How's #1458 going?

[Martin Gutkowski <webmaster@xxxx>]

Well, last thursday I went home in the evening ("home" is Kent), to pick
up my DeLorean and its fresh new MOT certificate. Drove it back to
Reading without a hitch (110 miles). Gawd Rich's wheels need balancing!
(I have Rich's wheels on my car ATM because my tyres were shot). Apart
from the lock barrel link arm which I know is hanging loose, and the
front panel for the stereo, there were almost no rattles in the car.
Very noisy though, largely thanks to the gap in the seal of the
passenger window. Took me till past Sevenoaks to realise that massive
upside-down triangle sends heat to my feet :-)

Anyway, I drove it to work the next day, just to excercise the car you
understand, and had to escort no fewer than 5 groups of people outside
to look at it. It was covered in grime from the workshop so didn't look
altogether pretty, and was beginning to exhibit an annoying tendency to
hiccup and cough at any point in between stone cold and hot - I'll be
putting my warm-up reg back on it, thanks Rich! (long story).

On the way home, I drive through a very narrow country lane, and what
with the DeLorean being so bloody wide, and me not being used to driving
a left-hand-drive car, sods law dictated that somebody came the other
way. It was at this point that I "discovered" one of the unique features
of the gullwing doors that I'd never specifically noticed before. It's
really easy to reverse up a narrow country lane when you have your head
out the side looking backwards (remember driving on the left means I'm
next to the side of the road). Got a wave from the kids in the Shogun
that wanted to go past :-)

Next morning, my good friend James joined me at home to be my passenger
for the day trip to Peterborough (100 miles) and a "boys toys" meet
involving all manner of radio controlled things, mini jet-engines, and
plenty of other cool cars. Before we left, we gave the car a rub-down
with white spirit - boy is that stainless easy to clean! Just have loads
of cheap clean tea-towels to hand! The trip up was uneventful, but I
could tell James was enjoying it at least as much as me :-) Here's a
photo of me exhibiting a new phenomenon: DeLorean Hair Syndrome. DHS
afflicts those of us with hair that refuses to lie flat, and given the
somewhat "velcro" nature of the headliners in the DeLorean, prompts said
hair to head skyward....

http://www.delorean.co.uk/pictures/dcp02312.jpg

The trip home was more eventful because roughly 10 miles from Reading,
my high-beams gave out, just as I was approaching a corner with someone
behind. I slammed the anchors on and pulled over with my hazards
flashing. Luckily I know the roads and drove the rest of the way on
low-beam. The fuse had overheated gluing itself (though not too badly)
into the socket. A trip to Halfords at lunchtime yesterday for a box of
assorted fuses and she's back up and running with some spare fuses in
the relay compartment!

It's dropped below freezing right now, and the car still has the rain on
her from yesterday (I didn't get the cover on in time). It has now
frozen and the whole car looks as if it's covered in glass beads!

Anyway, this weekend sees Rich reassembling his rear quarter - Chris N
has worked his magic on the panel, and Rich's car is catching mine up
condition-wise at a fair rate of knots! In fact, given the state of his
fascias and interior, it's probably surpassed mine now :-( All he has to
do now is get it running!

My job this weekend is sort out that blasted drivers door lock as it's
going to give me the need for therapy in the not too distant future! I'm
also going to take out the broken angle drive and have a hunt through it
to see what I can do (if anything). I'm also going to have a shot at my
totally knackered fuel tank sender. It's getting embarassing filling the
car up with random amounts of fuel when I don't need to!

Seeya

Martin
#1458
www.delorean.co.uk