18th Annual Woodward Cruise

The Woodward Dream Cruise in Royal Oak, Michigan, is essentially the world's largest car show. Millions of people show up every year to admire and laugh at the amazing and ridiculous parade of cars in front of them.

Yes, I have been to the Woodward Cruise many times before, but this is the first time I drove my DeLorean up and down the avenue. I drove alongside Corvettes and Chevelles, Thunderbirds and Triumphs, Packards and Porsches.

I appreciated the wild amount of cheering my car garnered as I cruised, doors open. It got more attention than most. After all, I was smack-dab in the middle of John DeLorean's territory.

As I crept along, I had a strange conversation with a bystander. Yelling over the din of the rumbling V-8s, it went like this:
"Where's John?"
"Cemetery!"
"In jail?"
"No, he's dead!"
"Did he die in jail?"
"No! New Jersey!"
On my second day of cruising a convertible pulled alongside me. The conversation was lighter (and cuter) as the girls filmed me for Street Sport TV (hooray!) and made Back to the Future comments.

Heavy police presence and huge fines hindered antics, launches and burnouts, but there were still a few bad boys willing to take the chance. Especially when egged by spectators holding signs that read, "Drive it like you got a pair!"

I eventually fell victim to this. Stopped in traffic I was provoked by the relentless badgering of an 8 year old girl. Yeah, you heard me. Soon a guy joined her, egging me to rev my engine. Over and over I resisted... then failed.

Saturday afternoon, at the Woodward Cruise, I revved the dinky 2.8 litre Peugeot/Renault/Volvo V-6 and did the DeLorean community proud. With my new aluminum water pump pulley and K&N filter, the engine revved faster than it has before. In a second I hit 7 grand. It sounded surprisingly good. Then the rpms dropped, dropped some more and then dropped some more. Right to 0.

I stalled.

Embarrassed, I nervously started it up and drove away, having proved to the crowds that the DeLorean really is that great big pile of crap they all think it is. Yay me.

StreetSportTV.com

17th Annual Woodward Cruise

Within 10 minutes of arriving, I watched as a classic muscle car performed a burnout to a cheering crowd, get pulled over instantly and handed a hefty $200 ticket. Ouch.

I've been to the Woodward Cruise before, and it sure has calmed down from the good ol' days of police in riot gear, but there was still a heck of a lot of action and bizarities.

Wanna see flames and fireballs shoot out of exhaust pipes? Check. A car covered in motherboards and computer chips named Carputer? Check. "Honey I shrunk the car" licence-plated golf cart versions of full sized vintage cars? Check. A rusty 30's hot rod powered by a behemoth Caterpillar diesel? Check. A Ford and Chevy guy getting along? Che... uh... not sure about that one.

The Woodward Cruise is an unbelievable experience. Not as unbelievable as say, stealing one of the retired space shuttles, launching it from your backyard and landing on Mars with it. But it IS the largest car show on Mars. I mean Earth.

And at the world's largest car show, it's not what you saw, but more likely what you didn't see. There's always a couple hundred Corvettes around. Ditto for the beautiful Olds 442. But how about something unusual, like a Studebaker Avanti. It was there. Ten DeLoreans cruising down the road bumper to bumper with their doors open? You bet. A Ford GT? Yup. A Tesla roadster? Of course. Ecto 1 from the Ghostbusters? Yuppers! A 25-foot long speed boat on a trailer sans car, driving itself??? Yes. A super-rare Buick GNX? Absolutely!

Yes, yes yes, they were all there.

When I say they were ALL there I mean it. For days every business along Woodward Avenue is packed with classic cars while more and more cruise up and down the street, bumper to bumper to bumper. Revving, yelling, cheering, and lighting up their tires.

Your insanity levels have to be measurable to enjoy the Cruise. After all, Woodward Avenue is quite literally the only place on earth where people drive from all the way across the country with the sole intention of causing, and staying stuck in, a massive traffic jam.

