The Illustrated Buyer's Guide to Delorean Automobiles Review

[DeloreanJoshQ]

The Illustrated Buyer's Guide to Delorean Automobiles Review....

I purchased this at DCS 2012 and read it on the flight home and afterwards to finish it up and thought I would share my review of it since I have completed reading it. I am reviewing it from a Delorean owner's mindset vs. a potential owner, who it is aimed at:

There are 122 pages to it. When I first saw it, I thought to myself, "Jees, that's a small book" and questioned if it was worth the $30.
There are many color photos in it of detailed differences of the car. This is what sold me on the book because I was interested in learning new things about the Delorean.
I couldn't help but continue thinking as I was reading how other people would attack the book or its contributors after seeing the posts on DMCTalk.
However, in my opinion I think the book was carefully written as to be accurate and allow for other opinions and alternate possibilities as the car was never a cookie-cut vehicle in production, making it very interesting to learn more about.

There are so many details to the book. The only thing discussed in the book that I thought could have been expanded on, detail-wise, was the HVAC overlay changes throughout production with more photos of the differences. But this is trivial. Otherwise, I couldn't think of anything from my personal knowledge that was left out or inaccurate and I learned alot more.

Anyhow, I believe it was worth the purchase and was a good read. It was easy to understand, the photos helped explain the differences, and the point of view James uses doesn't give it too much of a "DMCH propaganda"(to drive business to DMC) feeling that some people seem to get excited about.

For someone that doesn't know alot about the car and is looking to purchase one, it would be very helpful to read and easy to bring along with them when they look at a potential purchase.

But you don't have to take my word for it. Read the book yourself and post on here your thoughts.


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[Fluxat88MPH]

The Illustrated Buyer's Guide to Delorean Automobiles Review....

I purchased this at DCS 2012 and read it on the flight home and afterwards to finish it up and thought I would share my review of it since I have completed reading it. I am reviewing it from a Delorean owner's mindset vs. a potential owner, who it is aimed at:

There are 122 pages to it. When I first saw it, I thought to myself, "Jees, that's a small book" and questioned if it was worth the $30.
There are many color photos in it of detailed differences of the car. This is what sold me on the book because I was interested in learning new things about the Delorean.
I couldn't help but continue thinking as I was reading how other people would attack the book or its contributors after seeing the posts on DMCTalk.
However, in my opinion I think the book was carefully written as to be accurate and allow for other opinions and alternate possibilities as the car was never a cookie-cut vehicle in production, making it very interesting to learn more about.

There are so many details to the book. The only thing discussed in the book that I thought could have been expanded on, detail-wise, was the HVAC overlay changes throughout production with more photos of the differences. But this is trivial. Otherwise, I couldn't think of anything from my personal knowledge that was left out or inaccurate and I learned alot more.

Anyhow, I believe it was worth the purchase and was a good read. It was easy to understand, the photos helped explain the differences, and the point of view James uses doesn't give it too much of a "DMCH propaganda"(to drive business to DMC) feeling that some people seem to get excited about.

For someone that doesn't know alot about the car and is looking to purchase one, it would be very helpful to read and easy to bring along with them when they look at a potential purchase.

But you don't have to take my word for it. Read the book yourself and post on here your thoughts.


https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/552807_10151819739880696_1787228919_n.jpg

I haven't read any comments on the forum about this book and don't have any vendetta against James. But I will say this with what reading and skimming I did of the book of yours Josh. There did seem to be some vagueness in a few areas could have gone into more depths with. There also was some what of a propaganda to it in directing people to a certified dealer or something of the sort for fixing things (Honestly can't recall if DMCH was recommend or just a vendor in general.) I can't remember the exact wording but just the impression I got while reading. I even pointed out a few of those to someone while reading. I think the book might be more informative or directed to someone who knows very little about the or an insurance agent. So my disclaimer is that it is informative to a lamen if you will. However it seemed to offer very little for me personally. Now I know James has worked hard on this book and those that contributed. I'm also not saying I could do a better job either. $30 seems a bit pricy for what it is for me. Just my 2 cents.

[Michael]

$30 seems a bit pricy for what it is for me. Just my 2 cents.

