♪♪ Narrator:
THE DeLOREAN SPORTS CAR WAS MANUFACTURED
IN NORTHERN IRELAND IN THE EARLY 1980s. WITH GULL-WING DOORS AND BRUSHED
STAINLESS-STEEL PANELS, THE DeLOREAN WAS KNOWN
FOR ITS FLASHY STYLE. TODAY, MANY OF THESE CARS
ARE IN ROUGH SHAPE, BUT A RESTORATION CAN MAKE
A DeLOREAN LOOK LIKE NEW. [ MELLOW FUNK PLAYS ] THIS DeLOREAN IS A RARE
RELIC FROM THE '80s. ONLY 9,080 OF THESE ICONIC
CARS WERE MANUFACTURED. NO LONGER OPERATIONAL, THIS DeLOREAN MIGHT HAVE BEEN
DESTINED FOR THE JUNKYARD, BUT WITH PROFESSIONAL
RESTORATION, THIS COMPANY HAS THE SPARE PARTS
TO GET IT UP AND RUNNING. ♪♪ THE PROCESS STARTS
WITH THE DIAGNOSTICS. THE TECHNICIAN EXAMINES
THE SUSPENSION, THE STEERING RACK, AND BRAKES. HE FINDS SIGNIFICANT
DETERIORATION AND DOCUMENTS HIS FINDINGS. HE SCRUTINIZES EVERY PART
OF THE OLD DeLOREAN AND PRODUCES AN 11-PAGE
REPORT ON ITS CONDITION. ♪♪ ONCE ALL THE PROBLEMS
HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED, THE MECHANIC GETS TO WORK, REMOVING PLUGS TO DRAIN
SOME OF THE COOLANT. HE DISASSEMBLES
MANY PIPES AND HOSES THAT RUN COOLANT FROM THE
RADIATOR TO THE REAR ENGINE. ♪♪ MANY OF THE COOLANT PIPES
WILL NEED TO BE CLEANED IN ORDER TO BE REUSED. THE RUBBER HOSES
CAN'T BE SALVAGED AND WILL NEED REPLACEMENT. THE MECHANIC DISASSEMBLES
THE BRAKES. THE CALIPERS ARE IN BAD SHAPE,
BUT CAN BE REBUILT. THE RUSTY ROTORS
ARE STILL THICK ENOUGH THAT THEY CAN BE RESURFACED. ♪♪ AFTER MOUNTING NEW TIRES AND REFINISHING
THE CAST ALLOY WHEELS, ANOTHER TECHNICIAN
BOLTS THEM TO THE HUBS. HE LOWERS THE HOIST
AND SETS THE CAR ON THE FLOOR. HE TIGHTENS THE LUG NUTS
TO THE FINAL TORQUE SETTING. ♪♪ A TECHNICIAN
BEGINS DISASSEMBLING THE REAR-DRIVE ENGINE. IN ORDER TO KNOW
WHAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, THE TECHNICIAN MUST
TAKE THE ENGINE APART. HE REMOVES THE AIR FILTER BOX IN ORDER TO ACCESS
THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THEN, HE UNBOLTS
THE W-SHAPED MANIFOLD PIPE THAT SPLITS THE AIR FLOW
TO THE ENGINE. ONCE IT'S OFF, HE REMOVES
THE AIR-MIXTURE CONTROL UNIT, WHICH NEEDS
RESTORATIVE WORK. WITH THE UNIT OUT OF THE WAY, HE CAN EASILY GET TO OTHER PARTS
THAT NEED REPLACING OR FIXING. THOSE INCLUDE SPARK PLUGS,
WIRES, VACUUM LINES, THE DISTRIBUTOR CAP,
AND ROTOR. UNDER THE FRONT HOOD,
THE MECHANIC PULLS THE FUEL PUMP OUT OF THE GAS TANK
TO CHECK FOR DETERIORATION. IT'S BEYOND REPAIR. HE DRAINS ANY FUEL
THAT REMAINS IN THE TANK. AFTER THE GAS TANK HAS BEEN
EMPTIED AND CLEANED, HE INSERTS A NEW,
MODERN-STYLE PUMP MODULE. ANOTHER TECHNICIAN HOLDS
THE TOP OF THE PUMP DOWN AS THE MODULE IS CLAMPED
INTO PLACE. ♪♪ NEXT, THE TECHNICIAN REMOVES
THE INTERIOR DOOR PANELS AND USES A CENTRAL TESTER
TO OPERATE THE POWER WINDOWS. ♪♪ HE CONFIRMS THE POWER WINDOWS
ARE FUNCTIONAL. HE ALSO CHECKS
THE POWER LOCKS AND MIRRORS TO VERIFY THAT
THEY'RE WORKING PROPERLY. ♪♪ HE PULLS OFF
EXTERIOR RUBBER TRIM. HE SHAVES OFF ANY REMAINING
RUBBER BITS. THIS ALLOWS ROOM
TO REPAIR A DENT IN THE STAINLESS-STEEL BODY. HE FILES THE AREA AROUND THE
DENT TO REMOVE SOME SCRATCHES. ♪♪ HE PLACES A SPECIAL TOOL
OVER THE DENT. IT HAS A ROD WITH A FINE STEEL
TIP THAT WELDS TO THE BODY, PROVIDING A SOLID GRIP AS HE
MANUALLY PULLS OUT THE DENT. ♪♪ MEANWHILE, ANOTHER
MECHANIC APPLIES TAPE TO VARIOUS SECTIONS OF THE CAR,
TO ESTABLISH BORDERS FOR THE REFINISHING
OF THE STEEL BODY PANELS. HE SANDS OUT ANY IMPERFECTIONS
OR TOOL MARKS FROM THE REPAIRS AND RESTORES THE BRUSHED
FINISH BUMPER TO BUMPER. SINCE NO PAINT CAN BE USED TO COVER UP REPAIRS
ON BARE STAINLESS STEEL, THE BODYWORK MUST BE
DONE PERFECTLY. INSIDE, TECHNICIANS
REUPHOLSTER THE SEATS AND TREAT ANY DISCOLORATION IN THE VINYL PANELS
AND DASHBOARD. FINALLY, THE ENTIRE CAR GETS
AN EXTENSIVE EXTERIOR CLEANING. IT'S TAKEN MONTHS TO RESTORE
THIS DeLOREAN, BUT THE QUESTION REMAINS: WILL IT RUN LIKE A NEW CAR? ONCE TESTED IN VARIOUS
DRIVING CONDITIONS, MECHANICS CONFIRM
THAT THIS 1980s THROWBACK IS READY FOR ITS COMEBACK.
