John Hervey Strikes again

[RiceJB21]

So last year I thought I would go out on a limb and patronize John Hervey by getting my wheels refinished by him on my 83'. I send the wheels off in exchange for a refinished set and was initially pleased with my purchase. That was until I attended DCS 2016 and it was brought to my attention that I have MISMATCHED wheels on the front of the car. One is an early style while one is a later style. I didn't even know that there were two different kinds. For the last 6 MONTHS I have been in contact with John to get a new wheel and all he does is replies with "Jason, I'm in the middle of a move". THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE and I have already reported it to the BBB.

I have known John a long time and have frankly done little business with him due to the fact that anything he's ever sent me has had to be returned because it sucked. I'm officially done with this guy. Nobody should treat a customer with that much disrespect in such a small community such as this. Who else has had problems with him and what did you do to remedy it other than filing a lawsuit (which I'm about to do).

[Michael]

There are plenty of threads here with dire warnings about him. It was you who chose not to heed them. Kind of like placing your hand on a hot stove after being repeatedly warned not to.

[RiceJB21]

Well for one, i don't get on here and look up reviews on vendors so i was unaware of that. Secondly, now that I have looked on here it appears every vendor has had shit talked about them at some point. You're right, i should have known better but seriously dude who messes up wheels?!? He doesn't even do them himself he takes them to a machine shop for god's sake.

[Patrick C]

The change in wheel style could very well have resulted in mismatched wheels being put on at the factory. As you stated, unless someone points it out, you'd never know. You'll also notice some cars have the DMC logo on some pieces of glass and not other pieces of glass. Again, there were running changes in parts production and the factory used whatever they had.

Are you 100% sure your wheels matched before sending them to Hervey?

[steve]

Not defending nor praising but I got 4 beautiful wheels refurbished and perfectly balanced from Hervey. I love them and am well pleased with the price.
Again every vender has his or her problems.
Steve

[dhaney]

I had my 8 wheels redone locally, and they came out great cheaper and quicker than any vendor!


Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[RiceJB21]

The change in wheel style could very well have resulted in mismatched wheels being put on at the factory. As you stated, unless someone points it out, you'd never know. You'll also notice some cars have the DMC logo on some pieces of glass and not other pieces of glass. Again, there were running changes in parts production and the factory used whatever they had.

Are you 100% sure your wheels matched before sending them to Hervey?


John assured me that the wheels coming back to me were not the wheels that were originally on my car.

[Patrick C]

John assured me that the wheels coming back to me were not the wheels that were originally on my car.

Ok. But are you sure your 4 wheels you mailed off to him were matched to begin with? The factory was slapping on whatever parts they had on hand.

[RiceJB21]

Ok. But are you sure your 4 wheels you mailed off to him were matched to begin with? The factory was slapping on whatever parts they had on hand.

YES, after looking at the detailed pics of the car when I first got it, with the original wheels, I know that my wheels were all matching before I sent them off. I have to say, his guy did a great job on the wheels in general, they look great. BUT, I've been after John for over 7 months to send me a new, correct, one. That is completely unacceptable for a business owner to treat a customer that way. That is what pisses me off.

[sdg3205]

I agree he should have told you up front that he wasnt going to send back a matching set, especially late VIN rims which are nicer IMHO.

[SamHill]

YES, after looking at the detailed pics of the car when I first got it, with the original wheels, I know that my wheels were all matching before I sent them off. I have to say, his guy did a great job on the wheels in general, they look great. BUT, I've been after John for over 7 months to send me a new, correct, one. That is completely unacceptable for a business owner to treat a customer that way. That is what pisses me off.

Unfortunately, I've seen this movie before.

[RiceJB21]

Unfortunately, I've seen this movie before.

What?!? The same thing has happened to you?

[Michael]

Well for one, i don't get on here and look up reviews on vendors so i was unaware of that. Secondly, now that I have looked on here it appears every vendor has had shit talked about them at some point. You're right, i should have known better but seriously dude who messes up wheels?!? He doesn't even do them himself he takes them to a machine shop for god's sake.

It's not so much that he is the only one who makes mistakes, everyone does from time to time, but he is the only one who refuses to own up to them.

[sdg3205]

What?!? The same thing has happened to you?

In 2010, Hervey literally sold and mailed me garbage. He sent me a busted up, broken switch that was even missing part of the plunger neck. When i sent him pics of it he claimed he couldn't see the damage in the pictures. That was the first and last time I bought from John.

[RiceJB21]

It's not so much that he is the only one who makes mistakes, everyone does from time to time, but he is the only one who refuses to own up to them.

Yeah I mean that's what I'm talking about. It's been over 8 months and all he does is make up excuses, then he recently sent me an email explaining that I was a "kid who lost his lollipop" and that I should not make such a big deal out of it. It's simply the principle of the whole thing. You would think in a community of owners this small you wouldn't want to piss people off. I have purchased parts from every DeLorean vendor there is including Ed back when he owned DeLorean One. This is BY FAR the WORST experience I've ever had with anyone, let alone a DeLorean vendor. I told John I was going to keep everyone posted as to how this situation unfolds and that as soon as it's rectified I would drop the whole thing. This has yet to happen.

[sdg3205]

Yeah I mean that's what I'm talking about. It's been over 8 months and all he does is make up excuses, then he recently sent me an email explaining that I was a "kid who lost his lollipop" and that I should not make such a big deal out of it. It's simply the principle of the whole thing. You would think in a community of owners this small you wouldn't want to piss people off. I have purchased parts from every DeLorean vendor there is including Ed back when he owned DeLorean One. This is BY FAR the WORST experience I've ever had with anyone, let alone a DeLorean vendor. I told John I was going to keep everyone posted as to how this situation unfolds and that as soon as it's rectified I would drop the whole thing. This has yet to happen.

John doesn't care.

[SS Spoiler]

On a similar note I sent DPI my old core motor six months ago
and haven't received my 2500.00 deposit....

[ccurzio]

Hervey is the worst.

