I get PMs and messages on Facebook from people referred to me to ask about my experience I've had with my carbed Delorean.
Thinking of a conversion? This post is meant to answer why 7041 has a carburetor.
First, some people assume that carburetion is done by people that are new to the community and don't know any better. To dispell that notion, here's some history: I’m not a flash in the pan owner. I was obsessed with Ds when they first came out. I was 8 years old in 1981, but I was very much aware of them. I’d spend Saturdays at the Virginia Beach library when it was freshly constructed and checked out SSI over and over, looked at microfiche of old articles, read the autobiography and On a Clear Day. I catalogued in my mind every time I saw one driving by in person. I always remember where I was and everything about that moment on those rare occasions when one passed by.
Over the years, my interest did not abate. With no money to get in, I went to the DOA meet in Williamsburg in 1994 and just walked through the parking lot.
A few years out of college and I finally had a stable income and money saved up. In 2003, I bought 7041. By the address of the current owner and the vestigial parking permit stickers, his length of ownership and driving habits, I knew that this car had been in the same district where I had lived… and was probably the car I saw pull up to F.W. Cox High School some 12 years earlier when I was coming in late (as usual).
Unfortunately, my job and my life was in Southern Arizona, so the car stayed garaged in Hampton, VA while I did my duty in the Southwest. I would fly home often and my Dad and I would tinker. Two years later, I decided it was time to get serious and I ordered parts from DMCH, Midwest and Hervey. We would FINALLY get this thing running.
And so it went: we made progress, but the K-Jet was always a problem. I had ordered thousands in parts for the K-jet alone, but no matter how much I referred to the DML, the manuals, dmctalk.com or phone calls from people in the know, I just couldn’t get it right. Finally, out of time and money, 7041 went back into the garage so I could go back to school for a professional degree.
When I finished my degree, I took the last of my money, flew home for good, and tried anew. It was the same old disaster, and sitting hadn’t done the car any good. I was extremely frustrated and after 3 years of no income, college bills and no job in sight, sending the car thousands of miles away to a vendor was not an option.
Enter Bill R.: after reading all his posts online, talking to other owners and mulling it over, we struck a deal: $900 and he would come to my house and hook up his special-made manifold and get the car running. In anticipation of him coming, we removed all the K-jet and set it aside. Bill arrived as promised with his blue pickup truck. He gave an introductory speech about what he planned to, and then he did it. Less than 4 hours later, for the first time ever, the car was running like a top.
The car still runs great. I, unfortunately, still have to live away from it: I live in Washington DC and go home every other weekend. Property is outrageously expensive, bad neighborhoods abound, and there aren’t a lot of secure parking places that don’t cost an arm and a leg. There’s a reason for that 25% cost of living adjustment: DC is like Hawaii with more crime and douchebags. Oh well, this is what I have to do to make a living.
Meanwhile, I love 7041, and I’m happy that it works. I would recommend anyone modifying their car to do lots of research over the solutions they employ to make their car less troublesome.
Yes, Bill R. is polarizing to many owners. The reasons for this are well-worn, and his contributions to the community (the carbs, the control arm video, documenting every single wire in the car) are often denied and overlooked. But despite what anyone says, the proof is in the pudding. Converted owners are continuing to rack up miles. Bill, with a point to prove, puts his car through heavy duty, travelling from New York to Florida and everywhere in between with great regularity. As for Bill, he is a unique individual to say the least, and I judge men by their actions.
Maybe K-Jet repair, EFI or a drivetrain swap will suit your needs. This was the right solution for me.
Note to Ron, Mike and other mods: You have my permission to lock/close this thread with no push back from me if you think it will lead to too much acrimony.
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