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View Full Version : For Sale Sept 81 automatic black interior 20k miles



Jonathan
06-08-2012, 12:03 AM
VIN 3937 is for sale.

Sept 81 build. Automatic transmission. Black interior.

$34,500 OBO

I bought the car in October 2007 and imported it to Canada from St. Louis. The car is currently located in Port Elgin, Ontario.

The car starts every time and has a solid idle. Volts have always been good as has the oil pressure. Speedometer not so much. I bought the car with about 16,915 miles and the odometer currently reads just under 20,000. I have kept a pretty detailed log of the miles I've driven and I estimate the car has closer to 22,000 miles on it (that I have put on it). If you do that math over the life of the car, it might realistically have more like 30-40k on it. Shortly before I moved out West, I replaced the angle drive. I have a new dust cap and lower cable bracket to put in to finish getting it working, just can't do it at the moment when I am 3,000 km's away from the car.

One of the nicer things on my car is the interior. Someone before me recovered the seats and did a nice job. Most the rest of the interior is also in good shape, but it's not perfect and I would never use that word to describe a DeLorean anyway. I have replaced all 5 switches in the middle console (rear defrost, and LED lit window switches, and dummy switches) so they look new and not faded. I also put in the Vanagon cross over replacement lighted ring cigar lighter and it works nice and accommodates new style sized power adapters.

The console clock does not work. Rheostat works fine. It has the new and improved headlight switch from DMCH vintage about when I bought the car in 2007. Hazard switch is fine. HVAC panel has LED bulbs behind it. Mode switch was rebuilt a few years ago and selects properly. My A/C has needed a slight refill each of the last two seasons to get the low pressure switch to engage the compressor clutch. I put in the RedTek 12 refill stuff from Canadian Tire. It has the connection ports indicative of a R134 changeover, but honestly I don't know that much about the A/C system to say for sure. When the RedTek is topped up it blows cool, not cold though. Again, not trying to paint some rosy picture here, just an accurate one. The heat works when it has been called to do so.

There were times when I thought there was some condensation accumulating in the passenger footwell. But very little. Evaporator box might need to be cleaned out, but I feel it still drains fairly well.

Craig radio is still in there. Front speakers are not working and the 3.5 Kickers are in a box waiting to go in. So is the DMCH DIN bracket and a new Alpine deck (CDE 123 I think was the model). I have not bought replacement 4x10 rear speakers yet as they still work fairly well. Tape deck works but the auto reverse doesn't. It will play the tape, but not all the FF or Reverse functions are doing their thing properly. Radio is ok and the antenna is in the front right fender.

The automatic transmission shifter works well and so does the light bulb in the PRND21 column. The interlock button is not reliable as the little collar has a tendency to wander out of alignment. I replaced the shift computer governor with the new and improved DMCH one and it has shifted well ever since.

Brake master cylinder was replaced a couple seasons ago. We rebuilt the rear brakes, replaced pistons and blasted clean the calipers. They work well but I feel it is time for the front brakes to get rebuilt. The front left sticks slightly and "clicks" occasionally. I have the pad kit and hardware kit including the anti rattle pins and this may solve it. My gut feel is that the anti rattle pins may help, but until the caliper stops sticking, it will continue to click. Parking brake cables (left and right) were replaced the first season I had the car.

Like I said, the speedometer and odometer are not reliably working. Trip reset plunger was snapped off sometime in the past and I have the replacement little plastic parts but have not taken out the cluster to do the job. At the same time the high beams indicator bulb needs to be replaced. The warning lights come on as I believe they should. Fuel idiot light comes on about 1/8 tank (fuel sender is new DMCH one from 2008 ). Battery light comes on when you start the car. Door plungers are unplugged as the door alignment needs some improving and the plungers don’t always disengage. I took the guts out of the Lambda counter recently thinking that might help the speedo problem. Lower cable was replaced a couple years ago (and so was the O2 sensor for that matter).

Oil pressure sender (both switch and analog) have been replaced with the properly calibrated one. So the oil pressure isn’t always pegged. I put a new battery in it last year. The RPM gauge works well but at times spazzes out. I think it was related to bumping a wire under there that might have been loose or something, perhaps a ground wire. I have not cleaned all my grounds, but when the infamous list of where all of them are appears, I’ll get right on that ;)

Windshield wiper delay module works as do the wipers and spray. I have a new set of wipers for when they might wear out. Sunvisors are in and functional. Rear view mirror is fine. I replaced the wiper horn turn signal stalks a couple years as one side was bent from someone’s knee hitting it. The ignition is missing the little black trim piece showing the I II III numbers on it. I have a two key system and the door tumblers were replaced in 2008. That same door key opens the cubby hole door lock.

Mirrow switch was replaced in 2008 and works fine. So do both windows. Seat belts are okay, but the metal connectors are a bit rusty so I bought the whole replacement kit for both sides. Not installed yet. I was waiting to do this in case I replaced the rear speakers.

