Bizarre things found in your car

[Jonathan]

Ever found something in your car and said 'what the heck?' Not modifications gone wrong by some whacky previous owner. No, I mean weird stuff found under the carpeting the first time you peeled it back, or behind an interior panel, or within a door. Odd stuff that makes you scratch your head. I've heard of guys finding tools under the carpet or 'previous occupant nests' inbetween panels. What bizarre things have you found in your car?

Two that come to mind for me are a fairly significantly sized hornet's nest that I found in the back left quarter (where the power antenna would go on some cars) and then this strange little plastic Easter bunny figurine thing just recently under the carpeting back in behind the parcel shelf. The hornet's nest wasn't currently inhabited, but I didn't spot it for about 2 years after getting my car and it took some random guy in a parking lot to catch a glimpse of the corner of it through the vent opening hole. Sure enough, when I got home and gained access in there, I cleaned out quite a bit of it.

I think I'm up to four or five 1981 pennies so far that had been hiding under the seats too :)

1939719398

[pezzonovante88]

I keep finding this blue and white tinsel/confetti stuff throughout the car.

[Domi]

Found this piece of wallpaper, I don't know who put it in here :swear1:

[Jonathan]

Found this piece of wallpaper, I don't know who put it in here :swear1:

Oh man, that's classic!! haha... ...and it might have just given me an idea to put some little surprise in my car before I put everything back together, waiting for some future guy (maybe me!) to discover, lol. Like a time capsule.... oh the irony! :D

[Domi]

Oh man, that's classic!! haha...

Never seen that before, but I left it in the car, that's part of its history :biggrin:

[NightFlyer]

I actually found the PO's house keys in my car - somehow they ended up under the driver's foot-well carpeting.

Mailed them back to her as soon as I found them.

[eagle-co94]

The incomplete skeleton of a small animal, possibly a possum in the luggage compartment where it apparently lived and died. It had been picked clean. I used a wrench to show size of the jaw bones.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y154/eagle-co94/DeLorean/CIMG4501_zps473da540.jpg (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/eagle-co94/media/DeLorean/CIMG4501_zps473da540.jpg.html)

[Dangermouse]

The thing that made me go WTF, the most bizarre thing, was when I pulled back the carpet behind the seats and found some pieces of plywood.

Painted black. In a luxury car. That cheap-assed PO !!

And then I found out the truth .....


Jonathan, were they US or British pennies?

[Jonathan]

Jonathan, were they US or British pennies?

US coins. Not exactly the kind that are rare finds and worth a fortune... odd though, and the '81 part is neat.

I know a mouse or two called my car home at some point in time. I found ripped up newspaper and insulation in a couple places. There was a piece of the newspaper big enough to make out some writing on it... and it was from the local movies listing page. I can't remember the movie title at the moment, but I remember googling it and it was released around 1991. Strange way to piece together the history of your car, but hey, whatever works!!

[Rich]

Fun question!

Two batches of leftovers found in our car over the years including:

1. Two large galvanized fender washers found in the recess behind/below the right headlights courtesy of the DMC factory.

2. Extra hardware, 10mm nuts/washers found in the bottom of the right pontoon left by the dealer technician who installed the factory power antenna upgrade.


Took a good, hard look with a flashlight deep into both ends of the jack/tool well in front of the trunk about a month ago for the first time ever. Nothing there after the jack kit came out.

[DMCMW Dave]

Customer car story -

3/4 box of .38 cal bullets (corroded) and a Frank Sinatra cassette. In the same cubby, completely buried in mouse-pee-soaked insulation.

[Rich]

The thing that made me go WTF, the most bizarre thing, was when I pulled back the carpet behind the seats and found some pieces of plywood.

Painted black. In a luxury car. That cheap-assed PO !!

And then I found out the truth .....

That's a good one. The black-painted factory-original rear bulkhead plywood! This a reflection of Lotus' engineering of our cars and maybe a result of the impossibly tight schedule they worked within. Nick Sutton's book tells that story well.

Here's an excerpt from an article on the history of the Lotus Esprit S1, a contemporary of the DeLorean and no doubt engineered by much the same Lotus Project Plywood team:


.....I then drove to the office, more than 100 miles to the south, the weather becoming more miserable. I was soon evident that Lotus had failed to make the rear hatch rainproof. Water bypassed the rubber seals, dripping on to the cheap carpet behind the engine cover. Mechanical heat soon turned the water to steam, which condensed on the inside of the enormous rear window.....Some time later at the motor show I suggested to a Lotus engineer that the Esprit should have a rear-screen wiper. He was not amused when I explained that it should be fitted to the inside of the screen.

Esprit buyers soon understood why a Porsche 911 was 30 per cent more expensive. Under that sodden boot carpet, a roughly hewn sheet of plywood was attached to the glass-fibre by screws (not bolts) – a mixture of flat-heads, round heads, different sizes: whatever was lying around the workshop.

