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acaciolo
04-08-2014, 02:27 PM
Apologies in advance for such a newbie post, but I've corresponded with a few very helpful people on this forum so I figured I'd put this out to you.

I am looking to get a Delorean for a fun, occasionally driven weekend car. I don't plan on going to any high end shows, but I'd certainly love to come to some of the Delorean Owner's Club events.

I don't have any specific need for a low serial number or special vintage. I don't care about crazy low mileage, but I would like something below 25k or so. I just want to get a fun car that has been restored and looks and runs well. I stage 2 would be nice also. I am also capable of working on the car myself, but I don't plan on it. Between my son's lacrosse, my business, and life in general, I can't see me wanted to work on this much.

that being said, I recognize that i'll spend between 35k and probably 50k to get something nice and that has been "restored." It looks like I have 3 options:

1. spend around $45k for a car from josh at DPI. You know his program. completely rebuilt using all of his great stuff. I spoke to josh (who is probably reading this) and really like his business style and personality. Great guy. good business. good program. (yes...I know about some of the drama in the past, but even the best companies have customer challenges sometimes.) I get what I want from a respected guy (and it takes 4 mos.)


2. Spend around 45-50k from DMC florida for one of their in stock preowned. stage 2, eibach. done the same was as josh, but not completely rebuilt. Their selling point is that it is "all delorean" and josh's method lowers the value because he is using a lot of his own, modified (and improved) parts. DMC claims that since they use original NOS, their cars hold their value better. I don't know enough to know how much of an impact josh's "knock off" parts, as DMC put it, impact the car. I've spoken with TOM at dmc florida and he has been great, helpful, and a real straight shooter. DMC would probably be at least $5k more than josh's complete package.


3. Spend 20-24k on a decent private car ship it to josh or dmc and spend another 20k getting it redone. I'd end up spending the same as if josh did it from the start, so I don't see any real value in this.


4. Spend 35k or so on a private car (that I haven't seen any of yet) that has the stage 2, eibach, and other improvements. I'd probably need to spend another $5k to get it up to the standard of a new josh or dmc car. (pure speculation.)


so it seems like josh or dmc is the way to go. My only concern with josh was the slight risk of lower resale because of "non delorean" parts, but that could be complete hogwash.


so...I'd love to see what you experts have to say! Both companies seem like reputable, respected businesses. Josh caters more to the enthusiast who demands perfection. DMC seems a little more marketing driven and adds some perceived value because of them owning the name. And remember, if you disagree with any of the above, I am just the newbie messenger. So be gentle...

thanks in advance.

tony c

ALEXAKOS
04-08-2014, 02:59 PM
Welcome to the DMC fever!

It all comes down to what makes you feel better.

You like improving stuff? Get a Decent one and ship it to Josh
You like getting dealership vehicles? Go to DMC florida
You like the pimped versions? Get a ready one from Josh
or do you like to gamble? Get it off a private seller. It's either a win or loose.

After your preference it all comes down to luck. Since you are not looking for a daily driver then just get something that is just fun.

FACT!
If you want a fast car, don't get a Delorean. And don't try to make a Delorean a fast car. A Porsche, corvette etc handles way better that any delorean ever will at pushing limits.

It is what it is.

E.G. A 50 year old woman that looks hot, still is at her 50s no matter how much improvement you lay on her to make her look younger.

Enjoy the D hunt. Pre-purchase is half of the excitement:tongue2:


PS I find no risk what so ever with Josh's aftermarket parts. DMC has had its share of failing parts (like the new fuel pump).
DPI is a serious business and will take full responsibility if something is not what Josh said it would be. ;)

Kane
04-08-2014, 03:03 PM
I think the whole resale value thing just depends on who you try to sell it to. There are plenty of people who would prefer a car that had improved parts. 30 year old engineering is not exactly the best. There will be some, of course, that will scoff at modifications, but I would be one who would welcome it.

That is assuming you will try to sell it eventually. Some people also get a DeLorean and keep it until either it or they die.

