It was almost like stepping back in time.
A 1981 DeLorean — the gullwing-doored automobile that took its star turn as a time machine in “Back to the Future” — was found in a Wisconsin barn, complete with its original tires and with just 977 miles on the odometer.
Mike McElhattan, a business owner who specializes in repairing DeLoreans, didn’t think much of the decision he got from Latest Mexico in regards to the automobile until he learned it had lower than 1,000 miles on it.
The original owner, identified only as “Dick,” had stored the classic automobile in a barn.
The body was covered in dust and rodent droppings, however the automobile was in otherwise good condition, right right down to the original tires and blue oil filter.
“This thing is literally a time capsule,” McElhattan said in a YouTube video in regards to the finding.
“The doors work well,” Dick said in the video, but warned the within wouldn’t smell so great.
Once they opened the signature-style doors, they found 4 mice running around inside.
The automobile, manufactured in April 1981, had sat in the barn for therefore long it was settled into the dirt.
“To me, what’s cool about it, is it’s completely original, right down to the original tires that rolled out of the factory in Belfast, Ireland,” McElhattan said.
The business owner bought the automobile from Dick, but didn’t disclose how much he paid for the vehicle.
The automobile will need skilled cleansing in addition to some effort to get the engine working before they will start the general repairs.
McElhattan estimated it might take at the least six months to get it back on the road.
DeLoreans were manufactured between 1981 and 1982 before DeLorean Motor Company went bankrupt. Only about 9,000 of the unique cars were ever made
The corporate had originally planned on making 25,000 cars a yr before bankruptcy and had stocked its warehouses with enough parts that even DeLorean drivers today can still get them.
As for Dick’s automobile, which might net as much as $85,000, in keeping with USA Today, McElhattan doesn’t know if he’ll sell it.