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hi all
just thought i'd post this as it was a while ago, and mike have a bit of interest for someone.
i was doing some research a few months ago, and spoke to an ex employee at lotus, who was manager of the powertrain section in 79-80 or so.
now he claimed that lotus in the UK were asked to develope a twin turbo engine for the D. he definately said John D demanded the twin and not single, and this ran along side the legend developement.
whether this is true or not i don't know and if an engine was built.
he certainly knew details of the lotus scrapyard where the test cars were destroyed, and i have spoken to them and no parts remain.
i asked if they had kept/buried any black bodies (which would have been very early perhaps rough finish) but everything was destroyed...sacrelidge
i also know of someone who worked at the company who developed the speedo pod, but unfortunately as with a lot of UK car industries this has gone bust and the drawings lost. i am trying to trace if anything remains.
just thought i'd share this.
Regards
Steve
doc 370
vin 1621
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There're a lot of myths and legends surrounding the engine development. Whatever really happened, the engines themselves are rare as hen's teeth, not actually very good and cetainly not reproducable without spending thousands.
On the other side you can get hold of a later turbo renault engine for less than £500. Fitting, wiring, exhaust and intercooling are additional on either type, and that costs money too.
I thought the twin turbo engine was put on a test bed and ran on full boost for over 60 hours non stop. I can't remember where I read that now I would have to find that book.
I wouldn't say no to one though!
NickT.
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Well im sure some one will Nick :lol:
cheers tony TT
DOC398
VIN#3484
Tourettes Tutor
I have the X factor
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hi
does anyone know if Lotus did develop one?.
i was surprised as i thought legend had that 'job' to do.
not sure if he was bad mouthing, but he did say that at Lotus they did not see the Delorean as competition. and did say not all ex employees would want to talk...ie sensitive about the missing money and Colin Chapman.
Regards
Steve
Steve Saunders
Wolverhampton
ex owner vin 1621
doc 370
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NickT Wrote:I thought the twin turbo engine was put on a test bed and ran on full boost for over 60 hours non stop. I can't remember where I read that now I would have to find that book.
I wouldn't say no to one though!
Marc's engine is one of the test bed engines, now in #1860. The fuelling in it has had to be fudged in order to enrich under boost and it's done with a MAP sensor and extra injectors. I suspect this engine was internally correct but never finished off properly
The internals were made for testing and not for production. It rattles like hell when first started until it warms up because of piston slap. It's also very thirsty. Marc's got it set up to 12psi but they were tested at 18 according to Fred Dellis.
The most famous one, #502, has been off the road for years and isn't running at the moment. Marc's is the only one that is on the road. You should've taken the opportunity at Lotus to pick his brains :-)
I seem to recall that Chris P had purchased from somewhere (Ebay, perhaps?) a copy of a Lotus proposal for the turbo project. I glanced at it briefly at NEC in 2001, I think.
James
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Infact 502 has just been sold and is now undergoing restoration. Rob Grady used to own it but he has sold it to ......
Tony Ierardi .....DMC Florida
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Not quite. Tony is brokering a deal with the new owner
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Marc Levys car is set to run at a Max of 7 PSI and under normal driving gets to around 3-4 PSI. Marc has turned the boost down as he uses the car alot and wants it to last.
It's very hard to give allot of detail about the engines as Legend rebuilt them on a daily basis. It's possible that all of the engines had been in all of the Legend cars at some point
He has taken it on severial trips and covered 1000's of miles in it with no problems at all. It's the fastest automatic Delorean I have seen and flys off down the road like a sculled cock !!!!
It's a little bit heavy on the gogo juice but no more then any other turbo'd car. And I have driven it a few times too !!!!
How do I know all this ?? Well Im standing right next to it at the moment
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Just to say hello and bring this thread op to date VIN 502 is now in New Zealand. I am from the UK originally but emigrated to Wellington, New Zealand in 1986. I am a radiologist and the proud owner of VIN 6191 and now 502. 502 arrived last week after a long sea voyage from Miami. It has now cleared MAF to check there are no spiders on it, Customs to make sure there are no $s left in my bank account and now awaits VINZ to register it for New Zealand. More $s. Hope to have it running in a few weeks. They feel it should have a few L/H front tie rod! DMC Texas here i come. I plan to run it at weekends. DeLoreans are rare as in NZ about 9 registered but due to privacy regulations I cannot find out by whom. We could form a club or do something useful if we wern't so damm PC here! I enjoy the UK forum. Keep up the good work and hope to visit some of you on my family visits back to "old blighty" Kind regards Trevor