Driving in the Rain

[Some guy]

I live in California, so rain is once every few months. I was wondering if anyone drives there D normally in the rain?

I have done it maybe twice when there is light chance of rain. It has not been a big deal, but am i babying the car to much?

[Timebender]

Good question and good timing, as we're expecting a torrential downpour tomorrow... I'd like to know as well.

[Jeff K]

I never drove mine in the rain. I actually took the wiper arms off, it looks better IMHO.

[krs09]

I do try to avoid rain completely... my wipers move VERY slow though soooo that could be why. I hate rust too.

[? ? ? ?]

I live in California, so rain is once every few months.

Until recently it was rain maybe once a year out here :wink:


When there's a chance of rain I never drive my D and always take my 2nd car, primarily because I spend an hour or so every weekend cleaning my car, and the last thing I want to do is take it out in the rain and have it get filthy after spending the time to clean it.

[Denverdelorean]

I live in California, so rain is once every few months. I was wondering if anyone drives there D normally in the rain?

I have done it maybe twice when there is light chance of rain. It has not been a big deal, but am i babying the car to much?

You are babying it too much. I avoid rain when I can (who 'likes' driving in any inclement weather), but I don't consciously head home if it rains. I even "gasp" leave it outside sometimes! The stainless has yet to stain! :-)

[Jonathan]

Drive the car "normally" or "normally" leave it at home if you know it's raining?

I'm not thrilled with driving the car in the rain, but if I'm coming back from somewhere and it's raining then it's driving in the rain for me.

It's just a car and the rain itself isn't the cause of rust on its own. A couple things that deter me from rain driving though are:

- glare on the windshield from a combination of a haze in the glass and the fact we are pretty low compared to other vehicles and their headlights.
- my car, maybe many, isn't as water tight as I would like it. It's tight in most places, but the last spot I haven't sealed up well enough is a leak that's somewhere beyond the top of the windshield and it ends up dripping right on my right thigh from the lip just up beyond the headliner. I keep towels in the car for that reason, but it's still not fun.
- the defrosting ability in my car is quite sucky and when you don't have A/C working and the windows you normally keep down a bit now kind of need to be rolled up, makes for a stuffy/hard to see drive home.

I'm not paranoid about the back end flying out in poor traction, but I won't push my luck trying to get home quick and often slow down a fair bit. The delay module on the wipers isn't too fantastic, but not a big deal to me. Fast, slow or off I guess is what we get. I don't drive my car as a DD so if I'm planning on going to a car show or out for a cruise and I know it's going to be raining, there likely isn't going to be a car show and I probably stay home. It rained on the way to DCS for example though and going through Detroit on I75 with the things mentioned above was really cute. That was a day for driving I wasn't willing to try and reschedule.

Not all bad though. I don't know too many other cars which you can have your door open and pretty much be outside your vehicle and still not get wet. Rain needs to be coming down more or less straight, but the gull wings provide a bit of a built in canopy.

[David T]

I try to avoid the rain too but sometimes while driving you can get caught in some. It pays to do the whole procedure as outlined in the Service Bulletin ST-33-12/81. It is probably the biggest SB in the whole book! If you haven't used your wipers in a long time you should probably replace the blades. If you don't use the washer the reservoir is probably full of slime and mud. Wash it out with some hot water. The hard part is getting the bucket out. Those little bolts rust in the rivenuts and then when you go to remove them the rivenuts spin in the fiberglass. You wind up having to cut their little heads off and replacing the rivenuts.

[AugustneverEnds]

The D is fine in the rain. As any car, whether you spin off into the scenery depends on the driver more than anything. I have driven through some downpours this summer and especially when negotiating poorly drained twisting back roads or tight looped highway ramps I just think of the old mantra about driving rear-engined cars: slow in, keep the throttle steady (don't back off midway through!) and power out once the wheels are pointed straight. To me driving the DMC-12 in the rain is a regular part of owning it.

Besides if everyone "knows" it is dangerous to drive a car from the early 80s with the engine in the rear and no traction control or electronic nannies, you might start to look like Ayrton Senna to your buddies! :thumbup:

[DMCMW Dave]

I try to avoid it (I'm not one of those folks who "likes" cleaning cars) but I think there is a rule that it rains either at or coming home from every car show.

Agreed with Jonathan, rain really isn't the problem, it's road salt around here, or other drivers who don't understand friction.

