Units 20-21 White Road
Charfleets Industrial Estate
Canvey Island
Essex
SS8 OPQ
Tel: 07731 545857
Vin 502 is the most Famous of the Legend cars.
John Delorean drove this car after legend had had completed its first series of tests, and John was quoted at the time on the cars performance. "The cars good looks, finally match its performance"
While at Legend Industries, the car was used extensively in the press of the time, and is possible could have been a single turbo like all the other Legend cars, however its our belief that 502-530 were always twin turbo cars.
Unlike many Deloreans VIN 502 was not forgotten. She was sold in the Legend auction after the company’s demise, and used on the road for a period. Later in the 1990's she was being sold on consignment via DMC Houston Texas by the owner, Phil Meisinger.
The car was always in good condition, however by this point the car needed attention, and a restoration was looming.
In 2001 Robert Grady of PJ Grady Inc. purchased the car via eBay. He had been told of its sale by Dan 'Evil' Deutsch who told him BUY IT, as only Dan can do. The car belonging to Phil Meisinger, an Ex Legend employee sold the car to Rob.
In 2004 the restoration started on 502, with the removal and restoration of the body panels. Chris Nicholson worked on the Stainless steel and exterior, along with the interior. This included new seat covers, and repainting of the interior trim which was factory approved dye.
Vin 530 has the sticker 530 on the right front fender underbody, however 502 has this in the same area along with the drivers rear quarter panel. Certainly in the space of 30 VIN’S the factory changed this method of labelling, however 500 series cars can be a little out of order.
Rob worked on the power plant, electrics, and updates etc., this not being an easy task as the car is a one off, the only other reference material was 530.
Rob also managed to get the gullwing doors closing like a 83 Delorean, he is a true artist when working on the doors, especially as 502 is a 500 series car, well known for their bad panel fit.
Even John Delorean was quoted as saying "I couldn't imagine them being that terrible! Seventy or eighty unfinished models finally had to be taken over to the property fence and parked; nothing else could be done with them"
The Restoration was intense, with the sheet metal alone running into weeks. The driver’s door being the most difficult, in total 3 weeks of labour was put into creating the driver’s door that exists today. The primary reason why so much time went into this panel was due to the fact the whole inner underside of the door was covered in signatures from Factory staff. Rob Grady spared no expense in saving the door rather than replacing.
The car changed hands, going to DMC Florida, where they improved the car further, before she changed hands once more, finding a new home in New Zealand with an owner who truly loves the car.
Here is another image in 2004 of 502's interior. Note the DMC badge, which was found everywhere on the car!
