By request, and for the official archives, here are the SonnyV posts I have. (from 6/14/2001 - 9/30/2004) There are likley more. -----Original Message----- From: Sonny V [mailto:sonnyvr2000@xxxxxxxxx] Sent: Thursday, July 24, 2003 12:11 PM To: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [DML] Re: Stainless Steel Illusion (Second Edition)$$$ Mess with a good read? What??! The book ends with John DeLorean in jail and the factory closed! Anyone reading it today may think that's where the story ends. And that's if they can find one to read! My library doesn't even have a copy, and every one I have seen on Ebay the last couple months has been $100 or more. As long as this one is using the original films, and the addition looks good, I don't think they're messing with anything. And with DMCH selling the updated ones for just $40, I'll probably buy one to GIVE to my local library. Hey James, how about a discount if I buy two - one for my public library and one for me? Sonny -----Original Message----- From: Sonny V [mailto:sonnyvr2000@xxxxxxxxx] Sent: Tuesday, August 05, 2003 10:19 AM To: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [DML] windshield antenna Last night, a guy from across town who also owns a DeLorean came over and he's got an earlier car with a windshield antenna. He got a rock chip in it, and had it "repaired" though it is now starting to spread (and no won't pass the state inspection). I had read in one of the books that the reception was poor with this antenna anyway (which he agreed with). And since there are no windshields with the embedded antenna anymore, it's a moot point. Near as we can figure, he can either replace the windshield and mount an antenna on the front fender (initially the cheapest option, but then stuck with a hole in the fender) or go with a rear mounted power antenna, right? But then I was talking to a friend at the office who has an older Range Rover, and the radio antenna on it is a part of the rear defrost element. Has anyone tried to use the element as an embedded antenna? The rear defrost on a DeLorean is unused for the most part, anyway. Sonny -----Original Message----- From: Sonny V [mailto:sonnyvr2000@xxxxxxxxx] Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2003 10:34 AM To: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [DML] Monroes and Gabriels Does anyone else besides me think it makes *NO* sense at all to put shocks from a Camaro and a Nissan truck on a rear-engine car with such uneven weight distribution (65R/35F) as a DeLorean? Can someone (Marty?) who advocates this explain why it is okay to do this? Sonny V -----Original Message----- From: Sonny V [mailto:sonnyvr2000@xxxxxxxxx] Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2003 10:36 AM To: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [DML] 100404 Wheel bearings - cheap! jwit6@xxxxxx wrote: > These bearings are about $45.00 each at autozone. Or $35.09 from DMCH or the other vendors...who need the support of DeLorean owners more than any national chain...IMO. Sonny V. -----Original Message----- From: sonnyvr2000 [mailto:sonnyvr2000@xxxxxxxxx] Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2003 10:51 AM To: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [DML] Re: Cleaner/Sealer It never ceases to amaze me that people will ask a question here about a part/product/service that they bought from one of the vendors. Why aren't you asking them? Warren (and everyone else there) has always been very helpful over the phone to me and it's a free call! My experience with this stuff has been better than Andy's, but he and I are also using it two different ways, too. The instructions on my bottle of Cleaner/Sealer are as follows: "Always wear rubber gloves. Shake well before use. Squeeze directly onto a DAMP cloth and rub into the surface of the stainless, going the same direction as the grain. Allow to sit for ten minutes, and then rinse thoroughly. For a bright shine, polish with a soft dry cloth going the same direction as the grain. For heavily soiled areas, pre-cleaning is required." The emphasis on the word DAMP above is mine. I think that is why Andy's experience has been less than he expected. Warren told me that there were two formulas of this stuff as well, the original factory stuff, and an improved formula that they now sell. He also said the application instructions between the original and ther new stuff were different, so maybe Andy has some of the original stuff. I'd also add from my personal experience that the bit about shaking well and using gloves is not a bad idea. The gritty stuff inside the bottle tends to settle to the bottom, I even shake it while using it. Sonny V. -----Original Message----- From: