As of five minutes ago, I have driven my DeLorean 1,012 miles since I got it running again! I must say, it is running great! I have been getting 23 mpg the whole time! I LOVE this car!!!! :)

~Lyndsey

Tail light lens

So I finally got my passenger side tail light lens changed out yesterday, so now they both match! The previous owner changed the driver side lens because the original was cracked, but didn't change the passenger side. They've never matched perfectly since I've had the car, but over the last few years the passenger side faded very badly. I don't know if it's the Colorado sun or what (my dash wasn't cracked or discolored nearly as bad when I got it, either). It looks so much better now, plus my right turn signal is orange again instead of white!




What I started with.





Out with the old, in with the new.





During surgery...





And the end result. Much better! :) Now to get the license plate surround painted black...




I also got a new rear view mirror! The original mirror is really loose, and whenever I hit a bump or close my door I have to re-adjust it. Very annoying! Now I just have to figure out how to get the old one off without breaking the windshield.

~Lyndsey

Upcoming upgrades

I had to drive my "other" car (2005 VW Beetle) to work last night because of the weather. This was the first time I had driven it since I got my DeLorean running, and it made me realize that there are some options that aren't available in my DeLorean that I really miss having. The major things that I noticed were:

Outside temperature display
Heated seats
Cruise control

I would also like to figure out how to wire my stereo to stay on until I open the door. I don't know if it did this originally or not, but the aftermarket stereo that the PO installed turns off as soon as I turn the key off. Of course, to do this I'm going to have to fix or replace the door ajar switch, since right now it thinks the driver side door is open all the time. I have done everything I can think of to get it to work right, but it still won't work.

The first thing I'm going to do is add the temperature display. I already have the parts ordered, I just haven't figured out exactly where to mount it once I get it. Here's what it looks like:





(You can switch it from Celsius to Fahrenheit )

I'm considering buying a new clock panel and modifying it to add the temp, and also to add an "AUX IN" and a charging jack to be able to connect my iPod to my stereo. Right now I just have a cable coming out from under the center console, and I hate the way it looks. It will also be nice to have my original panel if I decide to go back to stock. So I guess I have a few more things to add to the "to do list" now. I'll post more about these projects as I get started on them.

~Lyndsey

New picture

Just showing an updated picture, after putting 450 miles on it. :) (5/6/2010)

Updated To Do list

Replace fuel tank parts
Fix or replace A/C system
Replace heater core
Paint/detail engine and compartment
Paint louvers and install 3rd brake light
Paint bumpers/trim
Replace plastic door handles with my new metal ones from DMCH
Fix eyebrows
Re-brush stainless
Replace dash/binnacle
Replace seat covers
Fix E-brake
Install new door struts
Adjust passenger door torsion bar
Install Toby TABs (already purchased)
Refurbish rear suspension
Buy and install electric trunk release
Wire electric trunk release
Replace door lights/dome lights with LEDs
Fix passenger rear brake light
Replace passenger side tail light lens
Fix front driver turn signal
Fix driver side door ajar switch
Fix or replace wiper switch
Replace speakers
Replace dome light fixtures
Replace old cigarette lighter with my new (NOS) one from DMCH
Hook up Sub-Woofer
Install stereo hook-up for iPod
Replace pressure regulator O-ring (again)
Adjust to fix stalling issue
Adjust to fix idle problems
Replace spark plugs and wires
Replace Gas Cap
Replace vent fan motor
Rebuild Mode Switch
Replace shocks
Replace steering column bushing

* - New since last update

Fan Motor

When I first bought my DeLorean, I noticed that the ventilation system barely worked. After it sat for a while, it pretty much quit working completely. Here's what it was doing.

I didn't want to risk going above the second position even for this demonstration video, since it's pretty obvious what it was doing. I bought a new fan motor and resistor from DMCH, and it arrived yesterday as I was leaving for work. When I got home from work this morning, I immediately got to work swapping them out. It only took about 20 minutes, and that was mostly because there is almost no room to move under the dash and it took some work to figure out how exactly to reach what I needed to reach.




The old and new fan assemblies. There were actually leaves and other junk in the old one!







The old and new resistor. I probably could have just cleaned the old one up, but it was cheap enough that I didn't want to mess with it. It was fairly rusty. I had a really hard time just getting the connector off!



Anyway, here is what the end result of this project is:

Very much worth it! Now I just need to see if my A/C works. I know it needs charged, but I don't know yet what else it is going to need. Also, not that it is a big deal, but I wanted to mention for documentation purposes that I also ordered and installed a new gas cap from DMCH, since I was told at my last inspection that it needed to be replaced. So two projects down, and...umm...a lot more to go. I also got a mode switch rebuild kit and a new steering column bushing, so those projects will be done in the near future as well. As long as the weather holds out, I will try to install my 3rd brake light and paint my black trim either later today or tomorrow.

47,000 and counting!

As I was driving home from work this morning, I noticed that I had passed 47,000 miles! I have
logged almost 500 miles just in the last two weeks! 50,000 here we come!

Hot Wheels

After almost two months of searching, I finally found not one, but THREE of the new DeLorean Hot Wheels today! Two gold and one silver. Yay!