What have you done to your DeLorean today?

[Tillsy]

Blackie and I drove our DeLoreans halfway across Australia over the past two days for tomorrow's DMC MidWest TechDay in Sydney :driving1:

[MTDMC]

Checked the coolant level, lowered tire pressure, cleaned corosion off battery cable.

[Stainless]

Discovered that my tire inflation attachment that came with my Craftsman air compressor is too big to be able to inflate the front tires. Drove around to all of the local gas stations to see which ones offer free air. Out of the six I visited, only one offered air for free. I think I found the station that I am now going to fill up at. Inflated front tires to 23 PSI.

[Dangermouse]

Blackie and I drove our DeLoreans halfway across Australia over the past two days for tomorrow's DMC MidWest TechDay in Sydney :driving1:

This deserves it's own thread !!!

[Jonathan]

Today I bought my DeLorean! :D

Here she is in her new home.

17588

And post # 2,000 in the "what have you done..." thread none the less. Sounds memorable to me!!

[jawn101]

Blackie and I drove our DeLoreans halfway across Australia over the past two days for tomorrow's DMC MidWest TechDay in Sydney :driving1:


This deserves it's own thread !!!

Agreed! Amazing that Dave would go so far!! What a guy :)

[Mike F]

Swapped interior/exterior bulbs over to LED (with the exception of the gauge cluster bulbs; I replaced all of them with new incandescents when I got the car back in November and I wasn't in the mood to pull the binnacle again right now!).

Below are a few quick random pics of the job; a pic of the pile of LEDs that went in, a shot of what went in the tail lights, and a shot of the vast difference between the old vs. new bulbs in the A/C panel (old is on the right, obviously!)
176081760917610

Looks like I ordered the wrong size festoon bulbs, so the license plate and engine & luggage compartment lights will have to wait until I exchange them. Loving it so far! Everything is nice and bright, and I can now leave my door triggers connected without feeling like I'm killing the battery.

Also, since my last post in this thread (I'm a bit behind!):

New fuel pump (check valve in old pump was the cause of my hot start issue...finally solved!)
Rebuilt warm-up regulator (discovered my old one was leaking a bit; given its location this was not a good thing)
New steering rack boots
New tie rod ends
Repaired broken stay on engine cover
Replaced old and worn-out cold air intake duct (pics below)

1761117612

As others have recommended, I used the Spectre 3" flexible duct (P/N 8741; easily found at Advance Auto, etc.) for this. It worked really, really well. Below is a pic showing how perfect a fit it is on the airbox:

17613

Anyway, sorry for the extensive post; just excited to share the new goodies. Have a great weekend!

[DeLorean03]

After over 9 years of owning the car....

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNEW headliners for the doors :D.

Pictures in the "My headliner is start to sag..." thread.

[Kenny_Z]

Today I bought my DeLorean! :D

Here she is in her new home.

17588

Congratulations and welcome to the joys and pitfalls of DeLorean ownership. The joys outweigh the pitfalls in the majority of cases ;)

The machinist called me today to let me know the heads were getting a final cleaning and would be ready by the end of today but I worked until 5 so I couldn't pick them up. I'll get them Monday. He said a total of 6 studs had to be drilled out between the two heads. Two I knew about and broke myself, the other 4 he broke when trying to get the frozen studs out. It was the worst case he's ever seen. I'm guessing the guy that was applying anti-seize that day in Ireland was taking a nap or something.

[DeLorean03]

Two I knew about and broke myself, the other 4 he broke when trying to get the frozen studs out. It was the worst case he's ever seen.

You shoulda seen the look on the guy's face that tinted my windows when I told him what I was quoted and paid. Needless to say, he told me he'd never do a DeLorean again =P.

It was Mike's Truck and Auto Accessories on W Street if you're curious (: ....

[LordFly]

Replaced bad passenger door strut with very good drivers door strut. Put brand new strut on drivers door. Replaced both luggage compartment struts. Checked under headliners for cave paintings (nothing interesting but I'll put it in the cave paintings thread). Sat in the car and listened to the Back To The Future theme ;)

[Kenny_Z]

You shoulda seen the look on the guy's face that tinted my windows when I told him what I was quoted and paid. Needless to say, he told me he'd never do a DeLorean again =P.

It was Mike's Truck and Auto Accessories on W Street if you're curious (: ....

XXX Motorsports quoted me about 175 to do Red. I'm taking her there to get them done when the engine is finished. I didn't want to do that before I stripped the paint.

[Dangermouse]

Replaced bad passenger door strut with very good drivers door strut. Put brand new strut on drivers door. Replaced both luggage compartment struts. Checked under headliners for cave paintings (nothing interesting but I'll put it in the cave paintings thread). Sat in the car and listened to the Back To The Future theme ;)

I love that almost the first thing you do with your new classic car is start removing trim pieces looking for cartoons. What other car offers such an experience?

[Farrar]

Noticed the headliner starting to sag in the rear. The fabric is not coming off of the board -- instead, the board itself seems to have lost a connection somewhere. Going to find the manuals and look up how it is attached. May end up doing the "roof cage fix" while I am at is, since the passenger door tends to squeak going up, and I am told that's a "classic" symptom of a de-forming roof cage.

[Jonathan]

Noticed the headliner starting to sag in the rear. The fabric is not coming off of the board -- instead, the board itself seems to have lost a connection somewhere. Going to find the manuals and look up how it is attached.

Let us know how you make out Farrar. Mine has come loose in the same way you've described. Not cloth from board... more that the whole board isn't clipped/screwed in where it should be anymore. Right above the rear window, at that leading edge. I think part of it gets pinned in by the rear interior panels, but I'm not sure. That could be part of it for you too as I know you had your panels out to get at the speakers/seatbelts earlier.

[LordFly]

I love that almost the first thing you do with your new classic car is start removing trim pieces looking for cartoons. What other car offers such an experience?

I wanted to after reading the cave paintings thread and seeing all the cool stuff people had found. Besides, they just pop off and on ;)

[Nicholas R]

Below are a few quick random pics of the job; a pic of the pile of LEDs that went in, a shot of what went in the tail lights, and a shot of the vast difference between the old vs. new bulbs in the A/C panel (old is on the right, obviously!)
176081760917610


Any chance you have a list of what LED's to buy for the taillights? I want to finally replace mine. Only issue is that my cruise control cutoff is linked to the brakelights and the first set of LED's I had didn't draw enough to trigger the system. Any idea what these ones are? I'd really love to get LED's back there again.

[DMC5180]

Noticed the headliner starting to sag in the rear. The fabric is not coming off of the board -- instead, the board itself seems to have lost a connection somewhere. Going to find the manuals and look up how it is attached. May end up doing the "roof cage fix" while I am at is, since the passenger door tends to squeak going up, and I am told that's a "classic" symptom of a de-forming roof cage.


Let us know how you make out Farrar. Mine has come loose in the same way you've described. Not cloth from board... more that the whole board isn't clipped/screwed in where it should be anymore. Right above the rear window, at that leading edge. I think part of it gets pinned in by the rear interior panels, but I'm not sure. That could be part of it for you too as I know you had your panels out to get at the speakers/seatbelts earlier.

I have the same issue. What I found is that the bracket/clip that mounts to the roof fiberglass had fallen out due to incomplete installation of the 2 M6 RIVNUTS. It almost seems as though the holes are to big for that size Riv-nut. When pulled, the riv-nut should expand on the back side of the surface you install then into. These expanded at the flange instead. It's as though the Grip range was to short for the material thickness.

17652 17653 17654

[Lenny]

I towed my D to DMC FL to get the clutch fixed. I hope they get it done this week so I get the car in time to go to the Celebration car show.

They had 13 Deloreans in the lot and a bunch in the showroom getting worked on. There were several Corvettes and a couple of Mercedes in the lot also.

17656

[DMC5180]

I have the same issue. What I found is that the bracket/clip that mounts to the roof fiberglass had fallen out due to incomplete installation of the 2 M6 RIVNUTS. It almost seems as though the holes are to big for that size Riv-nut. When pulled, the riv-nut should expand on the back side of the surface you install then into. These expanded at the flange instead. It's as though the Grip range was to short for the material thickness.

17652 17653 17654


Follow-up:

It appears the wrong Rivnut was installed at the factory they used a SP10613 M6 rivnut approx. 3/4 inch overall length.

It calls for a SP10614 (M6 Rivnut long) which is just shy of 1" overall length.

[Patrick C]

I installed white LED strip lights under each door, as well as blue LED strip lighting under the car. It took hours, but I feel like the end result was worth the trouble! Since it is illegal in most states to drive with blue lights, I plan on only using these at car shows and cruise-ins.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=17657&d=1364093671
http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=17658&d=1364093679

[jackb]

Towed it from CA to AZ. 700 miles.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c348/kaaooga3/IMG_4667_zpsb14a3b7f.jpg

[Tillsy]

Blackie and I drove our DeLoreans halfway across Australia over the past two days for tomorrow's DMC MidWest TechDay in Sydney :driving1:

#6679 got the privilege of a complete look over by Dave Swingle in Sydney yesterday - a few boots and bushings I need to replace but she otherwise was given Dave's blessing the work I've done is great and that he has never seen a DeLorean in such great condition before, very stoked and proud :)

Am now half-way along my return trek across Australia to Adelaide... :driving1:

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=17663&d=1364104446

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=17664&d=1364104587

[SS Spoiler]

Dave and Julee do house calls?........to Australia???? talk about service!

[DMC5180]

How many Deloreans came to the DMCMW DownUnder Tour Event? I see there was a D on a Dyno. Were there other Deloreans run on it? What was the Average HP?

[John U]

Dave and Julee do house calls?........to Australia???? talk about service!

Wow! And I was impressed when they drove all the way to Toronto!

[jawn101]

Noticed the headliner starting to sag in the rear. The fabric is not coming off of the board -- instead, the board itself seems to have lost a connection somewhere. Going to find the manuals and look up how it is attached. May end up doing the "roof cage fix" while I am at is, since the passenger door tends to squeak going up, and I am told that's a "classic" symptom of a de-forming roof cage.


Let us know how you make out Farrar. Mine has come loose in the same way you've described. Not cloth from board... more that the whole board isn't clipped/screwed in where it should be anymore. Right above the rear window, at that leading edge. I think part of it gets pinned in by the rear interior panels, but I'm not sure. That could be part of it for you too as I know you had your panels out to get at the speakers/seatbelts earlier.

Guys - this is just happening because your board is warped and sagging. Probably nothing has come loose, just the carboard underneath the fabric is starting to bend under its own weight. I fixed it by removing the board and epoxying a thin piece of aluminum bar stock (available at Lowe's, etc) to the underside of it. Thin enough that I can bend it slightly to get the board to match the curve of the roof, but strong enough that it will never sag again.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=17665&d=1364141335

Unless when you remove the board you find what Dennis did, that your clip isn't installed properly :)

[Mike F]

Any chance you have a list of what LED's to buy for the taillights? I want to finally replace mine. Only issue is that my cruise control cutoff is linked to the brakelights and the first set of LED's I had didn't draw enough to trigger the system. Any idea what these ones are? I'd really love to get LED's back there again.

I got everything from superbrightleds.com. Here's what I put in the taillights:

Brake - P/N 1156-R18-T - Single intensity 18 SMD LED tower - Red.

Tail - P/N 1156-R3W - Single intensity 1 x 3 watt high power LED w/reflector lens - Red.

Turn signal - P/N 1156-A3W - Single intensity 1 x 3 watt high power LED w/reflector lens - Amber.

Reverse - P/N 1156-W3W - Single intensity 1 x 3 watt high power LED w/reflector lens - White.

All of these have a very wide beam angle, so they fill the lenses quite well. They don't have the severe hotspotting that a lot of LED bulbs have. I went with the R18 bulbs for the brake lights to give them a bit more "kick" than the tail lamps alone and make it clear at night that I have hit the brakes! It's not blinding or glaring; it actually seems to have just the right level of intensity. I also changed out the flasher unit with P/N CF13GL-02 in order to keep the turn signals flashing at the normal rate. All in all, I'm very happy with how it turned out and would definitely recommend these bulbs!

[DMC5180]

Please post some day/night comparison photos. Preferably with Standard bulbs on one side and LED on the other. The LED (experimenting with various bulbs) has yielded several looks.

[DMC5180]

Guys - Unless when you remove the board you find what Dennis did, that your clip isn't installed properly :)

Jon,

You can see how my rear headliner was hanging in the photo I posted in the your thread about the SS T-toof finisher. The headliner material had become unglued on the top side, which which caused it to Pop-up thus filling the gap that would otherwise be present. Look at the photo ED posted of his Finisher installation you can see the difference.

[Jonathan]

Guys - this is just happening because your board is warped and sagging. Probably nothing has come loose, just the carboard underneath the fabric is starting to bend under its own weight. I fixed it by removing the board and epoxying a thin piece of aluminum bar stock (available at Lowe's, etc) to the underside of it. Thin enough that I can bend it slightly to get the board to match the curve of the roof, but strong enough that it will never sag again.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=17665&d=1364141335

Unless when you remove the board you find what Dennis did, that your clip isn't installed properly :)

Thanks Jon. I'm not done my speaker install work yet, so I can still take a few more things apart before everything goes back together. I'll take this headliner piece off and look for the sag as well as this clip. I'll let you know how it goes as soon as the weather warms up some more and the polar bears move out of my garage.

