We keep our dreams alive and your dream car on the road!
To begin with, a few basic words about what we, the team-
YES, we are a passionate and experienced specialist workshop, and we are more than happy to assist with all matters relating to the Delorean DMC12 vehicles that we look after in our specialist workshop.
YES, we love our craft, we love what we do and we love it when things work.
YES, we care about our customers and their vehicles and do everything we can to ensure they enjoy their cars.
YES, we help our customers with their worries and problems; we listen and offer advice, tips, spare parts and solutions. We do all this out of passion and conviction, for our customers.
Definition of ‘customer’: In our world, customers are those people who have their vehicles serviced and repaired by us and have thus been contributing to the success of our small business for over 20 years. For these customers of ours, we are more than happy to go the extra mile and use every resource at our disposal to ensure that the Delo runs smoothly and brings joy. For our customers. That’s why we tinker, that’s what we live for; it’s the very reason for our existence. However, being a customer is neither a basic right nor a birthright, but a privilege. A privilege that must be respected and upheld. Whether at the baker’s next door, the plumber’s, or the garage of your choice.
NO, we are not a telephone directory for bargain hunters and penny-pinchers. We do not compile lists of spare part prices for people who simply peddle them around to get the oil filter a euro cheaper somewhere else. Stinginess isn’t cool; stinginess eats away at the brain. We reserve the right simply not to respond to any form of enquiry that does not contribute positively to the balance of our small but cherished universe – one that is also profitable for all those happily involved in it. In this regard, I am happy to quote a book title: ‘...I don’t give a shit!’
Our time is valuable and all our specialist knowledge has been acquired honestly, often through hard work and pain, yet always with integrity over the years. That is our capital.
YES, we are happy to serve anyone who treats us in a friendly, open and honest manner.
NO, we do not serve everyone. (See quote a few lines above)
NO, we are not arrogant, but we do have a) a healthy self-confidence and b) a keen sense of our counterpart and the signals they give off.
The deloman concept...
...is based on the idea of providing a specialist workshop to handle all technical matters relating to the Delorean and to get as many DMC12 back on the road as possible, in a safe and reliable condition and in good technical and visual order. Trained specialists such as master car mechanics, master upholsterers, master painters, bodywork specialists, and service technicians in the automotive mechatronics trade – all with specialist knowledge and training in many areas, such as BOSCH injection technologies and other specialist qualifications – form a network to resolve our customers’ minor and major concerns and problems in a professional and competent manner. It also fills us with pride when we are able to restore vehicles – some of which have suffered greatly over the past decades due to a lack of care and ignorance regarding how to handle the systems – to a condition worthy of preservation, thereby giving these exhibits a future. When such a car then finds its way into loving hands that know how to appreciate it properly, the circle is complete and our mission and task are fulfilled. That is why we work on these vehicles.
Our projects serve internally to assess our capabilities and externally to demonstrate the feasibility of various improvements, conversions and specialist solutions. Furthermore, the projects are intended to stimulate conversation and, consequently, discussion, in order to keep the topic of ‘Delorean’ constantly in the spotlight and ensure it is never forgotten.
For us, involvement at trade fairs, in print media and on TV is just as much a part of preserving the much-cited “automotive cultural heritage” as the presentation of the vehicles at meets, rallies and various car, classic and modern classic events across Europe. Whether it’s the racing Delo doing laps at the Salzburgring, the golden ‘Delorean’ battling for good times with the celebrities at the Kitzbühel Alpine Rally, or a perfectly ‘ordinary’ ‘Delorean’ turning up at a small classic car meet somewhere in the countryside. The DMC12 always meets fans and enthusiastic faces wherever it goes, and always cuts a fine figure. A cult and a legend, full of charm and history, and thanks to a very active Delo community, increasingly accessible to touch and experience first-hand.
“There is a fine line between fascination and madness in our world of DMC12s”
Initiatives such as “1st bi-fuel”, the “Delorean Art Project”, the “Delorean World Tour” and the “deloman-girls” aren’t always directly linked to unconditional tinkering, but they do lead to a broader awareness of our theme, “Delorean”, and also reach a wide range of people, not all of whom sleep with a spanner under their pillow. The spectrum surrounding the Delorean is so diverse that everyone, if they so wish, can find a place in this world. But no matter where you want to get involved, it’s usually people who are already enthusiastic about the subject who make it much easier for you to get started. As with so many topics, the only limits when it comes to Delorean exist solely in the mind.
