Production weight 81/82

[Aleksander]

Found an print from an car lexicon or something today. It states that 81 weighed 2700 and 82 3100.

Is this right? If so, how come?

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/07/eb738b458488aac62e1e79c795fa5441.jpg

[DMCVegas]

It also says that the original projected price was $25K, and that only 4,000 cars were shipped to the US.

I'm not so sure this book is reliable...

[Aleksander]

Good point! Pretty interesting, cause this is a "car book" that the Norwegian DMV uses when looking up information to registrait a car.
Only saw the weight, didn't read anything else. 😜

[louielouie2000]

The various production changes undoubtedly altered curb weight. However, I have to imagine it would be in very small amounts. For instance, later cars have the added weight of the electric antennas, additional sound deadening, dead pedals, 1 piece interior bolsters, exhaust tips, DeLorean hood badges, thicker wheel castings, fuel tank baffles, and front end recalls. However, that was somewhat offset by little things like the elimination of the gas flap hood, console clock, metal door guides to plastic ones, etc. I'm not sure how other production changes affected weight, though. I suspect these changes were largely a wash: going from the D-ring door pulls to the door mounted ones, Craig to ASI radios, different coolant line routing, Ducellier vs Motorola alternators, dual vs single key systems, etc.

The single biggest weight variant in DeLoreans has nothing to do with production changes, though. The automatic transmissions were heavier than the manual ones.

[David T]

The various production changes undoubtedly altered curb weight. However, I have to imagine it would be in very small amounts. For instance, later cars have the added weight of the electric antennas, additional sound deadening, dead pedals, 1 piece interior bolsters, exhaust tips, DeLorean hood badges, thicker wheel castings, fuel tank baffles, and front end recalls. However, that was somewhat offset by little things like the elimination of the gas flap hood, console clock, metal door guides to plastic ones, etc. I'm not sure how other production changes affected weight, though. I suspect these changes were largely a wash: going from the D-ring door pulls to the door mounted ones, Craig to ASI radios, different coolant line routing, Ducellier vs Motorola alternators, dual vs single key systems, etc.

The single biggest weight variant in DeLoreans has nothing to do with production changes, though. The automatic transmissions were heavier than the manual ones.

My car, which a late 81 but has all of the latest running production changes, is an automatic, and is very stock weighs 3082 lbs. The 2700 # was probably a projected, calculated #. No way even an early car without all of the running changes was that much less. In fact, the early cars may have been a little heavier. During production things tend to get "lighter" especially the fiberglass parts as the crew gets better and better at molding them. Maybe the 2700 # was with the molded frame? Going to the steel frame added a LOT of weight and was the major reason for the poor performance.

[sdg3205]

I was under the impression 2700 (give or take) was the empty vehicle, 3100 (give or take) was the max weight with passengers inside, so 400lbs worth of passengers.

[DMCVegas]

Good point! Pretty interesting, cause this is a "car book" that the Norwegian DMV uses when looking up information to registrait a car.
Only saw the weight, didn't read anything else. 

Dealing with the DMV when I first went to register my car was a nightmare.

Also, someone correct me if I'm wrong, wasn't there a wiring harness revision very early on that reduced around 40 lbs. from from the car's weight due to the excess copper wires removed?

[Silverbullet]

My guess is ALL the copper wire in the car does not weigh 5 lbs....

[David T]

MGVW is 3244 as stamped on the plate. Subtracting the empty weight leaves 162 lbs for 2 passengers and luggage. As you can see you can very quickly be over-gross. Another reason why the car is underpowered.

[sdg3205]

MGVW is 3244 as stamped on the plate. Subtracting the empty weight leaves 162 lbs for 2 passengers and luggage. As you can see you can very quickly be over-gross. Another reason why the car is underpowered.

So you're saying that the numbers and math only allow for 162 lbs of passengers? If the official documented weight really is what you say it is and NOT 2700 lbs, how would any governing body see 162lbs as suitable range for passengers? Anorexia, anyone?!

I think we need James to chime in, because I don't buy it.

[sdg3205]

So you're saying that the numbers and math only allow for 162 lbs of passengers? If the official documented weight really is what you say it is and NOT 2700 lbs, how would any governing body see 162lbs as suitable range for passengers? Anorexia, anyone?!

I think we need James to chime in, because I don't buy it.

Wikipedia also lists curb weight as 2,712 lbs

[jmettee]

My car is a manual 81 & with no people in it & just the factory items & full of gas, the scale total was 2811.

The transmission is the only real thing that could make the weight vary unless body tubs are vastly different during the production timeline.

[Farrar]

later cars have ... additional sound deadening

I'd really like to see this.

[Shep]

Dealing with the DMV when I first went to register my car was a nightmare.

Also, someone correct me if I'm wrong, wasn't there a wiring harness revision very early on that reduced around 40 lbs. from from the car's weight due to the excess copper wires removed?Haven't noticed any oddities with my wiring harness, and it's original (except for some extra relays the PO must've added for the headlights). Genuine curiosity: what areas were affected by this change? I'm planning on long-term replacing the entire electrical system, but if there's extra wires in mine, I'd like to preserve and/or repurpose those.

[Jimmyvonviggle]

Here is a pic of a classic car collector book I bought back in the 90's called " Complete Book of collectible cars , 60 years of blue chip investments".

34360

[Sidaries]

That is sure, that the '82s were a bit heavier. Just check the VIN plates.
'81 plates say 1244 and 1936 lbs on front and rear, the '82s are 1286 and 1958. Gross weight is 3180 and 3244 lbs.
No idea about the 2700

[DMCVegas]

Haven't noticed any oddities with my wiring harness, and it's original (except for some extra relays the PO must've added for the headlights). Genuine curiosity: what areas were affected by this change? I'm planning on long-term replacing the entire electrical system, but if there's extra wires in mine, I'd like to preserve and/or repurpose those.

I honestly have no idea. It was something I've read, along with how the original harness was repurposed from another vehicle (Jaguar?) and adapted for use in the DMC-12. I've never seen any difference in Schematics for the electrical system, and the only unused wires that I'm aware of off the top of my head are in the doors. Those were intended to be used with heater elements for the side mirrors, and were apart of the Read Window Defroster Circuit.

Perhaps it was meant to be something with the prototypes/pre-production cars and wasn't a production change, and it was either incorrectly written, or I misread it. If I'm not sure, I'll always ask.

As for your headlights, is that the DMCH Headlight upgrade kit?

[Shep]

As for your headlights, is that the DMCH Headlight upgrade kit?Nope, but it is aftermarket. The outer ones are a high-end Pilot brand that stopped producing them shortly after I bought them (at least, they're the only angel eye variants I've found to date that have metal housings, glass lenses, and replaceable bulbs). The inner ones are the closest match I could find online, but if I ever come across another pair of the Pilot brand, I'm snatching them up real fast.

[David T]

The #'s on the plates could be different for the 81's and 82's but that doesn't mean the weight of the cars is different. Very little difference between the late 81's and the 82's. The wiring harness could not have been "re purposed" from any other car. Many of the plugs may be similar to other cars but the length of the wires had to be made just for the Delorean.