[flux3d]

lol, driving the car in the rain here in the UK is just part of everyday ownership. This summer it was out during a hurricane driving to Warwick and Stratford. Yes it did leak a bit, but not much, and yes coming out of a roundabout / traffic island the back end did fish tail a bit, but nothing too much.

It's a car, it won't melt!

[dmcerik]

Some things to keep in mind...speaking from experience.

If you don't have good climate control in your car the windows will fog up.
If you are unsure of the condition of your electrical system, especially in the engine compartment, you will find out in a rain storm if you have any exposed wires.
As with any rain storm the road gets slick from oil. Be careful.

[Nicholas R]

I don't do it on purpose but I tend to get caught in the rain a lot. In the summer here in central Florida, it usually rains for 1-2 hours at the same time every day (usually right when I'm driving home from work! haha). After getting caught about a dozen times I started to check the weather in the morning. Even then I would still get caught periodically.

Personally I hate driving in the rain. Though I will say, my fuel economy does go up in the rain :wink:

[sdg3205]

I won't take it out in the rain, but yeah if it starts raining when I'm already out, so be it.

I find rain at night is better than rain during day light hours. At night, you almost don't need the wipers as the water flies right off.

[AgentDL]

Another Florida dude checking in... I don't purposely take the car out when I know the weather's going to be consistently crappy for a significant portion of the day, but it's hard to avoid periodic brief rain showers down here, and I don't let the prospect of those stop me from driving it. I care even less when the car's already dirty.

[SIMid]

What worries me is the roof box. A fellow D owner told me he was having issues with "his box" and had to rip it out due to excessive rust. He said water gets trapped in there and after many years, it will rot through and let go. Just like his.

This is one of my fears and I now try not to take it out if the weather is looking bleak.

[Ryan King]

Drove my car daily for almost 10 years, Rain & Thunderstorms to boot. The only issue I ever encountered was a flickering oil light, which was fixed with a better waterproof connector. I never had any other issues. The car is a blast to drive as it is, and in the rain its just that much more fun.

[rileydawgg]

Mine is daily driver, but here in LA weather's pretty good so it's rare to get rained on. That said, last week we had a solid couple days of it and the car drove great. No leaks, no issues. Was actually surprised and impressed. The only problem was my wipers on the up stroke did the "skipping" but that's it.

[SS Spoiler]

Twenty some years ago five of us drove from twin cities to Steamboat springs to meet up
with Dick and Lesley Ryan [rad dad] Dick lead us through beautiful mountain country. On that trip
we hit rain, sleet, snow and finally enough hail to cover the road in marbles. He said the weather can
get ridiculous in the mountains.

[Riley88]

Try to keep mine out of the rain. I'm babying it :)

[Rich]

Nice topic.

Our Calif. car gets out in the rain every so often. Twice so far this year, not at all the year before. I recall one long, rainy night drive up in Oregon along Highway 1 on a vacation long, long ago. Nice and cozy inside it as we buzzed along, no worries.

Here are some of the ways it differs from a typical car in the wet:

1. The wipers can come on a lot later as the rain starts, assuming you're moving at a good clip. The rain tends to run right up that steeply-raked windshield.
2. The wiper delay function is fun to try to remember. Press-hold on and press-hold off. It usually even works.
3. The washer nozzle is on just the one wiper - but it works fine somehow.
4. With the front end being on the light side you can get it to hydroplane sooner than you might expect for a given speed and road condition, especially if the fronts are more than half worn.
5. (not while driving) When it's time to enter or leave the car while it's raining there is absolutely no hurry. The open doors act quite well to keep you dry beneath them on the way in, on the way out or just waiting there...in the rain. Gullwing doors offer at least 4 benefits and that's one of them.

And some side notes about the A/C-defogging:

The A/C defog works fine in ours. As does the rear window defog when the need arises.
And those door vents for the A/C? They defog the side glass if you aim them right.

[Josh]

I drive my car regularly in the summer. I love driving it so I dont really care about the weather. When i first got the body back on after the resto i was scared to drive through puddles and the rain for fear of getting things dirty. But that lasted a few weeks and I just embraced it. Its kind of a relief just not worrying about rain or weather and driving the car whenever you feel like it. Snow is another story though...

