+1Originally Posted by RiceJB21
Posts: 4,779
My VIN: Banged your VIN'S mom
+1
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 694
My VIN: 1710
Actually, you have it backwards: DAP/Special T is the one who got the original look wrong. All production DeLoreans came from the factory with rippled leather seats. In fact, the Visioneering and Pilot DeLoreans all had rippled seats, too. This rippled look carries over to the vinyl on the console, knee pads, door cards, and even the interior door grab handles. If you look at some very low mileage DeLoreans which haven't sat out in the sun, some still have their rippled NOS seats. The ripple effect has disappeared on most DeLorean leather seats because the leather dried out and shrank with age, tightening out the ripples. Here's some historic documentation to back this up:
http://www.entermyworld.com/cat/prop...s/bro2b1x1.jpg
http://www.entermyworld.com/cat/arti.../mtart21x1.jpg
http://www.entermyworld.com/cat/arti.../rtart41x1.jpg
http://www.entermyworld.com/cat/arti...dmay81c1x1.jpg
Louie Golden
Location: Northern NJ
Posts: 8,581
My VIN: 10757 1st place Concourse 1998
Go back and reread post #2. Each vendor has their strengths and weaknesses. Having more than 1 vendor to go to helps to keep ALL of them honest. Not everyone has had a good experience with every vendor but each serves a purpose.
David Teitelbaum
Location: FL
Posts: 948
My VIN: Early
+1
Stay away from John, and all will be fine.
Early 81 5spd conversion- DMCH Ground Effects, Double Din, Custom Instrument Cluster, QA1 Suspension, 3.0 PRV with MS3
Location: Lebanon, Tennessee
Posts: 389
My VIN: 3294
I've gotten parts from just about all of the vendors with the exception of PJ Grady, so I can't speak of them. I have dealt with DMCH, DMCMW, SpecialTAuto and Delorean Performance Industries, and have received a varying levels of service (both good and bad) from just about each of them.
MOST of the time if I need a particular part, I'll browse through several vendors websites to compare parts and prices and just click the button. There are times where I just don't want to talk on the phone, shoot the bull, etc., I just want the part. If the vendor doesn't have the particular part I need on their website, I'll choose another vendor until I find it. If the vendor doesn't have an updated website with a parts section where I can order from, it's highly unlikely I'll ever order anything from them.
If I do happen to call a vendor to order a part, the person answering the phone can either totally make or break the sale for me too. Ashley at Special T - absolutely perfect. Suzy at DMCMidwest - amazing. Josh @ DPI, (when you can get him) has always been willing to help and often goes the extra mile when he has the time available. Cocky dude on the phone @ DMCH parts... not so much.
Several of our private vendors seem to be a "one man band" type of operation. Nothing particularly wrong with that, but in our society where we expect things like customer service to be almost instantaneous, a lack of returned phone calls, emails, and general lack of communication can destroy a vendors credibility with me in an instant, and we as customers remember that shit.
Several folks mention having a hard time dealing with John from Special T Auto, however I never have. I've bought my water pump, injectors, brake calipers, brake lines, master cylinder, A/C condenser, frequency valve rebuild and warm up regulator rebuilds from him and all have performed flawlessly. His website is pretty much no-nonsense, straight to the point and makes it very easy to order from. I had one issue with a brake line fitting that snapped off during installation, and he replaced it no questions asked. He is VERY talkative on the phone and sometimes can come across as a "Get off my Lawn" type of guy, but he has been very helpful to me and I will continue to buy parts from him as needed.
Like someone else said, each of the vendors are different, but each serves a purpose and seem to excel in that particular quality.
Last edited by bfloyd; 10-18-2016 at 11:56 AM.
Barry Floyd
Lebanon, Tennessee
VIN 3294 - Aug. 81
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 103
My VIN: 0726
Special T auto is a terrible place to call, buy, or chat with. Redneck garbage
Go thru DMCMW or DMCH, they know their stuff, and Mike is awesome at DMCMW
VIN 0726
Posts: 1,027
My VIN: 500 ft pounds torque.
Club(s): (SEDOC) (DCUK)
You have no idea how many people I have argued with over this very issue. I had one guy go so far as to call me a liar even after I showed him old stock photos and photos of mint low mileage cars. I can't understand why some people insist the seats are supposed to be tight in the center.
Soundkillr was here.
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 3,385
My VIN: thirty two 'o five
Club(s): (PNDC)
My car sat out in the desert in Gilbert AZ for a number of years. By the time I found it, the seat leather was so dry and shrunken it was like saran-wrap over a bowl of hot gravy. Nothing can bring that kind of weathering back from the dead.
Dave
Here, somewhere.
Location: Northern NJ
Posts: 8,581
My VIN: 10757 1st place Concourse 1998
Try Leatherique Rejuvinator, you have nothing to lose.
David Teitelbaum
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 3,385
My VIN: thirty two 'o five
Club(s): (PNDC)
I did. I was committed. I took out the seats, put them in the bathtub, hotboxed the bathroom and applied the entire bottle (1 quart?) over several days. They cleaned up fairly well but the leather was beyond saving. Eventually they tore.
Dave
Here, somewhere.
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