Re: [DML] Customizing a DeLorean

["B Benson" <delornut@xxxx>]

I'm not trying to put anyone down here and I must admit nothing in the post
below indicates there isn't the talent to accomplish what's said
there but I feel compelled to comment because I guess it makes it sound too
easy. I had the chance, a while back, to spend a weekend with Mark Vieau
whose shop builds Winston Cup and Bush National engines for several NASCAR
teams, and Larry Boeker who builds Pro Stock drag engines for Reher
Morrison. One question I asked was how they justify a $125,000 price tag for
one of their engines. Larry invited me to visit his shop's back room
sometime to see the store house of parts used in trying to find just the
right combination. These guys have thousands of hours and decades of
experience in learning the particular characteristics of the various
engines they work with. Even so there is still trial and error involved in
adapting them to certain race track conditions. One example is airflow
though the engine's intake. Sometimes more is not better because velocity
plays an equally important role in engine performance. Changing the profile
of a camshaft requires, among other things, knowing how much valve overlap
is needed to maintain the best velocity of the incoming air without loosing
some though the exhaust ports. How much lift works for a particular engine
and what RPM range are you looking to gain power in. Improving one area of
the engines range may reduce power or overall performance in another. "The
folks in Texas", as they were called below, and others like Rob Grady and Don Steger have years of experience with the DeLorean and even so I'm sure they have many hours in testing and experimenting before they have something they're comfortable with to offer their customers. I always have to question when anyone claims to do this without that experience and facility. When I hear folks claim they're going to do this or that without presenting their credentials I get really skeptical. As I said, many of the posts like this don't indicate a lack of experiance but nether do they present it. If you take a shot at someone by stating that you'll do something better then give us something that can substatiate that claim.

Bruce Benson


> I am working on upgrades for the PRV-6 that are
> reasonable and you can put on your self. i am
> thinking of cam, manifold upgrades, and exhaust that
> can be purchased in pieces and steps and installed
> your self (unlike them Texas folks. I am in the
> process of acquiring an engine but if anyone else has
> an old engine sitting around that they want to get rid
> of let me know. I am going to try for the 200 HP mark.