Sonny V [mailto:sonnyvr2000@xxxxxxxxx] Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2003 8:56 PM To: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [DML] Re: Door struts and doors PJ Grady recently dropped his price (as did just about all the other vendors) as a result of DMCH lowering their price. I don't think Grady's are the same as DMCH's, though James Espey told me that DMCH's are newly designed to the original factory specification. Something about the dampening oil being bad after all. I was looking at DeLorean One's site last night and saw that they sell doors at $2759.66 EACH. The other vendors sell them for $1000 each...maybe D1's are some leftover "gold-plated" doors? :-) Sonny V. -----Original Message----- From: Sonny V [mailto:sonnyvr2000@xxxxxxxxx] Sent: Monday, December 01, 2003 3:00 PM To: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [DML] Who wears XXXL? > P.S. James - who is wearing these XXXL shirts? > One more X and they can't fit in the car. Ken, though I think you meant that to be funny, I think some people might have found it offensive. My dad's a big guy, at 6'6" and 280. Not as muscular as he used to be, but at least now he can have a shirt like me for when we go to shows! Also, my wife bought a t-shirt to sleep in! She's about 120 lbs, but now I can at least sleep with "my" DeLorean! Sonny XL, but working up to XXL -----Original Message----- From: Sonny V [mailto:sonnyvr2000@xxxxxxxxx] Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2004 5:14 PM To: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [DML] Re: Refurbished Fascias Josh - Are you doing the fascias in matte or gloss finishes? How do you ship them? I understand that the rears will not go UPS? Can you estimate shipping to 63640? What kind of warranty do you offer? Many of the repainted fascias I have seen (on cars for sale) have already started to peel at the edges where the paint meets the black areas. Are you stripping the old paint or how are you preparing them? What about the warping in the fronts, are you putting in any reinforcement as part of your refurbishment? This is something that I wanted for my car, but I'd like to get something that will last, preferably at least HALF as long as my originals did... Sonny V. -----Original Message----- From: sonnyvr2000 [mailto:sonnyvr2000@xxxxxxxxx] Sent: Monday, January 12, 2004 8:21 PM To: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [DML] Re: Permacast wheels? Production wheels were made by GKN Kent Alloys Division. GKN stands for Guest Keen and Nettlefolds, and DMC also purchased suspension joints, CV joints and the frames from GKN. It may be that the wheels used on the prototypes were made by someone else. They have a slightly similar look (see page 60 in Stainless Steel Illusion). Sonny V. -----Original Message----- From: Sonny V [mailto:sonnyvr2000@xxxxxxxxx] Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2004 10:28 PM To: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [DML] New angle drive received and installed... I got my new $60 angle drive from DMC Houston on Friday, along with a new retaining ring and a set of instructions. Nice looking piece, and obviously a newly manufactured part, as their web site address is cast into the housing (much like their other new parts). The added grease fitting in place of the set screw will make lubrication easier, though the bag it came in has a big label on it that warns against using pneumatic grease guns. The one thing I found difficult was how to remove the nut from the old angle drive. I called them on Saturday, and happened to catch James there. He described a method of using two picks or small flat screwdrivers to compress the old retaining ring enough to slip the nut off. When pressed, he did admit that it was not the easiest method. I asked what that was and he said that now that new ones were available, it was easiest just to put the nut in a vise, and break off the old angle drive with a hammer. After that it was a breeze. 200 miles on it already and it works great! Sonny V. -----Original Message----- From: sonnyvr2000 [mailto:sonnyvr2000@xxxxxxxxx] Sent: Sunday, March 07, 2004 8:14 PM To: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [DML] Re: DMCH's performance engine...and visit to DMC Adam - I was passing through Houston last week on a business trip and I called over to DMCH and asked if I could come visit. Their place is a few minutes from the airport (Bush?) and James came over to pick me up and brought me to their facility. All I can say is WOW! The pics on their site really don't do it justice. You can't imagine how much stuff they have unless you have been there. I counted 36 DeLoreans, plus the two "half" cars