BTTF part 1 question

[DMC3165]

I'm home sick with the FLU. So I'm bored to tears at the moment. To top it off I can't sleep and just finished watching BTTF 1 for the XXXXXX time. But now I'm thinking what was wrong with the DeLorean in the movie? Why did it die on Marty when he first arrived in 1955? (not the barn scene, out on the highway) Was it because he was low on plutonium? The doc says in part 3 the engine was powered by ordinary gasoline it always had been. Was this just a movie flub? Why did it die on the starting line when Marty was getting ready for his clock tower run? Why were the lights flickering?

I always thought it died because it was out of plutonium. But that would be contradictory with part 3.

Thoughts?

[dvonk]

not sure, but if you beat your head on the steering wheel pad it will honk the horn... :lol:

p.s... feel better soon :smile:

[tyb323]

It didn't work because it was a DeLorean in the mid 80s =) Sure most cars are reliable now after upgraded parts, recalls, and preventative maintenance, but back then the car had a poor reliability reputation for a reason. Gale probably just tied that public perception in with the story to up the stakes.

[DMC3165]

not sure, but if you beat your head on the steering wheel pad it will honk the horn... :lol:

p.s... feel better soon :smile:

LOL... thanks!

[vwdmc16]

No It didnt need PLu to drive, and it had gas. The car had a faulty starter, (probably a poor connection as the headlights were still bright on the second time it died minutes before the clock tower. It all makes as much sense as hitting the horn( which is now on the steering wheel pad for some reason instead of the signal stalk) with ones head to give that extra boost to the starter.

It was just part of the story. and it show Marty doesnt know how to bump start a car

[DMCVegas]

No explanation is actually ever given for the engine dying in BTTF 1. Speculation has always been that the car had a bad starter, which is ironic given the tenacity of the Paris-Rhone unit that came with the car, but then again it's only a movie...

As for the Plutonium bit, that's very simple to explain using BTTF cannon. While traveling on the ground, a car would use it's traditional propulsion system, I.e. a Drivetrain, be it either gasoline or electric. When a vehicle is switched over to Hover mode, that system is all electric. When you hover it's not just anti gravity at work to keep the car floating, but it also acted as a propulsion system that caused the vehicle to move.

So, had the Hover conversion NOT have been destroyed at the end of BTTF2, the DeLorean could easily have gotten back up to 88MPH using electricity that was provided by the Mr. Fusion unit. The Time Circuits would still have been inoperable due to the bad IC Chip, but it could still have gotten up to speed.

Now to really give you something to think about, what happened to the hover conversion that prevented it from ever working again? Or was this just Doc's way of ensuring that the car was to be destroyed according to his original wishes at the end of the Western Union Telegram, by not giving any instructions on how to repair it, or where to take it for repairs in the future?

The other thing is at the end of BTTF2 when the DeLorean is struck by lightning. It's not traveling at 88MPH. So how does it wind up going through time if it wasn't meeting all of the requirements? Likewise with the curved fire trails in the sky. If it was spinning, it wouldn't have been going 88MPH all at once thanks to it's axis as a spinning object.

Anyhow, get well soon!

[stevedmc]

A bad starter won't cause a car to suddenly die. The car's problem was obviously Kjet related.

[sean]

A bad starter won't cause a car to suddenly die. The car's problem was obviously Kjet related.

This is obviously true since we all know the delivery of fuel directly effects how the instrument panel lights flicker when attempting to start. Its in the workshop manual, D:11:01

[Ron]

...Speculation has always been that the car had a bad starter, which is ironic given the tenacity of the Paris-Rhone unit that came with the car,....
There's nothing wrong with the Paris-Rhone units...
It was the grounds...IT'S ALWAYS THE GROUNDS!!!:swear1:

[stevedmc]

This is obviously true since we all know the delivery of fuel directly effects how the instrument panel lights flicker when attempting to start. Its in the workshop manual, D:11:01

There is a seperate manual for cars with time circuits installed. When proper power is not being generated (1.21 Jigawatts) the time circuits automatically drain power from the car battery.

