That's pretty damn clean looking if you ask me.Quote:
Originally Posted by mr_maxime
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That's pretty damn clean looking if you ask me.Quote:
Originally Posted by mr_maxime
Yeah overall its in pretty good condition. However, I'm tossing the towel now, found out it wouldnt be too expensive to get it sandblasted.Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael
Many years ago (before the internet :-) I had the frame sandblasted due to rust. The PO drove it year round in MN. What I found was that the epoxy was very hard to remove epoxy where it was still in good shape. The problem areas are where rocks chip it and flexing causes cracks. So I didn't remove all the epoxy ... only the problem areas. The area down the central tunnel was as nice as the day it was made. The trailing arms were swiss cheese ... and so were a few parts of the frame.Quote:
Originally Posted by mr_maxime
A lot more is known now than when I did it, but back then I had it zinc chromated and then powder coated. The first layer was a zinc rich epoxy. The second was the color coat ... and since he put on the wrong color (black), the third layer (gray) was added.
And it doesn't see snow/salt any more. I did drive it once in the snow before restoration. Good traction like a front wheeled car. Poor steering, much worse than a normal rear wheel drive, due to the light front end.
That is "What have you done to your DeLorean today ... a while back"
I woke the car up from its mid-winter slumber. I had put it up on jack stands in October to look at an ATF leak and then got busy. Then winter arrived and figured that was the end of the season. Hadn't quite got around to adding some fuel stabilizer, but wanted to before Spring came and wished I had.
Engine fired right up and idled nice. Pretty clear where my ATF drip is coming from. The forward oil cooler hose. Lots of time to get that replaced before March/April. Just gotta figure out something with how cold it gets in the garage!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrnbc_UJIvI
Also had picked-up a couple legit 'remove before flight' streamers too. Got them at an airplane supply place next door to a small airport near me. $8 each and grabbed right off the shelf. No shipping or other nonsense. Saw someone else with the idea to clip them on the doors while open at shows. I've been trying to collect different things to change-up how I show the car at cruise nights. Mostly 80s related odds and ends, but these streamers are part of it too. Still on the look-out for one of those Star Wars Millennium Falcon cockpit sunshades. :)
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Started spraying down every brake line coupling and suspension bolt with penetrating lube. What started out as a mere electric conversion is easily snowballing into a full frame off restomod.
Corvette 3rd brake light; painted SEM trim black, LED conversion with integrated flash module. Click first image for video.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Cars/1981...MG_3129-X2.jpg
https://photos.smugmug.com/Cars/1981...127_heic-L.jpg
https://photos.smugmug.com/Cars/1981...128_heic-L.jpg
https://photos.smugmug.com/Cars/1981...32_heic-4K.jpg
What type of LED bulbs work with that housing assembly?Quote:
Originally Posted by gluaisrothaii
I’m interested in this too.Quote:
Originally Posted by jackb
Quote:
Originally Posted by jackb
Ah....where were my manners? I used this and something like this.Quote:
Originally Posted by Patrick C
Made an aluminum bracket from 0.040" I had around. Definitely not my best work but functional- I'm planning to re-make a clean bracket when I find higher output LED strand. Attached the bracket inside the lens with VHB tape. Current draw is less than 0.3 amps. I believe the stock lamp setup pulled more like 8 amps.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Cars/1981...137_heic-L.jpg
https://photos.smugmug.com/Cars/1981...138_heic-L.jpg
https://photos.smugmug.com/Cars/1981...145_heic-L.jpg
https://photos.smugmug.com/Cars/1981...140_heic-L.jpg
https://photos.smugmug.com/Cars/1981...141_heic-L.jpg
https://photos.smugmug.com/Cars/1981...144_heic-L.jpg
https://photos.smugmug.com/Cars/1981...143_heic-L.jpg
Here is an old thread about the third brake light. I had a real old thread on the old DMCtalk showing how I made my LEDs for it.
http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?42...rd-brake-light
I finished installing the DPI steering shaft and u joints. Between this and the DeLorean Go strut tower brace the car feels much nicer on the road.
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Click image for video.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Cars/1981...MG_3157-X3.jpg
Looks like they flash a little when first turned on.Quote:
Originally Posted by gluaisrothaii
Because there is no snow on the ground wife and I
took a drive through town to thrill the troops. Doesn't
look like a white Christmas this year...very unusual...
I installed a flasher module in the light for additional conspicuity.....Quote:
Originally Posted by Bitsyncmaster
https://photos.smugmug.com/Cars/1981...143_heic-L.jpg
Ordered the flange kit and 2 new cv axles, because one boot i ripped and id rather replace them all at once because im lazy.
Completed installing a new passenger door! PITA job! And just 2300 bucks. Stupid shopping carts!
Randomly picked up some Ford plastic trim fasteners at auto parts store and finally fix my passenger door roof panel. It always was a bit loose. Had to make a slight modification to the fasteners but now they work perfectly.
Almost every night this week I have been under the hood doing minor service, sprucing up, and detailing. Tonight I am done with the engine bay, on to the undercarriage where I will be quite busy with new pads and refreshed rotors, fluid and filter changes, and more waxing the frame.