I remember hearing a while back that he hated the forum(s) because they were doing damage to his business. That shit cracks me up, because how he runs his business is what's damaging his business.

[BLWNAWY]

I wasn't going to pile onto this, but after reading some of the comments just can't resist. I have nothing to lose since I would never buy from John anyway.

In 1986 I started my DeLorean parts business, Specialty Automotive, in Olympia WA. I was totally inexperienced in running a business, but had one major goal - fair, prompt and honest service. Any complaints, and there were really very few, were dealt with quickly and to the customer's satisfaction even if I lost money on the deal. I think I built up a good reputation quickly that way. But suddenly I began getting complaints about shoddy products and demands that I take parts back THAT I HAD NEVER SOLD! After checking into this I found that there was a new player in the game going by the name of Special T DeLorean Parts. In their frustration with him, customers were somehow assuming that the name similarity meant we were branches of the same business I guess. After fielding a number of these complaints I called John to discuss the issue. One of my first questions was "Why in the world did you choose a business name so close to mine in such a limited market?" His response was to the effect of "It's a free world, what's your problem?" I could see quickly that this was not going to go well. Luckily our paths diverged somewhat, with me sticking to OEM parts and innovations like remote door opener kits, steering column bushings, s/s speedo cables, etc. while he apparently focused more on other areas. To this day I have no idea why he tried to clone my well-established business name, or where "Special 'T'" even came from. I eventually sold my business and moved on, never expecting to come back to the world of DeLorean ownership. What goes around.....

[Mark D]

I wasn't going to pile onto this, but after reading some of the comments just can't resist. I have nothing to lose since I would never buy from John anyway.

In 1986 I started my DeLorean parts business, Specialty Automotive, in Olympia WA. I was totally inexperienced in running a business, but had one major goal - fair, prompt and honest service. Any complaints, and there were really very few, were dealt with quickly and to the customer's satisfaction even if I lost money on the deal. I think I built up a good reputation quickly that way. But suddenly I began getting complaints about shoddy products and demands that I take parts back THAT I HAD NEVER SOLD! After checking into this I found that there was a new player in the game going by the name of Special T DeLorean Parts. In their frustration with him, customers were somehow assuming that the name similarity meant we were branches of the same business I guess. After fielding a number of these complaints I called John to discuss the issue. One of my first questions was "Why in the world did you choose a business name so close to mine in such a limited market?" His response was to the effect of "It's a free world, what's your problem?" I could see quickly that this was not going to go well. Luckily our paths diverged somewhat, with me sticking to OEM parts and innovations like remote door opener kits, steering column bushings, s/s speedo cables, etc. while he apparently focused more on other areas. To this day I have no idea why he tried to clone my well-established business name, or where "Special 'T'" even came from. I eventually sold my business and moved on, never expecting to come back to the world of DeLorean ownership. What goes around.....

I'd heard bits and pieces of this story several years ago and it was just one more thing that made me steer away from Hervey. Thanks for filling in the full story for everyone else to read.

Your DeLorean ownership story is a really interesting one by the way... I was so glad to see you were able to buy back your old car to fix it up back to its former glory after the fire.

[Michael]

I wasn't going to pile onto this, but after reading some of the comments just can't resist. I have nothing to lose since I would never buy from John anyway.

In 1986 I started my DeLorean parts business, Specialty Automotive, in Olympia WA. I was totally inexperienced in running a business, but had one major goal - fair, prompt and honest service. Any complaints, and there were really very few, were dealt with quickly and to the customer's satisfaction even if I lost money on the deal. I think I built up a good reputation quickly that way. But suddenly I began getting complaints about shoddy products and demands that I take parts back THAT I HAD NEVER SOLD! After checking into this I found that there was a new player in the game going by the name of Special T DeLorean Parts. In their frustration with him, customers were somehow assuming that the name similarity meant we were branches of the same business I guess. After fielding a number of these complaints I called John to discuss the issue. One of my first questions was "Why in the world did you choose a business name so close to mine in such a limited market?" His response was to the effect of "It's a free world, what's your problem?" I could see quickly that this was not going to go well. Luckily our paths diverged somewhat, with me sticking to OEM parts and innovations like remote door opener kits, steering column bushings, s/s speedo cables, etc. while he apparently focused more on other areas. To this day I have no idea why he tried to clone my well-established business name, or where "Special 'T'" even came from. I eventually sold my business and moved on, never expecting to come back to the world of DeLorean ownership. What goes around.....

What a total dick move. I have for the last 6 or 7 years been telling people what an ass he was to me for no reason whatsoever. I had a missing piece from my order and questioned him about it (just asking, not being upset, I thought it was either on back order or maybe shipped in a separate box and just wanted to make sure it was ordered ) when he got totally hostile and started screaming into the phone at me?? I got the whole "I'm a one man show here, WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?" I just said I want you to hang up the phone and I did the same. He will never see another dollar from me again. EVER!

[Drive Stainless]

I wasn't going to pile onto this, but after reading some of the comments just can't resist. I have nothing to lose since I would never buy from John anyway.

In 1986 I started my DeLorean parts business, Specialty Automotive, in Olympia WA. I was totally inexperienced in running a business, but had one major goal - fair, prompt and honest service. Any complaints, and there were really very few, were dealt with quickly and to the customer's satisfaction even if I lost money on the deal. I think I built up a good reputation quickly that way. But suddenly I began getting complaints about shoddy products and demands that I take parts back THAT I HAD NEVER SOLD! After checking into this I found that there was a new player in the game going by the name of Special T DeLorean Parts. In their frustration with him, customers were somehow assuming that the name similarity meant we were branches of the same business I guess. After fielding a number of these complaints I called John to discuss the issue. One of my first questions was "Why in the world did you choose a business name so close to mine in such a limited market?" His response was to the effect of "It's a free world, what's your problem?" I could see quickly that this was not going to go well. Luckily our paths diverged somewhat, with me sticking to OEM parts and innovations like remote door opener kits, steering column bushings, s/s speedo cables, etc. while he apparently focused more on other areas. To this day I have no idea why he tried to clone my well-established business name, or where "Special 'T'" even came from. I eventually sold my business and moved on, never expecting to come back to the world of DeLorean ownership. What goes around.....

