Delorean Motor Company (DMC) Texas threatening to sue Delorean owners now

[SonnyV]

As for why I'm keeping my anonymity; your sanctimonious rantings don't change facts. The fact is DMCH will blacklist you for sharing memes, Bill Robertson tried to get two owners fired from their jobs over a disagreement, online stalkers track your every movement to tag you whenever you go out.

I'm not signing my name/face to posts and risking winding up blacklisted from the largest supplier of DeLorean parts because I laughed at a meme or said what they're doing with the logo is wrong so that way people like YOU can see a different name on a screen.

As for my name; yes, it's fake. I couldn’t think of a better fake name for posting about DeLoreans online.

[louielouie2000]

Having been in the DeLorean community since the late 90s, I can say there has always been "drama" and trolls. I don't think any of that has necessarily gotten worse... I just think that as some of us get older, we simply have less tolerance for it.

I grew up in a very active classic car family; my Mom and bio Dad restored & sold vintage Corvettes, Camaros, & Harley-Davidsons, and my Mom and Stepdad were very active with their classic Mustang. The DeLorean community is just different from any other I've been around. It attracts a different type of enthusiast, and I'd argue many DeLorean enthusiasts aren't "car people" in the strictest sense. Many aren't mechanically inclined, or don't really care about the mechanical or performance "credentials" of the cars. Instead they love what they feel the car stands for, the underdog history, or are sci-fi lovers... it's much more of an emotional thing. The cars represent something bigger to them, and I think they take absolutely everything personal in regards to the cars, community, vendors, etc. The community is much smaller than others, too... which means there are more opportunities for folks to bond and/or feud, and those ripples spread pretty quickly.

To rope this back to the topic at hand... I think folks in this community just feel such an emotional ownership of their cars, the marque, and have idealistic standards of how they believe the vendors should treat and fit into the legacy of the car/man/company. It's an impossible brief, and no business could please every enthusiast every time with every decision they make. Looking to companies/corporations for moral guidance is just folly anyway. It reminds me of Jay Leno and his deep aversion to our cars because he was personally disappointed in JZD's moral character. Again, this doesn't mean I've agreed with every marketing/business decision DMC-Texas has made. In the end, they are just trying to keep the general public aware of the cars to ensure successive generations interest. I don't necessarily think this is to inflate the value of the company, either. It could simply for Stephen to pass the baton to his son Cameron who runs DMC-California.

[Michael]

The ones that chimed in to say they hate the drama are the only ones creating it.

[Ron]

The ones that chimed in to say they hate the drama are the only ones creating it.

Where did you say that???

[DMCVegas]

As for why I'm keeping my anonymity; your sanctimonious rantings don't change facts. The fact is DMCH will blacklist you for sharing memes, Bill Robertson tried to get two owners fired from their jobs over a disagreement, online stalkers track your every movement to tag you whenever you go out.

I'm not signing my name/face to posts and risking winding up blacklisted from the largest supplier of DeLorean parts because I laughed at a meme or said what they're doing with the logo is wrong so that way people like YOU can see a different name on a screen.

As for my name; yes, it's fake. I couldn’t think of a better fake name for posting about DeLoreans online.

Be definition, it isn't sanctimonious when it is the truth. Your reply here has just further cemented this, and invalidated your statements.

Again, there is a long list of people whom Houston would logically take exception with for comments made publicly which would potentially have repercussions, and someone such as yourself wouldn't even come close to having such a worry for merely liking a meme against them.

So the necessity for anonymity on your behalf clearly does not exist. The only logical reason for it, again, is because you wish to troll others and cause problems, without any consequences for your actions.

Likewise the threat of problems towards your personal safety, and that potentially others in your family is also a lie. If it were indeed real, then why in the world would you continue to antagonize others? If you feel your mere presence here is a problem, then again, why even be apart of such an online community?

Replying with more excuses is futile. You strike me as the kind of person who can never be wrong, and will simply come up with continual excuses. The fact that you're scared of DMCH "banning" you tells me that this clearly isn't your primary account. That you indeed have another where you maintain seemingly friendly communications in order to keep up a friendly appearance. A definite act of cowardice.

Who are you? I don't care enough to find out. But knowing that you are out there doesn't enamor me to maintain public contact with a community when people like you are around. Probably say hello to me, and then trash talk me first chance you get if we met. Again, you're exactly the kind of toxic person we've been talking about.

