QAC Door guides

[andyd]

Hi all,

posted this in "historical", but may not really be the correct place. Mods- feel free to move it.

Has anyone else not got door guides?

I was prompted to look at my car after reading Hillel Levin's account in "Grand Delusions" of CR Brown's QAC's:

"Part of the door problem would be solved by one of Brown's homemade solutions- a metal guide over each latch. But until the molds for the guides were made in Belfast, he had an elderly Irvine machinist make them individually out of metal. Each week, the man showed up with the latest batch in apaper bag, taking $40 cash for each set"...

Anyway, I looked at my car (VIN 814)- none... (But the doors open and shut really nicely)

But maybe I have later doors fitted, as there are threaded holes for them...

Any info? I think Leif Montin said there were at least 3 types fitted (but one part no). 1x metal type and 2x plastic?

I just found it interesting,

a

[SS Spoiler]

I have stainless guides that I polished to a mirror finish. Looks good.

[Rich]

Has anyone else not got door guides?


Good question.

Yes, our car has none and never did. Delivered from the DeLorean QAC in CA to the dealer in that condition.

Like yours, the doors close nicely on this one.

[andyd]

Good question.

Yes, our car has none and never did. Delivered from the DeLorean QAC in CA to the dealer in that condition.

Like yours, the doors close nicely on this one.

Hi Rich,

Interesting, given that you have quite a close VIN to mine.

Do your doors have holes for the guides??

Mine are here --> http://www.flickr.com/photos/researchphotography/6067070063/in/set-72157627362615561

(sorry, can't cut and paste the photo from my friend's flickr page!)

Seems odd to have the holes, if the door guides were an idea which originated from the QAC?

a

[kajcienski]

Funny - I was just going to post a similar thread. VIN 16793 only has guides on the passenger side (and no indication that there was ever an installation on the driver's side). Interesting that the side WITHOUT guides shuts MUCH better (like with one finger). The side WITH the guides has always been a bit rough to close despite several people spending a good amount of time adjusting it. I was going to do an experiment and take them off of that side and see what happens. You never know! I'll let you all know.

[jawn101]

Funny - I was just going to post a similar thread. VIN 16793 only has guides on the passenger side (and no indication that there was ever an installation on the driver's side). Interesting that the side WITHOUT guides shuts MUCH better (like with one finger). The side WITH the guides has always been a bit rough to close despite several people spending a good amount of time adjusting it. I was going to do an experiment and take them off of that side and see what happens. You never know! I'll let you all know.

That is interesting. I may try the same thing. I have the ultra heavy chunks of hand-made stainless on both of 2100's doors.

[andyd]

.... no indication that there was ever an installation on the driver's side...

Does this door have the ruvnuts, as per my photo?

andy

[kajcienski]

Does this door have the ruvnuts, as per my photo?

andy

It does indeed, but the concensus from those who have seen it is that nothing was ever actually mounted there. The other side has medium gray (color) plastic guides.

[Rich W]

At one point, a few years ago, I owned both VIN..1077 and VIN..1177, and both cars did not have door guides.

In fact, both cars had "unmolested" doors, with the factory cut slots, with almost no scuffs or dings near these slots.

VIN..1077 had the best fitting set of early doors I had ever opened and closed, including undamaged original door seals.

I sold VIN..1077 a couple of years ago and it now resides back across the pond, being fully restored, slowly, over time.

Attaching four photos of the door slots of VIN..1077 (both doors, both sides).

12785

12786

12787

12788

Later,
Rich W.

[deloumis]

My car does have door guides, they are stainless. Wasn't aware these are not on all cars I thought it was part of the car.
VIN 2565

[andyd]

Wow, thanks for that Rich.

I am by no means an expert, and have never really paid attention to it before this, but I have never seen those early doors. Although I was aware of the fact that (3?) different door types existed.

I wonder if my doors have (?both??) been replaced at some point...

andy

[Rich]

Hi Rich,
Interesting, given that you have quite a close VIN to mine.
Do your doors have holes for the guides??


Both of 0934's (our) doors look exactly like Rich W.'s doors on 1077 & 1177. No holes, no guides.

