[VortexBlast]

Quote:

The DeLorean in the Smoky Mountains nat'l park.




It looks so cool, but the performance is really tragic. We're going to fix that, though, we can make it better, stronger, faster!

 
Engine swap please? 

 
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Yes! DeLorean, the only car that can time travel.

 
Even if in stock form it struggles to reach 88mph lol! 

 

[Magick Man]

When you say,"really tragic", just how slow is it? 

Slow enough that I wondered if something was wrong with the thing, it's sluggish even compared to family sedans of that period. Factually, 0-60 in ~10 secs, 1/4 mile in 18 secs at... I kid you not, 88mph.

We have a plan though, and a procharger setup that we believe will breathe some life into it, upping the bhp/torque from 120/150, to north of 220/260, respectively. Fortunately, engine compression is very low, so as long as the engine doesn't fly apart, it should be okay. Another option is a drivetrain swap, but frankly that may be more trouble than it's worth. However, one possibility is the 3-rotor Mazda Cosmo 20B (the engine originally envisioned for the car), which are small, relatively inexpensive when you can find one, and make ~300hp.

 

[billybob_jcv]

 

[Magick Man]

Even if in stock form it struggles to reach 88mph lol! 

It doesn't "struggle", per se, it just isn't in any hurry to get there.


One thing I've noticed is that the biggest advance in automobile tech in the last 10 years isn't engines, suspensions, or fuel systems, it's tires. One of the first things we do is strap on some new Michelin Pilot SS or Sport Cups and the difference is shocking. Even with a car as quick and agile as a Carrera GT, grip improves by an order of magnitude with the newest tires. So you can imagine what they do for a car like the Delorean, which really didn't handle that well even when it was new.

 

[billybob_jcv]

According to Wikipedia, Delorean claimed 0-60 MPH of 8.8 seconds, but Road & Track clocked it at 10.5 seconds. My 1980 RX-7 (which cost 1/3rd the price) did 0-60 in 9.2 seconds with an engine that had 30 hp LESS than the DMC-12...

 

[VortexBlast]

Quote:

Slow enough that I wondered if something was wrong with the thing, it's sluggish even compared to family sedans of that period. Factually, 0-60 in ~10 secs, 1/4 mile in 18 secs at... I kid you not, 88mph.

We have a plan though, and a procharger setup that we believe will breathe some life into it, upping the bhp/torque from 120/150, to north of 220/260, respectively. Fortunately, engine compression is very low, so as long as the engine doesn't fly apart, it should be okay. Another option is a drivetrain swap, but frankly that may be more trouble than it's worth. However, one possibility is the 3-rotor Mazda Cosmo 20B (the engine originally envisioned for the car), which are small, relatively inexpensive when you can find one, and make ~300hp.

 
I didn't know that the DeLorean was was originally meant to have a 20B triple rotor rotary engine... Interesting.
Well if you plan on changing to an original 20B engine then good luck. That engine is exceedingly rare and can cost a fortune. Though I doubt it's going to be a problem for you. The other alternative is to exploit its modular capabilities, starting off with a 13B then add another rotor though the big problem is the eccentric shaft which you need to find the exact one for the 20B.
Actually, I'll be very happy to hear a DeLorean with a 20B Rotary Engine. It'll be a very unique time machine

 

[VortexBlast]

Quote:

It doesn't "struggle", per se, it just isn't in any hurry to get there.

One thing I've noticed is that the biggest advance in automobile tech in the last 10 years isn't engines, suspensions, or fuel systems, it's tires. One of the first things we do is strap on some new Michelin Pilot SS or Sport Cups and the difference is shocking. Even with a car as quick and agile as a Carrera GT, grip improves by an order of magnitude with the newest tires. So you can imagine what they do for a car like the Delorean, which really didn't handle that well even when it was new.

 
You're planning to put some Michelin Pilot SS in a DeLorean? Isn't that a bit overkill?
I must say that Michelin makes some damn fine tyres. The PS3 on my Honda Jazz RS makes it handle like it's on rails. Tremendous levels of grip!

 

[wuwhere]

Quote:

 
You can rum with coke but you can't snort whiskey (though Pat Travers would disagree).

 

[Magick Man]

You're planning to put some Michelin Pilot SS in a DeLorean? Isn't that a bit overkill?
I must say that Michelin makes some damn fine tyres. The PS3 on my Honda Jazz RS makes it handle like it's on rails. Tremendous levels of grip!