2010 Canadian International Auto Show

People have been celebrating the automobile since its creation over a century ago, and auto shows have been drawing gawkers like me since 1907. The automobile was essentially a replacement for walking. Until the late 1800s, people had been using their feet to get around, like a bunch of shmucks. Finally, in protest, some of them threw up their tired dogs, banded together and said, "It's time for a car!"

Most people think the car followed the horse & buggy, but few people realize that the horse was invented at the same time as the car. Old paintings of men riding horseback were merely horse-company propaganda, attempting to promote their less-than-efficient animal.

But it was a predominantly patriarchal society, specifically man's love of technology, that saw the car outsell the horse almost immediately. Some horse companies attempted to attract small children to their products by creating smaller versions, such as ponies. But children simply did not have the means to afford their own transportation and pony production slowed. Horses are now relegated to antique horse shows and one can find ponies and the ubiquitous "pony rides" at various fund-raising events and birthday parties.

I spent the final day of the Canadian International Auto Show wandering from manufacturer to manufacturer with my dad, and Subaru Canada's manager of Product Planning, who both preferred cars to horses.

Among some of my favourite displays were the Targa Newfoundland Nissan GT-R in bright pumpkin-orange, one lonely Tesla roadster plugged in and running, and the Cruise Nationals display, where a friend, Bob Train, had his 3rd place '51 Mercury on display.

Bob had his Mercury Monarch custom built from the ground up, bespoke in every respect. Power comes from a GM crate engine developing 502 hp. Inside, the Merc is outfitted in Cadillac STS upholstery, and includes a DVD/GPS system with multiple video screens. Bob originally considered a custom Clydesdale, but fitting the video screens to the back of the horse's head proved too difficult.

Another big draw at the auto show was the Mercedes-Benz display, and specifically, the new SLS. This one really drew the crowds, making photo-ops difficult and proving Gull-wings never seem to go out of style. I was a little disappointed in Mercedes' choice of displaying the car in red, but the car's proportions were a 10. See the SLS AMG here.

We stayed much longer than we anticipated despite the show's smaller size this year. As we exited, we passed through the Shelby display where a few million dollars worth of classic race cars were displayed.

Towards the end, we encountered one of the most spectacular cars of the show; the Ford Shelby GR-1 concept car, with an astonishing all-aluminum body. The overhead lighting glinted off the finger-printed body reminding me of my DeLorean in full sunlight. I was in awe. No offense to those in the paint business, but gorgeous pure metal is #1 in my books. It's cars like this that really put the hurt on the horse business.

Painting The Town Stainless Steel

Friday night, it seemed, I had the hottest thing this side of the sun. With the crowds gathered 'round, rays from that giant gas ball glinted off the DeLorean's stainless steel and blinded everyone without prejudice.

Friday night was Georgetown's 8th annual Rockin' Rollin' Classic Car Show. And it was a spectacular show, with nearly 400 amazing cars literally filling the downtown core and overflowing onto sidestreets.

But before we made it into town, everyone participating first had to line up and register at a nearby church. Once we were set, we slowly rolled into town where the crowds had already gathered. Most people parked their cars and began wandering, admiring and eating.

I, on the other hand, didn't get much of a chance.

Few of Georgetown and Mississauga's inhabitants had seen a DeLorean before. I was swarmed by inquisitive crowds all afternoon. The positive comments and the genuine interest everyone had blew me away.

Two different people told me my car was the best car in the entire show. Now, I'm not saying it was, because some of those muscle cars were to die for, but it seems that many of these folks see the same cars over and over again. The DeLorean was a treat.

Another man, smiling from ear to ear, told me my DeLorean was his favourite car in the whole show. One fellow, who had come back no less than 3 times to inspect my car told me that it made his night, and was the highlight of the show.

But the highlight of my evening was the glowing woman who first clarified that my car was built in Ireland for the U.S. market, then stated, "I was the import judge last year. I'm not a judge this year, but if I was, I would definitely pick yours to win."

What a thing to say! I couldn't have been happier. Not even more than the 30 or so kids who ran up to the car all night yelling, "It's the car from Back To The Future!"

