[DML] Fwd: RHD DeLoreans - Part 1

[Martin Gutkowski <martin.gutkowski@xxxx>]

This message has been cropped into two parts as it exceeded the e-groups
limit.... (cheers for the info, Dave)


> Dear all,
>
> Chris Parnham is on the DML now, and sent this mail to me today, copied
> on a mail to the DML, but unfortuately I need to let him know to turn
> off HTML! This is a cracking read for anyone interested in our
> "euro-spec" cars.
>
> Best Wishes,
>
> Martin
>
> Chris Parnham wrote:
>
> Dear David Knudson
>
> As a member of the De lorean Owners Association (USA) and
> secretary and registrar of the De Lorean Owners Club (UK), and owner of
> 4 original right hand
> drive cars, I was surprised to see that you have stated in the
> latest edition of De lorean World, that no RHD cars left the factory!
>
> There is no shame in saying I don't know, but you could have
> first checked with your British cousins.
>
> If you check out Martin Gutlowski's web
> site....www.delorean.co.uk you will see numerous photo's and
> descriptions of about half of the known surviving
> UK RHD examples.
>
> Some of these photo's taken earlier this month at the "NEC",
> Britain's biggest and most prestigious Classic Car Show, where our club
> displayed 4 RHD's and 3
> LHD's. on its "prize winning" stand. ( 2nd out of 520).
>
> As far as I know no "original" RHD cars ever made it to the other
> side of the pond, so it perhaps not supprising how little is known about
> them in States.
> Indeed even in the UK apart from the ones I have recently
> bought,( all previously one owner cars) only two others have changed
> hands in the last 10 years or
> so.
>
> One of America's leading De Lorean experts and concourse judge,
> Steve Wynn, checked out the latest RHD "barn find" to turn up, "DUSTY",
> this has only
> got 4 miles on the clock, and has never been registered for road
> use!
>
> Steve said that this is a "significant" car, in some ways as
> "important" as the 2 GOLD cars!
> He also said after checking out the car, that because of the
> many and varied differences between this and the other RHD cars on
> display, he was going to
> have to "re-write" the rule book, about what is and is not
> "original fitments"!..If we in the DOC ever get into "concourse"!
>
> What is an "original Right Hand Drive Car"?........My
> interpretation is, one that left the De Lorean factory as such.
>
> All RHD cars are " conversions" in that, the plastic underbody
> would have to have been re-designed and re-made in the footwell, and
> spare wheel areas to be
> a true "un-converted RHD". This never happened, the "under
> bonnet" area's were cut out and re-made separately, the foot well area
> was not altered, such,
> that the pedals ( on manuals) seem a bit close together.
>
> There is no doubt that, depending whitch book you read between
> 15-25 were "converted" to RHD for or by the factory. Of these about
> 12/14 are thought to
> survive. Some were used for testing purposes and were later
> scrapped.