Barn find today! 9/11/17

[Docbrown77]

So I was driving my Route to my first customer in Louisa Kentucky and saw out of the corner of my eye this poor thing! The owner told me he had it parked in his garage(barn) for 25 years! It has only 9,014 miles and started right up! I asked what he was asking for it and he said money talks so I said $4 Grand and he said show me the money!https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170912/0164471756eb1c998d06b14ba99938e8.jpg53398533995340 053401534025340353404534055340653407


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[Michael]

This thread has the capacity of being the best barn find ever! A running DeLorean for 4 grand???? Sure it needs work but it actually runs for 4k???

Word to the wise, don't push your luck. Don't run it anymore until you do some research on returning cars that have been parked to the road. That car will still need a LOOOOTTT of work!

And welcome!!

[Jimmyvonviggle]

What is the VIN of this gas flap beauty?

[Docbrown77]

This thread has the capacity of being the best barn find ever! A running DeLorean for 4 grand???? Sure it needs work but it actually runs for 4k???

Word to the wise, don't push your luck. Don't run it anymore until you do some research on returning cars that have been parked to the road. That car will still need a LOOOOTTT of work!

And welcome!!

Oh I didn't buy this forgotten baby (yet) my wife and I are figuring it into our budget and it would take aloooooot of $$$$ to get it ready to (Fly) again lol! What got me was why the hell did they paint it magenta? He said because it looked prettier! No!!


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[SamHill]

Nice find. I echo the opinion on not running it long... or again until the system is cleaned out. At $4k its a buy anyway. Plus, the shed in the back is owned by a man who would give his life for his brother man. Can you dig it?

[Dangermouse]

Nice find.

Even if you don't buy it, please visit again and get the VIN so we can fill it in on the VINList

[Docbrown77]

Nice find.

Even if you don't buy it, please visit again and get the VIN so we can fill it in on the VINList

Will do[emoji106]


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[Docbrown77]

Also just by looking at the pics how much do you think it would take to restore (ball park) ?


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[powerline84]

That depends on your level of what you believe Restored is. I can tell you that if you look at my build thread I did most of the work myself and have well over 35 into my car. I also bought a barn find. Mine didn't run and I paid 10 grand for it but it was an excellent restoration candidate. I would say for 4 grand a running car is worth snatching up. You could do minor stuff to it and flip a profit if that's what your into. But be ware that even though it runs for 4 grand....itll need significantly more to be a driver. Especially if it's been outside like that. But hey I am all about it . Pretty much any car can be brought back from the dead. My car was definatly a lost car that would have been dead if it wasn't for me .

[Michael]

Also just by looking at the pics how much do you think it would take to restore (ball park) ?


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If I were buying it for myself I would ballpark 10-13k to make a decent looking driver and that's me doing most of the work myself cosmetically. I could be off a mile either way but I feel that number would give me a comfortable margin of error before making an offer. I am also factoring in that the panels are fixable and able to be returned to stainless. One trashed left fender could blow my estimate off quite a bit.

[OverlandMan]

Also just by looking at the pics how much do you think it would take to restore (ball park) ?


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Man that's really tough to answer just by looking at pictures... You can ballpark based on what you see with your eyes alone but that won't be close to the real amount until you dig in and find out all the hidden jobs. I can guess just by looking at this car there will be many hidden jobs. That said, the car should be worth more than $4k in parts alone.

There's an old rule of thumb about these cars in that buying a project will usually cost you as much or more in the long run than a clean running/restored example. It's just a matter of wanting to get to know every nut and bolt on the car while at the same time spacing that cost out over X amount of time... OR just go buy the car you want now and avoid the project aspect.

