Test Drove an '81 D, looking for second opinions

[FPBBrandon]

Hi Guys,

Like probably everyone who stumbles through the boards, I've wanted a D since I could walk, and one popped up locally in Denver the other day;

http://www.automotive-imports.com/newandusedcars/9162/1976470/092eee68-5ec3-45a2-ad06-0126501849a1/none/1981-DeLorean-DMC12-Denver-CO-80223.aspx

It was somewhat affordable, so I headed down to take a test drive. From my reading here, I was led to believe that a D in this bracket should be quite close to turn-key ready to drive. I went and met the salespeople, and took a quick walk around. The car appears to be in very decent shape externally for its age, with no damage to speak of to the stainless and the valences, bumpers, and trim looking to be in equally good shape. I was also really intrigued by the fact that its a gas flap car, which is what I'd be holding out for.

I was told the car came with a mountain of records. When I got there, most of the records were purchase documentation and one recent service here in CO for overheating and slop in the steering. The car does not have much of a documented history for maintenance beyond the service the dealership put it through to get it ready to sell.

When we went to go for a drive, the car would not start. I was told these have mechanical fuel injection that does not tend to start well after the car has sat for about a week. After probably about a minute to a minute and a half of cranking, the car finally turned over. The engine bay smelled pretty richly of gas, but we went out driving. The motor seemed to idle well, and didn't waver much while we were on our drive. The temperature gauge appeared to be holding solid as well. The only real big foible I noticed was the shift from 1 to 2 had substantial resistance to it, the linkage felt like it was strongly damped and you had to really push to get it into second. Steering, brakes and clutch all felt quite good. A/C worked great. When we got back to the dealership, the car still smelled very strongly of gas. I got under the car and found a good amount of gas coming off the fuel filter and falling on the exhaust (exhaust was steaming fuel vapor at the end of the test drive- a bit disconcerting). The dealership took the car away to fix the fuel and the shifter. There were a few other quirks, such as the 7 segment display on the craig head unit being very finicky, and inop windows. The frame was said to be in great shape, I was going to double check it for rot when I came in to pick it up.

The next day, I put a deposit down on the car at asking price, but an employment concern that came up the day I put the deposit down led me to back out. We're a few more days out now, and it seems the employment issue may not have been as bad as was expressed to me, but this also gives me a chance to try and be a bit more methodical.

I'd just like to know what owners' thoughts are on the price associated with the general condition of the car. The no-start before the test drive is worrying, as was the strange shifter feel. The fuel issue was a bad fitting on the filter, which is fixed now per the dealer, along with tweaks to the shifter linkage to make the car shift better. I know no D is going to come without foibles, but should I be holding out for a more confidence-inspiring car in this price range? I'd like a D I can drive, with maintenance, and I'd expect some hiccups, but with the price being in the 25k range I'd be really disappointed in having it become a paperweight shortly after purchase. Another factor is these guys are willing to finance so I don't have to dump a huge amount of cash from the offset, which would be helpful as I'm also working on bringing my 87 Audi Coupe back to its former glory right now. I have alot saved up, but buying a car in cash outright in the future may be difficult.

Can anyone offer me any advice on my dilemma? I've lurked the forums for some time, but nothing really substitutes for bringing my situation out and asking.

Please let me know... I'm ok with being laughed off the boards too, as I did put effort into reading first, but I'm really on the fence with this one...

[Chris Burns]

Hi Guys,

Like probably everyone who stumbles through the boards, I've wanted a D since I could walk, and one popped up locally in Denver the other day;

http://www.automotive-imports.com/newandusedcars/9162/1976470/092eee68-5ec3-45a2-ad06-0126501849a1/none/1981-DeLorean-DMC12-Denver-CO-80223.aspx

It was somewhat affordable, so I headed down to take a test drive. From my reading here, I was led to believe that a D in this bracket should be quite close to turn-key ready to drive. I went and met the salespeople, and took a quick walk around. The car appears to be in very decent shape externally for its age, with no damage to speak of to the stainless and the valences, bumpers, and trim looking to be in equally good shape. I was also really intrigued by the fact that its a gas flap car, which is what I'd be holding out for.

