Beware of DPI – DeLorean Performance Industries
If you’re a DeLorean owner, you know there aren’t a lot of shops or parts houses to choose from when you need stuff for your DMC. And with so few shops, it’s frustrating when yet another DeLorean business engages in dishonest practices. First, it was Fake DMC in Texas, and now it’s perfectly clear that DPI – DeLorean Performance Industries is trying to scam people too (or, more.) In recent weeks, DPI purchased ads on Google Search (using Google AdWords) where they use the names of GOOD and TRUSTWORTHY DeLorean shops – but he’s using his own web address when you click the ad. Long-time DeLorean owners won’t (or shouldn’t) fall for that misleading tactic, but newer DeLorean owners – or those shopping for a DeLorean – absolutely would fall for it. This is untruthful and disgusting. The good and trustworthy shops being maligned in this case, are DeLorean Parts Northwest / DeLorean Service Northwest, DeLorean Midwest, and DeLoreanGo. DPI is paying for ads using each of their names, but linking to his own website. Click the images below to see the unscrupulous screenshots: DeLorean Performance Industries already had a shady past with their deficiency in customer service and their lack of ‘attention to detail’ that they tout so much. Apparently, they don’t really live up to their motto. Just ask around in the community. Plus the time (that we know of,) that DPI tried to steal money from a DeLorean owner by shorting their order, but wouldn’t issue a refund… that is, until the customer finally got the credit card company to do a chargeback, and suddenly DeLorean Performance Industries responded – by posting the customer’s bank account information on facebook! Yeah – DPI is not to be trusted. Furthermore, with Google AdWords, you can put up or take down ads basically immediately. Yet these double-dealing ads have stuck around for at least two weeks. We sent an email to both email addresses we found on the DPI website, asking for clarification on why they were posting these deceptive ads – telling them we were going to post an article if they didn’t have a good answer – and they never replied. Which means, a) they don’t pay attention to the customer service emails, or b) they don’t have a reasonable excuse for their deceitful actions. What to do now? Have some fun… GO SEARCH for DeLorean Parts Northwest / DeLorean Service Northwest, DeLorean Midwest, and DeLoreanGo on Google – and when you see the “Sponsored” link at the top that shows DPI – CLICK IT! Then do the same search on your mobile device, and click the ad AGAIN… then have your spouse, mom, co-worker, and anyone else nearby do the same… He gets charged more for each click, than for just the visual impression.
3M Scotch-Brite Blending Pads
The 3M Scotch-Brite (#7446) blending pads are the correct pads for hand blending the stainless steel finish on the DeLorean. They provide similar performance as steel wool grade 3 without shredding during use, rusting after use, or leaving fine metal splinters to rust in the grain of the stainless.
Get “En-light-ened”
by Chris Miles, VIN: 16409 As I’ve been helping more and more DeLorean owners with their cars, I’ve been hearing reports of their cars just dying. They’re either driving on the road and lose power, or they’re unable to re-start the car after a short stop. The first thing people tend to think is that they have a bad battery or alternator, but that isn’t always the case. As a pretty technically-skilled DeLorean owner, I’ve made myself intimately familiar with the instrument cluster and related electrical components. Unlike modern cars, the DeLorean has a finite number of warning lights. The two most important warning lights are the oil pressure light and battery light. The oil pressure light comes on when the engine is running and has low oil pressure – which means you should pull over immediately and shut the car off right away. The battery light is just as important as the oil pressure light. However, many owners never pay attention to whether the battery bulb lights up at all. The bulb is supposed to illuminate – and stay on – when you switch the ignition to position 2, but it will then turn off when you start the engine. (NOTE: if you have a DMC Houston alternator, the light may just flash in position 2.) If the battery light remains on after starting, that indicates you have a charging issue. However, if your battery light does not illuminate at all in ignition position 2, you’re probably going to have an issue with the charging circuit – or – the battery bulb is simply burnt out. I’ve helped a few owners diagnose their battery issues, so I want to stress that you should check your battery light the next time you start your DeLorean. So, what if you don’t see the battery light illuminate in ignition position 2? That means the alternator will not charge the battery. Eventually, the lights and engine will completely drain the battery. Sometimes this happens while you’re driving and there’s not enough power to spark the spark plugs and your engine will just die – but most often, there’s just not enough amps to start the car again. Again, it