Early memos from the US-based DMC offices to the factory once the earliest pre-production cars began to arrive for evaluation indicate that there was concern about how high front end was on those cars.
Responses from the factory said something to the effect that “when fully fueled and the jack and spare are fitted” it would bring the nose down. Spares were not fitted at the factory, but rather here in the States upon arrival. In any case, the addition of those items didn’t make any difference.
For years the most common way to adjust the suspension height was the cut some coils off the rear springs and swap them with the front springs. This is a questionable way to modify the suspension in a car with such unique weight distribution (62% rear/38% front). (Cutting the springs is a bad idea on any car as this raises the overall spring rate considerably as well).
In the late 90s we contracted with a suspension development company in the UK to develop a proper shock and spring setup for the DeLorean to improve handling performance, and in doing so it also lowered the car. The owner of the UK company was an engineer on the DeLorean project at Lotus back in the day, and he had a DeLorean for his testing and evaluation during the project. He also couldn’t recall why it was so “nose high”, but was able to test the stock components and determined the steel used was rather poor quality – in his words, typical of UK mass-produced coil springs of that era – undoubtedly a cost saving measure. Keep in mind that back in the day if the original DMC could save $1 per spring, that was $4 per car - multiply that by 150,000 (the planned 30,000 cars per year for five years) and you're up to $600,000 - that $1 savings adds up.
This new spring design is now manufactured exclusively for us here in the USA by Eibach. We don't sell "fronts only" on the springs - quality suspension systems are designed for all four corners of the car, and these are no exception. The photos below show the typical difference between a "stock" ride height DeLorean and one that has been upgraded with our modern Eibach springs and shock absorbers.
By eliminating the nose-high attitude of the car, you reduce front end lift at speed and reduce body roll in the corners. It also corrects the "Bump Steer" problem caused by the awkward angle of the tie rods from the steering rack to the steering knuckles. Our suspension upgrade lowers the rear just a bit (as shown below) and then lowers the front enough to make the car level, front and rear. You'll love the difference in the curves and on the highway.
Installation is relatively straightforward but the use of a spring compressor is required. This is a job most often left to a shop with the correct tools and equipment as there is some physical danger when compressing and removing the springs.
It is important to note that a complete 4-wheel alignment is mandatory after installing the kit, or the front tires will be left in a severe toe-out position, and the rear toe will likely be slightly off as well. This is also a good time to check and replace the rear Trailing Arm Bolts and Bushings.
Here's the full side view of the car.
Revised DAS 6/23/16 [installation, alignment notes, TAB link]
Revised JVE 2/12/21 [updated links]