[Jonathan]

Customer car story -

3/4 box of .38 cal bullets (corroded) and a Frank Sinatra cassette. In the same cubby, completely buried in mouse-pee-soaked insulation.

Yikes! Maybe a mafia car?? Didn't Sammy Davis, Jr have a DeLorean at one point? Maybe that pack of bullets had rat pee on it instead of it being from a mouse?

[Bitsyncmaster]

Found a token for one of the NY bridges. Probably worth $10 if they still accept them now.

[MML]

A mouse nest (vacated) and a 20p coin under the seat. At least I got some money back on the cost of the car...

[scotstern]

I found a country club "one day pass" for the Pauma Valley Country Club made out to Cristina Ferrare. Of course, my car was her's before I bought it.

[micmak]

Found this piece of wallpaper, I don't know who put it in here :swear1:

Domi, I would like to see that wall paper and see if it matches one of the guys here in the ODOC. He has 17076 (I think) and he found wallpaper under his console. Can you imagine if it was the same pattern??? Your VIN is not THAT far in front of his.

......Mike......

[micmak]

I found a country club "one day pass" for the Pauma Valley Country Club made out to Cristina Ferrare. Of course, my car was her's before I bought it.

You have Christina Ferrare's car????????:wow:

[Jimmyvonviggle]

Customer car story -

3/4 box of .38 cal bullets (corroded) and a Frank Sinatra cassette. In the same cubby, completely buried in mouse-pee-soaked insulation.

Those are some tough mice with good musical taste.


I found an old metal tin of camel cigarettes, and a bill from the original owner, which allowed me to track him down.

[scotstern]

You have Christina Ferrare's car????????:wow:

Yes, I bought in a charity auction for Children's Hospital in San Diego in the late 80's. It was her car before I bought it. Some interesting mods on the car in terms of things that were not supposed to be on the car. All Delorean items but not quite right for the serial number.

[LordFly]

Domi, I would like to see that wall paper and see if it matches one of the guys here in the ODOC. He has 17076 (I think) and he found wallpaper under his console. Can you imagine if it was the same pattern??? Your VIN is not THAT far in front of his.

......Mike......

17082 is wallpaper free under the console, but that doesn't mean someone didn't remove it in the last 30 years....

[dmc6960]

Toenail clippers under the relay shelf.

[Kenny_Z]

A 3/8 extension in the valley of death and one of the copper washers someone must have dropped during reassembly. That was it. Everything else was picked clean by the dealership. Not even change under the seats.

[Conundrum]

A PO installed "security system" that had a key hole in the driver side quarter panel to activate it. It had a shaker switch, killed the ignition when activated, and a motor driven siren. They system was partially deactivated before I bought the car. When turned on, the car wouldn't start and there was a switch next to the passenger window switch that activated the siren. Made for fun driving around with a siren. One night, a fuse for the system blew. I had the engine running, took the key out of the ignition, and the engine kept running. :what_the:

[dvonk]

The incomplete skeleton of a small animal, possibly a possum in the luggage compartment where it apparently lived and died. It had been picked clean. I used a wrench to show size of the jaw bones.

holy hell, thats gross. :vomit_1:

[Patrick C]

Yes, I bought in a charity auction for Children's Hospital in San Diego in the late 80's. It was her car before I bought it. Some interesting mods on the car in terms of things that were not supposed to be on the car. All Delorean items but not quite right for the serial number.

What is the VIN?

[DMC5180]

A large pile of large nugget dry dog food in the RH side of the Jack storage area.

[Jonathan]

.....in the RH side of the Jack storage area.

From most of the stories I've heard on weird accumulations of things, this is where it was. The default location for mice it seems on our cars. I think Dave told me one day about dog food in there on a car in addition to the bullets one.

...and a couple dozen comments in and no one has found any coke in their car!!?? Well, I guess all those silly comments we get at car shows just weren't right?? :D

[Jonathan]

holy hell, thats gross. :vomit_1:

+1 I think the possum carcass and the toenail clippers are leading the gross category, lol!

[eagle-co94]

From most of the stories I've heard on weird accumulations of things, this is where it was. The default location for mice it seems on our cars. I think Dave told me one day about dog food in there on a car in addition to the bullets one.

...and a couple dozen comments in and no one has found any coke in their car!!?? Well, I guess all those silly comments we get at car shows just weren't right?? :D

You don't seriously think someone would forget about cocaine in their storage compartment do you? I know I wouldn't leave something that valuable behind...unless I died before getting back to it.

[Jonathan]

You don't seriously think someone would forget about cocaine in their storage compartment do you? I know I wouldn't leave something that valuable behind...unless I died before getting back to it.

Nah, definitely joking. Just ask Shirley :)

[scotstern]

What is the VIN?

The Vin Number is 6452

[Domi]

Domi, I would like to see that wall paper and see if it matches one of the guys here in the ODOC. He has 17076 (I think) and he found wallpaper under his console. Can you imagine if it was the same pattern??? Your VIN is not THAT far in front of his.

