DeLorean Car Show 2012 - Part III

DeLorean Car Show 2012

Wings up!

Saturday, 16 June 2012

This is a car show, so of course there were cars at the show.  There were over forty DeLoreans at the show.  Not the largest gathering of DeLoreans, but the largest I have seen.  Quite impressive to see all those cars lined up with their wings up.  Getting that 'tunnel' shot is always a favourite.  Owners were up early in the morning to register their cars for the show.

Meanwhile, the DCS Tech Talks were going on.  I only stayed for the first two presenters, then went on the floor to check out some of the cars and vendors, and mingle with the DeLorean community.

Top secret meeting with Mike from DMC-Midwest

Mike is responsible for the two latest additions to my car, the Shock Tower Brace and the Sequential Fan Controller.  He works with Julee and Dave at DeLorean Motor Company- Midwest.

Really excited to meet Andrew Probert

I got to meet Andrew Probert, without his vision, Back to the Future would not have looked as cool.  Special thanks to Stephen Clark of BTTF.com, for giving me a Hot Wheels Time Machine so I could get it signed by Andrew Probert.

Oliver and Terry Holler's Time Machine

Christine was there

Rich Weissensel's DeLorean Limo

Rich Weissensel's D-Rex

Lots of DeLorean cars...

...even a DeLorean bicycle.

Oh yeah, of course I got to ride the bike.

There were some interesting cars on the floor.  Tony Ierardi brought his DeLorean to be judged at the Delorean Marque Certification Event.  It was perfect!  Well, almost.  It got a point and a half taken due to some dry rot in the tires.  These were original 30+ year old tires, and it had a little dry rot in them.  The car is spotless, it looks better than any DeLorean ever did, even ones fresh off the factory floor. Basically, Tony took the entire car apart, cleaned, and reassembled it.

Proto-1

Another car Tony brought was Proto-1. The first prototype of the DeLorean built.  This was the car John DeLorean used, in the late 1970's, to promote to car.  Seeing this in person is orgasmic...yeah, I said it.  At the end of the show, Tony passed the torch of ownership of Proto-1 to Cliff Schmucker.

Interview with JLP Movies for a documentary on DeLoreans

JLP Movies was there filming a documentary.  Jordan Livingston and his crew interviewed me because of the Hot Wheels DeLorean.  Hey, I may get to be in a documentary.  You know how I love documentaries...this is like 'Living the Dream'!


After the car show, we were treated with another set of presenters.  I am too lazy to list the presenters.  The evening was capped off with Bob Gale (my new best friend) some of the cast and crew from the Back to the Future trilogy.  Also the Time Machine Restoration Team presented updates on their project.  Yup, you guessed it...another nerdgasm.

Cast and Crew of Back to the Future

Pictured above:  Jeffery Weissman (George McFly, Part II and III), Claudia Welles (Jennifer Parker, Part I), Bob Gale (Writer/Producer of the trilogy), Andrew Probert (Storyboard artist, Time Machine concept artist), Kevin Pike (Special Effects Supervisor, Time Machine Builder), and Donald Fullilove (Goldie Wilson)

Oh, almost forgot.  They gave away the raffle car at the end.  There was also a raffle for prizes, I won two prizes, a DVD and a Shift Boot Cover for my automatic car.  Tony let me return it to his shop for store credit.  Once I get a part from DMC-Florida, my car will have at least one part from all the DMC vendors.

That was it, three days of DeLorean and Back to the Future madness.  The next DCS will be in Dayton, Ohio, 12-15 June 2014.  Hope to make it there, and see everyone there.

Go to Part I - Part II

The End.

DeLorean Car Show 2012 - Part II

Group shot in front of the raffle car.  Picture by Kevin Abato

Friday, 15 June 2012

We spent the morning and afternoon at Downtown Disney. This time, we hit the shops and Planet Hollywood for lunch.  The convention pretty much starts this afternoon.  There were about a dozen guest speakers, including myself, giving presentations on all things DeLorean and Back to the Future related.

By late afternoon, the crew had brought in around 40 cars

The best part of any convention is meeting the people that share the same passion as yourself.  I got to meet Stephen Clark, the guy who runs BTTF.com.  Great site, check it out.  If you ever need anything Back to the Future related, Stephen's site is the best place to go.

