Re: Crashed

["Robert Rooney" <dmcvegas@xxxx>]

When we first inpected our car before we bought it, I had noticed 
that the rear tow hooks were both bent the same way. The drivers side 
door aligns perfectly, but the right fron fender is slightly out of 
alignment (but the door seals, all water leaks cured). While 
performing a oil change, I noticed that there was damage to the cross 
section of the chassis in front of the oil pan. Several scrapes and 
indentations scoot accross the chassis and have damaged the epoxy. It 
looks as if a pile of chains were left under my car. Where the hooks 
are bent and where the epoxy has been compromised the is some 
oxidation, so this had to have happened a long time ago. But the 
damage to booth indicated that the car slide to the right. Now never 
thinking about this before I also have body damage to my pasengerside 
rear quarter panel. It looks as though something vertical and even 
was pushed into it head on (no scrapes, but had to notice). The other 
thing that would support this theory is on my doors. While removing 
my new headliners for a cleaning I noticed they had been swapped. The 
car was approved by inspector K #7647. Whoever he/she was wrote "VIN 
6582" on both doors. However, it looks like someone came along later, 
scratched it out and wrote "VIN 6585" (my real VIN). The other 
writing looks like jibberish, but it also looks like the 
date/time/and employee # was written on each door when it was 
completed. There's other writings, but they really don't relate right 
now. I know the closest cars from me are in Sweden >6581< and San 
Diego >6582<. But who knows if these cars would show damage since 
there's no way of knowing if there was a specific way in which the 
cars were lined up in the cargo holds, or what VIN's went with what 
shipments. Maybe if others in this range could check thier cars. The 
other thing is when the cars were shipped. My car is a NOV build, and 
the DMV in Ca listed as first purchased in June 82. So my guess is 
that it spent had to have spent a bit of time somewhere, either in 
Belfast, the west coast QAC, or the dealership, or even all, who 
knows...

On another note, a while back the was talk of DeLorean's that were 
listed by the company to be destroyed due to severe damage. If you 
check the archives for the posting, I belive that several VIN #'s 
were posted for these cars. I hope that all of this helps!

-Robert
VIN 6585

--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxx, senatorpack@xxxx wrote:
> 
> 
> Dear DML,
> 
> I need your help.
> Please look at your car with the doors closed. Pay particular 
attention to 
> the Gap between the door and the front fenders.
> 
> How many of you have a more pronounced gap at the sill area?
> 
> I have been trying to research what ever happened to DeLorean 
cars that 
> were damaged while inside the cargo ships en route to the United 
States. Some 
> of these DeLoreans had intensive damage. 
> 
> I have a contact that worked at the QAC's. He said a number of 
DeLorean's 
> suffered from damage. He was responsible for chassis damaged. He 
simply had 
> the chassis replaced since there was a continuous supply of 
chassis. He had 
> knowledge of destroyed cars and cars that were a total loss. He 
went on to 
> say, how the cars were thoroughly inspected, repaired, replaced 
damaged parts 
> and rebuilt to be sold. This seems evident especially in the early 
days. 
> 
> However, I have seen photographs of DMC-12's that had severe, 
extensive 
> damage in the front areas of the cars. The bonnet area looked 
beyond repair. 
> The damaged resulted from chains that secured the cars down, 
breaking free 
> and the cars sliding into each other. The VIN numbers in the 
photographs 
> indicate that the cars were built in Sept of 1981. I.e. VIN # 3000-
3999.
> 
> The purpose of my inquiry is to determine why the Body panels 
of cars in 
> this VIN # range are out of alignment. My determination is to 
conclude that 
> these cars either;
> 
> 1. Had suffered from lack of door shims at the factory. This 
would 
> conclude that the factory was running out of stock, or changed the 
> specifications for the shims. This resulted in doors completely out 
of 
> alignment. ((Look at the area of your car with doors closed. 
The "Gap" 
> between the front fenders and the doors))
> 
> 2. The more probable, cars damaged during shipment, and 
repaired at the 
> QAC's. The cars having the stainless steel panels, or VARI sections 
replaced 
> at the QAC in Long Beach or New Jersey. Resulting in body panels 
out of 
> alignment. However, the really early, and late VINs' seem to have 
the panels 
> aligned.
> 
> So did the company have damaged cars repaired/rebuilt to be sold, 
or did they 
> have them destroyed since the cars looked totaled?
> 
> Your input is very much appreciated.