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OverlandMan
02-22-2013, 02:36 PM
So over the past decade, we've all seen a handful (in the grand scheme of things) of DeLoreans converted from a stock DMC-12 into a "BTTF Time Machine". My question is: Has any owner had a change of heart and tried having his/her car reverse engineered back to stock?

Yes I realize that this is trivial. You spend a bunch of $$ converting one of these into a time machine. You stand to make a little $ on the side with the time machine.

I'm wondering what all would be salvageable. For instance, I know from his website videos that VideoBob drills holes in the panels to mount props. I assume that this ruins the panel, unless you plan to paint the car...

Kenny_Z
02-22-2013, 02:40 PM
You'd probably be better off selling the time machine to someone else and buying a stock Delorean. Depending on the quality of the conversion this may even net some change in your pocket.

Dangermouse
02-22-2013, 02:54 PM
To the best of my knowledge - no, excepting for people who create "temporary" props for parades, parties etc.

Financially speaking, if you had spent $70k on a BTTF car and then took all the props off, how much would you get for them on ebay or whatever? $10k?, $20k - I have no idea. Anyway, you would then have a $50k regular car.

Far better to sell it and but a great stock car.

OverlandMan
02-22-2013, 03:32 PM
To the best of my knowledge - no, excepting for people who create "temporary" props for parades, parties etc.

Financially speaking, if you had spent $70k on a BTTF car and then took all the props off, how much would you get for them on ebay or whatever? $10k?, $20k - I have no idea. Anyway, you would then have a $50k regular car.

Far better to sell it and but a great stock car.




You'd probably be better off selling the time machine to someone else and buying a stock Delorean. Depending on the quality of the conversion this may even net some change in your pocket.

No doubt that selling it and buying a stock D would make more sense. My question was more of a hypothetical as to what all would be salvageable on the car, aside from the obvious stuff (ie: drivetrain). AND has anyone ever done this... stuff along those lines.

Jeff K
02-22-2013, 03:49 PM
No doubt that selling it and buying a stock D would make more sense. My question was more of a hypothetical as to what all would be salvageable on the car, aside from the obvious stuff (ie: drivetrain). AND has anyone ever done this... stuff along those lines.

My son wanted to convert, or partially convert one of our cars. He really made a case for it. I told him there is no way I can drill holes in the body panels and such.

Hypothetically.. You'd have to replace the drilled panels (removing the Flux bands). Get an engine cover and louver too. Probably dash and other interior pieces.

Depending on how much it was driven, all that stuff is very heavy. It's got to tax the drive-train.

Again.. my 2 cents..
Jeff

OverlandMan
02-22-2013, 03:58 PM
My son wanted to convert, or partially convert one of our cars. He really made a case for it. I told him there is no way I can drill holes in the body panels and such.

Hypothetically.. You'd have to replace the drilled panels (removing the Flux bands). Get an engine cover and louver too. Probably dash and other interior pieces.

Depending on how much it was driven, all that stuff is very heavy. It's got to tax the drive-train.

Again.. my 2 cents..
Jeff

Yea - that's what I was thinking. Basically you'd need a lot of expensive replacement parts --> both interior and exterior.
I cringe thinking about drilling holes in a LFF...

videobob
02-24-2013, 04:52 AM
Take it from the destructor, sure, you can weld over the small holes and rasp them down and regrain the metal, you can bondo-glass over the pontoon holes,
you can swap out body panels and all that jazz.... sure, you could take a $60,000 Time Machine and put another $10,000 into and turn it into a $20,000 Delorean.
Not the most economical of ideas!!!

Coulombe
04-06-2013, 06:12 AM
We at Delorean Time Machines aka Coulombe Enterprises Inc. Drill holes and place bolts into almost every section of the DeLorean. The dashboard, pontoons, cargo area, trunk area, center console, headliner, engine area, floor area, under carriage and of course the beautiful stainless steel body. That's just too much in time and cash to replace and/or repair in my opinion. So unless the Time Machine was given to you at little to no cost and you're into a complete restoration, why would you. I tell my all customers before we finalize the sale, that they need to be 100% sure they want to do this because once the Delorean has been transformed, there isn't any going back to a stock DeLorean.