Stephen Clark of BTTF.com

Finally got my picture taken with Bob Gale

In all the excitement of our meeting with Bob Gale, I totally forgot to get a picture with him.  Well, three months and three thousand miles later, I finally got that picture with Bob.  You want to know the cool part?  Bob remembered my name.  Classy guy!

Finally a picture with Don and Nancy

Speaking of time and space, this picture with Don and Nancy of DMC-California, took over two and half years and also three thousand miles to happen.  I got my car from their shop, as well as having it serviced there.

The raffle car

We took a group shot with the raffle car, see picture at top of post.  Then, it was back inside the hall for dinner and presentations from the guest speakers.  We were unable to get photos of some, busy listening and preparing for my segment.  Kenn Knowlton talked about Cliff Schmucker's collection of original DMC documents, some were displayed at the show.

Production Illustrator, Andrew Probert

Andrew Probert gave a presentation on his work on Back to the Future.  The highlight was the storyboard sequence of an alternate ending.  I love alternate endings and I love storyboards, this was amazing.

Shawn Kerkhoff and Donald Fullilove

If you ever saw the episode of American Dad where Stan and Steve drive in DeLorean in search of a door, you will recognize Shawn Kerkhoff.  Shawn works on American Dad, and is the guy in the Time Machine that was racing against Stan to get the DeLorean door.  There was a surprise appearance by Donald Fullilove, you probably know him better as Goldie Wilson from the Back to the Future series.

Oliver and Terry Holler discussed their Time Machine that was featured in an ad campaign for Garbarino, an electronics store in Argentina.  Christopher Lloyd reprized his role as Doc Brown for these viral ads.

Then there was this guy.

Holding up my Hot Wheels DeLorean

There were a lot of speakers, so we were limited to about twenty minutes of babble.  I went a little over at about thirty minutes.  My presentation included:

- A brief history on the relationship between Hot Wheels and the original DeLorean Motor Company.
- Story of the almost Hot Wheels DeLorean, released as Turismo after slight modification to the casting.
- My responsibilities at work
- How I finally got the DeLorean into the Hot Wheels line up
- Process of how I made the DeLorean
- Summary of the different versions, including the Back to the Future Time Machine
- Mattel Hoverboard and my involvement on the project
- Sneak peeks that were exclusive to DCS 2012
- Q & A session

Yeah, I covered a lot.  You can see how I went over.  As you can tell from reading my posts, I am not the best at communication.  Things get a little harder when there are 300-400 people in the audience, plus video cameras pointing at you.  A lot of pressure when you are representing a big company like Mattel.

After my long-winded portion, there were a handful of other speakers, including Stephen Wynne, who spoke about how he acquired the parts and the name for DeLorean Motor Company.  Tony Ierardi talked about his involvement with Proto-1 and the promise that it will always be preserved and part of the DeLorean community.

Going back in time, there were two presenters that spoke about their time with the original DeLorean Motor Company.  Mike Knepper and Nick Sutton gave us some interesting historical information. They probably could have had more time, but some idiot was talking about toys and went over his time limit.

Back to the Future Special Effect Supervior, Kevin Pike talked about his experiences in working on the movies.  

Kathryn DeLorean

Last speaker of the night was Kathryn DeLorean, John DeLorean's daughter.  Always fascinating to hear behind the scene tales as she shared interesting stores about her father.  Afterwards, before we were kicked out of the hall, there was time a little time for guests to mingle.  I got a picture with Kathryn. 

Photo with Kathryn, with Danny (DMC-CA) in the back.

See that hoverboard?  That is the prototype board that was shown at Toy Fair in February.  I had to carry that thing around the whole day...the things I do for work.  It gave a lot of people a chance to handle and take pictures with the board.  Many came up to me and had questions and comments about the board and Hot Wheels.

End of a long day, and there is another day to go. Luckily, I will not have to talk in front of hundreds of people and cameras, tomorrow.  I can fake one-on-one conversation, but winging it on stage is another thing.
 
Go to Part I

To Be Concluded...

