My DeLorean Journal
Monday, December 6, 2010
The Replica Prop Forum now has a Movie Section!
Check out the discussions in the new Entertainment and Movie Forum on the Replica Prop Forum!
Click to visit the movie forum now!
Click to visit the movie forum now!
_
Monday, December 22, 2008
New Site - ColoradoMovieCars.com
Interested in having the Time Machine appear at your next event?
Check out www.ColoradoMovieCars.com for more info!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Back on the Road!
Finally got the Delorean back on the road this past weekend!
I was able to finish the coolant bleeder system install and get the car started up and took it out for a test drive, new Alt works great, Temp Gauge works great, new coolant fan switch works great.
Very happy.
Now I need to get the BTTF parts back on the car for an event on Halloween, but more on that later. ;-)
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Some maintenance work done
So the Alternator seized up in the Delorean a few weeks ago.
I wasn't surprised, the bearing didn't sound too heathy.
I have been so busy lately that I had to let the car sit for a few weeks until I could find time to work on it and to figure out the best path to take for replacing the Alt.
There are a bunch of options for replacement alternators, I have heard good and bad things about all of them.
I ultimately decided to go with a replacement alt form a 80's Cadillac its a direct fit in the upper bracket. The overall size of this alt is larger so an adjustable bracket is needed for the bottom.
When the old alt seized it broke the belt, which also drives the water pump. So I had an overheating issue and a lot of coolant boiled out. I decided that this would be a good time to upgrade some of the coolant system components.
I replaced;
The Otterstat (fan temp switch)
The Temp Gauge Sender
I also installed a self bleeding kit from Delorean-parts.com
So my coolant system should be good for a while now.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Online car show!
My car is in the "Texaco Car of the Decades" online car show. Voting is only open for a few more days, please vote for my car!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Finally fixed the tail lights
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Flux Capacitor
My custom built Flux Capacitor is almost done.
I just need to finish up some wiring/lighting details and it will be Perfect.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Check out what I've been doing!...
Sorry its been so long since my last update, I have been working on something I didn't want to reveal until there was enough to show. ;)
Its obviously still very much a work in progress, but its getting there!
I'll Take some photos of my Flux Capacitor later today. :)
Friday, April 18, 2008
I upgraded my Coolant bottle. The old plastic one was just about shot, the end of it had a lot of sun damage (cracking/pitting)
Old Plastic Coolant Bottle:
New Stainless Steel Coolant Bottle:
I really like the look of the new bottle, it really gives the engine compartment an updated look. (Now I need to clean up everything else to match!) :)
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Charles III on the roof
Monday, April 7, 2008
Working Speedo!
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Great News
I fixed my Speedometer!
I was tired of waiting for the Replacement angle drive from DMCH so I decided to try to fix mine.
I used WD-40 to flush out all the old dirty grease and dirt out of it while I turned to input cable back and forth, finally it started turning freely.
Hopefully it will last for a long time. (it has 25 years of not working to make up for) :)
It is really nice to be able to tell how fast Im going.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Replacing Circuit Breakers
I started replacing the Circuit Breakers. Check out what I have done so far,
Before, - Old loose spade connection.
After, - Better Ring Terminal Connection.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Replaced Parking Brake Pads
Yesterday I installed the new parking brake pads to replace the one that fell out a few months ago (before it got cold out) it was a fairly easy job considering the repair manual doesn't have the replacement procedure listed.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Stainless Steel Leters - Done
1 - Apply Stainless Steel Leters - Done.
I got my Stainless steel bumper letters put on over the weekend and I have to say, theses are definitely nice! what a huge difference it makes. Im sure that, if DMC had stayed in business, they would have started putting these on in the factory - or at least as an option.
I got my Stainless steel bumper letters put on over the weekend and I have to say, theses are definitely nice! what a huge difference it makes. Im sure that, if DMC had stayed in business, they would have started putting these on in the factory - or at least as an option.
More to come! ;)
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Cold air intake
15 - Cold air intake duct --Done
(added Install Stainless Steel Coolant bottle) :)
Monday, February 4, 2008
Checklist
2 - Install new parking brake switch --Done
5 - Install new power antenna --Done
Friday, January 18, 2008
More "To do's"
9 - Replace the Circuit Breakers and terminals
10 - Replace Relays and relay terminals (improved connection over oxidized connections)
11 - Replace wiring connections at tail light circuit boards (with new improved connectors)
12 - Troubleshoot/replace windshield washer pump
13 - Figure out why rear view mirror is so loose
14 - Fix the center console clock
15 - Finish installing cold air intake ducting (removed heat stove pipe) -Done
16 - Replace Fuse Box (recommeded due to undersized contact terminals - two of mine are melted)
17 - Install Stainless Steel Coolant Bottle
18 - Install new Parking Break Pads -Done
Monday, January 14, 2008
Tons to do when it gets nice out.