in their showroom. James took the time to give me the guided tour and answered all my questions and put up with me for a good solid hour before I had to go back to the airport. It was also nice to meet Warren, Julie and Bill - I've spoken to all of them on the phone and they are just as nice in person. Anyway, about the engine. Seems they are building two new company cars, and are selling the two they have now - actually the five-speed used in the Players Run and seen on the cover of their last magazine has already been sold. Their black painted automatic is for sale now. It has the performance engine, suspension, HID lights, heated seats, and on and on and on. James let me take it out for a drive, and it really goes. I have an automatic, and it's hard now to drive mine knowing what it *could* be like. I obviously didn't drive it enough to get a feel for mileage, but James told me that it gets about the same mileage as a stock engine. Also sounds a lot "tougher" with the new exhaust. Also got to see their new grey leather/vinyl seat covers, which came in the same day I did. I have a black interior car, and those hadn't arrived yet, but the grey looked really good and the vinyl was a good match for the original. I saw some seats in clients cars there with "knockoff" seat covers and there is a big difference in how they look. Warren mentioned that soon they'll have other interior parts like a-pillar and b-pillar trim, too. I'm glad I took a chance and called DMC when I was coming through town, if any of you are passing through Houston, you ought to stop by. Sonny V. -----Original Message----- From: sonnyvr2000 [mailto:sonnyvr2000@xxxxxxxxx] Sent: Monday, March 08, 2004 6:52 PM To: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: [DML] DMCH's performance engine.. Marc - A quick question...do you ever have anything nice to say about DMCH? Sonny V. PS - As far as what you think about the exhaust being too loud...you know what they say...if it's too loud, you're too old. :-) -----Original Message----- From: sonnyvr2000 [mailto:sonnyvr2000@xxxxxxxxx] Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2004 1:37 PM To: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [DML] Re: clutch release bearing Cecil - It sounds to me like you received one of the early release bearings instead of a later one. Based on your VIN you should have one like you took off, with the plastic insert. If you got one of the ones that's all metal, then you got one for an early, early car, like a less than 1000 VIN. Only a few hundred cars used this style part. Sonny V. -----Original Message----- From: sonnyvr2000 [mailto:sonnyvr2000@xxxxxxxxx] Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2004 2:09 PM To: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [DML] Exhaust note of DMCH Engine [Moderator Note: Discussions of the sound of DeLorean engines are appropriate to the DML. Discussions about the semantics of racial slurs are not. No further bandwidth will be given to the "ricer" comment. - moderator Mike Substelny] Marc - > frankly I don't think the majority of DeLorean owners > want their car to sound like a ricer with coffee cans > on the tail pipes. I don't think anyone who has experienced DMCH's engine either through ownership or driving would agree that it has the exhaust note commonly associated with the imports and their exhausts that are popular today. Several people here on the DML have this exhaust, I've read, would any of you characterize it as sounding that way? Finally, I'm sorry you saw my message to you as a personal attack. However my wife, who happens to be Asian-American, did take offense at your use of the term "ricer". I'm sure you meant no offense, right? Sonny V. -----Original Message----- From: Sonny V [mailto:sonnyvr2000@xxxxxxxxx] Sent: Monday, March 29, 2004 12:59 PM To: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [DML] angle drive update Just an update on my new DMCH angle drive. I passed the 1500 mile mark on it over the weekend, and the last 150 or so miles on it last week and this weekend were in some serious rain. Still going strong. Sonny V. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Helps protect you from nasty viruses. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail To address comments privately to the moderating team, please address: moderators@xxxxxxxxxxx For more info on the list, tech articles, cars for sale see www.dmcnews.com To search the archives or view files, log in at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dmcnews Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dmcnews/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: dmcnews-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/