Usually when a business intends to create a brand, it chooses a name that is eligible for trademark protection. Trademarks allow you to protect your investment in your business by preventing others from cashing-in on your reputation.

A term like "Specialty Automotive" is merely descriptive and would normally not be eligible for trademark protection absent a number of additional factors. A quick Google search reveals hundreds of other businesses using a variation of that name, so I think it would be unlikely that you could register it.

In other words, the business name is akin to "Fresh Doughnuts." If a court enforces the exclusive use of a descriptive term as a registered trademark, then thousands of other businesses won't be able to describe what they're selling (fresh doughnuts). Those businesses would have to call them "Fresh Fried Dough Rings." If someone then registers that term as a trademark, businesses would have to think of something else to use. You can see how this would hurt commerce in the long run.

You would have better success defending your brand using a name like "BLWNAWY DeLorean Parts" or something similarly arbitrary.

[kenny]

On a similar note I sent DPI my old core motor six months ago
and haven't received my 2500.00 deposit....

I find it hard to believe there's no comments on this statement.

I have bought parts from both companies and can't remember any major issues with either.

[BLWNAWY]

Usually when a business intends to create a brand, it chooses a name that is eligible for trademark protection. Trademarks allow you to protect your investment in your business by preventing others from cashing-in on your reputation.

A term like "Specialty Automotive" is merely descriptive and would normally not be eligible for trademark protection absent a number of additional factors. A quick Google search reveals hundreds of other businesses using a variation of that name, so I think it would be unlikely that you could register it.

In other words, the business name is akin to "Fresh Doughnuts." If a court enforces the exclusive use of a descriptive term as a registered trademark, then thousands of other businesses won't be able to describe what they're selling (fresh doughnuts). Those businesses would have to call them "Fresh Fried Dough Rings." If someone then registers that term as a trademark, businesses would have to think of something else to use. You can see how this would hurt commerce in the long run.

You would have better success defending your brand using a name like "BLWNAWY DeLorean Parts" or something similarly arbitrary.

I know why I chose it - it was intentionally generic so that if the DeLorean parts venture didn't work out I could morph it into street rod parts or classic car parts, my other interests. I knew there were other Specialty Automotive businesses right here in my own state and had no intention or desire to trademark it. The point made was why would a new competitor choose to copy it in a market with only 4 or 5 vendors at that time. He didn't even have a "T" in his name, so "Special T" made no sense other than to tread on my established record. I didn't really care much until all the complaints starting showing up on the DeLorean Mailing List and similar places. I can't help but believe it may have had some negative effects on my business just due to the name similarity - all it took was for one owner to tell another about his problems dealing with "Special T Automotive". Water under the bridge now. Toby changed the name to DeLorean Parts NW and now doesn't have that problem.

[dn010]

I used to order from John quite frequently back in the early 2000's when business was new. Back then there were still some issues but they'd be corrected and he would even spend time on the phone with me helping me diagnose a problem.

This was back then. Now? While maybe he has a few good products here and there (?), one thing to keep in mind is that what he is selling is parts that "fit" but are parts that aren't the best design and ones you can get at any parts house for half the price, if not even for even more than half off of what he sells for. His shocks (which extend more than original causing your LCA to hit the frame) will come with part numbers ground off and a DAP sticker over the damage so you can't reference them or see how much they really cost. His $100 stainless fuel level sender (that has no low fuel warning feature) is nothing more than a Marine fuel / water sender that you can get easily on Amazon for at least half of that. His alternators are GM remanufactured alternators from a Cadillac that he stamps with a D140 he calls his DeLorean Brute alternator which I purchased two of and saw no difference between a D120 or a D140 aside from price. Both alternator's magnets used to screech loudly which was a whole other issue. I could go on about the all-in-one fuel pump, switches, clock etc etc.

I haven't placed a major order with him in probably over a decade. I ordered twice I believe in the past 7 years. The first was for a replacement alternator pigtail. Through email I asked what resistor was buried in the pigtail so I could simply fix mine. John responded with something along the lines of - don't worry I'll just send you a new one what is your address. I send my full name and address, and he responds asking "Are you the Dan that was in the Army?". Once he found out who I was, and more than likely because I did not have the most kind things to say about his products in the past, I was charged $12 + postage for a pigtail I could have gotten from the parts store or just fixed mine for free.

The last thing I ordered, like an idiot who never learns, was a fuel pump boot and fuel screen and even that was a pain in the ass. At least this time he had some girl working for him taking order so I didn't get the blacklist treatment. I specify the screen needed was for the original set up. What do I get? The screen for his "new" setup where the screen goes directly on the bottom of the pump. Not only that, the fuel pump boot lasted literally one week - I went to get gas one day and smelled a strong fuel odor and realized I'm leaving a fuel trailing behind me as I was leaving. After I investigate, the fuel pump boot was split in dozens of places....

Never again.

[DARCOM]

I have ordered all kinds of stuff from him over the 20 plus years i have had my Delorean. I never had a problem. But i have not had any problems from any vendors of Delorean parts. Guess i'm just lucky.

[DMCVegas]

His alternators are GM remanufactured alternators from a Cadillac that he stamps with a D140 he calls his DeLorean Brute alternator which I purchased two of and saw no difference between a D120 or a D140 aside from price. Both alternator's magnets used to screech loudly which was a whole other issue.

I do not know about what your screech is related to, but I can speak to the experience with the alternator I purchased from him which was a 150 amp alternator. It seems to have some very tight internal tolerances because it whistles as it spins. Not exactly a klaxon siren, but very noticeable. The other problem was water. With the stock 90 amp Motorola, I never had a problem driving through standing water during, or after a big rainstorm. But with the D150, whenever I hit water the alternator would go out. I know this because the voltage dipped and my battery light would come on. The only way to fix it was to gun the engine in neutral to get the RPMs up high. I guess that would get the thing to spin all of the water out. After 2-3 seconds of that the battery light would go off and the voltage would go back up.