Mark D
04-08-2014, 03:24 PM
I don't see any negative to using "improved parts" from DPI vs NOS from DMCH. Certain parts you wouldn't want to buy NOS anyway...anything made of rubber is probably near the end of its useful life at this point if it's NOS. DMCH has plenty of their own "improved" parts that they use as well.

DPI also does some pretty cool stainless reproduction parts (brackets, suspension parts, etc) that I would expect would increase the value of a restored car instead of decreasing it. There may only be a small percentage of people who would see that as a turn off should you decide to resell. Personally, if money was no object I would replace as many steel parts on the car with stainless anyway (with the exception of any strength critical components). If I could buy a car that has already had that done I'd consider it a value adder when comparing it to other cars available on the market.

Your budget sounds realistic for what you want... happy hunting. Hopefully you are able to find (or build) what you are seeking.

acaciolo
04-08-2014, 03:36 PM
This is all great advice and exactly what I was looking for. I don't plan on selling this car anytime soon and I am buying it for me to enjoy rather than as an investment. And I've used too many "get out of jail free cards" to want to drive fast, so I am not looking to go crazy. Plus I have a fiat 500, so if I can manage that 88hp turtle, the delorean might feel like a rocket.

I truly appreciate all the comments on the "improved parts." that was my thinking too, but I wanted the experts to jump in, which you have.

I spoke to josh last night (he called me a 9pm) and he is (as you know) extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic. I like that he is involved in this forum and has been recommended by a few people already. I just wanted gut check on the "modified" parts, as some of the dmc dealers played up how negative that is. I also recognize the bias.

I look forward to meeting many of you at a future delorean event!

thanks...and keep any other comments or suggestions coming.

tony c

gulwng3
04-08-2014, 03:50 PM
I think you might be missing the most important aspect, which is service after the sale! Even a fully restored Delorean will need service at some point and you stated you really don't have alot of time for that.

I have no opinions on Josh's or DMC-Florida's service since I have never dealt with either, but it is something you should think about.

When I was trying to decide whether to buy a red or green tractor, someone asked me who the closer dealer was for servicing. That made my choice very easy, but may not help you in this case.

Good luck with the new car - it's a wild ride that few get to enjoy!

Andy

NightFlyer
04-08-2014, 04:02 PM
IMHO, I think you're going about this all wrong, as all of your options have you spending money without getting any real value for your dollar spent.

First off, let's start with your want list of a current Stage II or Spec II package. Is there any particular reason why you want this? Have you driven a well running stock/OEM car and a Stage/Spec car to compare the differences? Stage II, Spec II currently runs what, between $10k-$12k for extremely marginal gains / differences. Yeah, the exhaust will sound different, and the power band might be slightly shifted because of the cams, but that's pretty much all your getting. On the secondary market, the Stage II / Spec II modified cars haven't commanded any more money than well maintained and running stock/OEM cars. So if loss of retail value is a concern for you, you have to consider whether or not such 'upgrades' / modifications are worth it to you, as you probably won't recover any of that money in an after the fact secondary market sale. I'm not ripping on the Stage/Spec packages, only stating what I've personally objectively observed in the market over the last 1.5 decades.

Next, let's look at exactly what you're getting with a rebuild. From what I've personally observed, owners of both DPI and DMC-X rebuilds are constantly on the forums with pretty much the same issues that owners of well maintained original cars have. There are several examples of this across the forums. Rebuilds don't help K-Jet perform any more reliably, the electrical systems from experiencing gremlins, the coolant system from potentially overheating, etc. So what are you really gaining from the money spent vs buying a well maintained original car? Honestly, it's not much - a few upgraded parts. And again, as far as secondary market resale goes, you're looking at losing most (if not all) of what you spent for the convenience of having a rebuilt car.

Just a few of the owners on this forum that I'm referring to include Michael, refugeefromcalifornia, Dracula, Shep, etc.

