VIN 5609 The story of a remanufactured DeLorean

[Michael]

5609 was doomed. There was to be no restoration. The well known Ken Koncelik had acquired 5609 in hopes of restoring her like so many before her, but after seeing the extent of the decay, he decided to part it out. Many in the community chastised him for doing so, even though he had restored several DeLoreans in the past, that didn't matter. Die-hards were up in arms and made their feelings known. But the truth was the truth, there was no hope for 5609, and she would be soon lost.
Here she is circa 2003 during the parting out "death"
http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=21456&d=1377052267
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After the carnage, and all the good parts were scattered across the globe, 5609(what was left of her) began her sunset years. She was to share the same fate like so many before her, to slowly rot away and become lost on a thicket of bushes and weeds....but this was 2003, and a new program was in the works 1,500 miles away. This second chance spawned by DeLorean of Humble was to rebuild, restore, replace, or refinish every single part of the DMC-12. The new venture would take a donar car in any condition and replace every single panel, interior trim, electrical part, nut, bolt, hose, clamp, rubber weatherstrip...whatever it took to make a DeLorean everything it could and should be. The remanufacturing process would include brand new 0 mile NOS engine and transmission, a frame stripped of the epoxy coating and powdercoated in the original factory color, the underbody would have all cracks or damage repaired before being refinished in factory satin black. The flaky shift computer would be replaced with a modern solid state unit, as would be the door lock module, and several other parts that were problematic in the 80's would be replaced with modern day reliable remanufactured replacements. This was to be an ultimate restoration program, and people would pay for it...almost double what a nice condition used DeLorean would sell for. This would be the salvation 5609 needed, and DMCH needed candidates. Around 2005, 5609 was sold to DMCH. There wasn't much left, but that didn't matter. All DMCH really needs is a set of vin plates and a clean title...they can provide the rest, and for the most part that's exactly what happened.

In late 2005, a remanufactured DeLorean was to be commissioned. This car would have all the stops pulled out. It would have the Stage II engine package, Alpine/Genesis sound package which included the Alpine head unit, CD Changer under the bonnet, speakers, and a JL Audio 8" sub behind the driver. To drive all this would be the Genesis Profile 5 amplifier. These components all tuck away out of sight. The amplifier although large, was very thin which allowed it to be placed behind the parcel shelf. Only a small fan opening is visible.

Also desired was the Eibach spring and performance shock package which gives the car the proper aggressive stance. Headlights were upgraded to xenon boosted halogen Cibie headlamps. Machined finished wheels, 140 mph speedometer, and a fitted cover rounded out the optional accessories. This guy knew what he wanted...everything. James Espy described the soon to be owner as a demanding PITA who often sent an employee to check in on the status of his dream machine. Here are a few photos of the car being brought back to life:
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On May 1, 2006, 5609 was finished and on May 9, the new owner took possession of his DeLorean. In the months that followed, he fell onto hard times, and 5609 was put up for sale after logging only 1,700 miles on her. It did not sell until he shipped it with 3 other cars from his collection to a car broker friend of his in Boca Raton Florida, who promptly put it up on ebay.

Enter me. I had been searching off and on for a few years, never too serious at times, and at other times ready to drive home in the first thing I saw. Around December 2008, I got very serious and decided to double my efforts. After lurking for months, I joined DMCTalk.com and began PMing members and pestering the crap out of everyone with a DeLorean for sale. I already drove a 300 mile round trip to drive one car, and was looking hard at a second when I saw 5609 on ebay. Wow! A remanufactured DeLorean maxed out with a Stage II and only 1,700 miles on it? Is this real? After several phone calls, we negotiated a price and I bought it right over the phone. I would send a deposit to him and pay the balance in person. I took a chance, but he had 100% feedback, and I still had the cashier's check and the option of backing out if I didn't like what I saw.