I was told the car came with a mountain of records. When I got there, most of the records were purchase documentation and one recent service here in CO for overheating and slop in the steering. The car does not have much of a documented history for maintenance beyond the service the dealership put it through to get it ready to sell.

When we went to go for a drive, the car would not start. I was told these have mechanical fuel injection that does not tend to start well after the car has sat for about a week. After probably about a minute to a minute and a half of cranking, the car finally turned over. The engine bay smelled pretty richly of gas, but we went out driving. The motor seemed to idle well, and didn't waver much while we were on our drive. The temperature gauge appeared to be holding solid as well. The only real big foible I noticed was the shift from 1 to 2 had substantial resistance to it, the linkage felt like it was strongly damped and you had to really push to get it into second. Steering, brakes and clutch all felt quite good. A/C worked great. When we got back to the dealership, the car still smelled very strongly of gas. I got under the car and found a good amount of gas coming off the fuel filter and falling on the exhaust (exhaust was steaming fuel vapor at the end of the test drive- a bit disconcerting). The dealership took the car away to fix the fuel and the shifter. There were a few other quirks, such as the 7 segment display on the craig head unit being very finicky, and inop windows. The frame was said to be in great shape, I was going to double check it for rot when I came in to pick it up.

The next day, I put a deposit down on the car at asking price, but an employment concern that came up the day I put the deposit down led me to back out. We're a few more days out now, and it seems the employment issue may not have been as bad as was expressed to me, but this also gives me a chance to try and be a bit more methodical.

I'd just like to know what owners' thoughts are on the price associated with the general condition of the car. The no-start before the test drive is worrying, as was the strange shifter feel. The fuel issue was a bad fitting on the filter, which is fixed now per the dealer, along with tweaks to the shifter linkage to make the car shift better. I know no D is going to come without foibles, but should I be holding out for a more confidence-inspiring car in this price range? I'd like a D I can drive, with maintenance, and I'd expect some hiccups, but with the price being in the 25k range I'd be really disappointed in having it become a paperweight shortly after purchase. Another factor is these guys are willing to finance so I don't have to dump a huge amount of cash from the offset, which would be helpful as I'm also working on bringing my 87 Audi Coupe back to its former glory right now. I have alot saved up, but buying a car in cash outright in the future may be difficult.

Can anyone offer me any advice on my dilemma? I've lurked the forums for some time, but nothing really substitutes for bringing my situation out and asking.

Please let me know... I'm ok with being laughed off the boards too, as I did put effort into reading first, but I'm really on the fence with this one...

Welcome to the forum!


Sounds like the fuel system needs cleaned out and some items replaced (like fuel pump, accumulator, etc). As for the shifting issue, it sounds like a 2nd gear roll pin which is inside the transmission (you can still drive the car with the issue). I would also check the clutch hydraulics, slave cylinder and master cylinder.

Looks like a nice Delorean! I have been watching it on E-bay. :popcorn:

[Cory W]

The hard start and fuel leak go hand in hand, I bet. System pressure is important with KJet, and you had a leak, however tiny. With that solved, you should not have as hard a time to start it now.

Another note: if the sunvisors have starting instruction labels on them, they suggest actually depressing your throttle about 1/4 travel before starting when cold. If the RPM relay is a DMC model (black casing), sometimes just turning the key to "run" once, back to off, then again will prime the fuel system.

As for the transmission, the road tests at the time described the gear synchros as "slow", particularly from first to second. I know that my own car is a little hesitant to go from 1-2 when it's cold. After the gear oil has warmed up a bit, it's like butter. Go easy on it, though, because you don't want to break the second gear roll pin. the part is less than $1. To remove the transmission and open it up to replace said part is more.

My take on it: If the frame is solid, buy it. Everything else is pretty easy to deal with.