There aren't any that will fit, unless I change the wheels. We did put on some V-rated Dunlops though and they made a huge difference.

 

[Hutnicks]

Quote:

Slow enough that I wondered if something was wrong with the thing, it's sluggish even compared to family sedans of that period. Factually, 0-60 in ~10 secs, 1/4 mile in 18 secs at... I kid you not, 88mph.

We have a plan though, and a procharger setup that we believe will breathe some life into it, upping the bhp/torque from 120/150, to north of 220/260, respectively. Fortunately, engine compression is very low, so as long as the engine doesn't fly apart, it should be okay. Another option is a drivetrain swap, but frankly that may be more trouble than it's worth. However, one possibility is the 3-rotor Mazda Cosmo 20B (the engine originally envisioned for the car), which are small, relatively inexpensive when you can find one, and make ~300hp.

I always found it odd that that very same engine in the A310 (which was DeLorean's personal favourite) knocked on 200 horsepower with overbore and triple carb set up. You should be able to get the numbers you are after with normal aspiration.

 

[Magick Man]

I didn't know that the DeLorean was was originally meant to have a 20B triple rotor rotary engine... Interesting.
Well if you plan on changing to an original 20B engine then good luck. That engine is exceedingly rare and can cost a fortune. Though I doubt it's going to be a problem for you. The other alternative is to exploit its modular capabilities, starting off with a 13B then add another rotor though the big problem is the eccentric shaft which you need to find the exact one for the 20B.
Actually, I'll be very happy to hear a DeLorean with a 20B Rotary Engine. It'll be a very unique time machine

http://www.ebay.com/itm/JDM-MAZDA-COSMO-EUNOS-RX7-20B-3-ROTOR-ENGINE-TWIN-TURBO-WIRE-ECU-RX-7-FD3S-FC3S-/121128883647

That's not unreasonable, but there's one in Chattanooga for $5k, sans tranny, that even comes with a warranty. We can probably get it for ~$4500.

 

[Magick Man]

I always found it odd that that very same engine in the A310 (which was DeLorean's personal favourite) knocked on 200 horsepower with overbore and triple carb set up. You should be able to get the numbers you are after with normal aspiration.

Yeah, ~190, but I'd really like to keep the Bosch FI, it's actually the most exceptional piece of equipment back there. I was including enlargement in my 220hp estimate, and I'm being pretty conservative, one of my guys says that it can probably handle up to 11:1 compression @12lbs, which would be a lot closer to 280. I'd be satisfied there, that's plenty for just driving around.

 

[Hutnicks]

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Yeah, ~190, but I'd really like to keep the Bosch FI, it's actually the most exceptional piece of equipment back there. I was including enlargement in my 220hp estimate, and I'm being pretty conservative, one of my guys says that it can probably handle up to 11:1 compression @12lbs, which would be a lot closer to 280. I'd be satisfied there, that's plenty for just driving around.

Well that  block did form the basis of the Renault Turbo F1 motor back in the day. The qually rotating time bombs allegedly pushed flash readings of around 1500 hp.

 
The only problem with the FI is it just does not sound as cool. Less maintenance sure.
 
OTOH there was some dude back in the 80's who dropped a RAT into a 911

 

[Magick Man]

McLaren has announced that for the 2014 model year they'll be able to bump the MP4-12C up to 650bhp! Wow, how exciting... we found that map in the ECU ~5 months ago (if you remember), you just have to get into the firmware, which was cracked by a Russian developer 2 weeks after the 2013 first shipped. Car manufacturers are such sneaky buggers. "Wow! We've busted our asses and look what we've done!" :rolleyes: That's pretty much the wall however, unless they upgrade the plumbing, because any more boost and there would be serious heat issues in warmer climates.

http://www.inautonews.com/2014-mclaren-mp4-12c-to-be-more-powerful#.Ucko6PnCYWk

Incidentally, the first set of tires on mine are toast (Pirelli P-Zero Corsas), mostly from driving with the TC off, so we ordered some Michelin Super Sports to replace them. They should have similar grip, if not better, but with substantially better tread life.

 

[billybob_jcv]

I don't think any of the P-Zero line were known for tread life - especially not when you put them on very light cars with gobs or hp and torque!