...and a few more thoughts on the subject of ‘originality’
This topic is probably as old as the classic car, “youngtimer” and motoring scene in general. Even the world of the Delorean is not spared this highly polarising topic. Some want to experience everything in an uncompromisingly original condition and preserve it that way. Others want to keep the car going over time with manageable resources and do everything “step by step” just as they envisage it. A further group keeps the car alive with minimal effort, just to drive it occasionally – and that’s fine.
Depending on how strictly someone adheres to their philosophy, this can certainly lead to seemingly insurmountable tensions between individuals.
To bring some calm between the ‘camps’, we probably need to look back a little at our own history.
When the first Deloreans arrived in Germany in the mid-80s via sources that are probably hard to fathom today, the flow of information was completely different from what we know today. The internet, mobile phones, email and private television did not exist until then, and many who owned a DMC12 believed they were the only ones with such a car. Obtaining spare parts and information was unimaginably difficult back then, roughly comparable to trying to find parts for a space shuttle in the Teutoburg Forest today.
There were plenty of parts in the USA, but it was impossible to establish a link between the spare parts and the DeLorean owners. In Germany, too, parts were stored by the container load, but it wasn’t until the early 1990s that these became available to the first DeLorean owners.
Against this backdrop, over the years there were many oddities surrounding the Delorean, and originality often had to give way to functionality. Missing interior parts were sometimes recreated according to one’s own design due to a lack of reference or model; the electrical system, with its various switches and controls, could be made to work using parts from another make’s range; and when it came to the engine, the motto was often ‘survival is everything!’, because, after all, people wanted to drive, show off and experience their pride and joy!
Creativity and ingenuity were the only working formula for getting these cars – which at the time were still considered ‘almost normal used cars’ – on the road, and even today one can only take one’s hat off to some of the solutions, as many were resolved with more love and dedication than was ever seen in the design offices of DMCL (Delorean Motor Cars Limited), which were once under extreme time pressure.
Even these solutions, which we might smile at from today’s perspective, are part of the history and life story of an individual vehicle. An American once shared his laid-back view on the matter with me: “it gives him character!”
Thus, in keeping with the “live and let live” principle, a great many DeLoreans have survived over the years, and each one, despite having been part of what was once the world’s most modern mass production, is a unique piece that fills its owner with pride and brings them wonderful moments.
Nowadays, there are also the occasional vehicles that no longer look anything like what rolled off the DMCL production line between 1981 and 1982. From paintwork to lowered suspension, V8 engines and four-wheel drive, convertibles to stretch DeLoreans, there is quite a lot to be found in this world (thanks to the internet). In principle, everyone is free to do whatever they like with their property. With this in mind, these efforts deserve respect for now, as many of these projects have saved a Delorean’s life and spared it from what would otherwise have been certain scrapping.
Here I would like to highlight a few examples from the ‘deloman’ fleet:
The Delorean known as the “Krawallspüle” – lowered, fitted with silver-painted bumpers and a modified interior – occasionally attracts negative attention when viewed from a distance. It is interesting to see how even the greatest sceptics and opponents of this project view it through completely different eyes once they learn the story behind VIN 01178 and then experience the vehicle and its owner in real life.
The “Pimp My Ride” suspicion that may occur to some is put into perspective the moment one actually approaches the car. The entire bodywork is original. No spoiler, no air intakes, no wheel arch extensions. Even the rims are original. The vehicle sits significantly lower than the standard Delorean and the stainless steel also has a slightly brighter sheen than one is used to. This vehicle is a test car on which various installations and modifications have been checked and tested for feasibility and roadworthiness. Every spare part and every workshop service offered by the deloman team has been tested on this vehicle for fit and feasibility. Furthermore, this car is used for the preparation of special reports.
VIN 01178 was rescued in an absolutely pitiful condition from a paint shop in Molschleben near Gotha. The engine and gearbox were lying a few metres away from the car, and there was a huge hole in the bulkhead between the engine compartment and the passenger compartment. The previous owner’s mechanic friend had wanted to fit an Alpine Turbo engine here, and it simply wouldn’t have fit without the hole...