Several members assured me that I would not buy it for what I was going to offer and I was just dreaming. After receiving my deposit check that I overnighted to him, he ended the auction and I made plans to fly down and drive it home pending the inspection. To be honest, I am still surprised I got it, (in other words, I stole it). I think the reason I lucked out like it did was the economy was in trouble. The 07 housing bubble was still hurting a lot of people(and still is), and on the day I picked up my car, the Dow was around 7,500....panic was in the air, the car market was soft, and this was the right time and place for me to be if I was ever going to make this move.


Part II coming soon.

[Domi]

Sounds an interesting car story :)

[Mike C.]

Holy cow! :eek5: Can't wait to read more!

[Jimmyvonviggle]

That's an interesting read, enjoyed it!

[Josh]

This is a great story! I never knew you had a new build.

[Michael]

I hung up the phone. My hands were shaky, my heart was pounding. I have been in some high dollar poker hands before and I hoped my poker face was better than my DeLorean face. "Guess what honey...I bought a DeLorean!" I exclaimed coming out of my office. She wondered if I meant another model or the real thing, but the look on my face answered that question before it was asked. The next few days she planned a flight down for me and my room for the night. D Day was set for Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009, about 10 days away.

10 days later I rose from my hotel bed,... I didn't sleep one wink. I tried to sleep for the long drive in front of me, but it was a hopeless battle between logic and mind against sheer excitement and anticipation. We arranged a meeting point a block or two away from my hotel. As I was walking and on the phone with him, he says he is close. I happened to look up and I saw 5609 in person for the first time. It was a fleeting glimpse from several hundred feet as he exited the freeway, but I knew that was my car. A few minutes later I was in the passenger seat of my dream car being driven to the museum in Boca Raton to sign the paperwork. After inspecting the car and finding no serious surprises(CD changer didn't work, Sub didn't work, things I knew probably did work just needed to be "massaged"), he took me to show me his own car collection.

He was not very familiar with DeLoreans at all, but he did have a nice museum, I got a quick tour of about 70 cars and I would have liked to have stayed longer but I needed to get on the road. I was in Boca Raton and home was almost 1000 miles from me. We parted ways and I was off about 11am. What a shame it was that I was so close to Daytona Beach but didn't go, I was too worried about this unknown car that I had never seen before today. I was about to rely on this car to carry me 1000 miles and over 2 mountains, this car that even when new didn't have the best reputation for reliability. Set course for home...Engage.

The trip home was indeed uneventful. It was a picture perfect day, 70 degrees, sunny, a perfect day for a road trip, and a perfect car for it. After a lunch break, I started reading the mountain of manuals that came with the car. Not just the car itself, but the books for the speakers, sub, amplifier, head unit and CD changer. I fooled around with the stereo and figured out how to turn the sub on, and the audio was all out of whack probably due to a dead battery sometime in the past and nobody knew how to set the speakers up.

I did have one incident. I was unaware of how the bonnet release felt, so at a gas stop I pulled the release handle trying to feel the distinct "pop" of a panel under pressure being released, but the bonnet was already open. I fueled up and a few hundred miles later I repeated this step at the next gas station. Something was different, there was nothing but a dangling handle. At the last stop I pulled too hard and snapped the cable, now I couldn't open the bonnet! I slowly clicked in my little brain that I couldn't put gas in my car! Now that gas flap thing makes sense. Ahhh but I was clever, I purchased a small cheap tool set before the trip for just such an emergency. I would just use the wire snips, cut the cable housing exposing fresh cable, and pop the bonnet with a pair of pliers....now where is that tool kit? "In the trunk" my clever mind remembered.
So off to another parts store for another pair of cutters, then get some gas. An hour later I was fueled up and back on my way.

