Restoring a DeLorean has gotten to be less of a tall task thanks to the support of a very devoted aftermarket and enthusiast owners groups. So, taking on a massive project like this 1980 DMC-12 is less of a headache than it might have been at another point in history. This has all the markings of a project that started and then stalled out, with some heavy lifting already done but plenty more to go. The DeLorean is a desirable example as it’s equipped with a manual transmission, so it’s certainly worth the effort to restore. Find it here on eBay where bids have reached $12,500 with no reserve.

The seller is very open about the fact that this DeLorean will require a committed caretaker to bring it all the way back. The body has been separated from the chassis, and in that time, the frame has been scraped of presumably any surface rust and coated with POR-15 followed by a coating of Eastwood internal frame material. The DeLorean’s body remains on a trailer while the frame is separate; obviously, this makes shipping more of a chore, but to the seller’s point, it also makes it easy to view how clean the chassis now is in broad daylight. The seller notes that some of the body panels will require additional work.

The interior paints perhaps a slightly more bleak picture than from the outside, as it’s clear the frame cleaning was only the tip of the iceberg. I suspect like many of us with a great deal of ambition baked into our projects, we can see perfectly how wonderful a vehicle will be when it’s complete; however, it’s far harder to grasp just how long of a road there is between now and then. The interior suggests that this DeLorean was sitting exposed somewhere for years before it was rescued by the current owner, who has obviously focused on the grungy work of preparing a car for a proper restoration but may not want to proceed down the lengthy path he’s currently on.

Here you can see the bare chassis, which does indeed look ready for re-assembly. However, I can also envision a moment where you bolt it back together and say, “Gee, it still doesn’t run, or drive, or do anything other than remain a static figure in my garage that is a huge pain to work around.” I will say, there’s no quicker way for me to want to be rid of a car than when it doesn’t move under its own power and I have zero time to get it to a self-propelled state. The seller indicates in his listing that a ton of spare parts will come with the DeLorean, including a new stainless steel roof box, a new door, new headlights, and more from DMCH. Would you take on a project of this scale?