MarkMedia » Automobiles » Time Vehicle Maintenance
5.08.2000
Picked up the DeLorean from DMC Houston on Friday. Runs like a champ. I'll be posting a list of all repairs done for posterity.
Bought a large car cover from Super K-Mart in an effort to protect the car from the elements while it is parked in my car port
(which is open on two sides). All equipment has been re-mounted, and I've re-designed some of the attachments and how they work
with the car's existing hardware. Waiting on the title company to finish up changing everything over to my name. In the
meantime, I'm taking the car on daily runs. I had dreams last night about shifting gears, probably attributable to the fact that
I've only recently become familiar with driving a standard. I plan to drive the car someplace nice and take beauty shots which
will replace the photos on the current My DeLorean Time Machine page. In the meantime... here's a glimpse:
4.21.2000
Got to take the car on a test drive today. The buzzing sound from the engine that I'd grown accustomed to in the past
was due to a worn out oil pump (which DMC
promptly replaced). I've never been in the car and had it go over 40 MPH, so this was a bit of a relevation. Noticed
that the punchlabels on the old nuclear pellet radiation readout had faded from the sun. Gotta make some new ones.
The old speedometer was replaced with a 170 MPH maximum. No better way to drive 88 MPH, in my opinion, than knowing
you are driving 88 MPH. Weird wiring to fix sidedoor lighting was pulled out and the original problem was fixed.
Found out my steering wheel was not bolted on. That was nice to know. Glad I never yanked at it while going on a spin.
Also found out that a title company can handle the nasty paperwork I need to get through to put the car into my name for
a mere $25. I'm doing it.
Looks like putting the Time Vehicle circuitry back into place will occupy the good part of a Saturday -- hopefully
next week! Stay tuned!
4.14.2000
Body and frame had to be separated in order to replace a bent fuel line. A photo of the fuel line is in the 4.21.2000 update.
Apologies for the clarity of these photos. I wasn't around to take them with my normal camera.
4.11.2000
My DeLorean time vehicle was in desperate need of a major engine overhaul. The car only has 36,000 miles on it, but it was not very
happy about all of the sitting around it has gone through since 1981. Lucky for me, DeLorean Motor Corporation happens to be in my home town.
The owner Stephen Wynne has been a fantastic source of historical facts and information about the DeLorean, and when it came time to decide
where my car needed to go for souping up, there was no question. Below are photos taken on April 10, 2000. There is approximately
$10,000 worth of work and upgrades going into my car at the time these pictures were taken. When done, I plan to drive the car approximately 200 miles
a month to keep the engine happy. My normal car is a 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GS-T and that will remain my primary
means of transportation. True, miles will be added by driving the DeLorean, but at an extremely slow rate. DeLoreans have in the past sat
unused and unseen in storage while their owners mistakenly thought that their value would go sky high. The truth is, used DeLoreans are still
affordable and there are many still available. DeLorean enthusiasts have estimated the number of viable cars at somewhere around 7,000. While this
may not seem like a lot, purchasing one for $12,000 to $18,000 on average isn't a bad deal if you have the means. Parts are readily available from DMC Houston's
huge warehouse in Ohio, so mechanic shops across the US can order parts for repairs easily as needed. My overhaul is somewhat costly because
I am bringing everything internally up to the spec of a new car, replacing anything worn or in bad shape. There are some minor
aesthetic changes that I'm going to have done. Upgrading the speedometer from the standard 85 MPH display to the 170 MPH display
is one such step. While in the shop most of the "external faring" has been carefully removed to make repair work easier.
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