I crossed into Georgia around sunset and stopped at a rest station. I took this picture, the first pics of my car under my care. You can still see the Texas state inspection sticker in the windshield:

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=21521&d=1377141993
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Another 4 hours of driving and I was still in N. Carolina. It had turned colder now and I was thinking I could be home in 3 hours, but I have one more mountain to cross, did I want to do that in this car that I still wasn't sure of? I decided since I was so very sleepy and tired I would stay the night and be home by lunchtime tomorrow. I updated my thread on DMCTalk.com, took a shower, and went back outside to look at my non-functioning CD changer. 2 minutes later it was fixed, someone had incorrectly loaded a CD tray in the magazine. After a quick once over, I locked the care and went to bed.

late the next morning I arrived home hoping the neighbors were out so they could see this sleek stainless marvel of mine. I rolled into my driveway, honked the horn and in my excitement, somehow locked the door while at the same time opening the latch...and trapping myself in my sleek stainless marvel. "OK, don't let the neighbors come out just yet" I crawled out through the passenger side, fooled around with the lock for a minute and to this day I don't know why that happened, and it has never happened again.

Now the OCD starts. I grew up in squalor. We were very poor, and my parents did not bother with keeping anything in our trailer clean or tidy. It was horrible filth. I was out of that place ASAP. Now I am anal to a fault, I think my childhood home has a lot to do with that. My home stays clean, it stays orderly. I don't even like it when my wife leaves magazines on the table(especially when she leaves them open and folded over, that really bothers me for some reason). I am always organizing things and if things get too cluttered(I hate clutter), I go into "clean mode" and trash everything that I can't find a home for. My wife hates this as I toss out a lot of stuff she wanted to keep like coupons, magazines, or boxes.

I had to wash this car right away, even though it would just be a quick wash, I needed to knock the dirt off. My wife came out and shot this:


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I of course didn't stop with just a wash. I had already taken the day off so what else was I to do? I gave it a light detail and familiarized myself with the car. I read the owners' manual, checked the tires, oil, trans fluid, etc. to make sure nothing had leaked out from the trip. That night, I cleaned myself up and went for a quick drive in familiar territory and introduced 5609 to her new stomping grounds. It was a nice cool night, I was refreshed and I was calm now that my car had made it home. I could trust her now and I could relax and finally truly enjoy driving my dream car. I stopped and took a few more pictures. This remains one of my favorite pictures of my car, not because of the aesthetics, it's deeper than that.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=21526&d=1377142009


Part III, the journey to take my car from nice to flawless.

[Dragon84]

Great story. Its like watching A Christmas Story the movie. I bet you can still remember the smell of that night!

[Tillsy]

Ahhh but I was clever, I purchased a small cheap tool set before the trip for just such an emergency. I would just use the wire snips, cut the cable housing exposing fresh cable, and pop the bonnet with a pair of pliers....now where is that tool kit? "In the trunk" my clever mind remembered.

LOL!!! :hysterical:

[Mike C.]

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=21521&d=1377141993



http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=21526&d=1377142009




I absolutely love these two pics of your car. The second one I copied reminds me of my car because I loved taking night shots of it.

[Michael]

I absolutely love these two pics of your car. The second one I copied reminds me of my car because I loved taking night shots of it.

Thanks all. Night shots are nice with good lighting because they really enhance the stainless panels. Personally I like dusk settings. There was one member who shot his car in a parking garage, those looked very nice.

I am enjoying writing it as it is bringing back all the memories. Do you notice a small..very small difference in the two pictures of me washing the car and the night shot? They were taken only hours apart but there is one small little thing that is different about the car. In the anticipation of my new DeLorean, I ordered some things and had them waiting at home for me. I had all the maintainence items needed such as oil filters, plugs, fuel and air filter, and one item that I noticed missing from the eBay ad, but I liked the look. Answer below:













The DeLorean hood badge was missing. I really liked the way it finishes out that area of the car, so on the very first day home, she got her crown back. Just a little present to let 5609 know she was now in very good hands.

[andy blackmon]

Great story, great pictures, you may have a future in writing.

[Michael]

It's been well over 4 years since that day. 5609 is still in my care and it is no doubt in the nicest condition it has ever been in. During my ownership period I have nit picked and labored away on 5609 to make it into the absolute best DeLorean I could. Some repairs/improvements took days or even weeks. Some took a few minutes, but no matter how small, they were all important.