......Mike......

I'm sorry but, that's the closer pictures I took.
Someday, I may be able to open the center console, then I will take another picture.
Anyway, I'm curious to see if mine matches the one of your friend!

[Jimmyvonviggle]

You don't seriously think someone would forget about cocaine in their storage compartment do you? I know I wouldn't leave something that valuable behind...unless I died before getting back to it.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. A few years back I was hired by a large hotel chain to do some inspections on their in room a/c units which were mounted in the ceiling. I went from room to room with the maintenance man ( whom I knew from an acquaintance). When I got to one room, I undid the screen to access the unit and I found the biggest bag of marijuana I have ever seen. I gave it to the maintenance man as a Xmas present. Obviously some guest was partying hard and forgot it.

[17076]

In terms of the wallpaper found... my car 17076... had the exact same wall paper in it. Obviously it is a factory option then.

[Domi]

I'll be curious to know what is that suppose to mean?

[17076]

I'll be curious to know what is that suppose to mean?


The photos of wallpaper you found in 16951 have exactly the same pattern as the one I found in 17076 and in exactly the same place in the car. This would mean that it was likely put into the cars in Ireland... whether it was a workman's joke or had some practical reason we will likely never know.

[Dangermouse]

The sequel to Nicks book has a chapter entitled "Decorating Tips from DeLorean Workers" featuring articles on wallpapering your console, crafting with plywood and freestyle cave painting. :)

[Domi]

I have Nick's book, but I'm not at that chapter, I must continue to read it to discover that information!

[jawn101]

A flashlight rolling around in between the rear fascia and stiffener and a bunch of those huge old dot-matrix ATM receipts under the carpet, dated late 80s.

[ILM1010]

I found tools thru out the car, some really old ones, inside the rear pontoon , nuts, bolts, washers...but nothing special since my PO was an idiot redneck and did all his own repairs.

[Spittybug]

I want to hear more about the Christina car..... that would be a real conversation piece. Can I buy the driver's seat? :hititbanana:

[sdg3205]

I still have - sliding around in my frame under the console - what sounds like a big pair of vice grips. If I turn or brake hard I can hear them slide around. It drives me nuts. I've been in that part of the frame to adjust my shift linkage bell crank but I used a stubby wrench and sure as heck didn't loose it. It's a tight space and I doubt I'll be able to rescue said vice grips.

[john 05141]

I'd like to know more about the Christina's car too. Separate thread maybe with some pics?


No really a Delorean, but when I was in Dallas, TX in the '90-ies, I went to a used car lot and looked at a Buick Century. I opened the trunk and I wanted to look under where the spare tire was. There was a whole stack of Playboy magazines in there. I tought it was funny as hell, and the 70 year old vendor quickly reached in there and said he'd take those.

Jan

[scotstern]

I want to hear more about the Christina car..... that would be a real conversation piece. Can I buy the driver's seat? :hititbanana:

There is really not too much to hear. She had the car since new and it had a country club sticker on the left side on the windshield. It had the day pass down between the seat and the consul and it was made out to her. The car was never registered so, it was given to the Children's Hospital by an attorney that represented her, and I bought it via an auction of sorts.

Specifically, they auctioned it and were apparently unable to get the price that was desired so, it was kept for the next auction. I made a rather unusual deal with them and bought it. If I remember, it had almost 4,000 miles on it but I do not know who put those miles on it. It could have been all by her or someone else could have driven it after or before it was donated. I do know that Children's Hospital had it for a while as it was in a corner of a warehouse and it had not been moved in quite a while. They actually helped me get it started but knew nothing about it.

It was in terrible condition, in terms of being covered in dust. The inside was like brand new, but the outside was so dusty that you could hardly see the car. It turns out that there was not even a mark on it! It was like new once I got the 5,000 lbs of dust off of it! I did have the normal starting issues with a car that had sat for long time but, I did drive it home and it was OK. I have owned it since.

It is a bit unusual as it has a clock, the built-in door straps, some additional relays, some modifications that were not yet introduced to the Delorean world that since have been. (Throttle cover, beefed-up trailing arm bolts, Electric Antenna, ETC.) I was surprised that she would have a 5 speed. Most of the information about the differences came from Don, at Delorean in LA. While he had never worked on the car before I brought it in, he indicated that most of the work had been done by the Delorean Center in Orange County which was again, unusual. At the time, I also checked with Ed, at Delorean One, and he was more than rude to me but claimed that he had never worked on it so he would not touch it.

That is basically it!


Scot

6452

[Farrar]

The thing that made me go WTF, the most bizarre thing, was when I pulled back the carpet behind the seats and found some pieces of plywood.

Painted black. In a luxury car. That cheap-assed PO !!

And then I found out the truth .....

Wood: the original carbon fiber.