Look at it from a non-owner, non-informed point of view, if you are in the market for a 25k+ car, 30 bucks is nothing to pay to help you find one that will not end up costing you thousands in repairs. I don't think this book was meant to be a bible for Delorean owners, nor was it meant to be the end all of Delorean buying advice. It's just a primer of sorts, something for people in the market to get their feet wet before setting out on looking seriously. When I was in the market I would have snatched this up and considered it money well spent. This isn't a detailed book, it's a guide, and isn't that what's written on the cover as well?

[dvonk]

Look at it from a non-owner, non-informed point of view, if you are in the market for a 25k+ car, 30 bucks is nothing to pay to help you find one that will not end up costing you thousands in repairs. I don't think this book was meant to be a bible for Delorean owners, nor was it meant to be the end all of Delorean buying advice. It's just a primer of sorts, something for people in the market to get their feet wet before setting out on looking seriously. When I was in the market I would have snatched this up and considered it money well spent. This isn't a detailed book, it's a guide, and isn't that what's written on the cover as well?

+1. ive been reading/learning about DeLoreans for over 16 years, but i havent yet been in the market for one. since there is a pathetic lack of DeLoreans here in NE, all my info has to come to text or photos, the latter of which i find to be much more informative (i.e., "a picture is worth a thousand words").

my first time seeing more than one DeLorean side-by-side was this past weekend at DCS 2012, and it will probably be DCS 2014 before it happens again for me. as such, this guide is an invaluable resource for me, especially with the comparison photos and succinct descriptions of the production changes, upgrades, etc... it also helps to have all the information condensed in a single location, rather than have to search through a multitude of threads specifically dedicated to individual topics.

for me, this $30 is a no-brainer. :thumbup:

[Totally 80s]

But you don't have to take my word for it. Read the book yourself and post on here your thoughts.


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Is that a Reading Rainbow reference?

[DeLorean03]

Would this be a good book to have at a car show/cruise in for people that a ask "How much does a typical DeLorean cost?" And I don't mean throw this book at them instead of just saying "Depending on condition, about $25k for a good, reliable DeLorean." - I mean those people that show some real strong interest and you can tell "reminds you of you" before you bought your DeLorean. Would this be a good pruchase for opportunities like that?

[DeloreanJoshQ]

Would this be a good book to have at a car show/cruise in for people that a ask "How much does a typical DeLorean cost?" And I don't mean throw this book at them instead of just saying "Depending on condition, about $25k for a good, reliable DeLorean." - I mean those people that show some real strong interest and you can tell "reminds you of you" before you bought your DeLorean. Would this be a good pruchase for opportunities like that?

I guess...it doesn't specifically tell a price on cars since that would date the book, but does have alot of helpful information for someone who is looking to purchase one...

[Chris 16409]

I was going to order this through Amazon, I assume it is "in stock" and ready to ship?

[john 05141]

I bought the last one at the shoa at DCS.
As an owner, I can say this is not bad as some extra information. I have not completed the reading yet, and yes it is obvious information, but I learned something about transporting the D on a trailer that I did not know.... Not sorry at all I bought it.

John

[DMCH James]

The Illustrated Buyer's Guide to Delorean Automobiles Review....

(snip)

There are so many details to the book. The only thing discussed in the book that I thought could have been expanded on, detail-wise, was the HVAC overlay changes throughout production with more photos of the differences. But this is trivial. Otherwise, I couldn't think of anything from my personal knowledge that was left out or inaccurate and I learned alot more.
(snip)



Josh, the entire story on the HVAC overlays could take up several pages in the book - I briefly cover the topic here on the website for the book:

http://deloreanguide.com/?p=54

In the end, as at the moment there is only one style available and no known breakdowns of which ones were used on which car, I didn't spend a lot of time on it in the book. In the back of my mind, I knew that many things like this would bog down the reader and would be best left to for the web site.

Thank you for the kind words and objective review. I appreciate it!

James

[DeLorean03]

I bought a copy of this book while I was picking up my car at DMCMW. This is a little gem of a book. $30 is a bit much to swallow for about 110 pages - BUT - the knowledge in the book is well worth it. Most of it is stuff we already know, but there were definitely some lil zingers and "I didn't know that !!" moments.

Overall, worth the money if you want to really go into some unique details about the cars and get caught up on some DeLorean lore. I don't regret buying it!