Cameras clicked away and people bombarded me with questions and comments till my throat was sore. But the only thing that dispersed the crowds around the ol' D was the rain. After a good 4 hours, the downpour started, and not even the DJ from KRUZ radio could convince people it would let up.

We bailed before the trophies could be awarded, which is a shame because now I'll never know if I was actually going to win something. It would be amazing, but I've never tried to win a trophy. To be honest though, if it came down to it, I'd rather have the wonderful comments of the people than a piece of plastic and metal to display on a shelf.

The Ariel Atom

Our city held our first annual 50s Greaserfest, which some would consider appropriate given all the politicians that took the stage and did their best to appeal to the audience down by the water.

We wandered up and down the rows of 50s and 60s classics, staring at their spiffy chrome and juicy juiced engines. We got ice cream Sundays and apologized to the owners of the cars as we spilled our dripping ice cream on their tweed seats. Then we noticed something totally unexpected.

The Ariel Atom.

I watched the tiny, candy coated hand-built racer roll across the grass, and was surprised at how quiet it was. It didn’t fit in with the other cars in the field, but it didn’t matter. It was the super-yummy Atom!

I’ve only ever seen this car in this awesome video, and was utterly blown away by it’s amazingness. I never thought I would ever see one in real life, since the company only makes a few hundred per year, and didn’t think there was much of a market for it way up north here where there’s snow on the ground for 13 of the 12 months of the year.

The owner was only there briefly and was preparing to leave, so I snapped a couple of pictures before he headed off to some race track to make some cocky Ferrari Enzo driver eat his dust, dust and more dust.

This particular Atom had the supercharged Chevrolet Ecotec engine in 250 hp format, which was 105% more powerful than the version Suz had in her Crapalier.

I don’t know if all Atom’s are, but this one was street-legal, so the owner tipped his hat to me, bid me adieu, felt his moustache with his fingertips, pulled his goggles over his eyes and slowly buzzed across the grass heading toward the exit.

Sunday Car Show

In a bit of a contrast to the bonehead I met at the gas station not long ago, the people I met at the Oldies 1150 car show were ultra-nice, super-friendly, but most importantly, offered no ridiculous ideas to make my DeLorean look better.

Suz and I had packed up a picnic and rode our bikes down to the Pier when we happened upon the car show which had already started. I immediately turned around and pedalled home as fast as I could to get my car.

Fifteen minutes later, we were parked on the dusty grass among some of the nicest and dustiest classics I've seen in a while.

When a trio of our friends showed up to keep Suz company, I had time to listen to such amusing comments like "this thing must be worth, like, $250,000!" and answer some questions. I'm happy to say that nobody asked anything stupid, like "is John DeLorean still in prison?" I just don't know how to answer that without insulting the Corky who asked it.

I was very excited to meet a man who told me his neighbour was the man who designed the DeLorean's gorgeous instrument cluster, and hasn't seen a DMC-12 since the day they hit the streets. I told him I would love to talk to him, as I might be able to write an article for DeLorean World Magazine, but he slipped away when I was distracted by another excited enthusiast.

Although I was upset about losing that contact, it was still a great day. The best part was meeting all the people who love the car, or who've never seen one before. Their smiles and enthusiasm were so super-awesome, they could even brighten John DeLorean's darkest day in solitary confinement.

Car Show Swag

You (Rainypete) asked for it, you (Rainypete) got it. Car Show Swag.

The car show I recently attended with the DeLorean cost $10.00 to enter, which included admittance of both Suz and myself. In exchange for my Sir John A., we were given a goody bag full of goody bag goodness. And like a kid just arrived home from a night of Trick-or-Treating, I dumped the bag all over our table, pouring out the swag in no particular order.

The bag contained 1 wooden 33rd Annual Kinsmen Club of Brantford Car Show plaque that has the capability of being hung in many different places, all of which Suz has said "no" to. Alongside that plaque was a smaller, matching metal "dash plaque" with 3M sticky backing. There was only one place Suz would allow me to stick that plaque, and the sun doesn't..... well, you know.

