The DeLorean Owners Club UK Forum

My DeLorean is now up for sale and to show why this car stands out I have made a short movie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaOi3L4yRxk The car is well known within the club (the previous owner is a club member too) and as many of you know, I am something of an obsessive perfectionist when it comes to looking after the car! I have tried to list here what has been done in the last six years. I am not in any particular hurry to sell, so I am willing to hold out for a good home if I don’t change my mind first. My car has been taxed and regularly used during my six years of ownership so far. The reason for sale is that I got married in August and my focus for 2008 and the next few years has changed so I want to buy a ‘sensible’, ‘practical’ car with four doors and five seats.

Specification
Car specification below is IDENTICAL to the ‘Back To The Future’ DeLorean (Vin 5261) used in the Twin-Pines Mall sequence of the film (several cars were used throughout the films).
Vin 5255 Oct 1981
Grey interior
5 speed manual transmission
Bonnet/hood with pleats/grooves
Motorised aerial (fast smooth motion) that hides away in the rear vent
A unique stainless steel exhaust system utilising 21” headers (£1,500) creates a deep engine note like the ‘Back To The Future’ DeLorean.

Other unique points of Vin 5255
Pirelli tyres
Clifford Avantguard G5 with remote start (£950 system, more info under Modifications)
Alpine Sat Nav DVD subtle install (£2,500 system, more info under Modifications)
31k miles (had 5,880 miles when I bought the car in January 2002)
MOT until August 2008
Tax until 30/06/08

History
DOC club member Stuart Pennington imported Vin 5255 from Arizona in 2000. He replaced the dashboard and binnacle (sun damage) amongst some of the work done to make it an excellent car for the next buyer. I purchased the car from Stuart on 22/01/02 with 5880 original miles on the 85mph clock. The car now has 31,000 on the 170mph speedo that was upgraded by DMC Houston www.delorean.com at their Openhouse event in 2003. The car was in great shape when I bought it and Stuart said all it needed was to put some much needed miles on it to keep it in shape which I duly did.

Modifications

Engine
Stage 1 performance upgrade (increased stock 130bhp to approximately 165bhp)
The Stage 1 looks stock apart from the lack of a catalytic converter which has been removed and a full free flowing Stainless Steel exhaust system has been fitted (see Exhaust section for more detail).
• A festoon LED has replaced the incandescent festoon bulb in the engine bay
• Original plastic expansion chamber (prone to exploding) has been upgraded to a brushed aluminium version.
• The crucial throttle cover update has also been added.
• Aircon pulley bearings have been replaced to enable quiet operation of the aircon
• Self bleeding kit fitted.
• All hoses have been replaced
• Fuel system is in immaculate condition due to a rebuild
The engine had to be dismantled slightly for the clutch slave cylinder replacement which allowed easy internal inspection. The block and overall condition is phenomenal. The engine fires up first time and every time, runs very smoothly and is extremely responsive. You can sit/crawl in slow traffic on a boiling hot day with/without the aircon on and this car will not overheat.

Electrics
Every single electrical system on the car works as it should from the binnacle dimming control and dash clock right through to the number plate lights. The fog light solution (as stock DeLorean’s don’t have them) was to have a hidden switch that when thrown creates twin fog lights using the inner most brake lights of the quad set in the rear light clusters. A brand new high capacity battery was installed May 2006 (has a four year guarantee).

Lights
The rear tailboards have had new bulbs and been re-soldered so they are very bright and the light output is even. The marker lights on the wings have all had new lenses, rubber gaskets, sockets and bulbs.

Horns
The original DeLorean horns on Vin 5255 sounded like an asthmatic Mickey Mouse so the following are now installed in the same location.
To hear the new horns click: www.classic-car-accessories.co.uk/acatalog/airhorn.html

Fuse compartment
The door central locking module has been rebuilt and all relays replaced. The original fuse box is well known for getting hot so this has also been addressed. The fan fail upgrade is also present. The aircon panel shows ‘cooling’ illuminated so that the driver knows the radiator fans are on when the air-con compressor is running and/or the otterstat detects that the fans are needed to cool the engine.

Doors
The Gullwing torsion bars were re-adjusted by DMC Ltd to even out the doors so they lift both equally quick and to the same symmetrical height. New www.pjgrady.co.uk gas struts keep the doors erect when open even on colder days. The original factory window motors are a well known weak point on the DeLorean mainly due to the plastic gearing cracking due to age. The new 21st century versions have metal gearing and the general assembly is of a much higher standard. The door solenoids have also been rebuilt so that the central locking works perfectly and reliably.

