]

Awesome (hides the pics of my engine)

[powerline84]

4912349124
UK control arms just showed up
Ed's brackets on way
Toby's bushings on way
New steering rack
,tie rods, stainless steering shaft and joints, tabs etc.....days like these make the weekend seem so far away lol
Also sent my transaxle with my buddy Chris on his way to Chicago to drop of with Mike to rebuild. I'll have it back wensday. Exciting weeks ahead!

[Domi]

Beautiful engine, and a lot of awesome parts!!

[powerline84]

49141

Transaxle looked like molasses inside. Mike's getting it squared away.

[powerline84]

49174

Pulled the calipers tonight for plating exchange.

[powerline84]

49231492324923349234

Got my trans and brakes back from Mike. Just waiting on my top end to come back from Josh and a few odds and ends and i will I have all major systems, brakes, suspension, cooling, clutch +hydraulics, fuel system, and engine ready to go back in brand new. I am hoping to start re assembly of the car next weekend.

[Rich_NYS]

This is an awesome thread.

[louielouie2000]

I always look forward to your updates! It's great to see a non-runner come back to life so quickly. I don't think I've ever seen anyone tackle a full mechanical restoration at such a pace.

[powerline84]

Thanks guys I think lol. Well I have wanted this car my whole life ...took me 2 years to find it ...and I sold my classic truck to restore it so it's game on baby lol. It's also a sickness. I am the kind the kinda guy that when something is broke on one of the cars it consumes me untill I finish it....especially on the classics. Being a gear head is also my outlet from life and the military....it's my me time lol. Between the wife's classic mini the delorean and the daily drivers there's always something to do lol. The excitement of getting to drive my car for the first time is definatley also motivating me . I appreciate all the motivation and positive comments guys. Sometimes I walk out to that car and am like damn....so much work to do lol but it's coming along.

[powerline84]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]49539[/ATTACH

a really crappy customer service vendor, life, and some family health issues delayed things for a while but reassembly finally begins this weekend.

[powerline84]

49579
Thanks newheart10644. Wasnt expecting all the bolts to be bagged and labelled. Much appreciated.

[Chris Burns]

Awesome thread!!:rollin:

[newheart10644]

49579
Thanks newheart10644. Wasnt expecting all the bolts to be bagged and labelled. Much appreciated.


Your welcome, enjoy your Car as much as i enjoyed mine.

[powerline84]

Your welcome, enjoy your Car as much as i enjoyed mine.



Did you get rid of yours?

[powerline84]

4963749638

Today's progress. Tpanel installed. New rear finisher. Quarter panels bolted up. Air scoops reinstalled. Roof repair officially finally done .

[Lwanmtr]

Looking good :)

[powerline84]

So apparently dpi builds these motors with 3.0 blocks. Dumb question but were the hell does the oil dipstick go because the hole is not in the same spot as a 2.8 block and he didn't send me a dipstick. Any ideas?

[powerline84]

4973249733

Pics for reference

[powerline84]

Also before I start assembling the top end this weekend does someone have a better engine assembly manual then the dmc one on digits like a Volvo one or something ?

[Drive Stainless]

So apparently dpi builds these motors with 3.0 blocks. Dumb question but were the hell does the oil dipstick go because the hole is not in the same spot as a 2.8 block and he didn't send me a dipstick. Any ideas?

It's one of the holes in the driver-side engine mount embossment. You're looking at a 2.8L lower crankcase (same as DMC).

[powerline84]

It's one of the holes in the driver-side engine mount embossment. You're looking at a 2.8L lower crankcase (same as DMC).

I'll have to look again...I may have been confused because the block was clean and not covered in oil and dirt like my old one lol a blond moment

[powerline84]

49774497844978349782497814978049779497784977749776 4977549785

Got my Parking brake calipers back from Mike and family at DMC Midwest, and they are beautiful. If you need some plating done send them to Mike, he is my go to guy and primary vendor for parts. Ed Eudings brackets... Also Got my NOS stripe kit (thin grey) and mattaligner and new shifter boot and frame from Rob Grady, that I traded a few old parts for. Rob and Jessica are also great people. Rob is gonna install the stripes for me when he and Chris Nicholson re-grain my car in April. I thought the original literature was pretty cool so I uploaded some pics for you guys, although I am sure most of you have probably seen it. My buddy Chris and I will be taking 2706 to the shop tomorrow for a full day. Plan is to get trans-axle and longlock in, cooling system, fuel filter, fuel accumulator, and clutch system done.