In the writing utensil category, the bag contained 5 pens and 1 pencil from various companies like State Farm Insurance, Crime Stoppers and Coldwell Banker Realty. The pencil has already gone missing.

I don't use Armor All any more, after 197 people told me how it cracks rubber and vinyl instead of protecting. I've never seen it happen, but everybody who doesn't work for Armor All says it has happened to them. Despite that, I was still excited to get 2 sample size, lint-free, not-for-resale Armor All wipes. And if I happen to cut a finger while rubbing those Armor All wipes all over my dash, I could use the package of emergency bandages that came in a nifty plastic container. Oddly, or coincidentally, it reminded me of a little coffin which was approximately the right size for a severed finger.

But with safety in mind, they also included 1 pair of high impact polycarbonate plastic lenses, which were made in the most safety-conscious of countries, good ol' Taiwan.

And if that wasn't enough, I also got a sweet dog-safety colouring book, 3 mini-packs of emergency sunscreen which don't expire until August 2008, 3 magnets and 2 business cards from various companies, a Crimestoppers sticky-note pad and a State Farm Insurance keychain.

A big surprise was the totally dope beige Castrol Racing cap, with velcro adjustability, so it even fits my small head. And finally, an even bigger surprise was the 17, that's right, seventeen "Sulley" glow-in-the-dark sticker/tattoo combo packs from Kellogg's. I don't really get the relevance, but oh well.

I think somebody got tired of filling the goody bags. Too bad it wasn't the Castrol cap guy.

Diversity At Car Show

Trying to squeeze in some summer fun a few days before fall strikes, Suz and I found ourselves cutting through a thick, misty fog on our way to the Brantford Kinsmen Club's 33rd annual Car Show and Swap Meet.

After nearly an hour's drive, we arrived just after 9 a.m. We followed a string of muscle cars onto a grassy field and parked the DeLorean between a purple Z28 that had been modified for drag-race purposes and a 1978 New Yorker, which separated us from an amazing 1960 (I believe) Corvette.

The morning was grey but we didn't have to wait long for the sun to come out. We registered the DeLorean, grabbed our goody bag full of goodies, and went back to clean the misty water from the windows. We threw a blanket down on the grass and watched more cars pull in while a dog chased a horse around an oval track.

I learned about the show through an email from members of the Ontario DeLorean Owner's Association. I waited all morning for them to show up, but by the time noon rolled around, I realized I was representing John DeLorean's dream alone.

I tried to walk around and view some of the other cars, but was in too much pain. However, I made a special effort to check out the green Bricklin that pulled in shortly after me. I was very interested in the unusual double-strut system which held the gullwing doors in place, but was never able to track down the owner to talk about the rare car. Although I still think the interior is kinda icky-pants, I find I love the wild exterior more and more each time I see one.

Throughout the day some really nice people came over and asked me questions about the DeLorean, including a couple from Scotland. They had heard about this car show last year, and made a special point of checking it out while they were visiting.

A really nice guy who wasn't much younger than me even wanted me to pose with my car while he took a photo with his really cool Samsung digital camera. At least a dozen kids walked by all declaring the D to be "that car from Back To The Future!" and just before we packed up for the day, a girl with a French accent took a few pictures and thanked me.

It was a very fun day because of all that was shining: the paint, the chrome, the sun, and the attitudes of everyone walking around. Two Martini-thumbs up for the Brantford Kinsmen Club's 33rd Annual Car Show.

Tuesday Night DeLorean Fun

Last night I rushed home in our 48C degree* weather, skipped dinner, threw a lawn chair into the DeLorean and high-tailed it over to Canadian Tire where, every Tuesday night, there is a car show.

It's not really a car show, but rather a large gathering of collectible cars. "Food" wagons prepare all sorts of greasy things for consumption and a sound system cranks out oldies while owners exchange thoughts on the loves of their lives.

Although there are some old, exotic and rare cars each week, like this Austin Healey, many of them are staples at car shows everywhere. The DeLorean, a rare car to begin with, is even more rare in Canada, and always attracts a lot of attention. Sometimes it's people who have never seen one before, and sometimes it's people who were fans of the Back To The Future movies.