I have a ton to do to the D, I just haven't had the time and when I do it to freaking cold out. (I hate working on cars in the cold btw)
Since the weather is improving some (that is until I heard were supposed to get 3-5" of snow tuesday night) I thought I would make a list of things to do when the weather does improve.
(no real order)
1 - Put on rear fascia stainless letters (needs to be Warm out) -Done
2 - Install new parking brake switch -Done
3 - install new arm rest bolster caps - I'll explain later
4 - Install new Angle Drive - no wait, I don't have it yet - its still on back order form 5 months ago!! DMC get it together! I might just have to build my own angle drive.
5 - Install new power antenna -Done
6 - Finish the wiring for my Remote trunk release.
7 - Fix speaker wires at the back of the radio - it cuts out when ever I go over a bump. - Very annoying!
8 - Fix AC system (suspect electrical issue at multi-switch)
9- There is more - I update this as I think of it.
Friday, December 14, 2007
2007 Delorean Ornament
Im still here, frozen but here.
Hello faithful visitors,
Sorry for not posting an update lately.
Cold weather makes working on any car crappy.
I think the next thing I'm going to work on is fiberglass repair on the engine compartment cover (if I can find a heated garge to work in!) Its a small job, the thin section between the back two vent screens is cracked. - A result of using the lower engine cover to hold up the louvers. (not by me, first thing I got was new lift struts)
I'll have an update next warm day. ;-)
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Raindeer spotted!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Headlights back in.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Refurbished headlight mounts
Hello everyone,
I finally finished refurb'ing my headlight brackets and installing the new headlamps.
Of Course I forgot to take before pics... doh! Just imagine, if you will; dirty, rusted, cobweb covered brackets... thats what they looked like.I polished the trim rings with some metal polish, replaced the rusted out screws with some stainless steel ones, and sanded and painted the housings.
I still have to get these in the car, but that should go fairly smooth...
Thursday, November 22, 2007
More B-day gifts
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Its my Birthday!
Today is my birthday. Check out this awesome cake my wife got for me!
So far I've received the Borat movie, Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii, and a set of new head lights for the Delorean!
So far I've received the Borat movie, Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii, and a set of new head lights for the Delorean!
Were celebrating with the in-laws after Turkey tomorrow. Im thinking Im going to get more stuff for the D.
I want to put the new headlights in but it is freaking cold out today!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Trailing Arm Bolts
I got my Trailing arm bolts in last night. It was a fairly easy job. Now I just have to take it to an alignment place to have the right rear wheel checked out.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Remote Trunk Release
I got the remote trunk release actuator that I got from DP-NW installed. The wires are routed to the inside of the car, though the trunk release cable hole, now I just need to extend the wires to the relay compartment and tie it into the alarm system.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Parking brake pad and my Trailing arm bolts
Well, I found out that my parking brake no longer works. I took the wheels off and checked out the parking brake pads and one on the driver's side is missing. The passenger side was really loose also. It's too bad I lost that pad because they all have good pad left. I'm pretty sure it fell out because they were so loose. I was able to tighten down the passenger side and now the parking break holds. That's $34 that I wouldn't have to spend if I had checked them sooner. The crappy thing is I know where that pad is - its on I25 somewhere around the Colorado Blvd exit. (I heard a noise of metal falling there but thought it was something on the road!)
Second part of the story: I bought some new trailing arm bolts from Delorean Parts North West (Toby Peterson). They're made out of Inconel and are a lot better than the stock hardened steel bolts that are in there now. The new bolts, or Toby TAB as it's called, are the same kind of bolts that Boing uses to mount engines to frames of airplanes. Anyway, there's all this stress test data that comes with them - its pretty interesting. So while I had the back-end up I thought I would change the bolts out and this is what I found:
So I have the new bolts but there is supposed to be shims on the inside of that trailing arm that keep the back wheel aligned - they're slotted shims so they're long gone. Now I have to take it to an alignment place and see if they're willing/able to align the back wheel.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
New leather Seats!
Hello everyone! Sorry it has been so long since my last update. I've been busy!
Anyway, I didn't tell you but I got a set of new leather upholstery for my seats from DMCH.
It was hard work but I got them recovered myself and they turned out pretty good (nothing is ever Perfect to a perfectionist, but I'm happy with how they turned out).
Before:
After:
Saturday, November 3, 2007
DMC plate
Two Charles, One DeLorean
Charles III and his car.
Job Well done!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
My gas gauge works now!
I got the replacement sender for my Tankzilla today. Works like a champ. I also got it to tighten down all the way for a proper seal (tank plate had a dent in it that was causing the bottom of the tank to bulge up, causing the sender to stick out the top and not get a good seal.
Im so glad I didn't have to get DMCH's "jerky" unit.
Anyways, I'm happy.
I filled that tank up all the way for the the first time and there wasn't the slightest gas smell. It was bad before. If I filled the tank up too much I would get choked out of the car from the gas fumes.
