Great Scott! Could new DeLoreans be coming?
There's still a Delorean Motor Company, but it's not in the business of building new vehicles. At least not yet. The Texas-based firm purchased a lot of the assets of John DeLorean's original entity when it went belly-up, and it, along with its regional affiliates, does a brisk business keeping the dream alive. There are about 6,500 of the 9,000 DeLoreans produced still out there, but stocks of viable restoration candidates are petering out. Every time some child of the 1980s builds a replica of the Back To The Future time machine, we lose another candidate to stupidity. The recreations do serve to keep the popularity of the gullwing GTs up, we suppose, but the modifications required end up making a car that is more conspicuous than a bright red Maybach in Amish country.
My overbearing opinion out of the way, the crux of the biscuit is that DeLorean Motor Company may soon start building new DeLoreans. They'll be produced as kit cars, side-stepping the tighter restrictions placed on truly serial-produced cars. Once DeLorean Motor Company has cleared its plate of restoration work, likely by March or April 2008, it'll start on the new cars. We'll be keeping our eye on what materializes on the DMC front – being old enough to have seen BTF in the theatres, of course we've got a lust to have a DMC-12 sitting in our driveway, whether or not we have the optional Mr. Fusion installed.
Thanks to tipster Doug.
[Source: LA Times]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Barry 10:03AM (7/29/2007)
If I recall correctly, isn't there a company out there that already that builds new DeLoreans upon request with original parts? It might be that Texas firm mentioned in the article, I'm not sure, but I know there's a website where you can place an order for an original DMC with 0 miles, completely made from original parts including drivetrain.
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Mike 11:39AM (7/29/2007)
and that's the one. dee de dee
Dave 10:22AM (7/29/2007)
I wonder what drivetrain will be used. The 130hp RPV engine is a pathetic waste.
There have been many interesting engine conversions including Northstar V8s and Wankels.
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Mattias 12:17PM (7/29/2007)
The 260hp Bi-Turbo version of the same engine found in the 1998 (?) Renault Safrane? This one is not so pathetic.
Dave 2:42PM (7/29/2007)
From a bang for the buck perspective, I suspect it is still pathetic.
But that sounds like a more reasonable horsepower level.
Lee 10:59AM (7/29/2007)
"1.21 jigawatts?!?!"
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Cameron 11:52AM (7/29/2007)
NSX swap? Porsche 6-cyl swap? Small block 350 even? I'd love to see a DeLorean that can actually scoot, big fat Hoosiers bursting out of the rear wells.
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Mattias 12:21PM (7/29/2007)
The GM small block is too heavy. A Nissan V6 makes more sense. Or maybe a Northstar or Shortstar? The Shortstar seems to be closest to the PRV design:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_Premium_V_engine#LX5
Mash 12:10PM (7/29/2007)
The engine is the least bit to worry about in the pursuit of authenticity. It'll be funny if these kit cars are made of fiberglass, painted dirty silver.
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Barney 1:30PM (7/29/2007)
Stainless steel body that is hard to maintain, no roll down windows and a drive train that has to be improved. There really isn't much of the original that should be used.
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dakota 7:12PM (7/29/2007)
Yea a scotch brite pad...so hard to maintain *rolls eyes*.
And yes there are roll-down windows, and they're powered.
Barney 7:36PM (7/29/2007)
You go ahead and Scotch Brite pad your car on Sundays. Hopefully it'll also remove the dings and scratches as well,that are so noticeable on stainless. The rest of us can use a car wash or wash/wax in one step and cut polish the scratches. Talk to any trucker who has stainless bright trim and asked why he eventually painted them.
The "original" door windows were fixed with a smaller pocket window that allowed an arm out at toll booths.
coreysmoo 1:31PM (7/30/2007)
I clean my DeLorean with stainless polish and a rag. Spray it on, wipe it off. Takes 5 minutes, and looks great. I can go threw an ordinary car wash if I so choose. I don't though because of potential damage that those things can cause to cars. Scratches can be removed rather easily by rubbing a Scotch Brite pad over it with the grain of the stainless. Dings (A) are rare due to the fact that most people that own D's are careful with how they drive and were they park them. If a ding DOES occur, it is not as hard as you would think to hammer the dent out.
Also, the toll booth window is electric and came stock on ALL production DeLoreans. It was not "added later" as you suggested. The only other window was the side sliding windows on the prototype DMC's.
Barney 5:11PM (7/30/2007)
coreysmoo:
Also, the toll booth window is electric and came stock on ALL production DeLoreans. It was not "added later" as you suggested. The only other window was the side sliding windows on the prototype DMC's.""
Actualy I remembered the toll window as being needed because the window could not roll down. I didn't mean "added on" but "because of". Will the entire window roll down or is there a window within a window?
I still don't like stainless. I had stainless on one truck and it always seem to come out shabby. Of course washing a truck required a long handled brush and highway miles added to the peril. I would imagine owning a DeLorean requires a lot of TLC.
mr.ed 2:03PM (7/29/2007)
Surely a cure for which there's no disease. The hand labor and short parts runs will take this into Benz price territory. Are there that many fools to buy even a dozen of these?
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Dave 2:54PM (7/29/2007)
An all aluminum LSx small block Chevy is not all that heavy.
It weighs less than a Porsche flat six. OHC heads are HEAVY.
http://wheeltalk.fancal.net/?p=634
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Dave 2:55PM (7/29/2007)
The original car has a fiberglass body. With a stainless steel veneer.
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fbxcore 3:22PM (7/29/2007)
I think an RB26DETT would be an interesting choice of motor for one. I'd say a 2JZGTE but that might be a bit on the heavy side.
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jonathan 11:38PM (7/29/2007)
There is one answer. LS1 it. Do it.
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phil 3:58AM (7/30/2007)
Let's see if you can do 88.
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