Delorean body panels

[Stephen Burns]

Hey guys,

Anyone know if there are any companies out there that have ever reproduced Delorean body panels in a carbon fiber or plastic? Or what companies might be able to do this?

Seems like there might be a market for it for owners of painted Deloreans or someone modifying one in bad shape without a budget for new stainless.


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[Michael]

Seems like there might be a market for it for owners of painted Deloreans or someone modifying one in bad shape without a budget for new stainless.


No market whatsoever.

[Bitsyncmaster]

No market whatsoever.

Agree as long as you can still get real parts. But when those are gone there would be a limited market. I expect someone to do a stainless steel vinyl wrap someday and then you could wrap the whole car with any fender construction.

[Michael]

Agree as long as you can still get real parts. But when those are gone there would be a limited market. I expect someone to do a stainless steel vinyl wrap someday and then you could wrap the whole car with any fender construction.

What I meant was sure if I had panels made of Tupperware I could probably sell a few sets of them today. The real question is there enough of a market to offset the cost of production and make a profit? No and probably not for a very very long time if ever. I would even venture that in the next few years, home 3d printing will have printer beds large enough to make body panels as needed before market demand even approaches the levels needed for even a small production run of plastic fenders which at best is a questionable replacement part. Seriously how many owners want plastic fenders or will pay the cost to lay a body kit up in carbon fiber? (Let's be honest, the naked carbon fiber weave look has been played).

[Stephen Burns]

If DMC Houston ever builds the 300 cars that they're claiming, there goes all of the available NOS stainless panels.


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[Stephen Burns]

Of course no one wants to see a bare carbon Delorean riding down the road. At they very least you could paint it metallic gray.


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[David T]

In the very beginning, when they are learning how to build the cars, the first ones were built with plastic panels. They were later removed and the S/S panels were installed. Probably because the S/S panels were not ready yet. No idea what happened to those plastic panels or who made them. There have been S/S panels hand-made but probably no more than a handful if that many. Even if a S/S panel is badly damaged it can be repaired. It is just a matter of how much time you are willing to invest in it verses a replacement panel.

[Lwanmtr]

Home 3d printer with large enough area for a rear quater will be many years off...and cant imagine the print time for such a panel...hehe.

[DMCVegas]

Depending upon the type of damage done to a stainless panel that has been painted (be it accident or poor prep), the vehicle can possibly be made stainless again. Though if I had a painted car, I'd just as soon keep it painted. If a panel was damaged, I'd just send it out to be refurbished. Even if it was one intended for a painted car I needed to straighten out, I'd rather do that than use a plastic panel.

Reproduction panels on the whole, however, wouldn't be all that hard to make as we saw with the prototype cars. And that was using nearly 40 year old technology. Limited runs of certain panels are totally possible.

But plastic, or especially carbon fiber? Absolutely no market for those. There really isn't any advantage for weight savings given that by modern standards, the DMC-12 is relatively light. Not to mention the fact that carbon fiber is just too expensive. So that kills the idea that they'd be used for someone on a budget. Now the Bricklin SV-1 certainly needed repro fiberglass panels given the problems associated with the acrylic factory ones. But we don't have those same problems.

[David T]

If anyone was to make panels the way to go would be to make a mold and make fiberglass ones. Then they could be painted or covered with a carbon fiber wrap to make it look like carbon fiber. Because it is cheaper and easier to get and fix S/S panels I don't think you will see anyone making panels anytime soon. You start making parts for cars when they are NLA (No Longer Available) or it is less expensive than getting the part because they are so rare, hard to find, and expensive. Not the case yet with S/S body panels.

[Dangermouse]

OP, is this for your S2000 project?

[Stephen Burns]

OP, is this for your S2000 project?

Toying with the idea, but really it seems like it's not an option at this point. I would like to see a company produce new stainless panels though. Eventually that supply is going to dwindle down. I know DMCH is working on 3D scans of the LFF to have it reproduced.


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[Mark D]

Toying with the idea, but really it seems like it's not an option at this point. I would like to see a company produce new stainless panels though. Eventually that supply is going to dwindle down. I know DMCH is working on 3D scans of the LFF to have it reproduced.


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I've done it. I figured out a solution to the unsolvable problem you are trying to solve. Just replace the van with a Honda S2000 and the Porsche graphic with a DeLorean.

The best part is, your DeLorean 'panels' can have any finish you like. Carbon fibre, hounds tooth, checkerboard...the sky is the limit.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=48844&d=1486496681

[Stephen Burns]

I've done it. I figured out a solution to the unsolvable problem you are trying to solve. Just replace the van with a Honda S2000 and the Porsche graphic with a DeLorean.

The best part is, your DeLorean 'panels' can have any finish you like. Carbon fibre, hounds tooth, checkerboard...the sky is the limit.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=48844&d=1486496681

What a dick.


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[sdg3205]

I think Mark was just joking.

[Mark D]

I think Mark was just joking.

Yeah I was hoping it was obvious that it was a joke.

But Stephen: Unless you are a more brilliant engineer than John Z. DeLorean himself I would not waste another ounce of brain power trying to figure out a way to mount a DeLorean body tub onto a Honda S2K, or find a way to reproduce panels in plastic so you can somehow graft them onto a Honda S2K. Are you actually serious or is this an elaborate troll? I've seen some good ones on E46fanatics and this one is seriously up there.

