RE: [DML] BTF car(s).

["Tom Tait" <TTait@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Sorry - I meant to be clear..   The car was not converted to a picture
car, nor was it advertised in the raffle as a picture car, just an 82
Delorean.  Very stock.  The radio in the car at the time is unknown as
it was removed before I got it.  The only other alterations I can find
was the installation of a Clifford 3 alarm and the ignition resistor on
the fuel metering assembly.

I live about 20 minutes from the studio and was the Technical manager
for the ride during design and installation.  I worked with D. Trumbull
on the film then helped Universal open Florida and Hollywood, along with
Marty from Alabama who is also here on the list.  A friend of mine
opened the ride in Japan.  I was there to watch the raffle take place in
93, and later watched as the car was parked and forgotten.  Over the
years I have kept an eye on the car - I checked on it whenever I was
back on the lot helping maintain or troubleshoot the ride.  About 2
years ago the drivers glass was broken out, and the car began to
degenerate very rapidly.  It took about a year and a half to do the
paperwork and work around the several roadblocks with Universal, but I
acquired the car in the spring and have gotten it running again and am
slowly trying to get it back to daily driver status.

As to the car being worthless, the studio actually spent a small fortune
on this car.  The purchase from the original owner was for $26k in
spring 93.  The studio then spent a small fortune getting the car "safe"
enough to raffle.  One of the things that drew me to the car was that it
was in excellent mechanical condition on the day of the first raffle -
and watching it deteriorate was truly sad.  Between the cost of the
repairs (unknown), the promotional costs of the raffle and the two cash
payouts to the winners who did not take the car there are $78k in
documented costs plus their internal costs.  This for a car that
literally could not give away. Twice.

There were a number of picture cars built for the 3 movies.  Most did
not fair well.  Although I have no firsthand knowledge of this as a
fact, I have been told that the BTTF 3 car with oversized whitewalls was
sold to someone in Northern California in the last year or so, but I
have no details.  Knut has maintained the official chronology which may
have some of the info you want. 

I believe that one of the two cars on display in the US in front of the
BTTF attractions is an original (restored) picture car and the other was
built in the last 10 years or so as a conversion.  I know there has been
recent mention of the car used in the ride as well.  First know that in
most of the ride you are seeing miniature cars, about 24 inches long.
There were at least 2 flying models, one with fixed wheels and one with
pivoting wheels.  Another smaller model was used for the lavafall scene.
There was no, absolutely no CG in the ridefilm - mostly in camera
effects, traditional matting and some hand rotoscoping.  The only
Digital model of the Delorean was used for diagnostic video sequences in
the preshow video - created by Mojo on an old Video Toaster.  Some of
those models are now in the hands of private collectors.

The only "real" Delorean in the ridefilm itself was shipped from
Hollywood to the Berkshires. It was treated with paraffin wax and spray
snow to create the look of a icy cold Delorean.  Although it ran poorly,
it did not run in the film.  It rolled down a ramp into frame and spun
sideways with cable assists with Tom Wilson at the wheel.  It was then
trucked back to Hollywood.

One further note on the BTTF Ridefilm.  At $14 million below the line
plus undisclosed bonuses to Trumbull and Kelly, his partner at the time,
it is likely the most expensive film, per frame ever produced (at least
in the private sector).  Before Trumbull took over the filming Universal
had already spent millions shooting live action footage under the title
"Big Eye".  When one calculates out the cost of the film, then divides
it by the total running length of the film (just under 4 minutes), it
makes Titanic or anything Lucas has ever produced look like a bargain.



-----Original Message-----
From: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Faded N Jaded
Sent: Sunday, July 03, 2005 11:17 AM
To: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [DML] BTF car(s).

If I'm interpreting the information which Tom Tait gave us, the movie
studio went out and bought a car to pass off as the original BTF car
when in fact it wasn't. It was just a car they bought, and presumably
transformed to look like the BTF car, so that they could reap some
publicity off of it. So, in reality, the car which Tom Tait says he
bought is really not the original car used to make any of the BTF cars
but just one they used to advertise the movie.

 

I don't want to imply that the car which Tom Tait bought is worth less
because of that; I merely want to be sure I understand what transpired
there. I would imagine the rest of us on this list would like to know
the true and accurate story as well. 

 

Because of what Tom told us, my question still stands, what did happen
to the original car or cars used in the movies? Does anyone know? 

 

My original question was prompted by a claim by someone who says he
bought the original BTF car and is restoring it. He did not identify
himself as Tom. I have not yet seen the car but I do know where he
lives, hence my desire to know where, or approximately where Tom Tait
lives.  

 

Might there be several cars out there claiming to be BTF originals? I'm
beginning to wonder.
-----------

sandorp1 <piszar@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:Tom, that's pretty fortunate for
you. How did you learn about that car and who to make an offer to? And
do you have any pics?

Sandor
# 3002


--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Tom Tait" wrote:
> I'm sure you will get lots of info in the picture cars, but to add
a
> side note.
> 
> #10902 was purchased by Universal in 1993 to raffle off at the
grand
> opening of the BTTF ride in Hollywood. 





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