17 Feb
2002
17 Feb
'02
1:50 a.m.
On Sat, 16 Feb 2002 ceby2(a)csc.com wrote:
If you go motoring in the DeLorean, just remember to
bring heavy weather
gear. DeLoreans have many less than admirable qualities to compliment their
geek-appeal. They leak from every passenger compartment related gasket and
seal -- especially the windscreen. They have the go of a Volvo wagon --
because that's where they got the engine (not that this was such a bad
thing in 1981-2) just don't try any Porche slaying. They also have
unreliable cooling systems. This has nothing to do with the location of the
engine. It's because the radiators up front and the lines running back to
front corrode with breath-taking speed and performance.... almost that of a
Volvo wagon.
I own DeLorean #4411, and am a member of the Chicago area club. I've
never seen anyone's D leak around the windshield. Leaks in the passenger
compartment aren't all that common (my Oldsmobile leaks more), and are
usually due to poor repairs or no maintenance of things like the
windshield water drain (i.e. when packed full of leaves, it doesn't
drain!) They have a similar engine to a Volvo 760 and 260, among other
cars, but with hardened cams. There are numerous D's with over 200,000
miles and the highest I know of has 500,000 miles. They're not intended
to be super-fast (although 130 mph is enough for me), they're intended to
look good and be classy (and incidentally to go fast). The cooling system
layout has no bearing on its reliability. It has more hose connections,
sure, but the newest D is model year 1983. How many 1983 cars do you know
of that couldn't use new coolant hoses? The coolant pipes, not hoses,
rarely offer any problems. The biggest problem with the cooling system is
that it's different from other cars. Not worse, not better, different.
It uses a header tank, which is under pressure, and a radiator cap which
isn't on the radiator and doesn't expel anything (except maybe air) during
normal operation. People don't seem to understand this, and have trouble
with it as a result.
I can, as a result, say that if you wanted to get a
computer into a
DeLorean -- you'll require the upgraded shink-a-matic ray gun. The standard
model would never hack it.
I fit well into my D, and I'm 6'3". There's lots of places to haul
stuff
inside one.
Richard Schauer
rws(a)enteract.com