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> Why is a failure of the cluster readout display, during driving, a big deal? It's true that you probably won't die immediately. But for most people, driving

> Why is a failure of the cluster readout display, during driving, a big deal? It's true that you probably won't die immediately. But for most people, driving a long distance without a cluster display would be extremely dangerous. Especially at night on an empty road. For me, I start relying on the readouts for speed and rpm around the four hour mark. Tired brains don't work well. Which means you probably have to get it fixed ASAP. If that happened more than a couple of times with a car, I'd sell the car / not buy it in the fist place.

lsc 9y ago
You aren't wrong, but if you really are concerned about those sorts of things, you should probably drive a late-model Toyota, not a Delorian. They stopped making this car in 1983; it is far beyond it's design lifetime already, and was never a particularly reliable car to begin with, from my understanding. Like most classic cars, you probably shouldn't drive it unless you enjoy maintaining it, and are okay with (and carry substantial liability insurance for) a car that is dramatically less reliable and less safe than a modern car. Like most classic cars, you probably shouldn't drive it places where you are likely to die or otherwise suffer dramatically bad consequences if it breaks down. This isn't a criticism of the Delorian specifically as much as it is a truth about early '80s automotive engineering and running vehicles beyond their service life. Of course, as a society, we've decided that this (tradeof off cool car vs danger) is a reasonable choice to make; we don't force people to buy newer cars because they are safer. Within this context, the addition of a special instrument panel seems to me like it's not adding substantial additional danger to the system.
- nrdvana 9y ago
  The DeLorean is actually more reliable now than it was back then because we have 37 years of test data available on what goes bad and how to prevent it. There's also a number of improved components available made from newer materials. Also it did really well in the crash tests of the 80's and current owners baby them, so the insurance is pretty cheap.
laythea 9y ago
"For me, I start relying on the readouts for speed and rpm around the four hour mark. Tired brains don't work well." Wow. I never rely on readouts. Always use the window :)

lsc 9y ago

You aren't wrong, but if you really are concerned about those sorts of things, you should probably drive a late-model Toyota, not a Delorian. They stopped making this car in 1983; it is far beyond it's design lifetime already, and was never a particularly reliable car to begin with, from my understanding. Like most classic cars, you probably shouldn't drive it unless you enjoy maintaining it, and are okay with (and carry substantial liability insurance for) a car that is dramatically less reliable and less safe than a modern car. Like most classic cars, you probably shouldn't drive it places where you are likely to die or otherwise suffer dramatically bad consequences if it breaks down. This isn't a criticism of the Delorian specifically as much as it is a truth about early '80s automotive engineering and running vehicles beyond their service life. Of course, as a society, we've decided that this (tradeof off cool car vs danger) is a reasonable choice to make; we don't force people to buy newer cars because they are safer. Within this context, the addition of a special instrument panel seems to me like it's not adding substantial additional danger to the system.

nrdvana 9y ago
The DeLorean is actually more reliable now than it was back then because we have 37 years of test data available on what goes bad and how to prevent it. There's also a number of improved components available made from newer materials. Also it did really well in the crash tests of the 80's and current owners baby them, so the insurance is pretty cheap.

laythea 9y ago

"For me, I start relying on the readouts for speed and rpm around the four hour mark. Tired brains don't work well." Wow. I never rely on readouts. Always use the window :)