[uhhair]

Never found coke but while disassembling our parts car we did find a bag of pills (later identified as hydrocodone) hidden in the relay compartment as well as additional pills and hypodermic needles stashed behind the radio. I'll see if I can find the pictures.

[Ron]

Wood: the original carbon fiber.
:biggrin:

[Spittybug]

I still have - sliding around in my frame under the console - what sounds like a big pair of vice grips. If I turn or brake hard I can hear them slide around. It drives me nuts. I've been in that part of the frame to adjust my shift linkage bell crank but I used a stubby wrench and sure as heck didn't loose it. It's a tight space and I doubt I'll be able to rescue said vice grips.

Maybe a strong magnet from the other side and you can slide it to somewhere where it can be grabbed?

[Kenny_Z]

...hypodermic needles stashed behind the radio.

And this is why you should be very wary of where you blindly stick your hands when working on a used car. Thankfully I have never run across anything like that on my cars.

[Jacko]

I still have - sliding around in my frame under the console - what sounds like a big pair of vice grips. If I turn or brake hard I can hear them slide around. It drives me nuts. I've been in that part of the frame to adjust my shift linkage bell crank but I used a stubby wrench and sure as heck didn't loose it. It's a tight space and I doubt I'll be able to rescue said vice grips.

When I was wallowing under the car trying to replace the fuel accumulator I positioned a small LED flashlight inside the frame to see what I was doing. As I was fumbling around I hit the flashlight knocking it just out of reach. I tried a couple of times to retrieve it until I just gave up. I could still see the beam shining like that light in the tunnel thing. Three or four days later I was under the car (still fumbling with the damn accumulator) and the flashlight was still aglow. I used a piece of wire to retrieve it and I was so impressed with how long the batteries lasted I didn't turn it off and laid on the workbench. I don't know how long it burned but it was a while. If I hadn't retrieved it some future owner would wonder how that flashlight wound up there. :biggrin:

[wrkey]

"Della" VIN 4805 was pulled out of storage where she had been sitting for the last 7 years and taken directly to DMCH for 'Make Run' work. There she sat in line awaiting her turn for another 30 days. When the DMCH mechanics pulled open the front pieces to get to the fuel pump and hoses they found mounds of what appeared to be chair cushion stuffing and when they got it up on the lift even more was stuffed up under the front facia. The mechanic then went about reaching up inside and pulling it all out... until... out dropped about 3 foot of snake skin. :ohcrap:

It was at that point they started using long tools and sticks to pull the rest out! After I got her into my posession one of the things I needed to work on was the rear brake lights so I pulled the passenger side light assembly. Inside that area I found even more stuffing and another snake skin.

Obviously a family of rats had made their home in my car and had quite a show going until the snake showed up and enjoyed the ready made lunch in a box for a few months. Luckily they wires are still intact and none of the rodents or reptiles made their way into the interior of the car.

[jawn101]

"Della" VIN 4805 was pulled out of storage where she had been sitting for the last 7 years and taken directly to DMCH for 'Make Run' work. There she sat in line awaiting her turn for another 30 days. When the DMCH mechanics pulled open the front pieces to get to the fuel pump and hoses they found mounds of what appeared to be chair cushion stuffing and when they got it up on the lift even more was stuffed up under the front facia. The mechanic then went about reaching up inside and pulling it all out... until... out dropped about 3 foot of snake skin. :ohcrap:

It was at that point they started using long tools and sticks to pull the rest out! After I got her into my posession one of the things I needed to work on was the rear brake lights so I pulled the passenger side light assembly. Inside that area I found even more stuffing and another snake skin.

Obviously a family of rats had made their home in my car and had quite a show going until the snake showed up and enjoyed the ready made lunch in a box for a few months. Luckily they wires are still intact and none of the rodents or reptiles made their way into the interior of the car.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m0yjh88JFx1roe5p5o1_400.png


noooooooope. I don't do snakes. Nope nope nope. There's not enough fire or soap in the world to make the car drivable for me after that :)

[Kenny_Z]

I have a parts Mustang. One day I went out to get the floor mats from the old car because they were in better shape than my current car. This is what I found when I picked up the mats.

http://uploads.m-cgi.com/kennyz/temp/snakesnakesnake.jpg

When I saw him I said "GARMFFRGBLESNAKESNAKESNAKESNAKESNAKE" and was about 50 feet away before I realized it. Then I went back for the picture. It was cool out so it was very docile but alive. I do not like snakes. They are the worst part about having a parts car.

[Jonathan]

Holy crap! Man, you're not kidding about being 50 feet away in an instant. Yikes, snakes are a no go for me too.

I won't sit here and tell you the typical winter in Ontario is a whole lotta fun, but we don't seem to have the same sorts of creatures hanging about as you guys in the south do. Must be something about snakes and scorpions and what not freezing their tails off and not really being seen in much volume or variety here. Although I think I would rather have to fight a polar bear than put my hand in and bump into that thing in your picture there Kenny!

