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Thread: Do you really want to Live the Dream?

  1. #1
    Motors about after dark Michael's Avatar
    Join Date:  May 2011

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    Do you really want to Live the Dream?

    In the spring of 2009, a few months after I had purchased my DeLorean, the weekly cruise in started up in a nearby town. The DeLorean was all cleaned up and ready to strut her stuff. My wife and I loaded up and off we went into the beautiful 74 degree sunlit evening. The weather was perfect and just as we entered the downtown area the sun was setting on the horizon casting a perfect lavendar/pink hue in the sky. I have never been one to crave attention, in fact I avoid it when I can, but there is something the draws me to unique and flashy things. I love oddities and outside the box thinking. The thing is that everything I love be it unique guns, flashy clothes, eye catching watches, also are the same things that attract attention...and I was about to find out that goes ten fold for Deloreans.

    We rolled into the crowded downtown area which is closed off for the car show. You have to remember this is a pretty small town, and although a 1967 Camaro or 1958 Impala may garner a few looks, a mint condition DeLorean made this place look like a rave. As we rolled down the main street, people were stopping, pointing, yelling (Flux Capacitor was the first thing that was yelled to me). Since the speed limit was like 5mph, some of the crowd followed me which made things even more congested. I finally found a parking spot and once the picture takers cleared out I pulled in. As soon as I opened the door some weird guy greets me with "MARTY!" I had never in my life been subjected to this kind of attention. It was almost like I was some celebrity and then the questions from 4 or 5 people at once made me feel like a politician at a press conference. After a few minutes I had to get away and just started walking. At around the 15' distance marker, I remembered "Didn't I have a wife?" I looked back and I couldn't even see my car...only the 2 doors above people's heads. I thought to myself, sorry Debbi, you are on your own! Later, I reconnected with Debbi and we looked at cars for awhile, revisited the Delorean during slower periods and socialized a bit (which was hard for me but I came around). As it got late and the show drew to a close, the crowd died down and I thought it was time to call it a night. Even when packing up and there were but a few dozen people left at the entire meet I still had people taking pictures and wanting to see the car. We headed out to a nice place for dinner and back home...exhausted.

    Now that may not seem like a good night to any of you, and to be honest it wasn't for me either. Not that it was a bad night, it was just a bit hectic for my tastes. It would not be until later on that I would realize what a special night that was. I was in my freaking dream car!!!! I rolled into a car show in the car I have wanted to own since I was a kid! The fact is that I have dreamed of that night for decades; Me, a beautiful woman(and my wife to boot), a picture perfect Saturday night in my dream car on a date. It actually was a dream come true, but was it just like the dream?

    No,

    People crowded me and made me a little uncomfortable. I didn't fight off 5 ninjas and impress my date and not once did I flex my bicep and split the stitching on my custom fitted sport coat (which was missing too in real life...I think I was wearing a T Shirt?). I guess what I'm saying is this night was full of real life. So everything not being like the dream made it more real and down to Earth. The fact is that so many complete strangers engaged me in conversation started a process that would eventually bring me out of my shell that I had lived in for so many years. I was finally somewhat social. For years...decades, it was so hard for me to express myself, let alone start up a conversation with a complete stranger. Now look at me, have any of you ever known me to keep my opinions to myself?

    I can honestly say that this car has changed my life. ...and you just can't say that with a Toyota Camry.

    The commercial had it wrong. A DeLorean doesn't allow you to "Live the Dream"....

    It awakens you
    Last edited by Michael; 09-15-2017 at 12:21 AM.

  2. #2
    Not a DeLorean Guru
    Join Date:  May 2011

    Location:  Rochester, NY

    Posts:    2,405

    My VIN:    01049

    I like my car, but it smells like farts. So I'm going to put an LS4 into it.
    -Mike

    My engine twists my frame.

    1981 DeLorean, Carb LS4 swap completed
    1999 Corvette, cam/headers/intake manifold, 400 rwhp
    2005 Elise, stock
    2016 Chevy Cruze

  3. #3
    LS Swapper Josh's Avatar
    Join Date:  Mar 2013

    Location:  Illinois

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    My VIN:    11408

    Club(s):   (DMWC) (TXDMC) (DCUK) (DOI)

    Ownership very well summed up. I can also relate to becoming a bit more extroverted due to owning the car.

    Supercharged 5.3L LS4 + Porsche 6spd
    [email protected]
    lsdelorean.com
    I am not affiliated with Delorean Midwest in anyway.

  4. #4
    Not a DeLorean Guru
    Join Date:  May 2011

    Location:  Rochester, NY

    Posts:    2,405

    My VIN:    01049

    Jokes aside, I have definitely become faaaarrrr more introverted with my car. I love it more than my Corvette or my Lotus, but I only once a week, and I bring gas home.

    I know that it sounds weird, but I actually enjoy the car a lot more now that I enjoy it as privately as possible. I'm sure my LS swap will get me some attention, but I can deal with it in exchange for how powerful the car will be, and how accomplished I'll feel after that project.
    -Mike

    My engine twists my frame.

    1981 DeLorean, Carb LS4 swap completed
    1999 Corvette, cam/headers/intake manifold, 400 rwhp
    2005 Elise, stock
    2016 Chevy Cruze

  5. #5
    Not a DeLorean Guru
    Join Date:  May 2011

    Location:  Rochester, NY

    Posts:    2,405

    My VIN:    01049

    And maybe I'll be able to use that HEY HE LS SWAPPED A DELOREAN attention as a way of breaking out of my inversion. Could actually be good therapy for my social anxiety disorder.

    And along those lines, the biggest thing my DeLorean has done for me has been to bring out my passion for mechanical work. Before I purchased the car, I didn't know how change oil.

