DeLorean Roadster Convertible - Sketch to Stainless (photos)

[Ryan King]

I demand an update.

[Rich W]

I demand an update.

Ahh, a request from a "King". With today being the birthday of another King (Elvis),
I will see if I can fill the request with some details and more photos soon.

This is the second Winter in a row that we are anticipating a significant Winter Thaw
in the Chicago area (50 degrees by this weekend) in early January is pretty darn rare,
so if there is not too much rain (as expected) with these warm temps, I will try to get
some updated photos of the recent progress on the D Roadster from late Fall 2012.

Thanks,
Rich W.

[Rich W]

I demand an update.

Sorry, this will not be an extensive, detailed update, but I am including a couple photos taken this Saturday afternoon.

Unfortunately, plenty of non-DeLorean related activities and over 500 miles of driving on Saturday (starting at 5am) left
very little time to try to shuffle cars, to get some better photos, before a Saturday evening ice storm passed through the
area where I have most of my DeLoreans stored. I wanted to head back home before the ice storm, so a more detailed
update will need to wait until my next significant free time, project work opportunity (maybe next month?).

Convt-refinish-1.JPG

Convt-refinish-2.JPG

Chris N. was able to "improve" nearly all of the damaged panels used on the DeLorean Convertible Roadster this past Fall,
including a quick flash-brush of the inside of the doors (the exposed edges, when opened) where the previous fire damage
areas really looked bad. The dent removal on the exteriors of both doors was completed and both were re-brushed as well.
The bonnet will still need some attention on a later trip or I will swap it out with one of my already repaired grooved hoods.

The next big task is to complete the custom door hinge installation, which will be done first on a full-size "mock up" of the
Roadster, using the other "roof delete" underbody that I acquired from Marty Maier a few years ago. I have other repaired
panels (including cut-down, burn doors) that will be used during this test-fit stage of the project and once all the fit/finish
issues are worked out on the test mule, the custom hinges will be transferred to the project car and installed accordingly.

Later,
Rich W.

[LordFly]

Hey Rich, this is a pretty cool project. I'm always looking for updates. I'm curious about the doors, are they going to do the single front hinge like in the early drawing? Are they already functional, or just latched in place? Keep up the awesome work!

[Rich W]

Hey Rich, this is a pretty cool project. I'm always looking for updates. I'm curious about the doors, are they going to do the single front hinge like in the early drawing? Are they already functional, or just latched in place? Keep up the awesome work!

Thanks Devon. Recent progress has been delayed with the recent flooding in the Chicagoland area, but I can
comment on the hinge type. Yes, it will be single front hinge, per door, but the hinge type will be dual function
in that the custom hinge allows the door to open either as a "normal" door hinge or open "up" Lamborghini style.

I hope to have some photos of the hinge and door mock-up to post soon, maybe as soon as next month.
Free time and weather will be the deciding factors in the timing of the progress this Spring and Summer.

[Rich W]

For those waiting patiently (and for those waiting not so patiently...you know who you are...Ryan), I finally have an update, with a few photos.

Lots of progress on the D Convertible Roadster project in the past week and a few folks got to see it in person last Friday before the DMC MW
Open House event this past Saturday. My goal was to get the exterior about 88% complete before Nick Sutton saw the car in person. (done!)
Note: Nick was doing an interview with JLP Movies, next to Micah's Black Lotus, in the background of the D Roadster and D Limo photo.

After re-evaluating the slightly flattened driver side rear quarter panel that was salvaged from the roll-over DeLorean (Crash & Burn Story car),
it was decided to use another donor quarter panel that was included in the Marty Maier convertible project car package I purchased in 2010,
since it had already been cut down for a similar use. The roll-over panel will still be used on the "door hinge test buck" for door fit/swing tests.

The hail damaged bonnet was fully repaired and refinished, and all the other panels were gone over again, out in the sunlight, and blended to
look consistent throughout the re-finishing. New (used) fascias were re-fitted to the car, along with a few new parts, like the new rock screen.
Not enough time to re-fit all the rub strips, but most of them are on ... at least on the passenger side of the vehicle.

