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MarkMedia » Photos & Media » My DeLorean Time Vehicle
 Doug Vaters, tinkerer and modelmaker, had created a replica just because he wanted to do it. He had made other replicas in the past such as a KnightRider 2000 replica, the Robot from Lost in Space, etc. All the pieces that made up the 'time machine' parts were either made by Doug in his garage shop or by electronic whizzes that he'd farmed the work out to. He found the DeLorean itself while driving around town one day. It was being towed to a auto classics place where it was to be put up for sale. After buying the car, Doug replaced several aesthetic pieces (the rear lenses, for example). None of the parts were bolted to the car. Everything was held on with either adhesives, high tensile silicon, or by using existing mountings (bolts, screws, etc). The front bumper dispersion coil, for example, is held on by the bolts that originally held the front side parking lights. Apparently Doug wasn't having much success with the raffle, so I thought I'd make him a cash offer. To my surprise (and utter shock) he accepted. That was fantastic! I'd drive it home, I thought. But no, I was informed that the car was more of a show piece and in no condition to drive. There were alternatives, however. I flew to Florida to meet Doug and we hung out and completed the purchase details. Days earlier I had anticipated the trip by reserving the cheapest Ryder truck I could find and a corresponding car carrier. These are great as they completely take your car off the road during the trip -- here's an example picture. I woke up very early to pick up the Ryder truck. I'd spent the night in a cheesey hotel with no A/C (but plenty of cool night air). When I first attempted to load the car it could not make it over the planks. I made a return visit to the Ryder rental place. They decided to give me decent instructions the second time so loading the DeLorean was not a problem thereafter. They had forgotten to tell me about a hidden lever that allowed the carrier to tilt and thus allow the DeLorean to drive onto it. The car took a while to warm up but after a few minutes Doug had it up on the carrier and ready to go. In addition to the car, Doug also gave me special Doc Brown future glasses he'd made, a lab coat, and a car cover (to cover the DeLorean during travel). I decided I would drive straight back to Houston and only stop when fatigue was too much. The giant Ryder truck was completely empty for the most part. I stored the black exhaust flumes and Mr. Fusion in both the front cab as well as in the truck storage compartment. There was a sliding wooden door that allowed me to peek inside the truck from the cab. All I could see while driving were the sides of the DeLorean on the car carrier. This was scary because I was always worried about hitting another car or the side of the road or any type of obstacle while towing this long carrier behind the truck. The trip was slow at first. I picked a highway with at least 50 red lights for the first 100 miles. I learned how to brake early and avoid stopping short. Apparently this is an important thing to remember when driving a giant rig. The trip was uneventful for the most part until I stopped near a Wal-Mart in Mississippi and bought some Kentucky Fried Chicken. I was eating my meal while sitting on the car carrier next to the shrouded DeLorean. A mother and her two kids pulled up alongside me while I was feasting on the tasty dead chicken. I was interested to hear what she had to say. She told me her son thought the Back to the Future car was underneath the cover. I told them it wasn't, mostly to avoid the pain of removing the car cover. The flux dispersal coils that wrap around the front bumper and over the back and around the car were tearing into the car cover. Removing it wasn't going to happen until I got home. I stopped somewhere in Louisiana to take a nap and slept inside the DeLorean. Such a cool memory. The only tense moments occurred while I drove through a dense fog bank at the Louisiana-Texas border. It burned off after an hour or two but I was mega stressed from the experience. Gas consumption at this point was terrible. I think I spent $300 on gas, at the minimum, while driving just over 1000 miles. I arrived home and my dad helped out with unloading the car (I had never driven a stick shift at this point). We stored it in his garage for several months until I was able to secure the funds (and the gumption) to take the car into DMC Houston for major engine work. Check out the Overhaul page for that info. Today I can drive a manual very well thanks to Oktober and her Cyborg Mustang. Here are some RealPlayer files I put together to document the many features of the time vehicle. This was filmed on a crummy camera before the engine overhaul. Expect these to be replaced at some point.
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