Hoverboard Logic

Well, if you missed the deadline for ordering your hoverboard, you will have to wait until the Fall to get a chance to order one...at possibly a higher price, and no mini hoverboard.  Hey, you had 20 days to do it...and it was extended another 7 days.  A full month.  No excuses.  Bet you wish you had a time machine right about now.

This is the part where I go off into a tangent. People keep saying that "hover technology will not be invented until 2015".

First of all, the idea of hovering is pretty much impossible without some sort of track system. There is nothing to repel or push off of. There is no way of cornering or steering something that hovers...unless the entire town is paved with some sort of mag-lev tech...translation, pretty much impossible.   The laws of physics simply does not allow this idea to happen.

Yes, we have all seen the viral videos of people making floating boards. But, all they do is float in one space, it cannot stray away from the specific magnetic field. There are trains and roller coasters that float on magnetic tracks, this is the only way to directionally control hovering technology. Ugh, what about the weight of the rider? A kids' ride-on usually has a weight limit, when you factor in various weigh on a floating object, there will be problems with keeping a board floating at about four inches off the ground. Physics, people...think about it.

Second, why to people keep stating the 2015 date? If the technology was invented in 2015, it would take years, perhaps decades before it would be implemented into a toy or product for kids. Logically speaking, the hover technology would have to be invented sometime around 2010 or so. Also, not every kid would have the latest toys. I have a PS3, it is about five years old. I drive a car that is over 30 years old. Point is, almost everything I own was not invented/made/purchased this year. What if the kids hovering in the movie had the hoverboard since Christmas of 2014?

So, are we to believe that everyone in town has got this hovering technology? Okay, what about Griff and his Pit Bull? Everyone knows that hoverboards do not work on water, this is why you need rocket power, like the Pit Bull. So hovering is invented in 2015...and immediately there is a board out there with rockets? No!

In a logical timeline, hovering technology would be invented in, say 2015...a few years later, it gets cheap enough to put into everyday product.  This is where you have boards for 'professionals' and maybe some for folks with a lot of money.  Give it a few more months, and the technology should hit the public market.  Griff's gang would not get their recreational hoverboards until about 2021.  At around the same time, the idea of putting rockets to aid in water use could start.  This means that around 2023 Griff can get his Pit Bull.  Somewhere in between the time that recreational and rocket boards are being made for the public, kids' versions would hit the market.

Perhaps in the distant future this technology will exist.  By that time, I am sure time travel will be available as well. 
Anyways, if you wanted one, I hope you got your order in.

Mattel Hoverboards to Benefit Michael J. Fox Foundation

Micheal J. Fox Foundation

From MattyCollector.com:

“Mattel proudly sponsors the Michael J. Fox Foundation and will be working with them to auction off a limited number of Michael J. Fox autographed Hoverboards this fall with all proceeds benefiting the Michael J. Fox Foundation. If you would like to donate or learn more about the foundation and how you can help, please click the banner below.”

Not keeping my hopes too high, but maybe I can meet Michael J. Fox, one day.

In other hoverbaord news, you have until Tuesday to pre-order your Hoverboards over at MattyCollector.com.  Boards will ship in the fall.  There is a chance that there will be some boards for sale during the fall, but prices may be higher and will not include the mini board that comes with pre-orders.  Also, boards may sell out, so pre-ordering is a good idea...if you want one.

Get an EXCLUSIVE Hoverboard Scaled to 6" Action Figures When You Pre-Order!

Pre-orders are accepted from March 1, 2012, through March 20, 2012 only at MattyCollector.com, with an expected shipping date of November/December 2012. Pre-order during the 3/1-3/20 period and not only will you be guaranteed to get an authentic Hoverboard prop replica, you'll receive a pre-order exclusive, too… a Hoverboard scaled for 6" action figures! It'll hold most Mattel 6" figures, so your favorites can get in on the futuristic fun, too. The only way to get this totally rad lil' ride? Pre-order during the 3/1-3/20 period!

Here are some more images of Bob Gale, Michael Lantieri and Mary Anne Lantieri from our meeting last week.

