Impressive work, and I want to sit in that space capsule!
Location: NYS
Posts: 2,511
My VIN: 4519
Impressive work, and I want to sit in that space capsule!
Location: Appleton,WI
Posts: 33
My VIN: 5754
I mostly use this Mercury capsule at EAA's Airventure in the Kidventure section of the week long airshow. Last year I drove my DeLorean to and from the airshow every day. I was able to park it in exclusive parking areas. It got plenty of attention and fit right in the aviation environment. I had just finished the chassis restoration a few weeks before the airshow, and I had a blast driving it to one of my favorite events.
A very incredible thing happened on night on my way home. As I was in one lane that merged to an other lane, a few cars away was an other DeLorean. We were honking and waving, but sadly the flow of traffic separated us from meeting up. We were two DeLoreans bumping into each other in the wild.
Here is a link to my blog that covers more about my Mercury capsule and what it looks like inside. http://mercurycapsule.blogspot.com/
There's a Mercury space capsule at the San Diego Air and Space Museum, which they've had for many years - don't know if the one they have now was the same one when I was a kid. The cool thing was you could sit in it, flip the switches and hear Mission Control.
Good memories. I'm sure yours gives kids of all ages the giddies.
Location: Happy Valley, OR
Posts: 1,709
My VIN: 4456 - Owner since March 2011
Club(s): (PNDC)
Brilliant!
I love the fact that this is reversible. How long does it take you to go from one to the other?
Are you willing to share any plans or drawings you might have for this? I'd love to have a conversion for events but would never convert my car permanently. That said I'd seriously consider building a a version like this that I could put together for shows and still have my regular car when I wanted it.
Cheers
Steven
Cheers
Steven Maguire
#4456
IT'S A TRAP!!!!!
Location: Appleton,WI
Posts: 33
My VIN: 5754
It took about 4 months of free time this last winter. This was the best way to pass the time with snow outside, and I had a goal to be done when the snow melted. I have had a life time of practicing of making models of the car and study, so doing the real thing was just thrilling and very comprehendable.
I have saved pretty much all the patterns I used in making most of the hardware. As we all know, the first thing to do is remove the back corner windows. I scraped all the glue that holds the windows in, and that was a bit tough trying to be careful. Then it was easy to make card board patterns to cover the pontoons and back window. I know that in order to be "properly authentic", it requires removing the back window. In cases were we prefer the best of both worlds to have a stock car and an optional time machine, we have to compromise detail to keep the stock option. When you ponder how to go about making panels to cover the pontoons and window, there are several ways to go about it. I chose a way where the back window wall is one piece of .030in. thick aluminum. It would fasten to the pontoons panels. Then the pontoon panels would fasten to screw studs inside the engine bay.
The fulx bands brackets were then custom fitted to the panels. Each piece basically builds off the each other or previous pieces. Theoretically if my patterns were to be shared, they would work. It is not hard making the patterns, but making the pieces from the patters can be more difficult. I have a vertical band saw and welder, so that makes all the difference in the world.
The flux boxes were actually the first pieces I started making. They are to spec, and made of 1/8in. aluminum. They are hollow boxes, and the wires from the side lights feed right through them.
The back inside walls are fairly simple. I made mine with a bottom floor plate to mount the vertical walls to. I also made it all to be quick disassembleable with wing nuts to get quick access to behind the walls. The bottom floor plate is also made in two halves to open for access to the fuse box. To get to the driver side would mean taking the whole back wall out. It can still be done quickly, but it is difficult and would be best to get help with that. There are all sorts of tricks or ways I found to accomplish something. A lot of it all depended on what was available to me. There for, your time machaine may vary.
To answer your question on how long does it take to disassemble it all...not sure. I think it would take less time to take it all off then it did to put it together. I think the back wall and engine hood would need a second person to help lift it off the car. I even made myself some stainless engine cover hinges. So far, I have not regretted making this conversion. I would like to keep all this on as long as possible. Mentally I see the beauty of both a stock car and the time machine. This way I can have both, but it is so much fun driving a time machine.
I hope this was helpful. If you want to see a picture of a part or area I made that you might have a question about, let me know and I will take a pic to answer your questions.
Location: Appleton,WI
Posts: 33
My VIN: 5754
Here is a link to Channel 4 TMJ4 NBC in Milwaukee http://on.tmj4.com/1M0gLS6
Location: Hopkins, MN
Posts: 328
My VIN: 1121
Club(s): (DOA) (DCUK)
Matt, Nice inverview and good story. Well done showing the best qualities of being not only a Time Machine owner, but even "just" a regular DeLorean owner. It's a car show wherever we go.
Your car is beautiful, and you are an artist. I would like to do something like what you did with one exception. I would try to retain the rear quarter glasses with my conversion.. This way you can truly have the best of both worlds.
Location: Appleton,WI
Posts: 33
My VIN: 5754
That would be a big challenge to do a conversion with the corner windows still in place and to try to mount full flux bands. You might be able to do that if you tap into the black vent between the window and door. That would mean taking off the whole back panels to remove the black vent and replace it with a bracket that can hold the flux band. That would do that job getting best of both worlds without drilling into the body. It would be more work though. It was a challenging to scrape the glue out and remove the windows without braking anything. I think my car had extra glue from the previous owner.
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 158
My VIN: 10322
Club(s): (DMWC) (DCUK)
Hey--
I think I recognize this car!
I may be wrong and haven't seen enough BTTF cars to tell one from the other BUT the fact that it's from Wisconsin and made by a fabricator as well as a few minor details makes me believe that this is the DeLorean I saw in early November at DMC Midwest when I was shopping for cars and looking at what would eventually be my DeLorean. Again, assuming it's the same car and I'm not making a fool of myself, you pulled up to the building as I was taking a test drive.
Is this yours?
image.jpg
http://www.artgemsjewelers.com/
Fine Geek Jewelry.
If the above post was DeLorean related it should be noted that I don't know what I'm talking about.
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