You can see in the picture that I added a connector to the Tankzilla level sender.
The sender just has spade connectors on the top of it, and they stick straight up. So to get the access cover to fit the connectors have to be bent down. It seemed to me that old ones were not making a good connection. So I decided to solder the wires form an accessory connector right to the spade terminals sticking out of the top of the unit. I then put some heat-shrink tubing on them and taped the whole thing up. Should work good now.
Anyways, I'm happy.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Carved pumpkins
We carved pumpkin this evening.
I did one to enter into the carving contest at DMCTalk.com
Check out the link, Mine is the Shifter Knob Pumpkin.
Its runnign again!
Well I got everything back together yesterday.
Tank is in, fuel lines hooked up.
Coolant pipes are back in, new hose couplings installed, added new coolant and bleed the system (its a closed positive pressure system, incase you were wondering, and trapped air is a bad thing)
Now I’m just waiting on the replacement fuel sender, I’m thinking it will get here today - hopefully.
I got it all done around midnight and took it out for a test run. No coolant leaks, fans kicked in at the right temp on the gauge. I’m happy that’s over with, now I can move on to more cosmetic stuff. (New DMCH seat leather is next on the list!)
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
My 'Grained' coolant pipe
out pretty good. I got the front two pipes installed. The rest should
go quickly.
I'm hoping I can get it fired up tomorrow, I want to take it for a
drive! Its been like two weeks since I drove it and there's not much
time before winter. (It already snowed here last Sunday!)
Coolant pipe
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Little Big Helper
Charles III helped me replace the rusted gas fill bolts with some nice stainless steal ones.
My little Big helper
Monday, October 22, 2007
Coolant pipes before and after
Coolant lines before and after
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Radiator Pipe Hose coupling replacement
Well i have drained out the coolant system. It was kindof a pain, the
old rubber hose couplings were old and hardened which made them
difficult to remove. The whole system holds about 3 gallons of coolant.
I added a new set of hose couplings to my order with John Harvey at
specialTauto.com after I found that nobody stocked 1 1/4 straight
raditor hose.
Now I get to clean all the underbody spray off the aluminium coolant
pipes. It wasnt even done well -big drips, looks like crap.
old rubber hose couplings were old and hardened which made them
difficult to remove. The whole system holds about 3 gallons of coolant.
I added a new set of hose couplings to my order with John Harvey at
specialTauto.com after I found that nobody stocked 1 1/4 straight
raditor hose.
Now I get to clean all the underbody spray off the aluminium coolant
pipes. It wasnt even done well -big drips, looks like crap.
Baffle Improvement
Cleaned out the tank
of small rust flakes. Cleaned off the outside of the tank too.
I found where some of the rust flakes were coming from, there is a
steel clip that holds the return fuel line in the baffel. I replaced
it with a plastic clip and a SS screw. Pics to come...
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Ordered fuel lines
I ordered some new fuel pump hoses from John Harvey at specialTauto.com because the original hard plastic line were still on my car and while I was under the car I found that the fuel lines on the fuel accumulator were also original. I can't understand why Haglin Auto did change the fuel lines when they had everything out. Maybe they wanted too much to do it, who knows.
I also ordered some new hood trim because mine doesn't stay on and it leaves sharp edges of the stianless exposed. John has it for $0.10 and inch.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
I was worried, but it worked out
So I ruined my tankzilla level sending unit this weekend.
I was cleaning the shaft the float slides on and *SNAP* the little fragile wire snapped.
I was besides myself that I had been so careless. so that bummed me out on Saturday. I really didn't want to have to get the $100 tank sender from DMCH because based on the reviews I have read- they are not analog, meaning the needle doesn't move in a smooth motion it has set regions. It shows full then jumps down to 3/4 then to 1/2. I guess the new ones have like 16 set points which is better but the everyone likes the tankzilla because it keeps it reading like it should.
Anyway I found a parts place that could order a replacement (the sender is from a Saab car) doesn't cost as much as the DMCH sender. But hopefully I wont have to get the new one as I found someone on DMCTalk.com that replace his thinking it was bad but found out he had a broken wire behind the gauge. I’m sending him the money order today (half of what the new one would have cost!)
So Sunday I decided that since I would take the tank out. I was worried that their maybe some junk down in the bottom of it because of the condition of the sending unit. I know the fuel system was replaced in 2005 but I seriously doubted that the tank was cleaned out too well. and since I have to loosen the tank plate to get the sender to fit I just decided to take it all the way out. found that a dent in that plate is was had made the sending unit not fit, it fits fine when the tank is out of the car. While I was under the car I found that the pipe couplings for the coolant system were looking pretty worn out, some slight drips so I'll replace those while I'm under there (they run right by the tank so it will make it easier now that the tank's out.
I’m also going to replace the fuel lines coming out of the fuel pump because all the rubber casing has fallen off exposing the braiding.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Im upset with myself.
I ruined the fuel sender.