I drove through some nasty rainstorms this summer. The worst was a 600km round trip. The only issues I had was a slightly leaky door seal that I knew needed to be replaced and sadness from not seeing the sun.

As nick noted... you can have alot of fun in the rain... rear engine rear wheel drive cars are that way by nature :)

[David T]

The car drives OK in the rain if you are careful and have decent tires. My biggest problem with rain is that eventually things get rusty underneath. That is the main reason I try to avoid rain.

[hmcelraft]

Having lived in Houston and Tampa/St Pete, driving in the rain was a usual event. I do like the ease of getting in and out without getting rained on while I lower my umbrella. About the only issue I experienced with rain and not addressed in any bulletin is a wet distributor. In both of the 5 speeds I've had, at cruising speed on the interstate, water would sometimes get into the distributor cap and the engine would begin missing. At lower speeds, no issue. I solved that by applying a thin coat of gasket maker to the mating surface of distributor cap. No missing after that. I have never had that water issue with my automatic.

[dn010]

I've driven in rain, snow, sun, floods - all weather conditions as well as had to leave it sitting out in that kind of weather for years straight.

The car performed better than my front wheel drive Altima in the snow. Never had any performance issues in the rain, and the only issue in flooded areas is it seemed the car may have/felt like it floated over about a foot or 2 in the direction the water was running but I still made it through.

I've had the car 12+ years now, only issues in the rain was my junk weather seals would leak while moving, but I hadn't-and still haven't replaced them yet. Raining while the car is sitting - the seals would sometimes, but rarely leak, if pine needles would get stuck and clog up on the down slope sections by the windshield, under the outter seals. Other than the leaks, water spots were a PITA.

Rain is one thing, but do not drive it in the snow & salted roads, as I did. I'll never forgive myself for it, and neither will my D while it is waiting for me to complete the frame + all components attached swap...

[Gary]

I just finished my car. It was a frame off restoration and is as clean as can be. My 12 year old girl wanted to be dropped off at school. This was the first chance I could get to really take the car out (less a few short test runs to make sure the car worked). It was raining that day....then it poured.

I tell you what, it was worth it.

Life is too short. Drive the thing. Is it not the fact that these cars, just sitting around, the very problem we have with them in the first place?

I plan on driving my D often, rain or shine.

Gary

[Josh]

I just finished my car. It was a frame off restoration and is as clean as can be. My 12 year old girl wanted to be dropped off at school. This was the first chance I could get to really take the car out (less a few short test runs to make sure the car worked). It was raining that day....then it poured.

I tell you what, it was worth it.

Life is too short. Drive the thing. Is it not the fact that these cars, just sitting around, the very problem we have with them in the first place?

I plan on driving my D often, rain or shine.

Gary

Love it!

[Nicholas R]

As nick noted... you can have alot of fun in the rain... rear engine rear wheel drive cars are that way by nature :)

Just wait until you're finished tripling the power at those rear wheels; it's like trying to drive on a slip and slide, lol.

[Jonathan]

Just wait until you're finished tripling the power at those rear wheels; it's like trying to drive on a slip and slide, lol.

Hahaha, great line!!

[DMC5180]

I try to avoid it (I'm not one of those folks who "likes" cleaning cars) but I think there is a rule that it rains either at or coming home from every car show.

Agreed with Jonathan, rain really isn't the problem, it's road salt around here, or other drivers who don't understand friction..

+ 1


Some things to keep in mind...speaking from experience.

If you don't have good climate control in your car the windows will fog up.
If you are unsure of the condition of your electrical system, especially in the engine compartment, you will find out in a rain storm if you have any exposed wires.
As with any rain storm the road gets slick from oil. Be careful.

If it the least bit wet out. I get stray ignition misfiring. Nothing I do seems to cure it.


I won't take it out in the rain, but yeah if it starts raining when I'm already out, so be it.

I find rain at night is better than rain during day light hours. At night, you almost don't need the wipers as the water flies right off.

I have to disagree on the day/night experience . I had to drive home one night from a SHOW in moderate to heavy showers.

It was a white knuckle butt pucker ride to say the least. Two lane highway, wheel grooved black top, faded road markings, water filled wheel tracks, blinded by oncoming headlights and hydro plain pulling to the right every time I hit standing water. Not to mention the ignition misfiring at the same time.

I'll stick with daytime rain driving.