You may be wondering what could anyone do to a remanufactured car? Isn't this supposed to be perfect? The answer is yes...to most people. Not to someone who regularly waxes his frame, or polishes the water pump shaft, or uses a small wire brush to keep all the bolts nice and shiny. There was just something "off" about this car. I couldn't put my finger on it, but now in hindsight, I think it was not just one thing but a bunch of very small things that never really registered until I started getting anal. It's like someone who is not into cars can look at two identical cars, one nice, and one professionally detailed and they can tell a difference, even if they don't know what that is. The truly detailed car doesn't have dressing caked all over the interior and rubber bits. It has been pampered to make every part look new, and new does not always mean shiny.

First, let me make one thing clear...this car is not something I idolize. It's a car, a bunch of parts built by other men, nothing more. It doesn't have a "soul" and I have no emotional attachment to it. If someone offered me 50k to sell it to them for their museum, and his friend offered me 51k to part it out....it's parts brother, (well maybe not, but you get my point).

I don't think it's healthy to idolize any material thing, so I try not to make it "important" or put it in front of something that is important. Spending time on it polishing things unseen may sound like an obsession, but it's actually a release. Whenever I am restless, bored, or have cabin fever in the winter months, I can always go out to the garage and find something to do on her. It's relaxing, and rewarding. In short, it's not work, it's therapy. It's not my only release, I build scale models, I create artwork, both 2D and 3D, even illuminated artwork. To summarize, I try to keep this owning this car in perspective.

So what on earth did I find wrong with the DMCH reman car? First things first. I wasn't their buyer, so the previous owner may have done a few things that I could blame on DMCH, but hesitate to do so. For instance the graining was all screwed up, especially around the A and C pillars, but more on this later on. Upon my very close home inspection, I wasn't crazy about the liberal use of black silicone in the underbody door cavities. Everywhere there was a rivet, a glob of black silicone was on top. If this was there for water reasons, I didn't need it as this car would only see a gentle spray of water when she got washed. I cleaned out all the old silicone from around the door recesses and now it's spotless. I will not bore you with all the "fixes" but you get the idea. It's just that the entire car felt "rushed" for lack of a better word. Like it was being built on a reality TV show and had to be done by Tuesday for the reveal. Just little things like labels not straight, caulk around intake vents applied haphazardly in the back, more silicone on the door sill plates, small things that for 50k, should have been done to a higher level. Then again, I get the feeling it was indeed being rushed after hearing how the buyer was. Once when doing a detailing I was up in the left fender and saw this written on the inside. Is this the very first documented DMCH cave painting? It's still up for interpretation as to what this says "F%^K this ONE or this DMC, but I get the idea the original buyer who commissioned this car was not easy to please.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=8418&d=1329070587

　

Another quality issue I had was the taillight boards were flaky, sometimes they worked, sometimes one didn't work, other times I had no brake lights at all. This car was not even 3 years old and the boards were crapping out? I get it, they are 30 year old NOS, but still, it's 50k and brake lights are something you really really need. PJ Grady to the rescue with their custom made boards. This is one of those investments that needs to be on every DeLorean out there. ..including the rebuilt ones. They are that good.

The P.O., not to be outdone had his share too. Such as ratcheting up the torsion bar tension to fix a weak strut(which gives support to my theory that he didn't know what he was doing...that and Germans love David Hasselhoff) The car had very slight eyebrows which meant it probably sat outside some, but this got corrected by me as well. I also removed a trickle charger from UNDER the car. He had bolted it to the BOTTOM of the underbody and ran the leads to the battery, and left a short cord dangling under the car. Definitely starting to smell like a older gentleman had this car....I'm just glad I got to it before he put the mandatory "calculator in the steering wheel mod" most older people seem to love.