[powerline84]

4982249823498244982549826498274982849829


Did some work today lol. Motor and trans is in. Thanks to Mike at midwest for loaning me A clutch tool. 90 % Cooling system in, fuel system up to motor almost done just need some accumulator fittings. Not bad for a days work. Tomorrow finish and pressure test cooling system . Start putting top end back together.

[powerline84]

49830

[Lwanmtr]

Lookign good.

[Delta DeLorean]

Nice work! Did you change the frame at the end or was it already like that? That must have been nice to take the rear section out of the frame when installing a new engine.
My fuel tank cover plate looked the same as yours. Had some clutch flued leaking on there, the clutch master was bad when i got the car. What I did is drill some holes in each corner of the deep section, so in future any leaking flued will drain out so it does not corrode the plate.

[powerline84]

498364983749838498394984049841

Cooling system done . New steering rack, shaft and u joints done, left front done. Still waiting on new tie rods.

[powerline84]

4984249843

[Drive Stainless]

Front end ride height & engine looks awesome!

[powerline84]

Nice work! Did you change the frame at the end or was it already like that? That must have been nice to take the rear section out of the frame when installing a new engine.
My fuel tank cover plate looked the same as yours. Had some clutch flued leaking on there, the clutch master was bad when i got the car. What I did is drill some holes in each corner of the deep section, so in future any leaking flued will drain out so it does not corrode the plate.


Previous owner just have cut the frame as the rear piece was bolted on. I don't mind I probably would have done it to. Makes things a lot easier back there.

[powerline84]

Front end ride height & engine looks awesome!

Thanks Man!

For those who are curious my suspension set up is drive stainless coilover kit, delorean club UK ball joints and lower aluminum control arms, dmc nos uppers, dmc rubber bushings and bearings everywhere except sway bar. I went with Toby from northwest poly sway bar kit. And got a set of trailing arm bolts as well. All of my brakes and components came from Mike at Midwest, he zinc plated everything for me but those are another days job. Gotta finish the suspension first. It's fairly strait forward. The drive stainless kit makes it easy. Front left took about 1hr and a half but had to figure things out and spent 30 minutes messing with the hydraulic press in the shop. Didnt even mess with the stock springs and a compressor just cut them....they were garbage anyway. Probably get the right front done in 30 minutes of course a lift makes things a lot easier.

[powerline84]

50099501005010250103

Got home from work tonight and rebuilt my calipers that I got back from Mike at Midwest . I don't think my wife will approve of my use of the rv kitchen table lol.

[powerline84]

5011050111

Got origional sway bar, clamps, and front end recall brackets back from blaster and powder coat today just in time to be installed tomorrow. Plus this sweet clock from a fellow German membor.

[powerline84]

504785047750476504755047450473504725047150470

Got a lot done this weekend. Front suspension is done. Rear supsension is almost done...left is buttoned up but the right rear hub bearing exploded when i tried to seat the axle so I need to fix that. The rear suspension was a huge pain in the ass....I have never seen bearings that bad and bushings that bad..I spent a lot of time pressing out the old bushings, but all the bushings and bearings are now new...I also replaced the trailing arm bolts and bushings...I got lucky because my bolts were actually ok but for piece of mind I replaced them any way. Also replace the accumulator, bolted up the eagle starter, and put a few sensors in. Pretty productive weekend. I highly recommend Drive stainlesses Qa1 Kit, quality stuff and easy install.


Jimmy

[powerline84]

5056250561

Suspensions done...haven't made any adjustments yet. Stripped axles down and had the axles powder coated. Next up is rebuilding axles, installing brakes, clutch lines, brake master, clutch master and reservoirs.

[Rich_NYS]

Looks good!

Are your front & rear springs both grey?

[powerline84]

Looks good!

Are your front & rear springs both grey?

No my front springs are chrome....funny I didn't notice until you asked...i wonder why? Lol

[Rich_NYS]

No my front springs are chrome....funny I didn't notice until you asked...i wonder why? Lol


I thought your front springs looked grey in your pics, I just now realized I was looking at the rears (but in a different post.) -lol

Fronts are only available in chrome....