could just be that your battery bulb is burnt out (or, when you upgraded the binnacle lights to LEDs, you replaced the incandescent bulb with an LED instead of a new incandescent, and that’s bad – keep reading.) But, it could mean that you need to check your alternator wiring. Most DeLoreans now have a Motorola or some type of GM alternator. Both have a single wire that connects to the battery bulb circuit. The DeLorean battery light wire that connects to the alternator is brown with a yellow stripe. If you have a solid brown wire connected to your alternator, you’ll probably have an issue with charging the battery. The original Ducellier alternators used both the brown and brown/yellow stripe wires. The modern GM style alternators use a Dorman 85854 or 85118 oval connector – in which only one wire connects to the brown/yellow striped wire on DeLorean wiring harness. (see photo for my installation.). Having a functional battery light is also important, because it’s a warning that your water pump may not be spinning, since the alternator belt turns the water pump too. So, if you lose that belt, the alternator quits spinning and the battery light will illuminate – which also means you should immediately pull over and turn the car off, because you may end up overheating. And finally, a note on upgrading the light bulbs in the binnacle to LED. It’s fairly well known that the “battery” bulb must remain incandescent. The battery light circuit is designed to check for the resistance of an incandescent bulb. LED bulbs have less resistance than normal bulbs, so the circuit won’t work properly, and the bulb will not illuminate – which also means you will likely have charging issues. So, when upgrading your binnacle lights to LEDs, DO replace the original battery light bulb with a NEW incandescent bulb. Now you should be “en-light-ened” about this quirk of the DeLorean.
Air Filter Update
by Chris Miles Many people in the car world like simple upgrades to make their cars better and more efficient. One of those upgrades is about making the car “breath” better. If you have already done the “cold air intake” modification, then there is one other thing you can do – replace your paper air filter with a reusable K&N air filter. For many years, K&N has been a trusted name in automotive performance upgrades. Some DeLorean owners might be reading this and saying to themselves “this isn’t news to me, I already have a K&N filter in my car.” That may be true, as K&N used to make an air filter for a PRV Volvo that fit the DeLorean. K&N discontinued that filter, and they are becoming hard to find. Some vendors might have stocked up of that part, or are selling a different K&N filter that also fits the DeLorean. So, I decided to research this myself and found a filter that K&N makes for a modern car. Taking the dimensions of a stock DeLorean NOS filter, I searched K&N’s catalog for filters that matched as closely as possible. It turns out that the filter used in the Mercedes C Class closely matches the dimensions of the DeLorean filter. The part number is 33-3072. I ordered one at AutoZone and brought in my DeLorean air box to test fit the new K&N filter. It fits snugly and makes a good seal. I think it actually fits better than the Volvo application (#33-276) (see pictures below). The filter retails for about $55. If you buy it locally, you get the benefit of an easy warranty exchange should you ever need to replace it. Some people have their own opinions about the effectiveness of K&N filters – in that case, they should continue to use the standard paper filters. For everyone else, the K&N filter may be a long-term solution for finding a good air filter for your DeLorean. Check the crossover-parts list for other places to buy the air filter, as well as other parts. [telaalbums album=”Air Filter Update”]
Cold Air Intake Update
by Chris Miles photos by @DeLoreanTech When the DeLorean was built, it included systems that allowed the car to perform well in all operating environments. That includes operating in very cold weather. Since most owners only drive their cars in “nice” weather, an easy improvement can be made that can simplify the car and potentially increase performance. Many modern car enthusiasts upgrade their cars to make them breath better by utilizing cold air intake systems, which allow engines to take in more cool and fresh air. A similar modification can be done to the DeLorean. As designed, the DeLorean has a temperature controlled valve that allows warm air coming off the exhaust manifold to be piped into the engine during cold operation. When the car has warmed up, the valve closes to the hot air, and pipes cold air into the engine. By removing the old warm air valve, and installing a full-time cold air intake tube, you remove the possibility of a stuck valve (which would continuously deliver hot air,) and you streamline the air intake. Head down to your local auto parts store and look for a Spectre Air Duct Hose #8741 (O’Reilly; Advance Auto Parts; AutoZone). It’s a corrugated flex hose that installs in place of the original equipment. You can also get the hose in silver, blue, and red.