John doesn't sell the D150 unit any longer. I don't know why, but perhaps this is the reason. I don't know. He still sells the 140 amp unit, but as part of it's description states, "Made primary for highway use and higher current draw." I've no idea what "highway use" is supposed to mean.

I do agree that John has some parts that are indeed very useful. Such as the battery cables and A/C hoses. However, and this isn't a slight against John, or any other vendor, I'm honestly just more inclined now to buy the crimping tools and fabricate the parts myself. As someone who is a car hobbyist, I'll definitely use the tools again on other projects, and that will save me money and time in the long run. Otherwise, after years of dicking around at parts counters and the like to see what part will fit my vehicle (not just for the DeLorean, but ALL of the cars I've owned), I'm more comfortable with approved parts built to spec rather than ones that just cross over. Especially if I, or the vendor who sold them to me, have to file something to make them fit.

[dn010]

I may have a D160 if that was even a thing back then - it was whatever the highest amp alternator he offered was. My screeching is related to the magnets inside the alternator. They'd screech loudly and sound like it was a slipping belt but it was not. While screeching there would be no output and my voltage gauge would be low. This would happen especially when cold or, like you, when it was raining or I hit water. I'd have to slowly tap the accelerator until the RPMs would raise and the noise would disappear restoring my voltage to ~14. I took the alternator apart one day to find the plastic housing for the magnets was cracked in numerous places. So, I order a D110 so I have something for my daily driving D, ship back the 160 so he can repair it and had the same issue with the D110. This is how I ended up with two alternators. John fixed the 160, shipped it back and it STILL screeched in my car.

It isn't a problem with my car, I took one of the alternators and put it in my 1957 Cadillac, replacing the generator. It still screeches in that car to this day. It has something to do with the magnets whether they're jumping or sticking, I have no idea.

I do know about the alternator whine, I hear it too all the time, lets me know my battery is charging and it really isn't that obnoxious.

As far as vendors, out of the 6 varieties I've ordered from (counting DMCH/DMCFLC/A etc all as one), I've had issues with 4 of them. However, aside from DAP when I've had an issue, I've gotten courteous, kind, helpful responses. I've gotten parts specific to my vehicle that weren't some cross referenced kind of fit part that would do more harm than good on my vehicle. I've had, by far, the most issues with DAP parts out of all vendors.

Speaking of DAP / Special T:
http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?14743-What-do-you-think-of-this-shock-spring-setup-(photo)&p=212725#post212725


I do not know about what your screech is related to, but I can speak to the experience with the alternator I purchased from him which was a 150 amp alternator. It seems to have some very tight internal tolerances because it whistles as it spins. Not exactly a klaxon siren, but very noticeable. The other problem was water. With the stock 90 amp Motorola, I never had a problem driving through standing water during, or after a big rainstorm. But with the D150, whenever I hit water the alternator would go out. I know this because the voltage dipped and my battery light would come on. The only way to fix it was to gun the engine in neutral to get the RPMs up high. I guess that would get the thing to spin all of the water out. After 2-3 seconds of that the battery light would go off and the voltage would go back up.

John doesn't sell the D150 unit any longer. I don't know why, but perhaps this is the reason. I don't know. He still sells the 140 amp unit, but as part of it's description states, "Made primary for highway use and higher current draw." I've no idea what "highway use" is supposed to mean.

I do agree that John has some parts that are indeed very useful. Such as the battery cables and A/C hoses. However, and this isn't a slight against John, or any other vendor, I'm honestly just more inclined now to buy the crimping tools and fabricate the parts myself. As someone who is a car hobbyist, I'll definitely use the tools again on other projects, and that will save me money and time in the long run. Otherwise, after years of dicking around at parts counters and the like to see what part will fit my vehicle (not just for the DeLorean, but ALL of the cars I've owned), I'm more comfortable with approved parts built to spec rather than ones that just cross over. Especially if I, or the vendor who sold them to me, have to file something to make them fit.

[FABombjoy]

"Made primary for highway use and higher current draw." I've no idea what "highway use" is supposed to mean
It means it runs way too hot and needs constant airflow to keep it from self destructing :D

Has anybody ever seen a car that seems to eat alternators like a DeLorean?

One of the most popular modifications is to remove the hot air stove and piping. I believe that a side effect of this mod is that you remove a radiant heat shield from the exhaust manifold and subject the regulator assembly to additional heat. The cast iron manifold is less than 2" from the alternator body.

My OEM Motorola was melting after 6000 miles post stove removal. I replaced the alternator and fabbed an aluminum heat shield for the manifold. Time will tell!

[Drive Stainless]

It means it runs way too hot and needs constant airflow to keep it from self destructing :D

Has anybody ever seen a car that seems to eat alternators like a DeLorean?



A good reason to use an alternator with a lifetime warranty from your local parts store. :) Just sayin'!

[dn010]

Otherwise, after years of dicking around at parts counters and the like to see what part will fit my vehicle (not just for the DeLorean, but ALL of the cars I've owned), I'm more comfortable with approved parts built to spec rather than ones that just cross over. Especially if I, or the vendor who sold them to me, have to file something to make them fit.


The thing is, there are cross referenced parts which essentially are the same exact part. Take the blower motor resistor. I can cross reference it, go to the parts store and get essentially the same exact part as the one that would ship from DMCH. Same with an accumulator, tie rod end, and many other parts. Hoses I can go to the parts store and buy, belts, etc. Those don't need to be DMCH or vendor purchased. In my case, because I work on so many different vehicles, I just buy heater hose and fuel line in bulk.

Then you have parts like John is selling such as the shocks. These are not cross referenced parts. He goes out, finds a way to make parts fit the car and then calls it good, marks it up 50% and off we go. I highly doubt there is any real testing going into these shocks. You install them, say hey what a difference over my OEM shocks which are over 30 years old and blown since that's why you're shopping for new ones anyway and you're happy. What will happen when something fails causing damage? Will he tell you you're on your own? Fuel sender - yours is broken and a new one is only $99 from DAP - cheaper than the $150 one from DMCH! Maybe you don't realize your low fuel light no longer functions or you just don't care since you went so long with no gauge at all, so you're satisfied because now you can see your fuel level and it's nice and shiny stainless.