EDIT: You know, I take part of that back. The part about strange critters and things hanging about this area. I just remembered what I stumbled upon a few months ago when I went under my deck to grab a shovel or something that was stored under there. I think my face was no more than 2 feet from him when I looked over and finally saw him. It is a miracle I didn't smash my head on the underside of the deck with how fast I got the heck out of there. Wow did that frighten me. Although he might have been just as nervous as he didn't move a single inch. Boy was his camoflauge good. Some friends said to me it is very rare to see one in person as they are so good at hiding from you. Not sure what he was doing under my deck, he didn't say :) I believe it's called an Eastern Screech Owl.

195911959219590

[congerz83]

After having the sh*t scared out of me once (all it took)... I've developed a highly effective remedy for Tri-State Area reptiles...

19594

PLUS

19595

TRY TO MAKE SURE THE TARGET IS A SAFE DISTANCE FROM YOUR VEHICLE!

Tires and sheet-metal cost money... :rolleyes1:

[dvonk]

I have a parts Mustang. One day I went out to get the floor mats from the old car because they were in better shape than my current car. This is what I found when I picked up the mats...

aw, youre scared of a little corn snake? :giggle: he was just trying to keep mice out of your mustang! i wouldve picked him up with my bare hands.

which reminds me... one time, when i worked as a Pharmacy Tech at Walgreens, there were some people screaming about a snake slithering down the aisle--i walked over calmly, identified it as a garter snake, picked it up, and carried it outside to a bush on the other side of the parking lot.


...I just remembered what I stumbled upon a few months ago when I went under my deck to grab a shovel or something that was stored under there. I think my face was no more than 2 feet from him when I looked over and finally saw him. It is a miracle I didn't smash my head on the underside of the deck with how fast I got the heck out of there. Wow did that frighten me. Although he might have been just as nervous as he didn't move a single inch. Boy was his camoflauge good. Some friends said to me it is very rare to see one in person as they are so good at hiding from you. Not sure what he was doing under my deck, he didn't say :) I believe it's called an Eastern Screech Owl.

195911959219590

what a little cutie! screech owls do have very good camouflage, i used to do bird shows with a rehab one when i worked at the Zoo. :)

[Furry_DeLorean]

I never found any snakes but I did have plenty of old hornet and mouse nests. No very unusual junk inside the car but I did have an original unused DeLorean pop-rivet glued to the underside of my dashboard as well as six more broken pop-rivet pins and some spare hardware scattered throughout the body.

[Kenny_Z]

aw, youre scared of a little corn snake? :giggle: he was just trying to keep mice out of your mustang! i wouldve picked him up with my bare hands.

Just this weekend I was working on the cracked louvers way out in the yard so I didn't get fiberglass dust everywhere. For some odd reason a garden snake was doing 20 foot circles around me. I kept my eye on it. I know it's not poisonous but it's still a snake and will freak me out.

[Shep]

The strangest thing I found was when I first got the car. I pulled the jack out of the compartment (which was missing the door at the time), and I heard something scraping/rattling as I pulled it out. I reached in there and out came what looked like a rubber strap, about 6" long, twisted three or four times clockwise. As I pulled it out, it snapped it half. Still twisted. Apparently soon after it was installed, it got twisted like that and dry rotted in place. Then when I took it out, it snapped. That thing was as hard as a rock, and I have no idea what it goes to. My best guess is to keep the jack itself from rattling around. I kept it as a keepsake. Strangely, even though I have that belt, the one that holds the spare tire in place is gone, apparently removed at some point in its past (holes are still drilled though).

[Rich_NYS]

Last night I removed my seats and while vacuuming, noticed a lump under the carpet where the center of the drivers seat would be.

24851

24852

All my pedals are intact and this piece looks to be NOS.


There were also two quarters near the parking brake lever: 1985 & 1965.

[DMC81]

This MAC 11/32 socket was down in my valley, it had to be there a very long to to rust off the end like that. Did they have MAC tools at the factory?

24933

[DMCMW Dave]

This MAC 11/32 socket was down in my valley, it had to be there a very long to to rust off the end like that. Did they have MAC tools at the factory?

I doubt it, and since 99% of the car is metric they wouldn't have needed an 11/32 socket either.

[DMC81]

I doubt it, and since 99% of the car is metric they wouldn't have needed an 11/32 socket either.


