977-mile DeLorean found in a Wisconsin barn — talk about a time machine

We all dream about finding a perfectly preserved car in a barn somewhere, but despite what you see on TV and YouTube, they are exceedingly rare. A DeLorean restorer from Crystal Lake, Ill., near Chicago, was no stranger to beat-up old cars, but his most recent project is noteworthy, even compared to some of the impressive metal seen pulled from storage over the years.

Michael McElhattan of DeLorean Midwest got a call from a DeLorean owner about a low-mileage car in all-original condition, hidden in a shed in Wisconsin. Not one to miss out on a deal, he moved fast. “It happened pretty quick, because once I found out the car was close and it was a low-mileage car, I was excited to go take a look.”

McElhattan and his social media coordinator made the trip, and upon opening the barn, they found the car in a sad state. “We open it up, and the first thing I saw was a mouse running across the center console,” he said. The DeLorean had been sitting for two decades but showed just 977 miles on the clock, making it well worth the effort and cost to restore.