DeLorean & Bricklin fact check

[Stainless]

Attended a local car show this past weekend. As I was pulling in, a guy ran over to me and asked if I wanted to park next to a Bricklin. This guy happened to be the owner of that car. I had seen it at other car shows, but we had never parked next to each other. I thought it would be fun, so I had the DeLorean next to the Bricklin for the entire show. What a mistake! Nothing against Bricklins, but this owner was one of those know-it-alls that spewed of "fact" after "fact" about the DeLorean... some stuff I had never heard before. He kept saying things that sounded like he was trying to make his Bricklin better than a DeLorean, like referencing the DeLorean crash test vs. the SV1 crash test.

Below are HIS statements and some questions, and I need your help in determining whether or not they are true or how to answer them:

1) Bricklin built a prototype car out of stainless steel. That is where John DeLorean got the idea to make his car out of stainless. (I can't find any info to back up his claim)
2) You can still buy a new 1965 Shelby with an unused VIN, so why do the DeLoreans have to use a donor VIN for their cars that they restore? (this was after I informed him that they are not brand new cars, but extensive restorations with original VINs)
3) The car used in the SV1 crash test did so well that they were able to put it back together, and that car is still on the road somewhere.
4) Bricklin used gullwing doors for safety, but DeLorean copied the idea and just liked the doors for styling, not safety.
5) The DeLorean weighs more than the Bricklin (I shut him up when I told him the GVW)
6) The Bricklin is more American than the DeLorean (how do you respond to such a pointless remark? I just took it as another attempt to make his car better than mine.)

He asked if he could sit in my car and take pictures in it and offered to let me sit in his Bricklin. Here's are my personal observations and opinions:

1) Being 6'6", I can't fit in a Bricklin. Can't close the door because of the lack of head room. Have to be a contortionist to get my legs in the door and under the steering wheel. Same process with getting out.
2) Cool looking car. Reminds me of a 70s or 80s Vette, but with big bumpers and gullwings.
3) Can't handle the brown 70s interior. Just too far before my time.
4) Love the power doors.
5) About one third of the body panels have had to be replaced on this particular Bricklin due to fading and cracking. It's gotta be hard to keep all panels matching in color without paint.
6) Neither the Bricklin or DeLorean received any love from the car show judges. The Bricklin owner wanted to be in the same category as my car for all future car shows. He said that it fits best into the "Sports Car" category and acted offended when I suggested that I put my car into an "80's" category.

So my first experience with the Bricklin was tainted by its owner. Feel free to respond to any and all points above.

[dvonk]

...6) The Bricklin is more American than the DeLorean...

since it was built in Canada?

more "North American" than the DeLorean, perhaps...

[Stainless]

since it was built in Canada?

more "North American" than the DeLorean, perhaps...

His reasoning was because of the Ford motor, American Motors parts, etc. vs. the PRV motor, Renault transmission, etc.

[bruscreen]

1) Bricklin built a prototype car out of stainless steel. That is where John DeLorean got the idea to make his car out of stainless. (I can't find any info to back up his claim)
2) You can still buy a new 1965 Shelby with an unused VIN, so why do the DeLoreans have to use a donor VIN for their cars that they restore? (this was after I informed him that they are not brand new cars, but extensive restorations with original VINs)
3) The car used in the SV1 crash test did so well that they were able to put it back together, and that car is still on the road somewhere.
4) Bricklin used gullwing doors for safety, but DeLorean copied the idea and just liked the doors for styling, not safety.
5) The DeLorean weighs more than the Bricklin (I shut him up when I told him the GVW)
6) The Bricklin is more American than the DeLorean (how do you respond to such a pointless remark? I just took it as another attempt to make his car better than mine.)

I own one of each, and have done a little informal research. I am by no means an expert, and I rely heavily on Wikipedia as a source, but here's how I understand it...

1) I have never heard of a prototype Bricklin in stainless. The original prototype was later dubbed the "grey ghost" so the color may have confused some people?

2) I know nothing of new VINs or Shelbys so I'll keep my mouth shut on this one.

3) If you have enough money and patience I suppose you could rebuild anything, but here's crash footage so you can judge for yourself. I'd call the front end a loss... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHNVH6Wo4mo (Update: According the the build history, Prototype 5, white, was used in crash testing, after which it is presumed destroyed. Prototype 8, originally orange, was also used in crash testing, but was reported seen with a white body in 2010. So there's some truth in this one.)