Good point, Maybe it's under warranty through MAC still...lol

[JMLaux]

I've found dog food in my car as well once over the winter. Mouse never had time to fully move in but it did leave me on a treasure hunt to try and find all of the little piles they ended up stashing. Actually had to be quite thorough to find all the little hiding spots. While cleaning out under the relay mounting tray I found another treasure for my car, the original cigar lighter that had been missing since I bought the car. The PO must have used that spot to keep all their unneeded parts at the time. When I first got the car I had found the original gear shift knob laying in between all the relays. It was a great relief to find that however, I don't think that I could have dealt with the chromed skull shift knob with red eyes for long. :rolleyes1:

The only other interesting thing I found on my car was a golf tee in the VOD. But from what I've read that was an OEM approved replacement part for the fuel mixture adjustment plug :lol:

[Joe Kuchan]

Good point, Maybe it's under warranty through MAC still...lol

My father was a handy guy, and he built his own garage. When he dug out the area for the slab he found an old rusty screw driver in the dirt, apparently lost by someone working in the area years before. He could barely make out the word "Craftsman" on the shank. He took that old screwdriver to the local Sears store and handed it to the guy in the tool department. Apparently without a second thought the guy casually tossed it into a box of other "dead" tools and handed my dad a shiny new screwdriver. I'm not sure if any words were even spoken - my dad had a "busted" Craftsman tool, and the Sears guy gave him a new one.

Those were the days! The experience would be completely different today.

[Stainless]

Those were the days! The experience would be completely different today.

Cool story. I'm not so sure the experience would be all that different today. For every Craftsman hand tool that I have broken over the years, as recently as two years ago, I've simply taken it to Sears and gotten a new one with no questions asked. Lifetime warranty is a lifetime warranty for their hand tools.

[opethmike]

I found a 50 pack of Trojan condoms under the driver's seat.

[Jonathan]

I found a 50 pack of Trojan condoms under the driver's seat.

NOS or used from a parts car??

[jawn101]

NOS or used from a parts car??

Wow, gross... :)

[opethmike]

Opened box, two missing. Expired by ten years or so.

[Jimmyvonviggle]

Opened box, two missing. Expired by ten years or so.

You might say he was a little over zealous when he bought that box.

[Dangermouse]

Tried it twice - didn't like it

[cyberflexx]

Tried it twice - didn't like it

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! :rofl:

[Lou and "Boo"]

Last night I removed my seats and while vacuuming, noticed a lump under the carpet where the center of the drivers seat would be.

24851

24852

All my pedals are intact and this piece looks to be NOS.


There were also two quarters near the parking brake lever: 1985 & 1965.

Rick, what was the lump?

[Rich_NYS]

Rich, what was the lump?

A pedal pad....I think it was put there in the factory.

Are these pics showing?

25581 25582


-Rich

[sdg3205]

An adjustable wrench sliding around in my frame. Drove me nuts for a few years. Finally got it out via the accumulator access hole when it rested in the right place.

[Jonathan]

Reread this thread after looking for something Dermot was looking for.

Figure there's got to be some new owners that have found things recently and could post them here.

I haven't found anything new inside the car after the first couple years. I did have this little guy hanging out in my wheel well one day though...

36199

[Domi]

Does this count? Found this tapestry here.
Don't know if it's from the factory or not?
3620636207

[Dangermouse]

Cool.

I assume you mean a printed "wallpaper" rather than a real woven "tapestry" . Perhaps a minor mis-translation.

[Domi]

I don't know, anyway, same kind of paper for the wall of your house.

[Timebender]

A PO installed "security system" that had a key hole in the driver side quarter panel to activate it. It had a shaker switch, killed the ignition when activated, and a motor driven siren. They system was partially deactivated before I bought the car. When turned on, the car wouldn't start and there was a switch next to the passenger window switch that activated the siren. Made for fun driving around with a siren. One night, a fuse for the system blew. I had the engine running, took the key out of the ignition, and the engine kept running. :what_the:

I'm guessing that's the car that had been sitting for years in the parking lot at an R&D firm in Glendale, CA and if not, then that would be the second one I've heard of with a key switch in the driver's rear quarter panel. The one in Glendale was owned by a woman named Margaret Minksy, the daughter of MIT Brainiac Marvin Minsky, and was in the lot being "stored" for nearly 15 years because one of the company's founders was an old boyfriend. When I went to work there back in 2013, I came close to buying it as she originally wanted something like $15k, but I eventually got her down to $9k - then most of us were laid off, so no DeLorean for me.

The cool stuff was there was a box full of DeLorean World magazines- roughly 20 or so IIRC sitting in the passenger footwell.

Greg

[mhs149]

6861 had some water sloshing around in it's right pontoon. My mechanic cut a hole to drain it and found a big rib inside(sorry no picture).

My guess is a factory worker decided to place his lunch break leftovers inside before the pontoon was sealed for the next 31 years(it's an '81, but this was a few years ago now).

[cpistocco]

I think that the front pontoons of a lot of D's are loaded with crap (dead mice, leaves, etc.) Has anyone else drilled a hole with a hole saw, and cleaned house? I also took a load of junk out of the bottom of my front fenders.