[Docbrown77]

Thanks [emoji1374] guys for the input! I feel like it's meant to be he says not one other person has ever stopped to check it out I was drooling the whole time I was looking at it. I have fantasized about finding a Delorean this exact way I have found 2 others one was museum quality that was in a car dealership corvette museum (?)that went bankrupt and it was repoed so sad! And the other was in a garage of a customer of mine a autobody shop owner purchased for his girlfriend who wanted it painted pink!!! So this one is probably the one! https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170912/9c593848236412bf04a8a2452cdfd997.jpg53419


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[Andrew]

Welcome to the forum! That car is a great find for the price! The frame sections pictured look surprisingly good. If the fuel system and auto trans are in good shape and you do the work yourself with some selective cross-referencing of parts, I would estimate that you could get the car road-worthy for $2,000-$3,000. Now that's just stuff like brakes, coolant hoses, tires, misc electrical.

The interior and exterior cosmetics could get pricey really fast. If you are on a tight budget, you might want to try the L-Seat seat covers that others have mentioned on here. They run around $300 for the pair. Stripping the paint will be quite the chore and could reveal some unpleasant surprises. So I would expect the worst and hope for the best in that regard.

Take more pictures of the frame, both front and rear, if you can. Also let us know the vin. Best of luck!

[Docbrown77]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170921/8cd9a7a45b6d3338c5bacf7f1d2b9101.jpg here is the vin for the maroon DeLorean I posted last week https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170921/2a0f078f28165480c7d06c2670e46df9.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170921/2a5a9b174d7529aee95febeaf3171932.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170921/c9870e449b92af043592e392cc4af68f.jpg


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[NJP548]

Very nice! My first DeLorean was VIN # 1852. Only 20 away!

-Nick Pitello

[Docbrown77]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170921/85d91dfd85eeb07726b77abeeb14102e.jpg originally purchased in Denver Colorado gonna do some more digging.....


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[81dmc]

Since this is an early car, also check the doors! The early ones tend to be a bit weaker and usually deform over time. However, if the torsion bars were never touched, they may be fine. The test is to grab the front and rear of the door while it is fully raised and try to twist it horizontally. After that, check the basic shape of the roof area of the doors. If there is any excess flex or deformation on the roof line, chances are those pricey doors will need to be replaced at one point. For me, it was about $3,000 with a few gallons of blood, sweat, and tears to complete. At a DMCH affiliate, the entire job would be around $8,000.

All in all, while $4,000 is a great price for the car, don't be surprised if it would take $10,000-$20,000 over the years to make it the car of your dreams.

[louielouie2000]

here is the vin for the maroon DeLorean I posted last week


originally purchased in Denver Colorado gonna do some more digging.....

So have you decided if you're going to pull the trigger?

[Docbrown77]

In a way I feel like it's my duty to save this Delorean!


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[Jimmyvonviggle]

Talk is cheap. There is no way that car will not cost you at least 15k in repairs. So be prepared and honest with yourself if you truly want to take this on.

[Docbrown77]

Talk is cheap. There is no way that car will not cost you at least 15k in repairs. So be prepared and honest with yourself if you truly want to take this on.

I'm just blessed to have found it always wanted to find a barn find lol. No need to be so harsh about it. It's only obvious that she needs to be completely rebuilt from front to back. But that being said isn't that the coolest thing about it? If I could bring it back to life from the state it's in now even better! What's funny is I saw two deloreans this week the maroon one and another one about 75 miles east in let's say in some what better shape [emoji87] it was getting an oil change https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170921/2df3fcbc4960dcee739c28a0537bc237.jpg https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170921/97be598deb6af07f571b9fbb183f5d45.jpg


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[Jonathan]

The owner told me he had it parked in his garage(barn) for 25 years!


Also just by looking at the pics how much do you think it would take to restore (ball park) ?

The restoration rule of thumb has been $1,000 for every year that it sat.

That means it'll cost you an additional $25,000 on top of the purchase price of $4,000 to bring this car back.

There is some variability in what "restored" or "brought back" means. Could be a car that's technically running and relatively safe with just the basic cosmetics taken care of. Or it could be some Concours quality beauty that's pretty much perfect. Meeting somewhere in the middle of that will likely run you $30,000 on this car before you're finished. Some of those costs could improve if you do more of the work yourself. Some of those costs could get worse if you find surprises (like damaged stainless under that paint, or parts you didn't foresee needing and they happen to be ones that got disproportionately expensive).

