Location: Tacoma, Wa
Posts: 2,208
My VIN: 4877
Club(s): (PNDC)
Rob Depew
Tacoma, Wa
'81 DeLorean 4877 Grey, Auto, 4 wheels
The Ressurection of 4877......
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Priming may change the texture giving it a smoother finish. I've heard that it works to spray farther away than normal from the louver so that the paint goes on a bit dryer. And not to saturate it. That way you may get the same texture as original.
If you don't care about maintaining the finish, than you could prime it but that is simply more work and more chance for mistakes (such as runs).
Nick
- No matter how many people believe in a dumb idea ... it is still a dumb idea!
- Some cars look fast. Some cars look faster than time!
- The question is not "where did the time go" but rather "where to go in time".
Location: Ellensburg, WA
Posts: 190
My VIN: 5510
I've spent the last few days wrestling with getting the transmission out. I figured it would be a lot easier with the body off, but no.. not really.
The transmission is currently completely unplugged and unmounted, but stuck to the engine. It may be stuck due to one of the bell housing bolts snapping off and it being pretty rusted in there. I may need to pick up some pry bars or something, and look up the pry points.
In addition to the bell housing bolt head snapping off, I also had a torque converter bolt head round off, so I had to use a cut off wheel to cut it out, and then used a punch to push the torque convert back a bit. A transmission mount bolt also snapped in half. What's really weird is that, with the exception of the torque converter bolts that were all nasty stuck, the other bolts to get this far were pretty straight forward and easy. I do question the design of the transmission mounts, though... basically impossible to get the 'hidden' 3rd bolt on either side out, so I took the entire mount off from either side. I'm pretty sure that wouldn't have been possible with the body on, because there are bolts on the outside of the frame that weren't welded in, so they just spun until I put a wrench on both sides.
Also, this frame is so nasty and dirty - I can't wait to get it stripped and cleaned.
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 504
My VIN: Yes.
Club(s): (DCO) (DMA) (DCUK)
Drove 6791 for the first time today.
Mainly just getting used to driving it, but working on a list of things to do.
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Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 504
My VIN: Yes.
Club(s): (DCO) (DMA) (DCUK)
Thanks! It does. There's a tiny crack on the dash, and if you start to look too close, you can notice things, but it's really in great shape. Trying not to ruin it ;-)
I have the receipts to the dawn of time (well, 199 - about 40K I think was spent on over owners 1 and 2 (I'm 4th) including addition and then removal of BTTF parts. It has DPI exhaust and adjustable shocks.
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 504
My VIN: Yes.
Club(s): (DCO) (DMA) (DCUK)
Location: Ellensburg, WA
Posts: 190
My VIN: 5510
Had a lot of time to work on getting the engine and transmission disassembled today, but still no luck getting them separated. I've got some pics to show people the issue, this is zooming in on the bolt in question:
20200606_172115.jpg20200606_172122.jpg20200606_172128.jpg
I can use a pry bar on the passenger side of the transmission and get probably 1/4" - 1/2" of space. But the right (driver) side is stuck solid. I'm 99% sure that it's because this bolt is seized, even though its a smooth bore and not threaded on the transmission side.
So far I've tried:
- Pry bars - including jiggling and bouncing it around
- Grabbing the transmission and moving it side to side
- Dropping the transmission down very low on the transmission jack
- Propane torch, heat up the area around the bolt for about 5 minutes (I have a MAP gas torch, but am currently out of gas, will probably get some later)
- Drilled the bolt and used an Easy Out - which almost immediately broke off, and required me to use a punch and hammer to get it out. I'll be upgrading to a new set that's made for larger bolts.
- Used a punch and hammer on the bolt
- Went to the back of the car and used a long socket extension and hammer to push on the bell housing on the passenger side
- Smacking it around with a dead blow mallet
- WD 40 Rust Penetrant, PB Blaster, Knocker Loose - been applying all sorts of stuff to it every few hours that I'm awake.
- Cursing
I've undone all of the stuff required to take the engine out (except the mounts), and I've got the hoist ready to go, so I may end up taking them out together and then trying to beat on it once it's out of the frame. Would love some tips if anybody has one! Also, the more I see of the frame, the more I start thinking about getting a new one. It is not in good shape, in a lot of places.
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 504
My VIN: Yes.
Club(s): (DCO) (DMA) (DCUK)
Here's as much history as I know right now:
Dealer in Lansing, MI.
October 1998, letter to what seems to be the original owner from DeLorean One, for restoration work totaling $14K. Car has 20K miles.
Followup in February 1999
April followup for additional work at $3600 and parts at $2700.
September 2008 - invoice for sale to next owner in Philadelphia, PA.
The invoice includes work with "engine out bead blast detail, refinish engine" etc. Work done
here is $5.5K. It's not clear who sold it.
October 2008 - work done by Eastern PA repair shop - $5800, $2700
November 2008 - $4300, $4500, $4800
January 2009 - $4600
February 2009 - $2600
April 2009 - $260
Also from January 2009, a professional appraisal for $45K. The list of conditions items is all 9 or 10.
"An outstanding example, much better than average. Clean. Very low original milage, Professional
maintenance since new, show quality". The car has 21888 miles at this point.
Sold to PJ Grady in October 2009.
Sold to PO sometime in 2011.
PO added DPI exhaust and shocks and other maintenance - about $7K worth.
Sold to me May 2020.
What's curious about the 2008/2009 work is much mention of BTTF items, especially
much mention of the "plutonium panel". It looks like the work included removal of the
BTTF items which had previously been added - obviously the car had been returned
to near concours for the appraisal.