I'll tell you about it later.
I don't feel like talking about it now...
Friday, October 12, 2007
Found the Problem!!
Well I found the problem with my fuel level sender! In 2004 when the PO bought 5906 from the original owner he replaced the fuel system (due to the car sitting for years.) Anyway no one thought to look in the gauge sender.The float was moving- from full to 3/4. the whole bottom half was crusted with a flaky rust, doesn't make sense cus that shaft the float slides on is stainless.
You can see the wire for the warning light is broken.
You can see the wire for the warning light is broken.
I scraped off the gunk and tested it (out side of the tank) moved the float, watched the gauge- it moves! nice a gradual the zilla box really does delay the reading, Im impressed.
Still have to loosen the lower plate so I can install the sender.
Still have to loosen the lower plate so I can install the sender.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Yes Im still here
Sorry I haven’t update this in a few days.
I got my alarm system completely installed. It took so long because I wasn't just doing the alarm install- I was taping the wire harness as I went, removing the rest of the mouse piss soaked insulation, and installing sound deadening mat. I’m always doing 5 things at once!
The sound mat is done, I have taken a completed pic yet. And I still have to put in the new foam.
I’m going to get back to the fuel issue next.
I talked to Rob Grady (from PJ Grady) about the "TankZilla" fuel sender that I have. He said that he hadn't ever heard of one that was stuck like mine is (at 3/4 tank) He recommended that I take the sender apart and make sure the float isn't gunked up or that something isn't broken inside. I’m also going to try taking it out and leaving it connected and see what the gauge says and check the low gas light while I do that.
I also got the install instruction for the TankZilla so I can verify that the wire are hooked up correctly.
I also need to check under the car to check the front wiring harness. I think there may be some chewed/broken/shorted wires in it. There are a few reasons I think this is: my gas gauge doesn’t work, one of the POs ran new wires to the fuel pump (and by-passed the inertia safety switch), and the AC compressor doesn't kick on (the low press switch is on the condenser canister which is behind the right front tire.)
So I’m hoping that I can find a loose/disconnected harness connection and fix many problems at one time (what a dreamer huh?)
Friday, October 5, 2007
Sound Deadening
I decided to pull out the rest of the insulation foam from the rear wheel well/wall area. It still stunk like mouse piss and wasn't even stuck in place anymore. I took off the back wall foam also. I’m going to put some sound deadening mat back there and then put a closed cell foam over it. So that should make it nice a quite back there. On thing I noticed while I had the back off was that the trim under the rear window doesn’t cover the raw end of the fiber glass where it was cut out for the window. I haven't decided what to do yet, I'll paint it black if nothing else. I'll try to get a good pic of it so you can see what I'm talking about.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Alarm Install, Still
I worked on finishing the alarm system install.
Its still not done, the system works I just have to finish the details. i.e. Taping the new wires to the old harnesses.
Best $$$ spent so far!
I was busy yesterday!
I got my new gas struts form PJ Grady yesterday, they have the whole set of 6 for $139. 15 minutes to install and I feel SO much better about the car. Its get old real quick having to find something to prop the trunk open with or ask the person I’m showing the engine to "to hold up the louvers as I pop the hood" But not any more!
My D is able to do something it hasn't been able to do in (I'm guessing) 7-8 years: sit with all the doors, hood, and trunk open by them self. (I’m pretty sure the hood and trunk struts were original "Lift-O-Mat" struts, there was absolutely no resistance at all- I could push and pull them with no effort!)
I also got the Dash Mat cover from "DashMat" it looks pretty nice, as far a dash mat goes, its not a goofy looking carpet one, its like a suede fabric that looks nice (could be a few shades darker grey though) I'll post some pics of how it looks.
The rest of the evening I spent installing my new alarm system. lots of wiring work! I’m glad I’m doing it and not a place like ultimate electronics, who knows how they would have hooked it up. I actuality went there to buy an alarm but they don't "Sell them over the counter" like they’re some kind of Pharmacy!?!?
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Parts arrived!
Fuel smell.
Not sure if I told you guys, but my D has drama with the gas gauge and getting gas.
So the gauge always reads 3/4 tank-never moves only when I turn the key on (it goes to zero). And when I fill up the tank ( let the pump click off) I get a really bad fuel smell.
So, my gauge won't tell me if my tank is empty and I can't fill the tank because of the smell.
Well last night I started working on fixing it. I took the fuel pump access cover off and was happy to see a new fuel pump boot although I found I need new fuel lines- the rubber that covers the braiding has all fallen off.
My mission was to check the hose clamp the holds the boot on the tank (per the suggestion from Mark V on DMCTalk.con) The clamp was loose some fumes might have been coming from that.
I removed the upper boot cover to check the pump, definitely brand new (knew that from the receipts the PO gave me, just wanted to double check) Put the boot back on and tightened down the hose clamp.