[refugeefromcalif]

I towed my D to DMC FL to get the clutch fixed. I hope they get it done this week so I get the car in time to go to the Celebration car show.

They had 13 Deloreans in the lot and a bunch in the showroom getting worked on. There were several Corvettes and a couple of Mercedes in the lot also.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=17656&d=1364089386


One of the cars that their in the middle of working on is mine. :wrenchin:
It's also having the clutch worked on, among other things.

I Miss it...

George

[pezzonovante88]

I took the car out of the garage today and tried to get it idling and running properly. I think I got it. It drives beautifully with plenty of power and runs with an even idle. I can't wait till the weather gets better so I can bring the car home, get it serviced, and start driving it regularly. Old man winter is being a real bastard this year, though.

[DeLorean03]

Guys - this is just happening because your board is warped and sagging. Probably nothing has come loose, just the carboard underneath the fabric is starting to bend under its own weight. I fixed it by removing the board and epoxying a thin piece of aluminum bar stock (available at Lowe's, etc) to the underside of it. Thin enough that I can bend it slightly to get the board to match the curve of the roof, but strong enough that it will never sag again.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=17665&d=1364141335

Unless when you remove the board you find what Dennis did, that your clip isn't installed properly :)

Thank you very much for posting this. I just got done with the doors, and I'm moving to the T-piece and back piece near the rear glass next. How are these pieces held in? My understanding is there are NO fir trees holding these two in. How do you go about properly getting them down ?

[DeLorean03]

Please post some day/night comparison photos. Preferably with Standard bulbs on one side and LED on the other. The LED (experimenting with various bulbs) has yielded several looks.

How about I do you one better and send you a video?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MBuS2z0zSc&list=UU793wU6qbaHKdMaxYZpP1uw&index=52

[DMC5180]

The answer is in the other thread you posted in. http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?6585-Headliner-starting-to-sag&p=95603&viewfull=1#post95603 Post #7

[DeLorean03]

The answer is in the other thread you posted in. http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?6585-Headliner-starting-to-sag&p=95603&viewfull=1#post95603 Post #7

Good stuff - guess I just wanted to hear from a 2nd source. Sometimes, hearing the same things in different ways helps.

[Jacco]

How about I do you one better and send you a video?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MBuS2z0zSc&list=UU793wU6qbaHKdMaxYZpP1uw&index=52

Nice video and very interesting leds for this price.
One question though, I am trying to locate the salesperson on Ebay.
Can't find the person so can it be possible to write down the ad or the contactperson?
Thank you

[vtdmc]

I started pulling various parts off the engine and frame to be sent to the powder coater to be zinc coated. I think I only found half of the parts I have identified on my spreadsheet.

[DrJeff]

Took the car for a run and tested out the new Rear Window/Mirror defrost circuit and also the auto-dimming rear-view mirror. You press the Defrost button once (a new momentary switch) and then the new relay starts heating for ~12 minutes. The light comes on when the heating is active, so the light also goes off automatically after ~12 minutes. You can press the defrost button again (before 12 minutes runs out) and the heating circuit will switch off. [Defrost on the stock D is on while the button is switched to On. The defrost stays on until you switch it off.]

The mirror wasn't too big a problem, although I did need to get switched (LGW) power to it. Getting it mounted was a challenge (yes, I did not use glue).

Of course, since I'm in Houston, I won't need it until around December :)

[Domi]

With my friend Anthony, we’ve decided to change the calorstat on my car because we thought it was defective.
The gauge temperature was high and the cooling in front of the car was cold.
We didn’t find time to test the car today because we finished too late.
Anyway, here are a few pictures:
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q168/Domi73/DeLorean/VIN%2016951/P3247356.jpg
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q168/Domi73/DeLorean/VIN%2016951/P3247358.jpg
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q168/Domi73/DeLorean/VIN%2016951/P3247361.jpg
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q168/Domi73/DeLorean/VIN%2016951/P3247362.jpg
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q168/Domi73/DeLorean/VIN%2016951/P3247364.jpg
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q168/Domi73/DeLorean/VIN%2016951/P3247365.jpg
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q168/Domi73/DeLorean/VIN%2016951/P3247366.jpg
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q168/Domi73/DeLorean/VIN%2016951/P3247367.jpg
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q168/Domi73/DeLorean/VIN%2016951/P3247368.jpg
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q168/Domi73/DeLorean/VIN%2016951/P3247370.jpg
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q168/Domi73/DeLorean/VIN%2016951/P3247376.jpg
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q168/Domi73/DeLorean/VIN%2016951/P3247377.jpg
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q168/Domi73/DeLorean/VIN%2016951/P3247379.jpg

[DeLorean03]

Nice video and very interesting leds for this price.
One question though, I am trying to locate the salesperson on Ebay.
Can't find the person so can it be possible to write down the ad or the contactperson?
Thank you

Go to post #2 in this thread: http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?6615-17082-Repairs-Recommendations-Maintenance-etc&p=95950#post95950

Would link to eBay, but they block it here at work.

[dustybarn]

Vacuumed the carpeting, wiped down the trunk and door jambs, replaced flaky OEM dome lights with Euramtec 7180's (they are nearly a dead ringer for the originals and fit perfectly in the original headliner openings).

[Mike F]

Please post some day/night comparison photos. Preferably with Standard bulbs on one side and LED on the other. The LED (experimenting with various bulbs) has yielded several looks.

I will definitely do that. I actually meant to do it today, but by the time I got around to finishing the other stuff I had going on it was dark outside, so I missed the opportunity to do daytime photos. When I did the job I took before/after photos, but they were all at night and a couple of the original bulbs were out, so they aren't the best comparison photos. When I get a chance I'll go back to originals on one side and get some proper before/afters for everyone.

On an unrelated note, I installed the SpecialT ground upgrade kit today. Went in pretty easily, save for me dropping the jam nut on the back of the TAB plate bolt and having it disappear into parts unknown for a while. Other than that, no real issues to speak of other than the fact that the cables are pretty stiff; this makes them tough to route around things and into the battery compartment. Ended up going in cleanly, and seems to have made a difference in the the voltmeter reading; it's a bit more steady and so far isn't dropping below 13 on occasion as it did before. It will take a few drives in the car while paying close attention to things to see just what has improved and by how much, but so far so good!

[DashEight]

Today I am happy to say that I broke into the boxes of parts I've been ordering for the last year and started to swap them on. All new struts and door handles. I also replaced all the screws in the tail section that had rust. Drained all the fluids, dropped the finish plate and gas tank, scraped all the old fipg off the access panels and cleaned out the dirt in the front frame section. I'm going to schedule a week of vacation and hit the to-do list hard. Something crazy happened with the Drivers door lock when I replaced the handle and now it is locked shut without the ability to unlock with the key or the inside lock switch. I'll figure it out later. -P

[Tillsy]

How many Deloreans came to the DMCMW DownUnder Tour Event? I see there was a D on a Dyno. Were there other Deloreans run on it? What was the Average HP?

There were 8.5 DeLoreans (one was frame only), I've included a few formation pictures below. From memory three were run on the Dyno - one was 107.6, one was 103.5, and the other was between those two but don't recall what it was.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=17684&d=1364209830

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=17683&d=1364209824

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=17686&d=1364210294

[DMC5180]

Cool! How many RHD's ? I see 1 for sure. Actually how many RHD's are in Australia that you know of?

[DMC81]

17714

I ate my car today and thats about all I did to it. Came home from work today to a birthday surprise! The car I'm in is not mine, she could not get a pic of my car out of the house without me knowing so she used this one from the Woodward Dream Cruise a few years back. Best cake ever aaand it will never rust!

[Tillsy]

Cool! How many RHD's ? I see 1 for sure. Actually how many RHD's are in Australia that you know of?

Good eye - yes there was one. Not sure on total RHD numbers - maybe five-ish?

[Chris 16409]

I've been unhappy with the way my windows have been operating, and I discovered they were off track. I removed the windows, cleaned them up, and reinstalled them into the doors. They are now operating very nicely. I also used this opportunity to install some new outer window seals. I also helped my friend Ryan get his driver side window back on track.

[DeLorean03]

Guys - this is just happening because your board is warped and sagging. Probably nothing has come loose, just the carboard underneath the fabric is starting to bend under its own weight. I fixed it by removing the board and epoxying a thin piece of aluminum bar stock (available at Lowe's, etc) to the underside of it. Thin enough that I can bend it slightly to get the board to match the curve of the roof, but strong enough that it will never sag again.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=17665&d=1364141335

Unless when you remove the board you find what Dennis did, that your clip isn't installed properly :)

So, when you installed that aluminum bar, is the aluminum sandwiched between the board and the roof, or is it on the bottom of the board closer to the ground ?

I know it's a silly question, but when I copy that method you did, I kind of want to do it right (:

And, maybe it's just me, but as I look at that picture - wouldn't the weight of the aluminum pull the cardboard down even harder? Or does the aluminum bar hook into the roof somehow? What am I missing exactly ??

[eagle-co94]

Based on the image it looks like that bar will be touching the roof, not the headliner material based on the bracket location.
17739

[MTDMC]

Got my car preped to come out of hibernation and moved it to another spot of the storage building.

[jawn101]

So, when you installed that aluminum bar, is the aluminum sandwiched between the board and the roof, or is it on the bottom of the board closer to the ground ?

I know it's a silly question, but when I copy that method you did, I kind of want to do it right (:

And, maybe it's just me, but as I look at that picture - wouldn't the weight of the aluminum pull the cardboard down even harder? Or does the aluminum bar hook into the roof somehow? What am I missing exactly ??

Hey Jer - yes, it's on the top of the board, between the cardboard and the roof. Plenty of room up there. Then I just wrapped the board with new fabric right over the aluminum bar so it's totally invisible.

The aluminum weighs next to nothing there. And it's not weight that was making the board sag, it's just heat and probably moisture and sun and etc etc etc. You can see that the bar is very close to the main support point of the roof clip, so there's virtually no risk of additional sag as a result. The bar just keeps the board stiff so you can't see it hanging down through the rear window. The relatively thin stock I used allowed for the slight bend required to fit the curve of the roof.

Really, it works! :)

[DeLorean03]

Hey Jer - yes, it's on the top of the board, between the cardboard and the roof. Plenty of room up there. Then I just wrapped the board with new fabric right over the aluminum bar so it's totally invisible.

The aluminum weighs next to nothing there. And it's not weight that was making the board sag, it's just heat and probably moisture and sun and etc etc etc. You can see that the bar is very close to the main support point of the roof clip, so there's virtually no risk of additional sag as a result. The bar just keeps the board stiff so you can't see it hanging down through the rear window. The relatively thin stock I used allowed for the slight bend required to fit the curve of the roof.

Really, it works! :)

That is just awesome! Thank you, jawn - I definitely appreciate it. I'll take a "before" shot of my back headliner. It is hideous D: ....

[Farrar]

No pics right now since I forgot to charge my camera before I started work. I will attempt to describe verbally what I did today.

I finally removed the driver-side rear trim panel (#42 on this page (http://store.delorean.com/c-319-8-7-5-general-interior-trim.aspx)) to find the hole behind the speaker. I noticed that the headliner in my car is still attached in the middle where the bracket is. However, it sags from either side. Checking carefully I noticed water stains on the fabric. This seems to indicate that the board itself may have been damaged by water, which is why it no longer stays firm against the ceiling.

I really like the idea of aluminum reinforcement bar, by the way, and intend to do this mod/fix.

The headliner in my car seems to have had its fabric replaced without having been removed from the car: the fabric extends over the lip of the fiberglass body and is adhered underneath the inner door seal. It looks like I will be unable to remove the headliner without damaging the fabric. The overlap is probably how the water stains got there: the fabric sticks out from underneath the innder door seal.

Speaking of door seals, I found splits in the outer door seal and a crack in the inner door seal on the driver side. I removed the seals.

One of the screws holding in the left rear speaker bracket was stuck, so I used a Grab-It to remove it. While I had the tool out, I decided to look for other rusty fasteners inside the car and remove them. The screws holding the sunvisors on were rusty, so I removed those. I needed the Grab-It for one of them. (Safety tip: Working above my head, even with glasses on I managed to get metal shavings in my eyes while removing the sunvisors. I rinsed them immediately with no harm done. Even if you wear glasses like me, safety goggles are a good idea, even when it means more sweating.)

The vinyl on the driver-side trim panel was cracked in several places and so some of it stayed on the car. Some extra time with the heat gun took them off.

There is a foam piece on the driver-side trim panel which looks meant to mate with the speaker; this foam is absent on the passenger-side trim panel.

The black urethane around the rear glass stuck to the rear of the driver-side trim panel, making the panel difficult to remove. The bracket holding the engine cover release lost half of the rivet which comes in from the wheel well, so this bracket is flopping around now that the trim panel is removed. What is left of the rivet will need to be drilled out before the bracket can be fixed into place again.

