On a somewhat recent Saturday morning, while sipping coffee and easing into the day, my phone buzzed. It was Jessica. “Are you still interested in the DeLorean?”

You know that taste of adrenalin in the back of your throat?

Sunday a week later, I loaded up the 530i and drove literally around the corner with a floor jack, jack stands, a small air compressor, a stick roughly in length to hold up a lazy DeLorean door*, a pile of tools, and a flashlight. I had purchased a 35 mm (1-3/8-inch) wrench on the very slim chance I could get the box end on the crank nut. This can be well-nigh impossible with the stock exhaust system in place since there’s a heat shield right up against the crank pulley.

*Someone really should document the exact length for future reference.

Somewhere in the middle of all this, I talked with Mike McElhattan from DeLorean Midwest in Crystal Lake, Illinois. He had kindly replied to the previous TTS post, adding – importantly – if I had any questions or just wanted to chat DeLoreans to give him a call. On the phone I level-set on my research and wrenching ability, and then asked what I was missing.

He said the first two things he’d look at on any car are the steel backbone chassis and the roof box/t-panel where the doors attach; the former rusts and the latter can delaminate, warp, and also rust. Everything else is reasonable to attend to, if not actually cheap.

It was lovely of Mike to take the time, and again a huge thank-you.

Jessica and her Dad – David – already had the DeLorean out in the driveway when I arrived. After its first bath in several decades it positively gleamed. Pumped up a couple weeks earlier, the original Goodyear NCT tires were still holding air (you wouldn’t want to drive anywhere on them, but they’ll look great at a show). Jessica and David already had appropriately-sized sticks holding the doors up. The interior mildew had wiped off the seats easily and there was almost no residual smell.

Jessica said the brakes – after a noticeable “pop” from below – seemed to work well enough to stop the car in the driveway. The parking brake also still worked. Thankfully, nobody had tried to start it, but David mentioned the oil didn’t look that bad.

I first stuck my nose underneath. The frame was shockingly clean. The epoxy coating was very much intact. While I didn’t bust out the floor jack, I also didn’t notice any glaring evidence of scrapes or other damage. Most of the suspension components and hardware still had their factory coatings and cadmium plating. The front sway bar wore paint marks indicating the factory recall had been completed. The car sat level and at its original U.S. ride height. Cobwebs and a bit of surface corrosion, yes. Rot and disappointment, no.

The engine and its compartment were dirty but not horrible. There was evidence something had once lived under the intake manifold, but really not much mess to speak of and no chewed wires. Lots of original under that big engine cover, including the coolant reservoir, fuel lines, stickers, and the silver temperature sensor duct. The coolant hoses still had their original yellow markings, too.

Under the front hood, the luggage compartment was clean and with no weird smells. All the emergency roadside equipment was present. Popping the gas cap and taking a whiff… eh, I’ve smelled worse gas in derelict BMWs. I wouldn’t try to fire the engine on that ancient swill, but the gas mostly still smelled like gas.

The interior looked very fresh including the leather upholstery, carpets, dashboard, and trim. There was some staining on the floor behind the seats – like a cup of coffee had splashed in 1989 – but nothing to cause alarm. The battery compartment behind the passenger seat was preposterously clean even though the battery was still in its hole and connected; no acid damage, no fuzz, not even any cobwebs.

And in the 40 minutes I looked over the car, any minor mildew smell had completely vanished.

Then to the body. My lord, the body.

Taking an overarching view, I didn’t see any hints of scratches or scrapes. The graining in the stainless steel was mostly uniform. The t-panel on the roof between the door tops didn’t have any obvious rust or other issues, and the areas around the torsion bars were unmolested. The doors – while no longer able to hold themselves up – swung smoothly through their arcs, the latches making a satisfying click. The original plastic exterior door handles were present and functional.

The tail lights were bright and clear with no noticeable color loss. The gray front and rear fascias had faded a bit along the way, but there was zero warping over the headlights. All the black trim looked good albeit a little lighter than original. I didn’t see any cracks in the louvers on the rear deck. The car wears a November 1981 production date and the hood has the longitudinal grooves.

The car also has a factory service manual in a fat three-ring binder.

Now then: Brass tacks.

David said Grandma was looking for $55k. He and Jessica thought $40k was a more reasonable value. I explained that, while their car was very likely worth their lower number, I was doubly out at those dollar levels. When I originally spoke with Mike from DeLorean Midwest, I told him if I was unable to move forward I would be happy to pass contact information back and forth.

And that’s where we are. Mike and Jessica and David have been in contact. Whatever happens next, I am absolutely sure this time capsule will be put back on the road. It’s all there and wonderfully original. Moreover – despite ancient fuel, some occasional critter visitation, and an unknown engine – this DeLorean has been protected and has survived astonishingly well in that garage.

Epilogue (July 5, 2024):
Since my visit, the townhome has been listed for sale. The DeLorean has long since left the property and the garage stands empty. Grandma’s BMW X5 was and is still around so I suspect she’s still living there for the moment.

The last time I spoke with Mike he mentioned it would be fun to meet up if they could do a deal and he came up to the Twin Cities. Then, just the other day, I got a (slightly garbled) voicemail from him, and it sounded as though something might be happening.

And something did! Looks like, per Facebook, Mike and his team recovered the car from Montgomery, MN, (about an hour south from the garage where it had been hiding) on July 4, 2024. Though I’ve blurred out the license plates in my images above, the one in Mike’s FB shot matches those in my unretouched photos. #6978 is in good hands.