Exterior

Over the years sitting abandoned on the backlot at Universal Studios, many of the props on the outside of the car were removed or stolen. The remaining pieces were restored, and items that no longer existed were recreated. The flux boxes on the front fenders were still on the car and they were made from resin on top of wood. The resin had large cracks in it, and the wood on the inside was rotting. We decided to mold them and recreate new ones for the car, keeping the original flux boxes stored for posterity. In addition, the flux boxes on the roof and under the rear bumper were missing, so they were recreated along with the wormhole emitter on the roof.

Both front and rear bumpers had faded greatly over the years. They were refinished and painted with a semi-gloss mixture so that the paint didn’t look too shiny and new. The body panels were removed, everything cleaned up, sealed and painted, then reassembled. An original grille was located and installed.

All of the colored wires and thick black rubber cable around the front fenders, under the doors, and up into the rear deck were still in place on the car. However, due to the extensive exposure to weather, the colored wires were very brittle and most of the color has faded. We have kept all of the original colored wire aside. We were able to find the exact same brand, size, and colors of the wires. The new replacement wires were installed with the exact same number of wires for each color. The thick rubber black cable was in very good condition, so it was cleaned and reinstalled. Under each door is an aluminum tube with a piece of mesh attached. Both of these were incorrectly covered in black spray paint like everything else, so they were removed, refinished, and reinstalled.

The original rear deck lid with the large vents was still on the car, so it was removed and refinished. The two small vent pieces that cover the rear tail lights were also refinished and had new installation tabs welded on. New threaded holes were created in the new tabs for easier removal and reinstallation of the small vent sections. The vents were originally painted in a “splotchy” burnt looking black, so we replicated that look.

Most of the props on the rear of the car were missing, and thus recreated. The large silver tube behind the drivers side (typically a Janitrol container on some of the other cars) was a rough creation on this particular car. We recreated the same look for this piece, along with the orange hose to the passenger side. A silver box was created, along with two heat sinks installed on top. Various pieces were extensively researched for the props located on the left and right side pontoons. A Mr. Fusion base was created along with the proper coffee grinder on top.

Immediately behind the deck lid were two black wood towers with a cross tube mounted on top. These original pieces were restored and reinstalled. The thin aluminum heater ducting was replaced with new sections.

The hood box that was on this car during filming is now attached to the DeLorean shell hanging from the ceiling at Planet Hollywood in Hawaii. In order to present the car as it was during the movie, we acquired an accurate replica of the hood box. Several LED light clusters were installed within the hood box.

The flux banding around the car was missing, so new bands were recreated and installed using all of the original body mounting holes. There are still some extra holes in the body from the damage done by adding light rope for the Petersen Museum display.

Restoration images courtesy of Brian DosSantos, final completed pictures courtesy of Eric DosSantos, and most text courtesy of ScreenUsed. All other images are property of the respective movie studio or copyright owner.