[powerline84]

50838

Spent the weekend helping my buddy Chris buy his first Delorean. All I managed to do on my own car was the brake servo and master. wry

[powerline84]

50856

Dawn dish soap has worked wonders so far on the brake master and clutch resevoir. Soaked for 2 days then put some pennies and dimes in....shook around ...emptied ...now On soak number 2

[Mark D]

50856

Dawn dish soap has worked wonders so far on the brake master and clutch resevoir. Soaked for 2 days then put some pennies and dimes in....shook around ...emptied ...now On soak number 2

Brake cleaner (aerosol stuff in a can) works great too if there is any stubborn gunk left after the Dawn soak. I squirted in a good amount of cleaner and a handful of small washers, shook everything around and it was like brand new in there afterwards

Before
http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=31953&d=1417637678

After
http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=29998&d=1407726839

[powerline84]

Yeah brother I think I will have to do the same...gotta little bit of stubborn gunk in there. Not much left though

[powerline84]

5086550866508675086850869

Under the hood is done. A little pissed of that the NOS fuel filler neck Houston sent me already has rust it it, but its way better then the old one i suppose

[Lwanmtr]

Hehe...you'd think they would send a rust free one...unless they're hoarding those for the new cars.

[powerline84]

5094750946

Front brakes are on . Clutch system is done...just needs bled. Tomorrow rear brakes and bleed.

[Mark D]

5086550866508675086850869

Under the hood is done. A little pissed of that the NOS fuel filler neck Houston sent me already has rust it it, but its way better then the old one i suppose

You could send the fuel fill neck out for plating and it would come back looking brand new. If your old one just has surface rust you could send that one instead of the new one from DMCH so you're still able to drive the car.

DMCMW sends batches of parts out for plating so you could get your fill neck included with the next batch. If I had to guess it would probably cost around 20-30 bucks for the plating and shipping.

[powerline84]

Yeah Mike did the plating on my brakes...it just pissed me off dmc Houston charged me 80 bucks for a rusty part.

[DMC5180]

Yeah Mike did the plating on my brakes...it just pissed me off dmc Houston charged me 80 bucks for a rusty part.

How bad was the old one?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[powerline84]

It was really bad 50966

[powerline84]

Just took off the original brake lines.* I am gonna add that job to top 10 shittiest delorean job lists. I had to use a torch and a little heat to get them lose. But I got them all off.

[DMC5180]

It was really bad 50966

Yikes!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mrsandman]

Wow! I haven't looked at mine yet. I'm kind of waiting for that inevitable day when I have to clean the tank (not looking forward to it).

I didn't think the brakes were going to be that bad, but I see I should make sure to bring an extra dose of patience!

Keep up the good work! I'll be referencing this thread for the months/years to come as I get mine going.

[powerline84]

Wow! I haven't looked at mine yet. I'm kind of waiting for that inevitable day when I have to clean the tank (not looking forward to it).

I didn't think the brakes were going to be that bad, but I see I should make sure to bring an extra dose of patience!

Keep up the good work! I'll be referencing this thread for the months/years to come as I get mine going.


Awesome that was my intent of doing a build thread. To show people that you can do it yourself and that these cars can be saved .

[powerline84]

510025100151000509995099850997

Clutch system is complete, blead and works !, parking brake installed and works!, rear calipers installed, bad r/r lower link replaced, started to rebuild axles but got tired and quit.

[powerline84]

5101051011510125101351014

finished rebuilding the axles today. Some Recommendations after my experiences.
- assemble the bearings and races before you install the race on the axle, much easier in my opinion.
-you can work the boots on by squeezing towards the lip of the boot to keep the boot expanded and pushing up at the same time.
-ditch the stock hex bolts as others have said on the forum, I attached a picture of the fastenal bolts and part number I just bought yesterday.
-I initially cleaned all the parts in a parts washer on disassembly but I then ended up still needing to use a brake cleaner and shop towels to do a good cleaning before assembly.
-Also play close attention to the orientation of the races on disassembly, it is easy to assemble the races backwards. My picture shows proper install orientation, note that the axle sleeve is flush up, and that the races go fat across from skinny, not fat across from fat.

[powerline84]

510165101551017

[Lwanmtr]

Quickly! Shoot the chicken before it takes over the world!

[powerline84]

510635106451065510665106751068

I busted my ass this week after work, pulled a couple late nights. Clutch system is done and tested, brake system is done and tested, transaxle is full, engine oil is full, electrical is pretty much done (still have to install bitsyncmasters fan fail). started putting top end toghether.....shes real close. She became alive today for the first time! My original clock works. Finally seing the light at the end of the tunnel.

[Lwanmtr]

Looking good :)

[mrsandman]

Wow you have really pushed through to get it back together. You have certainly spent some quality time with her and it shows.

Keep it up and you will have it back on the road soon!

[powerline84]

Thanks man shes close !

