John Spangler                             

Like so many other new owners I saw Back to the Future at an impressionable age, and it got me hooked.  Specifically the moment the camera swung past the grille with the bright and mysterious DMC logo, and then the door opened with a plume of smoke.  Epic.

I've been dreaming of and wanting this car for about 20 years straight.  Other things have come and gone but the DeLorean has always been there.  I've built models, drawn many pictures, gone to shows, and I was even the youngest member of the DeLorean Owner's Association at 15 (they had an Expo in 1993 in Scottsdale) and was a founding member of Chapter 43 which I now know has become the AZ-D.  1996 was my last big event with the DOA and I basically put my head in the sand through college and beyond, but things finally started to go my way, and as of July 2005 I have my D.

In 2001 I combined 2 loves of mine and built a Transformer named Steelskin, which you can see on my website www.johnspangler.com.  The body was basically built from scratch and mated with an old Transformer chassis.  He's one of the most famous custom Transformers ever now, and the name Steelskin is used by me through the 'net and beyond.  Also if you have a look at my website check out my 1/24 scale D model, it's got more working light bulbs than some of our cars  :)

My car is an October '81 5-Speed Gray interior with less than 7200 miles on the clock when I took delivery.  Everything sort of lined up one weekend and I'd been tracking this car on eBay all week, figuring I'd not get it like the dozens of others that I've watched go by before it.  I won the auction at my in-laws' house over the 4th of July weekend.  The original owner, now 78, kept all the records and even the window sticker in the glove box so I have the full history in my hands.  Not that there aren't any surprises while working on it.  The fuel pump choked after only 13 miles while trying to figure out a cold starting issue.  I replaced the fuel pump and pickup, and then the CPR, and now it starts right up.  New tires (I kept the NCTs), all new gas struts, some new rubber seals here and there, new oil light sender, and a host of weird odds and ends are all getting attention.

I built a temple for my car of worship, a standalone 900sq ft 2.5 bay garage with my pride and joy, an original dealership sign, right in the middle on the wall.  I bought the sign a few months before I got the car, if only to confirm my madness to my wife.  I love driving the car (I honestly don't feel it's underpowered), and I especially love the looks on people's faces - priceless!  I look forward to any and all meetings I can attend.

John
#5572