I understand some people cannot afford to get the correct part and that's a great thing about DAP is he can supply parts cheaply to get your car rolling, but at what cost in the end?

I've learned the hard way just how much cheap parts really end up costing...

[DMCVegas]

I may have a D160 if that was even a thing back then - it was whatever the highest amp alternator he offered was.

D150 was the highest. The big complaint I heard from lots of people was they didn't like the screeching it made. Now I can only speak for myself, all I ever heard was the whine, and had that problem with the water. But maybe I got lucky and never had it as bad as everyone else.

Again, John stopped selling that unit. I've no idea why, he just said something that only the D140 was all that anyone would ever need. I did speak with him once to comment on how well the thing worked. My truck had a battery, and I used my DeLorean to jump start it by running the cables into the battery compartment. Kept the RPMs up @ 2,500 to charge and then crank the truck, and my lights didn't hardly dim at all. John got kind of defensive suddenly telling me never to do that with the D150. It wasn't a big deal since the battery is what was providing the amps for the jump, but I never understood his response to all of that.



Has anybody ever seen a car that seems to eat alternators like a DeLorean?

One of the most popular modifications is to remove the hot air stove and piping. I believe that a side effect of this mod is that you remove a radiant heat shield from the exhaust manifold and subject the regulator assembly to additional heat. The cast iron manifold is less than 2" from the alternator body.

My OEM Motorola was melting after 6000 miles post stove removal. I replaced the alternator and fabbed an aluminum heat shield for the manifold. Time will tell!

My alternator was perfectly fine. I only swapped it out because I had planned on installing some additional accessories like fog lights, and at the time was using the car for wardriving at night. So I wanted to ensure I had plenty of power for the years to come. My original Motorola alternator went to Chris Spratt, and far as I know is still running perfectly fine on 16327 over in Wales where I believe it is now.

I don't know about heat problems though, as Volvo used the same setup and didn't have any problems. Let alone the aftermarket headers we now see from vendors that wrap around and place the right catalytic converter near the alternator. Maybe I'm just not following the correct groups, but I don't see all that many problems. Now I will say that despite upgrading to a 150 amp alternator, I never saw and increased brightness from my lights until I actually started cleaning ground connections, and all the light bulb and fuse sockets. Despite running in the desert heat, I also never had a problem with a melted fuse box either. But I did go through and clean all the electrical connections everywhere I could. And I also only use 800+ CCA batteries in my cars & trucks. That way I have quick starting, and a far less depleted battery for the alternator to recharge. But that's just my experiences.

[DMCVegas]

The thing is, there are cross referenced parts which essentially are the same exact part. Take the blower motor resistor. I can cross reference it, go to the parts store and get essentially the same exact part as the one that would ship from DMCH. Same with an accumulator, tie rod end, and many other parts. Hoses I can go to the parts store and buy, belts, etc. Those don't need to be DMCH or vendor purchased. In my case, because I work on so many different vehicles, I just buy heater hose and fuel line in bulk.

You are absolutely correct, and I agree with you. That should absolutely be clarified.

Certain off the shelf replacement parts I am totally fine with buying when I do in fact know that they are the same thing. Especially things you can buy in bulk like hoses. Take my A/C hoses for when I rebuild the system and switch to R-134a for instance: I'd rather just buy the crimping tools and the bulk barrier hose, and then just clean and re-use the adapters, fittings, & whatnot myself rather than sit around waiting on shipping and/or core-charges to be refunded. Plus the installation will be easier, AND I get a set of tools I can keep. Coolant hoses for the water pump that have to be formed? I'm hitting up a vendor. Generic hoses for the rest of the system? Unless it's a kit with unlisted parts I might not be aware of needing, I'll buy bulk.

And hoses are a fantastic example. The best example being that hose that connects the Clutch M/C to the Reservoir. I always advocate to buy from our vendors as often as possible. But I'm also not going to be a hypocrite either. x10 the price for a simple OEM rubber hose versus what NAPA had in stock, plus shipping, plus the delay in shipping as well for what was at the time my only car. I couldn't do it.

But that leads us to this:



Then you have parts like John is selling such as the shocks. These are not cross referenced parts. He goes out, finds a way to make parts fit the car and then calls it good, marks it up 50% and off we go. I highly doubt there is any real testing going into these shocks. You install them, say hey what a difference over my OEM shocks which are over 30 years old and blown since that's why you're shopping for new ones anyway and you're happy. What will happen when something fails causing damage? Will he tell you you're on your own? Fuel sender - yours is broken and a new one is only $99 from DAP - cheaper than the $150 one from DMCH! Maybe you don't realize your low fuel light no longer functions or you just don't care since you went so long with no gauge at all, so you're satisfied because now you can see your fuel level and it's nice and shiny stainless.

I understand some people cannot afford to get the correct part and that's a great thing about DAP is he can supply parts cheaply to get your car rolling, but at what cost in the end?

I've learned the hard way just how much cheap parts really end up costing...

Total 100% agreement. Both about the quality, and the noticeable improvement that "justifies" the cheaper parts where they done work as well as OEM, but merely better than broken OEM. I had the same experience as well with a Brake M/C. Long story short, the seals on top for the reservoir were leaking on mine. Brakes were fine however. DMCH at the time said they had no rebuild kits, nor seals for what I needed. So hearing that John had the "cross over" part available, I purchased it from him.

Now the cross-over part installed with no issues, and stopped the car no problem. I had no qualms there. BUT my brakes didn't feel the same. Something just wasn't right with the way the car would slow down after that. I just felt like it handled differently when slowing down or stopping. Rest of the car was fine, but not that, and I just couldn't ever put my finger on it. Not long after I got another car, drove the DeLorean less, and then put it into storage. Come to find out later on the Brake Master Cylinders are NOT the same! DMC-specific parts were build differently internally to have a totally different bias for braking from the weight distribution of the car. So cross-over parts might fit, but they definitely do not perform the same. That is why I always recommend to buy from our vendors whenever possible.