So the gauge always reads 3/4 tank-never moves only when I turn the key on (it goes to zero). And when I fill up the tank ( let the pump click off) I get a really bad fuel smell.
So, my gauge won't tell me if my tank is empty and I can't fill the tank because of the smell.
Well last night I started working on fixing it. I took the fuel pump access cover off and was happy to see a new fuel pump boot although I found I need new fuel lines- the rubber that covers the braiding has all fallen off.
My mission was to check the hose clamp the holds the boot on the tank (per the suggestion from Mark V on DMCTalk.con) The clamp was loose some fumes might have been coming from that.
I removed the upper boot cover to check the pump, definitely brand new (knew that from the receipts the PO gave me, just wanted to double check) Put the boot back on and tightened down the hose clamp.Next I checked the connections at the fuel gauge sender. They were pretty loose. I sanded the spade terminals on the top of the sender and bent the wire connectors tighter like I did with the power window switch.
Interesting thing happened when I was cleaning the terminals on the sender- it turned! I thought "that’s not right" I tried tightening down the locking ring but it was TIGHT. I wasn't going to remove the sender ‘cus they say you have to get a new gasket. But since it was moving I thought I would figure out why. I took it out and found some rust built up under the flange, on the side that was supposed to be touching the gasket. I cleaned it off (still need to take a wire wheel to it) when I was tilting the sender I could hear the float moving so that isn't stuck.
Next surprise was when I put it back in the tank- its too long! It sticks up about 1/8"!
Fuel smell problem?-FOUND!
I posted some pics on the message board and found out that the sender is an after market one made by "ZILLA" they were supposed to be really good ones. I also asked about it being too long. Hopefully someone will have a suggestion.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Relay pic
Fan fail light.
Something weird happened today, I was driving around after work and
the Fan Fail light came on. So I stopped ASAP and turned the engine
off. The coolant temp gauge didn't go high but I'm not for sure that
it works. I know the PO took it into the shop for it overheating and
they bleed the system. But who knows if the gauge worked after that.
It doesnt move much, that I've noticed.
Anyway after I turned the engine off and and turned the key back on I
heard the fans running. I checked under the front and found that only
one fan was running- impressive system to know that only one was
running.
So I checked the "fan fail relay" it was warm but not hot(or on fire,
which is always good) I unpluged it and saw some slight melting on the
bottom by the connector. I will be replacing that right away!!
I should have checked if both fans were running when I first got the
car. But I have a feeling that they were both running- question is: is
the fan bad or the fan relay??
My guess is the relay. We'll see...
the Fan Fail light came on. So I stopped ASAP and turned the engine
off. The coolant temp gauge didn't go high but I'm not for sure that
it works. I know the PO took it into the shop for it overheating and
they bleed the system. But who knows if the gauge worked after that.
It doesnt move much, that I've noticed.
Anyway after I turned the engine off and and turned the key back on I
heard the fans running. I checked under the front and found that only
one fan was running- impressive system to know that only one was
running.
So I checked the "fan fail relay" it was warm but not hot(or on fire,
which is always good) I unpluged it and saw some slight melting on the
bottom by the connector. I will be replacing that right away!!
I should have checked if both fans were running when I first got the
car. But I have a feeling that they were both running- question is: is
the fan bad or the fan relay??
My guess is the relay. We'll see...
Testing new feature.
I'm testing this "email to blog" feature.
This will come in handy because I will be able to update this from my
iPhone as I'm working on the car. Exciting huh?
Monday, October 1, 2007
New Background
I refreshed the background, it looks more like stainless and not just brushed metal. Click here to see the old one.
Didn't do anything on the car. I'm currently hooked on watching "LOST" on DVD- if you haven't seen it, check it out its a great show.
I did start to tear up the old rubber coated foam that sits under the carpet on the back shelf. the rubber is all cracked up and is falling apart. I have an idea for something to use in its place, I'll post some pics if it turns out.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Front Speakers in.
Today I finished installing the new front speakers. They sound pretty good. Now I just need to figure out what to do with the back speakers... 
I took my Headlight switch apart to figure out why it wasn't staying "clicked" in parking light mode (its a double push button- one push for parking light, push again for headlights) I found that the contacts were dirty and loose.
I cleaned the contact up and bent them closer together for better contact and coated them with dielectric grease. works good now.
I finished taping up the harnesses in the center console and reinstalled the radio cluster and center console. I zip tied up the harness that runs behind the passenger knee pad because it was hanging within sight.
I cleaned and greased (with dielectric grease) the light sockets on the doors, I decided to give up on the door LEDs, they just didn't look as good as the original bulbs.
I also removed the vinyl that I had covered the binnacle (gauge pod) with, I just did not like it. I have a dash mat coming in the mail, hopefully I will get it on the 2nd, and that will cover the cracks. I ordered it from CarCoverGuys.com I will post a picture of the mat when I get it in.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Door LEDs not so good...
My first day to work on the D since getting back from a weekend camping trip.