All the electrical cables, vacuum hoses and fuel lines had been cut from the vehicle using side cutters or similar tools, following the ‘we don’t need that anyway’ principle. The interior looked as if a dog had been living in it; the centre console had been sawn in two, the bodywork was dented all round and the bumpers had been spray-painted silver. The rest of this heap of metal, plastic and stainless steel fitted seamlessly into the overall picture.
Fast forward:
about a year later, this seemingly beyond-repair wreck drove out of our workshop under its own steam. Here too, we started off improvising and coming up with creative solutions, but today this ‘Delorean’, with an annual mileage of around 12,000 kilometres, is probably one of the most well-travelled examples of its kind. The bumpers are still silver, but have now been given a finish in the areas adjacent to the stainless steel that visually echoes the brushed finish of the bodywork, achieved through a very elaborate process. The engine, gearbox, fuel injection with lambda control and ignition system are essentially true to the original. Everything functions, regulates and controls just as the designer intended back then. Perhaps not quite like the original, perhaps a little more precise in some places, because after all, we’ve had a few more years to make the most of what DMC fitted for us.
There’s also a few words to be said about the “red runner” in this context:
this red-painted Delorean was first painted in 1982 on behalf of the Santa Ana, California, distribution centre. For this, the panels and their attachments were removed and the paintwork was then carried out professionally, in line with the technical standards of the time. Its second paint job, carried out a few years later, was unfortunately not quite as professional. Following a minor knock to the rear left side panel, the damaged area was filled, the entire vehicle was masked off using plenty of masking tape, and the visible painted surfaces were repainted red in a slightly lighter shade. The Delorean then spent many years in this state. As the paint types were incompatible and the preparatory work prior to the second coat of paint had not been carried out very conscientiously, the car very soon began to look rather run-down. Added to this was the Californian sun, which had taken a heavy toll not only on the paintwork but also on the interior. In this state, which was neither attractive nor desirable, the DMC12 crossed the Atlantic to our workshop. It was red and it was to be red again...
Fast forward:
after a total of three years’ work, the red car is once again a sight to behold. The panels were completely stripped of paint, and the dents from past parking mishaps were hammered out and straightened. The paintwork was completely rebuilt using a primer specially developed by a German paint manufacturer for stainless steel surfaces. The interior was completely rebuilt, adhering very closely to the original. ‘Very closely’ here means, for example, that the position, number and diameter of the speaker holes in the dashboard, the colour scheme of the surfaces, the stitching, etc., correspond exactly to the original. The seat covers were reproduced in the genuine leather and imitation leather combination used back in 1981, and the seat cushion cores were manufactured exactly to the specifications of the original upholstery.
The only deviations from the original are found in the radio, which has been converted to a DIN unit (the original unit with its original mounting frame is, of course, safely stored in the warehouse), and the headlining has been upholstered in the grey leather also used elsewhere in the interior, with the colour of the leather selected to match brand-new original parts. Oh yes, that reminds me: we have a box of original prototype parts in stock... dashboards from the test phase, sliding windows made of acrylic glass, and there’s even a headliner set... covered in leather...
As you can probably see, there’s a wide spectrum between 100% original and completely customised, and it’s up to each individual to decide whether they feel comfortable on that spectrum or not.
Finally, it’s worth briefly mentioning that we at the deloman team have purchased over two dozen Deloreans in recent years and restored them for our customers with the guiding principle: “As original as possible and as optimised as necessary” to a condition that is as true to the original as possible whilst remaining suitable for everyday use. These vehicles hardly attract any attention, yet their owners still enjoy them and derive pleasure from them even years later.
...and tomorrow I’ll be driving a Delorean again... an original one... apart from the tyres, water hoses, engine oil, heat shield and expansion tank... and that’s just fine...!
With a smile and a wink, I’d like to bring this topic to a close for today and thank the reader of these lines for the time they’ve given to me and the subject of the Delorean.
"Let the dream still live on"
...but don’t forget: It’s just a fine line between nightmare and fascination in our world of the DMC12.
Yours, Wolfgang from team-