If you're trying to make this decision with your wife and family, I'd go the honest (and slightly pessimistic) route and see if she's okay with putting $30,000 of your money into. If you hint to her that you can get it all done for something closer to the $4,000, and she gives the go ahead, it'll likely blow up in your face sooner than later when the costs start to add up. And they will. Nice project, just make sure you're both very aware of what's waiting down the road for you with this car.

[Docbrown77]

The restoration rule of thumb has been $1,000 for every year that it sat.

That means it'll cost you an additional $25,000 on top of the purchase price of $4,000 to bring this car back.

There is some variability in what "restored" or "brought back" means. Could be a car that's technically running and relatively safe with just the basic cosmetics taken care of. Or it could be some Concours quality beauty that's pretty much perfect. Meeting somewhere in the middle of that will likely run you $30,000 on this car before you're finished. Some of those costs could improve if you do more of the work yourself. Some of those costs could get worse if you find surprises (like damaged stainless under that paint, or parts you didn't foresee needing and they happen to be ones that got disproportionately expensive).

If you're trying to make this decision with your wife and family, I'd go the honest (and slightly pessimistic) route and see if she's okay with putting $30,000 of your money into. If you hint to her that you can get it all done for something closer to the $4,000, and she gives the go ahead, it'll likely blow up in your face sooner than later when the costs start to add up. And they will. Nice project, just make sure you're both very aware of what's waiting down the road for you with this car.

Thanks for the info and advice.


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[louielouie2000]

It'll be really fun seeing this one brought back. Please keep us updated! :)

[Dangermouse]

At a $4k purchase price, you will get every penny you spend on it back again.

Mention that to the Mrs.

[Docbrown77]

At a $4k purchase price, you will get every penny you spend on it back again.

Mention that to the Mrs.

Thanks appreciate the encouragement


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[Andrew]

Talk is cheap. There is no way that car will not cost you at least 15k in repairs. So be prepared and honest with yourself if you truly want to take this on.

With all due respect, provided that the engine isn't seized and the transmission is good, there is no reason why a person doing their own work couldn't get that car road-worthy for between $2,000 - $3,000. Not perfect, not pretty, not extensively upgraded, but a running, drivable DeLorean.

I can speak with some degree of knowledge on this subject as I got 5052 back on the road for less than $2,000.00 in parts after it sat for at least 23 years. Obviously, I could have spent a lot more, but for me half the fun was rebuilding a running, driving, reliable DeLorean on a self-imposed shoestring budget. Of course after I got it running and driving I did some upgrades, but it's much easier justifying cost expenditures on a running / drivable car ;-)

Speaking of a running DeLorean, this car would be a good candidate for a carb conversion. A good chunk of the carb purchase could be recouped by selling off the K-jet parts. I actually made more money selling the K-jet parts from 4194 and 5052 than I spent on the carbed systems, but I was lucky enough to find 2 complete Peugeot 604 systems.

[Jimmyvonviggle]

I'm not disagreeing with you that you can get it running for 2k. But it will not be roadworthy. Just look what it costs in materials to rebuild the entire brake system, even if you do the work yourself. Maybe close to 1k . And that is just one system.

Don't misread my tone. I think it is admirable to try to bring this car back, and I hope he or someone does. But we all know the costs on these cars are endless.

[OverlandMan]

In a way I feel like it's my duty to save this Delorean!


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I wanted to chime in this thread since I had a similar experience 5+ years ago. I found a local DeLorean with no drivetrain but a good body and interior, for the most part, for $4k. The seller ended up being worthless but it quickly led me to my eventual car, which was a running and driving car when I bought it from a different seller in Arizona.

http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?4355-4k-Delorean-Ft-Worth-Tx/page4

Regardless of how it turns out. I hope you find the car of your dreams, be it this one or another. This ownership group is without a doubt the best classic car owner community I've ever been a part of. Good luck and keep us all posted.

