RE: [DML] Ethical Sports Cars...

["Tom Tait" <TTait@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I agree - rusty frames?  I lived in New England in the 80's (without a
Delorean) and many of us made a real effort to protect the crappy
frames, exhaust,  etc. on our American made and even Japanese made cars.
On the first nice day after a snowstorm the lines would be almost around
the block at the carwash.  Everyone would spend 2 minutes blowing the
road salt off their paint and then another 5 rinsing the wheel wells,
under the car,  the top of the muffler, etc.  When we went in for an oil
change the mechanic would often offer to use a Hudson sprayer to put a
thin coat of motor oil on the bottom of the car when he was done.
Lovely as the exhaust system heated up the 1st time.  These were dark
days when even small towns could support a Ziebart dealer or two.  

 

Subaru in particular seemed to build cars that would dissolve before
your eyes in the early 80's.  Three year old cars with heavily rusted
frames and holes in the fenders you could drop a quarter thru.

 

My D lived for two years in Colorado, apparently as a daily driver from
the oil change records.  I have no idea if the 1st owner used
semi-heroic measures as we did in New England - but my frame is still in
great shape at 26 years.

 

________________________________

From: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Josh Haldeman
Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 10:55 AM
To: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [DML] Ethical Sports Cars...

 

Hi Al,

It sounds like you haven't yet read JZD's book, "On a Clear Day You Can
See
GM". Go pick up a copy. I think I just saw the paperback version on
Amazon
for around $2.50. It will answer your question about the ethical sports
car
idea. Basically he wanted to build a car that the company could stand
behind.or at least that's where he started. What developed is another
story
entirely. For that one, read "Hard Driving" by Bill Haddad as well as
DeLorean's Autobiography. Those two combined, give you kind of an
overall
sense of the company's history. 

".With a frame that rusts as badly if not worse than its
contemporaries." 

It does? I think epoxy coated steel was a lot better than the cheap
frame
paint I find on even some of today's cars. DeLorean at least gave you
some
measure of protection against the elements right from the factory.and on
the
late 82's and 83's, he even added factory undercoating over the epoxy!
I've
run into relatively few DeLoreans that have terrible condition frames.
They
do exist, but most cars have just surface rust here and there. I'm not
saying epoxy coating steel is a method without flaws, but it's a lot
better
than most of the DeLorean's contemporaries.

A twin turbo model would have definitely been worth more than the base
cars,
if put into production.but what if the company also sold aftermarket
engine
upgrade kits? Kind of like what Island Turbo and others already did in
the
80's and 90's? If you were on a budget, and couldn't afford the more
expensive twin-turbo, then maybe you could buy a kit for less and do it
yourself. We'll never know how the company would have handled that.but
if I
ever get my time circuits working, I'll be sure to go back and rewrite
that
particular part of history so we can find out. (hehe)

-Josh

VIN 5102
VIN 15964
VIN 11289
VIN 909


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