On the road again...with new A/C...but grumpy

Well, the DeLorean is FINALLY back on the road! I still need to make a few adjustments to the fascia screws as they are "dimpling" the fascia a bit. In other news, the car now has a revamped and retrofitted A/C system that now operates with R-134a!!!  Finally to have cool air in the car again on hot days!

The real issue though is the engine itself. The car fires up reliably, but cold starts are kind of rough and the car wants to idle at 1000 RPMs + change which is higher than the normal 900 RPMs. Not sure how to account for this increase, but it was worse at the proper fuel dwell setting, coming in at 1300 RPMs. Had to adjust the mixture to temporarily compensate until I can figure out the real cause.

The end is in sight!

After a scare with the car not starting after we reassembled the intake manifold, I was able to "isolate" the problem to the sparkplug wires and a bad RPM relay. Not sure how much of that I broke in the process, but oh well. Fellow DMC owner Nullset helped me diagnose the problems and reseat the wires. I ended

Yesterday, Joe and I changed the transmission fluid with a little ingenuity extending the funnel with a piece from a crappy fluid pump. The old fluid absolutely stank and was filthy. I was glad to be rid of it.

We added the new front marker lights, changed the luggage compartment cable and spring, then proceeded to reattach the rear fascia and closing panel, which turned into an ordeal. The closing panel had to be loosened up significantly to accommodate the fascia, and in the process we broke a hole on the panel that was under pressure from a fascia stud. Whoops. looks like it will be ok though.

With any luck, I will have the DeLorean back on the ground tonight!

The slow upgrade of 6239...

Since ownership, I've done my utmost to take extreme care of this vehicle. In the process, I have upgraded many parts and systems, and I continue to do so. The other day, I was stunned when I put the list together in my head of everything I've done so far.

1. Upgraded alternator
2. New wiper fluid motor and harness
3. Upgraded cooling fans
4. New cooling fan shroud
5. Upgraded headlights
6. Upgraded front springs
7. Upgraded shocks (front and back)
8. New outriggers for front suspension arms
9. New brake pads and pins
10. Upgraded headlight switch
11. Upgraded stereo
12. Upgraded speakers (front and rear)
13. Upgraded speaker wires
14. New front wheel bearings
15. Upgraded polyurethane sway bar bushings
16. New rotors (front and back)
17. Upgraded fan and fan-fail relays (solid state)
18. Upgraded cooling system bleeder assembly
19. Upgraded catalytic converter
20. New oil pressure gauge sender
21. Upgraded muffler heat shield
22. Upgraded lower muffler bracket
23. New belts
24. New water pump
25. New water pump hoses and clamps
26. New coolant inlet pipes
27. New warm-up regulator
28. Upgraded sparkplugs
29. New sparkplug wires
30. New O2 sensor (2011)
31. New O2 sensor (2012)
32. New intake o-rings
33. New copper washers for fuel distributor
34. New injector seals and clamps
35. New rear fascia
36. New roof trim screws
37. Upgraded RPM relay (solid state)
38. New luggage compartment latch cable
39. New side marker light housings and gaskets
40. New otterstat and seal
41. New fuel injectors (soon)
42. New tires (soon)
43. Upgraded starter motor (soon)