Auction says it has a V6 2.9L SOHC, no 4 cylinder where we're going...
Skipco Auto Auction, 700 Elm Ridge Ave, Canal Fulton, OH 44614
August 1, 2020. ...I'm curious what it'll go for.
Auction says it has a V6 2.9L SOHC, no 4 cylinder where we're going...
Skipco Auto Auction, 700 Elm Ridge Ave, Canal Fulton, OH 44614
August 1, 2020. ...I'm curious what it'll go for.
That'll be the stock engine.
It's not going to go cheap. Fans of the movie are old enough to have money, and this would be a lot more fun than a new Mercedes sedan. Plus that flux capacitor is authentic!
Of all places for this to show up. Ohio?
Why would that be surprising? There are BTTF fans everywhere. It's not ALL about California.
Keith Tanner said:That'll be the stock engine.
It's not going to go cheap. Fans of the movie are old enough to have money, and this would be a lot more fun than a new Mercedes sedan. Plus that flux capacitor is authentic!
I am old enough to remember watching them unload a car trailer filled with these at the local dealer back in California before the movie was made and before their maker was busted for cocaine. It was kind a big deal when they first came in. Turns out they were not really that impressive as a car and they didn't really sell well. The dealer's lot was still full when the next delivery arrived. More of a cruiser than a sports car. Never saw one at an autocross or even at the parking lot at Sears Point.
They seem much more popular now in the collector's market. Now they are actually going to start building replicas. Will the flux capacitor be an option?
Wasnt born when they came out, but I can kinda see how it stacked out.
Looks cool, Lotus input on chassis... things are looking up! Oh wait... Pugeot/Renault engine with only 130hp *sad trombone*
interesting that the curb weight is 2700-ish lbs. Kinda a vanilla number there and even for the time 130hp for that weight wasnt anything to write home about.
About a year after they stopped making them you could buy used ones real cheap. There was even a guy out there who would paint over the stainless if you wanted it to look more like a real car.
I think they really had to push that thing to get it up to 88 mph. 
A lot of early 80's cars are disappointing. Remember, the Corvette only had about 190 hp and weighed 3500 lbs when the Delorean was introduced.
I think most of the painted ones are cars that had body damage. It's hard to bondo raw stainless ;)
Of course, none of that really matters. It's an icon like an orange '69 Charger or a black Trans Am with a screaming chicken on the hood. Nobody buys a Delorean now because of performance. They buy them because they're cool and you can use them to travel through time.
There was a period of time after Delorean got busted for coke and his company went bankrupt in 1982 but before the Back to the Future Movie came out in 1985 where the car was a different kind of joke. There were lots of jokes about secret compartments for your illegal drug stash and being followed by FBI agents everywhere you go and so on. The guys who wrote the movie probably thought the car was a joke. Exactly the kind of car a geek like Doc Brown was going to buy cheap to use for building a time machine. It's not like after spending all that money building the flux capacitor he would have enough money left over for a new Corvette or 911.
Good point. I wonder what other cars were considered? It's not like it was the only, umm, heavily depreciated option out there. Did they think about giving him an old Checker cab? Or did it have to look like something that legitimately could hit 88 mph and was futuristic?
The gull wing doors and low wide body makes them look futuristic even today.
It's absolutely true that their performance is "leisurely" but they turn heads better than just about anything on the road.
Keith Tanner said:Good point. I wonder what other cars were considered? It's not like it was the only, umm, heavily depreciated option out there. Did they think about giving him an old Checker cab? Or did it have to look like something that legitimately could hit 88 mph and was futuristic?
Pontiac Fiero? Come to think of it, what would a Delorean be worth today if they hadn't used it in the movie?
In reply to Keith Tanner :
The stainless steel body panels were what sealed the deal, they could handle the "time energies" without discoloring or warping.
I always thought the wheels on these things really made the car.
I kinda want one, but without all that time machine crap on it, and with a decent mill. Something powerful enough to outrun a VW microbus full of Libyans.
Not surprised at all that this is in Ohio. Mrs. VCH's family is from there. Its an....interesting...place.
volvoclearinghouse (Forum Supporter) said:Not surprised at all that this is in Ohio. Mrs. VCH's family is from there. Its an....interesting...place.
I live an hour from CF. Used to frequent Skipco for work quite often. To me it's a surprise.
Snowdoggie said:Keith Tanner said:Good point. I wonder what other cars were considered? It's not like it was the only, umm, heavily depreciated option out there. Did they think about giving him an old Checker cab? Or did it have to look like something that legitimately could hit 88 mph and was futuristic?
Pontiac Fiero? Come to think of it, what would a Delorean be worth today if they hadn't used it in the movie?
Watched a documentary on the movie and fandom, etc last night. Hulu I think. The producer(director?) mentioned that in the beginning the studio was trying for product placement for $$$. The studio head came to him and said "Ford will give us $75k if we use a Mustang!".
Producer/(director?) said "Doc Brown doesn't drive a berkeleying Mustang."
Jerry said:Snowdoggie said:Keith Tanner said:Good point. I wonder what other cars were considered? It's not like it was the only, umm, heavily depreciated option out there. Did they think about giving him an old Checker cab? Or did it have to look like something that legitimately could hit 88 mph and was futuristic?
Pontiac Fiero? Come to think of it, what would a Delorean be worth today if they hadn't used it in the movie?
Watched a documentary on the movie and fandom, etc last night. Hulu I think. The producer(director?) mentioned that in the beginning the studio was trying for product placement for $$$. The studio head came to him and said "Ford will give us $75k if we use a Mustang!".
Producer/(director?) said "Doc Brown doesn't drive a berkeleying Mustang."
He might drive a Probe.
Let's not forget the John Delorean succesfully defended himself against the drug charges and had a stellar career at GM before he started DMC. The motor in that car was a turd, I think it was the third or fourth choice. Like many start ups, they had to buy someone elses motors and that isn't always easy. I'm not trying to be too easy on the guy but it seems like people trying to start car companies are under a lot of scrutiny; Tucker, Delorean, Musk....
There's one in great shape parked around the corner from me. Those wheels look amaaaaaazing in person, and I'm not really a wheels guy.
Way lesser known, but if you want gull wings and a decent engine for less than a mint there is an answer...
Bricklin sv1, came with either AMC 360 or Ford 351 Windsor. Basically a competitor to a Corvette in the 70s.
Brother had one, if I wanted a 2 seat boulevard cruiser / show car would do again.
Nick Venero said:Let's not forget the John Delorean succesfully defended himself against the drug charges and had a stellar career at GM before he started DMC. The motor in that car was a turd, I think it was the third or fourth choice. Like many start ups, they had to buy someone elses motors and that isn't always easy. I'm not trying to be too easy on the guy but it seems like people trying to start car companies are under a lot of scrutiny; Tucker, Delorean, Musk....
The cocaine bust was a setup. They were looking for a high profile bust. They found one. The new Delorean they are making from old stock is going to have a better motor with about 300hp to 350hp. It would be interesting to see how the car works with about double the horsepower.
https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/a30641441/new-delorean-dmc-12-confirmed/
This auction would be better if it was being done by Biffco.
It is being sold for the US Marshals, along with these two:
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