[qwerk]

Why I love Wolfram Alpha (besides the fact that it's the only things that got me through calculus):

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=1.21+gigawatt

[Soundkillr]

A bad starter won't cause a car to suddenly die. The car's problem was obviously Kjet related.

Interesting. And yet it is this same kjet system that fired right up after sitting in a cave for 50 years. Fail Steve Fail. Jk. :)

[Nicholas R]

My question with BTTF 1 has always been this:

Was Einstein shifting gears, or did Doc hit 88mph in 1st gear?

I can only conclude that doc taught Einstein to shift at 5500rpm.

[Jonathan]

Was Einstein shifting gears, or did Doc hit 88mph in 1st gear?

Look really close when Doc is explaining things to Marty prior to sending Einstein through time. You can see on the Time Circuits it is reading something totally different than 1:21 am. I only picked it up in the Bluray edition, cause they don't really focus on it. Once he explains the "this one tells you were you're going..." stuff, the times are right, but not in the previous scene.

Also, why didn't Biff grab a can of regular Budweiser out of the door of the frig when he gets to George's house after smacking up the car and exclaims "I have your car towed all the way to your house and all you have for me is light beer??"

[stevedmc]

Interesting. And yet it is this same kjet system that fired right up after sitting in a cave for 50 years. Fail Steve Fail. Jk. :)

Um, this is because Doc um, eh, he um, ehhh. Dang, you win.

[ccurzio]

Simple answer: It was out of plutonium.

Detailed answer: When BTTF first came out, there were no plans for any sequels. As far as the first movie is concerned, the DeLorean did not run on gasoline at all. Not only is this made very obvious by the fact that when Marty first arrives in 1955 and can't start the car, he looks back at the Roentgens meter and it's at 0 and flashing empty. Beyond that, they even address it directly in the movie's dialogue:

Marty: This is heavy duty, Doc. This is great. Does it run, like, on regular unleaded gasoline?
Doc: Unfortunately no. It requires something with a little more kick: plutonium!

Then after BTTF III was written, they had to come up with a reason as to why there was a fuel line and why ripping it was so catastrophic. Hence, "the internal combustion engine runs on ordinary gasoline" which is in direct contradiction to BTTF I. :)


The other thing is at the end of BTTF2 when the DeLorean is struck by lightning. It's not traveling at 88MPH. So how does it wind up going through time if it wasn't meeting all of the requirements? Likewise with the curved fire trails in the sky. If it was spinning, it wouldn't have been going 88MPH all at once thanks to it's axis as a spinning object.

Only if it was spinning with a stationary center. It wasn't a perfect sphere, so it could very easily accelerate to 88. That's not a plot hole. :)

[Nicholas R]

Simple answer: It was out of plutonium.

Detailed answer: When BTTF first came out, there were no plans for any sequels. As far as the first movie is concerned, the DeLorean did not run on gasoline at all. Not only is this made very obvious by the fact that when Marty first arrives in 1955 and can't start the car, he looks back at the Roentgens meter and it's at 0 and flashing empty.



How do you explain him driving it in the end of part I then? They never did get more plutonium.

I'm pretty sure it ran on gas the whole time. If it didn't, why would Marty be giving it gas while trying to start it at the end of Part I. Also when Marty takes Doc to the car when it's hidden behind the billboard, he specifically says, "Something went wrong with the starter, so I hid it." I had my starter fail once, the symptoms were remarkably similar to what Marty experienced.

[Jonathan]

How do you explain... yada yada yada

I don't think we do. Pretty sure the writers back in 1985 didn't figure there'd be a group of DeLorean owners going over every minute detail trying to figure it all out. IT'S JUST A MOVIE!!! LOL

On the other hand, maybe now would be a good time for us to explain the Klingon bird of prey cloaking device... the exact science behind the T1000's liquid metal design... or how clean really is the trap when the light is green?? ;) haha

[ccurzio]

How do you explain him driving it in the end of part I then? They never did get more plutonium.

Because Marty had a 1955 Doc, and electricity existed at the time.

Remember, "this sucker is electrical", and nuclear power generates electricity. Plutonium generates a nuclear reaction, charges batteries to move the car, and then provides sufficient burst power for the flux capacitor. But once it hits 1.21, the car's energy is drained and that's the end of the car's available power until you refuel.

