Frame needed or measurements

[SupercoolBill]

My wife and I just bought a 1982 and unfortunately the frame is rotted (not rusted) pretty bad.
We were planning on trying pull the body off the frame and have the frame rebuilt or copied by someone. Well,...the other night I discovered that a previous owner made their own front frame section complete with nasty Frankenstein welds and plating.
Now I am thinking this frame cannot be used. The only exception would be if I had all the measurements for a correct frame. Then I could have a new frame made or repair the one I have properly.
Anyone have all the measurements? CAD drawing? Is there anywhere to get a good frame for less than $8,500.00?
Are the $8,500 frames even available anymore? It says on the website "Not available"

I am in Maine (if that matters)20211030_142743.jpg20211017_175623.jpg

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[82DMC12]

My wife and I just bought a 1982 and unfortunately the frame is rotted (not rusted) pretty bad.
We were planning on trying pull the body off the frame and have the frame rebuilt or copied by someone. Well,...the other night I discovered that a previous owner made their own front frame section complete with nasty Frankenstein welds and plating.
Now I am thinking this frame cannot be used. The only exception would be if I had all the measurements for a correct frame. Then I could have a new frame made or repair the one I have properly.
Anyone have all the measurements? CAD drawing? Is there anywhere to get a good frame for less than $8,500.00?
Are the $8,500 frames even available anymore? It says on the website "Not available"

I am in Maine (if that matters)20211030_142743.jpg20211017_175623.jpg

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Almost anything can be repaired if you take the frame off and find a good welder. The only time it gets iffy is if there is a section that has to do with suspension attachment which might make alignment impossible. Fortunately the frames don't usually rot away in those locations except I've seen a lot of crumbly stuff near where the rear upper link attaches. You can get a completely "new" frame from the UK however freight will probably put it up over $8,500. I looked into it a year ago and it was going to cost about $2,300 to get it to Kansas City including collection from the seller, customs, duties, etc etc and delivered to my company's dock. Keep your eyes open, you might find a much better frame somewhere that doesn't need as much work as yours if you want to work on it while keeping your car on the ground otherwise. Rumor has it DeLorean Industries might have a bunch of take-off frames since they sell and build up so many stainless steel frames. Maybe work a deal with Josh?

[SupercoolBill]

Almost anything can be repaired if you take the frame off and find a good welder. The only time it gets iffy is if there is a section that has to do with suspension attachment which might make alignment impossible. Fortunately the frames don't usually rot away in those locations except I've seen a lot of crumbly stuff near where the rear upper link attaches. You can get a completely "new" frame from the UK however freight will probably put it up over $8,500. I looked into it a year ago and it was going to cost about $2,300 to get it to Kansas City including collection from the seller, customs, duties, etc etc and delivered to my company's dock. Keep your eyes open, you might find a much better frame somewhere that doesn't need as much work as yours if you want to work on it while keeping your car on the ground otherwise. Rumor has it DeLorean Industries might have a bunch of take-off frames since they sell and build up so many stainless steel frames. Maybe work a deal with Josh?

Thanks for your reply.
Yeah $8500+ all that for shipping is too rich for my blood. Like I said,..if someone hadn't tried to "fix" my frame then I would feel better about repairing it or replicating it.

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[larryk]

The DMC Workshop Manual has a section at the back with all the critical dimensions of the frame.

https://dmc.ccssinc.com/pdf/DMC_Workshop_Manual.pdf

My wife and I just bought a 1982 and unfortunately the frame is rotted (not rusted) pretty bad.
We were planning on trying pull the body off the frame and have the frame rebuilt or copied by someone. Well,...the other night I discovered that a previous owner made their own front frame section complete with nasty Frankenstein welds and plating.
Now I am thinking this frame cannot be used. The only exception would be if I had all the measurements for a correct frame. Then I could have a new frame made or repair the one I have properly.
Anyone have all the measurements? CAD drawing? Is there anywhere to get a good frame for less than $8,500.00?
Are the $8,500 frames even available anymore? It says on the website "Not available"

I am in Maine (if that matters)20211030_142743.jpg20211017_175623.jpg

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

[82DMC12]

Thanks for your reply.
Yeah $8500+ all that for shipping is too rich for my blood. Like I said,..if someone hadn't tried to "fix" my frame then I would feel better about repairing it or replicating it.

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The frame in the UK is actually $7,500 but you're responsible for collecting it and shipping it to the US. Maybe being in Maine you can get a better price than I could in Kansas City? My shipping manager used our logistics partner to come up with that option for me. Thankfully I managed to find a frame only an hour away that was already totally restored and upgraded with SS plates under the jacking points. Haven't installed it yet though.

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[SupercoolBill]

The DMC Workshop Manual has a section at the back with all the critical dimensions of the frame.

https://dmc.ccssinc.com/pdf/DMC_Workshop_Manual.pdf

Thanks
Lots of great information there.

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[SupercoolBill]

The frame in the UK is actually $7,500 but you're responsible for collecting it and shipping it to the US. Maybe being in Maine you can get a better price than I could in Kansas City? My shipping manager used our logistics partner to come up with that option for me. Thankfully I managed to find a frame only an hour away that was already totally restored and upgraded with SS plates under the jacking points. Haven't installed it yet though.

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Want to sell it? Haha!

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[82DMC12]

Want to sell it? Haha!

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Everything is for sale! Can't believe I found one so close to home. Keep your eyes open, you'll find a solution. Well, as long as you are in this for the long haul. I've had my D for about 21 years. Based on Facebook posts, it seems you have the space and time to do a frame off. I'd go for it. We're here to give you moral support!

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[Rich]

Is there anywhere to get a good frame for less than $8,500.00?

A. Those 2nd and 3rd photos you attached in the links show some serious frame rot in and around the rear cradle.
B. If you want set a search for a frame then try posting it in this section of this forum - be sure to tell us whether you need a manual- or automatic-type frame.

And welcome to the world of DeLorean ownership.

[andyo]

Just to give you an idea of what i went through, as i was in your shoes about a year and a half ago. I couldn't afford a new frame either. I called around a bit, if a vendor had a frame, it needed work or was too much. I ended up taking my cars body off the frame, stripped it down and brought it to a fabricator. quote to repair was... a lot. SO being the DIY kind of person i am, and since i was lucky enough to have a friend who had an awesome welding set up, i fixed it myself. I had a lot of rot in the front crossmember, front crumple section, and a little around in the rear cross member. I cut out bad and welded in good steel, then coated those areas in POR15. It turned out pretty great i think. As said previously, i didn't have any issues in the suspension areas. I was also able to salvage a lot of the front crumple section and just added to it. I consider it good enough until i can spring for that SS frame of my dreams. You may get lucky and find one at the price you can afford, but I really think that if you want to control the cost, you'll have to fix the one you have. I would say that if you have mechanical ability and aren't afraid to try and fix the one you have, you can probably do it.

That said, you have nothing to loose by trying as far as i can tell. You have to separate the car to change frames anyway, so might as well get going on that and see how bad your frame really is.