As for the interior, I did get about 88% of it in place as well, along with a "driver" Recaro seat with the mesh headrest (like the concept sketch)
and a "passenger" Recaro seat with the speakers built-in to the headrests (circa mid-1980's version of the Recaro seats, available in the 80's).
Most of the rest of the interior is stock or stock appearing, as in the original Cars and Concepts sketch, which was drawn in October 1981.

D-Roadster_&_D-Limo.jpg

D-Roadster_&_D-Project.jpg

D-Roadster_Tool-Shed.jpg

Concept-DeLorean-Convertible.JPG

Hopefully, more updates and photos in the not-too-distant future.

Thanks.
Rich W.

[Rich W]

A fan of the D Convertible Roadster project asked me to post (and re-post) some photos of the custom door pillar caps.
(a few of these photos were posted back on the .com forum and I guess that I forgot to re-post them to the .org forum)

Attaching a couple photos of the A-pillar and B-pillar caps, right after they were welded in place, and the edges ground.

A-pillar-cap-roadster-door.jpg

B-pillar-cap-roadster-door.jpg


Note: Above photos were taken before the Driver Door A-pillar was repaired (see dents) and before the new rear deck.

I will try to take new photos of the A-pillar and B-pillar caps soon, in their "finished" condition, and then post them soon.

[Rich W]

It has come to my attention there may be some misconceptions about the donor car used for the DeLorean Convertible Roadster.
As with many of my projects, a photo with brief caption (or question) does not always correctly convey the spirit of my projects.

Since this project began about 11 years ago, with its initial debut at DCS 2002, the project has changed focus over the last few years.

The initial project was based on the sketches on the cover and in DeLorean World Magazine, Winter 1987 and a sketch I had seen
briefly at the DMCH Open House in 2001. The version of the DeLorean Convertible Roadster was based on these sketches in 2002.

The donor car that was used for the DeLorean Convertible Roadster project was an extensively damaged car, from top to bottom,
destined to be parted out. The frame was bad (it still is, but a repaired frame is in the wings waiting), the roof was damaged both
inside and out, on the door side (structurally in several spots...door strut mounts damaged due to door struts that were too long)
and on the louver side (towed backwards, louver hinges pulled out of fiberglass, louvers broken, rear window broken, etc.). Louver
caused damage to the roofs of the doors, the T-panel and the mounting points of the louver struts on the tops of the rear quarters.
Hail damage throughout, on most panels (especially the hood) and some corrosion on the tops of the fenders and parts of the hood.

Although many of the panels looked pretty bad, all of the panels were repaired, with some of them used on my other projects. The
doors and rear quarter panels that were "cut down" for use on the DeLorean Convertible Roadster came from Fire Damaged cars,
where the tops of the doors and rear quarters had been warped and "blued" by intense heat and could not be repaired for re-use
on a stock or painted DeLorean. For those who do not believe fire damaged panels were used, you can look more closely in person.
I had made an attempt to use a non-fire damaged rear quarter from a roll-over DeLorean (Crash & Burn project car from 2004), but
it had been significantly "flattened" to the point where it would not hold the curve, so a previous burn panel was returned to duty.

The last of the hail damage was removed from the hood just last week and all the panels re-aligned for the replacement fascias,
which were also re-aligned last week. Once the frame is swapped, the car will be lowered slightly, to acheive the proper stance.

The current re-fresh of the DeLorean Convertible Roadster is being based on the Cars & Concepts, Inc. sketch that had been drawn
in October 1981, for DeLorean Motor Company, as one of the many concepts and ideas that were being explored in late 1981. This
drawing was only recently identified in some original DeLorean Motor Company records after JZD passed away in 2005. Although I
do not recall exactly when I first saw these sketches for the first time, I know I did not photograph them for reference until 2008.

This project is my interpretation of the Convertible Concept Drawings that DeLorean Motor Company commissioned back in late 1981
and when I get access to these DeLorean Motor Company records again some day, I hope to identify the code name for this project.

Until then, this project will be known as the DeLorean Convertible Roadster. (Right or Wrong)

[Dangermouse]

D-Roadster_Tool-Shed.jpg

This is the favorite DeLorean picture I have seen recently. Really like the look of the car in it. Seems very natural.

[Jimmyvonviggle]

Rich, I really like how you bring these cars that were destined to be parted out, and give them new life. Very impressive.