Oh yeah, the wipers work quite well. I think the nearly flat windshield makes a big difference.

[ssdelorean]

Drive it. Like others have said about having good tires & just be careful. I drive more aggressively that most and don't have problems in rain. Just remember to tap tap tap etc. the brakes and not slam them down while braking (especially on a curve) from a fast pace.

Also, with such an extreme windshield rake, Rain-X is your friend. I love it and hardly ever use my wiper blades.

[JohnZ]

I drive my Delorean regardless of weather conditions. Here in Belluno the weather is bad most of the time, so I don't even ask myself the question "should I use the Delorean?"... I just use it, rain or shine :)

The only annoyance I get is after some hours under hard pouring rain I have the driver's side headliner a bit wet, but it happens rarely:)

Then of course I don't drive fast, and I'm careful on the road but I would say that it is pretty normal so there is nothing I wouldn't do regularly there :)

[valdez]

So many people afraid to drive in the rain?

If you think your car will melt in the rain, sell it to me before you wreck it.

That being said, if you think rain is bad for a Delorean don't expect much for it.

I can also offer a rain resistant car as trade. With my car you can actually leave the house if it is raining or even park it on the street. Think of all the benefits! I will also treat it to withstand wind and snow flakes with my invisible car treatment formula.

[DMC5180]

There are certain conditions I prefer to avoid while driving in rain. I really don't care about the car getting wet from rain. I will say the stainless looks very drab in rainy weather which to me detracts from the beauty of the car.

[Farrar]

I don't mind rain. It's hail that scares me. I can't afford to pay someone to take a million tiny dents out of the stainless panels.

[kings1527]

So many people afraid to drive in the rain?

If you think your car will melt in the rain, sell it to me before you wreck it.

That being said, if you think rain is bad for a Delorean don't expect much for it.

I can also offer a rain resistant car as trade. With my car you can actually leave the house if it is raining or even park it on the street. Think of all the benefits! I will also treat it to withstand wind and snow flakes with my invisible car treatment formula.

Driving the car under normal circumstances can be dicey enough. Just wait until that person drives right in your blind spot on the freeway so they can stare at your car and take pictures. Or wait for the guy behind you to drive 88 MPH so he can catch up to you to take a look. Now add rain into all that and tell me if your chances of getting in an accident go up or down. Or maybe you're lucky enough during the rain to have your traction control go out on your DeLorean and the cute little 14" fronts take you right into a telephone pole....on the left front fender.

And that was all for what? To prove to yourself that a DeLorean can be driven in the rain? Why even bother?

[Farrar]

right into a telephone pole....on the left front fender.

Don't tell me you're afraid that you might have to spend more money on your DeLorean.

[kings1527]

Don't tell me you're afraid that you might have to spend more money on your DeLorean.

Not at all, Farrar. I look forward to the day. :banghead::)

[Farrar]

Not at all, Farrar. I look forward to the day. :banghead::)

I knew you had your priorities straight! :D

[DMC5180]

Driving the car under normal circumstances can be dicey enough. Just wait until that person drives right in your blind spot on the freeway so they can stare at your car and take pictures. Or wait for the guy behind you to drive 88 MPH so he can catch up to you to take a look. Now add rain into all that and tell me if your chances of getting in an accident go up or down. Or maybe you're lucky enough during the rain to have your traction control go out on your DeLorean and the cute little 14" fronts take you right into a telephone pole....on the left front fender.

?

Yeah this pretty much says it all. 😕

[kbrown84]

rain is no worry...snow is no worry...i just don't get mine out from the day they salt the roads until a spring shower washes it all away.
KB

[Farrar]

Bad things happen on the road whether it's raining or sunny. If your heart is strong, you should keep your stainless steel moneybox in the garage, except for when you trailer it to indoor car shows to earn shiny bits of wallpaper and dust magnets for your shelves and cabinets. If, on the other hand, you're in poor health, you should save yourself the strain of sleepless nights and massively increased blood pressure: sell the great grained paperweight and let someone else deal with the incessant, gnawing fear that some day something might ruin its glorious perfection - let them have the heart attacks and strokes, and not you. Surely your progeny deserve better.

Mine is in the garage, but I live in a state of incessant, aching, soul-crushing dread that the garage may not be enough to protect it from natural disasters or terror attacks. Then again, I am young and I have a strong constitution. I will have to sell the car some day when my doctor tells me that I can't stand the strain anymore.