Parcel shelf is fine and so is the carpet. All my fuses and replays were replaced with the upgrade kit from DMCH in about 08-09. My door lock module is unplugged but worked the last time I tried to use it. I have a normal RPM relay (it was part of the upgrade kit). Battery has a cut off switch installed on the negative terminal.

Seats go back and forth properly. Slide release bars are in place. I have the drinkholders.com double holder off the passenger side edge of the console near the shifter. Ashtray was replaced with a new one last winter. Coin tray is fine. Binnacle has been recovered and looks good but is not likely original. Dash is ok and has the beginnings of a small crack near the speaker holes. I have the detachable pull straps and these were replaced with the new DMCH ones.

Fuel accumulator was replaced two seasons ago to correct a hot start problem. Fuel pump is ok as is sender. Spare tire in place as is carpet for trunk. I have replaced the boots on my steering rack a couple seasons ago. Horns were replaced with new ones two seasons ago. Headlights work fine, minimal eye browing on the high beams. Trunk light works fine as does the engine bay one. Jack and tool bag is there, but only the lug wrench, not any of the other small DMC wrenches that I think used to be part of the car.

Side marker lights all work and I have replacement gaskets for them to put in. Tail lights all work properly. I put the Radio Shack tiny nuts and bolts solution on the boards to tighten up the connections to the bulb holders and it has been good ever since. Left hand side license plate light works, right side doesn’t.

My rear fascia support metal strip is warped and I have a new one from DMCH with 7 SS studs to do it with. Rear bumper SS DeLorean letters are on there. Engine cover latch works. Louvre latch is a bit sloppy. I replaced the entire engine cover retaining strip set. Not the grills, just the strips.

New SS coolant bottle installed. Cold air intake performance duct installed, 3-way valve removed and sitting in a box. SS deice shield with DMC logo on it. Black deice shield in a box. New air filter a couple oil changes ago. Rear axle seals replaced and all the joints cleaned up and put back together. That same trip to the mechanic got my exhaust manifold gaskets done. Much better sounding and pretty quiet.

I have a spare ballast resistor. I also have installed Toby’s Wings-B-Cool auto bleeder kit in the rear. In a box ready to be installed are new spark plugs, ignition wiring, distributor, etc. I have never gone into my VOD since I owned the car in those 5 years. Car has light grey wheels and new DMCH black floor mats.

Car has Midstate Marty’s shocks on it but original ride height. TAB’s have not been touched but new ones (not Toby TABs) are in a box with the bushings and all the other goodies needed. Deflector shields underneath are installed as they should be. Car has a SS replacement fuel tank closing plate.

Front end recall kit was installed. Front frame extension was POR-15’d to catch some rusting. That was about the only bad area on the frame when I got it. Combination of the rust and likely the force of someone jacking the car up at that mid point made it slightly weak. There are a couple other places on the frame where the epoxy is peeling back a bit, notably near the catalytic convertor.

Door struts have been replaced. My alignment on both doors need some expertise. They close reasonably well, but clunk a bit too much for my liking. Weather striping was replaced and the rest of the strips are in a box waiting to go on. Same goes for the window rub strips and felt.

Door sills have the SS full negative outline. I have hard copy binders of all 3 workshop manuals. I also have a dash carpet that came with the car in 2007. Fuel filter is in a box or could be put in. I replaced the glove box insert and have the light bulb and switch yet to snug in there. I also have a 1981 labels set to be installed.

My stainless is good but not perfect. No X on the hood visible. The rear corner of the drivers door had something caught in it at some point, so it is flared up slightly and the t-panel is crimped down slightly. It doesn’t make much of a difference with the door function, but again, it’s not perfect. There are a couple little dot type dents in the t-panel area or top of the doors, but the most noticeable problem with the stainless is on the passenger rear quarter panel as it meets the passenger door. Likely someone turned and swiped a curb or something and there is a crease that affects part of the quarter panel and part of the door. Some people don’t notice it, but I do. I feel it could be fixed if you knew someone that could fix stainless.

Man, that’s all I can think of! Sorry about the essay, but thanks for reading. I have a bunch of other DMC stuff that I would likely hang on to, but could be convinced to part with. Flux capacitor, Hotwheels collection, OUTATIME plate, Save the Clock Tower flyer and all the usual BTTF stuff.

My preference would be to a Canadian owner, but hey, money is money.

Email is canadiandelorean3937 (at) gmail dot com if you are interested.

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john 05141
06-08-2012, 03:46 AM
Still do not understand why owners selling their Delorean (and know the weak spots) do not post pictures of the frame.
Your car does look very nice tough.

John.

Jonathan
06-08-2012, 09:44 AM
Still do not understand why owners selling their Delorean (and know the weak spots) do not post pictures of the frame.
Your car does look very nice tough.

John.

Hey John,

I will have quite a number of more pictures to post in about 2 weeks when I get back home to where the car is. I'll take much more detailed pictures of everything on the car than what I happened to have with me on my computer. The frame will definitely be included in those pictures.

