A truck has crashed through a Delorean restoration business in Australia. Luckily no one was injured. 

So..
Drove from High Wycombe to Shropshire this weekend and had a breakdown as I was passing through Birmingham.
Clearly, rule 1 is 'don't drive through Birmingham on the hottest day of the year at five o'clock on a Friday afternoon'..!!
However, this was my first breakdown in the car.

As I was nearly through Birmingham (frustratingly), first I heard dodgy whirring noises, then coming off a roundabout she suddenly completely died after some horrendous electricalish whirring noises.
Pretty sure this was the fuel pump having a mad five minutes.
For at least five minutes, turning the key did nothing at all.
After a few more minutes, turning the key turned over the engine (with horrendous noises) but it wouldn't fire.
After a few more minutes, she started but conked out again after going ten yards.
After another ten minutes or so (maybe 25-30 minutes all told?), during which I was on to my breakdown company, she decided to start and I completed the last 30-ish miles and hour of my journey.

So.  Questions/advice please!
i/ What was going on?  Is this the same as or related to the infamous 'hot start' problem I think I've heard of?  Is it usual for this to also result in a breakdown?  Was it (theorising here) to do with excess heat causing fuel in fuel pipes to vapourise and 'vapour lock'?

ii/ whatever the problem, does anyone have a solution?  should I change my fuel pump?  Any other upgrades/ mods I can do?

Further problem: On the plus side, I had my air con looked at a month or so ago and it now works.  On the downside, when it's hot, the increased load of putting on the air con and the associated fans pushes the running temperature of the engine up!  So when it's really hot, I ironically have to turn off the air con so as to keep the engine cool!!
so, iii/ anyone else had this problem, and did anyone find a radiator / fan / other solution that helps keep all this under control?


My biggest paranoia about running any old car is always to do with overheating.  

iv/ Finally, perhaps it's just my imagination, but it seems to me that the warmer the car is, the worse the gearchange gets.  Anyone else have this?

It's been a while, hope everyone's well and sorry for just bringing problems to the party..!!  :-D

Cheers,

Ivanhoe (80sThrowBack...)

It's that time of year when I start badgering people for photos for the Club Calendar.

I've already had some submissions via email, and I've been busy with the camera at 
this years Club Event and the Retro Show, but I'm always after nice pics.

So, landscape orientation please, as hi-res as possible, and preferably pics without 
lots of people in, just the car(s) and backdrop.

Ideally I need photos in by the end of September, so please email me with what you
have asap.  I need to get it designed and to the printers by mid October, so that they
are printed and ready for the NEC in November.

They are always a limited run of 50, first come first served.

email:  clairew@fab1.net (clairew 'at' fab 'one' dot net)

Thanks in advance!

(31 Aug 2023, 18:26)Rich Hanlon Wrote:

(31 Aug 2023, 18:10)Guinney1971 Wrote: Sounds like a good idea Rich

Thanks- we could give it a go. Using the Invitation system means nobody in the group gets to see a new invitee's name or number, until that person consents to join, so its up to the individual.

Anyway, enough for tonight!! 

Can someone confirm the official torque settings for the wheel nuts please.

Hi all,
 
Over the last couple of years I have been to a couple of great daytime and evening Air Shows at The Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden Aerodrome, Bedfordshire.  This is a historic private airfield in the grounds of a country house owned by the founder's family. 
 
https://www.shuttleworth.org/explore/the-collection/
 
These tend to be great days with lots of preservation aircraft flying including their own Spitfire and Hurricane, some based there and others flying in from elsewhere.  They even fly their Avro 504 which is the oldest flying aircraft In the World!  
 
Anyway, there is usually a classic car area set aside there with various clubs in attendance, and I have been wondering about getting a DOC delegation together for one or more of the shows next year.  As a club you get an excellent on site parking area where you can enjoy the show from your car.
 
There are various dates available - just gauging interest for a trip to one of them.
 
https://www.shuttleworth.org/airshows2024/
 
BEST OF BRITISH
12 MAY 2024
 
MILITARY WEEKEND
1 & 2 JUNE 2024
 
FESTIVAL OF FLIGHT
28 & 29 & 30 JUNE 2024
 
SUMMER EVENING
20 JULY 2024
 
FAMILY WEEKEND
10 & 11 AUGUST 2024
 
PROMS WEEKEND
31 AUGUST & 1 SEPTEMBER 2024
 
RACE DAY
6 OCTOBER 2024

We are a Holiday park  near Polperro cornwall and are holding an end of season "back to the future" themed  owners party. We are looking to hire a Delorean to make a static display at the entrance to our club with our club decorated with various scenes from the film and people dressed in "back to the future " fancy dress. If any members have a Delorean they would hire to us, We would be glad to provide them with accommodation and to invite them to join our celebrations. I can be contacted at the following e mail address.
killigarth-admin@johnfowler.co.uk.

Many thanks

Peter Stephen

Hi,
My AC was tested for leaks recently before getting it refilled and it was all good aside from the plug on the top of the compressor. The original seal for that has deteriorated and needs to be replaced.  This doesn't seem to be a seperatly available part, but is there a cross reference for the type of seal/o-ring that I can get hold of? My local garage didn't have anything suitable to fit on the day, 
The photo shows the nut with the missing seal.
   
Thanks
Simon

I received a sobering warning from Rissy at the Really Retro Show to change my fuel lines or risk losing my car to fire. So I've been changing the lines one at a time over the last week. I've only got the frequency valve and return line left to go, but it's not clear how I get one of the lines to detach from the frequency valve (the one with no visible fastener).

   

Do I just pull, twist, and grunt at it? Or is there more to it? I'm trying to not break something as the Morgan factory tour is only a couple of weeks away.

not entirely sure what the hell to do now.

Friday - started and ran pretty well after getting the 2 fuel leaks sorted and stage 1 exhaust on

Saturday - Cranks but no fire:  checked fuses, relays, inertia switch and grounds

Sunday (Today) - still no fire even with a little brake cleaner and all plugs removed and cleaned (I did 1 at a time so HT leads wouldn't get mixed up), checked for spark which I do, and added 5L to the tank and still nothing.

so I'm not sure what I'm missing but I haven't touched anything that could stop the car from starting, Facebook lot aren't being very helpful by telling me "check grounds" or "battery is failing" even though I'm getting a good spark from the plugs.

could the ignition ecu be on its way out or one of the relays? I get a re-prime on failed start and I hear the relays clicking so I have no idea what's wrong

Help