I myself don't want to seem like I'm just dumping on solely John here. I once spent almost an hour at AutoZone going through their books to find matching brake pads so I could get them cheaper and quicker than a vendor. Yes they fit, but they squealed worse than a city bus! I then just bought a kit from P.J Grady and was done with it. Not only was it a waste of time going cheap with the 45 minutes of pouring through books and inspecting parts when I could have been done in minutes with a few mouse clicks. But I then had to do two brake jobs to get rid of the squealers, AND ended up spending twice as much. Most of all was that Grady's kit sent me the shims and springs I wasn't able to get in the store. So buying OEM from a Vendor first would have saved me cash and lots of time. But that's the thing: For those specialized parts, buy OEM instead of cross-reference.

[Lwanmtr]

I've only bought a couple little things from him (radio connector and fir trees) and didnt have any real issues with the service...My only real issue was that when I called him to talk about the order he wouldnt stop telling me how I need to buy suspension and brake stuff I need for my car from him and not DMC...and wouldnt stop.

I decided when I first got mine that I wouldn't go cheap on any parts, specially ones that are related to reliability and safety.

[FABombjoy]

I don't know about heat problems though, as Volvo used the same setup and didn't have any problems.
Not exactly the same setup. The Greenbook shows a few differences:

DMC:
-Alternator mounted on RH side of engine
-Alternator faces rear of car (integrated fan pushes against airflow while driving)
-Iron manifold behind alternator, stainless muffler in front of alternator

Volvo:
-Alternator on LH side of engine (would be driver side on DMC)
-Alternator faces front (integrate fan pulls along with airflow)
-Iron manifold behind, radiator in front

Fitting a reverse-direction fan might help. Lots of googleable info on mounting alternators backwards against normal airflow.

[dn010]

Not exactly the same setup. The Greenbook shows a few differences:

DMC:
-Alternator mounted on RH side of engine
-Alternator faces rear of car (integrated fan pushes against airflow while driving)
-Iron manifold behind alternator, stainless muffler in front of alternator

Volvo:
-Alternator on LH side of engine (would be driver side on DMC)
-Alternator faces front (integrate fan pulls along with airflow)
-Iron manifold behind, radiator in front

Fitting a reverse-direction fan might help. Lots of googleable info on mounting alternators backwards against normal airflow.

Also, if my memory is fine, Volvo alternators were mounted lower, down towards the lower crankcase, not as close to the cast iron manifold. At least, this is how it was on my 780.

[SS Spoiler]

Still haven't heard anything from Josh at DPI about my
$2500.00 deposit on the core block I sent to him 6 mo. ago.


sorry about the highjack, just somebody gettn' pissed.....

[DMCVegas]

I'm still not 100% sold on this. Different iterations of the PRV that came out have mounted the alternator in various places, depending upon the needs of the application. Save for little things like the cross over pipe, everything else for the DMC-12 installation was off the shelf parts already available, including the bracket and it's existing location with proximity to the manifolds. The installation we have being shared as well with other cars, including Alpine with a rear-facing engine. Although unlike Alpine, not to mention Volvos, Renaults, and Peugeots, we have engine covers with vents instead of sealed hoods. So the engine compartment temperatures don't get as hot.

However, unlike those other cars, not many of us use our DeLoreans as Daily Drivers. Even with Hervey's D150 and the problems with it getting wet, the thing still ran fine. Granted though I also put it into service as a daily driver. So with the exception of two, month-long business trips in 5 years of DD use, I rarely failed to drive the car every single day. That is in comparison to most other people who have comparatively insanely long gaps of time between starting their engines. Meaning that the batteries drain more, and those alternators as a result always have a much heavier load placed on them every single time because they're always having to recharge a depleted battery. By contrast I would just turn the key for a quick crank to get going, and the alternator barely had anything to recharge. That also doesn't take into consideration the power surges from jump starts either that could have damaged the units.

If the exhaust system were such a threat to the alternator, I would concede that a more important problem would be the additional radiant heat coming off of the muffler. That would be twice the heat surrounding the unit. But even with that kind of consideration is the fact that I still would daily my car in triple-digit Vegas heat, including getting stuck in traffic on a regular basis. If heat was the problem, then I should have seen these problems.

[DMCMW Dave]

Still haven't heard anything from Josh at DPI about my
$2500.00 deposit on the core block I sent to him 6 mo. ago.


sorry about the highjack, just somebody gettn' pissed.....

Makes that [new] engine seem pretty expensive. . . .

[81dmc]

4 years ago, I bought Hervey's full carpet set and shocks due to their fair price. Awful quality.


So, anyone know where I can buy a fair-priced shock set?

[steve]

Matts Drive Stainless. From install to drivability I love them.:rollin:

Steve

[Patrick C]

4 years ago, I bought Hervey's full carpet set and shocks due to their fair price. Awful quality.


So, anyone know where I can buy a fair-priced shock set?

https://www.pjgrady.com/product/avo-shock-absorber-suspension-kit-with-adjustable-dampeningrear-ride-height/

http://www.delorean.eu/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=20_143&products_id=99002&osCsid=oe5si23uft42t72hiafdkqi5q2 (NOTE: Remember to subtract 20% from his prices as he includes the VAT for Europe that we don't have to pay in the USA)

http://store.delorean.com/p-7369-performance-shock-set.aspx

http://www.deloreanindustries.com/spec-suspension-coil-over-package/

[FABombjoy]

The installation we have being shared as well with other cars, including Alpine with a rear-facing engine.
Alpine alternators are provisioned for fresh air ducting.
48865

[sdg3205]

That's really smart. You could create a PVC y-pipe and share the intake ducting. Hmmmmmm.....

[DMCVegas]

That's really smart. You could create a PVC y-pipe and share the intake ducting. Hmmmmmm.....

I would second that. I'm not worried so much about heat as I would be water, and that would work.