Part #8 on this page (http://store.delorean.com/c-306-8-2-1-plastic-mouldingsinfill-panels.aspx) is held on with screw on my car. I understand that on later vehicles rivets were used. The rivets were a good idea: the screws used on my car poke through the fiberglass body and the holes they made were (badly) covered with black urethane. Some of this urethane fell right off when I touched it with my finger. I would like to seal the holes permanently and replace the screws with black plastic rivets; has anyone else done this and did it work?

There are "crisp" edges around the edge of the body-to-infill-panel join which snapped off when I put my finger on them. Perhaps this is a fiberglass repair or patch, indicating that the fit was so poor between the infill panel and the body on this side that the gap was too large to fill with urethane. This is not the case on the passenger side of the car.

When I pulled the outer door seal off of the driver side, I noticed the screws holding the T-panel on spinning in place. I feared the worst, but they were just loose. I now have the urge to check all of the screws on the T-panel and quarter panel, but I will have to remove the old adhesive first. Having tightened some of the T-panel screws, I still noticed it was floppy on the rear. The black plastic finishing piece to which the T-panel clips has broken, leaving that edge of the T-panel poking up with no way to tighten the clip enough. The finishing piece already suffered from this car's lack of uniformity: the screw hole had been widened with a file to fit on the driver side. Presumably a NOS finishing piece would need the same "make it fit" adjustment.

I disconnected the in-line connector where the door harness meets the interior harness to check for corrosion. The terminals looked sound, but some of the female terminals had been pushed back from the end of the connector. I pushed them back into place. This is probably the least of my worries right now. As the car becomes more and more dismantled I find more and more items to replace or repair. It looks like I won't be finished in time for the next DCS.

The rust spots on the headliner where the sunvisors used to attach are even more of an eyesore than the ragged sunvisors were. (I am not refurbishing the sunvisors since they're autographed. They will need to be replaced.) I will likely end up removing the entire headliner and have it re-covered.

All in all, a very disappointing day. I thought I'd make a simple repair, and added ten more items on my to-do list without ever reaching the one goal I had when I walked into the garage.

[jawn101]

No pics right now since I forgot to charge my camera before I started work. I will attempt to describe verbally what I did today.

I finally removed the driver-side rear trim panel (#42 on this page (http://store.delorean.com/c-319-8-7-5-general-interior-trim.aspx)) to find the hole behind the speaker. I noticed that the headliner in my car is still attached in the middle where the bracket is. However, it sags from either side. Checking carefully I noticed water stains on the fabric. This seems to indicate that the board itself may have been damaged by water, which is why it no longer stays firm against the ceiling.

I really like the idea of aluminum reinforcement bar, by the way, and intend to do this mod/fix.

The headliner in my car seems to have had its fabric replaced without having been removed from the car: the fabric extends over the lip of the fiberglass body and is adhered underneath the inner door seal. It looks like I will be unable to remove the headliner without damaging the fabric. The overlap is probably how the water stains got there: the fabric sticks out from underneath the innder door seal.

Speaking of door seals, I found splits in the outer door seal and a crack in the inner door seal on the driver side. I removed the seals.

One of the screws holding in the left rear speaker bracket was stuck, so I used a Grab-It to remove it. While I had the tool out, I decided to look for other rusty fasteners inside the car and remove them. The screws holding the sunvisors on were rusty, so I removed those. I needed the Grab-It for one of them. (Safety tip: Working above my head, even with glasses on I managed to get metal shavings in my eyes while removing the sunvisors. I rinsed them immediately with no harm done. Even if you wear glasses like me, safety goggles are a good idea, even when it means more sweating.)

The vinyl on the driver-side trim panel was cracked in several places and so some of it stayed on the car. Some extra time with the heat gun took them off.

There is a foam piece on the driver-side trim panel which looks meant to mate with the speaker; this foam is absent on the passenger-side trim panel.

The black urethane around the rear glass stuck to the rear of the driver-side trim panel, making the panel difficult to remove. The bracket holding the engine cover release lost half of the rivet which comes in from the wheel well, so this bracket is flopping around now that the trim panel is removed. What is left of the rivet will need to be drilled out before the bracket can be fixed into place again.

Part #8 on this page (http://store.delorean.com/c-306-8-2-1-plastic-mouldingsinfill-panels.aspx) is held on with screw on my car. I understand that on later vehicles rivets were used. The rivets were a good idea: the screws used on my car poke through the fiberglass body and the holes they made were (badly) covered with black urethane. Some of this urethane fell right off when I touched it with my finger. I would like to seal the holes permanently and replace the screws with black plastic rivets; has anyone else done this and did it work?

There are "crisp" edges around the edge of the body-to-infill-panel join which snapped off when I put my finger on them. Perhaps this is a fiberglass repair or patch, indicating that the fit was so poor between the infill panel and the body on this side that the gap was too large to fill with urethane. This is not the case on the passenger side of the car.

When I pulled the outer door seal off of the driver side, I noticed the screws holding the T-panel on spinning in place. I feared the worst, but they were just loose. I now have the urge to check all of the screws on the T-panel and quarter panel, but I will have to remove the old adhesive first. Having tightened some of the T-panel screws, I still noticed it was floppy on the rear. The black plastic finishing piece to which the T-panel clips has broken, leaving that edge of the T-panel poking up with no way to tighten the clip enough. The finishing piece already suffered from this car's lack of uniformity: the screw hole had been widened with a file to fit on the driver side. Presumably a NOS finishing piece would need the same "make it fit" adjustment.

I disconnected the in-line connector where the door harness meets the interior harness to check for corrosion. The terminals looked sound, but some of the female terminals had been pushed back from the end of the connector. I pushed them back into place. This is probably the least of my worries right now. As the car becomes more and more dismantled I find more and more items to replace or repair. It looks like I won't be finished in time for the next DCS.

The rust spots on the headliner where the sunvisors used to attach are even more of an eyesore than the ragged sunvisors were. (I am not refurbishing the sunvisors since they're autographed. They will need to be replaced.) I will likely end up removing the entire headliner and have it re-covered.

All in all, a very disappointing day. I thought I'd make a simple repair, and added ten more items on my to-do list without ever reaching the one goal I had when I walked into the garage.

Hey Farrar - the headliner material is supposed to wrap around the body with the inner door seal over it. What's more likely is that your door seals were replaced and not banged down far enough or the new ones were a little shorter so they didn't cover all the overlapped material. But you're right, that is likely how the water is getting onto your headliner. Just trim away the extra. But if you remove the headliner to recover/replace it, you're going to want to put it back that same way - wrap the fabric up and over the lip, knock the door seal on good and tight, then trim the excess fabric away. This means that you need to leave some loose fabric (about 2" total, to make sure you have enough to pull tight then trim away) around all the edges of the roof panels where they border the door.

[Farrar]

I removed the sun visors. The fabric is shredding and discolored, the hardware is rusted, and no one knows who Bobby Allison is anymore, so they couldn't care less that my car was once his.

17762

[Dangermouse]

That's kinda sad in a way.

I assume you'll just keep them stored and get a couple of new ones?

[Farrar]

That's kinda sad in a way.

I assume you'll just keep them stored and get a couple of new ones?

Yep. A friend of mine owns an operates a framing shop. I'm going to talk to him about mounting the visors in a frame for display.

[Dangermouse]

You could probably make a few $ framing each one with a good pic of your car and a blurb about when BA signed them and then eBay them.

A NASCAR/Allison fan may not be interested in spending $20k on the car itself, but maybe a few hundred bucks on a unique signature item. Who knows!

[thirdmanj]

Got the fuel tank down to about 1.5 gallons. Waaaay more low than I'm comfortable with, and still no "low fuel" light.

[MTDMC]

Got it out of storage today.

[Rich]

Performed a double-benefit job at the sway bar mounts.

Installed the slightly overdue front end recall reinforcing brackets, 111140 & 111141, between the front frame extension and the sway bar, during which time it was easy to smear some silicone grease over the sway bar at both bushing mounts.


Downside: The lower radiator supports both needed mods to fit over/around the reinf. brackets doubling the job time. At least they're clean now.
Upside: The graunchy creaking noise that used to come from somewhere in the front during suspension travel is completely gone. Thanks for the silicone grease suggestion, David T and maybe others here over the years. Had already tried squirting silicone spray at the sides of the mounted bushings with no relief.


So now the front suspension is properly reinforced and it's just as quiet up front as it was a long time ago.

[LordFly]

Removed the 2 layers of old glue on the windshield moldings in prep for new seals. Also flattened out the grills on the engine cover :)

[jawn101]

Took it to work and thoroughly impressed a visitor. :)

Pulling back into the garage I noticed that it's time for my yearly coolant hose tightening and pressure test. Two tiny drips at pipe-to-hose joints.

[DMC5180]

Got the fuel tank down to about 1.5 gallons. Waaaay more low than I'm comfortable with, and still no "low fuel" light.

How do you know it's that low? Which sending unit do you have? OEM or DMCH replacement. There are a couple ways to verify your Low Fuel Light. Access the Fuel tank area via the Tire well access cover.

Disconnect sender harness connector. Jump the LG/R wire to the Black wire or run a test lead wire from LG/R to the body (Metal). Turn Key to RUN. Light should be ON. (Y/N)?

If YES, Reconnect the connectors. Unscrew the the sender unit and lift out. The light contacts only touch when the float is sitting at the bottom of the tube. (You may have more fuel than you think) Turn key to RUN position. Light should be at this point. (Note: I've seen a sender that had poor contacts internally that required disassembly and cleaning to work.)

If NO, You may need to pull the instrument cluster to verify the bulb or other points of connection.

FWIW: When I'm driving with Low fuel. (OEM sender). The light will begin flickering with fuel sloshing at about 2.5 gals when it finally gets to a STEADY ON, I'm at about 1.2 gal. (based on refueling top off) Gals IN VS. Capacity.

[thirdmanj]

How do you know it's that low? Which sending unit do you have? OEM or DMCH replacement. There are a couple ways to verify your Low Fuel Light. Access the Fuel tank area via the Tire well access cover.

Disconnect sender harness connector. Jump the LG/R wire to the Black wire or run a test lead wire from LG/R to the body (Metal). Turn Key to RUN. Light should be ON. (Y/N)?

If YES, Reconnect the connectors. Unscrew the the sender unit and lift out. The light contacts only touch when the float is sitting at the bottom of the tube. (You may have more fuel than you think) Turn key to RUN position. Light should be at this point. (Note: I've seen a sender that had poor contacts internally that required disassembly and cleaning to work.)

If NO, You may need to pull the instrument cluster to verify the bulb or other points of connection.

FWIW: When I'm driving with Low fuel. (OEM sender). The light will begin flickering with fuel sloshing at about 2.5 gals when it finally gets to a STEADY ON, I'm at about 1.2 gal. (based on refueling top off) Gals IN VS. Capacity.
The fuel tank is 13.5 gallons right? So I just subtracted what I filled to get my 1.5 number.

[DMC5180]

MARCH 30 (First Start-up of 2013) WOO HOO!

First time in 19 consecutive years that something decided to not work. (Temp gauge needle Pegged straight DOWN on the DEG F mark.) and would not move (let engine run about 10 minutes). I cycled the key a couple different times after (wiggle testing) at the sensor and Bulkhead connector. No change. but one time the needle moved backwards CCW to about 3:30 position with key OFF. Switching key back ON the needle jumped CW to 6:00 but did not move from there. Did not have time to investigate any further today.

[DMC5180]

The fuel tank is 13.5 gallons right? So I just subtracted what I filled to get my 1.5 number.

Yeah that's about right. I've seen 13.2 or 13.8 posted before also. I've done a true Empty tank capacity test. Would require trailering it to the gas station ;-)

[LordFly]

Changed the oil today. Was excepting the drain plug to be a little longer... Biggest mess I have ever made :(

17781

[eagle-co94]

Yeah that's about right. I've seen 13.2 or 13.8 posted before also. I've done a true Empty tank capacity test. Would require trailering it to the gas station ;-)

Actually no, I've intentionally gone to the gas can with a 2 gallon gas can and filled it up. I then proceeded to cruise around until I ran out of gas. I poured the can in and stopped at the nearest gas station and filled up. Then I got an accurate idea of what the tank and filler neck will hold. This is most helpful on older cars that had more than one tank size option.

[Dangermouse]

Changed the oil today. Was excepting the drain plug to be a little longer... Biggest mess I have ever made :(

17781

Full of surprises aren't they, these little cars :)

I hope you had cat litter handy.

[Lenny]

I took my car to the full service car wash to get ready for the Celebration car show. I like to do that to get started. However, last year I told the guys what I was doing and they worked their butts off to make the car shine. When I got home I had very little to do.

Anyway, when I drove it up to the guys to detail after the wash the kid came up and said I did this car before. I told him about the show and he said he remembered me from last year. I asked if he remembered the $20.00 tip and he said "That Too" He worked for 1/2 hour on the car and walked away with another $20.00 tip.

[DMC5180]

Actually no, I've intentionally gone to the gas can with a 2 gallon gas can and filled it up. I then proceeded to cruise around until I ran out of gas. I poured the can in and stopped at the nearest gas station and filled up. Then I got an accurate idea of what the tank and filler neck will hold. This is most helpful on older cars that had more than one tank size option.

Ref. My original post. I meant to I've NEVER done a true empty to full tank capacity test. OOPS

Anyway, what was the NET result? How far did you drive to the gas station after adding the 2 gal ? Figure 20 MPG city driving.