LED crossover parts
There are many reasons to replace all of the lights in the DeLorean with LED equivalents. For those who show the car at car shows and other events where you most likely have the doors open/up, having LEDs in the door markers means the battery won’t go dead in a few hours, like it would with the original incandescent bulbs. If you have LEDs in the front and side markers and the rear running lights, as well as the center console and dashboard / instrument cluster, and front and back interior lights, then you can turn on all your lights to really show off! Another good reason to replace everything with LEDs is the power draw – regardless of battery usage. The LEDs use less power, and put off MUCH less heat. Luckily, there are options to replace EVERYTHING (even the headlights!) on the DeLorean… www.DeLoreanDirectory.com/led-crossover-parts
Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser
Tried, and true… the liquid Bar Keepers Friend soft cleanser does a great job finishing the stainless. You can also use the powered stuff, but the premixed bottles make the already work-intensive process a bit easier. Only work on “small-ish” areas at one time, as the liquid often dries faster than you want, which means more work to clean it off. If you start one the right (or left) half of the hood, always work WITH the grain (obviously,) by either wetting the surface, then squirting on a healthy amount of BKF, and giving it a good, deep clean. You can also squirt it right onto a wet cloth and work one area at the time, between wash-downs. Keep in mind – after you do a good cleaning with the BKF, you’ll still want to wash the car afterwards, and/or use some stainless steel cleaner to bring out the final shine. It’s quite amazing how much better the stainless looks after BKF.
90 Degree Fuel Filter Fitting
by Ryan Foster (VIN #06668) Have you installed a new fuel filter, just to start up the DeLorean and see fuel pouring out from the filter that you just installed? Well, that stock 90-degree fitting is usually the culprit. I recently experienced this problem myself. When I was installing the new fuel filter, I cranked on the compression fitting, and for the life of me could not get the hard line that goes into the filter to stop leaking. So, I got in contact with Josh at Delorean Performance industries (DPI) and he told me he had an updated 90-degree fitting that can be reused, and doesn’t need to be so tight. I ordered it right away. The kit comes with a new fuel filter, the elbow and copper washers needed to install. Part number 100523K. Below is a pic of the new elbow installed. The kit is very easy to install. Just install the elbow to the filter. No thread sealer needed. Install it dry. You’ll need a small tubing cutter (picked up at a local hardware store) to cut the end of the hard-line off as close to the end as possible. WARNING: Do not use a grinder or a cut off wheel as you will create heat and sparks and there is fuel in the line. The old elbow off the car looks like this: You can see how much of the line had to be removed to get the compression fitting off. The new elbow is reusable, and if you need a new compression fitting, DPI sells those too. Job takes about 45 mins tops using basic tools.
303 Aerospace Protectant
303 Aerospace Protectant is quite amazing. It brings back the ‘black’ of the rubber and plastic on the DeLorean, and protects it at the same time. It’s especially noticeable when you give your louvre / sunshade a good spray-down, then LEAVE IT for a day or two to soak in, then wipe it down. Although it isn’t cheap, it’s a great product that many DeLorean owners recommend. Made by 303 Products
Optimum Opti-Bond Tire Gel
If you’ve been looking for that ‘clean’ tire dressing that doesn’t make your DeLorean tires look like they’ve been dipped in a swimming pool, try “Opti-Bond Tire Gel.” “This stuff is friggin amazing. Balances out the rubber, hides discoloration imperfections, and makes them look like showroom-new tires – with a very low-gloss, eggshell-like finish.” – NorCal DeLorean Club Member [flickr_tags tags=”DD11267″]