[DeMopar]

That's a nice looking Delorean! I'm a sucker for early vin cars, and it has the black stripe and grey wheels which is another plus! The car doesn't seem to have any major cosmetic issues that are pressing. I noticed the fascias are laser straight which is also (rare) a good thing! From your description, it sounds like the mechanical issues are relatively minor. Even if you paid full asking price and dumped a few thousand more to take care of the known issues, you'd still be in better shape than a lot of us! I would love to be in my car that cheap! In the end, only you can make the decision. You could do a lot worse than this car-it doesn't seem bad at all. Yes, as Cory said-definately check frame. If it's a Colorado car originally it's probably good. Good luck!

[Jimmyvonviggle]

As others said, the car looks great, and the gas flap hood is a bonus. But you have to factor in a couple of grand for mechanical to get it right. The economy is tough and now would be a good time to bargain, don't be shy to talk him down a bit you would be surprised. Remember that if you don't get this one another one will come along.

If you do buy it, and decide to bring it to a mechanic, make sure you go to ones like DMCMW, DMCNW, DPI, Grady, DMCF etc. not a regular shop even if the guy tells you no problem it will be easy to fix, they'll just f@ck it up. Even if you have to transport it to one of these shops it's worth it in the long run.

Good luck.

[DeLorean03]

Hi Guys,

Like probably everyone who stumbles through the boards, I've wanted a D since I could walk, and one popped up locally in Denver the other day;

http://www.automotive-imports.com/newandusedcars/9162/1976470/092eee68-5ec3-45a2-ad06-0126501849a1/none/1981-DeLorean-DMC12-Denver-CO-80223.aspx

It was somewhat affordable, so I headed down to take a test drive. From my reading here, I was led to believe that a D in this bracket should be quite close to turn-key ready to drive. I went and met the salespeople, and took a quick walk around. The car appears to be in very decent shape externally for its age, with no damage to speak of to the stainless and the valences, bumpers, and trim looking to be in equally good shape. I was also really intrigued by the fact that its a gas flap car, which is what I'd be holding out for.

I was told the car came with a mountain of records. When I got there, most of the records were purchase documentation and one recent service here in CO for overheating and slop in the steering. The car does not have much of a documented history for maintenance beyond the service the dealership put it through to get it ready to sell.

When we went to go for a drive, the car would not start. I was told these have mechanical fuel injection that does not tend to start well after the car has sat for about a week. After probably about a minute to a minute and a half of cranking, the car finally turned over. The engine bay smelled pretty richly of gas, but we went out driving. The motor seemed to idle well, and didn't waver much while we were on our drive. The temperature gauge appeared to be holding solid as well. The only real big foible I noticed was the shift from 1 to 2 had substantial resistance to it, the linkage felt like it was strongly damped and you had to really push to get it into second. Steering, brakes and clutch all felt quite good. A/C worked great. When we got back to the dealership, the car still smelled very strongly of gas. I got under the car and found a good amount of gas coming off the fuel filter and falling on the exhaust (exhaust was steaming fuel vapor at the end of the test drive- a bit disconcerting). The dealership took the car away to fix the fuel and the shifter. There were a few other quirks, such as the 7 segment display on the craig head unit being very finicky, and inop windows. The frame was said to be in great shape, I was going to double check it for rot when I came in to pick it up.

The next day, I put a deposit down on the car at asking price, but an employment concern that came up the day I put the deposit down led me to back out. We're a few more days out now, and it seems the employment issue may not have been as bad as was expressed to me, but this also gives me a chance to try and be a bit more methodical.

I'd just like to know what owners' thoughts are on the price associated with the general condition of the car. The no-start before the test drive is worrying, as was the strange shifter feel. The fuel issue was a bad fitting on the filter, which is fixed now per the dealer, along with tweaks to the shifter linkage to make the car shift better. I know no D is going to come without foibles, but should I be holding out for a more confidence-inspiring car in this price range? I'd like a D I can drive, with maintenance, and I'd expect some hiccups, but with the price being in the 25k range I'd be really disappointed in having it become a paperweight shortly after purchase. Another factor is these guys are willing to finance so I don't have to dump a huge amount of cash from the offset, which would be helpful as I'm also working on bringing my 87 Audi Coupe back to its former glory right now. I have alot saved up, but buying a car in cash outright in the future may be difficult.