    Now, ten years later, I've done a top end rebuild with more power on my DMC, converted it to a VERY well smooth running EFI, adjusted torsion bars confidently. I've redone the body work on a Lotus Elise. I've fixed up a C5 Corvette project car. I've done numerous repairs to various Lotus Esprit cars. I've done a 460 BHP naturally aspirated build of my present Corvette. I've done all sorts of things on other cars like head gaskets, clutches, suspension overhauls, getting running after sitting for years, etc.

    And now I am putting an LS4 V8 that is going to be built to 380-400 BHP into my DMC.

    If I had never decided to buy a DeLorean, I would never even known I had this passion, much less put the work into it to develop my skill so highly.

    That, in turn, has given me an insane drive and confidence that I used in my professional drive to reach the top spot on my team, and to be able prove a very nice living for my family and animals.
    Last edited by opethmike; 09-15-2017 at 12:55 AM.
    -Mike

    My engine twists my frame.

    1981 DeLorean, Carb LS4 swap completed
    1999 Corvette, cam/headers/intake manifold, 400 rwhp
    2005 Elise, stock
    2016 Chevy Cruze

  6. #6
    Nothing witty here lest it offend
    Join Date:  May 2011

    Posts:    990

    A Delorean did not change my life. Charles Atlas changed my life!


    COMICAD%20charles%20atlas%20and%20dance%20floor%20hog.jpg

  7. #7
    Senior Member bfloyd's Avatar
    Join Date:  Nov 2014

    Location:  Lebanon, Tennessee

    Posts:    389

    My VIN:    3294

    I read that last night on Facebook... didn't know that was you. That sums up very well how pulling in to a car show feels sometimes. People see the Fords, Chevy's, Mopar's, the 60's and 70's muscle car era stuff at every single car show, but when you pull in with a Delorean - everything changes.
    Barry Floyd
    Lebanon, Tennessee
    VIN 3294 - Aug. 81

  8. #8
    Stupid Newbie DaraSue's Avatar
    Join Date:  Jul 2016

    Location:  The LC

    Posts:    1,057

    My VIN:    10907

    I'm totally not a people person, but I love it when people come up to me and talk to me about the car (as long as they're not douchebags who wanna try and mansplain JZD's coke bust to me, lol). It always makes me smile when I'm just driving around and people pass me and wave or give me the thumbs-up or yell "right on!" I just have to make sure I only stop for gas when I'm on my way home from work b/c every stop is a one-person car show.

    This car really has changed my life. For about 2 years before I bought it I was literally angry every waking moment, and just the decision to start looking for one gave me something to be happy and excited about again. My mental state hadn't been helped by the fact that for 3 years I'd been suffering from chronic early-wake insomnia. But ever since the last night of my first trip back from Chicago, I've been sleeping well enough to make it through the day without a nap most nights (as opposed to once or twice a month, if that). I'd been overheard saying I'd happily pay $100,000 to cure my insomnia, so it's kind of like I got an insomnia cure at half price and it came with a free DeLorean.

    I've met so many good, positive people through owning it, too, and I've learned so much about this car and cars in general. It genuinely has been a priceless experience.

  9. #9
    Senior Member
    Join Date:  Jun 2011

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    My VIN:    3937

    Quote Originally Posted by bfloyd View Post
    I read that last night on Facebook... didn't know that was you. That sums up very well how pulling in to a car show feels sometimes. People see the Fords, Chevy's, Mopar's, the 60's and 70's muscle car era stuff at every single car show, but when you pull in with a Delorean - everything changes.
    This was one of the reasons I got a dashcam late last season. I wanted to try and capture this kind of reaction by people in order to try and show others what DeLorean ownership is really like. I should really get my dashcam out of the box it went into after I put the car away last winter, lol. I still haven't captured anything like this yet.

    Another way of thinking about the "live the dream" DMC slogan from back in the day came to mind not long ago. And it was sort of The Matrix related more than anything. Like how can you be living a dream? If you're living it, it isn't a dream anymore, it's reality. Although I guess that's what it meant... have a dream and then earn it, achieve it, live it. Like Michael said, we get to drive our dream cars.

    Yet Mike brings up a good point about the cars not helping to turn an introvert into an extrovert, but actually quite the opposite. If that wave of attention gets you overwhelmed, it can be a nightmare more than a dream. Unwanted to say the least. For some, I think the cars can turn you into an introvert just as much as they can do the opposite. If the unending and relentless attention gets to be too much, it can be a pretty big turn off for people and shows and gas stations and, in some ways, getting to enjoy your car.

    Now, a friend of mine has said this to me on more than one occasion and it need not only be applied to DeLoreans, or cars for that matter, but just about anything in life and that is that "when you change the way you see things, the things you see will change." It's the age old advice about perception. And very good advice, but like much good advice is, it's far easier to hear and understand than to actually put into practice and benefit from it.

    My take on our cars is that it matters not how your fellow owners specifically enjoy their cars, but only how you choose to enjoy yours. Again, the cliché advice of doing what makes you happy. I can understand the need to enjoy your car quietly and privately as much as the way you can enjoy it by going to all the shows and being the centre of attention. I've been and done both in the ten years I've had my car. And I think to some degree that this is expected. To change how you enjoy it from time to time, often depending on how other things in your life are going.

    That willingness to change how you enjoy your car as it makes sense to you is the most valuable interpretation of the "do what makes you happy" mantra with regard to DeLoreans. That and not feeling the need to defend your choice or explain it. These cars may all be mostly the same, if not identical, but their owners and how they are enjoyed is anything but identical.
    Last edited by Jonathan; 09-15-2017 at 01:20 PM.


    Sept. 81, auto, black interior

  10. #10
    Motors about after dark Michael's Avatar
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    My VIN:    Your VIN'S mom

    Dash cam you say?


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