DMCH tour of "New Build" facilities

[Michael]

I have had no problem voicing my confusion and disdain as to why after 10 years, DMCH continues to promote a new build that will seemingly never come. In one sense, I think I was right to do so considering the Solstice free PR campaign and similar episodes. However, I also am beginning to think this has less to do with DMCH's desire to actually make good on this decade long venture and more to do with government red tape preventing them from moving forward.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pREXdf7Iap0

[dmcnc]

Agree; I would be happy with a "if we ever build cars" statement. Then again these videos are probably more directed to non-owners, fans, who wouldn't know the backstory. This is probably why it irked me to notice the glossing over of Consolidated International's near 20 years of stewarding the original stock. The narrative in this video consistently ties Houston directly to the factory without a single mention of what happened in between. You can sing it, but you can't really be your own grandpa.

[Helirich]

I suspect, like most businesses, money is the problem. Of course, the red tape thing is why it cost so much. I was wondering if you can make a car with no side protection these days. That would be an expensive redesign. Of course it would have to have air bags and anti-lock brakes. I don't suppose that is too hard.

Watching the video, I noted a few things.

Both James and Steven are younger than I expected. They appear to be my age and I was a teenager when the car came out. I don't know why, but I figured they had something to do with the original product. They also truly seem to be "likable" guys. I guess they are happy in what they are doing.

I didn't hear to much in the video about the new build. Do you know what kind of numbers of cars they are shooting for? Do you know what the target cost per car is? What engine are they thinking of?

[CFI]

Of course it would have to have air bags and anti-lock brakes. I don't suppose that is too hard.

Hard? No. Extremely expensive? Yes.

You can’t just slap an airbag system in a car and call it good. It has to be crash tested extensively. No one is going to do that with the DeLorean. The Low Volume Vehicle Manufacturing act allows them to forego such safety devices, hence why they’ve decided to go that route.

[iflights]

I was watching closely to see if there were any LFF sitting on the racks. Wouldn't that be interesting.

[CFI]

I was watching closely to see if there were any LFF sitting on the racks. Wouldn't that be interesting.

I know DCMF has some used ones, and I’m fairly certain that all the DMC service centers do. Whether or not they’ll sell them is another story. They are probably used to restore cars with fenders that are too damaged to fix.

[Michael]

I know DCMF has some used ones, and I’m fairly certain that all the DMC service centers do. Whether or not they’ll sell them is another story. They are probably used to restore cars with fenders that are too damaged to fix.

I remember reading something about a "soft die" in development. It would be able to stamp out a few hundred panels before it reaches the end of it's life. Heck I may have been dreaming or s$%tfaced and remembering it wrong.

[Helirich]

I was watching closely to see if there were any LFF sitting on the racks. Wouldn't that be interesting.

Assuming you mean "left front fenders", are they know to be in short supply? Are the right ones more available?

I guess this means if you can't stop, make sure you turn at last minute to hit the right.

[CFI]

Assuming you mean "left front fenders", are they know to be in short supply? Are the right ones more available?

I guess this means if you can't stop, make sure you turn at last minute to hit the right.

When DMCL went under there were more right fenders in stock then left. A lot more. As a result, the stock of new left front fenders was depleted years ago. A new right fender can be had for $600. A used left fender usually exceeds $2,000.

[CFI]

I remember reading something about a "soft die" in development. It would be able to stamp out a few hundred panels before it reaches the end of it's life. Heck I may have been dreaming or s$%tfaced and remembering it wrong.

DMCH posted on their website years ago that they had a right fender professionally laser- scanned and mirror-imaged to produce the dimensions needed for a left fender die. Long story short: the market is too small for the cost of stamping new fenders, and as long as used left fenders are in the marketplace there really isn’t a need to stamp new ones.

[vwdmc16]

....Of course it would have to have air bags and anti-lock brakes. I don't suppose that is too hard....


I didn't hear to much in the video about the new build. Do you know what kind of numbers of cars they are shooting for? Do you know what the target cost per car is? What engine are they thinking of?

There is no need to add inproves safety devices for the new builds, the low production bill only states the engine has to be emissions compliant. No way at all a D could pass modern crash testing

They have been very secretive about the new engine and since the project has been delayed so long they announced their planned engine will be out of production soon so it doesn't make sense to continue with it.

They will probably only make a few hundred and likely cost over $100k each.



Hard? No. Extremely expensive? Yes.

You can’t just slap an airbag system in a car and call it good. It has to be crash tested extensively. No one is going to do that with the DeLorean. The Low Volume Vehicle Manufacturing act allows them to forego such safety devices, hence why they’ve decided to go that route.


Exactly!

[Helirich]

When DMCL went under there were more right fenders in stock then left. A lot more. As a result, the stock of new left front fenders was depleted years ago. A new right fender can be had for $600. A used left fender usually exceeds $2,000.

Wow, that is some good info to know when looking at buying a D. Also, if you hear of one burning up the back, buy the fenders. I wouldn't think used left fenders would come on the market often.

I ran in to a guy that drilled a water well for me a few years back. He was looking at the D and told me "you wouldn't believe me but my dad had a scrap yard years ago and we crushed a bunch of Delorean". Kind of made me sick.

[CFI]

Wow, that is some good info to know when looking at buying a D. Also, if you hear of one burning up the back, buy the fenders. I wouldn't think used left fenders would come on the market often.

I ran in to a guy that drilled a water well for me a few years back. He was looking at the D and told me "you wouldn't believe me but my dad had a scrap yard years ago and we crushed a bunch of Delorean". Kind of made me sick.

One of the DeLorean books (Barrie Wills “John Z., the DeLorean and me”) has a section in the back with stories written by people who were directly involved with the company in some form or another. One story involves Consolidated (who purchased all the remaining cars and parts) and Kapac (who agreed to sell the parts for Consolidated) and how they purposefully threw away more than 100 DeLorean fiberglass bodies.

Why? Because they didn’t have room to take everything, so they had to decide what to take and what to leave behind. They decided to take one of the master fiberglass molds and with that they felt it was unnecessary to take any more than a half-dozen fiberglass bodies. The remaining 100+ were chopped up and thrown away.

[Josh]

They have been very secretive about the new engine and since the project has been delayed so long they announced their planned engine will be out of production soon so it doesn't make sense to continue with it.


As far as I know, by quantity I have had a hand in retrofitting non stock engines in more deloreans than anyone, ever. Seems like it would be at least a nice point of research to contact me about this. But I have yet to hear anything. LOL.

[Nicholas R]

As far as I know, by quantity I have had a hand in retrofitting non stock engines in more deloreans than anyone, ever. Seems like it would be at least a nice point of research to contact me about this. But I have yet to hear anything. LOL.

I dont think there's any question that you're top of the list. It does seem like you'd be the first phone call even just for initial thoughts. A central element of the LS swaps from the beginning has been not having to cut up the frame. Seems like that requirement would be rather high on DMCH's list as well.