Warren Wallingford, formerly of DeLorean Motor Company (Houston)

[DMCH James]

Sad to post that we just received word that former DMCH employee Warren Wallingford - the man behind the phone here for many years and personal friend to many within the DMC company and DeLorean community - passed away the evening of July 8th after a long battle with cancer. Here is what we know from his son:


He had gone into the hospital last week with some internal bleeding, which was stopped and he seemed to be recovering. He had a great weekend and was able to see his kids and grand kids.

But Monday morning, during dialysis, he went into respiratory distress and his body gave out. We are devastated that he is gone, but grateful we had the chance to see him being himself and all his grandkids were able to talk to him on, what turned out to be, his last day.

The memorial service is being planned for Thursday the 25th at 11am here in Austin.

As we have more details about the memorial service, we'll post them here for those that are interested.

[Dangermouse]

I'm sorry to hear that. I only spoke with him a couple of times, but I have seen his name mentioned often.

[Farrar]

Aw, man. That's a shame. Sounds like he had a good long run, though. He'll be missed by many. My condolences.

[Evildeli]

What a lose. Warren was just a fantastic guy. I swear he knew part numbers better than the catalog. I actually looked forward to talking to Warren when I ordered parts with DMCH. I met him in person once, and he was professional, courteous and above all, a real pleasure to talk to. My condolence goes out to his family.

[DMCMW Julee]

Peace that passes understanding - Warren lived it every time I spoke with him during this long ordeal and I was blessed by his example.

I will miss your earthly presence my friend, but I look forward to catching up with you in eternity!

[DeLorean03]

Man, I spoke with Warren for years when ordering parts. From 2003 to 2009. he ALWAYS was the man behind the phone.

The DeLorean community has suffered 2 big losses in 2 months flat. Enough please :'( ...

[opethmike]

I'm sad to hear this. I met Warren on July 13th, 2007 when I went down to DMC-H to purchase 01049. He gave me a ride from the facility back to my hotel room, and he was very pleasant to converse with.

[louielouie2000]

How terrible. I spoke with Warren over the phone dozens of times during my years of ownership. He was always so kind, patient, and helpful. He'd never fail to call after I placed an online order to let me know when my parts had been shipped & were on their way. For those of us who have been around for a while, Warren was definitely an icon of the community.

Thanks for posting a pic of him, James. It's always good to put a face to a name. I just hate it was posthumously in this case. :frown: I just noticed that picture was taken here in Austin. My daily commute takes me down Balcones Drive... small world.

[AdmiralSenn]

Wow. Rest in peace, Warren. We sure had some good conversations. Thanks for being so amazing to so many people.

[Henrik]

My condolences. What a loss to all. I will miss Warren and his no-nonsense yet friendly and professional advice...

[Domi]

Such a sad news.
My condolences to his family.
I've never spoke to him personally but we communicate trough e-mail and he was a very nice guy and very helpful man.

[DMC5180]

I had the chance to see Warren a few times over the years and talk to him many times on the phone. I will always remember his calm laid back demeanor and dry wit. Warren wrote a very informative basic Trouble Shooting guide that was handed out during with a the first DMCH Open house. His dry sense of humor, made it into to a few sentences that only Warren would say. Every time I run across it, it always made me smile.


Here is a sample:

"Starter spins, engine won’t start: This is a common situation and the classic question is: fuel or fire? For the Delorean the answer is nearly always----fuel. To check for fuel pressure and therefore the operation of the fuel pump, crack the 12m banjo nut on the cold start valve, (the dingus with the blue connector), while an assistant cranks the engine. If gasoline goes EVERWHERE, the fuel pump is working and you must check for spark at a plug. Re-tighten the cold start bolt and allow the fuel to dissipate before you pull a plug wire to check for fire. Guess why. (Extra credit question). If no spark is present at a plug, check for spark at the coil by briefly arcing the coil wire to the engine block. When there is fire at the coil and none at the plug, replace the cap and rotor. If the coil is not firing, check for the presence of the impulse signal. This is the signal the ECU makes from the info from the impulse coil in the distributor and uses to fire the ignition coil. The impulse signal may be seen on the coil connector that has the slate/white wire. "


I originally posted the the entire document on the DMCTALK.COM. I'll check the resources/how-to section to see if I had reposted it here. If I don't find it. I will post it again.

[DMC02766]

What a lose. Warren was just a fantastic guy. I swear he knew part numbers better than the catalog. I actually looked forward to talking to Warren when I ordered parts with DMCH. I met him in person once, and he was professional, courteous and above all, a real pleasure to talk to. My condolence goes out to his family.