[Chris 16409]

Just got my copy in the mail! It looks to be a good read. I think the $30 seems reasonable for all those color photographs. This will join my other DeLorean related books.

[cybercusp]

Copy is on its way from Ebay.

[Kukem]

I got my Copy of the book today and have started going through it. As a non-owner who is looking to buy (hopefully soon!) I can tell you there is a lot of good information in here for someone who isn't as familliar with the cars. (I have only seen a few cars in person on my quest to buy one.) I'll update this post with my thoughts when I am finished as this book is honestly aimed at someone like myself.

[DMCH James]

One of the questions I get asked from time to time is “what documents came with the car when new?” In this posting at deloreanguide.com, I’ll show these documents and briefly describe them.

There were two significantly different versions of the handbook, and the valet (vinyl pouch/handbook holder) that should have accompanied it. These were put into the cars not at the factory, but at the QAC as part of the final inspection.

http://deloreanguide.com/?p=71

James

[OverlandMan]

One of the questions I get asked from time to time is “what documents came with the car when new?” In this posting at deloreanguide.com, I’ll show these documents and briefly describe them.

There were two significantly different versions of the handbook, and the valet (vinyl pouch/handbook holder) that should have accompanied it. These were put into the cars not at the factory, but at the QAC as part of the final inspection.

http://deloreanguide.com/?p=71

James

James - any plans to reproduce these and sell at DMC? I see original versions come up on eBay and this forum from time to time but they always seem to command top $. Probably too much cost to produce on a small scale (as is the case with lots of DMC repro parts) but figured I'd ask nonetheless.

[refugeefromcalif]

One of the questions I get asked from time to time is “what documents came with the car when new?” In this posting at deloreanguide.com, I’ll show these documents and briefly describe them.

There were two significantly different versions of the handbook, and the valet (vinyl pouch/handbook holder) that should have accompanied it. These were put into the cars not at the factory, but at the QAC as part of the final inspection.

http://deloreanguide.com/?p=71

James

Thanks for the info James!
6599 came with all of the original paperwork, (In Perfect shape), Minus the, Notification of Ownership and/or Address postcard.

George

[DMCH James]

After being in print for a little more than two years, I just completed and have available an updated second edition of The Illustrated Buyer's Guide to DeLorean Automobiles (http://www.deloreanguide.com). I've added about 7-8 pages to include some information that has become more relevant since the first edition was released in 2012. I was also able to significantly update the lists of company cars used at the factory for various purposes.

[Domi]

That's great news, when will it be available for sale?

[Rich_NYS]

I liked the book and glad I have it, but I agree that it's too light for $30. It also references web links that are (or were) non-existent. James appears to be a warehouse of knowledge; he could have filled twice as many pages, and I think he should have.

The book was good for my situation because I wasn't yet knowledgeable enough when I bought my car, and didn't have someone to bring with me.

[Tappdarden]

I just completed and have available an updated second edition of The Illustrated Buyer's Guide to DeLorean Automobiles (http://www.deloreanguide.com).

This is great news. considering my dog eat my copy of the first edition (no really, He seems to be able to figure out objects that i actually care about) this will be a good excuse for me to get a replacement.

[DMCH James]

That's great news, when will it be available for sale?

It's actually available now from Amazon, Ebay, BN.com and store.delorean.com - direct links are at deloreanguide.com - the DeLorean Eurotec club is selling off the last few copies of the first edition now and should have the second edition later this year. Thanks for asking.


I liked the book and glad I have it, but I agree that it's too light for $30. It also references web links that are (or were) non-existent. James appears to be a warehouse of knowledge; he could have filled twice as many pages, and I think he should have.

Thanks for your comment, Rich. There is a fine line, I think, between overloading an individual with minutiae and giving them enough information to make an informed decision on what is "good and bad" and "right and wrong" when evaluating a DeLorean for purchase. I know someone in the DeLorean community has talked about writing a "what the workshop manual doesn't tell you" book, but that kind of information is far beyond the scope and intended audience of prospective DeLorean owners. It is also a significantly smaller market, which may be why that book never gets made.


The book was good for my situation because I wasn't yet knowledgeable enough when I bought my car, and didn't have someone to bring with me.

