Re: An end to the shock and spring debacle? (LONG)

["Dan RC30" <Danrc30@xxxx>]

James Espey said:
snip--->"The resulting product is a superior, four-corner performance
suspension/lowering spring set that does far more than just lower the
car - it improves the handling, makes for easier and more accurate
alignments (therefore possibly improving tire wear), and when used in
conjunction with the new shocks (described in more detail below) and
proper tires makes for a DeLorean than we contend outhandles any car
in it's class, and as well as many modern cars, including the Audi TT."


Ok... well, I have a big problem with that claim. I can almost promise you 
that there is no way anyone in the world could ever make a DeLorean handle 
against modern cars in the sports class, especially the Audi TT, without 
spending hunders of thousands of dollars on not only suspension upgrades, 
but chassis upgrades as well. It's a 20 year old car! Do you really think 
that Audi would spend millions of R&D on a car that would only be outhandled 
by a 20 year old design with a $1,300 suspension upgrade? (You decide that 
one for yourself.) Yes, the DeLorean handles ok, and maybe with a suspension 
upgrade it will handle better, but I had a stock 1984 Porsche 944 that would 
run circles around the DeLorean in handling. Sorry to say it, but it's true! 
Let's not get in over our heads here thinking our cars are something they're 
not. If you wanted to put a DeLorean against modern day cars in it's class, 
it would go against the Corvette, the Porsche 911, the Lotus Esprit Turbo, 
and probably even a Ferrari. (I say this because that is what the car 
magazines tested it against back in 1981 when the car came out.)I'm sorry, 
but I don't care what kind of suspension package you have on your car, it's 
not gonna out-handle any of those cars, or anything even like a Trans-Am or 
a Z-28. Put a late 90's 300ZX against any DeLorean you want, and I guarantee 
it'll make the DeLorean look like Honda Civic on a roadcourse. If you 
disagree with me, why not give the "test" DeLorean to Road and Track or Car 
and Driver for a real roadtest to see what it can do? Don't get me wrong... 
I love my DeLorean. I love what it is, and what I can get out of it by the 
modifications I choose to perform on it. I'm just not gonna exaggerate as to 
what it is. I think that's what James was doing... exaggerating. And if 
that's the case James, are you exaggerating the horsepower you're getting 
out of DMC Houston's upgraded motor? I'd like to see some "objective" 
specifications on it. Maybe the car magazine of your choice could do that 
test as well...

James also said:
snip--->"We were also fortunate to have access to the original
engineers. I told the story earlier on the DML about how after Colin
Chapman drove one of the DeLorean prototypes with a proposed spring
setup, the engineers were instructed to re-do their work as the
DeLorean outhandled the then-current Esprit."

I would like to see this in writing. Not only is the Esprit lighter, it's 
also a mid-engine car. I sincerely doubt that the DeLorean could outhandle 
an Esprit, even an Esprit from back then. The DeLorean was never designed to 
be an "all out" sports car. We all know this. It was a "GT" car, which 
stands for "Grand Touring". It was never meant to be a high-performance car. 
Just a nice, and exotic, "GT" sports car. So, lets just love our cars for 
what they are, and what we could modify them to be... ok? Nothing more, and 
nothing less.

---Dan

_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com