Today my eBay items from DMC(
I started installing the LEDs in the doors but I wasn't happy with the way it looked. its definitely brighter, but the LEDs are too close to the lens which causes a center dot of light rather then the full illumination from the incandescent. I put that on hold until I can figure something out, the first thing I'm going to try is sanding the "lens dome" of the LED flat to help diffuse the light and not focus it as much.
Next I removed the driver seat, I wanted to check under the carpet for any more mouse droppings. The seats are attached by bolts that go through the floor board, I figured that there was no way I would be able to remove the nuts, but the came
right off. The nuts must be stainless steal and the bolts looked like the are brass. Anyway got the seat out and cleaned under the carpet. Not too much under there, just some sand/dirt. I cleaned all the driver side carpet with the auto carpet cleaner. One thing I did before putting the seat back in was to tighten the hinge on the left side of the seat.
I removed the recline knob (pop out center cap and removed nut) then I removed the trim piece and tightened the two bolts on the hinge bracket and the one in the center if the recline knob.
I put it back together and reinstalled the seat, it made a big difference, the seat back doesn't wiggle as much now.
Next I worked on running the passenger rear speaker wire and started taping all the extra wires that run through the center console to the wire harness that run through there. the Stock speaker wire was just zip tied to the harnesses and the power antenna power wire and the antenna cable was just laying free under the center console so I taped that to the harness too.
I wanted to get my gas strut set ordered and I needed to figure if the a
ngel drive for the speedo was the cause of the speedometer not working so I took the driver wheel off and removed the angle drive and found that it was bad, the short cable going into it doesn't turn at all and the square hole in the wheel cap that drives it was all rounded out so Iâll need to get a new one of those too.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Yes, thats the only part that rolls down...
I fixed my passenger side window today, it actually was somewhat simple.
The problem was that it would not roll down. I figured that it was a problem in the switch, and it was. I could tell because when I would push up on the switch, obviously the widow wouldn't move because it was all the way up, but the interior lights would dim- telling me that power was going to the window motor (lights dimming because of the power draw). When the switch was pushed down nothing would happen (no dimming lights)- telling me that there was a problem with the switch specifically the down part of it. I removed the switch from the center console and moved the wires around and the window went down!
I removed the spade connector terminals from the bottom of the switch connector one at a time and bent them closed just a little bit. I did that to all three switches (Driver window, Rear Defrost, Passenger window) the switches were allot tighter when I plugged them back in.
I think I'll write up a "How-to" for DMCtalk.com...
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Simple fix, smelly mess...
Today I have a rough plan for something to work on:
-Check out why the blower motor makes so much noise.
-Fix the sound system so I can listen to music from more than one blown rear speaker.
My thoughts on the blower motor was that maybe there was a mouse nest in the fan cage or the bearings on the motor were bad. The motor was really easy to remove - six screws to lower the motor from the passenger kick panel. It was surprisingly clean. While *carefully* holding the motor, I turned the fan on low. It started vibrating pretty good! So I thought maybe the metal balance clip that are on the blades was missing. I looked inside the fan cage and saw the balance clip, but there was something else... I pulled a good sized little rock out of the blades. Turned the fan back on low, then high - it runs good now, smooth too! I reassembled it and turned it on. It runs quiet and blows much better without a rock in it! ;-)
Next on the list is the speakers, I decided that I would start with the front speakers as their removal doesn't require any other panel dis-assembly (from what I've read removing the back ones are a task) I removed one of the front speakers. Its a 3.5" round little thing, I'm not even sure if they make speakers that small anymore... Headed over to Soundtrack with the speaker and ask them if they have that size.
While I was running the wire for the rear speakers (don't have them yet, just going to run new wire.) I decided that I would clean up the wire mess in the center console. I shortened the power antenna wire, which was about 5 feet too long, and replaced the antenna cable with an new one (just the extension really, the cable coming off the power antenna only sticks out about 2 feet from the rear firewall) lucky for me I had a spare antenna extension cable laying around.
While I was working on the wiring in the rear fuse/harness access panels I found a shit load of mouse truds (pun intended) So I got out the shop vac and spent a good hour and a half cleaning that up. I put some traps in the back although I don't think there are any mice there any more, there’s nothing in there for them to eat.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Drive Your DeLorean to work Day
Drive Your DeLorean to work Day!
Drove the D to work today. Showed the guys, very cool.
It rained on it though, felt bad about that...
Took a break from working on the car today for Family Time.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Trip to fabric store.
I decide to sleep in today. We made a trip to the fabric store to pick up some headliner fabric and some grey vinyl to cover the gauge pod as it is the worst cracked part of the dash. The headliner material we found is a perfect match to the original grey. I bought 3 yards to replace both door headliners and the "T" piece in the middle.
