By Bill Thorpe

DeLorean car clubs across the country host a tech day every spring so their members can break their cherished sports cars out of hibernation. Parts have been procured during the winter, and members unite so they can make their rides roadworthy for the upcoming car show season.

Club members are unique because they have long needed to depend upon other clubs to keep their cars in good running condition. With the explosion of the Internet, these clubs are known for sharing parts and information as to where to find hard-to-get items. 

A large cottage industry has evolved with most reproduction parts coming from Humble, Texas. The folks there have purchased the rights and entire inventory from the original factory in Ireland. They provide service and parts to the 9,500 known DeLorean owners worldwide. The group has also moved the hobby forward with the development of new parts. 

The Texas group, which maintains six franchised service centers across America, recently unveiled an all-electric DeLorean and has been producing about 20 cars per year since 2012 with the extensive inventory of parts at its warehouse. The asking price is $54,000, which includes all the bells and whistles of a modern car.
Indiana’s club, which calls Lebanon home, has maintained 14 to 16 cars over the past three years. The group’s gala in 2013 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway attracted 51 DeLoreans from across the country. The big event last summer was the DeLorean Car Show & Convention in Dayton, Ohio. Hollywood cast members and former producers were present for the weekend and gave insider commentary concerning the filming of the “Back to the Future” trilogy at a sold-out banquet. The national show, first held in 1996, is staged in a different city every two years. Typically, more than 300 DeLoreans are featured.

Kolin Brown, president of the Indiana chapter, and past president Jason Sharkey shared some of the club’s upcoming events with me. The Brown County Spring Blossom Parade, Car Show & Festival is Saturday, and a joint road trip with the Delorean Club of Ohio to the Gilmore Auto Museum in Michigan is July 31. In August there is the Carmel Artmobilia Car Show, which showcases period cars and rare vehicles. The season winds down with the Back to the Fifties Car Show in Lebanon on Sept. 19.

DeLoreans will be cruising everywhere throughout the summer; maybe you’ll get a glimpse of one of these legendary time machines. If so, be sure to wave a big hello!
Until next time, happy cruising.

When it comes to great old classic cars, there are two categories: cars that have been restored to original condition and cars that are still in original condition.
 
The latter is the description for Todd Taylor and Ronna Moore’s first-generation 1967 Camaro RS, which was Chevrolet’s answer to Ford’s Mustang and Mercury Cougar and the Dodge Challenger and Plymouth Baracuda. 

Todd and Ronna are the third owners of their Camaro. It was originally bought in Southern California in 1967 before being sold in 1968 to its second owner in Mesa, Ariz., where it remained until late 2014.

The car is still factory in almost every facet, including the 327 V-8 engine. The Rochester carburetor has been replaced by a four-barrel Holley, and headers replace the original exhaust manifold. The two-speed Powerglide transmission, four-wheel drum brakes, AM radio, paint, carpet, bench front seat (since recovered), rear seat and covers, column shifter, dashboard, door panels and 15-inch Rally wheels are original.

The doors, hood and trunk open and close with the ease, precision and quietness as if it were a brand-new car. The lack of rust clearly shows how the dry Southwestern climate is so much more forgiving than Midwestern winters.

The 1967 Camaro RS option was an appearance package that included hidden headlights, revised taillights with backup lights under the rear bumper, RS badging and bright exterior trim. Of the 99,855 Camaros manufactured in 1967, 64,842 were the RS model, which featured almost 80 factory and 40 dealer options, including three main packages: RS, SS and Z28.

Almost all of 1967-69 Camaros were built at the two U.S. assembly plants: Norwood, Ohio, and Van Nuys, Calif., where Todd and Ronna’s was assembled. The car has the Arizona title from its second owner and the original 1967 GM Chevrolet Protect-O-Plate warranty card.

Todd and Ronna want to keep the car stock, but there will be a few changes. They plan to drive it on sunny afternoons and summer evenings while enjoying that unrestricted Chevrolet V-8 power and the wind in their hair as they cruise down the road in style.