Auto, 81, Grey, W/ Windshield Antenna Wanted

[OverlandMan]

If I mention any mods to him, it will be those gas lines.

Replacement K-Jet fuel lines aren't really a mod but rather a maintenance item. The braided stainless sheath is just a cosmetic portion of the neoprene core below it.

[Shep]

Replacement K-Jet fuel lines aren't really a mod but rather a maintenance item. The braided stainless sheath is just a cosmetic portion of the neoprene core below it.

Fuel lines are the only thing some (i.e. concours guys) consider "mods" that I would bring up with a seller. Even then, it isn't always "stainless or bust!", I thought someone had silicone lines but could be mistaken.

Maybe more straightforward approach come to think of it: ask when they were last replaced, and at what mileage. They're fairly consistent in lifespan, being rubber, but if they've been replaced recently enough, there's no real point to replacement now vs.when you get back home. Remember, these cars are from 1981, and I have seen million-mile cars that routinely swapped them out as a maintenance item (the late Jacko comes to the forefront of my mind there, that was something he did back in the day), they're not as urgent as most make it out to be. If they're rubber and recent, inspect visually for cracking.

Rubber ages just sitting, that's why the fuel lines are of the utmost importance, and tires too. My car's original tires for example are near worthless, despite having only 4,641 miles on them -- dry rotted rubber leads to cracking and it does NOT hold up to pressure. I think a concours guy offered me $45 as a generous offer once, but they would go in a stash or something, and would be tubed on the inside for safety (like bike tires or dragsters). In other words, the tires become cosmetic rather than functional.

[OverlandMan]

Fuel lines are the only thing some (i.e. concours guys) consider "mods" that I would bring up with a seller. Even then, it isn't always "stainless or bust!", I thought someone had silicone lines but could be mistaken.

Maybe more straightforward approach come to think of it: ask when they were last replaced, and at what mileage. They're fairly consistent in lifespan, being rubber, but if they've been replaced recently enough, there's no real point to replacement now vs.when you get back home. Remember, these cars are from 1981, and I have seen million-mile cars that routinely swapped them out as a maintenance item (the late Jacko comes to the forefront of my mind there, that was something he did back in the day), they're not as urgent as most make it out to be. If they're rubber and recent, inspect visually for cracking.

Rubber ages just sitting, that's why the fuel lines are of the utmost importance, and tires too. My car's original tires for example are near worthless, despite having only 4,641 miles on them -- dry rotted rubber leads to cracking and it does NOT hold up to pressure. I think a concours guy offered me $45 as a generous offer once, but they would go in a stash or something, and would be tubed on the inside for safety (like bike tires or dragsters). In other words, the tires become cosmetic rather than functional.

I had a pinhole in one of my original lines, which caused a fire. Therefore I see fuel lines as a safety-related maintenance item regardless of what concours opinions are.

[iOutatime]

Marty Maier live across the river in Alton Ill.

Sorry it took me days to reply to your post! I know Marty. I've been in his group for about 3 years now. I've been digging around and I found the group photo that I took with my phone and tripod in front of Jake's car when we all went down to Micah Fryman's place for the day. I don't think it's hard to find me. Just look for the guy under the age of 20.

20160604_160012 (1).jpg

(Don't worry. I cleaned his fender afterwords so there were no smudges on the car lol.)

[Jonathan]

If you have photos of LCA or ANYTHING else Shep, Id love to take a look and study them. Add some notes if you’d like and email them to me what to watch out for.

Photos and info of a variety of things here: http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?10...chnical-photos

Most Knowledge Base articles also have photos or diagrams as well: http://support.delorean.com/KB/browse.aspx

[iOutatime]

Hey y'all. I've got another car that I'm going to check out in March that's actually WAY closer to me than the Maryland one. I'm still going to Baltimore to inspect that car, but this one's much closer to home (about 4 hours) and seems to be in even better condition. Anyone in the area available to come and take a look?

[Shep]

I had a pinhole in one of my original lines, which caused a fire. Therefore I see fuel lines as a safety-related maintenance item regardless of what concours opinions are.

The only two reasons period to leave it rubber are 1) for concours or 2) buying scenario where the car has rubber and it's old/rotted rubber, purely as a disposable "get me to a swappable location" part even then.

I know coolant hoses come in silicone, I thought fuel lines did too but could be wrong. If they did, you could certainly get far more use out of silicone fuel lines than stainless, and it looks more stock too being black. On a complicated buy, it would hold you over. But again, stainless isn't expensive already, I don't know that the worry is worth the cost at that point.

[Bitsyncmaster]

The only two reasons period to leave it rubber are 1) for concours or 2) buying scenario where the car has rubber and it's old/rotted rubber, purely as a disposable "get me to a swappable location" part even then.

I know coolant hoses come in silicone, I thought fuel lines did too but could be wrong. If they did, you could certainly get far more use out of silicone fuel lines than stainless, and it looks more stock too being black. On a complicated buy, it would hold you over. But again, stainless isn't expensive already, I don't know that the worry is worth the cost at that point.

The OEM rubber was just a cover over the "plastic" lines. There was someone offering real rubber lines but have not seen much about that anymore. Silicone does not work with fuel or oil.

The new lines are some sort of "plastic" so it may be a better material that lasts longer than OEM. Again the SS is just a cover.

[FABombjoy]

The KJet hoses in the engine bay appear to be PTFE. The new ones probably are as well.

The hoses at the accumulator and fuel pump seem to be a different material, some kind of more traditional rubber fuel hose. It has a reinforcement braid and the outer jacket loves to peel off.

I used flared aluminum tube and Eaton PTFE hose & fittings for my EFI setup. Not a good place to "sort by price: lowest first"