Re: I have a factory demo car?

["Robert Rooney" <dmcvegas@xxxx>]

No cars ever left the factory painted because there were no 
facilities to paint them on site. However, this does not mean that 
some cars could not have been "Factory Authorized" to be painted. I 
do have to agree that there must have been at least 1 car, if not a 
couple of others that were used to test paint. But just like the RHD 
cars, and the twin turbo prototype, all work must have been completed 
off site by private companies. I forget who had the photos, but there 
were pictures on someone's web site of the KAPAC warehouse in Ohio 
from when DMC Houston had an open house. In one of the photos, there 
was a right front fender which was striped with all paint colors that 
Lotus used. Also, in Stainless Steel Illusion, there is a picture of 
a late prototype DeLorean that was painted orange by Lotus. The car 
is shown in one of thier hangers near a few Espirits. So this would 
be proof that at least 1 car was painted, though both of these 
examples were done by Lotus. To take this one step further, (correct 
me if I'm wrong) painting cars was considered as a last resort. It 
was realized that some might want thier cars to be another color, but 
paint wasn't as resistant as Stainless Steel. Dupont was also working 
on anodizing, or caoting the SS various colors like red, blue, and 
green. The problem was that the coating would bubble & peel in humid 
enviorments. Weather a car with this feature exists, I don't know, 
but I am curious... In closing, while you could call it a "Factory 
Painted" car, "Factory Authorized for Painting" might be a more 
accurate term.


--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxx, Delorean17@xxxx wrote:
> Hello,
> I was digging through the box of parts that came with my car 
and I found 
> the original warranty with the original owners name and address on 
it. At 
> the bottom it shows a * and says*"Delivered at retail or put in to 
use as 
> demo or company car" and next to the date of delivery it has a * 
typed in. 
> I bought the car from the second owner who was told it was a 
FACTORY PAINTED 
> test vehicle by the first owner. He was told by the first owner 
that it was 
> painted by Dupont for DeLorean to find out the best way to paint 
a "d". The 
> dealer said it came off the truck black. After hours of looking at 
> peoplefinder.com and so on I found the original owners current 
address. My 
> car is an early 81 but wasnt delivered to the dealer until 6/7/82, 
that 
> seems a little funny.
> 
> I thought there was no way there could be a factory painted test 
car. but 
> John DeLorean was asked "how do you feel about people painting 
there cars" 
> he said "it was our intention to make paint available and we worked 
with 
> DUPONT to develop a series of paints to the dealers" "WE HAD 
COMPLETED 
> DEVELOPMENT WORK WITH DUPONT BUT WE NEVER GOT AROUND TO STARTING TO 
SELL 
> IT""DeLorean Gold Portollio article" If development work was done 
surely 
> they painted something. maybe it was a just a panel or maybe an 
entire car.
>
before everyone starts saying there was NEVER a factory 
> painted car please have something to back it up with. I am VERY 
unsure that 
> if it is a factory job and sorta dought it but I just find it 
interesting, I 
> actually prefer the stainless. The "demo car" on the warranty just 
kinda got 
> me thinking the other day. does anyone know anything about this? 
I will let 
> everyone know what the original owner says. 
> well I have to go finish "Dream maker" now. Its really quite 
good.
> 
> 
> Thanks for reading
> #2496-