[Jonathan]

Yeah that's about right. I've seen 13.2 or 13.8 posted before also. I've done a true Empty tank capacity test. Would require trailering it to the gas station ;-)

Or potentially driving it there with a full tank, park it next to the pump, leave it running and read a book until it runs out of gas, lol :)

[Ozzie]

Changed the oil today. Was excepting the drain plug to be a little longer... Biggest mess I have ever made :(

17781

lol. I also had a biggest oil spill ever, the one and only time I used the exact catch that you have in the picture. The flow out of the pan is just too fast, too varying in angle, for that catch to keep up so it splatters, overflows, it's a mess. Get an open top pan style next, and you'll do much better next time.

[Bitsyncmaster]

lol. I also had a biggest oil spill ever, the one and only time I used the exact catch that you have in the picture. The flow out of the pan is just too fast, too varying in angle, for that catch to keep up so it splatters, overflows, it's a mess. Get an open top pan style next, and you'll do much better next time.

Those oil pans need the drain cap removed when your changing the oil. Mine does not overflow but will splatter the oil when the air tries to escape.

[SS Spoiler]

Pulled the covers off, blended out the stains, fired up on second crank. Filled with fresh gas, and gave it a much needed wash. Went in to check on Montana car shows.

[Jonathan]

Changed the oil today. Was excepting the drain plug to be a little longer... Biggest mess I have ever made :(

17781

If you have the rear end in the air and your catch pan centred, get a small piece of cardboard in behind the drain plug hole on an angle and basically pull out the plug and let the oil shoot out but into the cardboard and it angles it down. This stops it from splashing against the frame, which makes it go everywhere and makes a mess of your frame. It's fairly easy to control where it goes believe it or not.

The oil there in your photo looks pretty black, non?

[Tillsy]

If you have the rear end in the air and your catch pan centred, get a small piece of cardboard in behind the drain plug hole on an angle and basically pull out the plug and let the oil shoot out but into the cardboard and it angles it down. This stops it from splashing against the frame, which makes it go everywhere and makes a mess of your frame. It's fairly easy to control where it goes believe it or not.

That's how I did it both times so far - I was concerned it would spray all over the frame so taped a plastic cutting mat to deflect and funnel the oil. Worked a treat and given the oil coating all over the mat it was obvious my frame would have been a mess had I not done that.

[LordFly]

If you have the rear end in the air and your catch pan centred, get a small piece of cardboard in behind the drain plug hole on an angle and basically pull out the plug and let the oil shoot out but into the cardboard and it angles it down. This stops it from splashing against the frame, which makes it go everywhere and makes a mess of your frame. It's fairly easy to control where it goes believe it or not.

The oil there in your photo looks pretty black, non?

Yeah, I'll definitely try that trick next time. At last the back of my frame is well oiled ;)

Yeah, it's pretty black looking. Nothing too excessive, but I'm definitely glad I changed it. I'll flush the brakes in the next week as well. And the coolant system after I order the DMC house kit. Then I should be good for a bit :)

[Dangermouse]

Are those vice grips I spy on your drain plug :(

[DrJeff]

Pulled out the master clutch cylinder and prepared for pulling the slave. I've practiced with the pry bar on the slave a few times and I think I can get it far enough out. Another attempt tomorrow morning with my son helping! Next up is servicing the cylinders - DIY style :)

[LordFly]

Are those vice grips I spy on your drain plug :(

Technically, no. They're clamped onto what used to be a center punch. The center punch previously had a square end on it, approximately 8mm. God only knows why they didn't make it a 3/8" square hole so that anyone with a ratchet could get it off. I guess it's just one of those things that makes the car special ;)

[eagle-co94]

My guess is that JZD was trying to move ahead of everyone else by moving as much as possible to the metric system. The Metric Conversion Act was signed in '75 so the timing is about right.

[jawn101]

If you have the rear end in the air and your catch pan centred, get a small piece of cardboard in behind the drain plug hole on an angle and basically pull out the plug and let the oil shoot out but into the cardboard and it angles it down. This stops it from splashing against the frame, which makes it go everywhere and makes a mess of your frame. It's fairly easy to control where it goes believe it or not.

The oil there in your photo looks pretty black, non?

Yeah, I picked up one of those flexible plastic oil drain director things last time I was at O'Reilly for just this reason. The frame gets coated if you aren't careful and it's a real mess.

And yeah I thought the same thing about that oil - it looks like crude! Wonder when the last change was. Did it smell weird? Like gas or sweet?

[LordFly]

And yeah I thought the same thing about that oil - it looks like crude! Wonder when the last change was. Did it smell weird? Like gas or sweet?

I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary about it. Just glad I changed it :)

[eagle-co94]

Oil gets black in as little as 500 miles FYI, so there's likely nothing wrong with it.

[Jonathan]

I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary about it. Just glad I changed it :)

Good call. Best thing to do is know what you have going forward. Change fluids and see if anything in them is out of the ordinary. You can't go back and change what some PO did in the past... no matter what kind of car you have ;)

[Dangermouse]

Technically, no. They're clamped onto what used to be a center punch. The center punch previously had a square end on it, approximately 8mm. God only knows why they didn't make it a 3/8" square hole so that anyone with a ratchet could get it off. I guess it's just one of those things that makes the car special ;)

That's good. I thought you had a replacement drain plug that you were destroying with a set of vice grips.

And it's metric because the engine is French. And they have been metric for decades.

I use the same tool I kept from when I have a Renault 5/LeCar way back when. It's 8mm on one end and 12 on the other.

[mluder]

Those oil pans need the drain cap removed when your changing the oil. Mine does not overflow but will splatter the oil when the air tries to escape.

I learned this too the hard way a couple of weekends ago.

Cheers
Steven

[jawn101]

I use the same tool I kept from when I have a Renault 5/LeCar way back when. It's 8mm on one end and 12 on the other.

To this day I can't hear or think of a Le Car without thinking of Le George :lol:

[DMC5180]

Pulled the Binnacle to check out Temp Gauge issue and confirmed it is DEAD.

[DMC5180]

Pulled the Binnacle to check out Temp Gauge issue and confirmed it is DEAD.

Well, dug a little deeper ( removed gauge from cluster) Now it WORKS. Go Figure. Unfortunately I broke the Trip Rest arm during the reassembly process. I also had a few indicator bulbs that did not want to work. Fortunately, it was just tarnished socket contacts causing the problem. All the bulbs got a good cleaning. and Ohms checked 0.008-0.006 (problem Fixed).

[Starglider]

Added these seatbelt covers;

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e6/stargliderx/seatbelt-covers_zps1432d821.jpg

inspired by the Dodge Conquest TSi (http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/05/junkyard-find-1988-dodge-conquest-tsi/) :)

[Nicholas R]

Added these seatbelt covers;

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e6/stargliderx/seatbelt-covers_zps1432d821.jpg

inspired by the Dodge Conquest TSi (http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/05/junkyard-find-1988-dodge-conquest-tsi/) :)

Whoa nice! Where did those come from?! Did you have them made?

[Starglider]

Whoa nice! Where did those come from?! Did you have them made?

Thanks, I had them made by Redline Accessories (http://www.redlinegoods.com/).

[DeLorean03]

Started painting my underbody/suspension with ZeroRust.

I LOVE this product. It is a preventative rust paint, and it is well worth its price of $25 a quart.

17879
Passenger side. Zerorust is the light grey paint.

17880
Sway bar

17881
Driver's side

[DeLorean03]

Installed one of the sun visor brackets that was never installed correctly since I purchased my car in 2003. Fixed now (:

17887

17888

17886

[DrJeff]

Finally, finally, finally!!! got the @#$%^ clutch slave cylinder out of the car. I wasn't able to budge the hardline connection to the slave, so I had to undo the other end of the hardline. The two bolts holding on the slave were straightforward once I had the right socket size (11mm). I got the slave moving but the coolant pipes just above the slave wanted it to stay in place. I got the clutch fork held back and stable with a 24in prybar and a large cable tie.

Not really looking forward to putting the refurbished slave back in.

??? Has anyone refurbished their slave and master cylinders themselves? documentation? I got the kits from JHarvey and thought it would be worth a try. Worse case I fail and get to practice doing this again.

[jawn101]

Took a short drive, first in over a week. I never usually go that long but weather and other responsibilities conspired against me.

On the plus side I filled up on the way home and recorded my best D mileage yet at 26mpg. Most of the current tank was burned on the highway as opposed to my usual surface street and back road jaunts though.

[gongloo]

Replaced the front driver's side marker light socket, as the old bulb rusted itself to the original socket. Now all of the lights, save for the headlights and a few internal bulbs, are LED.

[SIMid]

Replaced/cleaned all the fuses in the fuse box.

[Bitsyncmaster]

??? Has anyone refurbished their slave and master cylinders themselves? documentation? I got the kits from JHarvey and thought it would be worth a try. Worse case I fail and get to practice doing this again.

It is no effort to do the slave but there were a few different types so you may not have the correct parts on hand. John has the parts for each type slave.

[Jonathan]

I took my snow shovel out for a nice Spring push around the driveway. Beautiful winter we are having this Spring, eh?

Sheesh, Dunlop NCTs? Cooper Cobra sets of four? Nah... do they make snow tires for this thing???

[dvfr750f]

I am overhauling the entire Cooling system. New Radiator/fans, waterpump(from DPI) and hoses(blue silicon. Also new Vacuum hoses(red silicone), Distributor cap and rotor, Oil temp sensor and wire, coolant tank, etc as the issues pop up. Started a few days ago and still waiting on parts. Learned alot about 'who' to order parts from:)

[chris williams]

Took Vin#15768 on it's first drive after it's 14 year hibernation:rock_on: 15 miles and only ground to a halt once! soon fixed with a tap to the fuel pump.
Chris

[Bitsyncmaster]

Looks like I will need to get a new battery. My yellow top has not been holding a charge for much more than a few weeks. I don't plan on another Optima because of cost but it has lasted 6 or 7 years.

[LordFly]

I took my snow shovel out for a nice Spring push around the driveway. Beautiful winter we are having this Spring, eh?

Sheesh, Dunlop NCTs? Cooper Cobra sets of four? Nah... do they make snow tires for this thing???

I recommend a set of Uniroyal Tiger Paw Ice & Snow II ;)

[Jeff K]

17921

I aligned the buttons on the center console. I had to use a drill and grinder to countersink the holes a bit. As stated before, the LED window stitches are a tad taller.

I shimmed the center console up with wood so it does not have the classic sag anymore too.

[DeLorean03]

Installed Bitsync's solid state RPM relay. Great piece of mind for under $100.

[Jonathan]

17921

I aligned the buttons on the center console. I had to use a drill and grinder to countersink the holes a bit. As stated before, the LED window stitches are a tad taller.

I shimmed the center console up with wood so it does not have the classic sag anymore too.

Beauty job on the alignment, Jeff. That's far better lined up than pretty much any other DeLorean I have seen.

[jwrayth]

Today I finally collected my car from ChrisN and drove it home since it's all UK Legal now! And in true DeLorean fashion, my Radio antenna snapped off whilst on the freeway and then I had hot-start issues with a crowd watching me.

Oh well, I suppose this is where the fun begins? :drunk:

[Domi]

Congratulation, any pictures of your adventure?

[DMC5180]

Replaced My broken Trip Reset shaft. That's a tedious little job not for the faint of heart. (things can and will break if extreme caution is not taken and your unfamiliar with the disassembly process) This is a job that should be left to the pro's if your not mechanically inclined. While I was at it I cleaned all the copper on the Flexible Circuit board with tarn-x.

[Jeff K]

Beauty job on the alignment, Jeff. That's far better lined up than pretty much any other DeLorean I have seen.

Thanks Jonathan! It always bugged me how bad my switches looked. After countersinking under the switches, I think shimming the center console up with wood (From DMCDave If I remember correct) , make the angle look right.

[dustybarn]

Cleaned the windows and the wheels. Re-aimed the headlights (which were low because of the lowered front suspension). Put on 90 miles just messing around, and attracted lots of attention.

[DrJeff]

Replaced the wear & tear components (rubber) on the master and slave clutch cylinders. Re-installed both in the car and bleed. Some dripping straight afterwards is hopefully coming from the DOT4 spilled when my bleeder pipe came off the nipple. We'll see in the morning if she's still dripping after a few pumps of the clutch.