I am always prepared to answer many questions about the car, its history, Back To The Future, and even John DeLorean. People ask the same questions over and over again and I feel really great when I can educate these car-lovers about this stainless piece of history.

Yes, stainless. Not aluminum as a few people thought. Yes, Ireland. Not built in Nova Scotia as a few people thought. And yes, DeLorean. Not Bricklin as one older fellow asked.

For two hours I fielded questions and opened the doors so that excited attendees could take photographs using everything from professional-type cameras to cellphone cameras. In between questions like "Is this really the car from the Back To The Future movies?" I sat in my lawn chair and ate a congealed blob of grease which enveloped a small hamburger. It couldn't have tasted better. On a side-note, I did not see any Ham.

Our trip home was just as entertaining. Travelling in the opposite direction was a van driven by a dude so enthralled with the DeLorean that he stuck his head entirely out his window and, bug-eyed, yelled "Hoooooooly Shiiiiiiiiiit!"

Laughing with pure joy, Suz and I pulled into a gas station, filled up, then drove to the exit and waited to make a left turn. In the distance I could see the van approaching us again. He had pulled a U-turn and was heading back, determined to have another look. Not even the red light could stop him. He weaved through the intersection and pulled into the gas station with eyes bulging. He was so juiced up about the encounter that I couldn't resist answering a couple of questions before the blocked driver behind him honked. We both cringed. I took the opportunity to drive off, very happy that I made his day.

Continuing the drive home, we received numerous thumbs up and shouts of "Yaaa!" as we effortlessly united boys across the city.

*temperature with humidex.

The DeLorean Prototype

I'm one year old today, and because of how it all began, what better way to celebrate my blog's 1st anniversary than to showcase the DeLorean Prototype that graced the carpeted floors of the DuPage Expo centre at DCS 2006, after being 'lost' for 20 years in Bill Yacobozzi's garage.

This blog was originally intended to chronicle my DeLorean-related adventures, but since they are few and far between, I've found other interesting and personal things to write about in times of DMC drought.

The DeLorean Prototype unveiled at the 25th anniversary of the DeLorean was Prototype 1. There were a couple others, but this was the original. It was purchased by Tony Ierardi in 2004 for an undisclosed price, but estimated at about $102,000 U.S.

Tony spent two years restoring the car to its current super-awesome condition. According to Tony, parts had to be carefully disassembled and restored, as most components on the car a)have no replacements available, and b)were not designed to be taken apart.

The engine is still rear-mounted, and still French, however, it's not the familiar PRV V-6 that were used in production cars. I asked Tony about it. It's a 4 cylinder kickass Citroen engine, pumping out an economic 102 horsepower.

Okay, okay while 102 horsepower might seem utterly sad, the car only weighs 2,200 lbs, so it accelerates at approximately the same rate as the production cars according to Tony, who owns DeLorean Motor Company Florida.

The Prototype is insured for half a million dollars, and Tony is not allowed to drive it. Personally, I wouldn't be able to resist. I'd be as nervous as George Dubya in hell, but I'd simply have to drive it.

Although the stainless body panels and wheels are relatively different than those on the production DeLoreans, it's the interior that is the most drastically different. A sharp orangy tan, a go-kart-esque steering wheel, seats with tan fabric inserts, and a padded dashboard shelf are strikingly odd.

John DeLorean's daughter, Kathryn, knelt beside the driver's door and admired her father's work as I took her photo from the opposite side, through the open doors.

Prototype one is a one-of-a-kind part of automotive history that deserves every ounce of energy Tony has poured into her. All DeLorean owners should feel proud that Tony has restored the mother of their beloved DMC-12s.

Famous, Fab DeLoreans

The DeLorean car show in Chicago this past weekend was a stainless steelicious sight to behold. Not only was the Pheasant Run resort crawling with DeLorean fans, owners and Back To The Future stars, but with very special DeLoreans as well. And I don't mean "special" in the rides the short bus kind of way.