Temporarily rigging an electric car to move for a single trip would have been the easy part - just charge the batteries enough to move the car. It was powering up the flux capacitor that was the hard part, since there was no practical way to get that much energy into the car - hence the need to harness the lightning.

If the lightning never struck the clock tower, the flux capacitor would have TRIED to activate at 88 and failed, immediately draining whatever charge was left in the system.

[Nicholas R]

I still say that doc replaced the loose wire going to the starter solenoid, but didn't clean the contacts very well.


On the other hand, maybe now would be a good time for us to explain the Klingon bird of prey cloaking device... the exact science behind the T1000's liquid metal design... or how clean really is the trap when the light is green?? ;) haha

I think it's a perfect time! What type of cloak does the bird of prey have? Is it a phase shifting cloak like the one used on the Potemkin? I have a feeling it's not because that would give them the capability to move through matter which neitehr the Klingons or Romulans have ever expressly done.

THe T1000 works on the same principle of programable matter simply in a liquid state rather than solid.

The traps I believe need a full decontamination after every 15 uses or so to remove any residual paranormal particles.

[DMCMW Dave]

THe T1000 works on the same principle of programable matter simply in a liquid state rather than solid.

.

What is a T1000? This picture is the only one I can think of:

7107

A particularly gruesome Pontiac of the 1980s...:umm:

[Jonathan]

I think it's a perfect time! ...

Hahaha! Awesome! That reply was top shelf! lol. Sounds perfectly technically accurate to me!! Haha

EDIT: Dave!! The T1000?? None other than the thought to be invincible Terminator machine sent back in time to terminate a young John Connor!!

[DMCVegas]

[QUOTE=Jonathan;32359]the exact science behind the T1000's liquid metal design/QUOTE]

I've always imagined it to quite possibly function along the same principals as Ferrofluid.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUz1ZI-w6LQ&feature=related

Magnetism could easily have directed the fluid where to go, as well as have solidified it with the appropriate magnetic fields...but of course it's just a movie when it comes to anything that specific... Still though, lots of interesting stuff can be done with ferrofluid.

[Ron]

What is a T1000?
His stainless look:

7108

[stevedmc]

What is a T1000?

I guess Dave isn't a nerd.

[Rhsxo]

Because Marty had a 1955 Doc, and electricity existed at the time.

Remember, "this sucker is electrical", and nuclear power generates electricity. Plutonium generates a nuclear reaction, charges batteries to move the car, and then provides sufficient burst power for the flux capacitor. But once it hits 1.21, the car's energy is drained and that's the end of the car's available power until you refuel.

Temporarily rigging an electric car to move for a single trip would have been the easy part - just charge the batteries enough to move the car. It was powering up the flux capacitor that was the hard part, since there was no practical way to get that much energy into the car - hence the need to harness the lightning.

If the lightning never struck the clock tower, the flux capacitor would have TRIED to activate at 88 and failed, immediately draining whatever charge was left in the system.

If this is the case, then how does the Time Machine travel to several different times in the Animated Series and in The Ride without "recharging"?

I just need to fuel the fire. :)

[DMC3165]

If this is the case, then how does the Time Machine travel to several different times in the Animated Series and in The Ride without "recharging"?

I just need to fuel the fire. :)

Actually I was hoping someone was going to go into more detail about the Klingon cloaking device. But after reading the responses it seems everoyone came to same conclusion i did:

Movie flub.

But ok forget about BTTF 3 Let's say "This sucker's electrical" How did they get it to run at the end of the movie? I'd be willing to go along with the 1955 Doc charging it up enough to get it to run. That seems reasonable. Also would explain why the fire trails were coming off the tires and the flux bands were lit up but not able to allow the car to time travel. Still dosen't explain why it stalled before the clocktower run. But that's ok I'd chalk it up to added movie drama.

It's almost as bad as the extra battle damage the enterprise recieves at the beginning of Star Trek 3. You trekkies know what i'm talking about. It's like we missed something between Films 2&3. Inconsistencies drive me nuts!

[ccurzio]

If this is the case, then how does the Time Machine travel to several different times in the Animated Series and in The Ride without "recharging"?

