Re: 3 different hoods

["jtrealtywebspannet" <jtrealty@xxxx>]

There were several reasons for the changes. The hood would get 
scratched when you filled up with gas. A manufacturer always wants 
some distinction between model years. The ridges in the hood were not 
needed for ridgity. Probably the single biggest reason though is 
"parts count". The Holy Grail in manufacturing is to reduce parts 
count. For every part you can remove from the car you save the price 
of the part, weight, inventory, less venders, labor to install, and 
warrenty issues. This is how people get promoted, by figuring out ways 
to make the car simpler or finding multiple uses for parts. Did you 
ever wonder why the plate under the "T" roof fits so weird and is 
taped down? Next time you look at it compare it to the plate by the 
lock for the engine cover. Another fertile area is left-right 
symmetry. Many of the parts can be reversed and used on both sides so 
you don't have special left-right parts.
David Teitelbaum
vin 10757



--- In dmcnews@xxxx, deloreanss@xxxx wrote:
> Well, It has been said that the reason they discontinued the gas 
flap hood 
> was because of the degree of cracking from the cutting process. Many 
times 
> the hood would crack when the cuts were made, this made for many 
wasted 
> hoods, which is very expensive. Once again, I believe the lines were 
removed 
> also as a cost cutting measure due to defects. I am not quite as 
sure about 
> this second one, but I do know that less processes in production = 
less cost 
> of goods sold. So, one could draw that conclusion.
> 
> John Weaver
> ETDOC
> RED DMC #10527