I felt the exact same way... I remember when I ordered by first accessory from DMCH (it was a DMC tag) years before I actually purchased my car. The next day he called and I looked at the caller ID and thought it was the coolest thing that they actually called to tell me my stuff was getting shipped out- even with it being such a small order. Many times after that when ordering parts I would talk to him and ask him about certain details of what I should order (this doesnt work here, this doesnt work there) and he always was quick with an answer- very courteous, very friendly, and most of all very knowledgeable. I felt like I was holding him up from doing something important but he never once had any issues answering all of my questions in detail. Seems like I did get to meet him at one of the DCS shows (Pigeon Forge maybe?). Great guy and an even greater loss to the community. My prayers go out to his family...

[andy blackmon]

I met Warren several times at the DMC shop and at most of the Delorean car shows, I have no clue how often he helped me with repair advise and parts, he was a great employee for DMCH but also a great friend to of the Delorean family. God speed Warren.

[painterdave72]

I spoke with Warren alot for almost twenty years and always enjoyed his advice and awesome attitude.. he was missed when he retired and will now be missed even more.. rest in peace Warren!!!

[sean]

Very, very sad news. Warren was a great guy, super knowledgable and always pleasant to deal with.

[Byrne H&A]

God bless each and all who expressed their experience and love for Warren. Warren formed a beginning for many of us in our DeLorean world. I can hear his soft raspy voice now as I think of him. Perhaps Julee said best what is in our hearts, "We will see you later my friend". God bless you and keep you. Love, Byrne

[DavidProehl]

Sorry to hear this. I didn't have too many interactions with him, but the few I did over phone and email were all very positive. He was a guy who clearly put others first. He will be missed.

[DMC8182]

Warren was one of the reasons many of us stuck through some tough times in the Delorean community. He was a breath of fresh air and always helpful when most of us were just learning about the cars.
He will always be remembered warmly as a friend and the impact he had on my passion for the marque.

Cecil Longwisch

[tgraham]

This is sad news, indeed. I first talked to Warren sometime in 1997 after I bought my first DeLorean and called up DMCH for some parts. From that point up until he retired, between my phone calls for parts, Open House events, and dropping by DMCH occasionally when in Houston, I can't even imagine how many times I've talked to him. And every time he was always exceptionally friendly, knowledgeable, patient, and perhaps most importantly, had a great sense of humor!

My condolences to his family and, Warren, thanks for everything!

Travis

[dcar81]

I first met Warren in 1995 when I sent my Delorean to Houston for restoration. As others have posted, Warren was courteous, knowledgeable, and always willing to assist with any problem concerning a Delorean.
Houston is only about a 2½ -3 hour drive for me. There have been many times when I drove my car there for repairs or major maintenance. DMC Houston was a smaller operation in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Usually, I could call Stephen if I needed something done and set a date to drive the car down. It usually took most of the day to get the work completed. I spent a lot of time with Warren while I was there waiting for the car. He was a special person who sincerely cared about helping everyone with any problems they encountered with their Delorean. Also, many times he saved me money by suggesting alternative ways to fix a problem. Once, when my Delorean had been left in Houston for repairs, Warren offered to drive me from Austin to Houston to pick it up. He was in Austin at the time visiting his son.
I last saw Warren at the British car show in Round Rock, Texas last year. The cancer had taken a toll on him and I am glad I had that time to visit. Warren was a special person and will be missed by many.
So long old friend.
Guy

[Mike C.]

I just came up on this thread and am very very saddened by this news.

From the times way before I ever had my car, I would call and talk to Warren with just absolute random questions, and then later orders for memorabilia, and eventually parts for cars that I was working on. It was fun getting him during a busy period, but he was always very cool toward me, and I enjoyed the random stuff we b.s.'d about. It was funny because I once ordered something and found a green mechanic's shirt with his name written on the back tag in the box. I called to tell him and he just seemed as confused and said 'oh well... yours now!'... lol! Soon after that, he retired.

RIP Warren. You will definitely be missed!!

[Jacko]

I never met Warren but had numerous conversations with him about the D. What always amazed me was how
much he knew about DeLoreans. Where and how did he gain such knowledge? Anyone here know?
I am a woodworker and I had so much respect and admiration for the man I made a mantle clock for him which he
liked very much. He asked why I made it for him and after a short explanation he said "I was just doing my job"... indeed!

[Rich W]

I never met Warren but had numerous conversations with him about the D. What always amazed me was how
much he knew about DeLoreans. Where and how did he gain such knowledge? Anyone here know?
I am a woodworker and I had so much respect and admiration for the man I made a mantle clock for him which he
liked very much. He asked why I made it for him and after a short explanation he said "I was just doing my job"... indeed!

Warren started working for DeLorean Motor Company back in 1988. Warren said he worked almost every job in the company,
from washing cars, to mechanic, to being "THE Parts Guy" on the other end of the phone for over 15 years. He was a real car guy.