Apparently, the original owner thought he knew how to blend. He did have a knack for following the body lines to a tee, no matter what direction the grain was going. He really messed up the A and C pillars because he followed the lines of the car and not the grain. I taught myself how to grain and it's not hard. I think anyone could grain a DeLorean with just a bit of direction and practice. It's been 4 years, and every time I wash my car, I still make it a point to find some flaw somewhere in the grain and fix it. It is my never ending quest for a perfectly grained DeLorean.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=8627&d=1330209704

Now I spent time on those little things that nobody notices, but I also spent time on custom mods. When I hear the word "custom" applied to a car for sale, my mind starts conjuring images of neon green double wiper blades, anodized cup holders with cig. lighter plug in lights, and spinner hubcaps. That's why every single one of my mods is 100% reversible, and reversible quickly. Remember, this car is far from stock, so I'm not going to sweat having a "non-concours" mod or two when there is already Alpine head unit and an 8" sub in full view.

My interior mods started out with the LED light kit for the door markers, console panel and interior lights. I added the shifter emblem, the stainless door sill letters, and the hood badge on the passenger knee board. Nothing over the top here, just done to taste. Earlier this year my window switches became more and more dirty. I could clean them, but the emblems were wearing off too so I opted for the illuminated switches. Like I mentioned earlier, there is no sense going crazy to keep it stock, the Alpine/JL sub/Genesis amp pretty much soiled that look, so no harm in taking some liberties with the interior.
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The engine bay went through a metamorphosis. First it was a stock configuration stage II, nothing special. I detailed it of course, but after a year or two, I decided to spice it up a bit with the stainless air cleaner that I bought cheap in rough form and re grained myself. I cut finishing plates for the intake, and did a few other custom bits to arrive at this:
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In another 2 years I decided to punch it up a bit for the night life cruise in's of Fall, so I arrived at this...bear in mind it's totally reversible in about 10 minutes back to the stock look. No extra holes drilled, etc.

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The exterior however, I didn't touch. The only thing I did was replace the missing "DeLorean" hood emblem. I really liked the look the badges gave the later build cars....like it just belongs there.

Before I even had 5609 in my possession, I had placed an order for a LED light package, the DeLorean hood emblem, and a 30k parts pack. I wanted it to be there and ready to go when I got back. It's first day home, I affixed the hood badge in it's proper location. It was like a little crown on her head that had long since been missing.

Although I like what some have done with body kits and color coding the black spoiler to the fascia color, aftermarket wheels, lamp covers and such, I decided to keep it in stock form for one reason. A DeLorean doesn't need any help to look awesome. To do so seems like it pulls it out of it's comfort zone into some mirror universe. If this were 1987, a DeLorean would look very nice with fog lights, aftermarket wheels and a body kit, but not it's no longer the hip young kid. Today a DeLorean is mature, suave, and completely comfortable with the body Giugiaro gave it. A DeLorean is like the Dos Equis guy. Now imagine the Dos Equis guy trying to pull off a backwards ball cap, tank top, shades and sandals. He doesn't need to "fit in" with the youngsters because he is just so much above that. Save the t-shirts and flip flops for the drunk Spring breakers, and the body kits for riced out Civics. After saying that, I did dabble in making a set of headlight covers for my car, the catch is that headlight covers are 80's, so no harm, no foul. I ran them for one year and took them back off for reasons mentioned above...Awesome needs no help.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=5676&d=1317520711

More fascinating edge of your seat stories about steering rack replacements, strut bars, and stainless label kits to come!

[Michael]

Over the years of owning my car it has went from what I would consider a very nice DeLorean to an exceptional DeLorean. So what does "Exceptional" mean? As far as I'm concerned, it's not original, and certainly not Concours. I have said it time and time again, I wouldn't trust even a concours original car to the quicky mart and back. A original DeLorean was plagued with quirks and problems that would easily leave you by the side of the road...and that was when they were BRAND NEW! I think "Exceptional" probably relates to the owner's intended purpose. If he wants a museum piece to never drive, then maybe 100% original is the way to go, but for me, it's different.

