Cold Start Problem - Video 1

Post by The Delorean Project.

Binnacle Repair - Part 1

The binnacle in VIN 10719 wasn't too bad, but it wasn't great. The previous owner had gone about getting it covered in leather at the same time as the seats. While it was done by a professional trimmer it didn't look too good. The whole binnacle looks "puffy" and distorted, rather than the sleek lines it should have. My biggest fear was what was underneath that exterior. The DeLorean binnacle is renowned for  splitting and cracking over the years as the vinyl covering dries out in the heat, becomes brittle, and with the constant motion of the foam underneath splits wide open. I've seen plenty of pictures of binnacle with huge cracks down the back caused by this type of damage. But, in the end I wasn't happy with how it looked, so despite the fact that NO new or NOS binnacles exist any more I decided to take the plunge and go about ripping off the poor covering job. 

First, I removed all the instrument cluster, which to my relief revealed no damage to the inside. This was a good sign that there wasn't any serious cracks to the outer binnacle.

In this close up you can see the outer "new" leather covering, then a layer of foam that has been applied to the original vinyl covering underneath. 

Pealing the leather off revealed the layer of foam that had been added to the outside of the binnacle. This was the cause of the "puffy" look. Its been done quite well, but a thinner layer of foam would have been better, and would have kept the original shape intact. 

Much to me relief the damage wasn't that bad at all, as you can see in the pictures above. However, there is quite a few thinner cracks all over the back of the binnacle. Plus the vinyl has buckled up in these places. The glue they used everywhere to attach the foam isn't helpful. It looks like impact adhesive, which hopefully will come off with some white spirit.

Here you can see the result of some white spirit and elbow grease. Note the black permanent pen down the side which they used to work out the stitching lines. Not very helpful when your trying to bring the original surface back to life. But with some acetone it too gave up the ghost. Even the sun damage was removed with the acetone, revealing the original grey colour underneath.

The original black plastic visor part on the inside of the binnacle was completely covered by the new foam and new trim as well, so that needed cleaning back as well. It'll need a re-spray as well once this is done.

This was the first attempts at filling the cracks in the binnacle. I got a liquid vinyl repair kit online which I thought would make an excellent material to repair the many cracks and holes in the surface. Its flexible, can be mixed to the correct colour, then heated to cure. It should result in a good base layer for the repair, and resist cracking in the future.

While the result was OK, the new vinyl was far from a good match to the existing vinyl, especially the patten. The repairs, even when sanded down, still stood out a mile. The problem was that the repaired area ended up being flat and smooth, while the rest of the existing, original vinyl has a subtle grain which contrasted strongly. The only way this binnacle is going to look good again is if I treat the whole surface area in the same fashion. Rather than using the vinyl repair stuff (which I wasn't really impressed with and tends to tear when you sand it) I needed a better, long lasting and easier to finish treatment.

A trip to the local car supply shop turned up a good alternative in the form of bumper repair compound. Its flexible, so hopefully providing a long lasting repair, plus it can be sanded down easily to a good finish. Its a a form of epoxy, with a catalyst or hardener which is added to mix to activate the curing process. From the smell its polyester resin based, so would stand up to some grief. As you can see I've covered most of the surface, giving a top layer to repaint and re-dye using the same stuff I'm suing on the rest of the interior vinyl trim. Just need to sand it back to a good finish, base coat and give a final spray over. Watch this space for the final result!

New Laser Cut Keyring and Another Idea...

The other day I decided to sort out a keyring for the two keys I have for VIN #10719. Now I'm lucky in having access to a laser cutter at work, so after a little while on the software I came up with the above key-rings in black acrylic.

The two parts are actually the front and back of the finished key ring. I just glued them together with acrylic bonding solution or Tensol cement. I used the original DMC logo for the front, and the VIN number for the rear, both etched by the laser into the plastic.




I'm pleased with the finished result, and it certainly beats the rubbish plastic tag from the key shop with the VIN on it!

While playing with the laser cutter I also tried engraving an image of a D onto clear acrylic, the idea being that this can be side illuminated for dramatic effect. Check out the pics below. A work in progress, but pleasing never the less.

Trim Removal

So, the car came back from PJ Grady and I had a couple of great journeys around the area in her. Since having all the work done its a changed car. A joy to drive. Great fun, and I still can't get over the amount of attention you get. I pulled into the filling station (or petrol station as we call them over here) to fill the car up last weekend in the evening. As soon as I did everyone just stopped what they were doing, with most of the guys (its very much a guy thing) pulling out their phones to take pictures. They even allowed me straight to the front  to pay! How mad is that!

Anyway, you'd think I'd just enjoy the car, but no, I couldn't leave things alone. With some free days on my hands I started to remove the interior trim. The vinyl trim in #10719 is in good shape, but is a little discoloured in places. So my plan is to remove it and treat it with a spray STEM dye or re-colouring spray. This should return the vinyl to its factory condition. I'm also going to take the seats out, give them a deep clean (some brown/yellow colouring on them as well) and generally give them loads of car.

Other than that the carpets look pretty grubby. I'm not sure what to do with them. They may just need a clean, but I may invest in new ones from Dave Howarth here in the UK. Speaking to him tonight he has a "Roles Royce" carpet set which is even better than the original! Sounds great (well, not for my wallet).

Removing the trim also gives me chance to sort out the very lame sound system in the car at the moment. It suck big time. I'll be replacing all the speakers, front and back, with new versions, plus replacing the wiring to bring it up to a decent quality. The head unit also needs to be changed, and I'm thinking of a sub in the cubby hole to really take it to the next level.

The binnacle needs work as well. The previous owner had it re-covered in leather, but its FAR from a nice job. I'm just hoping to find a nice, un-cracked original binnacle under that exterior. I'm not hopeful. Why cover it if its in good shape. We will see.

Until then enjoy some pictures of the removal process. Look out for those sharpe door edges, and cool dates on the underside of the door headliners.