[DML] Re: Engine Swap-Out (Rice Burners)

["therealdmcvegas" <DMCVegas@xxxx>]

--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Soma576@xxxx wrote:
> In a message dated 9/27/03 8:15:51 AM Central Daylight Time, 
> brobertson@xxxx writes:
<SNIP>
> in fact, where i work i see cars like this all the time and usually
they put 
> most of their money on purple and yellow wiring looms/conduit,
billet oil 
> caps, and stainless braided radiator hoses. usually the engines and
transmissions 
> leaks copious amounts of fluid, not to mention most of the lowered
ones have 
> dented transmission pans or frames. oh yeah - almost every one of
them has 
> the Check Engine light illuminated.
> 
> all show, no go - but then i suppose some would say that about the
DeLorean 
> too?

Nah, if you REALLY want some fun in a conversation with one of these
people, pull up to an autoparts store, and start talking with one.
Hilarity shall ensue, believe me. The "reccomendations" that you'll
hear are unbelievable. And there is no shortage of them! But don't
bother trying to discuss anything technical with them. It's futile.
You'll laugh, but will hardley ever get a point across that they can
comprehend. The uselessness of whells with too much negative camber,
body kits, and the installation of grocery cart handles/rear wings on
vehicles that are front wheel drive are good examples.

While not all of them are this way (just go to your local NHRA strip,
and show up for the legal street drag racing to see some gutted Civics
& CRXs with totally tricked out motors that easily blow away others.
These are the people that earn my respect for actually tuning), ricers
do provide some great comic relief on the road. Certain gas stations
here sell 100 octain fuel @ the pump. So on the weekends, you'll see
some fool once in a while trying to roll down the street with his/her
car going, KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK.... after they pull away from
the gas station with said fuel in the tank.

Anyhow, when it comes to engine swaps with the DeLorean, it is
something that I too have thought quite a bit about. I'd like to
install some VG Turbos, but don't know if I would keep with the PRV,
or next most logical motor, the Rover V-8. Parts availability isn't
THAT much of a concern. If I've got to wait for something to come in,
or if I can just pick it up at the local parts store, really don't
care (if I did, I wouldn't have bought a D in the first place).

In any case, I'm still don't have enough expreience with turbos/engine
building to the point where I feel confident enough about starting a
turbo installation, or engine swap, due to the amount of fabrication
involved. I'd probably get another project car that utilizes the
technology before I take something such as this on.

But in the mean time, another option that I will most likely be going
ahead with is to tweak the gear ratios in my tranaxle. Specificly, the
Final Drive, if not 1st, 2nd, & 5th gears respectivly. Out of all the
swaps mentioned over the years, I'm surprised that I've never heard
this one mentioned. Even quite a few articles mention the tall gears
are responsable for the easy cruising speeds (why I'd keep 3rd & 4th),
but do somewhat atribute to the slower 0-60 times. I realize I won't
be pulling 9 second quartermiles, but it seems like as good a start as
anything when looking into increasing performance.

-Robert
vin 6585 "X"