That is a nice accurate summary of ownership, and elegantly told. Nice work Michael! I enjoyed the subsequent stories shared as well.
As for me, I came into ownership by looking for a sports car to restore and then to show/ enjoy. I started my journey by taking a mental short list of my favorite cars from decades past, and then doing a logical assessment of parts availability and cost, the relative difficulty of restoration, and the target car's desirability.
Only after going through this investigative process did I realize that owning a DeLorean is a realistic possibility. I already knew that they were a rare exotic, and an orphan. But I thought those factors would also make it either impossible or very difficult to actually own and restore. I didn't realize that you can still get parts, and from more than one vendor!
So, I selected the DeLorean, and became excited to acquire one. I read about some of the flaws and made addressing them part of my restoration goal of "Mostly correct, but with flaws addressed".
Flashback to 1985: I went to and loved the BTTF movies and, in fact, the first one is what introduced me to the car. When it rolled out of the back of that truck, I thought "Wow, what kind of car is THAT!!" It actually gave me goosebumps. Of course I had my question answered a few seconds later. I didn't eventually lust after a Time Machine conversion, but the real car entered my universe as a rare exotic.
Almost 30 years later, when got mine, I started to understand the effect this car has on people from all ages and backgrounds. It started when my car rolled out of the back of the delivery transport truck in my neighborhood, when the first car passing by stopped in the middle of the intersection and 4 people got out, very excited/shocked to see the car. One of them reverently exclaimed "Oh my God, it's actually a DELOREAN!!" It continued as I worked on the car in my garage. I met some of my neighbors for the first time because they were walking by and were jolted out of their routine, drawn towards the car and to stop and ask questions and converse.
It continues EVERY time I open the garage or drive the car. As much as we think it forces us to be more social, (and it definitely does), it also draws the admirers to strike up a conversation with a total stranger (us) to ask their questions and offer their comments. Sure, it is easy for some, but my 30 years of people leadership tell me that for some, it isn't easy. I think perhaps thats where some of the awkward comments come from. I'm not an extrovert, but I take ample time to talk with these awestruck admirers.
When I was a kid, the C4 Corvette and the Porsche dominated my bedroom walls. With hard work and good decisions, I was eventually able to buy the C4, a Porsche, and then the C5. But I also eventually sold them. As exciting as they were to dream about and own, the passion diminished and it just became an old car, especially in the case of the Corvette, when the C6 and then C7 came out. For me, the passion didn't transfer to the next generation.
The DeLorean is different. It is a classic, it is rare, it is an exotic, it is a celebrity, and it IS a time machine in that it takes me back to my favorite decade... cassettes and all. I didn't count on all this when I went through my logical checklist of cars to restore. But it guided me to my dream car.
So, in that sense, yes, I'm happily living the dream.
Originally Posted by opethmike
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