4) Malcolm Bricklin himself has claimed his car inspired the Delorean, though probably only John Delorean could have told you if it were so. Bricklin did advertise the gull wing doors as a safety feature, along with every other aspect of the car he could think of, but those (originally hydraulic) door lifters would have to be VERY strong to be any help if the car was on it's roof.

5) If anyone asked me which was heavier, I would have to point out that the Bricklin is larger, has a bigger engine, and acryllic is NOT light. Each door on the Bricklin weighs 90 to 100 pounds, and it takes 130 pounds of compressed air to open them (with the popular aftermarket pneumatic upgrade.)

6) I agree with prior posts, that the Bricklin is really only more "North American". I don't think of either as an American car, although I suppose the Bricklin has more parts in common with American made cars than the Delorean does. The Bricklin's frame is AMC, as was the motor in the '74. The first car they made went to Ford for drive train testing and the Ford Windsor 351 replaced the AMC 360 in the '75 model year.

I'm 6'1" and I think I fit OK in both cars, though I haven't been able to drive the Bricklin yet to be sure. The Delorean definitely has the advantage in the "surprise headroom" department.

[StainlessBullet]

I looked at a Bricklin that a local dealership had for sale a few years ago. It was the first time I had ever seen one in person. I’ll admit the build quality looked rather poor, but I still thought the car was pretty cool. Just another car on my maybe, possibly, probably list of cars for me to own one day.

[pezzonovante88]

According to ultimatecarpage.com (okay, probably not the MOST credible source) the Bricklin SV-1 weighs 3470 lbs. Whereas, the DMC-12 weighs 2844 lbs.
Bricklins are cool cars, no doubt, but the build quality is pretty nasty, the interiors are kind of gross, and it must be a major pain in the ass keeping the acrylic panels in good shape.

[Jonathan]

I would chalk it up to no more than the owner of this particular Bricklin was a donkey. There are many of those guys around, you just happened to get unlucky and find one that owned a car "similar" to yours in a few ways.

You know something I heard a long time ago that always stuck with me? Bad mouthing always goes up. The guy with the crap car always has to make himself feel better by grilling you on your car about stupid stuff not worth mentioning. Think of it this way, if you just bought a new Chevy Camaro and are very happy with it, but the next guy over in his new Corvette ZR1 was talking to you about your car, he never tells you you should have got the bigger engine, or I don't like this feature, or I don't like that feature. He doesn't need to bad mouth your car to make himself feel better. Those comments always come from some donkey in a beater Cavalier or something. And more often than not, it's the same idiots that spout off the cocaine comments. Some guys are just built to be idiots no matter what the setting. You can apply this to all kinds of stuff. Watches, cars, houses, just about anything. Most of the time it means token dude is insecure about his own stuff and you were the unlucky recipient he needs to put down to make himself look better in front of his friends, girlfriend, or even just himself.

Keep going to your shows and enjoy them, but maybe steer clear of the Bricklin guy. There are some good guys out there that own Bricklins, and some donkies that own DeLoreans. But ya, I agree too with the others about the build quality of those cars. I'd probably be looking for something to make me feel better too.

[Tillsy]

why do the DeLoreans have to use a donor VIN for their cars that they restore?

isn't this because the (new) DMC is not a car manufacturer and thus they can only produce overhauled cars not entirely new cars?

[Squall67584]

I think if they were to make "new" ones with new VIN numbers, then they would be subject to passing all of the government regulations and tests that are done to all new cars. So it would have to pass 2012 crash test standards, even though it was designed to only pass early 80's standards. It would likely need all the other mandatory stuff of today as well.

[Dracula]

The Bricklin, in my opinion, is a far more American car than the DeLorean; but they're both foreign. The Bricklin gets the title for having a US engine and drive train. In fact, most of the parts are from US suppliers. I love the car to death, but the way I have to describe it is as an amateurly-built Ford-based Corvette kit car. There are fit and finish issues all over; the gauge panel is terrible, the gear selector seems tacked on, etc. However, the parking brake is in a better location for egress, but a poor choice for a predominantly-automatic run of cars. The car is the essence of the 1970s; aesthetically speaking, that is.