People derive pleasure from these cars in different ways. Some drive, some like to put them on a pedestal and rub on them, some modify, some just drive on rare occasions....as long as they are enjoying the ownership experience, who are we to say what's the right way or the wrong way. The point is to enjoy it and as long as that criteria is being met, then the car is doing its job, no matter how much or little its getting driven. I have driven my car almost 20k miles in the past 4.5 years, so that's around 4,500 miles a year on average. I would say I drive mine more than most...and as much(if not more than) some people who claim to use theirs as a daily driver. I never get it out on anything other than a sunny day, why? because I spend a lot of time and energy keeping the chassis clean, so it would not bring me much joy to drive it in the rain. In fact, no matter what car I happen to be in, it's just not fun to go for a Sunday drive in a downpour and try to enjoy the scenery.

So with that said, in my world exceptional is defined as a immaculately clean car where originality takes a back seat to reliability and cannon steps aside for personal preference. I have turned my car into me...a little outside the box, but one foot still in.

I think my first repair was installing an alternator, pretty easy. I have also over the years replaced my steering rack, fuel pump, one ball joint, replaced rear shocks, ad a few other odds and ends. Probably more than I would have done if I bought a brand new car, but certainly not out of the question for a Delorean....even remanufactured cars need a little love over the years. I did notice the weep hole on the waterpump staying moist last Fall, so I had it replaced early this year...no sense in putting off a waterpump until it starts leaking, they never get better. Other than "nipping the water pump in the bud" the car has been problem free for the last year or two.

Most of my time spent on my car is either cleaning and detailing or doing small cosmetic mods. One thing about doing these things to your car...You do sooner or later get finished. Some people know when that time comes, some don't. They enjoy it so much they keep doing little things to their car until it's just over the top.

Of all the small fixes and improvements I have done to my car, one that I have noticed gets overlooked a lot is the AC panel illumination bleed. At night, the light leaks out from the sides of the AC panel and it just looks cheap, like it hasn't been put back together correctly. One day I removed my Panel and carefully masked the front and back so I could paint the sides black. After, I cut some strips of black self adhesive felt which really tidies that area up, and keeps the light where it's supposed to be....this is one of those "little" things that I think the DMCH remanufacturing process should have addressed. I also replaced all my instrument bulbs in there with LED's. The heat that the AC panel is subjected to from the factory bulbs is why so many panels have cracked and worn decals. I decided to spice mine up a bit by using red and blue along with the factory white bulbs...it breaks up the panel a bit.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=21700&d=1377985409


I think the most rewarding modification is without a doubt the door launchers. I bought the kit months before but was so intimidated by it, I put it off. One day we got a forecast for 6 solid days of rain so I decided to tackle this project. Installation though involved, was straightforward. One or two hiccups but for the most part easy. It took me about 7 hours from start to finish....ask me to do it again and it will take me 3 hours. The stainless label kit is quite unique. I saw this on Tamir's site and passed it up, it's 200 bucks and after all, they are labels. Something kept them in the back of my mind however, I wanted them. They were expensive, but they were unique, and 5609 deserved it. They give it such a distinctive look, and they do cover everything. Even the labels on the bottom of the fan shroud are included.

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The bonnet lid is one of those things that really bugged me....it never lined up with the fender. It looked like it was unlatched at certain angles. I realized that it was the factory trunk seal that was causing the problem. Not only was it too thick, it was a straight run of wide weather seal. It was not molded in the shape with the curves needed. It was just cut in the sides to make it bend around the corners ad haphazardly glued into place with even more of my old friend, black silicone. I used a very nice flexible weather strip with 3m adhesive on the back. This worked like a charm. The bonnet now aligns perfectly with the fenders. It's watertight and it looks so much better and cleaner than the factory seal.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=21696&d=1377985409

