Having just mentioned the DeLorean in the post below, it's a good time to show the latest in my $1.19 Car of the Week. My local grocery store seems to price all the 'small cars' the same, whether they're Hot Wheels, Matchbox or an 'unnamed' brand. The odd thing about this DeLorean is the gold color finish instead of the expected silver-gray. The head- and taillights are individually painted, a requisite for me, even at this admittedly cheap price-point, lol. It just makes the cars seem so much more realistic to me The taillights are actually the correct scale eggcrate pattern too.
Casey... First off, I'd like to compliment you on your work. You are hands down the best Chopper on the net. You did miss your calling my friend. If Lincoln had a brain in their collective heads, they'd send you $2 million and buy ALL of your Design Chops. Unfortunately then they'd have the task of figuring out which ones NOT to use, which I'll admit would be tough.
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw the DeLorean Hot Wheels post it made me want to ask... What did you think about the car then and how do you think the design has aged?
Keep up the great work!
RW in Scottsdale, AZ
wow, thank you RW! starving artist that I am, I'd take the $2million!—I'd probably take 2 grand but don't tell them that!. : )
ReplyDeleteInteresting question about the DeLorean. Back then, I don't think I appreciated it much. It seemed to me to be a bit of a new Bricklin, and I felt the gullwing doors were just fluff. I've always read every enthusiast magazine out there also, and the drivetrain wasn't much to write home about-the Peugeot/Renaul/Volvo V6 not putting out much power. I'd say that the design was the best thing about it though, in terms of overall shape and stance.
I have to say though, drivetrain notwithstanding, the design, imo, has aged really well. I'm actually a fan of the 'origami' school of design that was flourishing then-the straight angles and deep windows. The stainless steel body was pretty darn innovative also, although like every other mfr, the plastic/rubber bumpers never quite matched and seem to fade quite a bit. I've seen a couple of painted DeLoreans, a black one and a red one, and I think the brushed silver suits the shape best. The later ones with the lighter gray interior work best.
I'd be proud to have one in my driveway though, which isn't the case with many early 80s cars. I think I'd have to have vast sums of money to replace the original engine with something more contemporary-engines today are so much more powerful and economical. Of course I'd save the original for a future restoration back to stock. I'm a huge lover of old/classic cars, and get sad every time I see one customized with no regard to their historical context.
Thanks so much for the comment and I hope you continue to check my site out!
casey