UPDATE 2/17/2021 – We featured this pair of DeLoreans last year when the seller first extracted them from the barn. It appears that they didn’t have much luck finding a buyer at their $50k asking price, so they have now listed the pair as an auction here on Hemmings. How high do you think bidding will go on this pair?
FROM 8/11/2020 – These 1981 DMC DeLoreans have consecutive VINs, super low miles, and have been parked in this barn since 1981! What an amazing find! The seller has listed them to be sold as a pair here on Facebook Marketplace for $50,000. The cars are located in Lake Elsinore, California.
The data tags show that both cars were built in March of 1981. One car (#663) appears to be complete with only 1,623 miles on the odometer. The other car (#664) is said to be partially disassembled with only 14 miles on the odometer. The fact that they are consecutive VINs is quite fascinating and leaves one wondering how someone managed to pull this off. Of course, it’s their low mileage that actually makes them desirable. The seller might do better at finding homes for them by splitting them up, but of course, that wouldn’t make for nearly as interesting of a story.
Both cars are reportedly equipped with manual transmissions which makes them about 2 seconds faster getting to 60 mph than the automatic transmission equipped DeLoreans. With about 9,000 cars produced, the DeLorean is not particularly rare but the story behind these two cars makes them worth a serious look.
What do you think? Could this pair of stainless steel supercars be a bargain buy? We hope this find is for real. We wouldn’t be surprised if these pop up at a big auction house with a higher asking price next month though. Just remember that you saw ’em on Barn Finds first!
I drove a low mileage manual trans 1981 DMC-12. I drove it for about 100 miles and had an absolute blast. It was cool to cruise around in, it wasn’t a power house, but it was sufficient with the manual trans to be fun. The best part of the car is the doors, it was like getting in and out of a space ship. I would consider buying one at some point, simply for the fun factor and the attention that you would get driving it around town and to local car shows. The fact that these cars were sitting for so long, they will need a lot of maintenance to be road worthy again. I believe that the seller would do better selling the cars separably and not as a pair, but that is just my opinion. I don’t think the asking price is super crazy though.
Bluetec320:
How was the handling/steering?
It handled fairly well for the era, defiantly not a race car, but acceptable. I do remember that the ride was a bit harsh though, you felt every little bump in the road.
You have to wonder why one of these was “partially disassembled” with only 14 miles on the odometer – and if in fact that’s the actual mileage. BTW, seller is the same guy with the stash of British cars which was posted here on August 8.
Disassembled trying to “sniff” out the “rebate”🤣🤣🤣
Yes, I have serious concerns with a “claimed” original 14 mile car would be disassembled? Second, there is zero mention if the cars run or will require going through to get in running condition after sitting for possibly almost 30 years?
Exactly. This seller definitely isnt the first owner of these. I’d wager a body part (kidney) on that. This guy has had em for a while but got them for a song many years ago and they have sat rotting. I’m sure the entire engine and other systems are heavily damaged from improper storage…that’s a guarantee
If you don’t need roads where you’re going, do you accumulate miles?
What if it’s actually the same car but just passing thru time?
Back to the Future intensifies
Not much of a return on investment for 39 years. Imagine if he had put that money in the DOW instead. After all, it is not like anyone drove them or enjoyed them. Car hoarding is a sickness that someone should come up with a cure for. If you are not going to enjoy a car, let someone else have it who will.
Many people enjoy just owning and just looking at their cars. I know many people who do this. I also know people who have beautiful shotguns they just look at and never shoot. I have a couple friends who have private garages with lifts and in floor oil change pits, marble floors, the whole Snap-on line and the only work they have ever done to their cars is oil changes. They always wanted good garages and made good in life. Most of their cars have not moved or started for years. We rotate gatherings at their garages and talk cars. Our group has stayed in touch for over fifty years because no judgments are made, only an occasional frown and laugh. Some are at Bonneville Speedweek as I write this. One has raced every year for more than 40 years at the US Nationals at Indy. Some of us were at the 50th Aero Warrior Reunion. Some of the group is just barely scraping by and others have more money than they can spend. Being part of this group Has been a great investment and why we are still alive, active and happy. How you enjoy a car may not be how others it.
Vintage motorcycles are pretty much the same thing. People like me, buy ’em to work on and admire but don’t do much riding.
