BTTF Time Machine Build Questions - Ask Me Anything

[Mark D]

Mark, and others,
Thanks for sharing whatever pieces you can within reason. I'm a new owner, only 10 months into it and I enjoy the puzzle-building challenge of it, much like as a kid putting the model cars together. Now, if there's a simplicated parts list you can share, or pictures of your builds, I'd appreciate it so when going to car shows against Mustangs/Chargers/Corvettes, and representing the DeLorean/BTTF fan base, it's closer to 95% solution than stuck at 40% because 30 years after the movie it's hard to know what parts to look for, even substitutes or look alike stuff would be great. Yes, we all want to make our fan-home-replica project cars as much like the movie as possible for accuracy. So for the few of us working on everything from scratch with no professional staff, (mine is mostly help from friends & grandkids & a welder on exhaust vents), where do you recommend going to get the flux band tubes (like national hardware chain?) (WHAT SIZE tube, aluminum??) and the stainless steel mesh (?) and the rubber pieces that hold it all to the car?

Thoughts on best tool to bend the tubes into right curves configuration?

Will any of you be attending the big national Delorean Convention in Springfield, Illinois this summer with your replicas? Hope to meet you there! Thank you very much!

Stan-PushN 88

Hey Stan, If you PM me your email address I can email you a bunch of reference photos to help with your build.

For the flux bands the acurate solution is to use either 3/4" solid aluminum rod or 3/4" aluminum tubing. I've only worked with solid rod using a hydraulic pipe bender like this one: http://www.harborfreight.com/12-ton-...der-32888.html

It's not the easiest method but with solid bar you don't have to worry about kinking tubing. If you can get the rod in annealed form it will be much easier to work with than heat treated rod like 6061-T6 which is more common. A map gas torch can also help to anneal the sections you're bending. If you mark off and heat up the sections where you're going to bend and let them cool down slowly you remove the heat treatment from the aluminum.

An alternative is to use galvanized steel conduit, but 3/4" OD is between conduit sizes and if you're going for accuracy the conduit does not look right. There are also small aluminum straps welded between the two bands which will be problematic to do with steel because of the need to remove the galvanized coating on the conduit and rusting issues afterwards.

There are gold chem film coated aluminum P clamps that secure the perforated aluminum mesh to the bands, and there should also be an 1/8" layer of plexi glass sandwiched between the ends of the clamps for the correct look, even if you're not planning on lighting up the flux bands. The clamps are measured in 1/16" increments and originally came with a layer of cushioning rubber on them, similar to the clamps that you see screwed into the panels of the car. The correct size flux band clamps are size -10 (5/8") measuring to the inside diameter of the clamp if there were rubber cushioning present. With the rubber removed a size -10 clamp has the correct 3/4" inner diameter with enough gap for the aluminum perforated mesh and the plexi. If you do not plan on using plexi you may want to go down one size in clamp. You can find various sized clamps at mcmastercarr, grainger, electronics websites, and even some big box retailers but it will be difficult to find the correct aerospace style clamps with 'lightening" holes in them to reduce weight. For ultimate accuracy the restoration had to special order clamps from an aerospace clamp manufacturer in large quantity to match the original specs. If you are anywhere near a place that sells surplus aircraft parts/surplus that would also be a good place to search.

The exterior wire clamps with purple rubber cushioning also have the same lightening slots and were part of the large special order we had to place. Those are size -13 and have a purple rubber cushion. The same clamps are also used at the bottom of the SID (light up display behind the driver's seat).

I have the exact specs on the perforated aluminum mesh you'll need, but I don't have any of my reference files on this computer so I'll get back to you on that one.

The rubber isolation blocks that mount the bands to the car were custom made for the car and not a found part. We machined a master part out of aluminum (could also use wood) and then made a silicone mold and poured castings in rubber. You could also cut them from thick sheets of rubber if you have a local water jet cutting place or create a cookie cutter type stamp out of sheet metal and die cut them out using a shop press.