I just need to fuel the fire. :)

For the same reason I'd explained earlier regarding III: Sequels (including the cartoon) were never initially planned. Plus, the cartoon and ride aren't canon anyway. :)


I think it's a perfect time! What type of cloak does the bird of prey have? Is it a phase shifting cloak like the one used on the Potemkin? I have a feeling it's not because that would give them the capability to move through matter which neitehr the Klingons or Romulans have ever expressly done.

I'm pretty sure you meant Pegasus, not Potemkin.

And to answer your question, it's not. The interphase cloak was experimental technology, and it was something the Romulans desperately wanted to get their hands on. In fact, they'd already been experimenting with an interphase generator two years prior, which accidentally phase-nuked Ensign Ro and Geordi LaForge into making everyone think they were dead.


It's almost as bad as the extra battle damage the enterprise recieves at the beginning of Star Trek 3. You trekkies know what i'm talking about. It's like we missed something between Films 2&3. Inconsistencies drive me nuts!

That's RIDICULOUSLY easy to explain: The odd-numbered TOS movies sucked. :D

[DMCVegas]

For the same reason I'd explained earlier regarding III: Sequels (including the cartoon) were never initially planned. Plus, the cartoon and ride aren't canon anyway. :)

That might be debatable. In the begining of BTTF2 when the DeLorean returns to the future, it does so going the wrong way in traffic, and we see cars and hovering signs move out of the way. That might have been either good driving on everyone's part, or it could have been C.R.A.S.H. in action.

http://a4.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/5/f9091fdad0cb4e7fbe64f07c47d975dd/l.jpg

Other items such as TIMEMAN and Mr. Pro Fusion could also explain/justify certain inconsistencies such as the DeLorean's lack of velocity when time traveling at the end of BTTF2, as well as the lack of constant refueling in the Cartoon series.

[Rhsxo]

Plus, the cartoon and ride aren't canon anyway. :)

Not part of the canon huh? It has actors from the original series, and one even features a screen used DeLorean from BTTF. I think they count. Why don't we analyze the inaccuracies of the Animated Series and The Ride?

Next thing you know your going to tell me that the Holiday Special isn't part of the Star Wars canon!

[jawn101]

I love this thread. :)

[DMCVegas]

Not part of the canon huh? It has actors from the original series, and one even features a screen used DeLorean from BTTF. I think they count. Why don't we analyze the inaccuracies of the Animated Series and The Ride?

Next thing you know your going to tell me that the Holiday Special isn't part of the Star Wars canon!

THREAD SPLIT!

Go to YouTube, and you can then find the rest of the parts. If nothing else just the intro alone for the insane guest stars makes it worth it. Watch! Discuss!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mz550T3QeAo

[Nicholas R]

For the same reason I'd explained earlier regarding III: Sequels (including the cartoon) were never initially planned. Plus, the cartoon and ride aren't canon anyway. :)



I'm pretty sure you meant Pegasus, not Potemkin.

And to answer your question, it's not. The interphase cloak was experimental technology, and it was something the Romulans desperately wanted to get their hands on. In fact, they'd already been experimenting with an interphase generator two years prior, which accidentally phase-nuked Ensign Ro and Geordi LaForge into making everyone think they were dead.



That's RIDICULOUSLY easy to explain: The odd-numbered TOS movies sucked. :D

Crap you're right, Pegasus not Potemkin.

My research shows that the Klingon's at one point had a technology-sharing program with the Romulans (dispite them being brutal enemies?) during which the Romulan's gained star ship technology and the Klingon's gained cloaking technology. Supposidly both cloaks perform a combination of tasks including bending light around the vessel to prevent visibility, shielding and containing of energy including heat and energy waves emenating from the ship to remain undetectable by sensors.

The phase cloak is WAY beyond their technology but that damn Treaty of Algeron prevents the usage.

[ccurzio]

The phase cloak is WAY beyond their technology but that damn Treaty of Algeron prevents the usage.

Not necessarily. In theory, it COULD be legally installed on the USS Defiant. :)

[Farrar]

You're welcome. (http://www.overthinkingit.com/tag/bttf-week/)

Farrar