[LordFly]

Picked up and installed my freshly repaired and painted louvre! Big thanks to Justin on that one :)

17960

[Domi]

Louvre looks amazing that way :thumbup2:

[Wells Auto]

Picked up and installed my freshly repaired and painted louvre! Big thanks to Justin on that one :)

17960

You're welcome Devon!:thumbup:

[Kenny_Z]

I finally got around to fixing the damage I caused during the paint stripping. I was carrying too much and dropped this signal marker into some discarded paint stripper.

http://uploads.m-cgi.com/kennyz/Delorean/Projects/ext01.jpg

I figured I couldn't hurt it any more than it already was so I decided to try to fix it before purchasing a new one. I started with 180 and moved through grits to 1500. I finally followed it up with some Plastx from Meguiar's. Other than the pitting I can't get out it didn't turn out half bad. I think I'll save the 25 bucks it costs to replace that for now. Down the road I'll probably get a new one.

http://uploads.m-cgi.com/kennyz/Delorean/Projects/ext02.jpg

[krs09]

I got a lot goin on .. Just got my heads bck from getting reconditioned along with my flywheel. Pulled all the pistons with the sleeves and cleaned the block and sleeves like there is no tomorrow. I managed to replace all the liner seals and install the new heads. Little bits and pieces to put on then goning to time the engine. Getting there.. Could not be done with out the help of Josh at DPI, Mike and Dave DMCMW and Toby and Misty and DPNW and all you guys in this fourm. Thank god for DmcTalk.. :thumbup2: 179781797917980179811798217983179841798517986

[Bitsyncmaster]

Those four red/orange wires on the Binnacle dimmer had one about to break off. It's just a common point to join headlight switch lamp, hazard switch lamp, clock and the lamp power source. So I cut them short, butt connected the four wire and used one original wire to tie to the dimmer. Less wires to pass to the dimmer now.

[DMC5180]

Replaced Passenger side Trailing arm pivot bushing. ALL Bolts came out easily. Cleaned the Ground cable connection. It was in pretty good shape considering I've never messed with it in 19 years. I had previously installed Toby TAB's about 10 years ago. The bolt was in perfect condition. While I was under there I replaced the L & R Transmission Mounting Brackets with SS replacements from DPI. It was one of those to do Items I had sitting on the shelf for the past year. (driver side bracket was cracked in one spot).

Next up is to finish the Driver side TA pivot bushing and adjust my Gear shifter Position to line up with my Aussie SS Gear shift plate.

[DrJeff]

Replaced the wear & tear components (rubber) on the master and slave clutch cylinders. Re-installed both in the car and bleed. Some dripping straight afterwards is hopefully coming from the DOT4 spilled when my bleeder pipe came off the nipple. We'll see in the morning if she's still dripping after a few pumps of the clutch.

Update: Found some drips under the car in the morning. Used my endoscope to watch the slave clutch (bleeder, hard-line, fork & pin) as it was being pumped and no leaks! It looks like my drips are coming from the hot water valve that sits right above the slave. Looks like I got a bit too enthusiastic getting the slave into place and bumped/stressed the hot water valve.

Of course replacing the hot water valve means... go ahead and replace the radiator (I still have the stock one with plastic baffles), replace the fans, install the self bleeder, replace water hoses...)

[dmc6960]

Topping off battery charge...

Preparing for extraction...

[Josh]

Bought 11408! Sent the payment off this morning just dealing with shipping it from TN to Canada. Very Excited!

[thirdmanj]

Bought 11408! Sent the payment off this morning just dealing with shipping it from TN to Canada. Very Excited!

Oh sh!t.

[pezzonovante88]

Bought 11408! Sent the payment off this morning just dealing with shipping it from TN to Canada. Very Excited!

Congratulations! Where in Canada?

[Josh]

Congratulations! Where in Canada?

Regina, Sask. The delorean scene isn't too big here... haha.

[pezzonovante88]

Regina, Sask. The delorean scene isn't too big here... haha.

No I guess not. Are you the only owner there?

[Josh]

I would guess I will be the only owner in SK, but there has to be a car lurking around somewhere. I would love to be proven wrong!

[dmc6960]

Topping off battery charge...

Preparing for extraction...

Hrmph. Perhaps not yet...


...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 1 PM CDT THURSDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR A MIX SLEET...FREEZING RAIN...AND HEAVY SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 1 PM CDT THURSDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* TIMING: RAIN WILL TRANSITION TO A WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION THIS EVENING AND CHANGE OVER TO SNOW LATE WEDNESDAY. SNOW WILL SLOWLY TAPER OFF THURSDAY MORNING.

* MAIN IMPACT: SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 INCHES OR GREATER... MAINLY BETWEEN WEDNESDAY EVENING AND MID DAY THURSDAY.

* OTHER IMPACTS: ICE ACCUMULATIONS UP TO A TENTH OF AN INCH DUE TO SLEET AND LIGHT FREEZING RAIN TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW...SLEET...AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

[MML]

Replaced tail light and brake light bulbs with LEDs courtesy of Welmoed, looks great. Removed some scotch locks behind the tail lights and soldered the wires properly. Also put the LEDs in the AC panel.
Tomorrow I'll paint the edges of the AC panel (the clear plastic moulded part) as there's some light bleed, then put on a new decal. Will replace the binnacle bulbs as well if I get a chance.

http://i.imgur.com/senMAgF.jpg

[LordFly]

http://i.imgur.com/senMAgF.jpg

Wow, those are huge. Your board is in about 1000 times better condition than mine. Mine was all corroded, I had to clean it up with scotch bright pads and solder half the sockets to the board just to get them make contact.

[MML]

Wow, those are huge. Your board is in about 1000 times better condition than mine. Mine was all corroded, I had to clean it up with scotch bright pads and solder half the sockets to the board just to get them make contact.


Yeah, I was surprised how good they were first time I saw them! I was lucky in a number of ways with this car, in terms of the condition everything was in.

[DeLorean03]

Fixed this part of my roof box on the driver's side.

Yesterday morning, it looked like this:

18046

With fiberglass repair (very rough right now, this is NOT the final look), it now looks like this:

18045


Anyone who says "oh, the fiberglass underbody and the roof box separating is no big deal...", you can re-direct them to these pictures from now on (:

[jwrayth]

Fixed my fuel leak and thusly resolved the hot-start issues I noticed before the strong smell of gasoline hit me. Celebrated my very first DeLorean repair by taking her out for a spin and it was goooood.

18052

[LordFly]

Drained the tank in prep for cleaning. Hoping by tomorrow evening its completely dry and I can just vacuum all the crap out of it :)

[DeLorean03]

So continues the work to put the new headliners back in place. Today, silicone sealing the fiberglass roof to the roofbox:

18096

So here we are with the roof box and the fiberglass roof thoroughly cleaned, sanded, prepped, and ready to go. A black silicone will go between the two and make a watertight seal, keeping my new headliners safe. In one hand, I will have a caulk gun with black silicone, in the other will be a screwdriver to pry between the roofbox and the fiberglass roof. The trick is to lay a continuous and steady bead of silicone. We'll see how it goes....


18097

Here is the final product. I placed multiple beads of silicone between the roofbox and the fiberglass roof. After that, I took a paper towel and wiped off the excess silicone. Then I took my fingers and rubbed the silicone from left to right in one swoop. This was to flatten the silicone on the edge of the fiberglass roof and the roofbox and to do also make a good uniform appearance while making sure the seal was solid.

The four spring clamps are holding the two in place without squeezing the silicone out from between the two bodies. This needs to sit for 3 hours with the garage at about 68-72 degrees. Once this is done, I will sand and vacuum the rest of the door sill area. Then I will lay down a gray epoxy primer in prep for the paint. Finally, I will spray an acrylic based automotive Rustoleum paint in flat black. Once that is done, I can finally get the headliners ready to put back into the roof, replace the outer door seal, secure the headliners, and glue the fabric of the headliners back into place with the seals covering the edges.

Just to think, I thought the roof headliners would be a 2 day job tops. It's been 9 days now :P. These kind of "unexpected jobs" are fun to me. They can be a bit of a drag, but I try to see them as opportunities to succeed rather than "RAWR RAWR RAWR...." moments (: !

[Nicholas R]

Removed rear fascia assembly and bumper for engine access.

Installed rivet-nuts into fiberglass body for easier removal of the fascia in the future.

Replaced AC compressor clutch bearing as well as the AC belt tensioner.

Also re-epoxying several tail light nuts in the fascia. (I always have so much trouble with these)

[Bitsyncmaster]

Installed a new battery. Boy has the price of batteries gone up. Cheapest I could find was $79 at Kmart. And that is the cheapest battery (they also have Die Hard). I'm keeping my old battery because it seemed like it did not take much to charge it and it still started the car one week later. Maybe there is another problem that will show up. "Core" charge is only $9 anyway.

[DeLorean03]

More repair of holes with fiberglass. This time, I followed the instruction of HillBillyDMC on here, and the results I am pleased with.

One of the holes I plugged:

18138

Here we have a tiny black rust hole in the middle of the photograph. Time to practice more fiberglass work. This area has been cleaned and sanded - ready for fiberglass application!

18139

Here, a layer of fiberglass with resin has been applied.

18140

And here a second layer of fiberglass has been applied over the first one. Let thit dry for 90 mins, and no water will be getting back into that hole (: ...

[Tillsy]

Spent this week rebuilding the front callipers and installing stainless braided brake lines. Have just had the new bearings (well NOS, and it's obvious unfortunately so will need to look into something better later) pressed into the hubs so have now fitted new rotors and reinstalled.

Just got to fit the new pads, bleed, tighten everything up, and take her out for a shakedown - hopefully no issues so I can take her for a trip tomorrow, first time she'll be on the road since trip to Sydney last month.

[LordFly]

Reinstalled the fuel pump tonight after cleaning the tank REALLY well yesterday. She's good to go for a while :)

[jwrayth]

Removed my Craig Radio, un-jammed the tape and managed to put the deck back together again. Too afraid to stick in another tape to see if it all works, but at least I have the radio back again! With the center console out I also took apart the wiring for the after-market CD-changer and re-routed it so I can remove it all later in the summer (once I've decided whether to AUX-in the Craig, use a wired FM modulator or replace head-unit with a Retrosound Model One).

Finally got to drive the car with some music though!

Will be putting the center console back together next and then moving on to why the wings-a-loft has stopped working for the drivers side door...

[Tillsy]

All done and shakedown went fantastically - no noise from the bearings and brakes insanely better than he ever has! Off for a good trip tomorrow :)

[dustybarn]

Installed Club UK lower ball joints and replaced my ignition module, which was intermittently flaky.

[DeLorean03]

Duplicolor Self-Etching Primer and finally the Rustoleum Acrylic Automobile Flat Black paint laid today.

18178

18179

18180

18181

18182

18183

18184

18185

18186

18187

18188

18189

[Rich]

Tightened up both of the 10mm nuts that somehow worked slightly loose on one of the engine cover hinge studs inside the passenger compartment behind the rear bulkhead panel, causing an infrequent rattling noise over certain roads. Rattle eliminated.

[pezzonovante88]

Drove the car home today. Ran great. Hopefully the weather is okay next Sunday for the British car flea market.

[DrJeff]

After fixing the clutch slave and managing to get DOT4 over everything, I flushed out the engine bay - including the VOD - with a water hose. I then used a leaf blower to dry the engine off. To get the air into the VOD I used a 1/2in ID hose hooked up to the leaf blower. I then used my endoscope (aka "home DIY colonoscopy kit") to check out the VOD. It was mostly dried out and looking a lot better than before. Behind the water pump was missed so a second go with the hose and the leaf blower took care of it. This will have to do until I pull the intake off properly in a few weeks.

[Farrar]

Wondered what goodies I will buy the car with my 44-cent federal income tax refund.

Looked at it longingly.

[jawn101]

Jacked up the front to investigate a couple drops of coolant on the floor. It's either a short hose on the passenger side of the radiator, or the radiator side tank is starting to leak. Hard to tell, so I just cleaned up the mess, tightened the clamp and will check back. It is not an original radiator (metal tanks) so I was hoping this wouldn't come up... at least not right now!

Ripped out 2 rivnuts while removing the radiator duct to investigate. Somehow managed to drive to the store and purchase ONE replacement and not realize my mistake until I tried to install the second one that wasn't there. Sigh.

Tried to fix my oil pressure light switch. New thread on that coming up....

[Silverbullet]

Wondered what goodies I will buy the car with my 44-cent federal income tax refund.

Looked at it longingly.

Ah.... at least you GOT a refund... I had to pay... and pay... and pay...

[eagle-co94]

You could put a deposit down on a first class stamp Farrar. I'd suggest a Forever stamp as it'll give you the best return. Having said that my return will be pretty nice considering my status last year. Once things stabilize in my world I'm going to play with my deductions so that I owe every year. Better than to get a loan for Uncle Sam with no interest than to give one with no interest!

To stay on topic I picked up an Engine hoist yesterday and assembled it today. The sun has set, but I'm hoping to still pull a motor/trans tonight.

[LordFly]

Replaced the extremely aging (yet surprisingly still functional) 3.5" front speakers with some Kickers. Rears to follow when I find some 4x10's. Then maybe a small sub or 2 built for the back shelf.

18218

[DMC5180]

Replaced Front both front (crusty/rusty) marker light sockets. The bulb was frozen in the Right hand socket also

the Replacement socket is about 1/4 in longer the original. It does just fit with careful manipulation of the ground wire terminal attached to the socket.

18263


Left Front marker Socket
18265

Right Front Marker Socket
18264

[jawn101]

Got my oil idiot light working again. Those sensors are touchy if you take em apart.

Ordered another huge load of gaskets from Dave and Julee. Engine comes out again at the end of may. We'll lick these leaks yet. Anyone who wants to come help/watch is welcome! :)

[vwdmc16]

Gave my car a much needed wash, still needs more detailing before the parade this weekend. Then I sighed at how much money I need to put down for the next few upgrades I want to do, For the first time im having trouble deciding what big project to tackle first.