The Delorean owners that have their cars transformed by CEI into Time Machines usually have a clear goal and business plan in mind as to why they need this done and do so without reservation. If you're having these kind of questions/thoughts, I would advise you to not take the plunge.

Nicholas R
04-06-2013, 12:31 PM
I think that maybe the time machines that Videobob and Bruce make would be exceptions. Still you're not the only ones making BTTF cars. Some of the other replicas are pretty good, but... some of the other time machine replicas are pretty bad. The cars you make may have $30000 worth of craftsmanship in them, but other replicas may have only $3000 worth of half-assery in them. Unlike a high end replica, some of those cars can go down in value. I believe it would certainly be pointless to convert a quality replica to stock, but some of the really bad ones??? Yes... I could definitely see the value in converting it back to stock.

(On a side note, I'm not out to insult anyone's BTTF car, I just know I've seen some really bad replicas. I mean, come on, we all saw what George Barris did to the A-car in the 90's right?? :vomit_1: )

ccurzio
04-06-2013, 03:50 PM
Depending on how much it was driven, all that stuff is very heavy.

Weight has nothi... Wait, nevermind.

Coulombe
04-09-2013, 08:23 AM
I think that maybe the time machines that Videobob and Bruce make would be exceptions. Still you're not the only ones making BTTF cars. Some of the other replicas are pretty good, but... some of the other time machine replicas are pretty bad. The cars you make may have $30000 worth of craftsmanship in them, but other replicas may have only $3000 worth of half-assery in them. Unlike a high end replica, some of those cars can go down in value. I believe it would certainly be pointless to convert a quality replica to stock, but some of the really bad ones??? Yes... I could definitely see the value in converting it back to stock.

(On a side note, I'm not out to insult anyone's BTTF car, I just know I've seen some really bad replicas. I mean, come on, we all saw what George Barris did to the A-car in the 90's right?? :vomit_1: )

No insult taken on my end. I've been so wrapped up in how we do our transformations I didn't think of the Joe Smith's of the wotld that may have done their own conversions in a much less and simple version. I could see transforming a Time Machine back into a stock Delorean if the previous owner didn't place all the parts iside and outside of the car, "sure"!

Starglider
04-10-2013, 06:51 AM
It is possible, although significantly more difficult, to build all of the exterior props in a way that does not require any new mouting points or holes in the stainless. The only conversions I know of made this way are the two made by P J Grady Europe, and obviously they cover up the rear window rather than replacing it. The rear side glass still has to be removed and as far as I know those replicas had conventional interior mountings (i.e. extra holes in the dash & headliners).

OverlandMan
04-10-2013, 09:53 AM
I wonder if we'll ever get to a point where a thousand DeLoreans are time machine replicas? I'm sure the builders would like that.

If that happen, you'd be talking about 1/6th of the total D's left (if we're using the 6,000 #) converted into time machines. That could potentially push up the value for the unmolested cars.

Like I said from the beginning, this is a hypothetical thread. Not trying to ruffle feathers. Just thinking out loud and inviting others to do the same.

Dangermouse
04-10-2013, 11:09 PM
Are there 1000 customers?

Mind you at the current conversion rate of 5 or 6 cars a year it would take a few decades to get there.

I could see there being 100 cars though.

videobob
04-11-2013, 09:52 PM
Well, I am finishing car number 12 now and car 13 will be on it's way to me next month.
If I run out of Deloreans, I guess I will have to start building them! ;>

Jeff K
04-12-2013, 01:52 AM
Nicholas, the phrase "half-assery" - is biblical! :) May I plagiarize?

Nicholas R
04-12-2013, 02:26 AM
Nicholas, the phrase "half-assery" - is biblical! :) May I plagiarize?

Haha, of course :thumbup: