Auction for VIN 973 - Wichita KS - Monday 3/4/2019 6PM CST

[delorun45230]

Naysayers are not proven wrong. If you call someone that spends the total value of the car in parts and put his labor at a cost of free proven right, well then you have a point. Any car is restorable. Take a look at mine before DMCH transformed it into a flawless refurb:
Attachment 59379

DMCH and similar vendors could make a nice profit off an otherwise parts car for obvious reasons, but for the average joe it's near impossible to come out ahead (financially anyway) even valuing their labor at free. You can rationalize it all day long such as you want the experience or the satisfaction of restoring the car yourself and there is nothing wrong with that but strictly from a dollars and cents perspective, in almost all cases the "naysayers" are right on the money.

Well, to be fair, that isn't actually a before pic of your car. When DMCH contacted me about purchasing it, the only thing they wanted was the 5609 VIN plates. The tub ended up being sold to Bauerle, as I recall, and getting cut up to be used to repair cars that had section damage.

Josh
VIN 5102

[Michael]

Well, to be fair, that isn't actually a before pic of your car. When DMCH contacted me about purchasing it, the only thing they wanted was the 5609 VIN plates. The tub ended up being sold to Bauerle, as I recall, and getting cut up to be used to repair cars that had section damage.

Josh
VIN 5102

So my car was built from the vin plate up!

[delorun45230]

So my car was built from the vin plate up!

Ha! Yes, exactly!

[Michael]

In light on new information my previous post should now read.
"Any car is restorable. Take a look at my car before DMCH transformed it into a flawless refurb"
05609.jpg

[Marek]

Hi, I know some answers to your questions since this car is sitting in my garage now. And I'm also interested in history of this car if anyone could tell me...
The car is being refurbished at the moment. I'm going to bring to its original state as close as possible.

[82DMC12]

Hi, I know some answers to your questions since this car is sitting in my garage now. And I'm also interested in history of this car if anyone could tell me...
The car is being refurbished at the moment. I'm going to bring to its original state as close as possible.

Wow, from Wichita, Kansas to the Czech Republic? Amazing.

[Marek]

Yes. Via Hutchinson, KS spending 10 months at some reseller there. Then I found her on eBay. I couldn’t have left her there. But this was bit risky lottery since the seller seemed to have no idea about DeLorean cars and didn’t want to share much info related to the car condition and history. The car is better than it looked like...but still BIG project.

[Marek]

Here are some pics :-)

[TIMETRK-KS]

Congratulations Marek! What a trip around the world to be restored. I had been watching this car for years but did not have the time or funds for a rebuild myself. Glad you will bring it back to its former (and future) glory. I did not have any history on it besides it being held up in probate estate for many years. Sad it kept getting sun baked in the Kansas heat.

You may be interested to know that the car I believe shipped in on the first transport of cars to the US "Continental Highway" shipment on Easter Sunday 1981. It then traveled on the same transport as my previously owned VIN 961 to dealerships in Texas. The interesting story is that 961 and 973 then split up and waited to be purchased at related dealerships, one owned by the family's father and then the other was the son. Bob Bruner Chevrolet, Hillsboro TX and Dwain Bruner Chevrolet, Stephenville TX. If I can dig up my notes I will send them to you.

Best of luck on the rebuild and glad it is in great hands now!

[Marek]

Dear Matt,
Im happy to hear from an owner of a "sister" car. I knew my car was a part of the very first shipment to the US, but this was everything I found about its history. I found out something about the former owner of the car who passed away in 2010 (being ill from 2004) which corresponds to some hints found in the car (NOS parts never mounted from 2004). The owners wife passed away in 2016 which fits your story about sitting this car for more than 3 years at McCurdy auction. The car has perfect chassis frame, the mileage seems to match to and the car is almost complete. It seems to me the car was well kept when it was used in the past. The sun damage to the interior is not the biggest issue. The fuel system was heavily and typically contaminated and someone started fixing it but then recognized this was to big challenge for him and let the engine disassembled (almost every screw is loos). And finally the car was open with a saw - that explains the story with the cut striker pin. Fortunately there is no damage to the door surface. Ignition lock is also completely missing - no keys were found before the car was sold evidently.

If you can find anything related to the story of this car I'd be happy. Thank you.