Can anyone offer me any advice on my dilemma? I've lurked the forums for some time, but nothing really substitutes for bringing my situation out and asking.

Please let me know... I'm ok with being laughed off the boards too, as I did put effort into reading first, but I'm really on the fence with this one...

I'm not making this up, if you can settle for having an automatic, I am looking at selling mine soon. You would get a HECK of a lot more for your money with my car, and I've been here 9 years on this forum. That being said, a couple people here could attest to the durability and reliability of my car. It is currently at DMCMidwest, and I would be fine with Dave Swingle, who is DMCMW here at the forums disclosing information about my car while he has it at his shop.

Just an offer if you're interested. $21k takes it home.

[Jimmyvonviggle]

I'm not making this up, if you can settle for having an automatic, I am looking at selling mine soon. You would get a HECK of a lot more for your money with my car, and I've been here 9 years on this forum. That being said, a couple people here could attest to the durability and reliability of my car. It is currently at DMCMidwest, and I would be fine with Dave Swingle, who is DMCMW here at the forums disclosing information about my car while he has it at my shop.

Just an offer if you're interested.

That's a good offer you should pursue, a car with a history, and an owner who spent years debugging. Plus as a bonus Dave Swingle from DMCMW has his hands on it.

[Rich]

Hi Guys,
I'd just like to know what owners' thoughts are on the price associated with the general condition of the car. ....I know no D is going to come without foibles, but should I be holding out for a more confidence-inspiring car in this price range? I'd like a D I can drive, with maintenance, and I'd expect some hiccups, but with the price being in the 25k range I'd be really disappointed in having it become a paperweight shortly after purchase.

You seem to have realistic expectations and this is a decent candidate.

Just a couple of notes, one cosmetic and the others about expectations and pricing.

First, I hope I'm not detecting a small ding in the hood that you'll object to. Either it isn't there or you don't mind having it. Right in the middle of this cropped photo from their site, just at the bottom of the reflected light.

11994

On the pricing side it's not bad. One approach is to negotiate to $21-22K and budget in $1-4K for getting it into the condition you might need to get it into over the next couple of years (sorting the windows, new tires, alignment, shocks/springs, electrical upgrades, safety items like TABs, ball joints or any missing recall items). Then you'd have a decent, safe, livable D for a bit over $25K, about what they go for these days. The door fit, the interior and the engine bay look decent. Plan to update the coolant reservoir.

[Chris Burns]

I'm not making this up, if you can settle for having an automatic, I am looking at selling mine soon. You would get a HECK of a lot more for your money with my car, and I've been here 9 years on this forum. That being said, a couple people here could attest to the durability and reliability of my car. It is currently at DMCMidwest, and I would be fine with Dave Swingle, who is DMCMW here at the forums disclosing information about my car while he has it at his shop.

Just an offer if you're interested. $21k takes it home.

Aw, I'm sorry to hear that Jeremiah.:bawling: You have been one of the long term owners and one of the first I found. You car should be pretty awesome after all the de-bugging you and Casey did to it. Will it be one E-bay or DMC's webpage?

You car is worth every bit of 21k!

[Dangermouse]

Surprised no-one has mentioned the plastic expansion tank. As mentioned above, budget $2-4k for bits and bobs, frame not withstanding.

On the other hand, all you have said about the dealer just underlines my opinion of used car dealers : "tons of documentation" - well, a little; "these cars dont like to sit for a week" - BS, plenty of our cars sit for months and start right up ; "loose fuel filter" maybe, but I'd check that last service receipt and see if it was touched recently. Take it for another drive and make sure they actually fixed it.

Still, it's a nice looking car. Work them down on the price.

[DeLorean03]

Surprised no-one has mentioned the plastic expansion tank. ...

You mean when Rich mentioned it?


Plan to update the coolant reservoir.

