Danny Botkin, general manager of DeLorean Motor Company, CA  (shown right in his own Time Machine conversion that he built in 2001) has actually built several Back to the Future conversions for clients.

Given his experiences building the Ecto, Sean was obviously well versed in a project of this scale but that didn’t mean that the time machine effort would be an easy one.  Months of prop building, years of parts collecting and a lifetime of research culminated into our interpretation of the mobile movie star we all know.

BUT... we couldn’t have done it alone.  We DID have help...

We started by scouring the internet for a low mileage, 5-speed, grey interior DeLorean and eventually settled on a very nice, original 1982 car in Glendale, Arizona.  I flew out one Saturday morning, bought the car and was back in Los Angeles by evening.  That was the easiest part of the entire process. (Special thanks to Slaven Subatic, the former owner for taking such good care of her for us.) 

Sean Bishop (at left) built the Ecto-1 from Ghostbusters by restoring and converting a 1959 Cadillac hearse.  This photo was actually taken out front of Hook and Ladder 8 in Tribeca, NY.  The actual Ghostbusters firehouse.

Obviously there was SOME demolition before we could start the build but we kept it to a controlled chaos.  All the back windows had to come out as did the entire interior.  Then Dynamat was installed so the fabrication could begin... Overall, there was some carnage, but it wasn’t TOO bad...

What always began as a Sunday afternoon, would unavoidably turn into a Sunday night and sometimes an early Monday morning.  There was always a huge sigh of relief once whatever particular late night task was complete.  We figured, if we were working that late, it was either something really tough, or something that I couldn’t drive home safely without completing first.  Maybe it was our exhaustion or maybe it was the resin fumes... but regardless, the late night hours were where we felt most triumphant.  A prime example being that fantastic conduit...

In the end... it turned out great.  Building this car was probably the most fun I’ve ever had with a hobby and it has been a wonderfully rewarding experience.  This thing brings a smile to faces wherever (or whenever) we go and perhaps THAT is the most satisfying part.

One thing is for sure...  This attempt came out a lot better than my first.  When I was ten years old, my parents had gone out for an after-dinner walk.  When they returned home 45 minutes later, I had cut up a grey blanket, run out of red markers and sacrificed my place to sleep...

Okay... the damn conduit...  I know that Sean agrees and I’m sure anyone else who’s ever made a time machine conversion will attest... the conduit is BY FAR the absolute worst part of this project.  It is the biggest pain in the ass I’ve ever experienced.  For every piece we got right, we threw away five.  Thank goodness electrical conduit is only about two dollars per length.  Luckily, in the end... it came out great and was well worth the effort.  But not without shedding a lot of blood, sweat and profanity...

Thanks so much for checking us out.  Please CONTACT US us with any questions, comments, suggestions.  We look forward to hearing from you.

Our DeLorean time machine was built in 2008 over a four month period mainly on Sunday afternoons up @ Sean’s prop shop in Valencia, CA.   Here’s a little bit about us and our project...

Sean and I have been friends for about 7 years but we’ve known one another for several hundred...  We both grew up on the East coast (Boston for him, Connecticut for me), and ended up with similar sensibilities and certainly similar interests.  We both grew up loving 80’s films like Ghostbusters and Back to the Future and we shared the life-long dream of owning one of the most recognizable icons in film and automotive history.  Considering Sean had already built the Ecto-1 from Ghostbusters, that left us with the obvious choice... the Back to the Future DeLorean time machine... 

Once she was finally complete, the first stop was to see our projects biggest fan, Simon Wells.  His great grandfather was H.G. Wells, who wrote “The Time Machine.”  In addition to directing the 2002 film of the same name, Simon had directed many films and worked in the art department on Back to the Future II and III.  Below are two photos of Simon...

One was taken on the (then) Amblin lot in 1989 when the Time Machine was taken out of storage for the first time to begin production of Back to the Future II.  The second photo is of Simon in 2008 in our DeLorean on the (now) Dreamworks lot for the reunion and Time Machine homecoming...

Now that the car was home in California, Danny Botkin and his team @ DeLorean Motor Company, CA took control and brought this original condition car back to life.  A small fortune was spent as this temperamental beast was morphed into a reliable daily driver, prime for conversion candidacy.  Given his experience with DeLoreans and more specifically time machines, (he’s built several himself) Danny is the absolute best and the only one I trust to work on our car...

Apex Electronics Surplus (left) is one of the places we hit up on a regular basis.  They specialize mainly in electronic and government surplus.  If you need a missle casing, this is the place to get it.  If you need a flux capacitor, they have that too. :)

Now that we had the car, we needed all the gear that bolts onto it.  Well, in all honesty we had been collecting all the little bits and pieces here and there for several years.  Dumpster diving and eBay surfing became favorite pass times.  Along with days, upon weeks and eventually months of scouring through military surplus yards looking to identify and find all the exact parts needed...

Our actual car how it looked the day we flew out and picked it up.  It was a long and stressful day, but she got us home, safe and sound.

There really is nothing like the first drive in YOUR very own DeLorean.

A closer look at one of the photos below will reveal Ernie Hudson from GHOSTBUSTERS enjoying some pizza with Sean and me.  He stopped by the shop one Sunday to pick up a proton pack that a bunch of us had made for him.  Over the last couple years, we’ve become friends and he’s just a great guy!!

(Like I said, he IS our biggest fan and for his contributions, we are forever indebted.  Thank you Simon for all your support and all you’ve brought to this project.)

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Of course we couldn’t find EVERY single part, so, what wasn’t found was either bought by other builders and modified to our liking or built from absolute scratch by us.

Sincere regards,

J Ryan and Sean Bishop

To see just how much fun we had with this build and many others... check out this short video...

“Ode to the Shop” a short film by Sean Bishop

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