Watch The Restoration Of The Back To The Future DeLorean
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An important piece of science fiction memorabilia is in the process of being preserved due to the tireless efforts of a group of dedicated fans with a variety of auto repair skills. Bob Gale, the co-writer and producer of Back to the Future, is spearheading the effort to restore and refurbish the actual DeLorean time machine from the film. Here’s a video of the team’s efforts in progress.
Like all too many iconic Hollywood props, the time machine—constructed on the body of a DeLorean, the short-lived, stainless steel automobile manufactured from 1981 through 1982—fell into a state of neglected disrepair. As you can see from this video, the Time Machine Restoration Team, headed by Gale, Terry Matalas, and Joe Walser, has been hard at work.
The entire vehicle was taken apart, cleaned piece by piece, and reassembled with meticulous attention to detail. They’ve had to track down all of the scattered bits and miscellaneous missing parts. In some cases they’ve been able to secure the necessary pieces, but in others they were forced to fabricate new ones based on the original blueprints. Even the body is getting a spit polish and a makeover. Watching the participants in this video, you can tell that this is a labor of love for all involved.
Gale and company are even adding one little upgrade. All of the electronics will be controlled by one central computer, which allows them to work in conjunction with one another. When they’re done, it should still be able to get up to 88 miles per hour.
After the project is complete, when the time machine is exactly as it was when Doc Brown first showed it off to Marty McFly in the mall parking lot in 1985, then it will be preserved indoors forever at Universal Studios for everyone to enjoy.