Anyhoo, the OP and I spoke. Great things to say, but ultimately it came down to liquid assets versus financing.

I'll prolly be putting my car up for sale soon. Keep your eyes peeled in about... 2 weeks I'd say.

[FPBBrandon]

Anyhoo, the OP and I spoke. Great things to say, but ultimately it came down to liquid assets versus financing.


As much as I hate to make my decision this way, yes the dealership financing the car plays a huge role in the decision. I have another resto going I just turned the key on, but I want to get my D before the good ones are gone and they become permanently cost prohibitive. Thats the accountant in me talking. All that said, D03's car sounds amazing...

I have to say the dealer has been pretty straightforward, and they were reasonably understanding when my work scare came up and I had to back out subsequent to the Deposit. Things seem a bit better after some digging today, which is why I threw the post up. Still waiting for my deposit though, and the thing about most of your cars being able to start readily after a week is a little scary...

[DMCVegas]

Hi Guys,

Like probably everyone who stumbles through the boards, I've wanted a D since I could walk, and one popped up locally in Denver the other day;


Welcome aboard!



I was told the car came with a mountain of records. When I got there, most of the records were purchase documentation and one recent service here in CO for overheating and slop in the steering.


Pull the oil filler and check inside for that little white screen. If it's intact, you're good to go. If it's melted, deformed, or missing, expect significant overheating that has damaged the headgaskets.

Otherwise I would seriously advise you to hit the books and start researching things. You're off to a great start so far though. :thumbup:

Don't worry about being laughed off the boards here. We all had to start somewhere ourselves so we've all been in your position before.


I was told these have mechanical fuel injection that does not tend to start well after the car has sat for about a week.


Nonsense. Mechanical injection shouldn't be causing that much of an issue when running properly. There is a leak in the system (which you evidently found later).



The only real big foible I noticed was the shift from 1 to 2 had substantial resistance to it, the linkage felt like it was strongly damped and you had to really push to get it into second.


Shift linkage needs adjustment, that's all.



I got under the car and found a good amount of gas coming off the fuel filter and falling on the exhaust (exhaust was steaming fuel vapor at the end of the test drive- a bit disconcerting).


DO NOT DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL THIS IS VERIFIED AS BEING FIXED! YOU WILL CAUSE IT TO CATCH FIRE.
This of course is the case with any vehicle.



There were a few other quirks, such as the 7 segment display on the craig head unit being very finicky, and inop windows. The frame was said to be in great shape, I was going to double check it for rot when I came in to pick it up.


Known issue with the radio. The ribbon cable is fatigued. You can get it fixed, yes. But seriously, just swap it out for a modern head unit if you plan on enjoying your car. Window regulators are going to cost you a few hundred for new units, but WELL worth the price.

If I were you though, I would take the car for another spin. Turn the radio off and tell the salesman to shut up and check for excessive wind noise. Early cars had a different build procedure where the doors were installed last, and resulted in ill-fitting doors that did not seal. You'll also want to get in and with the door closed run your finger around the door edges and check the gap between the door and the body. Make sure it's tight and even all around. Don't go by the external body panel alignment, with the exception of the doors sealing flush against the windshield trim. Look at the pics and see how the gap on the driver's door is *slightly* wider than the passenger side.

Other things I'd start checking for are updates to the car. Pop the Relay Compartment open and verify you've got newer BOSCH relays, and your Fan Fail Bypass. Check the front crumple tubes to ensure your Front End Recall kit is installed. Put this car through it's paces. A/C Blows cold? That's nice, but check and insure that ALL of the ducts respond accordingly to the Mode Switch's position. Check all lights, indicators, etc. We already know that you're going to need a new Otterstat tube and hose looking at the engine pics. Which I also can't figure out why you have a later throttle spool, but who knows... Also see which type of alternator it has. Doors also need Guide Blocks installed to ensure proper closing. Black Side Strip on Driver's Door appears to be tearing. Passenger side looks ok, but photos on the front side of passenger door are blurry. Check the front of that door for alignment

Next thing to do is this: Test drive the car. Does it overheat? No? Park it and let it sit until the Radiator Fans kick on to ensure that it cools properly and STILL doesn't overheat. Then I want you to kill it for about 20-30 minutes and verify that the engine cranks right away.