[AirmanPika]

Oh my God where to even begin. The red paint job...luckily eliminated...unfortunately also found was that my DeLorean had clearly been in a side impact. Hence my doors and rear panels had to be replaced. After that, a weird cruise control setup that had been retrofitted. It didn't work anymore so I ripped it out, but I think there are still some random relays and such in the system I am afraid to remove. Lots of crazy wiring I cant ID. My rear interior lamp doesn't work right thanks to this. Quite a few mechanical changes...I really do not understand my dual spring setup in the rear of the car..and my front springs are cut down. Oh...and I have LCD readouts on the driver side kickpad that keep changing numbers and some switches...but they aren't connected to anything. And that's just the start...

[DMCVegas]

Oh my God where to even begin. The red paint job...luckily eliminated...unfortunately also found was that my DeLorean had clearly been in a side impact. Hence my doors and rear panels had to be replaced. After that, a weird cruise control setup that had been retrofitted. It didn't work anymore so I ripped it out, but I think there are still some random relays and such in the system I am afraid to remove. Lots of crazy wiring I cant ID. My rear interior lamp doesn't work right thanks to this. Quite a few mechanical changes...I really do not understand my dual spring setup in the rear of the car..and my front springs are cut down. Oh...and I have LCD readouts on the driver side kickpad that keep changing numbers and some switches...but they aren't connected to anything. And that's just the start...

I feel your pain. I have a VPA alarm installed with door solenoids to pop the doors open by remote. But the moron who installed it completely miswiried it. They got the interior lights confused with the clearance lights. So arming and disarming the car results in my interior lights blinking, and then my clearance lights are on a delay. But somehow between the external lights now having a 12V feed that would run back into the box because of the capaciator delay, and the dome light feed getting back-fed when I had the clearance lights running, the box would get constantly confused and then refuse to work. I guess it thought the doors were open or something... I just unplugged the module back then, but I'm not looking forward to dissecting and extracting the alarm's harness from my car's.



I'm guessing that's the car that had been sitting for years in the parking lot at an R&D firm in Glendale, CA

Don't know how familiar you are with Glendale, but for years there was, I believe, a DeLorean parked over at Bistagne Brothers Body Shop on Chevy Chase & Verdugo.

[ssdelorean]

Not really "weird" but still weird.

One single penny under the driver seat. The date on the penny is the year of my birth.

I guess this D was for me :-)

[Timebender]

I was only familiar enough with it around the Grand Central area to parts of Burbank, as I was working there on Grand Central for about 6 months at a small R&D company. The one mentioned with the alarm key on the exterior had been parked there for nearly 12 or so year, as one of the owners of the company was a good friend of the DeLorean's owner. I came close to getting it for $9k but then most of us were laid off due to a few contracts getting cancelled.

[mr_maxime]

I found a key behind the drivers seat. I really wish I could know what it went to since it isnt a car or house key. I also found an insurance card for a 1960 Corvette. The consignment dealer said that the PO had 3 cars and the delorean was the last one to sell. Now i can see why. I wonder what the other car was.

[Dangermouse]

Not really "weird" but still weird.

One single penny under the driver seat. The date on the penny is the year of my birth.

I guess this D was for me :-)


US or British penny?

[ssdelorean]

US or British penny?

U.S.

[PJ Grady Inc.]

The most bizarre thing I ever found in MY Delorean was.....you guessed it....ME.
The most bizarre thing I've found in customer's Deloreans? Where do I begin?
Rob

[DMCVegas]

The most bizarre thing I ever found in MY Delorean was.....you guessed it....ME.
The most bizarre thing I've found in customer's Deloreans? Where do I begin?
Rob

Let's start with the grossest, and then perhaps most awkward.

http://img.pandawhale.com/142859-peter-griffin-go-on-meme-Imgur-VMLg.jpeg

[PJ Grady Inc.]

Let's start with the grossest, and then perhaps most awkward.

http://img.pandawhale.com/142859-peter-griffin-go-on-meme-Imgur-VMLg.jpeg

Ok well a contender for the grossest was the small army of mouse skeletons deposited near each and near every aperture and under every cover panel on one barn find. The words "Hanta virius" came to mind as we donned masks and gloves before bravely proceeding with the decommissioning of said skeletal army of deceased varmits.

Oh and how about the time in the gogo 80's I came across a hypodermic needle complete with sprayed white residue oozing from various interior pads and surfaces. Need I say more? I think I'll go home and shower now if no one really minds.

Ok I'll leave you with an awkward one since you're so persistent. I had a customer leave me a car which needed extensive roadtesting to diagnoss a problem only to realize after some distance that there was a large pink triangle dangling in front of the windshield....not that there's anything wrong with that! No wonder why guys were chasing after the car on foot whenever I slowed down ...not that there's anything wrong with that! Pulling the sign and locking the doors insured that I got home without a sore posterior on that occassion....not that there's anything wrong with that! In business you have to be so PC.

I really need to go home now but I'll be afraid to fall asleep tonight. You had to go there didn't you!!!!
Rob

[cpistocco]

Ok well a contender for the grossest was the small army of mouse skeletons deposited near each and near every aperture and under every cover panel on one barn find. The words "Hanta virius" came to mind as we donned masks and gloves before bravely proceeding with the decommissioning of said skeletal army of deceased varmits.

