The most distressing thing for any DeLorean owner would have to be a dent to the stainless steel panel work. This is exactly what I had on my irreplaceable 1981 bonnet, the type with groves and separate fuel cap lid. I was warned by the previous owner prior to looking at the car that the hood had a problematic dent that wouldn’t be easy to remove. The difficulty with this dent is it was deep, as if a half inch metal pipe had fallen end on from a height onto the bonnet.
My advice to anyone with a dent is to shop around to find the right person; it had taken me a few years of searching to find someone capable of removing dents from stainless steel. Many people said that could, but once they seen the dent declined working on the car.
The guy that removed the dent started patiently using a hammer to push out the dent then heated and shrieked the stainless steel to restore the bonnet to its original lustre. The result was amazing, no more would people comment on my bonnet dent and vouch for a friend they knew could remove it, only to be disappointed when I contacted them to be told they could not.