I have upgraded the courtesy lights in the doors from incandescent bulbs to LED’s so that the doors can be left open for hours without flattening the battery.

Black Zinc door handles from www.delorean.com replace the factory plastic ones that can break (one of mine did).

Brakes
Front vented discs upgrade supplied by DeLorean vendor Ed Uding www.delorean.eu with green stuff Kevlar pads all round. All new callipers all round. Stainless braided hoses have been fitted all round which work better than the originals when hot.

Transmission
A new high performance clutch was fitted (stronger, longer life) in August 2007 and whilst removed for the clutch upgrade the gearbox was rebuilt which only required new seals, bead blast and paint to look like new again. Both the clutch master and slave cylinders have been replaced with new ones. A stainless steel clutch line is fitted which cures the potential swelling issue of the original. The gearbox linkage has the pivot update and all linkage bushings replaced for smooth, quiet operation.



Suspension
Stock shocks all round with the euro-springs fitted at the front to bring the front ride height back to the correct ride height. This improves the appearance and the handling.

Strut Brace
A superb update provided by USA DeLorean vendor Peter Kutchen that makes the car more rigid and stops it flexing in the bends meaning much tighter handling. The aluminium strut brace can be unbolted and removed if so desired. I have covered it is a hard wearing black foam to help it blend in with the black carpet of the luggage compartment. This also stops it being scratched by luggage contents and also provides a cushion between it and luggage items.



Steering
Although DeLorean’s do not have power steering, 68% of the weight is at the rear of the car meaning that the steering is light. The steering column bush has been updated and the steering rack was refurbished in August 2007 which means it drives like new; fully communicating the road surface to the driver through the lovely tight steering.

Wheels/tyres
The alloys were refurbished in 2002 and are still in excellent condition. Four new Pirelli tyres were fitted all round at the same time.

Alarm and immobiliser (£950)
Clifford Avantguard G5 with remote start allows you to start the car from incredible distance whilst the car is still alarmed, locked and immobilised. This could be seen as a party piece or gimmick but from a practical side if you set the aircon/heat before leaving the car then it will start the aircon/heat with the engine and therefore give you the ice cool or hot interior that you require before you reach the car. The keyfob also de/activates the central locking. The G5 has spare channels so that if you want to add actuators to allow for remote opening doors/trunk etc then the scalability is there too. The Clifford system was installed by an authorised Clifford installer and because of this the system works perfectly. The car has tilt, proximity sensors, car jacking prevention measures plus all of the options due to the Avantguard being the flagship model of the Clifford range. All documentation, original boxes and spare keyfob will be supplied.

Air-conditioning
This system was completely rebuilt with the later factory updates in 2005. As part of the rebuild I fitted a new evaporator core (the most expensive part of the system), dryer and ‘padded’ the internal flap/vents for quieter mechanical operation. The aircon system has been updated to use R134a refrigerant. The interior fan has been replaced for smooth, quiet operation. The aircon on this car keeps you ice cold on a boiling summers day. The heater core works perfectly as do all of the mechanical controls.

Windscreen washer jets
I scratchbuilt new mouldings from the brackets supplied with a pair of LHD Jaguar S type quad squirter windscreen washer jets to enable them to be mounted to new immaculate stock DeLorean wiper arms purchased from www.delorean.com The original washer jet motor remains powerful enough to run them. Instead of the stock single jet of water on the passenger side this car is UNIQUE in that it has 4 separate jets of water for EACH wiper. The final result is understated looking as if it left the factory that way. Being able to soak the windscreen so thoroughly is of great use on a summer’s day when every UK insect decides to have an argument with the windscreen.



Interior
The grey interior is completely original in so that any worn parts replaced have only been replaced with genuine OEM DeLorean parts. The seats have not been re-skinned or re-dyed and with the leather being periodically fed has stopped them drying out and cracking. The dashboard, binnacle, steering wheel and centre pad plus the passenger knee pad have all been replaced with original OEM DeLorean parts supplied by www.delorean.com. Due to age the original 26 year old seat belts no longer retracted very well so these have also been replaced and now retract like those in a brand new car. The gauges in the binnacle all worked when I bought the car but when upgrading the speedo from 85mph to 170mph I also replaced the other gauges that had red markings that had turned orange due to sun damage. The binnacle therefore looks concours and all the instruments work correctly.

I prefer the glow given by incandescent bulbs so the interior remains stock except for the change to LED’s that now illuminate the aircon panel. The stock wiring means the aircon panel is lit whenever the ignition is on which means that the bulbs made the panel extremely hot to touch hence the easily reversible upgrade (the LED’s make use of the standard bulb socket).