[DMCVegas]

Let's not. Regardless of the merits of what SonnyV/Chat whoever did, it's your posts I'm finding incredibly aggressive and angry, and certainly toxic. Speaking very much for myself,
I don't care for your attitude. Let's review what you said to *me* upon my entry into the community:

"Long story short, you are not classic car owner material. I'm sorry, but that's just the truth from what I've read. Can that change for you? I don''t know. But at this stage of the game, I wouldn't even recommend a VW bug for you, let alone anything without a warranty."

Now I have 2 cars and help people every day. I guess you didn't see that coming. Fortunately, others had a higher opinion of me (thanks, thugs, you know who you are). I don't get on with everybody,
I sure don't live up to everyone's standards of how to "behave", but I'm here, and I'm involved. Point is, if we start being selective about who is "allowed" to be an owner/member of the community or
some old boys club, then I think we have a serious problem.

Don't get me wrong, I know you've been a very very long time member of the community, you've almost certainly helped far more people than I'm ever going to, and plenty of people probably
respect you greatly (probably myself, if I were to look in detail at your posts). However I have been online as long as you have (no small feat); I don't particularly think attitudes have changed much,
although Facebook has somewhat lowered the bar to entry.

Let's just say I firmly reject your condemnation of most everyone because they aren't like you are. Really these posts seem churlish, get-off-my-lawn-moments.

What I'm not seeing in any of your posts is any kind of suggestions for improvements from anyone, any conciliatory gestures from yourself, or anything of that nature.

Happy to take this private if that's to your liking.

Best wishes.

No, I do not feel as though this is something which needs to be taken offline.

I'm curious as to what the entire context of that conversation was. Both in terms of what all was said (because as others can attest, a statement from me being that short is exceedingly rare), but also where I was on in that moment in time, and what all you said as well to elicit such a response from me.

Louie is absolutely correct in his reply. There isn't much more I can add to it, but it does demonstrate how much of us are quite protective of the community. Much of that comes from owning orphaned cars that have essentially been despised by the world. Certainly there is good natured ribbing up to outright prejudice among other marques, but ours is different. For decades we've essentially had to fight nothing but a stream of disinformation we've had to correct, and people who outright put down our cars. Which I always felt was most likely due to people attempting to open a line of conversation. As one person once put it, "The DeLorean is the car that everyone knows, yet no one knows anything about". Whenever we try and strike up a conversation with someone, as individuals we tend to try and open things up with something relatable so we can connect with that person. Unfortunately that tends to be said misinformation or jokes that many either find offensive or are just repetitive. I.e. how often is it that you don't hear a flux capacitor or cocaine joke?

Getting back on topic to our discussion here...

Your post gave me pause. No exaggerating here, I actually had to contemplate your words for a couple of days. Not because I was trying to wordsmith a satisfactory reply or anything like that, no. I've been pondering what you've said, and what perhaps your experience has been.

I've gone back and listened to Sex, Lies, and Superspeedways vol.1 It's an audiobook recording of chosen excerpts from Smoky Yunick's autobiography as read by John Z. De Lorean himself (yes, well over 6 hours of the man himself narrating). This morning I finished listening to Smokey's recolections of everything from being a machinist to training to become a pilot. Smokey had his doubts and nearly gave up many times at various points in his life. But whenever someone told him he couldn't do something and to give up, he doubled his efforts to study & practice and proved them wrong. It sounds like that's what we have here with you.

I sincerely want to offer my apologies to you if what I said hurt your feelings. I am so sorry it had to be this way.

But if it did indeed spark something in you, for whatever reason and in whatever form it took that made you into a competent mechanic, then I'm glad it happened. I'm proud of you.

As Louie pointed out, our cars tend to attract people who aren't quite mechanically inclined, and simply think that everything is turnkey requiring no work. Something that has happened in the past and our cars end up bearing the blame for being the problem and not the irresponsible owner where the true blame lies. So we try and deter those folks away. When someone says they need help, so long as they're willing to not only take assistance but lend a hand and learn, then I do believe that they should never be denied. After all, even I had to learn somewhere, and I was fortunate that I had mentors who took me on. I'm glad you found the same.

As I said previously, your post really made me think about things here. Both in terms of the community as a whole, as well as my involvement within it and more importantly my perceptions of it.