Your car has holes/rivnuts, so at least you have the option of fitting a set of guides without much extra work - if you get the right ones and the mounts were placed correctly.

Am sure that at first the QACs were putting them on as a running change while the factory was getting that mod incorporated into the doors coming to the line, no matter where the idea came from.

I'm equally sure that the QACs did not make all fixes on all cars....so it's no surprise that the door guide completion rate wasn't 100% before the factory got it fully incorporated upstream.

[dustybarn]

Interesting. I didn't know there were different versions of the guides. 1776 has stainless guides that have a decidedly hand-filed appearance.

[andyd]

Both of 0934's (our) doors look exactly like Rich W.'s doors on 1077 & 1177. No holes, no guides.



I note that VIN 573 from Don Camillo's thread has these "parallel slotted" doors (if you see what I mean). Tho he has guides, slightly different shape, so its logical to presume these are early guides

12815

(sorry for stealing the photo, Don!)

Given that VINs 934, 1077 and 1177 have these same doors, I am also concluding that my car has had two replacement doors at some point. Curiouser and curiouser. Perhaps this is why the open and close relatively well, having had time spent setting them up correctly? And thus guides were deemed not to be necessary?

I suppose lots can happen over 30 years, and we'll just never know!

andy

EDIT: 559 has doesn't have these doors!

12816

Shep's photo. Again, hope you don't mind

Right, I will stop now. I just accept that no two are the same. Especially after all this time.

[Rich W]

Hi Andy,

Keep in mind many of the early cars, especially the 500 series cars, were designated as Engineering Test Cars,
so many of the changes that were initiated at the QAC's were installed on these cars first, at the QAC's.

All the early doors have the "parallel slots" (as you mentioned) and some were modified at the QAC's to remove
more of the "corners" of the slots, making angled cuts, to allow for more flexibility with major latch adjustments.
This type of "cutting corners" of the early door slots was common, if the doors needed significant re-alignment.
This type of angled slot became the "factory default" in later door production, along with factory door guides.

As for your doors specifically, there is a chance that your car was used as a "parts donor car" at the QAC.
This practice was common at all the QAC's, with a car or two that were "left on the side", scavenged for parts
as they were needed, then new parts installed, once replacement parts had been delivered. Body panels and
doors were not kept in any quantity at the QAC's, so when there was a need, a car was made into a donor.

Many of these stories, including QAC donor cars and the door guide engineering (with clay mock-ups) have been
provided to the DMC community by several of the DMC POGs, including Jeff Synor and Chris Duvall.

Later,
Rich W.

[andyd]

Rich,

Thanks a lot for taking the time to explain a relative noob about the (post-Belfast) development of the car(s) once they got stateside.

Fascinating stuff! I love the minutiae, and piecing together the stories (such as those word-of-mouth tales that you refer to from DMC staff). I have devoured the various "official" versions from the various books I have collected (the same ones we all have I suppose), but haven't spent enough time in the community to pick up the details.

I got the chance to chat to Leif Montin and Roger Jarman this summer, (Roger was installed in Coventry, I believe under Barrie Wills. Leif under CR Brown). You get a lot of info from these guys, most of which is not documented online.

Early cars and their specific parts really interest me. (doors, locks, louvres, flocked coin holders, binnacles, steering wheels, pontoons, etc). I really must get out more....!

cheers

andy

[jawn101]

flocked coin holders

I didn't know this was a thing. My tray is flocked, are others something else? Hard plastic?

[andyd]

I didn't know this was a thing. My tray is flocked, are others something else? Hard plastic?

Apparently so? Maybe its not an "early" thing (I mean, what is early, after all?) but I think changed during production...? Someone with more knowlege correct me?

Oh yeah. Ashtrays too. I like the early ashtrays.... I definately have to get out more.

a

[jawn101]

Apparently so? Maybe its not an "early" thing (I mean, what is early, after all?) but I think changed during production...? Someone with more knowlege correct me?

Oh yeah. Ashtrays too. I like the early ashtrays.... I definately have to get out more.

a

:lol: agreed.

Don't let me derail. There's a whole thread buried somewhere on here where we were discussing running production changes.