[dmc6960]

Still... Waiting...


THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING.

* TIMING: SNOW WILL BEGIN THURSDAY MORNING ACROSS WESTERN MINNESOTA...WITH THE RAIN SNOW LINE PUSHING EAST THROUGH THE DAY. ALL AREAS WILL EXPERIENCE SNOW BY THURSDAY NIGHT...WHICH MAY BE HEAVY AT TIMES.

* SNOW ACCUMULATION: AROUND 6 INCHES.

[pezzonovante88]

So, on Monday I took 5875 to my usual shop for it's Spring service (oil+filter, coolant flush, main coolant hoses, belts). The car ALWAYS starts up perfectly and runs at the correct temperature. When I picked the car up today, it would barely start and it began to overheat on the drive home. There isn't a mass leakage of coolant anywhere that I can see, but I did notice some coolant coming from what I believe to be the oil filter housing ???? The car was just flat-bedded back to the shop. My question is, what the HELL could they have done to so drastically change the running characteristics/behavior of my car from performing an oil change and coolant flush?

I've been dealing with this mechanic for several years with various cars and we're on very good terms. He deals with a lot of Porsches, BMWs, Lamborghinis, Maseratis, etc., but not too many older cars like DeLoreans. My plan is to have him work on my car so he can become my own personal DeLorean "expert" so I want to keep the relationship strong.
I understand that people make mistakes and that the car is a strange thirty-year vehicle, but come on. Such a simple job gone so wrong.

[jawn101]

So, on Monday I took 5875 to my usual shop for it's Spring service (oil+filter, coolant flush, main coolant hoses, belts). The car ALWAYS starts up perfectly and runs at the correct temperature. When I picked the car up today, it would barely start and it began to overheat on the drive home. There isn't a mass leakage of coolant anywhere that I can see, but I did notice some coolant coming from what I believe to be the oil filter housing ???? The car was just flat-bedded back to the shop. My question is, what the HELL could they have done to so drastically change the running characteristics/behavior of my car from performing an oil change and coolant flush?

I've been dealing with this mechanic for several years with various cars and we're on very good terms. He deals with a lot of Porsches, BMWs, Lamborghinis, Maseratis, etc., but not too many older cars like DeLoreans. My plan is to have him work on my car so he can become my own personal DeLorean "expert" so I want to keep the relationship strong.
I understand that people make mistakes and that the car is a strange thirty-year vehicle, but come on. Such a simple job gone so wrong.

Eek. I hope the shop does right by you, whatever went wrong....

[BABIS]

So, on Monday I took 5875 to my usual shop for it's Spring service (oil+filter, coolant flush, main coolant hoses, belts). The car ALWAYS starts up perfectly and runs at the correct temperature. When I picked the car up today, it would barely start and it began to overheat on the drive home. There isn't a mass leakage of coolant anywhere that I can see, but I did notice some coolant coming from what I believe to be the oil filter housing ???? The car was just flat-bedded back to the shop. My question is, what the HELL could they have done to so drastically change the running characteristics/behavior of my car from performing an oil change and coolant flush?

I've been dealing with this mechanic for several years with various cars and we're on very good terms. He deals with a lot of Porsches, BMWs, Lamborghinis, Maseratis, etc., but not too many older cars like DeLoreans. My plan is to have him work on my car so he can become my own personal DeLorean "expert" so I want to keep the relationship strong.
I understand that people make mistakes and that the car is a strange thirty-year vehicle, but come on. Such a simple job gone so wrong.

maybe they removed the coolant plug above the oil filter ?

[ALEXAKOS]

sometimes an oil change can tiger other waiting to happen malfunctions. Not saying that it may not me the garage's error.
Its just back luck that sometimes something breaks after you have fixed something else. Better bring it in and ask or an explanation.

[John U]

If you had the coolant changed, the stuff you see on the oil filter may be residual from when they drained it. Could be that they didn't bleed the system right causing the overheating.




What did I do today....finally got my passenger side window motor replaced!!!!

[DeLorean03]

Got my LED window switches to FINALLY sit flush. Did it with the walk-through awilder provided here:

http://www.awildermode.com/2012/08/fixing-window-switch-part-iii.html

I was hesitant to do it at first with fuel lines in the EDGES of the center console, but I trusted his walk-through, and all went well - at least it terms of missing the fuel lines. Took me a long time to do with a good amount of unexpected "uh oh....."s, but it worked and after almost 3/4 of a year, my window switches sit flush. My advice for those that do this - have a recipocating saw ready. It would have made this a 1000x easier for me.

I know, first world problems.

[Patrick C]

Got my LED window switches to FINALLY sit flush. Did it with the walk-through awilder provided here:

http://www.awildermode.com/2012/08/fixing-window-switch-part-iii.html
.

Or, you could just put a few washers under the center console mounting brackets. I did that a few years ago. It takes a couple of minutes and raises the console just enough so the switches sit flush.

[DeLorean03]

Or, you could just put a few washers under the center console mounting brackets. I did that a few years ago. It takes a couple of minutes and raises the console just enough so the switches sit flush.

How many did you use? Did you do it on all 6 mounting brackets?? I ask because my wiring harness plug was hitting pretty early. I'd think I would have need like 5 washers on each mounting bracket o_o ...

[Patrick C]

How many did you use? Did you do it on all 6 mounting brackets?? I ask because my wiring harness plug was hitting pretty early. I'd think I would have need like 5 washers on each mounting bracket o_o ...

Probably 2 washers on each stud under the bracket. I believe I used 12 washers total, but I would have to re-check. Every car will be different based on warpage, etc.

[mluder]

If you had the coolant changed, the stuff you see on the oil filter may be residual from when they drained it. Could be that they didn't bleed the system right causing the overheating.


+1 - That's my guess. Most modern cars have a self blleding system. The DeLorean does not so if your mechanic is unaware he may not have. An air buble can definately lead to overheat.

Cheers
Steve

[pezzonovante88]

So, on Monday I took 5875 to my usual shop for it's Spring service (oil+filter, coolant flush, main coolant hoses, belts). The car ALWAYS starts up perfectly and runs at the correct temperature. When I picked the car up today, it would barely start and it began to overheat on the drive home. There isn't a mass leakage of coolant anywhere that I can see, but I did notice some coolant coming from what I believe to be the oil filter housing ???? The car was just flat-bedded back to the shop. My question is, what the HELL could they have done to so drastically change the running characteristics/behavior of my car from performing an oil change and coolant flush?

I've been dealing with this mechanic for several years with various cars and we're on very good terms. He deals with a lot of Porsches, BMWs, Lamborghinis, Maseratis, etc., but not too many older cars like DeLoreans. My plan is to have him work on my car so he can become my own personal DeLorean "expert" so I want to keep the relationship strong.
I understand that people make mistakes and that the car is a strange thirty-year vehicle, but come on. Such a simple job gone so wrong.

Turns out it was a large air bubble that caused the problems - the air bubble sent the wrong message to the coolant temperature sensor resulting in the inability to start when warm. The system was re-bled and all is okay (so far). As mentioned, I have dealt with the owner of the shop for several years and I trust him, but I think I'll request that he does all the future work on the car himself, rather than one of his techs. Now the car just needs a good cleaning.

[Josh]

Got my LED window switches to FINALLY sit flush. Did it with the walk-through awilder provided here:

http://www.awildermode.com/2012/08/fixing-window-switch-part-iii.html

I was hesitant to do it at first with fuel lines in the EDGES of the center console, but I trusted his walk-through, and all went well - at least it terms of missing the fuel lines. Took me a long time to do with a good amount of unexpected "uh oh....."s, but it worked and after almost 3/4 of a year, my window switches sit flush. My advice for those that do this - have a recipocating saw ready. It would have made this a 1000x easier for me.

I know, first world problems.

Switches look nice but I would never cut into the tub like that. Especially just to give switches some more depth.

[John U]

Switches look nice but I would never cut into the tub like that. Especially just to give switches some more depth.

I agree...I will try modifying the wiring harness when it comes time to install mine

[DeLorean03]

I agree...I will try modifying the wiring harness when it comes time to install mine

Tried that by installing jumper wires - didn't work out too well.

Popped fuses like balloons on a shooting range.

The cuts worked out well with stock wiring harness and everything fits like it should.

I have noticed a couple people saying when they added wire jumpers they started popping fuses and shorting things out. I wondered why that would happen - now I know.

[jawn101]

I wondered why that would happen - now I know.

Why? :)

I ask because I've long planned to make some up with right-angle flag terminals. Seems like if you properly insulate each one, there would be no additional risk?

[DeLorean03]

Why? :)

I ask because I've long planned to make some up with right-angle flag terminals. Seems like if you properly insulate each one, there would be no additional risk?

You are correct if you properly insulate each connection.

Problem I ran into: insulated male terminal ends are impossible to attach to the female plug end on the wiring harness. Insulated female ends weren't too big of an issue connecting to the window switches.

Then you have 4 jumper wires on each switch; I tried to give myself 6 inches of wire per jumper wire, which still turned out to not be enough.

Then on top of that, once you have your jumper wires ready to go and you place the female ends onto the window switches, the hard plastic of the female ends doesn't give bend well, causing your jumper wire ends to take up more room than you might have originally planned for, and all of a sudden you're back at square one.

Then you have those male ends hitting the positive wire of the cigarette lighter, and poof, as soon as you turn the ignition on there goes fuse #8. Still trying to figure out how I burned up fuse #5, as that is part of your charging circuit (read: operates the dash battery light).

Bottom line, two holes in the fiberglass body helping keep my electrical connections safe = good for me! Not like anyone can see the holes anyways.

[gongloo]

Finished replacing door sill lights with LEDs (used WLEDB-WWHP6-DAC in all six). Might go back in at some point to add a frosted diffusing sheet but man these things are bright. While I was in there, I pulled fuse 12 but still found that there's a current leak somewhere as the LEDs were still coming in (albeit very dimly). Pushing the passenger-side door switch kills the leak, so at least I have a starting point to look from. If anyone has any hints on tracing it down, I'm all ears.

Adjusted the louvre latch upward so that it actually supports the louvres (as opposed to letting the bottom of the louvres rest on the bumper). Also got it to latch down rather than just kind-of lay there -- previously it was easy to pull the louvres up without pulling the release clip. I don't know how long it had been out of adjustment but it turns out that my louvres are slightly bowed so that the sides no longer rest on the weather stripping underneath. Hopefully this problem will cure itself by way of gravity and time. Haven't driven it yet; hoping it doesn't rattle much.

While I was in there adjusting the louvre latch, I also adjusted the engine cover latch so that it sits a bit tighter and has much less play.

[Bitsyncmaster]

You may be getting a little power through the door adjar light but that should only be active with the key on.

Pull your dome light unit if you install LEDs in the dome lights.

[Josh]

You are correct if you properly insulate each connection.

Problem I ran into: insulated male terminal ends are impossible to attach to the female plug end on the wiring harness. Insulated female ends weren't too big of an issue connecting to the window switches.

Then you have 4 jumper wires on each switch; I tried to give myself 6 inches of wire per jumper wire, which still turned out to not be enough.

Then on top of that, once you have your jumper wires ready to go and you place the female ends onto the window switches, the hard plastic of the female ends doesn't give bend well, causing your jumper wire ends to take up more room than you might have originally planned for, and all of a sudden you're back at square one.

Then you have those male ends hitting the positive wire of the cigarette lighter, and poof, as soon as you turn the ignition on there goes fuse #8. Still trying to figure out how I burned up fuse #5, as that is part of your charging circuit (read: operates the dash battery light).

Bottom line, two holes in the fiberglass body helping keep my electrical connections safe = good for me! Not like anyone can see the holes anyways.

I understand this allows for easier wiring. But what you did was cut two holes in your floor. Water, dust, dirt, can all get in now.

[jawn101]

Washed it like a crazy person for the parade tomorrow. Didn't get the go-ahead to use any of the wife's pantyhose for bug removal duty, so a carwash sponge had to fill in :)

[MTDMC]

Installed new struts for the trunk, doors, and louvre.

[ed77katr]

18370 Havent had a chance to Do anything to it. I need to have a Key made for the ignition. Any Key experts here? ... also a test here to see if this new "old" Guy can post a picture on a thread.

[Chris 16409]

18370 Havent had a chance to Do anything to it. I need to have a Key made for the ignition. Any Key experts here? ... also a test here to see if this new "old" Guy can post a picture on a thread.

If you can find the key code, DMC-H can have a key cut for you. I'll let others chime in on where you can find the code.

Edit, just saw you have one of the last cars built, so the code might not be in the usual places.

[Kenny_Z]

Installed my timing cover and set the valve covers in place temporarily. I wanted to do this last week but family matters kept me away from the car.

http://uploads.m-cgi.com/kennyz/Delorean/Projects/engine37.jpg

[Domi]

This is really great, I like it a lot ;)

[vwdmc16]

Continued on with repairing cracks in my lower engine lid, The grilles are sandblasted and repainted but Im thinking I may glue the mesh in. Those retaining strips are junk IMO, too heavy, excessive and can come loose.

