DeLorean Cars make a Comeback
DeLorean Cars make a Comeback
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Discussion

Jimbeaux

Original Poster:

33,791 posts

248 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2011
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98elise

30,224 posts

178 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2011
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They are st to drive though (my brother owns an original)

jdw1234

6,021 posts

232 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2011
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I used to have one of them.

Its purely people who watched Back To The Future when they were kids getting to a certain age.

P.S. having owned one I agree with the above comments re handling.


Jimbeaux

Original Poster:

33,791 posts

248 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2011
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Surely they can have some updates to make them a better drive?

Baryonyx

18,146 posts

176 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2011
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Sorting out the pathetically underpowered engine would be a start! But they are a true slice of 80's cool.

Jimbeaux

Original Poster:

33,791 posts

248 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2011
quotequote all
Baryonyx said:
Sorting out the pathetically underpowered engine would be a start! But they are a true slice of 80's cool.
True. Dump the French Peugot lump and shove in something new.

Edited by Jimbeaux on Wednesday 2nd March 15:05

jdw1234

6,021 posts

232 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2011
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I improved mine significantly by installing the Dukes of Hazzard airhorn.


Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

263 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2011
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The engine's the biggest problem, not the handling, although the springs are rather soft. Interior tends to fall to bits as well.

Old cars now and only for the brave...

KieronGSi

1,111 posts

221 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2011
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Jimbeaux said:
True. Dump the french Puegot lump and shove in something new.
I thought it was a Renault 2.7 V6?

Just did some research and it seems it was a Peugeot-Renault-Volvo engine of 2.8 V6.

Edited by KieronGSi on Wednesday 2nd March 14:19

KieronGSi

1,111 posts

221 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2011
quotequote all
Jimbeaux said:
True. Dump the french Puegot lump and shove in something new.
I thought it was a Renault 2.7 V6?

Just did some research and it seems it was a Peugeot-Renault-Volvo engine of 2.8 V6.

Edited by KieronGSi on Wednesday 2nd March 14:19

Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

263 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2011
quotequote all
Some people will bang on for hours about whether the engine is French or Volvo but either way, it's a problem. I think at the time there was a thing called "PRV group" standing for Peugeot - Renault - Volvo. Emissions control is part, but only part, of the issue.

fatboy69

9,424 posts

204 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2011
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Please, no. They were horrible cars to look at, horrible to maintain (the body in particular) & they were bloody awful things to drive.

I was unlucky enough to be able to drive two of the damn things & i can honestly say that driving my old Austin Allegro 1750 Equipe was a more pleasurable experience & driving that heap of sh*te was miserable enough.

The DeLorean's were pitiful cars which should never be allowed on the roads.

Truly awful car.

ukzz4iroc

3,423 posts

191 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2011
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fatboy69 said:
Please, no. They were horrible cars to look at, horrible to maintain (the body in particular) & they were bloody awful things to drive.

I was unlucky enough to be able to drive two of the damn things & i can honestly say that driving my old Austin Allegro 1750 Equipe was a more pleasurable experience & driving that heap of sh*te was miserable enough.

The DeLorean's were pitiful cars which should never be allowed on the roads.

Truly awful car.
Tell me more. This sounds like a great time to never meet your hero frown

Prof Prolapse

16,163 posts

207 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2011
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fatboy69 said:
Please, no. They were horrible cars to look at, horrible to maintain (the body in particular) & they were bloody awful things to drive.

I was unlucky enough to be able to drive two of the damn things & i can honestly say that driving my old Austin Allegro 1750 Equipe was a more pleasurable experience & driving that heap of sh*te was miserable enough.

The DeLorean's were pitiful cars which should never be allowed on the roads.

Truly awful car.
I better just get one then...

fatboy69

9,424 posts

204 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2011
quotequote all
I worked for a motor dealers in the 80's & we had a car musuem as well. For reasons known to no-one the boss bought two of the sodding things as he thought that they were great cars & would be a good investment.

Wrong on both counts as he found out when they finally arrived.

Crap build quality, huge panel gaps, ugly & they had ill-fitting doors (on one of them i re-call that when the drivers door was pulled shut the passenger door would spring open & it refusd to close until the drivers door was opened again...)

Made one look a prat on the rare occasions we took either of the things out on the road & ended up having to drive back with one door sligtly ajar!!!

They were also quite slow with poor acceleration, bad brakes & sloopy steering.

Trying to keep the body 'clean' was a nightmare as the slightest touch would mark the bodywork & they were awful to keep in a reasonable condition.

IMO they should be avoided at all costs.

Nasty bloody things.

kelk

955 posts

230 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2011
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jdw1234 said:
I improved mine significantly by installing the Miami Vice theme tune on 8 track
EFA wink

J4CKO

44,766 posts

217 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2011
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Yeah, but, they are cool though.....

The oily bits can all be upgraded as well.

Jimbeaux

Original Poster:

33,791 posts

248 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2011
quotequote all
KieronGSi said:
Jimbeaux said:
True. Dump the french Puegot lump and shove in something new.
I thought it was a Renault 2.7 V6?

Just did some research and it seems it was a Peugeot-Renault-Volvo engine of 2.8 V6.

Edited by KieronGSi on Wednesday 2nd March 14:19
I think you are correct. That is what the article said iirc.

Chris_Von_Bron

8 posts

223 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2011
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I'm an owner of a DeLorean of nine years and below are my experiences and points of view.

Firstly, people forget that these cars were built 30 years ago, in small numbers (around 9000k) over a gestation period that was short. Porsche were approached to develop the car but they wanted four years to develop the car. Lotus wanted more than the 2 years I think it was that DeLorean himself could allow but waving four million in cash under Colin Chapman’s nose was enough to agree to the terms.

To put this in perspective the Lotus Esprit had 28 years of cultivation and not even 11,000 were built).

The stock DeLorean had to meet emissions requirements and due to the timeframes available the PRV 2.85V6 was used and in US spec produced just 130BHP. Although the stainless steel panels are heavy the fibreglass they sit on isn't so the weight is only 1266KG which is less than a VW GOLF.

UK Spec cars were 170BHP improving the 0-60mph from 10.5secs to 8.5secs. A Twin-Turbo DeLorean was in development to sort the performance out but the company went bust before any production cars were produced. The PRV is robust, used in some kit/racing cars and the French supercar manufacturer Venturi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venturi_Automobiles showed that they could produce 400BHP!

Lotus developed the handling for the DeLorean (handling + Lotus = excellent). Many DeLoreans are still on their original 30 year old shocks and many still have the silly tall springs at the front to solve the minimum bumper height needed for American legislation. Many UK cars have had Spax shocks and the correct lower springs to correct this.

Some videos you may enjoy:-

Sliding around at Porsche Silverstone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qnje5yrt7RE

Heading out for a ride in Milton Keynes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaOi3L4yRxk

Don't take my word for it. www.delorean.co.uk and http://www.deloreaneurotec.co.uk/about/default.htm hold events for enthusiasts of the car and for those that want to be able to see one up close and make their own minds up.


Edited by Chris_Von_Bron on Wednesday 2nd March 19:15

irish boy

3,790 posts

253 months

Wednesday 2nd March 2011
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I drive past the old factory/test track most days, I know the short comings but I would still love one as it's a bit of history, was build just round the corner and it looks stunning. (imo obviously)