Fanhome 1:8 Back to the Future DeLorean Time Machine

The DMC DeLorean featured in the Back to the Future movies is one of the most memorable and stylish vehicles in the history of cinema. The subject of my first ever set of mods, this distinctive car is truly a popular culture icon of its era. And of course, it was central to the plot of each of the Back to the Future films, serving as the time machine that transported the lead character Marty McFly into the past and the future.

For a child of the 1980s like me, these movies – with their adventure, action and inventiveness – captured my imagination completely. So too did the DeLorean, which undoubtedly remains one of the coolest movie cars to hit the big screen. This personal passion for the DeLorean makes the process of creating mods for the model an absolute pleasure.

There were actually three DeLorean cars used in the Back to the Future movies. The most detailed version, and the one mainly used on screen, is a 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 known as the Hero ‘A’ Car. This was displayed for 25 years at Universal Studios Hollywood before undergoing a full restoration. Today, complete with its flux capacitor (a crucial detail which had gone missing), the car is exhibited at Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. This definitive DeLorean is the one on which the Fanhome and DeAgostini 1:8 model – and the mods found on this page – is based.

As a partwork model project, it requires you to subscribe with Fanhome to receive the components to gradually build up your model month by month. Each kit sent to you comes with a magazine and detailed instructions on how to install your new DeLorean parts. The mods featured on this page are designed exclusively to work with this specific model.

The DeLorean by Fanhome and DeAgostini is a beautifully detailed replica which fans of the original car and the Back to the Future films will love. The model design was overseen by Joe Walser, undoubtedly the world’s leading expert on the DeLorean time machine, and who managed the restoration of the real Hero ‘A’ Car from the movies. His passion is apparent in the quality of this DeLorean replica. Constructed from die-cast metal, the model includes an abundance of detail. If you’re a fan but you haven’t yet subscribed to the Build the DeLorean model, it’s something I thoroughly recommend.

When I began to work through the monthly issues of the Build the DeLorean project, I loved watching the model steadily take shape. But as a professional designer with an obsession for detail, I soon spotted ways in which I wanted to make my model even better. This is when I began to develop mods to enhance the finish of my DeLorean. After sharing the results of installing my personal mods, I received requests from fellow enthusiasts wanting to upgrade their models in the same way. In response to this interest, I now make my mods available to buy, allowing you to take your DeLorean model to the next level.

My DeLorean mods achieve a variety of different things. Some introduce additional details that were present in the original DeLorean but not reflected in the Fanhome build, such as the window, engine and luggage compartment stickers that come as part of my Complete Vinyl Sticker and Transfer Set. Other mods rectify details that weren’t true to the original DeLorean, such as my screen-accurate replacement instrument cluster (dashboard panel) or the corrected font and emblem of my Tyre Transfer kit.

I also make mods to extend the features of your existing DeLorean model. These include professionally pre-cut carpet sets which use specialist scale carpet material, and a museum stand that matches the real-world DeLorean exhibit to complement your model. Some of my DeLorean mods simply provide fun ways to make your model unique to you, like personalised magnetic licence plates.

Every mod I make for the Fanhome DeLorean (or DeAgostini DeLorean) is a labour of love, painstakingly researched, developed and crafted personally by myself. My enjoyment of this build has been enhanced considerably by introducing upgrades that make this great replica even better. I hope you too find something among my mods that will add to your experience of building the DeLorean.