🔧 BUILD Timelord Adventures - 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 Project
- Thread starter dmctimelord
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Parts are very readily available. Though not always cheap, there are several DMC shops in the states (the leftover inventory was bought by a new owner and all the DMC rights). There are still plenty of New Old Stock (NOS) parts left over. Also there are several excellent aftermarket parts companies here in the states and abroad. We even have a few talented owners who have created some of the quirky parts and parts that the DMC-12 should of had. For example there is a guy in the community who makes and sells updated solid state relays and cooling fail fail relays for the car! Even RockAuto has a bunch of engine parts as the PRV was in many Volvo's and other cars in the 70's and 80's.
I tell you the older owners have spent years analyzing why it does this. The bottom line is the arms are thin, hollow and very flexible. Poly bushings have been tried and just made for a more firm ride with flexing. This was probably a corner that DMC might have cut to save in costs. The frame is pretty much pulled from a Lotus Esprit but the suspension lacked a bit. As you can see from this picture a very vital support arm that was on the Lotus is missing from our control arm!
Here is a mock-up of the new control arm, coilover and the silver brace that will beef up the control arm.
See the pics I just posted of my mock-up. The silver braces that are aftermarket will do what that missing arm would have done.
OK here we go!
Took down the passenger side and some of the drivers side. Looks like a cracked hub spacer. Already ordered and on its way. You guys know damn well there is no way to fully budget a car repair or upgrade until you see what else is broken or needs replacement on the inside! LOL $$$
Drivers side - The little rod sticking out of the shaft where the hub nut goes is the speedo cable.
And the passenger side is all disassembled. Going to get in there and clean up things before reassembly!
Passenger side LCA verdict - Not as healthy as I thought it was but at least there are no cracks, and looks like minor rust. But def time to retire these guys. See below, what do you guys think!
Stay tuned!
Took down the passenger side and some of the drivers side. Looks like a cracked hub spacer. Already ordered and on its way. You guys know damn well there is no way to fully budget a car repair or upgrade until you see what else is broken or needs replacement on the inside! LOL $$$
Drivers side - The little rod sticking out of the shaft where the hub nut goes is the speedo cable.
And the passenger side is all disassembled. Going to get in there and clean up things before reassembly!
Passenger side LCA verdict - Not as healthy as I thought it was but at least there are no cracks, and looks like minor rust. But def time to retire these guys. See below, what do you guys think!
Stay tuned!
LS some day?
LS1 DeLorean Project, Cincinnati OH - LS1TECH - Camaro and Firebird Forum Discussion
Conversions & Swaps - LS1 DeLorean Project, Cincinnati OH - Hi all, my name is Nick and I'm a senior at the University of Cincinnati in Engineering. Been a gearhead my whole life. I've helped restore several cars, worked on countless cars, and spent the last 5 years restoring a DeLorean. I love...
ls1tech.com
You know theres a bunch of LS swapped D's out there already. I would say if this was a manual, I might of considered it! Sadly swapping from an auto to manual configuration is not a simple task because the frame and other things need to have work done to them to accept a manual configuration that cost wise just is not worth it.
THAT being said..If I ever chanced to sell this one, trade, or buy another DeLorean, It WOULD be manual for sure and a swap would probably be in its future!
So as straight forward as an LS swap would be, there is a guy I know in the DeLorean community who has dropped a Kia Stinger twin turbo engine in a DeLorean he is working on. I have to say...I am intrigued! Check it out...
OK! So weekend update!
Not too much more action. Just general housekeeping as I wait for a couple of small parts I need to change out arrive (hopefully in the next cpl days). I am going to refurbish the upper control arms and spindles. Then continue cleaning up various parts I have removed. I will also start grinding down the sway bar and hitting it with some POR15 this weekend. So for now, to keep that addiction going for you folks...A few more pictures
I will update later or tomorrow. Cheers!
Sprucing up the front calipers and rebuilding them.
Passenger upper control arm and spindle removed. Time to clean up!
Looking better!
Brake dust shield and hardware. I really should have grabbed a before on these..Man were they caked with gook!
More to come! Happy weekend!
Not too much more action. Just general housekeeping as I wait for a couple of small parts I need to change out arrive (hopefully in the next cpl days). I am going to refurbish the upper control arms and spindles. Then continue cleaning up various parts I have removed. I will also start grinding down the sway bar and hitting it with some POR15 this weekend. So for now, to keep that addiction going for you folks...A few more pictures
I will update later or tomorrow. Cheers!
Sprucing up the front calipers and rebuilding them.
Passenger upper control arm and spindle removed. Time to clean up!
Looking better!
Brake dust shield and hardware. I really should have grabbed a before on these..Man were they caked with gook!
More to come! Happy weekend!
Oh dear God, please talk dirty to me an please tell me the brake dust Shields are stainless and will never rust.
Yep! A little more rare (I think it is like 1/3 of them). I have a 3 speed. I only really opted to go with this auto because it had the Twin Island turbo kit in it and those are hard to come by for sale plus the car was in really good shape when I found her. Sometimes you have to weight things and I opted to sacrifice the manual option for now. But one day.....
Update!
Well I have went into overdrive getting everything back together. I am getting cruise night cabin fever! LOL
One thing that is touchy about the DeLorean in the epoxy coated steel frame. You get a few drops of brake fluid on it and leave it too long, forget about it! Well I guess I had some brake fluid spill while I was refurbing the brake booster and master cylinder and some of it got on the fuel tank cover plate. The fuel tank is in the front and on the undercarriage there is a big triangular plate that covers the tank from the bottom (and helps keep it in place!). The brake fluid settled right on top of the cover. Well? More work to do LOL.
I cleaned up the cover and ground it down, just waiting for some matching paint to arrive. Next time I will probably go get it blasted and powder coated at some point.
Now..Back to work! LOL
Here are some before and afters of other parts I refurbished:
Upper control arms and spindles!
Installation time!
New aluminum lower control arm with the braces.
Upper control arm installed.
Coilover installed!
Well that was enough for one night! As you can see in the above pic the lower control arms came with nylon lock nuts for the ball joints. There are holes in the stud so you can use castle nuts. I figure a little extra peace of mind never hurt anyone so I grabbed some new castle nuts from McMaster (Great place btw if you never heard of them!). Once we get those in, I will pop the spindle on and begin installing the rotor, hub, calipers, and brake lines!
Stay tuned!
Well I have went into overdrive getting everything back together. I am getting cruise night cabin fever! LOL
One thing that is touchy about the DeLorean in the epoxy coated steel frame. You get a few drops of brake fluid on it and leave it too long, forget about it! Well I guess I had some brake fluid spill while I was refurbing the brake booster and master cylinder and some of it got on the fuel tank cover plate. The fuel tank is in the front and on the undercarriage there is a big triangular plate that covers the tank from the bottom (and helps keep it in place!). The brake fluid settled right on top of the cover. Well? More work to do LOL.
I cleaned up the cover and ground it down, just waiting for some matching paint to arrive. Next time I will probably go get it blasted and powder coated at some point.
Now..Back to work! LOL
Here are some before and afters of other parts I refurbished:
Upper control arms and spindles!
Installation time!
New aluminum lower control arm with the braces.
Upper control arm installed.
Coilover installed!
Well that was enough for one night! As you can see in the above pic the lower control arms came with nylon lock nuts for the ball joints. There are holes in the stud so you can use castle nuts. I figure a little extra peace of mind never hurt anyone so I grabbed some new castle nuts from McMaster (Great place btw if you never heard of them!). Once we get those in, I will pop the spindle on and begin installing the rotor, hub, calipers, and brake lines!
Stay tuned!
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