You can make substantial improvements to the handling of your DeLorean by modifying the suspension. It's been covered in dozens of threads right here on DMCTalk. You can increase power to S2000 levels by either modifying the existing PRV, purchasing an already modified PRV, or doing a full on engine swap. Just gotta feel the VTEC kick in yo on that 9000RPM redline S2000 motor? You'd have about a million times greater chance of success swapping that into a DeLorean than dressing up an S2K in DeLorean clothing.

[Michael]

7 posts in and already calling members dicks.

[rickjames8]

Agree as long as you can still get real parts. But when those are gone there would be a limited market. I expect someone to do a stainless steel vinyl wrap someday and then you could wrap the whole car with any fender construction.

I was telling someone the other day about the replacement cost of a LFF, and we joked that we could remove it, make a mould, create a fiberglass one and wrap it with that stainless vinyl, install that on the car and then store the good one away for safe keeping. :) The stainless wrap they sell these days looks pretty good, and comes with a nice grain. You'd need to order samples to find the best match, but I bet you could find something reasonably close.
48849

I'd also be curious if anyone has ever considered that for painted Deloreans with extensive bodywork under the paint?

[David T]

There are many Deloreans that got painted because back when DMC went broke and parts were hard to obtain, when a car had panel damage the owners were talked into having the panel repaired with Bondo and then paint the whole car. There are more than a few cars that have been "wrapped". I saw one that was done as the Breakfast Club for advertising. I think the Domino Pizza car was also a wrap. That S/S wrap is expensive, just the materiel alone. Add labor and it can cost more than a paint job. It would be a way to make fiberglass panels and then make it look like S/S.

[jamesrguk]

I agree that there would be little weight saving with carbon fibre panels, the stainless is relatively thin after all.

However I always wondered what weight saving could be made with a carbon fibre tub.

I don't know a great deal about carbon fibre, but I'm sure that the tub could be made considerably lighter, and just as stiff, with modern materials.

J

[Stephen Burns]

I agree that there would be little weight saving with carbon fibre panels, the stainless is relatively thin after all.

However I always wondered what weight saving could be made with a carbon fibre tub.

I don't know a great deal about carbon fibre, but I'm sure that the tub could be made considerably lighter, and just as stiff, with modern materials.

J

Interesting idea, I'd be curious what that weight difference might be.

[Lwanmtr]

I thought at one time DMCH was making a carbon fiber tub?

[Dangermouse]

Iirc, it saved 200lbs weight.

[Citizen]

Anyone know if there are any companies out there that have ever reproduced Delorean body panels in a carbon fiber or plastic? Or what companies might be able to do this?


I know the OP asked for carbon fiber or plastic, but if you're looking for a LF fender and can't find one to buy, I bet these guys could do one up in stainless, and at least that would put you back to original (or reasonably closer).

http://www.seanornduff.com/

Thomas

..

[Lwanmtr]

I'd bet they'd charge alot to make one...specially given they'd have no molds, etc..

[Stephen Burns]

I know the OP asked for carbon fiber or plastic, but if you're looking for a LF fender and can't find one to buy, I bet these guys could do one up in stainless, and at least that would put you back to original (or reasonably closer).

http://www.seanornduff.com/

Thomas

..

That's really impressive craftsmanship. Good to know there are options out there.

[jamesrguk]

I know the OP asked for carbon fiber or plastic, but if you're looking for a LF fender and can't find one to buy, I bet these guys could do one up in stainless, and at least that would put you back to original (or reasonably closer).

http://www.seanornduff.com/

Thomas
..

I know Chris Nicholson never finished this LFF, probably too busy, but it shows what can be done.

http://www.pjgrady.co.uk/new-left-front-fender

At the end of the day with enough skill, time and money anything can be reproduced.

James

[dmcjohn]

I was really impressed with a local coachbuilder's skills in Ireland - I've posted this before but its worth a look if you haven't seen it. Neil made a full set of replica stainless steel panels by hand in a matter of weeks for an art exhibition.

48889

Write up of the process (with lots of pics!) is on the DOI site:

http://delorean.ie/vintage_works.html

[Stephen Burns]

I was really impressed with a local coachbuilder's skills in Ireland - I've posted this before but its worth a look if you haven't seen it. Neil made a full set of replica stainless steel panels by hand in a matter of weeks for an art exhibition.

48889

Write up of the process (with lots of pics!) is on the DOI site:

http://delorean.ie/vintage_works.html

That is so cool! I wish I knew how to work metal like that guy.

[Lwanmtr]

Wow...thats very cool. Wonder how long it would take to make a functional panel with all the mounting holes n stuff. Wonder if he'd have a mental breakdown trying to do the inner door...hehe.

[r00b]

I wonder how easy it would be to add style lines to flat hoods.

[dmcjohn]

You would have to separate the hood stainless from its fiberglass back panel, and then run it through a bead roller. I imagine it may introduce some distortion that would have to be fixed before reattaching it to the fiberglass backing, but would definitely be possible.

[Bitsyncmaster]

I would think the "grooved" hood would require more metal.

[dmcjohn]

I would think the "grooved" hood would require more metal.

Hmm, interesting thought - maybe you are right that Lapple would have had a marginally larger blank piece of stainless to stamp the grooved hoods?

However, the groove is quite shallow, and the bead roller would stretch (and effectively thin) the metal in the area it puts the groove - I wouldn't think it would significantly (if at all) shrink or draw the panel together such that it would no longer fit back onto the fiberglass backing. Hard to know without trying it!