[Rich_NYS]

Buy now, think later....

[mr_maxime]

Having purchased a painted car here are some tips from me. Unscrew the marker lights and CAREFULLY feel around the hole. If there was damage, there is a good chance they wrapped the body filler around the marker light hole to give it something to hold on to. This is what was done with mine. You want to be careful in case there is no filler so you don't cut your fingers. Inspect from inside the wheel wells for dents that would be masked hidden by filler and paint. I would also take the headliner off the doors since it pops out. You can possibly check for hail dents through there. Another tip would be tapping your knuckle on the metal along the rub strip. If there is body filler, it will sound different. This is by no means perfect and there might be better tips, but in retrospect, this would have helped me find out that the LFF had been damaged and maybe the slight dent in the door.

The paint on that car looks shot, and I doubt anyone would agree to this, but I'd ask to scrape some paint off in vulnerable spots to check for filler. This is how I actually found the filler on my car. I already owned it, but the nagging feeling in my head made me start scraping the LFF and I immediately found it. I was also told the same "it looks better this color" story about the paint, but it was evident afterwards it was done to hide body damage.

In terms of stripping the paint, it's rather easy. The most pain in the ass part is breaking rusty studs and bolts while disassembling the car. I used CitrusStrip and that shit peeled right off. I used razor blades to scoop it off. It's easy enough not to nick the stainless, but the grain is most likely trashed anyways so you'll end up fixing minor mistakes anyways. I did not use chemicals near the rubber and plastic because I was afraid of damaging them. Instead I walnut blasted everything around the plastic. This was the most time consuming step, but there was no damage as a result, only a massive mess of walnut shells. I'd 100% recommend doing this before any interior restoration cause it will make a mess.

[Docbrown77]

Having purchased a painted car here are some tips from me. Unscrew the marker lights and CAREFULLY feel around the hole. If there was damage, there is a good chance they wrapped the body filler around the marker light hole to give it something to hold on to. This is what was done with mine. You want to be careful in case there is no filler so you don't cut your fingers. Inspect from inside the wheel wells for dents that would be masked hidden by filler and paint. I would also take the headliner off the doors since it pops out. You can possibly check for hail dents through there. Another tip would be tapping your knuckle on the metal along the rub strip. If there is body filler, it will sound different. This is by no means perfect and there might be better tips, but in retrospect, this would have helped me find out that the LFF had been damaged and maybe the slight dent in the door.

The paint on that car looks shot, and I doubt anyone would agree to this, but I'd ask to scrape some paint off in vulnerable spots to check for filler. This is how I actually found the filler on my car. I already owned it, but the nagging feeling in my head made me start scraping the LFF and I immediately found it. I was also told the same "it looks better this color" story about the paint, but it was evident afterwards it was done to hide body damage.

In terms of stripping the paint, it's rather easy. The most pain in the ass part is breaking rusty studs and bolts while disassembling the car. I used CitrusStrip and that shit peeled right off. I used razor blades to scoop it off. It's easy enough not to nick the stainless, but the grain is most likely trashed anyways so you'll end up fixing minor mistakes anyways. I did not use chemicals near the rubber and plastic because I was afraid of damaging them. Instead I walnut blasted everything around the plastic. This was the most time consuming step, but there was no damage as a result, only a massive mess of walnut shells. I'd 100% recommend doing this before any interior restoration cause it will make a mess.

Thank you so much for all the great tips and info! The one true thing that gets me is how the hell did this one of a kind car just get so poorly neglected? The man who owns it was more interested in my work transit van that there are a million of? Really saddens me to see it in such a sad state. The biggest problem for me is not so much the funds but the time and effort and knowledge needed to bring this project to reality. And like one of you said TALK IS CHEAP and reviving this poor car isn't gonna be! Pray for me!


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[Timeless]

Doc, it's been a WHILE. Did you end up purchasing it?

[dday930]

DOC! Are you there?? Doc... Can you hear me....?

Docbrown77- Did you wind up getting this??