[powerline84]

51202

Nothing like snapping a cold start bolt in intake to slow forward progress. I'll deal with it tomorrow...lesson learned here is don't work on your car when you are pissed off.

[DMC5180]

Oh what fun that will be. It's a M6 bolt, if my memory serves me right.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[powerline84]

Oh what fun that will be. It's a M6 bolt, if my memory serves me right.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

anyone now for sure size, pitch length so I can grab one from fastenal?

[DMC5180]

http://store.delorean.com/p-6630-bolt-m6.aspx

Judging from the image scale.

It converts to a M6 x 1.00 x 65 L

Bolt lengths measure from the bottom of the Head. Not the way it's shown in the image. So if you mentally slide the bolt to the left A little, the other end is just over 2.5" 2.5 converts to 63.5 mm.

So a little over 2.5 would be 65 mm.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[powerline84]

thanks man

[powerline84]

had a buddy drop off my intake at a machine shop locally here for me cause I don't have time to deal with that crap with work. Gonna pic it up early next week and get back to putting the top end together. Rich hooked me up with a few critical parts that I had been waiting on. what sucks is that I missed out on a regrain oportunity with Chris from UK and Rob Grady this weekend in Orlando also because of work. progress will continue next week. Ill have to catch those guys next time the opportunity presents itself.

[powerline84]

5124351244512455124651247

Still waiting on my intake so I needed some small victories. Installed the Shifter boot that Rob sent me, and reinstalled the passenger seat after removing it for fuze box job. Started to install the DPI exhaust and it didn't come with any hardware for the mounting brackets, no exhaust grommets, and no hardware for the grommets, so I emailed him, hopefully get that resolved soon but a pretty easy install. Put the rear tires back on.

Can any one help me remember were to put this ground wire that's in the last picture? I dont remember what its for or where it goes.

Jimmy

[BABIS]

Can any one help me remember were to put this ground wire that's in the last picture? I dont remember what its for or where it goes.



mount it on the fuel filler neck ;) I guess it's there to prevent static discharge

[Rich_NYS]

51247


Can any one help me remember were to put this ground wire that's in the last picture? I dont remember what its for or where it goes.

Jimmy


51249


You're nearing the finish line man....great thread!

[powerline84]

Thanks guys!

[powerline84]

Got home from work early today....had the plan of just putting the intake on and I was dangerously productive lol.5125551256

Now time for a gym break then back at it tonight. Instal WUR, throttle spool, Fuel lines, harness, vacuum lines etc. Should have alternator bracket from Drive stainless tomorrow hopefully. Josh sent me out hardware for exhaust today, hopefully here thursday . By the way 35 bucks for the machine shop to remove broken cold start bolt and re tap was well worth my time lol

On a side note what the hell are those brackets in the first picture for ?

[Delorean Industries]

Ac rear housing bracket and throttle cable bracket for pass valve cover.

[powerline84]

Ac rear housing bracket and throttle cable bracket for pass valve cover.

Thanks Josh . After completely rebuilding the car it starts to get confusing with a few odds and ends lol

Josh do u have a pic of that throttle piece installed ?

[Delorean Industries]

Pictured on passenger valve cover. (Rice restoration from a few months back)
51257

[powerline84]

Ah ok looks like there clip that attaches to it I don't have. Thanks for the pic !

[Delorean Industries]

Route without it and install clip after the fact. The cable will stay close to that position. If you need one I can send it down. It is part of the recall kit for cold weather.

[powerline84]

Route without it and install clip after the fact. The cable will stay close to that position. If you need one I can send it down. It is part of the recall kit for cold weather.

Once I get it running I'll let you know . I don't have the recall kit stuff at all. The splash shield etc.

[Delorean Industries]

Couple of options on this. We rarely install as our EFI systems delete the terrible factory throttle spool and linkage that is a pita to adjust for optimal performance. If you want a stock shield kit we give them away.

[powerline84]

Yeah that be great !

[powerline84]

51278

All engine hardparts are installed (now it's just vacuum lines, harness and fuel lines. Cars back on 4 wheels and off jackstands. Exhaust tomorrow amd i am rounding the final stretch to a running car !

[Lwanmtr]

Must make it easier to have the car mounted on the wall like that...hehe.

[powerline84]

5129251293

[powerline84]

I don't know why my pics have started this crap

[DMC5180]

If your using an iPhone, just click edit post and delete the sideways images. You have 30 minutes to edit a post after first submitting it. Go to your photo library and select a photo and use edit mode, select the rotate icon and flip the image until it is correct, then select Done. Do that to all the images that apply. Then go back to your editable post and reload the corrected photos from your library.