Good luck with you on your pursuit of this car. Take into consideration the observations and use them as leveraging points to help you negotiate a good price for the car. It needs some work, but doesn't appear to be much and would make a good car. It's early VIN boosts the price a little for it's more desirable features, yes. But you can get that price down no problem.

[Jonathan]

Hi Brandon,

I'll give you my 2 cents, but if you only read one reply here, what DMCVegas just wrote above me is likely your best advice.

My experience from 5 years ago when I bought mine from a dealership possibly similar to yours, was not great. The car was ultimately ok, with nothing major wrong, but just because the frame wasn't rotten, or the engine didn't need a rebuild, didn't mean it wasn't expensive and stressful figuring out the little items. You would be surprised at how quickly things can add up even when they are only $10-$100 parts but take 2-3 hours to diagnose and install. My $22k car almost doubled in price once I imported it, and tackled all the quirks in the first couple seasons.

Best advice though to you, seek out another owner nearby in Colorado that would be willing to go with you on the test drive. Best part of this? It's a two seater, so Bob the Salesman doesn't get to come! Get someone intimately familiar with the cars to look it over for you and give you his honest opinion.

Like DMCVegas said, check stuff like whether the cooling fans come on when they should, and get him to see the gauges when you're running and give the okay on where all the needles are pointing.

Like others said, letting the car sit for a week makes it hard to start is pure BS. That might be the case, but that just means there is some reason lurking that needs addressing to fix that. Window motors could be a variety of things as to why they don't work, from switches problems, to track problems, to motors that aren't even in the doors anymore.

The bonus with another owner helping you check over the car is that he or she knows what all the switches do, what lights are supposed to come on and when, what wires are okay not to be connected and which ones are a problem, and one other thing I saw, was that it does not look like there are red or blue painted dots on the back of the engine bay signifying the safety recalls have been done. None of these are deal breakers, but your good buddy the wallet will be paying for them later :)

I guess the last suggestion for when you go see the car again, is do not let Bob the Salesman rush you whatsoever. In fact, if it is sitting in the showroom, insist he leaves you alone to pour over every corner of the car. Not sure the misleading amount of documentation is enough to consider these guys dishonest, but keep an eye out for other signs. Generally if your gut feel says something isn't right, than that is likely the case. If you see enough of these issues, then you either get to a) walk away because there will be other cars, or b) you get to negotiate a heckuva deal because all these things lower the price this place can justifiably sell it for.

Good luck! (get a picture of the fuse and relay area if you can or some other areas worth reviewing and post them here. Lots of us on here will help you spot some trouble areas)

[mluder]

That's the price I paid for my car a year ago and it had some of the same issues with the fuel injection and starting... Over the course of the year I have fixed many of them and I know nothing about cars. I bought the workshop manual and parts manual, joined the local DMC club and dove in.

My car even has some bad cosmetic items... Ding in the hood and driver front panel - two items that are irreplaceable. Also my driver's door is bent so it overcloses at the bottom and has a nasty bend along the A pillar.

That being said I feel confident in what I paid for it. I looked at it this way, I could have easily dropped 1000s of dollars flying all around the country finding THE car and then shipping it home or I could dump the money into parts for a local sale one. I went local and don't regret it at all.

Welcome to the board.

Cheers.
Steve

[Dangermouse]

You mean when Rich mentioned it?

y.

yes exactly.

Apart from when Rich mentioned it, absolutely no-one mentioned the coolant tank. :umm:

Sorry, I was reading on the phone, and because everyone had quoted the OP message in its entirety, I was scrolling like crazy to get to the next post and must have missed that.

[DMCVegas]

Apart from when Rich mentioned it, absolutely no-one mentioned the coolant tank. :umm:

Name me one time where you've ever seen a coolant tank explode, crack, or otherwise leak?

