At its zenith, John DeLorean's DMC empire had $500m in economic muscle – albeit other people's money. Now, the beautiful purpose-built state-of-the-art 72 acre DMC factory in Dunmurry lies silent, the hopes of the dedicated Irish workforce shattered, and the plush corporate head office in New York's Park Avenue empty.

"Chipping out the car, very nice move Robert! Here are Lotus race chips which boost the HP from 350 to 450. Have a look at what it looks like when things are about to be secured into place in the engine area."

DeLorean was going to build the car GM had not allowed him to build because Detroit had a vested interest in obsolescence. That's how DeLorean put it. When the DMC 12 (as it was designated) was finally paraded in 1981, few of the revolutionary aspects were there.

"A lot of rewiring needed to be done. I installed the Lotus computer and ECU as well as other Lotus sensors. The ECU installation with the compartment behind the drivers seat which holds fuses for all the sensors and relays for the different electronic systems in the car."

The road holding really can not be faulted, with a trace of reassuring understeer. Yet although this two seat sports car gives ample legroom there is a feeling of being cramped low to the road, and boxed in by tiny windows.

"Don't cut the red wire Robert. I mean the blue wire. Oh no, was it the Yellow wire? Ahhhh! :) Take a glance at the fuses and also the stereo amplifier."

Because of the curved shape, fully-dropping windows weren't possible. Only the small centre section opens electrically, which makes leaning out of the window impossible. In the event of a roll-over accident, by the way, the prescribed method of escape is as for the Lamborghini Countach – you put both feet against the windscreen and push!

"Custom air ducts needed to be made for the new air intake system. Four K&N filters are used in total and all are hidden in the pontoon. The car is coming together."

Unlike mid-engined cars which are not renowned for their ability to swallow luggage, the rear-powered DeLorean has sufficient cargo space for its two passengers' needs; a wide but shallow area under the bonnet and a netted pen behind the seats.

"The black canister needed to be moved forward to accommodate the new air induct. Hoses seen here are the new air conditioner lines. I built all new lines and routed them outside the car. Check out this rear shot of the car and look for the red air filter through the hole in the pontoon."