To avoid the rotation issue altogether,
always take landscape photos with home button on the right side.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170519/566d68ef1e3af401a6c7f102bc59c8a7.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170519/1dd64892799cf11f68275b891436b158.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170519/351fa74f8b816adbd749b0fdb0e01d4f.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[powerline84]

517345173551733

Update ! She runs and is back in one piece. Sounds bad ass but is hard to start. Intermittent spark issues. More to follow. For now I am headed home to N.Y. Already got spotted on Instagram . I thought that was cool.

[powerline84]

51736

[Rich_NYS]

Awesome! :rock_on:

[Drive Stainless]

51736

What is the perforated metal that I'm seeing near the frame?

[powerline84]

The uhaul trailer I am currently towing it up to ny on lol

[Lwanmtr]

Very cool

[powerline84]

Houston we have lift off!

https://youtu.be/yc4BrAGmHwA

Stopped at DPI on way up to new York and Josh busted his ass on dialing motor in for me.

Still gotta fine tune a few things but I drove her into the garage !

Crossgate cable needs more pull added to it.

Needs alignment and suspension hight dialed In.

Dave's rpm relay is on its way.

First drive since 96! She's come a long way. Proud to have brought this girl back from the dead.

517985179951800

[DaraSue]

Congratulations! :rollin::partyhat:

[Lwanmtr]

Awesome...cool she's mostly back on the road

[Rich_NYS]

Completely awesome!

[powerline84]

Thanks guys! Battery isn't charging either. Alternator is new and my battery light doesn't come on...so the bulb is probably the issue . I'll test it tomorrow .

[powerline84]

Waiting on dash parts to fix charging issue. In the mean time I couldn't get it 1st 2nd or reverse after installing rebuilt trans so I adjusted my crossgate linkage today problem solved. Here is a handy pic for this who haven't done it. It's pretty simple....if you can't hit reverse you need more pull (towards drivers side)...5th more push(51878passenger side)

[Rich_NYS]

Handy pic, I saved it in my reference folder....thanks!

[mrsandman]

Awesome job getting her back to running condition again!

[DMC-81]

Congrats Jimmy on getting her running. Sounds great! :thumbup:

[powerline84]

Thanks everyone .
51907


Engine compartment pretty much complete. Still need to tidy a few things, hide a few things, I don't like how the fuel lines are run on drivers side. The air box is ugly as hell....gotta do something about that. Plastidip maybe ? And a new sticker ...who knows....future Jimmy problem. Waiting on parts to fix alternator not charging issue through new binnacle printed circuit hopefully. Then suspension adjustment and alignment and fingers crossed road ready. There is also a slight coolant leeks above closing plate and a few coolant pipe brackets that need installed in engine compartment .

[Rich_NYS]

Thanks everyone .
51907


Engine compartment pretty much complete. Still need to tidy a few things, hide a few things, I don't like how the fuel lines are run on drivers side. The air box is ugly as hell....gotta do something about that. Plastidip maybe ? And a new sticker ...who knows....future Jimmy problem. Waiting on parts to fix alternator not charging issue through new binnacle printed circuit hopefully. Then suspension adjustment and alignment and fingers crossed road ready. There is also a slight coolant leeks above closing plate and a few coolant pipe brackets that need installed in engine compartment .

Looks great, agreed about the airbox...looks like hell. I have a new (extra) one I'll bring with me next month.

[Lwanmtr]

I painted my airbox cause it was looking like that...just need to get the sticker for it.

[powerline84]

Rich man I would feel bad lol . We should do the meet at my house. Would be easiest for the Canadian guys cause the border bridge is only 30 minutes away in Alexandria bay. Plus I don't know if my car will be on the road yet lol. We talking last weekend in June?

[Rich_NYS]

Rich man I would feel bad lol . We should do the meet at my house. Would be easiest for the Canadian guys cause the border bridge is only 30 minutes away in Alexandria bay. Plus I don't know if my car will be on the road yet lol. We talking last weekend in June?

Yessir, so far the last week in June looks good.

[powerline84]

Finally got around to repairing the used drivers door I got from mike. It had some previous owner hacks done to it and was set up for plastic guides. I welded it up and mounted my original metal door guides . Dont judge to hard ...a lot harder/time consuming then it looks lol

519375193851939519405194151942

[Lwanmtr]

Wow...very nice work there. I couldnt weld myself out of a paper bag..lol

[Drive Stainless]

Ah yes, there's a bit of history to the door. LOL