Warren was one of kind. He was missed when he retired and he will be missed even more since he has passed on. RIP Warren.

[Jordan Livingston]

Dear Friends,

The following video is a tribute to Warren Wallingford, former Parts Sales Manager at DeLorean Motor Company. Recorded at DeLorean Motor Company in Humble, Texas in September, 2009: https://vimeo.com/70516884

I had the pleasure of meeting Warren while filming my documentary "DeLorean - Living the Dream." As you can see, the interview was a last-minute, impromptu occurrence. Warren was willing to squeeze me in only on the condition he could continue to take phone calls from DeLorean customers. I, my cameraman, and my sound man all squeezed into Warren's tiny office. Please forgive the framing. In any case, I had no idea that what would unfold before my lens would turn out to be among the warmest, funniest, and most endearing moments of the entire movie. I have no doubt that DeLorean owners can say the same thing about conversing with Warren with respect to their DeLorean ownership experience - it's truly one of the highlights!

Although the documentary itself is not yet complete, when I received the sad news Warren had passed, I felt compelled to compile a tribute highlighting the best parts of Warren's interview, and present them as a standalone vignette. Only in this manner can one fully appreciate the fun and kindheartedness Warren spread to those around him.

I'm sad Warren isn't around to see himself in the video. I sensed despite his reluctance to appear on camera, he secretly enjoyed it, and moreover he enjoyed lending his wisdom and authority to any DeLorean-related project. I hope this video tribute helps to preserve Warren's memory and continue to spread his love for DeLorean cars and especially their owners.

My condolences to Warren's family, friends, co-workers, and customers. He will surely be missed by all.

Sincerely,

Jordan Livingston

[Farrar]

That's awesome, Jordan. I spoke to him on the phone many times, and it's nice to see him in action at last. Great to have that preserved. :)

[Dangermouse]

That's awesome, Jordan. I spoke to him on the phone many times, and it's nice to see him in action at last. Great to have that preserved. :)

+1 on this.

In fact, I wish I had called him more, now.

[DMCH James]

Several current and former co-workers of Warren's went to Austin last Thursday for his memorial service. I printed out the comments posted and tucked them in the memorial book for his family to read. Today I received this email from his sister:


Subject DMC-TX Site Visitor Contact
From: Lucy Wallingford
Subject: DMC-TX Contact Inquiry

Message Body:
Please forward to James Espey:

James,

I suspect it might have been you who left the printed discussion about my brother Warren’s passing from the Delorean chat room. I wanted to post a thank you on that site to everyone who posted, but it was not possible to do so without requesting membership. I derived a great deal of comfort from that print-out and other members of my family did too. It allowed me to see another side of my brother I didn’t know much about. We later realized some of the Delorean folks attended the funeral and I am sorry we didn’t get to meet any of you there. I know that he really really loved working there, which is also evident in the video. Thanks so much.

Sincerely,
Lucy Wallingford

I've also attached a photo of the back of the memorial booklet, which tells all of us a little about the other, non-DeLorean side of Warren that many of us may not have known much about, either.

[Dangermouse]

Thanks James.

[Bitsyncmaster]

I never met or spoke with Warren but sounds like a real good guy. I always knew the name since I grew up in Wallingford Ct.

A big loss for all of us and his family.

[Beachdrifter]

I'm sorry to hear this. I never met or spoke to him, but I remember in the DMCHelp forums he was very helpful and a nice person.

Whenever I saw his name I knew he was well respected in the Delorean Community.

[Jacko]

As I was going through some stuff in the attic I ran across this ... gave me pause for a moment.

21560

[ALEXAKOS]

Now that is a great piece of DMCH history right there.
Proof of magnitude in existence there when adding your first name on top of the company's address.
They say people never die when remembered.
This man will not be forgotten ;)

[pezpilot]

My condolences. Very sad. I spoke with him over the phone and met him in person. Very nice guy.

[thomasuncles]

So sorry for your loss. My condolences.

[Denverdelorean]

Warren was always a great resource and he never steered me wrong when I owned my first DeLorean. I was so sad to hear of his passing.

[banzai]

We will miss him



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[smallclone]

i know this is an old thread but Warren made buying parts at DMC easy and effortless. he knew parts by number and knew the details about the car and never gave any higher than tho attitude. sweet laid back dude. sorry to hear hes passed away.

[andy blackmon]

Yesterday I was looking on line to find some information on installing headliners in the Delorean. On a site called Scribd ( a great site for people who reads books on line) I found a 4 page write up by Warren on Headliner Installation and once more I was reminded of just how much this man brought to the Delorean family. He is missed.
Andy B 03513