Jonathan
06-08-2012, 10:58 AM
A few other thoughts or comments I had since the initial write-up:

Along with what I said about the steering rack being cleaned up, lubed, and boots changed, the alignment is good on the car and it handles nice. Part of that is also due to the service work involving the rear drive axle seals getting replaced and the CV joints being cleaned up. Car felt “tight” in the rear end after the job.

Tires on all 4 corners are what came with the car when I bought it. The rubber is in good shape. I’ll post here later what the brand of tire is and any date codes I see. Same goes for the spare (never been used by me). The 4 tires keep air pressure well. I top up as needed, but it definitely isn’t daily. I typically keep 23 psi and 30 psi in the front/rears as per the manual. The 20 lug nuts on the wheels were replaced in the first season with the ones for sale from DMCH. The rims are light gray and are in reasonably good condition. There is not much in the way of road rash on the outer side, and not very much peeling of the finish. The inside surfaces though there is more peeling evident.

Car has been fed 87 octane for most of the last two seasons. I originally put in super (91 octane) when I first got it as I didn’t know any better. Trying to always stick to non-ethanol gases in Canada isn’t very practical, so it has seen typical gas from various stations in the past 5 years. I tend to put fuel stabilizer in it in the winter when it is stored.

The cooling system works well and the cooling fans come on when needed. Reservoir cap was replaced at the same time as the SS bottle was put in.

The car is not missing any support brackets that I am aware of. I put a new right hand side muffler bracket on when I bought the car as it was missing then. The one above it on the right side around the alternator and muffler is in place (as this seems to go missing on some cars). The muffler heat shield was put in new with one from DMCH. It is the metal one with a synthetic coating on one side. There is not much left of the heat shield on the underside of the catalytic convertor. The belts have both been replaced since I’ve owned the car and I have a couple spares too.

Louvres are in decent condition. There is a small crack in the rear edge of the fiberglass right where the latch components are. Louvre struts work well. There is no third brake light on this car installed. The two sunshade grills were new in the first season as they were originally missing. They were installed with the 3M double sided adhesive tape.

I have the door striker grommets in a box. I have also put the “cosmetic” cover caps on the seatbelt bolt holes on the outside of each side. This just covers up seeing the end of the bolt from the outside of the car. Those same cover caps were put on the top of the front shock tower bolts as the hole size was the same. This was just to clean up the looks and they can be removed for access.

The door lights (2 orange and 1 red) are working on the drivers side, but the red one on the passenger side does not come on. And it is not just a burnt out bulb. Currently the door light plungers are unplugged (door alignment and potential battery drain related).

I have installed a removable CO adjustment plug (the one with the little handle on the DMCH website). This is to replace the gum/golf tee/or whatever might have been stuck in that kind of place in the past. Partly cosmetic, partly functional.

I have replaced the trunk release cable (outer sheath and inner cable). I have also installed a back-up cable (which is just the cable but not a second sheath).

The drivers side bolster near the door had been broken away sometime in the past. It is secured back in place, but could be prettied up better if it was all disassembled and the bracket inside it was redone.

New washer bottle cap installed. New passenger door heating vent adapter installed to replace the original which was torn. New steering wheel bushing was installed with the hack and stuff method. Windshield has been resealed using the 3M window weld goop. This was done by removing the top black metal trim piece and applying the goop under it. Windshield has no cracks and is the original I believe.

Chris Burns
06-08-2012, 11:09 AM
That is a VERY nice Delorean John! I have seen videos of it on You Tube. Sorry you have to sell:bigcry:

Jonathan
06-08-2012, 06:50 PM
Here are some more pictures of things underneath. Not all of these pictures are from the past season, some are a couple years old. They give you an idea of the condition of the frame and support brackets and whatnot. I will still document a more thorough set of pictures in a couple weeks when I get back to the car. I'll try to do it really systematically to capture all the things mentioned in the write-up.

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Jonathan
06-08-2012, 07:25 PM
Sorry for the multiple posts in a row. My edit button keeps vanishing just before I think of something else ;)

Here is a video like Chris alluded to. It is about a year old, but was taken right after I got my exhaust manifold gaskets done.

A noticeable difference in the engine bay from then until now is that the 3-way air intake valve and duct was replaced with the cold air performance duct from DMCH. And the SS deice shield replaced the black one (SS one has DMC etched on it). And inside I now have the new black DMCH floor mats.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPhH_NowHh8&feature=plcp

Jonathan
03-16-2014, 04:26 PM
Car is no longer being considered for sale. Mods... could you please lock this thread, thank you.

Andy
03-17-2014, 03:43 AM
You're keeping your DeLorean or has it been sold?

Jonathan
03-17-2014, 08:06 AM
You're keeping your DeLorean (yes) or has it been sold? (no)

:)

Andy
03-17-2014, 08:25 AM
Good to hear that you're keeping the car!