Both tilt-able interior illumination lights have been replaced with superior units although they look stock. The fading light delay works when closing the doors as well as the original relay design allows.

The original carpet is protected with DeLorean thick high quality floor mats adorned with the DMC logo. The original factory handbook is still in the glove box in its leather pouch. The cargo net is in immaculate condition. The spacesaver tire is as new (has been used once) and the original jack and wheel brace are complete.



Stereo upgrade (May 2006) (£2,500)
Head unit and Sat Nav
No matter how good a condition a DeLorean maybe in, speaker cones dry out and crack over time. The original Craig cassette stereo would tune to FM radio stations but being American it was not able to pickup all of the UK radio frequencies. I had always wanted a fixed/hidden Satellite Navigation system installed into Vin5255 for two reasons. One, to look more ‘original’ and two, to save on having to remove a Tom Tom or such portable device when leaving the vehicle. I chose the very best on the market which was and still is the Alpine NVE-N099P DVD GPS Car Navigation System. http://www.alpine-electronics.co.uk/ind ... Navigation This Sat Nav makes use of gyroscope, satellite and pulse technology for super accurate readings. Most portable Sat Nav’s only use the satellite technology which means there can be lag around roundabouts and loss of signal in tunnels etc. The DeLorean does not send out an electronic speed pulse so a mechanical transducer has been added between the lambda counter and lower speedometer cable that then gives out the required pulse signal. The Sat Nav fitted has full TMC (traffic monitoring control) technology and therefore will offer alternative routes when traffic problems are detected. The Alpine Sat Nav unit is hidden away in the car and contains the computer and map DVD which means that the CD/DVD player in the Alpine IVA-D310R head unit can play your music whilst you are being navigated to your destination. The head unit can be chosen to show red or green console illumination which matches nicely with the green/red glow of the aircon panel below. http://www.alpine-electronics.co.uk/ind ... va-d310rrb changing the radio stations or accessing DVD movie controls etc is all done through the 7” touch screen.



Mass Movie Storage
CD changers are bulky and old hat so to solve the issue with mass music storage I have hidden an Alpine KCA-40i iPod interface within the car. http://www.alpine-electronics.co.uk/ind ... d=kca-420i simply connect your iPod to the connector plug and you can navigate through your music through the touchscreen of the Alpine head unit. The location has been chosen so that your iPod is never in view but easy to get to for quick removal and no, the glove box isn’t the hiding place.

Speakers
I wanted the speaker solution to be as near stock as possible plus end up with a crisp, clear sound. A stock DeLorean has 3.5” speakers at the front and 4”x10” at the rear. After some research I found that through careful mounting, 4” speakers can fit under the dashboard utilising the 3.5” Speaker aperture. I found that the sound from these speakers was so good that I duplicated the same approach at the rear by making custom mounts. Two pairs of Alpine SPX-107R speakers http://www.f1soundgallery.co.uk/cgi/pro ... uct_id=305 were chosen as being small, premium speakers would be needed to give the best possible sound. The crossovers (mounted behind the drivers seat) direct the high frequency sounds to the separately mounted tweeters (the only real give away that something special is installed). Medium frequencies are directed through the 4” speakers hidden behind the trim so to look stock. Low frequency/bass are directed to the 8” square Kicker L7 8” dual4 subwoofer mounted in the lock up box behind the drivers seat. The subwoofer is powered by a brush aluminium finished mono-output Alpine MRD-M605 amplifier. The entire system makes use of high quality ‘Autoleads’ speaker wire and the hidden location of the components was carefully chosen to avoid noise interference and prying eyes.



Custom Stainless Steel Exhaust (£1,500)
CH Fabrication in Milton Keynes have provided a lifetime warranty for this system as the stainless steel and construction method should mean it remains maintenance free. The exhaust system utilises custom 21” stainless steel headers in place of the stock cast iron manifolds to ensure the engine can breathe and perform as it should. I chose back boxes that have 3.5” diameter tail pipes although these could be swapped out to a smaller stock looking diameter if so desired. The sound is phenomenal. This clip http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?doc ... 9649174878 plus http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaOi3L4yRxk was taken of the car at the NEC Classic Car show in 2006. TV motoring journalists Mike Brewer and Mark Evans chose the DeLorean from the other classics available to drive on stage and make the ultimate entrance.