[RiceJB21]

So John finally sent me a wheel, see our lovely banter on the BBB website below..

http://dallas.app.bbb.org/complaint/view/91400644/c/k2y69b

[81dmc]

So John finally sent me a wheel, see our lovely banter on the BBB website below..

http://dallas.app.bbb.org/complaint/view/91400644/c/k2y69b

:rant: God, I hate his attitude!

That's one of the reasons why I canceled my last order with him...

[Rich_NYS]

So John finally sent me a wheel, see our lovely banter on the BBB website below..

http://dallas.app.bbb.org/complaint/view/91400644/c/k2y69b

Wow.

[rickjames8]

So John finally sent me a wheel, see our lovely banter on the BBB website below..

http://dallas.app.bbb.org/complaint/view/91400644/c/k2y69b

You 'younger generation' people are so sassy. :)

Fun stuff. Thanks for sharing, and glad you got it resolved!

[sdg3205]

A friend once said to me, "Once you start blaming 'the system' for your problems, you got nothing." One could say the same thing about John's attitude towards us "younger generation"; he's got nothing.

[Michael]

I am honestly shocked he is still in business. Just goes to show you how many owners stay away from the forums.

[Will F.]

The last order I made from him was for my water pump. I did not want the pulley since I work in a machine shop and knew how to get it off. But I just remember him talking down to me like I was some kind of idiot. Ah well, wish his banter kept me away, cause I ended up replacing the water pump from a defect in the aluminium leaking. lesson of the story, you really do get what you pay for even though with these cars it can be tricky since everyone is trying to sell you SS this and SS that because it is some how making the world better. lol
My Go to supplier now is PJ Grady. Rob over there goes above and beyond to help me out. Even when I feel like i'm bugging him with questions he takes the time to explain them to me perfectly so I can do it myself. I think that says alot about his character. Oh and believe me, it there is something you need, Call him. He has way more on the shelves than the website could even blink and eye at.

Will

[RiceJB21]

I am honestly shocked he is still in business. Just goes to show you how many owners stay away from the forums.

Yeah man I had no idea he was that bad. No idea until I started reading some of the stuff on here.. Lesson learned.

[Iznodmad]

I am honestly shocked he is still in business. Just goes to show you how many owners stay away from the forums.

The "bottom feeders" will always be in business. Simple reason is that lots
of people shop based on price alone. And often, you get what you pay for. The most hardcore of "price only" shoppers will repeatedly make the same mistake over and over simply bc it is cheap. Can't fix stupid.

[JIMJAM]

Ohhhh the stories I could tell....................
Should I start with the $1500 iirc check that he misplaced or the 3 bad fuel distributors in a row. Or maybe the shock collars that collapsed and I found out I was the 1st customer "guinea pig" and guess I should tighten them up a little more. Then there was the......
That said I have not delt with him in years but his one piece speedo cable solved a issue DMC overlooks to this day. For bits and pieces he also has some unusual great stuff like the butterfly bolts to make taking the air filter off a breeze. The ss fuel lines are great as were the silicon lines and cooling hoses. His fuel pump is still going strong after 5 yrs. Radiator fans still kicking. Guess I need to catch up on the latest. All I really remember was "I am a one man operation here." Flip a coin and either get talkative John or the sob, stop bothering me with dumb questions John.

Here is one of the collars that slipped "Easy rider iirc" Luckily it settled overnight and not while driving. This was circa 2007 or so.

[JIMJAM]

I to had the d150 heavy duty bla bla..... Never worked and my mech said it was not turning fast enough to keep the charge at idle. I dunno but after a "you are the only one with that issue" I heaved it into a box where it sits to this day some 10 years later.

[dn010]

I forgot to add my ball joint story. I replaced my original LBJs with the "new" ones from SpecialT again back in the early 2000s. Installed them and not soon after did the passenger side fail while I was taking a turn just after exiting a highway, thankfully not on the highway! The passenger side wheel went up and into the fender shredding the tire. The LCA was damaged. Not only that, I had to figure out how to get the car home.

[Mark D]

I forgot to add my ball joint story. I replaced my original LBJs with the "new" ones from SpecialT again back in the early 2000s. Installed them and not soon after did the passenger side fail while I was taking a turn just after exiting a highway, thankfully not on the highway! The passenger side wheel went up and into the fender shredding the tire. The LCA was damaged. Not only that, I had to figure out how to get the car home.

Thanks for sharing the story on the ball joints! I was always wondering if anyone ever had one of Hervey's modified VW ball joints fail. They were slightly too long and it was possible to tighten the castle nut all the way down on the threads without the taper locking into the steering knuckle. I hadn't heard of an actual failure until now, but there is another long winded thread about ball joints and why hervey's are crap. The snap ring groove is also a machined after the fact and it ends up looking pretty sketchy.

[Nuclearbacon]

The only time I've ordered from him, I ordered one of his magnetic oil drain plugs along with some o-rings. I got the o-rings and waited over a week before calling him about the magnetic drain plug. When he answered I introduced myself and gave him my order number to which he said "woah woah woah slow down I'm a one man show." ... and silence. I didn't know if he was answering a question I had yet to ask. I proceeded like nothing had happened and asked when the plug would ship. He told me "just because you ordered online doesn't mean I have it in stock AND you can't have it right away. Just because it's online doesn't mean you get it today"

I never got my magnetic drain plug.

[Josh]

Ohhhh the stories I could tell....................
Should I start with the $1500 iirc check that he misplaced or the 3 bad fuel distributors in a row. Or maybe the shock collars that collapsed and I found out I was the 1st customer "guinea pig" and guess I should tighten them up a little more. Then there was the......
That said I have not delt with him in years but his one piece speedo cable solved a issue DMC overlooks to this day. For bits and pieces he also has some unusual great stuff like the butterfly bolts to make taking the air filter off a breeze. The ss fuel lines are great as were the silicon lines and cooling hoses. His fuel pump is still going strong after 5 yrs. Radiator fans still kicking. Guess I need to catch up on the latest. All I really remember was "I am a one man operation here." Flip a coin and either get talkative John or the sob, stop bothering me with dumb questions John.