There's lot of people in the exact situation that you were in, Rich, and those people are the intended market for the book. At least once or twice a week I'll field a call from someone who "is looking at a DeLorean to buy" and wants to know "what to look for/what goes wrong". For years I spent a lot of time with each of these callers, barely scratching the surface of what they needed to know, and realized that once they hung up the phone they were unlikely to retain a fraction of what I had told them. That was one of the main reasons the book was written.

Now when people I call, I explain that to them and suggest the purchase of a book (if they won't spend $30 on a book but will pay $X,000 or $XX,000 for a car, they deserve what they get, IMO). I invite them to read through the book, look at the car, take photos and then contact me with questions on things they are unsure about.

[Jonathan]

It's actually available now from Amazon, Ebay, BN.com and store.delorean.com - direct links are at deloreanguide.com - the DeLorean Eurotec club is selling off the last few copies of the first edition now and should have the second edition later this year. Thanks for asking.

Hi James,

I'm not familiar with what goes on behind the scenes at Amazon, but do you know or have any influence on whether amazon.ca (the Canadian version of the site) will carry your book?

I should have just grabbed one while at DCS in hindsight, but the 2nd edition news makes that ok now to get the latest info. It's not terribly difficult to order from the US .com site, but it doesn't make things any more affordable unfortunately once they add the shipping and duties, exchange rates, etc.

I'd also assume perhaps if someone puts a parts order in at one of the franchise locations, Houston or the others, the book could be packed together with the parts?

Thanks, Jonathan

[Domi]

It's actually available now from Amazon, Ebay, BN.com and store.delorean.com - direct links are at deloreanguide.com - the DeLorean Eurotec club is selling off the last few copies of the first edition now and should have the second edition later this year. Thanks for asking.


Thank you for your answers James.
Just bought two of them on eBay ;)

[DMCH James]

Hi James,

I'm not familiar with what goes on behind the scenes at Amazon, but do you know or have any influence on whether amazon.ca (the Canadian version of the site) will carry your book?

I should have just grabbed one while at DCS in hindsight, but the 2nd edition news makes that ok now to get the latest info. It's not terribly difficult to order from the US .com site, but it doesn't make things any more affordable unfortunately once they add the shipping and duties, exchange rates, etc.

I'd also assume perhaps if someone puts a parts order in at one of the franchise locations, Houston or the others, the book could be packed together with the parts?

Thanks, Jonathan

I've not created a seller account with Amazon (Canada). I know the book is in stock at DMC (Texas) and (California) at present, and (Midwest) and (Florida) usually have them, as well. I usually refer UK/EU orders to the DeLorean Eurotec club at http://www.deloreaneurotec.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=111&t=3664

Ebay, and their Global Shipping Program works out well for most international orders, but I know all about shipping and duties and I know they are steep!

[acaciolo]

James,

I read edition 1 before I bought my car and it was a huge help! is there much new info in edition 2?

tony c

[Domi]

Today, I received the 2 books I had ordered.
Thank you very much for the signature and kind word inside the book, truly appreciated :thumbup2:

[Jonathan]

James,

I picked up a copy of your book today. The inside cover says it is the third printing. Is this the second edition you mentioned in this thread? The book I have has 121 pages if you count all the way to the end of the suggested further reading section.

Is page 68 left intentionally blank? (as my page 68 has nothing other than the page number on it).

[DMCH James]

Where did you get this, Jonathan?

The version you are describing is the final printing of the first edition. Page 68 is blank in that version, correct.

James


James,

I picked up a copy of your book today. The inside cover says it is the third printing. Is this the second edition you mentioned in this thread? The book I have has 121 pages if you count all the way to the end of the suggested further reading section.

Is page 68 left intentionally blank? (as my page 68 has nothing other than the page number on it).

[Jonathan]

Where did you get this, Jonathan?

The version you are describing is the final printing of the first edition. Page 68 is blank in that version, correct.

James

DMCFL. Yesterday. Unfortunate I didn't get a current copy. Still enjoyed reading it though. Thanks for putting it together.

[Domi]

James, will you sell the Japanese version on eBay at a cheaper price than this one?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DeLorean-Buyers-Guide-Media-Pal-Mook-Mook-2015-5-16-/121657006455?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c53529977
Many thanks for your answer ;)