Exterior
Chris Nicholson the Stainless Steel specialist at www.pjgrady.co.uk has looked over the bodywork commenting that the panels still look very descent with the original factory brushed grain finish. The only noticeable small imperfection is on the top side of the rear offside wing. Chris confirmed that this could be fixed and quoted £50 for the repair. The polyurethane fascias were re-painted around eight years ago and the paint is starting to lift a little in places although the finish remains beautifully lacquered and even throughout. Any good paint shop that has experience of painting polyurethane could repaint these when desired and both of the UK DeLorean vendors can also assist with this. The glass, panel fit and door operation are excellent throughout.



Chassis
The main reason I chose this car was because of the condition of the chassis. As it spent most of its life in the dry state of Arizona it means the chassis was and still is in fabulous condition. The factory original tab bolts that are not safe even on low mileage cars were replaced with the high tensile inconel Toby Tab’s back in 2002. At the time of replacement the car had done just 8,550 miles and one of the factory original bolts had already bent alarmingly.



Tax
The car is taxed up to 30/06/08

Service
The engine oil has been changed annually regardless of the mileage covered. Next oil change is due August 2008. All fluids have been flushed/replaced as required at each service.

MOT
The car has been through six MOT’s under my ownership and sailed through five of them first time. A worn ball joint was the culprit on one MOT and both were replaced for good measure.

Service History
The car has a comprehensive UK Service History from 2000 when the car was imported. Stuart confirmed that the car was ‘original’ and untouched when it arrived. I have every single receipt for all of the work and parts totalling over £8,000 plus another £5,000 for the exhaust, stereo upgrade and Clifford alarm. The full £13,000 service history is listed below.

Expenditure





Originality
Although there are many ‘original’ DeLoreans out there, some have a very low mileage meaning they still have an original clutch, radiator, inferior factory window motors (plastic parts gradually break) just to name just a few of the OEM parts that WILL fail at some point. I have replaced any weak parts with 21st century improvements many of which have been manufactured by the DeLorean community. The replacement radiator looks original and remains black in colour but is of aluminium construction and therefore will never rust like the original. I would like to consider that the ‘updates’ to my car are beneficial; make it safer and more reliable and also subtle so that the car is still recognisable as a DeLorean. None of the modifications have been made irreversible so if a buyer wants to restore the wiper jets for example back to a single jet then this would indeed be possible.

Not included in the Sale but open to offers
Registration mark
I purchased the registration mark UIJ 197 and assigned it to the car in 2002 to replace ULB112W that was selected by the DVLA upon UK registration in 2000. UIJ 197 will not be included with the car although I will consider any separate offers.

Sound proofing
As the DeLorean is considered a luxury car I wanted to make it whisper quiet inside even at motorway speed. I considered Dynamat although compared to my choice below it is overpriced, thicker, heavier and had poorer acoustic properties below 30 degrees. I purchased enough B-quiet from Canada at a cost of £300 and I have never had the time to fit it.
www.b-quiet.com/vcomp.html
www.b-quiet.com/compare.html
The Sound proofing is available for sale by separate negotiation.


In Summary
Now as you can appreciate those modifications/upgrades and renovations have been carried out at a considerable cost!! I have listed above all of my expenditure across the six years (and mileage information wherever possible). Please also note that I have ALL of the receipts/MOT’s so it has a detailed history since its return to the UK in 2000.

The car has been regularly described as immaculate by DeLorean Hire guest’s www.delorean-hire.co.uk/html/chris_hawes__car.html and DeLorean owners alike. Having owned the car for six years I know every square inch of the car and in my opinion it is in excellent overall condition. Please remember that this is a 26 year old car and that there are still some of the cosmetics that I have not yet got around to. I am quite happy for anyone to reference the car with www.PJGrady.co.uk or www.delorean.co.uk and/or have it independently inspected. The new buyer will be receiving over £13,000 of investment and six years of my time that I have poured into it.

This car was my second vehicle for the first five years and beginning last January I insured it as my daily driver. In 25k miles and six years driving I have found the car to be truly ‘turn key’ that is to say, reliable and dependable. The monies spent have been preventative, cosmetic and for enhancement. If you are looking for an immaculate, untouched, factory original with all the inherent bugs that were not properly ironed out then this is not the DeLorean for you. If you want a car that has been run in, updated and a pleasure to drive then Vin 5255 fits the bill. £18,750.

I am not giving up on DeLorean’s, it is just that my time as a newly married man is so divided right now that I can hardly give the car the extra time I would like to give it. I would hope to be able to stay in touch with the new owner so that if they should ever choose to sell then perhaps if my time is not as tight I’ll have first refusal as I would enjoy owning the car again in the future!

Thanks for reading,

Chris Hawes
christopherhawes@btinternet.com
01908 501206 / 07982 530886

Blimey, thats a bolt out of the blue Chris!

