Frame/5-speed swap

[dmruschell]

I have a Delorean that needs a frame repair/replacement. While the frame is off, I'm toying with the idea of swapping in a manual transmission. I've been told the parts I need are:
Transmission
Shifter and linkage
Pedal box
Flywheel
Clutch/pressure plate (buy new)
Clutch hydraulics (master/slave/reservoir)

Does anyone happen to have a 5-speed donor car with these parts available. Even if you don't, what would be the going rate for some of these items? If they're too costly, I may put off the swap for a little while and just enjoy the solid frame.

Also any leads on an automatic frame would be helpful in case the frame I have is beyond repair. Or, if I manage to find the 5-speed parts listed above, a 5-speed frame will work too. Thanks!

[Dangermouse]

Adding your location to your profile would be an immense help for this ad. UPS frown on shipping frames :)

[stevedmc]

Thats a pretty intense request for someone's first post on this forum. I'm suprised no one is bashing him for not using Google to find a frame.

[LEVY]

Thats a pretty intense request for someone's first post on this forum. I'm suprised no one is bashing him for not using Google to find a frame.

There is no reason for that.

We only have quality helpful members on this forum. The OP went straight to the point.

For dmruschell, welcome to the jungle! Sorry, I meant welcome to the forum.

LEVY

[Nicholas R]

I have a Delorean that needs a frame repair/replacement. While the frame is off, I'm toying with the idea of swapping in a manual transmission. I've been told the parts I need are:
Transmission
Shifter and linkage
Pedal box
Flywheel
Clutch/pressure plate (buy new)
Clutch hydraulics (master/slave/reservoir)

Does anyone happen to have a 5-speed donor car with these parts available. Even if you don't, what would be the going rate for some of these items? If they're too costly, I may put off the swap for a little while and just enjoy the solid frame.

Also any leads on an automatic frame would be helpful in case the frame I have is beyond repair. Or, if I manage to find the 5-speed parts listed above, a 5-speed frame will work too. Thanks!

Unfortunately, because of their rarity, quite a few of these parts can be costly. The following parts are all unavailable from vendors an must be located: pedal box, shifter, transmission mounts, and flywheel.

Still, if it's something you want, there's certainly no better time to perform the swap! I drove an auto for years, always wishing I had a manual. I could never justify the swap by itself because I never needed to take the car apart that far. When I decided to sawp the engine however, the perfect situation came about to swap the transmission (though the swap was also required for the new engine to work).

Also keep in mind that if you're working with a bare frame, modifying an automatic frame to be a manual frame is pretty simple. Just open up the hole in the existing plate a little bit, weld or bolt in a new plate or angle iron for mounting the shifter, then drill a hole to mount the cross shift cable. Keeping this in mind may make it easier to get a new frame since you wont be limiting yourself. If you have the skills to swap a frame, you definitely have the skills to modify one.

[dmruschell]

Sorry, I completely forgot about the whole location thing. I've updated it in my profile.

I'm working with some people in the local (and by local, I mean the Mid Atlantic) Delorean club who have a shop and the ability to do the frame replacement or repair for me and have converted auto cars to manual and will go fairly easy on the bank account. I'm still a newbie when it comes to working on cars, despite my D being the newest car I own. But, I learn well when shown what to do, and the Delorean community seems very interested in taking care of each other.

The people that will be doing the frame work suggested I try to get leads on frames in case mine isn't repairable, and gave me that list of parts needed for the manual swap, so I figured I'd ask you guys. Sometimes people know people who know people that have hard to find parts.

I have actually searched on Google for frames for sale, and haven't come up with anything. But, sometimes just asking can help. The people doing the frame work have a few leads on 5-speed frames, but that will require the 5 speed swap, or some welding if my frame is too far gone.

It's my first post because I just recently purchased this car. Long story short, the Delorean is my long-time girlfriend's dream car. I found an auto (she can't drive stick) for a decent price in decent condition and jumped on it. Unfortunately the people who saw the pictures of the underside couldn't see the rot. Bad pictures, and the car had been undercoated, and a wast of a vehicle inspection. However, the rot became apparent when I got the car up on a lift, and the seller was uncooperative and wouldn't take the car back. So, I've got one Delorean with a rotted frame that I want to make road worthy again, but how I want it to be, because I've got a 2nd one that's an automatic and has been completely rebuilt on the way. And, if we get tired of having 2 Deloreans, I'll sell the one that has the damaged frame, but I want to fix my mistake before I do that.

Sorry for the long post. I suppose I should have done a proper introduction post at some point. Oh well. Hi everyone!

[Delorean Industries]

Sorry, I completely forgot about the whole location thing. I've updated it in my profile.

I'm working with some people in the local (and by local, I mean the Mid Atlantic) Delorean club who have a shop and the ability to do the frame replacement or repair for me and have converted auto cars to manual and will go fairly easy on the bank account. I'm still a newbie when it comes to working on cars, despite my D being the newest car I own. But, I learn well when shown what to do, and the Delorean community seems very interested in taking care of each other.