Oh and how about the time in the gogo 80's I came across a hypodermic needle complete with sprayed white residue oozing from various interior pads and surfaces. Need I say more? I think I'll go home and shower now if no one really minds.

Ok I'll leave you with an awkward one since you're so persistent. I had a customer leave me a car which needed extensive roadtesting to diagnoss a problem only to realize after some distance that there was a large pink triangle dangling in front of the windshield....not that there's anything wrong with that! No wonder why guys were chasing after the car on foot whenever I slowed down ...not that there's anything wrong with that! Pulling the sign and locking the doors insured that I got home without a sore posterior on that occassion....not that there's anything wrong with that! In business you have to be so PC.

I really need to go home now but I'll be afraid to fall asleep tonight. You had to go there didn't you!!!!
Rob

Have you ever cleaned out the front pontoon areas? It seems like a nice place for mice to nest!!

[Jonathan]

Have you ever cleaned out the front pontoon areas? It seems like a nice place for mice to nest!!

It sounds like Rob was talking about the rear pontoon?

[PJ Grady Inc.]

It sounds like Rob was talking about the rear pontoon?

I wasn't refering to the pontoons but rather the various cavities reached through covers/doors throughout the body.
Rob

[Jonathan]

Yea, sorry, that was me trying to be sarcastic/perverted. No further comment on cavities and covers.

[PJ Grady Inc.]

Yea, sorry, that was me trying to be sarcastic/perverted. No further comment on cavities and covers.

Who'd have thunk!!!! This is a family forum dude! Well....not really. Carry on.
Rob

[Lou and "Boo"]

Yeah, I still have the full intact skeleton of a mouse from the relay and fuse box area. I keep it in a Chinese food container at school to show my students. Weird thing is, the skin of ears never decomposed.

[Rich_NYS]

It sounds like Rob was talking about the rear pontoon?

Hahaha....sicko!

[DMCVegas]

I really need to go home now but I'll be afraid to fall asleep tonight. You had to go there didn't you!!!!
Rob

Damn! I thought it was bad enough when I had that damn spider infestation. I parked the DeLorean outside and sprayed the chassis down with pesticide, but the damn things were already crawling over the garage and creeping into the house. I had to adopt an alley cat to kill them all. Weirdest thing I've ever found in my car (other than spiders and a wasp nest) was old ass Fritos everywhere from when someone took my car on a "Roadtest", which turned out to be going home, running errands, etc. I know this because, "I took my kid through the McDonald's drive through on a long wait, and it never overheated!" was how I was reassured that the car was ready... Though in other DeLoreans I have found screens for a bong, and even a framed polaroid of two women in lingerie hidden under the passenger seat. Yes, framed. I guess it was a PO's souvenir on that one time they had two chicks at once or something...

Honestly about that last one you had, I'd be more worried about getting attacked by some crazy-ass homophobes. Though in honor of "Rob's Fabulous Roadtest Adventure", I'm thinking about sending you this shirt to always honor the occasion.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/img.tagloom.com/m/sh8/id63/5900c84c8403b7fc832eaf32d69ee3e5d4b0aa09.jpg

What size do you wear?

Also...

http://cdn.meme.am/instances/500x/35295780.jpg

I pretty much ALWAYS go there! Though in a tasteful way. I know though, most people don't know who in the hell I am. If I do show up someplace, I'm usually incognito and just blend in. So other than a handful of people, no one's ever really met me face to face to get to know me... Perhaps sometime we can all meet sometime. Especially since my wife wants to go to a DeLorean event to see what it's all about...



Yeah, I still have the full intact skeleton of a mouse from the relay and fuse box area. I keep it in a Chinese food container at school to show my students. Weird thing is, the skin of ears never decomposed.

I gotta ask: Is that to teach biology, or the dangers of eating at shady restaurants?

[Lou and "Boo"]

I gotta ask: Is that to teach biology, or the dangers of eating at shady restaurants?

It's really just the container I had handy. Sorry to disappoint....

[PJ Grady Inc.]

"What size do you wear?"
Large. I'd wear it with........pride! So colorfull!!!!
Reminds me of "the rainbow coalition".
Rob

[mr_maxime]

No skeletons but found a nest behind my grille this weekend
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a353/mr_maxime/Delorean/20151024_135223_zpss9scpdgi.jpg (http://s15.photobucket.com/user/mr_maxime/media/Delorean/20151024_135223_zpss9scpdgi.jpg.html)

[Gregadeth]

While cleaning my carpets a couple of days ago, I found something underneath. A burger receipt from 1986!
5088650887

[Mark D]

While cleaning my carpets a couple of days ago, I found something underneath. A burger receipt from 1986!

Looks like the guy ordered:

Whataburger Jr.: $1.10
Regular French Fry: $.79
Tax: $.13
Total: 2.02