Same with vintage guitars. Hell, I bought a $350 new guitar recently and I’ve done more admiring of it than playing it.
There is a considerable difference between having a fine shotgun in a case or cabinet or a car in a good garage, and hoarding cars in a dim warehouse or barn, unseen and untended for decades. Having a car, or a fleet and using them (like Jay Leno) is a far cry from sequestering something in a barn.
I can tell you for sure that these were cars that were made by consolidated after the factory was closed, hence the consecutive vins, and that one that is said to be “taken apart”. Pfft. That’s not true. More like the car was never finished.. these sat in a facility in Columbus ohio in the early 80s in lingo and didnt make it with the rest of the lot that was sold off many many years ago. Im beyond floored that no one here has called these cars out and also known the history of them on this site.. idk, maybe there arent many knowledgeable car guys on yet.
Beenthere, I saw a warehouse in Tustin CA in the early 80’s stuffed with parts. Huge place. There must have been a couple dozen compete cars in the back.
Bruce calling these suppercars is kind of a stretch 🤣
True, not super cars at all unless they come with functional “flux capacitors”. Then you could at least take them back in time and recover your investment, over $70,000 each in today’s money.
Hahaahahahahaha👍🏼
Cheers David , your comment has made my day !
These are actually very early build cars, not cars built by Consolidated. This is based on the low VIN, the dark gray wheels, the gas flap hoods.
If so they were so f’d up that they were at the facility that checked them after the port and before dealership and they needed a bunch of work. I’m sure theres alot behind these cars that the owner doesnt know or wont tell. Cars like this ALWAYS have lies and incorrect information behind them from the seller. I’ve been doing this stuff for over 30 years and it’s not just a hobby for me
Tell ‘em, JACKRBT!
I think 🤔 these would be good to back in time and get-a couple new Shelby 68GT 500s , round block of Microsoft Stock and go to New York Dec 7 1980 and pick up Lennon for a five day get away 👀🤔
FYI: would rather spend high dollars on one nice four speed edition.
If these were decent or even a decent deal they wouldnt be on a site like ” baby book. “. U have to ask why a person is even on a site like facebook anyways that is over 14 years old and 70 and isnt senile.
I managed a Odd Lots/ Big Lots back in the middle 80″s. I remember the promotion where we had a giveaway of a 1983 “Gold Plated Delorean.” The company ran full page ads in most markets. Might have been the last produced car.
Look at it another way. I owned a manufacturing company and it was not
uncommon to buy a competitor’s product to see how they made it.
If everything the seller says is true then these are a great deal.
Possible that a person of financial means bought the two of them new knowing they were possibly going to have issues due to lack of track record and used lower miles one at some point as a “parts car”?
Rent a Delorean Time Machine for your next event or party! http://DeloreanRental.com
I suspect the low mileage “partially disassembled” car was being prepped to become one of those dreaded re-imagined “Time Machines”. Oh the horror…
Is the flux capacitor included?
Let’s not be so sure of ourselves with misstatements about the car without really knowing.
For the 1981 model year, there were 6,700 DeLoreans produced (VIN 500-7199). For the 1982 model year, there were 1,999 DeLoreans produced (VIN 10001-11999). For the 1983 model year, there were 276 DeLoreans (VIN 17000-17170 and 20001-20105) bringing the total estimated production to 8,975 cars. Yes Wiki and an owner.
If you yet information from wikipedia and “an owner” you have blatantly said you have wrong information.
Why so much trash talk on such an iconic car?
Beenthere, your not quite all there. Unlike you I don’t state things with such Authority like “I can tell you for sure” and “Definitely” Without proper knowledge. I’m coming from being an owner and I gave wiki because I copied from wiki those facts as to print them in this forum and not take credit for it.
Ad was taken down. I live just a few miles from these cars, let me know if you want me to check them out for you – if the ad shows back up. (I work for beer)
Rip out that weak engine and replace with a crate 350/290 Deluxe. Bump up suspension and drive it like the new beast it be.
Parking a car for 40 years does it no favors. Every rubber part is going to be dried out. All the fluids are going to need to be changed and flushed. It would be better to drive it a few thousand miles a year. Never understood why this is so hard for people to understand!
Manual or automatic tho?
The descriptions above says manuals.