Delorean Intake Carb Conversion...

[TGGreene]

I know that there have been people who've modified the factory DeLorean intake for carburetion. Does anyone know where I might find pictures of what exactly they did to the manifold? Just checking to see if anyone has dreamed up something that I hadn't thought of. 1st, 3880 is running just fine on the original KJet at the moment after rebuilding the fuel distributor, WUR, and a few other things, so I'm not butchering the factory stuff. I just know how finicky KJetronic is and that it's notoriously unreliable. I got my hands on another factory intake, and being a reasonably serious fabricator in drag racing circles, I know exactly how I'd like to modify that factory DeLorean manifold to take a Holley 390, or perhaps 450. I've seen the mods of the Peugeot manifold, but all other things being equal, there's no way that the Peugeot imanifold would make the power that the factory DeLorean manifold would, primarily because the Peugeot manifold has wildly varying runner lengths. It's not tuned at all. In any way. Period. The DeLorean manifold has long equal length runners. I haven't run the numbers yet to figure out the optimum runner length, but I KNOW I can make better power out of the DeLorean manifold, even if I need to shorten the runners. There's a L-O-T to be said for tuned port ram charging, and it's been said many times on many dyno's. The design of the DeLorean manifold lends its self to easy modification to anyone with a TIG and the requisite knowledge. My plan is to pull off all of the factory Bosch FI, clean it out properly for safe storage (so it doesn't bind/clog up from sitting with old fuel in it), and properly store it in case I ever want to put the car back OEM for the antique resale value. In the mean time, I really like idea of making 3880 a very solid, very reliable "presentable driver". It's a LOT more fun driving it and talking to... oh, almost every person you see at every convenience store you stop at about it, than it is to look at that pristine, factory original trailer queen in the shop. I know a Holley like the back of my hand. In 35+ years of cruising, I've literally NEVER had a Holley 4150 hose up to the point that I couldn't get it rolling again with nothing more that a flat blade screwdriver and an adjustable wrench. Anyway, I'd really love to see how others went about modifying the DeLorean manifold for carburation, and share my ideas on it.

[Farrar]

I believe at one time Byrne Heninger was working on a carburetor conversion using a cut-down stock intake manifold. I do not know if he succeeded before his health prevented him from working. To my knowledge his would have been the first successful carburetor conversion using the stock intake manifold. Perhaps someone with more information can chime in on this thread and fill in the gaps in my memory.

I think that, unless you are absolutely dead set on using the stock manifold for some reason, it would probably be easier to find a Peugeot 604 manifold and make an adapter plate from aluminum so that you can mount whatever carburetor you want to use -- or get one of Bill Robertson's fabricated manifolds and tell him what carburetor you plan to use so he can make an adapter plate for it.

[Josh]

I know Rich Rogers car had an intake like this when he bought it.

not sure what he did with it.

[opethmike]

I wanted to run a carb, so I did an LS swap and then bought the appropriate Edelbrock intake manifold.

[Farrar]

I wanted to run a carb, so I did an LS swap and then bought the appropriate Edelbrock intake manifold.

Where can I see pictures of this beautiful beast? :)

[opethmike]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOQB80VJgsU

[TGGreene]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOQB80VJgsU


Freakin' awesome. If I thought that transaxle would actually handle it reliably, I'd do it in a minute.

[dmc4087]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOQB80VJgsU

That is fantastic

[Josh]

Freakin' awesome. If I thought that transaxle would actually handle it reliably, I'd do it in a minute.

So long as you don't drive around like a pissed off teenager, the stock transaxle with an upgraded coupler will serve you well.
There are other transmission options out there as well if you want to take it drag racing every weekend or something silly.

[Farrar]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOQB80VJgsU

That is a beautiful thing. Nicely done.

[Rich_NYS]

I know Rich Rogers car had an intake like this when he bought it.

not sure what he did with it.

It's still on the engine, I haven't had time to swap it out with the Peugeot manifold I have.

Unfortunately, I haven't done jack with my car for almost 2 years....life (and a home renovation) is totally in my way.

Below is a pic, somewhere I think I actually have pics of the inside as well (Bill wanted to see the inside of it.)

59396

[Farrar]

Cool to see that after hearing about it for years.

Now if only someone had managed to put Jeff Friday's hi-rise manifold into production...

[Farrar]

As far as building the PRV engine to make more power, here are some notes that I took using information from John Lane.



Buy a Volvo B280F engine and a Dodge Monaco/Eagle Premier engine.

From the Volvo engine use:
- engine block
- throttle body
- intake manifold
- camshafts (note: for better lift, instead use camshafts from B280E engine, Volvo part numbers 247957 and 247959)
- engine management system (fuel & spark computers, sensors, etc.)

From the Eagle/Monaco engine use:
- cylinder heads
- cylinder liners
- flywheel sensor


Obviously if you're going carbureted you can ignore his suggestions for engine management. You also can't use the camshafts he recommended, either, since you wouldn't have a gear to turn your distributor. (I have a 3.0L, but it uses 2.85L camshafts because the engine has a traditional distributor and mechanical fuel pump.)

If memory serves, the B280F engine would be a good start because its two middle main bearings are cross-bolted for extra strength, and it has a takeoff and return for an oil cooler. So if you plan to run boost...

[SoCloseButYet...]

Nice looking manifold rich- I wonder how it was modded for that carb. I run the Peugeot 604 manifold with the 2100 carb but I do like the idea of equal length runners.

The LS 4 swap is a totally different animal and in a class of it’s own - awesome