Here is one of the collars that slipped "Easy rider iirc" Luckily it settled overnight and not while driving. This was circa 2007 or so.

more people need to see this image with the collars. I advise against them whenever i can, but still people buy them. They are destined to fail, regardless of how tight they are.

[vwdmc16]

" well I have sold hundreds of those and I have never heard anything wrong with them, you must be doing it wrong."

-John Hearvy about everything he sells.

[nwotank]

more people need to see this image with the collars. I advise against them whenever i can, but still people buy them. They are destined to fail, regardless of how tight they are.

Why are they destined to fail? Just curious because I was considering doing an upgrade to them soon. I've bought many parts from Hervey and have had pretty good luck. He's answered tons of questions and he fixed my car when no other mechanic could figure out the issue.

[DMC-81]

Why are they destined to fail? Just curious because I was considering doing an upgrade to them soon. I've bought many parts from Hervey and have had pretty good luck. He's answered tons of questions and he fixed my car when no other mechanic could figure out the issue.

They are destined to fail because the shock body is not designed to bear the weight of a spring, not to mention on a rear position on a rear engined car. I bought that set up (with the red KYB AGX djustable shocks) when I first got my car before I learned some facts of the various vendors. When it arrived, I took one look at the way the collar fastened onto the shock body, and only supposed to be a "just snug" fit (Johns words and specific instructions) to hold up the shock. Both the inside of the collar and the shock body are smooth. That doesn't make sense to me.

Here's the worst part. I called KYB Technical Support and described the vendors modification on that specific shock model and then asked them if they would recommend that application. They said that the would definitely not recommend that application. Then I asked the thickness of the metal on the outer shock body ( the part that the collar clamps onto. They said that it was 1.2mm. Then I understood why John specifies "just snug", because if you tighten the collar more, it will rupture the gas charged shock.

I called him back a couple day later asked for return authorization...not without an argument of course... But when I mentioned the word liability, he conceded.

John will argue that it works. He even said to me that he can "prove KYB and my mechanic wrong". What he fails to understand is that he's knowingly selling a modified product that is not recommended by the manfacturer or any decent mechanic. Imagine the liability!

I asked myself.. Can I drive at highway speeds trusting my safety and those around me to a critical part that is basically on a friction fit to 1.2 mm thick metal tube? I imagined having one of the collars slip down (just like the owner in the post below) causing me to lose control. Then I wondered what my insurance company would say?

There is a discussion here: http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?14290-Do-shocks-drop-with-age . Note post #26.

My emphatic advice: spend the extra money and do it right.

Here's some humor: When I was looking at these parts that arrived from Special T Auto/DAP, and after listening to John rant about the Chinese parts that his competitors sell, I rolled over the collar in my hand, and found the word CHINA stamped into it.

[nwotank]

They are destined to fail because the shock body is not designed to bear the weight of a spring, not to mention on a rear position on a rear engined car. I bought that set up (with the red KYB AGX djustable shocks) when I first got my car before I learned some facts of the various vendors. When it arrived, I took one look at the way the collar fastened onto the shock body, and only supposed to be a "just snug" fit (Johns words and specific instructions) to hold up the shock. Both the inside of the collar and the shock body are smooth. That doesn't make sense to me.

Here's the worst part. I called KYB Technical Support and described the vendors modification on that specific shock model and then asked them if they would recommend that application. They said that the would definitely not recommend that application. Then I asked the thickness of the metal on the outer shock body ( the part that the collar clamps onto. They said that it was 1.2mm. Then I understood why John specifies "just snug", because if you tighten the collar more, it will rupture the gas charged shock.

I called him back a couple day later asked for return authorization...not without an argument of course... But when I mentioned the word liability, he conceded.

John will argue that it works. He even said to me that he can "prove KYB and my mechanic wrong". What he fails to understand is that he's knowingly selling a modified product that is not recommended by the manfacturer or any decent mechanic. Imagine the liability!

I asked myself.. Can I drive at highway speeds trusting my safety and those around me to a critical part that is basically on a friction fit to 1.2 mm thick metal tube? I imagined having one of the collars slip down (just like the owner in the post below) causing me to lose control. Then I wondered what my insurance company would say?

There is a discussion here: http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?14290-Do-shocks-drop-with-age . Note post #26.

My emphatic advice: spend the extra money and do it right.

Here's some humor: When I was looking at these parts that arrived from Special T Auto/DAP, and after listening to John rant about the Chinese parts that his competitors sell, I rolled over the collar in my hand, and found the word CHINA stamped into it.


Thank you for this detailed explanation I value safety over saving money

[Ryan King]

I forgot to add my ball joint story. I replaced my original LBJs with the "new" ones from SpecialT again back in the early 2000s. Installed them and not soon after did the passenger side fail while I was taking a turn just after exiting a highway, thankfully not on the highway! The passenger side wheel went up and into the fender shredding the tire. The LCA was damaged. Not only that, I had to figure out how to get the car home.

You're not alone. Been there done that with John's Ball Joints.
53842

[Nicholas R]

I cringe every time I see a shock with a shaft collar on it. That is definitely up there on the list of crappy home brewed engineering. Go ahead, throw a collar onto a hollow thin-walled pressure vessel of unknown wall thickness, tightened to a generic "snugness" and drive around with 30% of your car's weight on it (not to mention impact loading and unloading of the suspension). Why would you possibly need to worry??

[Ryan King]

I cringe every time I see a shock with a shaft collar on it. That is definitely up there on the list of crappy home brewed engineering. Go ahead, throw a collar onto a hollow thin-walled pressure vessel of unknown wall thickness, tightened to a generic "snugness" and drive around with 30% of your car's weight on it (not to mention impact loading and unloading of the suspension). Why would you possibly need to worry??

Hahahaha....so true. I had a set of Easy Riders as well. Same thing happened. They didn't slip ALL the way down, but the collar did come loose. John has some good products but also some that aren't. I have his fuel lines and they seem to be really nice. Plus a few other odds & ends. But never will I get a vital car part from him again. (IE Ball Joints)