Importing a Delorean, and owning in San Jose

[remaker]

So, I think I may jump in to the DeLorean world. I live in San Jose, CA and my friend in CT is selling his (www.eskin.com/delorean). I have been tempted to own one since they were first manufactured.

My problems:

I've never actually DRIVEN one. I don't know if I fit well into them, how they are to drive, etc etc. Flying out to CT for a test drive seems a bit extreme.
CARB can make life miserable. I don't know how to test a car to CARB standards out of state before buying it.
Care and feeding. I can do some work myself but would like to have a competent mechanic to help with things. From an earlier thread, it looks like Fremont may have the nearest shop.


Despite these things... It's a DeLorean!! I have a chance to own one. How cool is that?

[jackb]

1) I woudl have gotten my Delorean no matter how it (Deloreans in general) drove. Now as to each car specifically, yes, to make sure it's in good condition. But noise, handling, ergonomics... all were non-issues because I just wanted a D so bad. Unless you are 8' tall, you will fit it fine.

2) Can't help you there. I kept my D registered in GA when I lived in CA to avoid dealing with emissions. If it's got the stock exhaust, and runs well, it should pass.

3) Competent mechanics are $$$. I would suggest doing it everything yourself. And if you don't know how, that's what the manuals and this forum are for. If you were to bring the car to a shop, a Delorean specific mechanic is not essential. It's a PRV motor, so a (good) Volvo shop should be able to help you out.

[Rich]

I live in San Jose, CA and my friend in CT is selling his.

My problems:

I've never actually DRIVEN one. I don't know if I fit well into them, how they are to drive, etc etc. Flying out to CT for a test drive seems a bit extreme.
CARB can make life miserable. I don't know how to test a car to CARB standards out of state before buying it.
Care and feeding. I can do some work myself but would like to have a competent mechanic to help with things. From an earlier thread, it looks like Fremont may have the nearest shop.



As one of the Bay Area D owners Jon mentioned I can speak for some of the local NCDMC-ers to say we'll do what we can to help things along. Item by item in your list, then:

1. So if you want to be fitted to a 5 speed black '81 we can talk about it. I'll PM you soon about that.
2. Nothing is certain. CARB is OK. You pass or you fail. There are still folks all over this area who like working on Bosch fuel systems. If you want "certain" on smog then do as Jon suggests and shop for a California car. As nice as that one looks you can likely find something similar here for a similar price. And maybe save the flight and car shipment cost. Otherwise budget $1K in case the non-smogged car won't comply at first. Eventually it will $ubmit to your effort$.
3. Care and feeding? Sometimes we have a NCDMC Tech Day and somebody will wrench on a door torsion bar or two or track down a cracked vacuum hose or diagnose a door fit problem. For drivetrain, engine, brakes, suspension, cooling, A/C you can go lots of places around here, including the Fremont shop. Bodywork, glass or doors? Well, it depends and maybe Fremont does stuff I don't know about. The nearest DeLorean-dedicated shops are near Seattle or Los Angeles.

[Rich]

PM sent.

[jawn101]

Up towards Sacramento we are a much more active sub-group when it comes to tech days. We are always willing to host one but you have to be willing to come all the way up from San Jose! NorCal is a surprisingly big place.

Rich is a smart and experienced guy, more so than most of us on both counts. Listen to him. Smog is less of a concern than the import. When I moved to the state in 2007 I brought a 2003 Honda and a 2006 Acura with me, both of which were clearly labeled as CARB compliant and CA legal. They still gave me a hard time and the guy must have seen a thousand of each of those cars before. Owning a DeLorean is like owning a spaceship. Mechanics look at you like you have seven heads. Have you ever been to a DMV? Imagine how those people are going to take it :)

A well maintained DeLorean will ace the smog tests every time. Mine ranked in something ridiculous like the bottom 5% of polluters for the age class. It's a surprisingly efficient and clean car.

Bottom line is do your homework before acting. There are other D's in the sea, and the ones out here have held up WAY better than the ones on the east coast. We have a local owner who has a former Mass car and his frame definitely has issues compared to the rest of ours. Fortunately he's a professional welder type and can handle such things. If you could too, that's fine - but I sure couldn't!

Whatever you decide the local club will support and help you out however possible. But these cars aren't just something to own. They are a serious commitment of time and energy, not to mention cash.

[mark w]

When I was shopping, I went to Specialtyauto in Pleasanton. they are a dealer, they usually have a DMC. thats what they are there for. I got my first test drive in one that day ( and the throttle cable broke)....

they have 2 cars now...

http://www.specialtysales.com/allvehicles.php?order=year&lim=20&dir=dsc&make=DeLorean&model=&startyear=&endyear=&extcolor=&intcolor=&type=&lowprice=&highprice=&miles=&showroom=&keyword=

[jawn101]

When I was shopping, I went to Specialtyauto in Pleasanton. they are a dealer, they usually have a DMC. thats what they are there for. I got my first test drive in one that day ( and the throttle cable broke)....

they have 2 cars now...

http://www.specialtysales.com/allvehicles.php?order=year&lim=20&dir=dsc&make=DeLorean&model=&startyear=&endyear=&extcolor=&intcolor=&type=&lowprice=&highprice=&miles=&showroom=&keyword=

I bought my D from the one in Benicia. They were professional and friendly. But be aware that the peace of mind comes at a price with them - they are a consignment shop and do not own their inventory, so they sell the cars at the seller's asking price, plus a pretty fair cut for themselves.

Both of the D's they have currently are WAY over priced for what they are. By like...double.

EDIT: Also, they do not do after-sales service. Just something to keep in mind, since they had a lift and small shop in the back of the house I assumed they did. They told me it was only for vehicle prep and inspection of the cars in stock but that no repairs could be done after the sale. I have invoices showing that they did do a bit of fuel system work on my car prior to it being sold to me, but I assume that was so they didn't have to sell a non-runner.