Michael, Bob, and Mary Anne checking out my car

Bob just signed my car

Update:  This just when live at Beyond the Marquee:

Hanging Out With Bob Gale

Ah, the famous Hoverboard Chase scene in Back to the Future Part II.  Well, it took a while, but Mattel is making the famous hoverboard that Marty McFly used to hover around Hill Valley in 2015.  You can pre-order yours at MattyCollector.com, until 20 March.

Mattel showed a prototype of the board at New York Toy Fair last month.  Since then there has been lost of buzz.  This is a unique situation where everyone knows what we are doing.  Most of the time, the industry is very secretive regarding projects in progress.  The hoverboard is essentially 'out', everyone has seen it, and there are countless replica prop builders out there that have made their own boards.

I am proud to be a part of the team that is making this happen.  I serve as 'technical adviser' on the project.  There is a huge team of about ten people on this one project including design, engineering, electronics, sound design, package design, legal, licensing, marketing, etc.

On 8 March, we had a meeting with Back to the Future Writer/Producer Bob Gale, Special Effects Supervisor Michael Lantieri, and assistant to Mr. Gale Mary Anne Lantieri (also Michael's wife).  I spent the better part of the day hanging out them.  The meeting was documented by Beyond the Marquee, and there will be a video of it soon, possibly next week.

You can see more pictures from the meeting at the MattyCollector Facebook page.  Unfortunately, I have the skill of sitting in places where I am either not in facing the camera, or totally out of focus.  I assure I was there.  Here are some pictures I took during Bob Gale's visit to Mattel.

Close up of one of the screen used hoverboards

This is one of the many screen used boards, made of foam.

Some dork with the board

Proof that I was in that meeting with Bob, Michael, and Mary Anne.  And, I got to touch the boards. 

Michael Lantieri and Bob Gale

Michael Lantieri and Bob Gale sharing stories from the Back to the Future trilogy.  On the table, you can see the Pit Bull and a plywood version of Marty's board.  Wood was used for strength and durability, this was a 'stunt' board that Michael J. Fox and his stuntman Charlie Croughwell. 

Bob Gale with Mary Anne Lantieri

On the table, a little piece of the Pit Bull, Mattel's Toy Fair prototype, screen used wood board, screen used foam board.  You can see wired feet holding up the foam board creating the 'floating' effect.  In front of Bob, you can see my San Diego Comic Con Exclusive Back to the Future Time Machine box.  Yeah, that is pretty awesome.

Presenting original concept are for hoverboards

Along with sharing fun stories of production, Bob showed us original concept art for the hoverboards that were hand drawn by John Bell.  He also read some fan mail that we kept for over twenty years.  Kid would write to Universal  (and Mattel) about the hoverboards, usually asking for where to get one or just straight up asking them to send them a hoverboard.  Each letter was answered by Bob and Mary Anne, some were sent pictures of hoverboards.  One kid got a Pit Bull key chain.


Working with Dave Strom, getting the measurements correct

 After our question and answer session, Bob signed a bunch of stuff for everyone.  Lots of DVD's and Hot Wheels Time Machines...yeah, you know it.  I waited until later to get my stuff signed.  We also gave Bob, Michael, and Mary Anne a tour of Mattel's 'top secret' Design Center.  Not really top secret, everyone knows where it is, but not everyone gets to go inside.

I showed them my messy cubical.  Bob Gale was in my cubical, that makes it a historical landmark!  Bob noticed that I had a box of DeLorean sign sheets, I gave them a small stack and they had me sign it.  I personalized Bob's with, "You other friend in time."  Here I am waiting to get my stuff signed and Bob, Michael, and Mary Anne asked me to sign something for them.

Bob signing stuff...on my car

Once the tour was over I walked them outside to my car.  Bob Gale is one of the reasons that I have a DeLorean.  I asked Bob to sign a bunch of stuff.  Of course, I had the good stuff.  Bob was shocked that I had all three Back to the Future Japanese movie programs, he signed all three.  I had him sign a hand painted cell from the animated series.  I had a few more things signed  by Bob, I will post pictures of these later.

Signing my car

One last thing I wanted Bob to sign, my car.  This is all sorts of awesomeness!  He personalized it "Drive at 88!"  How cool is that?

Needless to say that it was an unforgettable day for me.