Barn Find: 1981 DeLorean with Under 1,000 Miles
A dusty 1981 DeLorean was found in a Wisconsin barn with under 1,000 miles – that’s heavy, Doc.
Mike McElhatten and Kevin Thomas, two devoted DeLorean restoration experts, got a call about an extraordinary find in rural Wisconsin. A 1981 DeLorean, complete with the original NCT tires, only had 977 miles on the odometer. The car was obviously neglected, but otherwise a very good candidate for restoration.
“She’s kind of become one with the barn a little bit,” Kevin said. “This thing is a time capsule.”
The owner, 90-year-old “Dick,” bought the car brand new from a Chevy dealership in the early 1990s – so he stands as the first registered owner of the car. He wasn’t exactly sure when the last time it was started, so it had been at least 20 years since it’s been on the road. Dick’s nephew contacted the DeLorean Nation channel to hopefully rescue the DeLorean from a dusty death.
Dick cheekily warned the two enthusiasts that the inside of the vehicle stunk due to the amount of time it’s sat in the barn and had a community of rodents dwelling within. Thankfully, though, the two noted that the inside was fairly dry, indicating that there wouldn’t be much mold.
Ready for Restoration
The frame was in solid shape, with only surface rust on the suspension. They also pointed out that the original hoses – that were fitted to the car in April of 1981 – were still soft and pliable. This DeLorean was so well persevered, the shield for the catalytic converter was still clean.
“You can look across the muffler and tell a low mileage car by just a little bit of browning in the center,” said Kevin from behind the camera.
Aside from the rodent droppings, the electric components and carpets looked clean. It even had an Interstate battery still installed. The fuses and relays, though, had seen better days with a layer of rust.
“Overall, this thing is really cool,” Mike said, standing in front of the DeLorean on a flatbed trailer. “I believe this is a true, 977 mile car… If the speedometer works on this car, we have a true 977 mile car.”
Check out the full video to watch the adventure unfold.
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