I did redo the intake piping. I got new parts at the local parts store and fitted a flange on the pontoon to give the assembly a nice finished look. I was never happy with the air cleaner side either, I picked up an adapter with just a sprinkle of rice. New plugs, fresh clean and oil of the K&N filter, new idler bearings and repainted brackets, new belts, new rebuilt and cleaned alternator, and complete detail of the engine, timing cover, block and bay. I do have a nice new plated hose bracket since I polished all the zinc off the old one but I will change it when I replace the coolant.
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Bravo man! You must have amazing patience and a huge passion for these cars. Beautiful engine bay!Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael
Thank you and thanks again for the invite. I may do a Nashville meet later this year.Quote:
Originally Posted by JBaker4981
I do hear the word "patience" a lot especially when people see my scale models. Patience is tolerating something that displeases you. I love tinkering with the car. Finding something that is normally dirty and even unseen and making it nice is more of a therapy for me than a chore.
Later this month I am putting this thing on a lift for at least a week to go over the underside amd detail everything. It hasn't been done properly in a year or so and I have to do some maintenance. I am really looking forward to that. Pics to come.
Need a little help here. When I purchased my car, the passenger knee pad was not attached and on the floor of the car ripped apart. I've recovered the fabric, but all of the bolts except one were broken off the back. I was able to find 3 bolts in the car, but I see 5 holes. My plan is to JB clear weld these back in and reinstall it. Only issue is I don't know which holes (3 out of 5) would be best to use.
Any thoughts?
See below photo.
Attachment 62254
My kneepad plastic crumbled around the studs as well a while back, and I was missing one or two. I just got a small piece of threaded rod, cut it, and jb-welded it in place of the missing correct studs. (I used a combination of the liquid-gel epoxy and the moldable clay type depending on how exactly it was broken)Quote:
Originally Posted by Skinny
Another option if trying to replace missing bolts on those kneepads is to use the studs that are meant for the exhaust manifolds. Not an exact fit, but useable.
https://store.delorean.com/p-6459-stud.aspx
Thanks for the advice! Do i really need all 5? Or will the three i have hold it securely in place? There is still one intact, so that would be a total of 4.
I found this photo of someone else's restoration. Is the bolt circled different from the rest?
Attachment 62255
I’m sure missing one would not be a problem. Even if you don’t have the original stud, it’s not a problem. Just get a threaded rod or any bolt with long enough threads, cut to length or cut off the head, epoxy it in place, and get a nut to match it. The studs originally attached are all the same size, but it doesn’t matter what you use to repair it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Skinny
Lovely stuff Michael. :hihi:Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael
Wow Michael, fair play to you, brilliant to see!
Thanks everyone! I enjoy detailing the smallest and most hidden nooks and crannies. Tonight I got started on the brakes. I replaced the pads with EBC Green Stuff pads and refinished the hubs and rotors. I also touched up the calipers. I polished off the zinc coating several years ago but refinished them in gold and it has held up very well over the years. I wanted to make the assembley visible to anyone who would peer through the wheel fins for a closer look. I will get on the rears Friday or Saturday and hopefully have the front and rear suspension detailed by the weekend.
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Looks awesome. If you get bored and are having detailing withdrawals, you can feel more than welcome to come do mine :)
This week has and will have me tinkering. Tonight I did rear pads also from EBC, rotor refresh, installed the PJ Grady cooler fin kit, new o2 sensor(old one only has about 5k on it but they are cheap). Still so much to do.
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There is ALWAYS something on my own car that I can make cleaner or better.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lwanmtr
Damn Michael. So clean. I wish my frame was that clean. It's rust free but doesn't look like that. It has a perpetual dinginess in parts that just doesn't come off. It's never been repainted though and just touched up in few places where needed.
jesus as usualy christian and michaels cars look better than factory wtf. If i had a lift id be cleaning mine every day , but man using a jack is so annoying
Thanks all!
My neighbor has a lift in his garage and he is letting me use it this week. I pretty much got finished tonight with the underside. I forgot to take a pic of the finished product but it's still there so I will get a few tomorrow night.
Tonight I took an idea from another member here and used thermal barrier to protect the fuel tank from the cooling lines. In theory, this is what heats the fuel up causing pump noise and failure. Seemed logical and since I had some laying around:
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Here is the inside of my closing plate. Few small bits of surface rust. I'm not going to sweat it.
Attachment 62356
I also finished thermal wrapping my electrical wires that are close to the header. Even though it wasn't quite due I changed the oil and filter which gave me good access to the starter wire end.
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Once I get it home I will start refinishing my new hood that came in yesterday and begin the top side detailing process.
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The hood is as close to perfect as I had hoped for. Made me sick that I dented mine and I was lucky to find one used. The only thing I will need to do is a light blend, and I will refinish the backside and put on a new seal.
Michael, you could win a car show on cleanliness alone. Your car looks amazing and I'm glad that you got your replacement hood!
Thanks Jesse!Quote:
Originally Posted by JBaker4981
She is finally back in her own bed tonight. Had a few places on the frame that I didn't get all if the wax out of because my neck was killing me.
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wax??
Yes. You can wax a frame. Or, if you're Vanilla Ice, you can light up a stage and wax a chump like a candle.Quote:
Originally Posted by SS Spoiler