[MML]

Meant to post this earlier; last week I tidied up the AC decal at the same time I put the LEDs in. Had to spray the edges of the panel itself with black paint to block light bleed. The new decal is a huge improvement.




http://i.imgur.com/4sjdyLs.jpg

[eagle-co94]

Yesterday I pulled the PRV w/5 speed from 891 before mother nature told me to stop. Today I pulled the PRV w/automatic from XXX and replaced it with the PRV & 5 speed. Exhausting weekend but very productive! Now to get down to the smaller bits and XXX will go to a new home.

[dmc6960]

Still waiting...


...winter storm warning in effect from 4 pm this afternoon to 7 am cdt tuesday...

The national weather service in twin cities/chanhassen has issued a winter storm warning for heavy snow...which is in effect from 4 pm this afternoon to 7 am cdt tuesday.

* timing: Rain will begin to overspread the area early this afternoon which will change to snow late this afternoon. The snow will taper off overnight. Snow will be heavy at times this evening with isolated thunderstorms also possible.

* snow accumulation: 6 to 9 inches.

[Kenny_Z]

http://uploads.m-cgi.com/kennyz/Delorean/Projects/steering15.jpg

I love it. I found the shipping notification for my 3d printed center pieces in my email so I should have them by Friday. I hope they turned out nice.

[eagle-co94]

What did the 3D printed pieces end up costing you? Do you know if they do a bulk discount?

[Kenny_Z]

I don't know if they do a bulk discount. I never saw that listed on the shapeways.com site. The pieces were a little over 6 bucks each. I bought one in black plastic and one in alumide. Shipping and processing came out to about 20 bucks.

[Jonathan]

http://uploads.m-cgi.com/kennyz/Delorean/Projects/steering15.jpg

I love it. I found the shipping notification for my 3d printed center pieces in my email so I should have them by Friday. I hope they turned out nice.

Have you looked into what is going on with your fuel gauge yet?

[Nicholas R]

Have you looked into what is going on with your fuel gauge yet?

He has a really big tank that holds a lot of fuel.

[jawn101]

Got a big box of gaskets from DMCMW. Realized I hadn't ordered the lower radiator brackets and hose couplers I wanted for my radiator job and called Julee back with my tail between my legs.

Replaced my hood and engine cover bump stops and had a prolonged "oh, so THAT'S what it should look like" moment.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=18518&d=1366766761

Tried to rebuild my engine cover latch with very limited success. I cleaned the whole thing, replaced the springs and greased everything. The smaller, vertical spring seems to be the reason it doesn't "pop", but the replacement lasted only a single use before it was stretched out and unusable.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=18519&d=1366766808

Checked my oil, coolant, brake and clutch fluid. Everything full and clean. Tomorrow I will hook up the pressure tester and see if the leak in the radiator becomes obvious enough to slap some JB weld on until my EU replacement arrives.

[Kenny_Z]

Have you looked into what is going on with your fuel gauge yet?

Yeah, sending unit is toast. I think the PO tried to fix it by using a blowtorch or something. I think I've tried to order a replacement three times now and every time I was backordered/canceled. Kinda gave up ;)

[jawn101]

Pressure tested the cooling system. Murphy's Law of Inverse Sh!t Luck and DeLorean Karma has been invoked and the whole thing is tight as a drum. 16PSI, no loss of pressure or signs of drips/leaks/bubbles anywhere. Not even at the radiator, which I swear was leaking last week and for which I just spent a fair wad on buying a replacement. If I was gonna replace something that wasn't broken, I would have much rather gotten the new fuel pump/sender unit :)

[DavidProehl]

Pressure tested the cooling system. Murphy's Law of Inverse Sh!t Luck and DeLorean Karma has been invoked and the whole thing is tight as a drum. 16PSI, no loss of pressure or signs of drips/leaks/bubbles anywhere. Not even at the radiator, which I swear was leaking last week and for which I just spent a fair wad on buying a replacement. If I was gonna replace something that wasn't broken, I would have much rather gotten the new fuel pump/sender unit :)

Yeah, that is frustrating. Along the same lines I haven't found that leak you spotted on my car. Drove it home and it hasn't dripped again. I'm not worried through, I'm sure it will turn into a steady stream this weekend on the long drive we have planned and be easy to spot.

[pezzonovante88]

Well, yesterday I brought my D to the bodyshop that my car dealer group owns to have a little cosmetic ding in the frame removed. They competed the work today and I'm very happy with the result. The bad news is, as they were re-parking the car, a Jag backed into the front of the DeLorean! No stainless panels damaged, thank God (it was on the left side too)! Just a little damage to the edge of the fascia near the left headlight and a little scrape on the black strip bumper. The grill and left fog-light are also now loose. So, they are going to remove the fascia and refinish it free of charge. The silver lining of this cloud is that my fascia already needed refinishing, as the old clear-coat is all cracked due to warping of the fascia and a PO's less-than-perfect repair job. So, although it's a little scary when the body-shop advisor approaches you and says, "we had a little incident with your car", it all comes out in the wash. Hopefully they do a good job.

I also received my new complete cooling system hose set from DMCMW. Should be installed next week or the week after.

[krs09]

Started my newly rebuilt engine with almost all new bits and peices and it didnt blow up! Sounded nice and smooth but it had a high ass idle hot and cold :confused0:. What are the best steps to correct idle?? I do have all new switches and vac lines but not sure where to start. I did replace the micro switch with a aftermarket one the PO installed so i hope he didnt change anything with the computer... I know now my tempgauge doesnt seem to work when it did before we pulled the engine soi have no idea why that is? ... What are the first few steps i should look into to fix my very loud idle ... PS, my tach doesnt work either.

[jawn101]

Yeah, that is frustrating. Along the same lines I haven't found that leak you spotted on my car. Drove it home and it hasn't dripped again. I'm not worried through, I'm sure it will turn into a steady stream this weekend on the long drive we have planned and be easy to spot.

Well don't worry. A jug of green, some rescue tape and the pressure tester are absolutely coming along for the ride with my normal emergency kit. :)

[DeLorean03]

Started my newly rebuilt engine with almost all new bits and peices and it didnt blow up! Sounded nice and smooth but it had a high ass idle hot and cold :confused0:.

Is it idling at 2000 rpm AS SOON as you start the car and will not come down no matter what ?

[krs09]

Is it idling at 2000 rpm AS SOON as you start the car and will not come down no matter what ?

Well Im not sure exactly what the rpms are (my tach is frozen at 3500) but yea, when the car fires up, it goes right to what feels like 2000rpms and stays there. Tapping the gas or just letting it run doesnt do anything. It sure does sound likes it racing. At least its smooth. .. What ya thinkin ??

[DeLorean03]

My first instinctive thought - the plug on your idle speed thermister came off. Happened to me in 2004 after completing a VOD restore with Casey - idle was solid 2200 no matter what hot or cold.

There's a way to bypass it.

Check the diagram out:

18532

So go to your idle speed ecu behind the driver's seat. Have a jumper wire ready with alligator clips on each end, or just get a piece of wires with the insulation off the ends as a "quick jumper". On my car, the factory wiring actually had lil areas of the insulation removed, making it perfect for testing purposes such as this.

Jump your black/slate wire and your black/yellow wires together. Make sure the jumper wire gets a nice good solid connection on each wire. Do all of this with the female wiring plug from the car's wiring harness securely fastened on the male plugs of the idle speed ECU.

Then start your car, or do all of the instructions with the car running; it will be loud as heck with the idle that high, but you'll sure hear the idle come down if jumping the two wires works.

I did this, and my idle came down to where it should be. If my instructions were a bit wordy or confusing, I can take a picture of my idle speed ECU. After a while, the jumper wire started to fail, so I actually snipped the wires off the female plug and tied the two wires together, thereby permanently bypassing the idle speed thermister. I wasn't about to dismantle my engine again just to put the plug back on the idle speed thermister - no sir :thumbdown:.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Well Im not sure exactly what the rpms are (my tach is frozen at 3500) but yea, when the car fires up, it goes right to what feels like 2000rpms and stays there. Tapping the gas or just letting it run doesnt do anything. It sure does sound likes it racing. At least its smooth. .. What ya thinkin ??

An open temp sensor going to the idle ECU will hold your RPM at 2500. Or a broken idle system will just hold the idle motor where it was.

[krs09]

My first instinctive thought - the plug on your idle speed thermister came off. Happened to me in 2004 after completing a VOD restore with Casey - idle was solid 2200 no matter what hot or cold.

There's a way to bypass it.

Check the diagram out:

18532

So go to your idle speed ecu behind the driver's seat. Have a jumper wire ready with alligator clips on each end, or just get a piece of wires with the insulation off the ends as a "quick jumper". On my car, the factory wiring actually had lil areas of the insulation removed, making it perfect for testing purposes such as this.

Jump your black/slate wire and your black/yellow wires together. Make sure the jumper wire gets a nice good solid connection on each wire. Do all of this with the female wiring plug from the car's wiring harness securely fastened on the male plugs of the idle speed ECU.

Then start your car, or do all of the instructions with the car running; it will be loud as heck with the idle that high, but you'll sure hear the idle come down if jumping the two wires works.

I did this, and my idle came down to where it should be. If my instructions were a bit wordy or confusing, I can take a picture of my idle speed ECU. After a while, the jumper wire started to fail, so I actually snipped the wires off the female plug and tied the two wires together, thereby permanently bypassing the idle speed thermister. I wasn't about to dismantle my engine again just to put the plug back on the idle speed thermister - no sir :thumbdown:.

Thanks for all the tips. Thanks to you too Dave. Im goingto try to tinker with some stuff at lunch. I replaced all the sensors and am double sure there plugged in with a little dielectric grease. Before we took the motor out it had a high idle then but there was a after market micro switch in there and when you pressed the switch all the way in (the switch was shit and the lever did not have the strength to push it all the way in) the idle would drop to right above to what sounded about right. So my though was to replace with a stock micro switch and it may fix my problems .. Guess not.. I havent started the car in about 4 months so it was a HUGE relief to hear it start and not seize up or anything. Just this damn idle.. Im going to triple check all sensors and vac lines and take look at the ecu behind the driver seat. .. If you do have pics of what you did I would greatly appreciate it .. love you guys .

[WelmoedJ]

To "short" the Idle Speed Thermistor (on the Y pipe) you also can brigde the white bulkhead connector pins 46 and 50.
Perhaps even easier than working in the ECUs compartment behind the driver's seat.

[MML]

Painted the rub strips and window frames... very pleased with how it turned out.

http://i.imgur.com/cCVc87L.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/D93hLW2.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/QIL60i4.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/GEkIn1u.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/nYhunTi.jpg

[Kenny_Z]

Nice job on the painting. It looks great.

I got to see the gas gauge on my DeLorean move for the first time ever thanks to DMCflux. He sold me his sending unit and it works great. I'll finally stop memorizing the mileage to know when to get gas.

http://uploads.m-cgi.com/kennyz/Delorean/Projects/misc002.jpg

[eagle-co94]

An inop tripmeter would bug me even more. I'd just reset it every time I filled up and keep a log. I've been doing that since I got my driver's license. Makes for nice records too.

[sdg3205]

Today I installed NOS wide black side stripes!

I wasn't going to say anything until I actually had them in my possession and installed on the car.

Huge HUGE thank you to the good man who contacted me and told me he had a set he'd sell me. Can't thank him enough. I've been looking for these for years. He can say hi if he likes otherwise ill respect his privacy.


18573
18574
18575

[DMCflux]

Yesterday I charged my a/c and replaced the low pressure switch. I had cold air for all of 15 min before I heard a pop and a pshhhhhhh. There went my whole (expensive) charge of R12 :swear1: Today I spent 2.5 hrs removing my evap/blower assembly to replace the evap and heater core courtesy of DMCMW. The removal wasnt as bad as I thought. I figured I will replace the heater core since I have it all apart. I don't want to do this again.

18578

[pezzonovante88]

Today I installed NOS wide black side stripes!

I wasn't going to say anything until I actually had them in my possession and installed on the car.

Huge HUGE thank you to the good man who contacted me and told me he had a set he'd sell me. Can't thank him enough. I've been looking for these for years. He can say hi if he likes otherwise ill respect his privacy.



Sweet. I always liked those stripes - something I'd consider doing in the future to change things up a bit.

[Farrar]

Turned the key and heard the starter motor turn. For the first time in over a year. I think I'm gonna split my face from grinning.

[DrJeff]

Getting close to completing the cabin rebuild. It's been a long time coming. Just need to recover the headliners and posts, and I think I'm done...

- New carpets throughout
- Leather dash, binnacle, glovebox, kneepads, steering wheel, rear trim panels, door panels, center console, armrest
- Rebuild armrest, with storage space, new buttons (windows, door lock/unlock, defrost), button arrangment, 12v power plug, led lighting, AUX input
- A/C vents moved to the knee pads from the center console and from the doors
- Touch tablet
- Defrost circuit rebuild with auto off and heated mirrors
- 100% (excl Battery light) instrument panel (dimmable), A/C panel, and footwell lights
- GM Chimer unit for doors, seatbelt, lights on
- Audio amp, with new dash and rear speakers
- Renewed all vacuum hoses for the AC controls / Airbox
- Auto dimming rear-view mirror (a necessity in truck country)
- Walnut burlewood surface around gear selector and in place of door vents
- Rerouted AC drain out through floor

Whew...