One of the most famous DeLoreans of all time, known as the $500,000 DeLorean, was on display for all to see, touch and smudge their greasy fingers all over the stainless body. The car belonged to Tonight Show host Johnny Carson. After donating half a million dollars to John DeLorean to help start his automotive company, Mr. Johnny Carson was given this DeLorean as thanks. In February of 1982, while driving under the influence (of alcohol I presume), Mr. Carson was pulled over and arrested. The incident made headlines nation-wide. Johnny Carson died January 23, 2005, followed 2 months later by John DeLorean.

Among other incredible D's such as the various Time Machines, quietly sat this pristine example of a DeLorean. This particular model appears no different than most 1981 models, until you read the VIN number.

Editor's Note: the following info was supplied by the owner of the car, and is false/incorrect. Apologies to the DeLorean community. According to the owner, after the first 500 series cars were given to the friends and managers of the DeLorean Motor Company, this car was stamped VIN#1 (actually 1001) and was the first ever available to the public.

The car was RUSH shipped from Ireland to the car collector and DeLorean Company investor who purchased it and added it to his extensive collection of other VIN#1 cars. This automatic DeLorean was the same car shown to the United States press for the purpose of news articles, TV appearances and fund-raising events.

Afterwards, VIN#1 was stored in a climate-controlled museum until 1994. When the owner sold his car collection he decided to keep two cars in his carpeted office. A Jaguar XK-E and this DeLorean. This DeLorean is now for sale for an undisclosed price. If you've got a couple of piggy banks full to the brim, and a mattress stuffed with your life savings and you want to spend it on a piece of automotive history, feel free to contact Jay Steinberg via email: dmchistory [at] aol.com

If you're wondering about DeLorean prices, they are all over the map. On the low end, beat-up abused D's can be purchased for as little as about $8,000 U.S. A very nice model will fetch between $20,000 and $30,000 while show cars can get upwards of $50,000 or $60,000. With John DeLorean's death, the price of these collectible cars has started to rise. Get yours now, before it's too late!

DeLorean Car Show 2006

This year marked the 25th anniversary of the DeLorean, and Suz and I joined the unforgettable festivities this past weekend at the Pheasant Run Resort in Chicago. The event was the largest DeLorean gathering in history, with 156 DMC-12s making the journey, most under their own power and a few being trailered in.

Trailer Queens included 7 Concours worthy DeLoreans, and, I suspect, at least one of the Time Machines. Yes, that's right, Time Machines. There were multiple Back To The Future time machines present, each one unique, spectacular, and oozing with glorious nerdiness.

As if they couldn't make Pheasant Run more exciting, DCS 2006 was merged with the Bloomington Gold Corvette show at the same resort, which saw six thousand Corvettes joining the DeLoreans. It was a spectacular sight to see, if you could keep your eyes open against the sun's atomic rays blasting off the polished stainless bodies.

Our group was privileged to watch the debut screening of Looking Back At The Future, a documentary which essentially looks at the reasons why the movie franchise Back To The Future was so successful, and why it remains so popular even 20 years later. The documentary interviewed the producers, directors, and nearly all the key actors except Michael J. Fox, who continues to focus his energies on his foundation for fighting Parkinson's Disease.

Vendors such as Rob Grady of New York's P.J. Grady's and Video Bob of bttfstuff.com set up displays and processed credit cars all day long while some of the actors from the Back To The Future movies mingled with the guests, including me. John DeLorean's daughter, Kathryn, seemed only too happy to meet new people like myself, and with old friends she had met at previous events.

The Concours cars were judged during the weekend celebration. The judges spent 3 hours on each car entered into the Concours and, using their judging skills and super powers, determined 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners. Awards were presented to the luckiest of DeLorean owners during Saturday night's dinner.

But everyone present was lucky, even if they didn't win a thing, as the most precious DeLorean ever was revealed to us Friday night. Prototype 1, hidden since 1984, was purchased for approximately $100,000 U.S. in January 2004, restored, and unveiled to us in spectacular fashion. It is a moment I will never forget. In fact, the entire weekend is one I will never forget.