I never wanted the DeLorean to be an exclusive car. I always felt that anyone who wants one should be able to buy one. This is why when D-1 decided to start selling refurbished cars fro $60,000 back in the 90's, I was opposed. That was as much about greed as it was a power struggle. I always felt that the only requirements a DeLorean owner should have are responsibility and courtesy. I only ever willingly took on confrontation when I saw inaccuracies.

You really don't like my posts here in regards to the toxicity of the community? You really don't feel as though I've not offered solutions or suggestions? It's funny because I thought I had. At least in the sense of what I (and apparently others too) didn't like so that we could start a conversation from there. I thought this input from myself and others would at least get us talking in order to exchange ideas rather than my posting some sort of code of conduct which I wanted to dictate to everyone. I'd rather others think for themselves. I also have considered the possibility of perhaps you having a negative interaction with me in the past potentially has skewed my words. Like how if a friend tells you your shirt is ugly and since they're a trusted source, you take the words as advice. But if someone whom you don't like says the exact same thing, you look at the words in a different light and dismiss them as being hindering instead of useful. The source of communications is important in all things. But still I think about your words.

You know, in the past I would certainly have written a diatribe in response to them. Something to either argue a position, or clarify things, etc. in a rebuttal. But I don't want to. Instead I really need to consider my place within the order of things here. Like life around me as I get older, I must consider if as the things around me change, are they truly for the worse? Or am I simply otherwise uncomfortable with the change?

After thinking things over, I have to say that the problem is me.

I'm not mad, I'm not rage quitting, and I don't have any animosity. I'm just leaving because I now believe that it is the best for the community, and more importantly myself. Before I could ever consider participating, I'd need to really change in order to adapt. Never say never of course, but I don't know if that would happen, or if it did how long it would take. But clearly the problem here is me. I accept that.

I would however give you one final piece of advice. For you, and for everyone else here:

Don't be like me.

If there were things about me you liked, then please emulate them. What you didn't like, please don't ever do. And if you never saw anything redeeming about me, then well, I guess you've nothing to worry about.

I truly do wish you, and everyone else here the best. I hope that you all find happiness and joy with your cars, and with one another. You deserve to be happy.

Goodbye.

[SonnyV]

Be definition, it isn't sanctimonious when it is the truth. Your reply here has just further cemented this, and invalidated your statements.

Again, there is a long list of people whom Houston would logically take exception with for comments made publicly which would potentially have repercussions, and someone such as yourself wouldn't even come close to having such a worry for merely liking a meme against them.

So the necessity for anonymity on your behalf clearly does not exist. The only logical reason for it, again, is because you wish to troll others and cause problems, without any consequences for your actions.

Likewise the threat of problems towards your personal safety, and that potentially others in your family is also a lie. If it were indeed real, then why in the world would you continue to antagonize others? If you feel your mere presence here is a problem, then again, why even be apart of such an online community?

Replying with more excuses is futile. You strike me as the kind of person who can never be wrong, and will simply come up with continual excuses. The fact that you're scared of DMCH "banning" you tells me that this clearly isn't your primary account. That you indeed have another where you maintain seemingly friendly communications in order to keep up a friendly appearance. A definite act of cowardice.

Who are you? I don't care enough to find out. But knowing that you are out there doesn't enamor me to maintain public contact with a community when people like you are around. Probably say hello to me, and then trash talk me first chance you get if we met. Again, you're exactly the kind of toxic person we've been talking about.

It most certainly is sanctimonious. You project others as having the need to be right when you cannot accept that you are wrong. You are a pompous blowhard who is incapable of accepting his own failings.

Everything I have said has been true. There are records over on DMCToday where Bill Robertson was recorded threatening owners for disliking their opinions. That is a fact that others here can attest to.

That screeshot of Espey stating that they refuse to sell to an owner for posting "shitty memes" is also a fact.

Since you cannot refute my true statements with facts, you resort to petty posturing and an alleged preemptive defense.

Both Rob Grady and Josh Bengston are also blacklisted; care to counter that?

One final point: anonymity doesn't equate to being wrong or being disregarded. Nixon learned that with Watergate.

[Mark D]

Meanwhile in Stevens Point, WI:

[EngineerGuY]

Mods this thread/topic can now be closed or deleted. Thanks!