[sdg3205]

Bad things happen on the road whether it's raining or sunny. If your heart is strong, you should keep your stainless steel moneybox in the garage, except for when you trailer it to indoor car shows to earn shiny bits of wallpaper and dust magnets for your shelves and cabinets. If, on the other hand, you're in poor health, you should save yourself the strain of sleepless nights and massively increased blood pressure: sell the great grained paperweight and let someone else deal with the incessant, gnawing fear that some day something might ruin its glorious perfection - let them have the heart attacks and strokes, and not you. Surely your progeny deserve better.

Mine is in the garage, but I live in a state of incessant, aching, soul-crushing dread that the garage may not be enough to protect it from natural disasters or terror attacks. Then again, I am young and I have a strong constitution. I will have to sell the car some day when my doctor tells me that I can't stand the strain anymore.

My stage 1 hypertension onset seemed to coincide with DeLorean ownership... as did my court ordered attendance at rage-aholics anonymous ;)

[Jonathan]

My stage 1 hypertension onset seemed to coincide with DeLorean ownership...

I trace my nerves having gone to sh!t to about the time I bought my car. True story.

[valdez]

Driving the car under normal circumstances can be dicey enough. Just wait until that person drives right in your blind spot on the freeway so they can stare at your car and take pictures. Or wait for the guy behind you to drive 88 MPH so he can catch up to you to take a look. Now add rain into all that and tell me if your chances of getting in an accident go up or down. Or maybe you're lucky enough during the rain to have your traction control go out on your DeLorean and the cute little 14" fronts take you right into a telephone pole....on the left front fender.

And that was all for what? To prove to yourself that a DeLorean can be driven in the rain? Why even bother?


Why bother? To get from point A to point B... Same as on any non-raining day?

Is this really about the car not being able to handle the rain or the driver?

Do you guys also leave the plastic on the sofa and never sit on it for fear of ruining it because you might one day sit on it wrong?

This is just too funny.

[kings1527]

Why bother? To get from point A to point B... Same as on any non-raining day?

Is this really about the car not being able to handle the rain or the driver?

Do you guys also leave the plastic on the sofa and never sit on it for fear of ruining it because you might one day sit on it wrong?

This is just too funny.

Buy a car first. Then we'll talk.

[Josh]

Buy a car first. Then we'll talk.

You guys are on both extremes here. I know Ryan personally and he is a great guy. Just some heavy sarcasm.

As for your earlier comments... Im sorry you find your car hard to handle and delicate. But some of us drive our cars as dailies and if something happens it happens.

[kings1527]

You guys are on both extremes here. I know Ryan personally and he is a great guy. Just some heavy sarcasm.

As for your earlier comments... Im sorry you find your car hard to handle and delicate. But some of us drive our cars as dailies and if something happens it happens.

If that's the impression you got, then you might want to go back and re-read my post.

[DMCMW Dave]

I don't mind rain. It's hail that scares me. I can't afford to pay someone to take a million tiny dents out of the stainless panels.

Statistically and observationally, most hail damage occurs when the car is parked in the rain. When driving and hail shows up, you have half a chance to get it parked under a canopy or bridge for a few minutes.

Actually you probably can afford it, it is generally covered by comprehensive insurance.

[valdez]

Buy a car first. Then we'll talk.

When that day comes nothing will be any different. I'll be driving in the rain without a care and you will still think the rain is scary and dangerous. :rofl:

Delorean or not I drive all my cars in the rain. Right now one is rocking bald tires on ice. Don't be a sissy about rain. Get a sense of humor, insurance, and take the plastic off the sofa.

If your excuse was "water marks annoy me because I'm anal" then I could better understand you not wanting it to get wet, but that is not the case here.

[Nicholas R]

Here's my take. I drive my car for one reason, because I enjoy it. Truly, I just love being behind the wheel. Still, that enjoyment is based on a lot of factors. Absolute best time to drive it: mid day, sunny, good visibility, low 70s, no AC. At that time, I can see the road ahead, the tires stick (usually :burnout:), and I don't have to run the AC compressor that robs me of power.

When it's dark and rainy, I enjoy it less. I can't see as well, there are fogging up scenarios, and I can't get the tires to stick. It's not that I'm anal or terrified, or that I don't want to get it dirty, it's just not as much fun. For me this thing is a toy to play with.