The people that will be doing the frame work suggested I try to get leads on frames in case mine isn't repairable, and gave me that list of parts needed for the manual swap, so I figured I'd ask you guys. Sometimes people know people who know people that have hard to find parts.

I have actually searched on Google for frames for sale, and haven't come up with anything. But, sometimes just asking can help. The people doing the frame work have a few leads on 5-speed frames, but that will require the 5 speed swap, or some welding if my frame is too far gone.

It's my first post because I just recently purchased this car. Long story short, the Delorean is my long-time girlfriend's dream car. I found an auto (she can't drive stick) for a decent price in decent condition and jumped on it. Unfortunately the people who saw the pictures of the underside couldn't see the rot. Bad pictures, and the car had been undercoated, and a wast of a vehicle inspection. However, the rot became apparent when I got the car up on a lift, and the seller was uncooperative and wouldn't take the car back. So, I've got one Delorean with a rotted frame that I want to make road worthy again, but how I want it to be, because I've got a 2nd one that's an automatic and has been completely rebuilt on the way. And, if we get tired of having 2 Deloreans, I'll sell the one that has the damaged frame, but I want to fix my mistake before I do that.

Sorry for the long post. I suppose I should have done a proper introduction post at some point. Oh well. Hi everyone!

We have frames here as well Derrin. BTW your SPEC II engine goes in on Monday.

[Delorean02378]

PM sent regarding the below parts. They are located in Nashville TN.

Transmission
Shifter and linkage
Pedal box
Flywheel
Clutch hydraulics

Kirk

[Dangermouse]

Thats a pretty intense request for someone's first post on this forum. I'm suprised no one is bashing him for not using Google to find a frame.

OP, Steve is just joshing, as some people gave another new member a hard time for asking what a VIN was, without Googling it.

[dmruschell]

We have frames here as well Derrin. BTW your SPEC II engine goes in on Monday.

OOOO YES! We're excited about #3196!

How much are the frames you have? I knew you had the one in your shop, but I wasn't aware that you had extra ones available, and I don't remember the price either. I was in a bit of shock that day, haha! I also saw a thread about the 5-speed swap where you said that you have most of the parts needed in stock. Is that still true? I'll also be contacting you about your exhaust system too for #5786 when my life has calmed down a bit.

Just an FYI to everyone, Josh has been extremely helpful with helping me out with the frame issues and trying to resolve the situation with the seller through eBay. His stellar reputation is more than deserved based on the help I've received and the quality of work I've observed in his shop. Not many people would drop everything they're doing on a Saturday and spend the rest of the day helping a walk-in customer without asking for anything in return. I'd have him do the frame swap for me (which we had talked about doing before he showed me the car he's rebuilding and selling, which I couldn't pass up), but I want to start to get my hands dirty with this one, especially since we'll have another one around we can enjoy in the meantime!

[dmruschell]

OP, Steve is just joshing, as some people gave another new member a hard time for asking what a VIN was, without Googling it.

Yeah, I figured. no worries here :) Although, a VIN is something that every person that owns a car should be aware of. If what's on the car doesn't match what's on the title, that can be a big problem lol.

[Nicholas R]

Do you have any pics of the frame? I'm kind of curious to see how bad the rot is. Thanks!

[Shep]

Yeah, I figured. no worries here :) Although, a VIN is something that every person that owns a car should be aware of. If what's on the car doesn't match what's on the title, that can be a big problem lol.The individual who asked the question was rather young, a few years shy of driving age, so it's understandable that he didn't know and chose to ask. Although if the VIN on the title doesn't match the VIN on the car, and there was no malicious intent, that could turn into an interesting situation.

Just so you're aware, my D is also getting serviced at DPI as we speak. Not sure when it'll be done since we keep adding more things to work on, but since I live a half hour away, I do visit occasionally to keep tabs on the progress. Next time I schedule a visit, I'll send you a PM. I'd be more than happy to take pictures of your D in progress while I'm taking pictures of mine :wink:

[Delorean Industries]

Here is one of the better spots.

[dmruschell]

The individual who asked the question was rather young, a few years shy of driving age, so it's understandable that he didn't know and chose to ask. Although if the VIN on the title doesn't match the VIN on the car, and there was no malicious intent, that could turn into an interesting situation.

Just so you're aware, my D is also getting serviced at DPI as we speak. Not sure when it'll be done since we keep adding more things to work on, but since I live a half hour away, I do visit occasionally to keep tabs on the progress. Next time I schedule a visit, I'll send you a PM. I'd be more than happy to take pictures of your D in progress while I'm taking pictures of mine :wink:

Yeah I'd love to see pictures! Sorry I've been MIA the last few days. I moved last weekend so I don't have Internet there yet and my house is a disaster area.

Josh is rebuilding the 3xxx vin car and he's doing some maintenance work on the 5xxx vin car with the rotted frame. I'm having him do some work to it so I can drive it around the neighborhood a bit and keep it running so I don't have more things to worry about when the frame comes off.

The picture josh posted is probably my favorite rot picture to show people, just a gaping hole lol. The delorean has a great support community and with everyone's help, 5xxx should be back on the road (hopefully sooner rather than later, but we'll see).