Pilot Car auction - 15 years ago

[Domi]

One more magazine I would love to find someday

[tjd]

I dont know, it definitely doesn't look like a production car to me. A lot of elements of the car look pretty similar to the pilot cars. For instance look at the insides of the doors in the photos. Notice how they're painted black? It's because pilot car doors weren't stainless steel on the inside, they were just mild steel. Pilot 21's are also painted black like that. Same with the plexiglass solid windows. Definitely a staple of pilot car doors. Also those mirrors are definitely just bolted to the doors. It's definitely not P21 because the fiberglass body for P21 hasn't been drilled out to allow the installation of a passenger side torsion bar (yup no functioning passenger side door), but my guess is it's a later Pilot car. Vin 500 has all the normal features so I'm not sure why any production car after it would be rushed together for photos.

On a side not, I wonder if people saw those doors and assumed the windows went down all the way, haha.

It looks to me like one of the 20 or so hand built training cars, I have a picture somewhere on my hard drive that shows two cars close to completion at DMC that have the insides of the doors painted black like this one. I'd imagine due to the non DeLorean side mirrors and the missing grab handle that this must have been one of the 1st training cars finished, my assumption is DMC probably hadn't yet taken delivery of those parts before this car was completed, at least it's state of completion at the time of these pics. Likely the car still exists in some configuration as a 500 series car.

[Patrick C]

Those pics were taken for the 1981 Ulster Motor Show, which I think was in the spring time in Belfast. April/May time, after the Geneva show in March (anyone have a picture of that car?)

It looks like a pre-production car (possibly a black car) that was rushed to completion (perhaps Nick S can chime in). The door mirrors look like those off a 1981 Esprit, mounted on a black triangle where the proper ones would later go.

Here is a pic of the interior. Note the absence of a VIN plate



Attachment 17078

No VIN plate, no hole in kneepad for the A/C ducting, no glovebox latch, etc.

[tjd]

No VIN plate, no hole in kneepad for the A/C ducting, no glovebox latch, etc.

Vin 520



Looks like the fitting around the hole in kneepad for the A/C is not stock, no glovebox latch or vin plate. It is my understanding 520 was built in December 1980. My opinion the one on the cover of the magazine was built in December 80 as well at DMC, probably earlier then Vin 520.

[tjd]

Here are a couple more pictures of the car that was featured on the magazine, and that same car (likely) and another one being worked on at DMC

[Domi]

Nice pictures, thanks for sharing

[Nicholas R]

Vin 520



Looks like the fitting around the hole in kneepad for the A/C is not stock, no glovebox latch or vin plate. It is my understanding 520 was built in December 1980. My opinion the one on the cover of the magazine was built in December 80 as well at DMC, probably earlier then Vin 520.

Does 520 have black doors on the inside? Looks like the pic above with the girl still has the mild steel doors. I cannot imagine any production cars still had those doors but I guess I could be wrong.

[Rich W]

Does 520 have black doors on the inside? Looks like the pic above with the girl still has the mild steel doors. I cannot imagine any production cars still had those doors but I guess I could be wrong.

VIN...520 has full stainless steel doors (including the inside shells), as do all the 500 series DeLoreans.

However, most of the 500 series DeLoreans have the very early doors made from the early Kirksite door dies,
which made them very difficult to fit and align on these early cars.

[tjd]

VIN...520 has full stainless steel doors (including the inside shells), as do all the 500 series DeLoreans.

However, most of the 500 series DeLoreans have the very early doors made from the early Kirksite door dies,
which made them very difficult to fit and align on these early cars.

Thanks Rich, I thought any of the mild steel inner door cars may had had their doors swapped to production doors once the design was changed.



So I guess these are unknown DMC Pilots built prior to Dec 80 then?

[matt clark]

Brilliant info and pictures, TJD, thanks. Loving this thread

Nicholas R - good catch on the black door inners. How did I miss that?