Owners manual, doors up driving?

[Helirich]

Is there a on line owners manual? I'm not interested in buying one, just want to read through it for interest.

If there is no such on line animal, does the original manual state a max speed for driving with the door(s) open? Do they try to close via aero-dynamics? What about hitting a bump? It would seem like the door could be damaged by hitting the up stop to hard. In fact, do you guys pop the door latch and just let the door go up by it self or do you control it on the way up?

[Ron]

http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?27...andbook-Manual

[Michael]

I would not drive with the doors up at anything past a parade speed. The wind drag seems like it would put a lot of stress on the mechanics. That said I have seen plenty of people do it with no ill effects reported.

Radio show host Glenn Beck got a DUI for doing 90mph with the doors up on his DeLorean.

[David T]

Most States have laws against driving with the doors open, rarely enforced but a ticket is possible. You don't want to hit bumps with the doors open, you would over-stress the doors and the roof. Your doors should not open so strongly that you have to hold them back to keep them from hitting the stops hard. I set the torsion bars so that you have to push the door open the last few inches to get it all the way open but once put there they won't droop. If you have actuators you want the doors to go all the way up by themselves so you wind the torsion bar just a bit tighter.

[Helirich]

http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?27...andbook-Manual

Thanks,

Funny, no mention of driving doors open. I would assume they must have tested it.

[Ron]

Thanks,

Funny, no mention of driving doors open. I would assume they must have tested it.

Probably not a good idea since it does say, "Do not attempt to close the door by exerting pressure at the front edge as this could result in a ‘sprung’ door requiring adjustment and possible repair." Pg. 6

[CFI]

Thanks,

Funny, no mention of driving doors open. I would assume they must have tested it.

Why would a manufacturer mention driving with the doors open? It’s a safety hazard.

[DMCMW Dave]

We've repaired a couple that drove with a door open. Through a not-quiet-tall-enough garage door. Things to really wrong really fast.

[Helirich]

Why would a manufacturer mention driving with the doors open? It’s a safety hazard.

They mention all kinds of safety hazards in the OM. (Like driving over 50 mph on the spare) I would assume they have determined it is not a safety hazard or they would mention it. Of course, that doesn't have anything to do with law. Not sure if it is against the law, though. There's all kinds of vehicals that are designed to run with the doors open. (UPS trucks, jeeps, etc) Ever seen that BMW with retractable doors?

[louielouie2000]

They mention all kinds of safety hazards in the OM. (Like driving over 50 mph on the spare) I would assume they have determined it is not a safety hazard or they would mention it. Of course, that doesn't have anything to do with law. Not sure if it is against the law, though. There's all kinds of vehicals that are designed to run with the doors open. (UPS trucks, jeeps, etc) Ever seen that BMW with retractable doors?

When I was an undergrad I was pulled over on campus for driving with my door up. My A/C was broken and the campus speed limit was 20 MPH so I figured no harm could be done. I asked the officer why I was pulled over- he stated it was illegal for me to drive with my door open like that. I asked why it was legal for Wranglers to drive around with no doors. He said my door could come down and hit someone. I then showed him how little side clearance a DeLorean door needs, and that it would be pretty much impossible to hit someone with the door unless I was also running them over at the same time. He ended up just letting me go. I think all he really wanted was to see the car up close.

Regarding driving with the doors up... I have to agree with Michael. Anything above low speeds is probably not good. The door strut mounts and roof boxes on these cars are already weak points. Having the doors flop around and flex these areas probably isn't doing these components any favors. I'd have to think accelerating/deceleration would probably not be great on the hinge & strut mounts etc. Closing them while the vehicle is moving and flexing probably isn't so hot for striker pin alignment etc either.