[DML] Re: "second generation"

[Louie G <louie@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The changes to the DeLorean over it's production run did not go by model year or anything like that, though the car did have several minor updates throughout it's production run. 

Some were cosmetic like these:

There were 3 "styles" of hoods- the first had styled 2 relief lines and a gas flap for filling the car up without lifting the hood, the second was the same, but the gas flap was omitted for production costs, and the third was without relief lines or a gas flap- presumably for production costs, though they did come with a small hood badge on the lower right hand corner. The '82s had beefier brushed stainless angled exhaust tips. Grey interior became available in mid '81 models, and later '82s and '83s used lighter colored carpet and headliners for black interior cars. The door pull strap style was changed in late '81. The radio changed from a Craig unit to a ASI unit in '82. The automatic shift lever changed design in early/mid '81. The early '81 cars had darker colored wheels, and darker colored fascias to match.

Others changes were mechanical like these:

The original alternator was a Ducellier and didn't put out enough power, it was replaced by a Motorola. There were minor coolant pipe routing changes made in early '81. I've heard that in mid '81 the wiring harness was greatly simplified- supposedly 12 lbs was cut from it. Then of course there were the recalls: look on or around the firewall of a DeLorean, and if there are two paint blotches, one blue and one red the car has it's recalls. One recall dealt with the front crumple tube being too weak, the other was a shield to protect the throttle from moisture.

There are also other weak areas of the cars that weren't addressed by recalls or production changes. These would mainly be the cooling and electrical systems. The cooling system had two main weak points: the weak plastic coolant bottle would burst causing the car to overheat;  bubbles could build up in the system and cause the car to overheat. There are new coolant bottles and a gadget that continuously bleeds the system. The electrical system had a litany of problems. The relays all need to be upgraded, and the system for turning on the radiator fans was faulty as well. There's so much more, but I'll leave it at that.

So in the end there are no true "second generation" cars. These changes were made on the fly, and didn't happen all at once or together or in phases. If you count every production change and recall there are probably about 20 generations of DeLoreans lol. If you're looking for a trouble free car look beyond model year, though I would tend to say the later '81s are probably about the best of the bunch. The early cars were a bit cobby as the workers were still learning how to build them, and had some problems that were addressed in later cars. The really late cars (late '82s and '83s) have also been criticized for build quality, as they were being built at a fast rate in attempt to keep the company alive, and some cars were built after the company went into recievership. The automatic transmissions seem to be a little troublesome as well, but as with everything on the car, if they're properly maintained your problems will be minimal. Like Dave T always says, the most important thing in shopping for a DeLorean is to make sure the car was driven often and maintained. Sitting DeLoreans are waiting time bombs... their fuel systems are especially sensative to sitting. If a car was properly taken care of it doesn't really matter what model year it might be, or anything like that. If you've got any more questions shoot away.

Louie Golden
VIN 5252 Charlotte, NC

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