Sometime ago when on Talk, a member posted that he had one left and it was for sale...I was immediately intrigued. It was a strut tower reinforcement bar. DMCMW sold these for awhile and I think they still do. Anyway, he was offering it at a discount and I thought why not? I didn't know what to expect if anything but let me tell you, this thing made a huge difference in the way this car took the curves. It was a dramatic difference that really made me think this was money well spent. The roads around here are very curvy and tight in places so I appreciate this strut bar every time I take 5609 out for some spirited driving. The downside is that you do indeed have to remove the bar if you ever do need access to the spare, that and you must cut holes in the factory trunk carpet and backer board to mount it. The bolts that hold the bar in place are the same size as the lugs, so no extra wrenches needed to get to the spare tire.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=21704&d=1377986304

I'm sure there are a few things I forgot about doing over the years, but 5609 is now exactly the way I want it. It needs nothing, cosmetically or mechanically. All I do now is continue to enjoy polishing, driving, and showing it. I know it's just a car, but it's special to me. Matt Farah said it best
The moment I first saw one was the second I learned a car can be more than just a mode of transportation. I myself first saw one while sneaking a look into my dad's Playboy mags. I saw the Craig stereo ad and was just mesmerized. This was how a car was supposed to look! Someone somewhere had figured it out and had designed this beautiful shape just for me. Of all the pages in a Playboy, this was the page I carefully ripped out of the magazine and kept.

http://www.entermyworld.com/cat/prop/advertisements/craigad1x1.jpg

I would have never thought that some 30 years later there would be one of these cars parked in my garage....I would have never thought that I would have a garage to park anything in. As I touched on before, I lived and grew up in a very small and dirty/filthy/disgusting trailer. I'm not about to try and make myself out to be poor, we did have a place to sleep, food every night, air con and heat...you would be surprised how many people in the world still live on dirt floors. What I didn't have much of was hope. I felt I was destined to never really have the "American Dream". I can remember just 15 years or so ago I would drive by small modest houses thinking how nice it would be to live here or there. When I finally bought my home it was definitely a dream come true. A home is more than just a material possession, it's a place to build and live your life and I feel so fortunate and blessed to be here. A DeLorean however, for lack of a better word is a little more selfish. It is a material thing but there is something about this car that transcends the material world. It represents so much. Not only does it represent the risk, passion, and the drive brought forth to create this beautiful piece of history, but it embodies my own dream, that one thing that I always wanted just for me but deep down knowing I would never get. Not very many people get their dream car, there is always something more important,...Wife needs a new car, kids college fund, home repairs, medical costs, etc. The "dream" always gets moved back and for many, will always be a dream. I am humbled to own one of these machines, sure it's not a $250,000 Ferrari, but cost doesn't matter, it's my dream, and it's realized.

The DeLorean is not a car for everyone. Most car enthusiasts look at raw performance data, they look at ¼ mile times and horsepower numbers. Delorean enthusiasts go a bit deeper. It’s not just about performance. It's not just about looks or history, or even passion. For me, this car is so much more. It has made me more outgoing and sociable with strangers. It's the first car that has given me a sense of accomplishment, and it touches me on a deeper level than any other car has or probably ever will. Just like baby boomers are drawn muscle cars because they grew up with them, I grew up with cars of the 80's, and the car that embodies 80's like no other was the Delorean. I said just a few days ago on this very blog that a Delorean was "a bunch of parts built by other men, nothing more. It doesn't have a "soul" and I have no emotional attachment to it"


...... I was wrong

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=19261&d=1369605843

[Dangermouse]

Michael, I well recall your excitement in the thread on .com on that trip down to Florida to inspect and drive back the car. The hour by hour updates. The 4am postings when you couldn't sleep because of excitement. The gas station stops on the way back ;)

At the time I wondered if this Talonlover guy was just a young drift car fan and would soon get bored with a D but you have kept with it and you are the only person I "know" who waxes their frame for entertainment :). Or waxes their frame, full stop.

[JohnZ]

That's definitely moving, Michael!