Maybe some people enjoy driving it in the rain more than others. For me, I'm somewhere in the middle. I certainly wouldn't miss an event, car show, or anything because if rain. But if I have to run to the store or go into work, and it's pouring out, I'll probably head to my truck.

[Beachdrifter]

I avoid it altogether,

I think in the past 10 yrs since I've had the car, I've only been caught in like 2 showers by chance. Just don't like to clean it and then water getting splashed up in nooks and crannies for rust to start.

--Randy

[5875]

With two small kids hanging off me all the time (4 yr old son, 1 yr daughter), my time is limted to clean and detail the car. I generally try to avoid the rain so I don't need to clean it frequently. Not afraid of driving it in the rain though - just maximizing my spare time!

[Jonathan]

If I'm not mistaken, the OP asked what you all thought of driving your D in the rain. He didn't ask whether you would drive your D in the rain WHEN or IF you get one. And I don't think the intent was to get guys to argue back and forth about who is right and who is wrong about how they drive their own car.

Tell us what YOU do and that's it. If you enjoy driving your car in the rain, snow, hail, dry pavement, not at all or with the plastic still on, then suuuuuuuweeeeet! Awesome. It's your car, enjoy it any way you like. If someone doesn't drive their car the way you drive yours, well happy friggin' new year, 'cause no one cares. Keep it to yourself. How about you tell us all about what you're FOR and not what you're AGAINST? Sound good?

Oh, and really, if you don't have a D and have never owned one, then put a sock in it 'cause no one gives sh!t about how you drive your pretend DeLorean on Forza or in your imagination or wherever it is you drive it. Go ahead and ponder how you would drive your imaginary car one day when you get it, in the rain or otherwise, but don't get all pissy with someone because they choose to drive theirs a certain way.

I can respect anyone on here for whatever way they choose to enjoy their car (because enjoying it is the key thing) and if it is your daily, then great. But if you don't know what it's like to drive one and/or have never owned one, then shut your pie hole until you get one and THEN come back and tell us all about it.

[5875]

This should get interesting....:popcorn:

:-)

[alexwolf1216]

This should get interesting....:popcorn:

:-)

This.

[krs09]

When that day comes nothing will be any different. I'll be driving in the rain without a care and you will still think the rain is scary and dangerous. :rofl:

Delorean or not I drive all my cars in the rain. Right now one is rocking bald tires on ice. Don't be a sissy about rain. Get a sense of humor, insurance, and take the plastic off the sofa.

If your excuse was "water marks annoy me because I'm anal" then I could better understand you not wanting it to get wet, but that is not the case here.

Well .. bald tires on ice is just silly

[valdez]

So many humorless know-it-all nerds all riled up over nothing! Not my fault if someone enters into a battle of wits and common sense unarmed. Love it.

All over a comment where somebody asked me directly what's the point of driving in the rain then went on to list namby pamby excuses why no one should (my precious fender! My little 14" tires! The sky is falling, oh no!).
I didn't force anyone to raise their hand and say "Driving in the rain is scary and dangerous".
If a person truly believes a car is too much to handle for a little rain I highly suggest handing in the driver license and using public transit because driving in rain is a basic skill.

Just waiting for some more desert folk to teach me more about driving in weather.
Because I know more is coming.... I never said bald tires were safe or smart on ice, but they sure are fun and defiantly not sissy (like being afraid of a little water).

It's all good, I can take it and I've got buckets of sarcasm. This rain discussion still amuses me. Almost as pointless and funny as talking about the preferences and safety aspects of a good seat cover or the smell of the color 5.

[opethmike]

Bald tires may be 'fun and not sissy', but driving on them is irresponsible to others.

[krs09]

So many humorless know-it-all nerds all riled up over nothing! Not my fault if someone enters into a battle of wits and common sense unarmed. Love it.

All over a comment where somebody asked me directly what's the point of driving in the rain then went on to list namby pamby excuses why no one should (my precious fender! My little 14" tires! The sky is falling, oh no!).
I didn't force anyone to raise their hand and say "Driving in the rain is scary and dangerous".
If a person truly believes a car is too much to handle for a little rain I highly suggest handing in the driver license and using public transit because driving in rain is a basic skill.

