When we first inpected our car before we bought it, I had noticed that the rear tow hooks were both bent the same way. The drivers side door aligns perfectly, but the right fron fender is slightly out of alignment (but the door seals, all water leaks cured). While performing a oil change, I noticed that there was damage to the cross section of the chassis in front of the oil pan. Several scrapes and indentations scoot accross the chassis and have damaged the epoxy. It looks as if a pile of chains were left under my car. Where the hooks are bent and where the epoxy has been compromised the is some oxidation, so this had to have happened a long time ago. But the damage to booth indicated that the car slide to the right. Now never thinking about this before I also have body damage to my pasengerside rear quarter panel. It looks as though something vertical and even was pushed into it head on (no scrapes, but had to notice). The other thing that would support this theory is on my doors. While removing my new headliners for a cleaning I noticed they had been swapped. The car was approved by inspector K #7647. Whoever he/she was wrote "VIN 6582" on both doors. However, it looks like someone came along later, scratched it out and wrote "VIN 6585" (my real VIN). The other writing looks like jibberish, but it also looks like the date/time/and employee # was written on each door when it was completed. There's other writings, but they really don't relate right now. I know the closest cars from me are in Sweden >6581< and San Diego >6582<. But who knows if these cars would show damage since there's no way of knowing if there was a specific way in which the cars were lined up in the cargo holds, or what VIN's went with what shipments. Maybe if others in this range could check thier cars. The other thing is when the cars were shipped. My car is a NOV build, and the DMV in Ca listed as first purchased in June 82. So my guess is that it spent had to have spent a bit of time somewhere, either in Belfast, the west coast QAC, or the dealership, or even all, who knows... On another note, a while back the was talk of DeLorean's that were listed by the company to be destroyed due to severe damage. If you check the archives for the posting, I belive that several VIN #'s were posted for these cars. I hope that all of this helps! -Robert VIN 6585 --- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxx, senatorpack@xxxx wrote: > > > Dear DML, > > I need your help. > Please look at your car with the doors closed. Pay particular attention to > the Gap between the door and the front fenders. > > How many of you have a more pronounced gap at the sill area? > > I have been trying to research what ever happened to DeLorean cars that > were damaged while inside the cargo ships en route to the United States. Some > of these DeLoreans had intensive damage. > > I have a contact that worked at the QAC's. He said a number of DeLorean's > suffered from damage. He was responsible for chassis damaged. He simply had > the chassis replaced since there was a continuous supply of chassis. He had > knowledge of destroyed cars and cars that were a total loss. He went on to > say, how the cars were thoroughly inspected, repaired, replaced damaged parts > and rebuilt to be sold. This seems evident especially in the early days. > > However, I have seen photographs of DMC-12's that had severe, extensive > damage in the front areas of the cars. The bonnet area looked beyond repair. > The damaged resulted from chains that secured the cars down, breaking free > and the cars sliding into each other. The VIN numbers in the photographs > indicate that the cars were built in Sept of 1981. I.e. VIN # 3000- 3999. > > The purpose of my inquiry is to determine why the Body panels of cars in > this VIN # range are out of alignment. My determination is to conclude that > these cars either; > > 1. Had suffered from lack of door shims at the factory. This would > conclude that the factory was running out of stock, or changed the > specifications for the shims. This resulted in doors completely out of > alignment. ((Look at the area of your car with doors closed. The "Gap" > between the front fenders and the doors)) > > 2. The more probable, cars damaged during shipment, and repaired at the > QAC's. The cars having the stainless steel panels, or VARI sections replaced > at the QAC in Long Beach or New Jersey. Resulting in body panels out of > alignment. However, the really early, and late VINs' seem to have the panels > aligned. > > So did the company have damaged cars repaired/rebuilt to be sold, or did they > have them destroyed since the cars looked totaled? > > Your input is very much appreciated.