Thought you and 5255 were inseperable - ah well, if you're
looking for fast fun and 4 doors, then you could always take
a leaf out of Robins book and get a Lotus Carlie - you used
to have a GSi3000 afterall

I hope you're car finds a good home, you've certainly lavished
some pennies on her over the years

I thought you and your D were inseparable Chris :o

What's changed your mind? Has your Mrs put her foot down or have you got an eye on a different car ?

Good luck with the sale. Whoever buys it will def have one of the loudest exhausts ! 8)

NickT

WOW I didn't see that coming Chris!

I hope you still continue to be a part of the DeLorean community as you've been a key member of the club for over half a decade.

Wishing you all the best with the sale. I'd be more than happy to vouch for your car as it's a fantastic example of a 21st century DeLorean.

Best wishes,

Phil

God, which I had £18,750 right now.

Absolutey flawless car by the look of it Chris. And well done on that comprehensive listing...... nothing missed out at all.

I'm sure whoever buys this car will have little to do to it for a good few years.

Hope you are not leaving the club though......

Ben

Chris - good to chat to you earlier.

Don't let me be the only person in Buckinghamshire with a DMC .....!! :-)

Thats the biggest advert Ive ever seen! And I note you have undercut me by £250!

My expenditure over the last 7 years has been somewhat more modest, new tyres(the old were were immaculate but 25 years old). Freeflow exhaust sytemn, A new seat of grey leather seat covers ( that I had in stock) and a couple of services. ( i did myself).

Seriously though Chris, you have been a fantastic and enthuisatic young club member and i'm dead chuffed to note that you have recently renewed your club subs. We can't afford to loose members like you.

I'm sure the spring buying rush will soon be upon us and you will get your sale. ( don't tell my wife but I rather hope mine dosen't sell)

If anyone has wondered why I have vin 551, i will be swapping it in next few days for that immaculate, concourse winning 2.8 Brooklands Capri that won best of show at the NEC. The owner has seen the light and now gone "stainless steel". And I will have a car I have fancied for many years. It will probably be a "trailer queen" as well. Did any of you see it underneath at the NEC?

This email was from one enthusiast...

Quote:Just a couple of quick questions.

Have you had the garbage fuel conversion kit installed, or will i need to source plutonium?

I`ve noticed in the photographs that there is no Flux Capacitor, is this because you have ugraded to a current model that can provide the 1.21 Gigawatts of electricity whilst not being on display

Does anything out of the ordinary occur when you hit 88mph??

Thanks very much for your time, I eagerly await your response

Welly

Hi Welly,

I removed the Flux Capacitor as it was ruining the fuel economy. If Mr Fusion was real it probably wouldn't take long before rubbish would be taxed!

You asked "Does anything out of the ordinary occur when you hit 88mph??"

Yes, the speedo needle would move from 87mph and the police would pull me over where they would surely crack a BTTF reference before booking me!

I have had some serious interest but nothing conclusive yet... The longer the car is for sale, the more likely it is that I will be changing my mind :wink:

well i think its funny myself, it just proves how the cars are under peoples skins most people want to own one but just havent the balls to put their money where their mouths are :lol: TT

Very nice car
Your sound system looks perfect :!:

My answer would have been
Have you had the garbage fuel conversion kit installed, or will i need to source plutonium?

If you are refering to the "Mr Fusion" device then you will be bright enough to realise it has not been invented yet.

I`ve noticed in the photographs that there is no Flux Capacitor, is this because you have ugraded to a current model that can provide the 1.21 Gigawatts of electricity whilst not being on display

With reference to the "flux capacitor" due the recent introduction to the Kyoto protocol, producing 1.21 Gig a watts is no longer permissable due to the carbon foot print of the vehicle being increased,

Does anything out of the ordinary occur when you hit 88mph??

At the indicated speed of 88 mph blue lights start to flash at the rear of the vehicle,
This is followed approximately 2 weeks later with the loss of your driving licence



Thanks very much for your time, I eagerly await your response

Welly<<sounds a bit like Willy,,,which I understand is a term for a small Cock

hi

maybe this person knows a bit more?.

Welly is also a delorean scale model producer!.

http://www.deloreans.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1710

I cannot belief this still exists
See the link above for the image!

I found that I couldn't go through with parting with vin 5255. I just know I would regret the moment watching the car drive off with a new owner...

I wanted to convey with the advert how much work had gone into it and therefore wanted to let potential buyers know that if I went to so much trouble on the detail in the advert it might give an idea of what effort had been put into the car itself.

VIN 5255 is no longer for sale :wink: