BTTF Time Machine Build Questions - Ask Me Anything

[Mark D]

By now some of you know that I worked on the restoration of the screen used A-car time machine from the Back to the Future trilogy.

I've had several people send me PM's with build related questions... what a part number is, where a part can be found to purchase online, dimensions of a certain part, etc.

I figured a Q&A thread would be the easiest way to answer.


Some general guidelines I will follow:

If the information you are seeking has been previously posted on a public forum/website, is common knowledge, or is otherwise already "out there" I will gladly share, and can usually point you to additional sources of information.

If the information you are seeking is confidential to the restoration I'll be able to share less but I can still probably point you in the right direction. Much of the info about the restoration is not mine to share, so I can't/won't be able to post certain things.

If you ask a specific question I'll try to be equally as specific with my answer.

I'm not looking to get into any discussions about replica builders, who's more accurate at replicating a part, who's parts are right or wrong, etc. At this point I really have no comment on any of that. I'd like to keep this thread as simple as possible and help people who are building their own car or are simply curious about how something was done.

[Mark D]

First question I received via PM:

Do you have any idea exactly what the dimensions are on the TCD ?

The time circuit display is made up of three aluminum enclosures, still available to purchase from LMB Heeger, Crown Royal Series part number CR852. You can order them here: http://www.lmbheeger.com/products.asp?catid=7

The screen used boxes were the blue and gray version, painted with hammer finish silver paint. Alternatively, the bare aluminum boxes can also be used since they get painted anyway.

The three enclosures fit inside a fabricated from scratch metal case welded together from 1/8" thick 6061 aluminum sheet. The dimensions of the front of the TCD case are dictated by width and height of the three enclosures. The rest of the case dimensions are dictated by the size of the DeLorean center console.

[Mark D]

What was used for the Wormhole emitter?
I know a pioneer speaker grill was on the front of it.
But what exactly was the main part of it?

The main body of the wormhole emitter is one of very few parts that has not be positively identified. No one has ever found one "in the wild" at a surplus yard or parts supply house. Most people build these from scratch using reference photos to get the scale correct, or use castings of the real parts from the A/B car.





A few basic dims of the casting from the USH Ohrberg replica.





The pioneer speaker grille was first discovered by members of the time machine restoration team. More information about that can be found on the TMR facebook page. Parts show up on ebay all the time but prices have gone up since the info was released.

The base of the WHE is fabricated from scratch and welded together from 1/8" aluminum sheet and aluminum box channel.

[Timebender]

Regarding the worm hole emitter, has anyone asked Kevin Pike directly where he may have found it? I know VB did a "parts safari" video where he met Kevin and they went to the surplus store to find most of the original screen used stuff.

Btw, great thread. As a replica prop builder (I have an R2), this is something that I'm interested in doing someday on my own as well.

[ccurzio]

Why in the world would anything be "confidential?"

[mr2nut123]

Nice one for sharing Mark! :-)

[Josh]

Why in the world would anything be "confidential?"

My understanding is to keep information from the for profit replica builders, when a hobbyist spent alot of time and research finding the part.

[Mark D]

Regarding the worm hole emitter, has anyone asked Kevin Pike directly where he may have found it? I know VB did a "parts safari" video where he met Kevin and they went to the surplus store to find most of the original screen used stuff.

Btw, great thread. As a replica prop builder (I have an R2), this is something that I'm interested in doing someday on my own as well.

Kevin Pike was asked probably a decade ago and he thought the WHE might be an aircraft engine ignitor, but that theory was disproved. Kevin was not always directly involved with actually sourcing the parts on the car...often times it was his guys from the shop that were out digging for parts that matched that conceptual design drawings.

The "parts safari" video was shot at APEX electronics, a well known source for a lot of the original parts. It has been pretty much picked over at this point, but I'm sure there are still a few random parts there that would be accurate matches to the screen used cars. Over the many years of hunting through APEX "sister" parts were discovered that literally came from the same cardboard box as the parts used on the screen used car. Most of that stuff is all gone at this point. Inventory gets turned over and recycled at APEX on a regular basis as well, and a cast aluminum part such as the wormhole emitter would have been a good candidate for recycling and melting down for scrap.

A few of the parts on the time machine have also been confirmed as low production or prototype parts from military applications. In the 60's if some prototype vehicle contract was cancelled by the government the supplier of these prototype parts would scrap out any inventory on hand. A lot of that that stuff made it to APEX and then 25 years later Pike's guys picked up the only 3 ever made. Now tack on another 30 years after that it's basically impossible to find more, or even details about what the part was.

[aotmfilms]

Kevin Pike was asked probably a decade ago and he thought the WHE might be an aircraft engine ignitor, but that theory was disproved. Kevin was not always directly involved with actually sourcing the parts on the car...often times it was his guys from the shop that were out digging for parts that matched that conceptual design drawings.

The "parts safari" video was shot at APEX electronics, a well known source for a lot of the original parts. It has been pretty much picked over at this point, but I'm sure there are still a few random parts there that would be accurate matches to the screen used cars. Over the many years of hunting through APEX "sister" parts were discovered that literally came from the same cardboard box as the parts used on the screen used car. Most of that stuff is all gone at this point. Inventory gets turned over and recycled at APEX on a regular basis as well, and a cast aluminum part such as the wormhole emitter would have been a good candidate for recycling and melting down for scrap.

A few of the parts on the time machine have also been confirmed as low production or prototype parts from military applications. In the 60's if some prototype vehicle contract was cancelled by the government the supplier of these prototype parts would scrap out any inventory on hand. A lot of that that stuff made it to APEX and then 25 years later Pike's guys picked up the only 3 ever made. Now tack on another 30 years after that it's basically impossible to find more, or even details about what the part was.

That's why having access to any and all DRMO's (Defense Reutilization Managment Office) is kindof critical. I have access to some of those places as a Retiree. https://www.sales.dla.mil./dlab2b/init.do This website is for the general public. Also being in 3D design and from Detroit, If I can get a picture of it, I can find a vendor that will do it (my Uncle supplies all types of Metals to the Big 3). So some of those hard to find parts are not hard to find, just need a picture, estimated measurements and some persistance.

I hope the site helps you find what you need. Create an account. Search for what is out there that you could need and then bid on it. Sort of like eBay but only Military-style.

[Bob635]

I have been to APEX and the two other surplus stores where many of the original BTTF parts were sourced. I also have copies of the numerous original invoices for many of the original sourced parts.

Realistically, non of these parts are available at any of these sources any more. They were surplus items that existed in the 1980s and are long gone. (Even in the "expensive item trailer" - that is restricted access.).

I think it is great that people are reproducing these parts.

However, I have a problem with people claiming their cars are "screen accurate." ALL THREE ORIGINAL BTTF CARS WERE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER.

The "perfect" parts and cars you find today and also NOT reflective of a custom built Time Machine - made by a mad scientist in his garage. His car would simply not look that good!

The fact that Terry and Olivers car looks "beat up" because of the 100,000 miles they have driven-makes it the closest looking to a "mad scientist-garage built time machine."

Bob