How DeLoreans Were Originally Built, Stainless Panel Discussion

[Pags44]

I would like to open a discussion regarding how the cars were generally put together.
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When the cars were originally built, were the door panels (and other stainless panels) packaged together for a specific car so all the stainless grooves match throughout the car?* Or were any available stainless panels taken and put onto the car?* Were there certain production runs of stainless panels made for certain cars or groups of cars?
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My car’s driver’s side door has my VIN # written on the inside of the door in what seems to be black marker.* I understand “cave drawings” and builders’ signatures were sometimes written on the car parts by the workers as they were putting the cars together.* Is my VIN # being written on the inside of the door a common practice to identify the door to the car with that specific VIN #...or something a worker randomly wrote on the underside/inside of it (on the stainless behind the vinyl interior panels)?* The inside of my passenger side front fender also has a signature.
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What happened if panels were damaged on the carrier before the cars were delivered to the dealerships or customers?* What replacements were used?* What is the process if any stainless panels ever get damaged and need to be replaced…can the panels (and their grooves in the stainless) be matched to the rest of the car…either by matching replacement panels, doors, or regraining the entire stainless on the car?
*
Thought this would be a good discussion...

[content22207]

The entire assembly sequence was changed to put doors on the underbodies first, not last. Two doors were matched to a specific underbody along the outside wall of the assembly building, then the body was transferred to a Tellus for the rest of assembly:
Factory1.jpg

The BBC documentary has a brief shot of cars getting fenders fitted *AFTER* their doors are already in place.

Bill Robertson
#5939

[content22207]

The entire assembly sequence was changed to put doors on the underbodies first, not last.

Here's another picture of cars on the assembly line with doors fitted before any other body panels (rear glass doesn't appear to be in place either). Interiors are missing, so windshields haven't been fitted yet -- probably why they came up with the roof support jig:

factory4.jpg

Bill Robertson
#5939

[john 05141]

Here is a picture with the mold for the bonnet.

John

[Kenny_Z]

In the factory where my father works they do forming for aluminum and stainless sheets like that. Most of the forms are for lawn mowers but they've also built jet engine shipping containers and some other cool stuff. I keep telling him to let his company know they could make a fortune if they could recreate the left fenders.

That reminds me, I need to ask him for some scrap stainless to tinker with.

[content22207]

Here is a picture with the mold for the bonnet.

For newbies' benefit: stainless panels were not made at the Dunmurry plant, but were stamped at a Laepple facility in Carlow Ireland. Stainless sheets were already grained when they went into the presses (one of the pilot cars has a panel accidentally oriented 90 degrees off in the press -- grain runs vertically):
PilotVerticalGrain2.jpg PilotVerticalGrain1.jpg

Regarding hoods in particular: there is a myth that gas flap hoods were eliminated due to stamping problems, but in actuality they were eliminated simply because Chuck Bennington didn't like them (Dick Brown may have told employees stateside that the idea to get rid of them was his).

Bill Robertson
#5939

[dmcjohn]

Hi Bill,

On the dmctalk.com forum before the crash, we chatted about this before. Unfortunately it's all gone now.

Anyway, not to get into a big debate on this, but the gas-flap cutout did cause issues for Lapple, and was most likely part of the decision (along with other factors, including possibly your point about Chuck Bennington) to get rid of it.

[DMC5180]

My car’s driver’s side door has my VIN # written on the inside of the door in what seems to be black marker.* I understand “cave drawings” and builders’ signatures were sometimes written on the car parts by the workers as they were putting the cars together.* Is my VIN # being written on the inside of the door a common practice to identify the door to the car with that specific VIN #...or something a worker randomly wrote on the underside/inside of it (on the stainless behind the vinyl interior panels)?* The inside of my passenger side front fender also has a signature.

It was standard procedure to write the VIN and the door lock cylinder key code on the doors.

Body panels were not matched to create a full set too travel with the underbody. Unlike, coordinating panels for a painted car.

All of the cars got a certain amount of post assembly re-graining or blending done to them as needed.

Many cars did get damaged during transport in the ships or other circumstances. Those panels would either be repaired (if minor) or replaced at the QAC's as required. regraining as needed.

[David T]

Matching panels to the car is no big deal. The graining matches up well but you are right, if you put a new or repaired panel on a car all of the other panels may need to be done so everything looks even. After graining all of the oxide is removed and the panel looks shinier. That's why it is hard to "fix" one panel. You always have to do the one next to it and then the next one till you have gone around the whole car. It takes a while for the shine to dull down.

If a car was damaged in shipping the QAC would repair (usually replace) the panel. Little regard was made for vin so early parts were replaced with later ones. For instance if a grooved hood with a flap was damaged they used what replacement part was available and it was not a grooved hood with a flap since they were no longer in production. Same for windscreens. The QAC also did not keep records of what was done (at least they are no longer available if they ever were).

As for "groups of panels", most likely even if a directive came for vin changes they used up what they had until they had to use the "new" parts.
David Teitelbaum

[content22207]

The QAC also did not keep records of what was done (at least they are no longer available if they ever were).

Actually there is a QAC notebook you can look through in the DeLorean Museum at DCS. It does not include every single VIN, but you might get lucky and find yours in it.

Bill Robertson
#5939