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DMC Fibreglass department

PostPosted: Sat May 22, 2010 9:52 pm
by Darren C
I was at a special open day of the Rolls-Royce factory at Goodwood today. I wore my Delorean cap, when an elderly gentleman came over and started to chat. He worked for Lotus and was the man they sent over to DMC to "teach" the new factory workers how to produce the Delorean fibreglass Tubs :shock: I spent a good hour with him and he told me all about the history of DMC fibreglass department. Absolutely amazing!

He then went back to Norfolk and worked a while at Lotus before going BACK to Dunmurry in the late 1980's after the demise of DMC to teach some of the SAME DMC staff how to make fibreglass Missile nosecones for the Ministry of Defence using some of the old DMC facilities. Ironic when the factory was to aid the peace process it ended up making missile parts!

Anyhow, he's coming over to see me tomorrow to talk some more.

Kind regards
D

Re: DMC Fibreglass department

PostPosted: Sat May 22, 2010 9:57 pm
by A Van
Darren, what a coincidence!.....you never cease to amaze me....(well ok maybe once when your Audi with Lambo wheels had weights on the outside but thats it)

Looking forward to part 2.

Re: DMC Fibreglass department

PostPosted: Sat May 22, 2010 10:07 pm
by Darren C
Hi Al,

Never had weights on the outside? Nowhere to put em on the Gallardo wheels :lol:

Forgot to mention the old chap was with John Young a famous Racing driver...he's best buddies with Bernie Ecclestone, he's a great character too, spent the afternoon with him too. He bought 2, yes 2 1950's Gull wing mercs, just because he couldn't decide on the colour! Bernie said to John last year, would you be interested in a Merc Gull wing? John said "no, not really as I have two of em already".
Pity said Bernie, "I've got six of em!" :shock:

Regards
D

Re: DMC Fibreglass department

PostPosted: Sat May 22, 2010 11:08 pm
by mec
so when are you picking it up then darren !! ;)

Re: DMC Fibreglass department

PostPosted: Sat May 22, 2010 11:22 pm
by casper
you sure the missiles where at the old DMC factory? or did i get that part wrong from what i can remember from my school years when we used to watch the cars being tested nothing was made in the factory after it closed for a few yrs and the only place that made such things was shorts brothers which was based near city airport. this is just my thinking i could be wrong

Re: DMC Fibreglass department

PostPosted: Sun May 23, 2010 10:18 am
by A Van
Never had weights on the outside? Nowhere to put em on the Gallardo wheels


!!

I knew you'd come back with something !...ok yes your right.....I remember you explaining now.

Re: DMC Fibreglass department

PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 7:53 pm
by neal
casper wrote:you sure the missiles where at the old DMC factory? or did i get that part wrong from what i can remember from my school years when we used to watch the cars being tested nothing was made in the factory after it closed for a few yrs and the only place that made such things was shorts brothers which was based near city airport. this is just my thinking i could be wrong

The missiles factory was at Castlereagh in east Belfast. Darren may have picked him up wrong, Shorts may have bought some of the fibreglass parts when the factory closed and employed some of the DMCL staff at there castlereagh factory. Bombardier sold the Missiles factory, when they bought over Shorts brothers as they did not make missiles.

Re: DMC Fibreglass department

PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 7:56 pm
by RobvdVeer
Thanks for clearing that up!

I couldn't imagine anything fast coming out of the DeLorean factory in the first place :D

Re: DMC Fibreglass department

PostPosted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 6:20 pm
by Nick Sutton
Well clearly you weren't there on a Friday afternoon when the pay packets were handed out - the speed of the average employee to get to the Stagecoach Inn or The Hitching Post made Hussain Bolt look pedestrian. The cars of course went out on Car Transporters at a max speed of 15mph.

Does this clarify?

Re: DMC Fibreglass department

PostPosted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 7:57 pm
by RobvdVeer
Haha - yep that clarifies sufficiently. I reckon money went out rather quick too.