Just waiting for some more desert folk to teach me more about driving in weather.
Because I know more is coming.... I never said bald tires were safe or smart on ice, but they sure are fun and defiantly not sissy (like being afraid of a little water).

It's all good, I can take it and I've got buckets of sarcasm. This rain discussion still amuses me. Almost as pointless and funny as talking about the preferences and safety aspects of a good seat cover or the smell of the color 5.

Oooo.. Humorless-know it all nerds.. Well we have to have some kind of humor, most of us do own deloreans. Thing is you have to put the time,money,energy,blood,sweat and passion into the car before you can assume how YOU would drive it, in the rain or otherwise. Alot of us have quite a bit invested into our toy and wouldnt drive it in any kind of shitty weather. Nevermind a car with crappy lights a heavy ass , "tiny" front tires and precious everything... Happy holidays!

[valdez]

Bald tires may be 'fun and not sissy', but driving on them is irresponsible to others.

Dear Captain Obvious:

From my earlier post (part of the exact same sentence you quoted): "I never said bald tires were safe or smart on ice,"

Now in it's entirety:
"Just waiting for some more desert folk to teach me more about driving in weather.
Because I know more is coming.... I never said bald tires were safe or smart on ice, but they sure are fun and defiantly not sissy (like being afraid of a little water)."

[opethmike]

Note to self:

http://fc00.deviantart.net/images3/i/2004/111/0/e/Don__t_feed_the_Troll.jpg

[valdez]

Apparently owning a Delorean entitles one to be an elitist snob. Even in light of the fact that they can't handle a little rain with their less than stellar driving skills.

Maybe one day I'll get to be an elitist snob by buying a car I'm afraid to drive in rain. On second thought, there is no car I would be afraid to drive in the rain unless it was made of paper mache. Even then who the hell would want a car that can't handle a little rain? Never mind, I see some here and it definitely isn't the car's fault.

Those not wanting to get their car wet due to cleaning reasons I can respect, but those with nice cars that can't drive.... don't blame the car... it's you. Changing the car won't change this, all it changes is how much you cry when your own bad driving gets it wrecked on a sunny day. Do everybody a favor... save a classic and by a Cavalier or Neon. Anything better is simply too much car for you and you should be afraid of crashing it constantly. I know the truth hurts but sometimes it just has to be said especially amongst elitist snobs.

"The Delorean - the only stainless steel car that can't get wet. Don't argue, it's true and you will never understand not being able to drive in the rain until you have one locked in a temperature controlled panic room."
- sincerely Elitist Snobs

[Jonathan]

If we assume for a minute that it is not the car and its heavy rear end, small or bald tires, hazed windshield, poor weather seals, slow or ineffective wipers, proximity to the ground making for increased glare from other headlights, etc., etc. and we attributed the choice for some owners not to drive their car in the rain to only the driver himself, what exactly would be wrong with that?

If someone decides they don't feel comfortable or enjoy driving in certain conditions, isn't that okay? Regardless of the reason? I mean, it's their car isn't it? It's not like they deliver the mail and they told their supervisor they can't drive the mail delivery truck when it rains and now they can't do their job. Right?

I don't understand the 'sissy' part very well and it comes off sounding like one of those "you lost your man card" themes. I hear a similar argument for anyone who chooses to drive an automatic instead of a manual. Or drinks light beer. Or wears a helmet when they're on their bike. Is this kind of like how as long as you can tell your buddies you were able to lift that heavy item/play net in your hockey league without a facemask/or handle a half dozen drinks before driving home, that you're still the macho cool guy even if you are lying on a hospital bed telling them about it?

Very little of that macho stuff (that feels like it was part of our grandparent's generation and not ours) has anything to do with being 'tough' or 'a man.' From my perspective, all it has to do with is someone that's never figured out how to think for themselves or break away from what others think about them and actually just go do what it is (or how it is) you want to do something.

Although anything we comment on about how we would do something if we were in that position while we aren't is just hypothetical storytime. How someone thinks they'll drive/maintain/modify their DeLorean when they don't even have one isn't worth anymore consideration than if I was watching the football game and said "oh snap, I totally would have caught that pass." Yea, sure you would. :rolleyes1:

EDIT: Maybe one little additional thought...

A lot of these comments about how you'd drive your D in the rain sound just like that guy that comes up to you and your car (and not just the DeLorean) and tells you how you should have got the bigger engine or the stick shift or even the better model from that brand, or a different colour or whatever. It all falls into the same category really. Smile and let him know he can happily get any of those things when he gets his own.

