DeLorean drivers own a car with cult status

Dave Swingle has a ton of SS304 stainless steel - the same metal as your typical kitchen sink. But he doesn't do home remodeling, and this isn't scrap.

Instead, it's the chiseled bodywork for a multitude of DeLoreans he has scattered throughout his Crystal Lake repair shop. Swingle owns and runs DeLorean Motor Company Midwest, so he's quite familiar with these special cars and their paint-free, brushed surfaces.

Before we can get to this shiny automotive trove, we have to go back in time for some brief history.

In the spring of 1973, John Z. DeLorean made the decision to resign from his successful executive position at General Motors Corp. After helping to develop several auto icons, including the GTO and Camaro Z-28, he leaves to start his own car company bearing his name: DeLorean Motor Cars. With influence and technology from Lotus, Renault, Grumman Aerospace and Ital Design, the DMC-12 sports car rolls off its Irish production line for only two short years (1980-82) after financial and legal woes force the company to shutter.

The brand would have faded into oblivion had it not been featured in a Hollywood leading roll, bringing the nameplate back into public attention. A time-traveling DeLorean was used to transport Marty McFly through time in the classic "Back to the Future" series of movies.

Despite the premature end of the company and its lackluster performance, the unique styling and character of the DMC-12 was what attracted the eye of Swingle 12 years ago when he purchased one as a family restoration project. "I got into it as a hobby so my son and I would have something to work on together," Swingle said.

As their car came together, he got plugged into the DeLorean Midwest Connection car club, enjoying the community of other fellow owners. It wasn't long before Swingle's penchant for working on the DMC-12 became known and he wasn't just working on his own car, but other members' cars as well. He also became very active in the online DeLorean world of blogs, forums and chat rooms - enough so to catch the eye of Houston-based DeLorean Motor Co. (DMC).

This most recent business endeavor was founded in 1997 and while not affiliated with the original company, has acquired the rights to use the DeLorean name, allowing this new company to carry the brand's products and parts. "They approached me about opening a licensed DMC location here in the Midwest. With my then-current office job looking less and less appealing, I turned to my wife and said, 'Let's do it,'" Swingle said. After waiting a couple years to see his kids through college graduation and marriage, Swingle retired and in 2007 he turned his full-time attention to starting the new business and officially opened the doors to DeLorean Motor Company Midwest.

In those three years since, Swingle estimates close to 300 different repair orders have come in and gone out, all for shiny DMC-12's. Starting with his wife as the only other employee, Swingle has since hired a full-time mechanic to assist with the workload of cars coming in from as far away as Maryland, Delaware, Michigan and Wisconsin. By stocking all kinds of parts, offering full-scale restoration, performing regular services and being a general hub of DeLorean news and information, Swingle has been able to become a one-stop shop for owners and enthusiasts.

"We have a lot of customers who tell us, 'We wouldn't be driving this car if you weren't here and in business.' Before we opened, they were afraid to drive their DMC-12 for fear of taking it to a generic shop to pay outrageous repair prices - not that the shops were crooks but just that it's such a unique car to work on you need to know what you're doing," Swingle said.

By specializing in just the DeLorean model, Swingle and his crew are able to make repairs much more affordable, allowing owners to feel confident in driving and enjoying their car while removing the hassle of finding a shop to perform normal maintenance and other repairs to their special ride.

And just what is it about this car that makes drivers today want to slide behind its wheel instead of a modern sports car? The first striking characteristic is that shiny SS304 steel skin that came from the factory in what was deemed as the much more aesthetically-pleasing paint-free manner. When asked about removing minor everyday parking lot and rock scratches, Swingle reports: "Most owners clean their car with just a basic glass cleaner and a scrubbing pad, no different from what you may have in your kitchen or bathroom."

Another unique feature are those gull-wing doors, typically found on six-figure exotics, but can be had for the $20,000 to $30,000 price tag of what most good-condition DeLoreans now sell for.

However, you won't be keeping up with those high-dollar cars with the humble Renault-sourced 2.8 V-6 under the DMC-12's rear deck lid. The 135 horses that canter along are sent through a three-speed automatic or a five-speed manual transmission, making for lazy jaunts instead of pin-you-to-your-seat performance. The ho-hum specs are just fine with Swingle, who is quite content with the amount of interest the car gets on its own merit, despite its lack of track-prowess.

"I always warn new DeLorean owners that it is a real attention-getter. When we take our car out we've had people hop out at stoplights with cell-phone cameras, snapping pictures," Swingle said. With fewer than 10,000 cars being produced and an estimated 6,000 believed to still be in existence, seeing one of these out on the road is a rare experience.

Despite having his shop full of these shiny steel coupes, it appears that after all this time, Swingle still can't get enough of being around these unique classics. With cars continuing to roll through his service bay doors, it looks like it'll stay that way for years to come.

For more information about DeLorean Motor Company Midwest, visit dmcmidwest.com.