Reinstall interior door panels
Repaint and install engine cover
Fix Cracked Louvre
Paint Louvre Glossy Black
Fix Underglow
Inspiration
I’ve received a lot of positive comments over the years about this blog. I’ve also seen my blog posts referenced online when Delorean owners are looking for help. Before I started my blog, I regularly reviewed similar blogs for how-to procedures, as well as the materials, vendors and costs associated with projects. I thought I would reference some of the other blogs that inspired me, and still use regularly:
http://www.projectvixen.com – I checked this blog continuously in the early 2000s. Someone buys a disassembled Delorean, and documents the experience, and costs of resurrecting the car.
http://www.1561project.com – Another blog about resurrecting a neglected Delorean, and the costs associated with the project.
http://www.noroads.com/delorean/ – Another great Delorean maintenance blog with tons of pictures
Miscellaneous Purchases
Here’s some items I’ve purchased over many years, that were never documented.
This is the Snapon 8mm external socket needed for the drain plugs on the car. It has gone up in price since 2008, and there are alternatives available. I haven’t had any issues with the Snapon socket.
Here’s a tool that will lock the flywheel in place while you remove either the flywheel, or the crank pulley. I’m not sure why I bought it since I don’t have an engine with a flywheel.
Stainless blending pads, a box of 10. 12 years later, I’ve used 2 of them.
US Motor Works Water Pump for a Volvo from Rockauto. I purchased this with other items I’ve listed on the blog, so I’ve left the shipping as $0. A bolt-on pulley is needed for this pump, which I currently do not own. These pumps don’t have the country they were manufactured in listed, and the quality is notoriously poor. I would maybe use this in the short term while waiting for a quality waterpump to be delivered. I couldn’t pass up a $22 waterpump:
Costs:
| Item |
Purchase Date |
Vendor |
Quantity |
Cost |
Shipping |
Tax |
Total |
| Socket, Metric, Pipe Plug, External, 8 mm P/N PMM408A |
4/27/2008 |
snapon.com |
1 |
$ 13.65 |
$ – |
$ 1.05 |
$ 14.70 |
| Scotch-Brite Stainless Pads |
4/4/2010 |
Amazon.com |
1 |
$ 24.90 |
$ 6.55 |
$ – |
$ 31.45 |
| Flywheel Removal Tool |
7/14/2015 |
Billy C |
1 |
$ 35.00 |
$ – |
$ – |
$ 35.00 |
| US Motor Works Water Pump |
5/18/2022 |
Rockauto.com |
1 |
$ 21.89 |
$ – |
$ – |
$ 21.89 |
|
$ 103.04 |
2025 Delorean Midwest Open House, Outatime Band
If you’ve noticed fewer DIY posts on the blog over the past couple of years, it’s because I’ve shifted my focus from working on the car to making music. Some fellow local DeLorean owners and I started a band called Outatime. I play guitar, bass, and occasionally drums, and we practice regularly—it’s a lot of fun.
We even played a short set at the DeLorean Midwest Open House:
I designed and built the white guitar in the center of the photo! I’ll get back to DIY DeLorean projects eventually, though probably not as frequently. With so many priorities pulling at my time, I’ve decided to dedicate most of my free hours to music.
2025 Registration
Illinois Expanded-Use Antique plates:
Renewal Fee : $45.00
Payment Processor Fee : $1.01
Total Fee : $46.01
I have been meaning to purchase some new vanity plates, but I never got time. Maybe next year
2024 – Machine Finish Wheels, New Shoes, A Pillar Trim, Transmission Leaks, Power Window Repair
At the start of 2024, I had little motivation to work on the car. The persistent transmission leak was still an issue, and I couldn’t bring myself to crawl under it again for another failed attempt at sealing the pan. On top of that, the A-pillar trim still needed to be reinstalled after several years, the tires were due for replacement, and then the driver’s side window suddenly slipped off its track. Rather than tackling all of this myself, I decided it was time to send the car to Delorean Midwest.
They sorted out the transmission leak, which as of this writing in 2025, has not leaked a drop!
I opted for the machine finish wheels with the new shoes:
Costs:
Withheld!
Petersen Automotive Museum visit
During my 2025 vacation in Los Angeles, I visited the Petersen Automotive Museum, where I saw their gold-plated DeLorean and the restored “A Car” (the Hero Car) from Back to the Future.
2024 License Plate Renewal
“Expanded Use Antique” plate registration for the State of Illinois.
Fee For This Transaction
Renewal Fee : $45.00
Payment Processor Fee : $1.01
Total Fee : $46.01
Oil Change Video
Here’s a video of me changing the oil on another Delorean. I made the video with some of my fellow car club members.
-The socket needed is a 8mm External Square Socket. I purchased the Snapon version, PMM408A.
-The anti-drain back valve keeps oil from draining out of the oiling system and filter when the engine is shut off. The engine will receive oil immediately upon start up.
-I need to lose about 10 – 15 lbs.
New Low Pressure Switch, Working Air Conditioning!
The air conditioning hadn’t worked for several years. Around 2011, I replaced all the hoses and recharged the system with R12, which kept it working reliably for a few years. More recently, however, it became intermittent and eventually stopped working altogether. Suspecting a refrigerant leak, I borrowed AC gauges to check the system pressures. While tracing the circuit, I discovered the issue pointed to the low-pressure switch. When I bypassed the switch, the compressor engaged, confirming the switch was likely faulty. I purchased a replacement switch:
After some more troubleshooting, and some help from Delorean Midwest, the replacement switch worked!
Costs:
| Item | Purchase Date | Vendor | Quantity | Cost | Shipping | Tax | Total |
| Low Pressure Switch | 6/28/2023 | Delorean Midwest | 1 | $ 11.57 | $ – | $ 11.57 | |
| O Ring | 6/28/2023 | Delorean Midwest | 1 | $ 0.29 | $ – | $ 0.29 | |
| $ 0.92 | $ 12.78 |