Yea, Happy Holidays!! :)

[krs09]

Apparently owning a Delorean entitles one to be an elitist snob. Even in light of the fact that they can't handle a little rain with their less than stellar driving skills.

Maybe one day I'll get to be an elitist snob by buying a car I'm afraid to drive in rain. On second thought, there is no car I would be afraid to drive in the rain unless it was made of paper mache. Even then who the hell would want a car that can't handle a little rain? Never mind, I see some here and it definitely isn't the car's fault.

Those not wanting to get their car wet due to cleaning reasons I can respect, but those with nice cars that can't drive.... don't blame the car... it's you. Changing the car won't change this, all it changes is how much you cry when your own bad driving gets it wrecked on a sunny day. Do everybody a favor... save a classic and by a Cavalier or Neon. Anything better is simply too much car for you and you should be afraid of crashing it constantly. I know the truth hurts but sometimes it just has to be said especially amongst elitist snobs.

"The Delorean - the only stainless steel car that can't get wet. Don't argue, it's true and you will never understand not being able to drive in the rain until you have one locked in a temperature controlled panic room."
- sincerely Elitist Snobs

Wow dude. You just don't get it. It has nothing to do with skill or being a snob, Im sure your just f'n around but if not you just don't get it.

[vwdmc16]

I'm not sure what you guys are on about, I drove my car all day yesterday which had a pretty heavy downpour. The only leak I have is on my driver side toll window to the fixed glass seal but otherwise I'm perfectly dry. I don't have stellar tires either but they are newish and have the proper pressure in them so I find it difficult to even break the rear end loose or make the front and slide. And I enjoy trying to get a car sideways. I bought really nice wiper blades and yes I wish the intermittent wipers had variable speed, but they clean quite well. Throw the air conditioning to bi-level and the windows will never fog up in my car. I must be weird because some people find it stressful to drive there D in the rain, but I find it to be one of the most relaxing things I can do in that car.

[valdez]

If we assume for a minute that it is not the car and its heavy rear end, small or bald tires, hazed windshield, poor weather seals, slow or ineffective wipers, proximity to the ground making for increased glare from other headlights, etc., etc.


All I hear are excuses. The Delorean is more than capable of driving in the rain incident free. It's not the car's fault if you are not. Nor does it mean it is unsafe other for competent and confident drivers to do it.

[Jonathan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7OWVM50sBw

Have a nice day!!!!

[DMC5180]

I'm not sure what you guys are on about, I drove my car all day yesterday which had a pretty heavy downpour. The only leak I have is on my driver side toll window to the fixed glass seal but otherwise I'm perfectly dry. I don't have stellar tires either but they are newish and have the proper pressure in them so I find it difficult to even break the rear end loose or make the front and slide. And I enjoy trying to get a car sideways. I bought really nice wiper blades and yes I wish the intermittent wipers had variable speed, but they clean quite well. Throw the air conditioning to bi-level and the windows will never fog up in my car. I must be weird because some people find it stressful to drive there D in the rain, but I find it to be one of the most relaxing things I can do in that car.

At what speed was traffic moving during this downpour? If it's anything like most typical California traffic it was Stop & Go or slow.

I've driven my D in rain plenty of times uneventfully. It was only once when conditions were just right that it made me nervous. My wife and I survived the experience just fine. That doesn't mean I would go looking for the same challenging conditions just because I managed to live through it once.

[SoCalDMC12]

I try to leave my D in the garage during rainy weather for the following reasons:

1) No anti-lock brakes
2) Rear weight bias
3) Most importantly: I don't trust OTHER drivers in the rain.

[vwdmc16]

At what speed was traffic moving during this downpour? If it's anything like most typical California traffic it was Stop & Go .....


Not slow at all, full speed 65mph on the highway. This is Sacramento, not everywhere in Ca has the dreaded LA traffic. It's just like driving a race car on a track, one the car needs to be in good repair and you need to know it's limits, two you need to be smooth with your input, never quickly and abruply apply steering, gas or brakes. Third be 100% aware of your surroundings and fellow motorists. But this is how i anyways drive any car and i have yet to get into an accident or even get a ticket in the 12 years I've had a license.

[DMC5180]

👍