My wife helped me scrape the old stickers off the windshield (parking pass and a DeLorean Owners association sticker that was cracked and faded, or I would have left it). We also started taking apart the dash. I got the Binnacle (gauge pod/hood) off and took out the gauges. I cut the vinyl to size and used 3M Super 77 adhesive to adhere the vinyl to it. It turned out ok, but I am not happy with it. There are folds at the front corners and the extra thickness would not allow the black trim ring that goes around the gauges to fit. I will have to do something about it... maybe find a new or used one to replace it with...
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Lots of work to be done.
Today I’m excited about having the whole day to work on the DMC. Woke up early. First thing I did was swap the gas struts on the doors. The driver side was weak and had a hard time holding the door open but the passenger door strut still had some strength to it. I was not expecting the doors to be so heavy. I mean, I knew they were heavy but I was surprised when I took the strut off and had the weight of the door on my back. I was worried that maybe the torsion bars were bad, but they held the door open the 4-5 inches that I read about on the forum.
Next, I pulled off the headliner piece from the driver door. The fabric was ripped off and the plastic trim clips were broke. I'll head to the fabric store later today.
Most of the trim snaps on the upper trim on the driver side door were broke so I made a trip to the auto parts store to pick up some new ones. FYI- the ones for the door trim are the "Ford" ones. I took the upper trim off and replaced all the retainer pegs. While I had the upper trim off, I noticed the window was off the track. I tried to get it back on track but was unable to. I thought I would have to remove one side of the track and that it would have to be done from the bottom of the door - nope. Do yourself a favor and don't remove the lower trim if you don't need to. I could not for the life of me figure out how to get it off. I had all the snaps out but something was holding it in. I found out it was the handle. You have to use a long Philips screw driver and remove one screw from each side of the handle. So I got the lower trim off and found out that there is no way to get to the window. So I start putting it back together and find out those handle screws come out a LOT easier then they go in! I tried for more than a half hour to get the screw started in the handle but I couldn't do it trying to hold the handle up and pull down on the edge of the trim and keep the screw in the hole and the screwdriver in the screw. Ugggh! Talk about frustration! So I finally put the handle on first and bent and flexed the trim around it, which isn't easy because there are two metal tabs on the handle that are supposed to hold the trim in
So I finally got the door back together then looked at the power window and decided I would tackle that later. The window goes up and down okay, not straight - but okay.
So the next thing I looked at was the tail lights. I noticed the night before that the driver side brake lights were not working. I bought some new bulbs while I was at the auto store. I was surprised to see that the tail lights are just held in with 6 screws - mine had 2 on one side and 4 one the other. I wonder how many people have had taillights go missing. I’m going to try to find some security screws, (hopefully stainless steel), to replace the mixed-matched set I have.
When I disassembled the tail lights I found that there weren't any burnt out bulbs. I did a continuity test between the light socket and the connector on the board - it was good. I plugged it into the connector and tested it from the socket to the connector - that was good. Then I thought, 'Oh man, there's a wire broken somewhere between the brake switch and the connector.' I thought of one more test to do. I took the other tail light off and did a continuity test between the brake light wire on both the driver and passenger side connectors - and that was good. So I knew that a dirty/faulty connection was to be blamed for the outage.
I took my scratch awl and *slightly* bent the connectors in the plug down, verifying what side actually touches the copper on the board - this should help put more pressure on the copper strip on the circuit board and make a better connection. I also took the awl and *lightly* scratched the surface of the copper on the circuit board to remove the oxidation. I re-installed the tail lights - something is still wrong with the passenger side reverse light. I'll look at that later too.
I washed the car and the wife and I took it out for a ride.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Got the Car!!
I called the bank first thing this morning and they told me I got the loan!! I got the lower interest rate!
So I head over to the bank to sign the paper, I have to wait a half hour because the bank opens at 9:00!
I head over to Wal-Mart to kill some time and I wanted to check out what they had for car covers. Find a semi-custom fit cover and was surprised to see DeLorean listed on the back, size 2, $19.95. Not a bad price, and since its only temp until I can get a fitted cover, it will work.
Head back to the bank and sign the papers - got the money!
I called the owner and let him know that I got the $$$ and asked if I could pick up the car that afternoon.
Took the wife and exchanged money for title. I felt bad because I could tell the guy really didn't want to sell the car.
Anyway it was unreal! This car, this DeLorean I'm driving is MY car! My dream car is a reality! Driving through Boulder was cool. All the college kids were gawking and telling everyone around them to look. People were driving by screaming, "Your car Rocks, Dude!" or "Alright, a DeLorean!" Most attention I have ever gotten. I think I'll be driving it through Boulder often :)
On the way home we stopped and got some dinner and I parked the D where I could see it through the window.
After dinner we cruised around the mall just getting attention - what fun.
Got home late and made a preliminary list of things that needed to be fixed:
1. Fix Speedometer
2. Fix Gas Gauge
3. Replace all gas struts (swap passenger door strut for driver door strut for the time being)
4. Fix Passenger power window
5. Replace driver door headliner
5. Clean interior
Thursday, September 13, 2007
First time seeing one in person.
