Return to the BUILD

“In this issue you will fit the left-hand door to your DeLorean.”

Contents

Parts

There is an undocumented part included with this issue: a small black plastic rectangle. I will explain at the end of the issue.

Materials: Everything in this issue is metal.

Magazine

• Drive Time: Model Instructions
• Production Diary: A Fine Romance for Doc
• A Time Traveler’s Guide: Delgado Mine

Build

Fitting the Door

Step 1

Retrieve the door assembly from the previous issue and turn it over.

Make sure the wires run between these two posts, as shown:

Place the Hinge Panel into position as shown, making sure the wires come out through this small gap:

Step 2

Secure the Hinge Panel to the door with four (4) NM screws.

This is your friendly reminder to try using 3-in-One Oil on all screws going into metal:

Steps 3-4

Retrieve the body assembly (last used in Issue 66). Fit the Hydraulic Arm into this small recess on the driver side roof, as shown:

Step 5

Secure the arm to the body using the Arm Plate and one (1) QM screw, as shown.

My QM screw would not go all the way in, so I cut about 1 mm off the end of it. Then, it went in fine:

Step 6

Feed the plug/wire from the door assembly through this square hole at the center of the body assembly roof:

Step 7

Take the door assembly and place it into position on the body assembly.

First, we need to look at these hinges:

These drop down into matching recesses in the body. Try test fitting it first to make sure you have it right:

Step 8

If the Hinge holes line up, secure both sides from inside the body with two (2) QM screws.

NOTE: It is pretty well known that these hinges are delicate and the QM screws are too long. You can either cut 1 mm off each QM screw, or use a couple of your spare KM screws (I had four KM spares at this point). I used the KM screws here and had no problems:

Step 9

Turn the entire body over again and secure the free end of the Hydraulic Arm to the Hinge Panel with one (1) QM screw, as shown:

This step is the last of the issue, but we have this odd plastic block left over. Do not discard this!

The doors on this model will NOT stay open on their own (they are just too heavy). These small blocks are provided to prop the doors open:

This is not the best solution in my opinion, but it works OK:

With the door now installed, I have a quick mod to install. From Bill Will Green, this is his custom headliner cover. He creates these super thin, molded, and painted-to-match polystyrene inserts for our DeLorean build:

Installation is quite easy. Simply remove the backing paper from the pre-installed adhesive strips on the back:

Then, fit the headliner cover into place. Make sure the edges are flat and secure. The color match is perfect and they hide the nasty screw heads!

Thoughts

It is cool to see more of the body coming together. So far, I am grateful that I do not have any weird body panel alignment issues. I was a bit surprised to discover that the Hinge Panel is all metal, but that is a good thing. Get ready to do this all over again, as we start the other door in the next issue.

Next Up

 Issue 71 – Interior: Door Panel/Strap/Light Lenses (Right)