:) :)

[Michael]

Michael, I well recall your excitement in the thread on .com on that trip down to Florida to inspect and drive back the car. The hour by hour updates. The 4am postings when you couldn't sleep because of excitement. The gas station stops on the way back ;)

At the time I wondered if this Talonlover guy was just a young drift car fan and would soon get bored with a D but you have kept with it and you are the only person I "know" who waxes their frame for entertainment :). Or waxes their frame, full stop.

Thanks Dermont


LOL, I was never a drift guy or a "Ricer" My rice would regularly lay waste to most domestic V-8's(even an occasional C-5) It took me almost 2 years to build it but it walked the walk and talked the talk...Nearly 300HP and 300Lbs Tq. in a little Talon TSI 2WD.
21747

[Ron]

Beautiful work -- Great story, Michael!
:rock_on:

[toyotafreak88]

hi, I couldn't read all of this in the time that I have right now but I enjoyed reading what I could. I wish I could see the pictures, I don't think they're available anymore. Props for a nice writeup!

[Michael]

hi, I couldn't read all of this in the time that I have right now but I enjoyed reading what I could. I wish I could see the pictures, I don't think they're available anymore. Props for a nice writeup!

Thank you. Since my retirement from this forum I have taken up residence on the other Delorean forums. The story can be read in it's entirety here with all pictures as well as up to date mods and in depth details not discussed in this "first draft"

http://dmctoday.com/entry.php?19-5609-The-Story-of-a-Remanufactured-DeLorean-Part-1-of-5

[aotmfilms]

I would have never thought that some 30 years later there would be one of these cars parked in my garage....I would have never thought that I would have a garage to park anything in. As I touched on before, I lived and grew up in a very small and dirty/filthy/disgusting trailer. I'm not about to try and make myself out to be poor, we did have a place to sleep, food every night, air con and heat...you would be surprised how many people in the world still live on dirt floors. What I didn't have much of was hope. I felt I was destined to never really have the "American Dream". I can remember just 15 years or so ago I would drive by small modest houses thinking how nice it would be to live here or there. When I finally bought my home it was definitely a dream come true. A home is more than just a material possession, it's a place to build and live your life and I feel so fortunate and blessed to be here. A DeLorean however, for lack of a better word is a little more selfish. It is a material thing but there is something about this car that transcends the material world. It represents so much. Not only does it represent the risk, passion, and the drive brought forth to create this beautiful piece of history, but it embodies my own dream, that one thing that I always wanted just for me but deep down knowing I would never get. Not very many people get their dream car, there is always something more important,...Wife needs a new car, kids college fund, home repairs, medical costs, etc. The "dream" always gets moved back and for many, will always be a dream. I am humbled to own one of these machines, sure it's not a $250,000 Ferrari, but cost doesn't matter, it's my dream, and it's realized.

The DeLorean is not a car for everyone. Most car enthusiasts look at raw performance data, they look at ¼ mile times and horsepower numbers. Delorean enthusiasts go a bit deeper. It’s not just about performance. It's not just about looks or history, or even passion. For me, this car is so much more. It has made me more outgoing and sociable with strangers. It's the first car that has given me a sense of accomplishment, and it touches me on a deeper level than any other car has or probably ever will. Just like baby boomers are drawn muscle cars because they grew up with them, I grew up with cars of the 80's, and the car that embodies 80's like no other was the Delorean. I said just a few days ago on this very blog that a Delorean was "a bunch of parts built by other men, nothing more. It doesn't have a "soul" and I have no emotional attachment to it"


...... I was wrong

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=19261&d=1369605843

<clap> <clap> well said. I feel the same exact way. My family wasn't "rich" as well. I grew up in a centerblock 2 bedroom home (later converted to 3 bedroom), in Ferndale MI. Thank you for sharing your story. In a couple of weeks to a month I will have my own story to tell.:thumbup:

[Timeless]

Fantastic story. Hearing about cars like this make 5609 THE type of car I want to be lucky enough to find and purchase.