This morning I decided that if I was going to get the DeLorean I better take my wife to see it and make sure she was ok with getting it.
First thing I did was call my Credit Union. After going through all the info that they needed I find out that they don't give loans for used cars older than 1999. What good is that to anybody!!
So I called my main bank, gave them all the info they needed - asked for a loan. I wanted to get a 6 year loan so my payments would be as low as possible. When the lady asked what year the car was I said 1981. She said they could only do a 3 year loan for that old of a car. I told her it was a collectors car and worth a lot more than the guy was asking for. She said she was going to put it through as a 6 year loan and see if it worked. I asked her when I would find out if I got the loan, she said I would know by tomorrow (Friday) morning.
I called my wife and told her I wanted her to take a look at it so she could see anything I overlooked. She said she wanted to and I found a sitter for our son (boy, 3 years old).
So we drove the 30-40 min drive to where the guy lived in Boulder. I hadn’t ever seen a DeLorean in person before but I recognized it from a distance! We pulled up to it and the owner came out. My first impression was "this car is in great shape!" The body panels are straight with no dents, the paint on the front fascia was flaking (big deal). Opened the door - doors open good but the gas shocks are bad, (easily replaced). First thing my wife says is "This is a really cool car!"
I sat in the car - there is some heat damage to the dash, bad cracks on the gauge hood (binnicle), passenger seat is tore up pretty bad, but the driver seat is in ok shape. He tells me we can take it for a drive. I’m excited but nervous, I haven't driven a clutch in a while. My wife gets in and she is excited about how cool the doors are and how neat the interior is.
I push in the clutch and turn the key, the engine started up right away. I make sure I’m in first and we head off down the road.
Talk about a fun car to drive! Both my wife and I are impressed with how smooth a 25+ year old car is going down the road. We notice the looks from cars driving by. I turn into a camp ground to turn around and everyone there turns and notices it. People pointing and smiling, this car gets a lot of attention.
On the way back my wife says, "We HAVE to get this car! Its sooo Cool! Are you going to get a loan?" I have to say I was shocked at her reaction, and extremely relieved that I wasn't going to have to choose between the car and a happy wife.
We get back, look over the car some more. I tell the guy I want to get it. I told him I would hear back tomorrow morning about the loan and that I might not have the money until Monday. I asked him if he could hold it for me and that I would call tomorrow morning and let him know if I got the loan. He said he would, and that he had got some offers on it - one from a guy in France who wanted to ship it back there, an offer from a guy in California, and one from a guy in Ohio - nothing local though. I told him thanks and I would keep in touch about the loan.
We drove back home talking about how unreal it was that we just drove a DeLorean! I started getting nervous about the loan, what if I didn't get it? I had to tell myself not to think like that! I would get the loan and it would work out!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
A search for the heck of it.
Today I did a random search on craigslist for DeLorean, just to see if anyone had one for sale in Colorado - there were two. The first one that caught my eye was titled "Delorean Must Sell" There weren’t any pictures on the posting so I didn't know what it looked like but from the short description it seemed to be in good shape. The date on the listing was Sep 8th, I thought,'There’s no way he still has this car if he’s selling it at that price' I called the number on the listing and left a message, I also sent him an email.
I thought I could properly get a loan for it. I didn't think that was going to be a problem. No, my problem was going to be convincing my wife that we had to buy this car.
Around 5:00, I get an email back from the guy and he says he still has it and I can come take a look at it. He attached some pictures to the email. I was just responding when I got a phone call from him. I asked him a few questions about the car and set up a time to take a look at it the following day. Up until this point I had not filled my wife in on my great find. I told her about it and she knew it was my dream car, but had the classic response "Do we REALLY need another car?" I’ve never understood people who have 12 cars, but in this case "YES" we do "NEED" this car. (This would only be our third car, by the way). I told her I was just going to go look at it the next day and how, if the car was in good shape, it was an incredible deal! I also informed her that if I were to get the loan and the car we could sell it at any point if the financial pressure got too great, and probably get a lot more for it!
So we both slept on it, though I could hardly sleep...
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Work done before me.
The previous owner gave me the maintenance receipts when I picked up the car.
I thought I would document the work done at Haglin Automotive here.
August 27 2007
Change Oil
Replace filter
August 6 2007
Issue: Belt Squeal
Replaced both belts
Checked Trailing arm bolts- OK
April 19 2007
Issue: Overheating gauge got to 240-260
Bleed Coolant system
Add Coolant
July 13 2005
Issue: Car Sitting with bad fuel
Replaced:
Fuel Pump
Fuel Pump Boot
Fuel Pump Cover
Fuel Pressure Regulator
Fuel Injectors (all 6)
Fuel Filter
Fuel Accumulator
Spark plugs (6)
Fuel Distributor
Replaced Brake Master Cylinder