Hoses and O-Rings on the Y-Pipe under the manifold are a much higher priority than that tank.


Hi Brandon,

I'll give you my 2 cents, but if you only read one reply here, what DMCVegas just wrote above me is likely your best advice.

Thanks, I really do appreciate that. From reading your post is sounds very much as though we both had similar experiences when we first got our cars with allot of stuff we had to work through and were not expecting.

You also added a VERY important piece of advice that I overlooked, and that is to bring someone along with you. Your inspection can go along ways if you've got a friend who is able to keep the sales person busy and away from distracting or interrupting your work. I've never been a salesman professionally, but I have sold a personal car or two and have done a few things I've not been proud of. Turn A/C on and hear a squeal? Crank the radio. Someone starting to look at something you don't want them to see? Holler out something you forgot to mention and drag their ass over to that, startling them in the process.

[FPBBrandon]

Well, a quick update;

The car I was looking at sold before I got back to look at it again. Its a non-permanent setback really, I'll have a D sooner or later, but I feel like I had somewhat rushed into this one anyways. Until that day comes, I suppose I'll be in the background reading :)

Thanks for all your help guys, I regret that I didn't come back with a car to show for your it :\

[nullset]

You may be able to arrange financing on a D, even if you buy it private party.

Haggerty's usually will do it, though D prices are on the low side of what they care about.

I got a private loan from my credit union for mine.

Don't give up. If your credit is reasonable you can probably find financing.

--buddy

[Grover]

A member of the DMA had their plastic tank explode on a drive back from Florida. Example served. :hihi2:


Name me one time where you've ever seen a coolant tank explode, crack, or otherwise leak?

Hoses and O-Rings on the Y-Pipe under the manifold are a much higher priority than that tank.



Thanks, I really do appreciate that. From reading your post is sounds very much as though we both had similar experiences when we first got our cars with allot of stuff we had to work through and were not expecting.

You also added a VERY important piece of advice that I overlooked, and that is to bring someone along with you. Your inspection can go along ways if you've got a friend who is able to keep the sales person busy and away from distracting or interrupting your work. I've never been a salesman professionally, but I have sold a personal car or two and have done a few things I've not been proud of. Turn A/C on and hear a squeal? Crank the radio. Someone starting to look at something you don't want them to see? Holler out something you forgot to mention and drag their ass over to that, startling them in the process.

[Jimmyvonviggle]

Well, a quick update;

The car I was looking at sold before I got back to look at it again. Its a non-permanent setback really, I'll have a D sooner or later, but I feel like I had somewhat rushed into this one anyways. Until that day comes, I suppose I'll be in the background reading :)

Thanks for all your help guys, I regret that I didn't come back with a car to show for your it :\

Maybe that's a blessing, there will be others, keep looking and be patient.

[DeLorean03]

There's always mine.......(:

[DMCVegas]

A member of the DMA had their plastic tank explode on a drive back from Florida. Example served. :hihi2:

That is honestly the very first time I've ever heard of that happening.

[FPBBrandon]

I've been keeping my eyes open. Its been a sad month now since I didn't buy the car, but it may well have been for the best. I'll just keep on looking...

[Morpheus]

Hey Brandon..... classy name. :hihi:

The best advice for you right now is to read, research, and absorb any and all information you can about these cars before you start looking again. Financing a D is not very difficult, in fact I financed my project car (currently stripped to the frame, check out my progress here: http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?556-The-Restoration-of-VIN-4363) through my credit union. In fact, most DMC franchises have financing options available in-house from what I understand.

Don't be afraid of a private sale. In fact, you may end up with a better car with a more complete history that way. The problem with going through a generic "exotic car" dealer is that most of the time, they don't understand the nuances of DeLoreans very well (as you have already discovered).

Most importantly, do not be afraid of missing out on a good D before they are all gone. There are PLENTY of good DMCs out there and I don't see that changing anytime soon. Right now, it's more of a buyer's market due to the economy, so be patient. With some help, (and believe me, most of us here are willing to help you) you will be enjoying YOUR D before too long.

Welcome to the forum!