18580

[DeLorean03]

Getting close to completing the cabin rebuild. It's been a long time coming. Just need to recover the headliners and posts, and I think I'm done...

- New carpets throughout
- Leather dash, binnacle, glovebox, kneepads, steering wheel, rear trim panels, door panels, center console, armrest
- Rebuild armrest, with storage space, new buttons (windows, door lock/unlock, defrost), button arrangment, 12v power plug, led lighting, AUX input
- A/C vents moved to the knee pads from the center console and from the doors
- Touch tablet
- Defrost circuit rebuild with auto off and heated mirrors
- 100% (excl Battery light) instrument panel (dimmable), A/C panel, and footwell lights
- GM Chimer unit for doors, seatbelt, lights on
- Audio amp, with new dash and rear speakers
- Renewed all vacuum hoses for the AC controls / Airbox
- Auto dimming rear-view mirror (a necessity in truck country)
- Walnut burlewood surface around gear selector and in place of door vents
- Rerouted AC drain out through floor

Whew...

18580



OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO....AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Well done. That is a GREAT example of updating the interior but keeping it with a good feel to the originall still. I like it :thumbup: !

[Ron]

Sweet! :thumbup2:

[Stainless]

Getting close to completing the cabin rebuild. It's been a long time coming. Just need to recover the headliners and posts, and I think I'm done...

- New carpets throughout
- Leather dash, binnacle, glovebox, kneepads, steering wheel, rear trim panels, door panels, center console, armrest
- Rebuild armrest, with storage space, new buttons (windows, door lock/unlock, defrost), button arrangment, 12v power plug, led lighting, AUX input
- A/C vents moved to the knee pads from the center console and from the doors
- Touch tablet
- Defrost circuit rebuild with auto off and heated mirrors
- 100% (excl Battery light) instrument panel (dimmable), A/C panel, and footwell lights
- GM Chimer unit for doors, seatbelt, lights on
- Audio amp, with new dash and rear speakers
- Renewed all vacuum hoses for the AC controls / Airbox
- Auto dimming rear-view mirror (a necessity in truck country)
- Walnut burlewood surface around gear selector and in place of door vents
- Rerouted AC drain out through floor

Whew...

18580

More pictures please!

[vwdmc16]

Today, same as the day before, I drove my car all day with the DMC club on wonderful Californian coast roads. This is what the car is for!!!

[jawn101]

Overfilled the tank and popped the cover off my pump boot. I'm just glad the spilled fuel was $4.02 Ft. Bragg stuff and not the faaancy $6.47 Mendocino gas at the bottom of the tank. Rolled it over to 55,000 in a redwood forest.


This is what the car is for!!!

No joke! Pics for those interested at http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?p=101213#post101213

[dmc6960]

I am STILL WAITING!!!

Really, I mean just REALLY???

18671

Rain on this past Sunday and Monday finally cleared off the majority of the salt from the last April snowstorm. I had 5 minutes of free time yesterday in which I started up the engine for the first time this year. Ran great, but no time to inspect everything and take it out for a drive. I guess I'll try again next week sometime.

[Farrar]

I guess I'll try again next week sometime.

Patience, grasshopper... ;)

[Michael]

Got my new illuminated window switches in today....why did I wait so long to order these????
18672

[Domi]

I really like that new switches, they look really great!

[Kenny_Z]

Mocked up my exhaust and bought some metal to make my brackets (set purchased without them). Unfortunately my welder is out of gas and Airgas didn't have any tanks in stock. I had to get them to order it. I'll probably cut and bend the brackets tomorrow. I may go with flux core if I get really bored of waiting. I can get the penetration I need with flux, it just won't be as pretty.

I love the powdercoating and chrome slashcut tips.
http://uploads.m-cgi.com/kennyz/Delorean/Projects/exhaust16.jpg

[DrJeff]

I know the Texas State inspection isn't too difficult to pass (no emissions test), but it still feels good all the same to have it out of the way.

About 30 seconds into the test the inspector calls me over. I'm thinking... damn failed already... then he asks if I can operate the horn. Of course I just reach in and pump the horn - which sounds like a 'cruise ship on helium'. I bet he spent a few seconds pressing the steering pad or something before giving up.

[thirdmanj]

...I bet he spent a few seconds pressing the steering pad or something before giving up.

But thats where Doc put the horn in BTTF. ;)

[Ron]

^Ah, he just wasn't using his head...:tongue:^

[thirdmanj]

^Ah, he just wasn't using his head...:tongue:^

Win.

[Jonathan]

Thanks for all the tips. Thanks to you too Dave. Im goingto try to tinker with some stuff at lunch. I replaced all the sensors and am double sure there plugged in with a little dielectric grease. Before we took the motor out it had a high idle then but there was a after market micro switch in there and when you pressed the switch all the way in (the switch was shit and the lever did not have the strength to push it all the way in) the idle would drop to right above to what sounded about right. So my though was to replace with a stock micro switch and it may fix my problems .. Guess not.. I havent started the car in about 4 months so it was a HUGE relief to hear it start and not seize up or anything. Just this damn idle.. Im going to triple check all sensors and vac lines and take look at the ecu behind the driver seat. .. If you do have pics of what you did I would greatly appreciate it .. love you guys .

I don't know if you've already solved your high idle issue, but if not... At one point I was given a troubleshooting suggestion to see if my ECU (behind the drivers seat) was working. The suggestion was to pull out the connector on the back (of the two with the multi-wire, white plastic connectors, I don't remember which one... sorry) as a quick test and the theory being your car will default to this 2,000 RPM area. When I read your post I thought perhaps one of your connectors is already not connected all the way and perhaps if you got back in there and ensured they are good and snug it may help.

[Nicholas R]

Installed adjustable rear lower links and poly bushings. Went from -2 degrees of camber in the back to -.5 degrees where we should be. :)

[krs09]

I don't know if you've already solved your high idle issue, but if not... At one point I was given a troubleshooting suggestion to see if my ECU (behind the drivers seat) was working. The suggestion was to pull out the connector on the back (of the two with the multi-wire, white plastic connectors, I don't remember which one... sorry) as a quick test and the theory being your car will default to this 2,000 RPM area. When I read your post I thought perhaps one of your connectors is already not connected all the way and perhaps if you got back in there and ensured they are good and snug it may help.

They look good. I went in there looking for corrision and everything looked great, like new. I will throw some grease in there but who knows. I wish there was a sure fire way to test the ECU. So many components can cause idle issues itd be nice to rule one out. Thank you so much though. I need all the help I can get.

[DrJeff]

I finally got around to installing my 3rd brake light tonight. The brake light housing was designed and 3D printed to sit between the license plate lights. The aim was to integrate as much as possible into the look of the fascia.

1878018781

Since the light is small(ish) and not terrible high (although it is centered) I added the flashing to bring a little extra attention. All the rear bulbs are LEDs.
Video on YouTube (http://youtu.be/pbCca1CeP58)...

[Michael]

Very nice work! I bet you could sell those as a kit.

[vwdmc16]

I picked up a C4 Vette tailight and mocked it up too, needs some work to fit flush but should be nice.

[D Knight]

Installed new louver, SS overflow bottle, and glovebox insert.

[DMC5180]

Completed a FULL External lighting LED conversion.

Front park/Turn 45 SMD (1157 base)
Side markers 6 SMD BA9 base Red and Amber
License plate lights 30 SMD board w/ festoon adapter Cool White
Tail 18 SMD 1156 base Red
brake 45 SMD 1156 base Red
Turn 45 SMD 1156 Amber
Reverse 45 SMD 1156 base Cool White

upgraded old LED Door lights to new 5 SMD units (MUCH BETTER) 4 Amber/ 2 red
New Updated 6 SMD board mount trunk light Festoon (I'm gonna have to put a blinder on it so the cabin area isn't lit up blinding the passenger when putting gas in)

Finished installation of my Aussie SS Shifter plate w/illuminated DMC logo. Had to install an inline PWM dimmer to control the brightness of the logo. the logo is on all the time with key in the acc/run position. I used the always Live unused circuit for the Auto shifter illumination.

Went for the First :driving1: of the season 22 miles. Apparently the (driving1) emoticon was created in the UK. (RHD shifting)

[jawn101]

Completed a FULL External lighting LED conversion.

Front park/Turn 45 SMD (1157 base)
Side markers 6 SMD BA9 base Red and Amber
License plate lights 30 SMD board w/ festoon adapter Cool White
Tail 18 SMD 1156 base Red
brake 45 SMD 1156 base Red
Turn 45 SMD 1156 Amber
Reverse 45 SMD 1156 base Cool White

upgraded old LED Door lights to new 5 SMD units (MUCH BETTER) 4 Amber/ 2 red
New Updated 6 SMD board mount trunk light Festoon (I'm gonna have to put a blinder on it so the cabin area isn't lit up blinding the passenger when putting gas in)

Finished installation of my Aussie SS Shifter plate w/illuminated DMC logo. Had to install an inline PWM dimmer to control the brightness of the logo. the logo is on all the time with key in the acc/run position. I used the always Live unused circuit for the Auto shifter illumination.

Went for the First :driving1: of the season 22 miles. Apparently the (driving1) emoticon was created in the UK. (RHD shifting)

Got any pics of the LEDs? I was really unhappy with the ones I put in my brakes and turn signals (brakes not bright enough, turn signals not amber enough) and ended up going back to traditional bulbs.

Congrats on getting out of the garage!

[DMCMW Dave]

Decided spring was really over, hooked up the battery and took out my personal car at home.
Ran it for a while in the driveway to make sure everything was still in order after storage for the winter.
Ran out of gas - in the driveway.
Went to the gas station for some fresh gas
Finally got to take the first drive of the year!

Weather looks good, I'll likely daily-drive it this week. Time for some final tweaks to the power steering unit installed last year.

[DMC5180]

Got any pics of the LEDs? I was really unhappy with the ones I put in my brakes and turn signals (brakes not bright enough, turn signals not amber enough) and ended up going back to traditional bulbs.

Congrats on getting out of the garage!

No pics yet.

These are ALL Brighter than the standard bulbs (no Hot spots either). I do agree the Amber is too yellow, but then I'm not the one looking at them when in use :-). It's funny I tried the Amber SMD in the Tail position and it lit near up near perfect amber through the red lens. Putting a red Unit in the amber lens (showed through as RED unfortunately) I'm going see If i can find a suitable red translucent tape and wrap the Amber unit and see if that is enough shift the output to a more orange appearance.

[eagle-co94]

Finished prepping my parts car for shipping out to its new owne. Also replaced the broken ball joint and bent upper control arm and topped off the brake fluid for bleeding tomorrow.

[DMC5180]

Decided spring was really over, hooked up the battery and took out my personal car at home.
Ran it for a while in the driveway to make sure everything was still in order after storage for the winter.
Ran out of gas - in the driveway.
Went to the gas station for some fresh gas
Finally got to take the first drive of the year!

Weather looks good, I'll likely daily-drive it this week. Time for some final tweaks to the power steering unit installed last year.

Don't you mean Winter is finally over :-)

Possible T-storms Thursday with light rain into Friday up here. Hopefully Indy will be better.

[Jonathan]

I am starting to think there are more pieces of my car removed than there are still in it.

The final piece to come out before everything new and old goes back in is this miserable little bolt holding the last of the seatbelts in place. It is the passenger side receptacle bolt. If it isn't pretty much fused right to the head of the bolt with rust. I have gotten the bolt itself free within the threads, but I can only spin it out about a half a turn as the receptacle bottoms out on the fiberglass floor. I have been PB Blastering it, impact gun-vibrating it, and while trying to keep the bolt head in position, whack the receptacle with a hammer to try and break it free. None of the pieces need to survive as I have replacements for pretty much all of it.... well, except the threaded collar itself that this bolt is threaded into, as I am being paranoid/cautious of whacking it too hard for fear of this collar getting damaged. It is trying my patience to say the least... good thing the weather is nice and the golf course is right around the corner :)

1885218853188541885518856

[vwdmc16]

Continued body work on the lower engine lid, I really hope the reinforcements last and dont crack again.

[dmc6960]

Ahh yes, I can finally chime in on this as well. I too took my first drive of the year today. Ran it in the driveway for a while checking everything out. Low fuel light came on. But I did not run out of gas. Drive it to the station, filled up and went for about a 10 mile drive. Taking it to work tomorrow. Good day.

[Farrar]

Hooked up the trickle charger to the disconnected battery while I worked a little bit on the interior wiring -- removed and replaced damaged wire/terminals in rear area of interior harness, removed incorrect terminals and replaced with correct ones.

Started troubleshooting the door and interior lights. Suspect bad diodes (red, blue). Need to source replacement. Suggestions?

Replaced inner door seals. Tore one. Dammit.

Really annoyed with the sagging of the headliner -- can see dome light through gap at top of windshield. Baby steps.

[pezzonovante88]

Went to the body shop to see the progress on the car. It's all done and better than before it was damaged - all for free! The only thing is that I've had to order some new little rivet clip things to hold the grille in place since the others were broken during the repair. In the meantime, it's going to another shop tomorrow to have all the rubber coolant hoses replaced. Some of them are original and are looking pretty worn.
Hopefully I can have the car for this weekend back up and running.