OK, so now that I've stated the above, you're probably wondering what I would do if I was in your shoes, right? Well, I'd be patient and wait for a nice, well maintained, good running car on the secondary market in the price range of $18k-$25k. Use the other half of the money to do what you value the most with the car. If it's just going to be weekend/show/fun car, you might decide to just enjoy it as is, while saving half the money that you originally intended to spend. Or if you want modifications/upgrades, you can do the ones that you value most using the remainder of your budget. As long as you don't go crazy, you could even end up with an appreciating asset.

So, there's my two cents - for what it's worth...

Mark D
04-08-2014, 04:22 PM
I think you might be missing the most important aspect, which is service after the sale! Even a fully restored Delorean will need service at some point and you stated you really don't have alot of time for that.

I have no opinions on Josh's or DMC-Florida's service since I have never dealt with either, but it is something you should think about.

When I was trying to decide whether to buy a red or green tractor, someone asked me who the closer dealer was for servicing. That made my choice very easy, but may not help you in this case.

Good luck with the new car - it's a wild ride that few get to enjoy!

Andy



Service is definitely an important thing to consider BUT I've never heard of vendor A turning away a customer because their car was built or serviced by another vendor B. No matter where you buy the car from or who builds it any vendor should be willing to work on your car in the future... The advantage to supporting your local vendor is that you help ensure they stay in business so they are there when you need them later on.

The one exception with vendors refusing to service cars was D1 but we all know that business model worked out...

One other thing to consider with NOS & improved parts is that if you could always buy the piece parts separately and have the builder of your choice install them for you.

For example: if you like the DMCH all in one fuel pump/sender but you decide to have DPI rebuild your car just buy the sender unit separately and have DPI install it during the rebuild.
Or if you decide to go with DMCFL for your rebuild and you want stainless lower control arms just buy the parts from DPI and have DMCFL install them.

Where it gets muddy is when you start talking about engines... If you're dead set on a fresh DMCH StageII build then you'd have to go to DMCFL. Same goes if you wanted a particualar DPI Spec engine package.... I don't think DPI sells engines separately anymore and requires installation as part of the deal. If you don't mind a used StageII rebuilt engine there are usually a few of those for sale that you could buy and just have DPI freshen up everything else.

There are a large number of possibilities either way you decide to go... I'd work on figuring out exactly what details matter to you most and that should lead you in the right direction. For the amount of money you're planning to spend you should be able to get exactly what you want with very few compromises.


EDIT:
NightFlyer made a lot of good points too. I basically did what he is suggesting.... I bought the nicest well maintained original car I could find and then stuck in the extra cash where it mattered to me.

A fully rebuilt car will be essentially the same as if you started with an original car that was excellent to begin with and addressed the few remaining issues. In the end the original car will typically cost much less than a full rebuild car.

Rich_NYS
04-08-2014, 04:23 PM
Welcome!

Here's my advice as a new owner/casual observer:

If you wait paitiently for a private sale vehicle as Nightflyer mentioned, ask him to assess it before you buy it....he's maintaining a helluva batting average lately! :rock_on:

Starglider
04-08-2014, 06:00 PM
Stage II, Spec II currently runs what, between $10k-$12k for extremely marginal gains / differences. Yeah, the exhaust will sound different, and the power band might be slightly shifted because of the cams, but that's pretty much all your getting.... Rebuilds don't help K-Jet perform any more reliably, the electrical systems from experiencing gremlins, the coolant system from potentially overheating, etc.

I reached this conclusion at the beginning of my DMC-12 project. Specifically, if you're going to throw money at the car, you should do enough to make a tangible difference. EFI will meaningfully improve engine reliability, a good turbo/supercharger setup will be substantially more power, replacing all bulbs & relays with LEDs & solid state will significantly improve the electrical system, power steering is a noticable change in driving experience etc. Stainless bits and new exhaust/headers are nice, and certainly less polarising, but as NightFlyer says on their own they aren't going to make a huge difference over a clean stock car.

P.S. much as I like Josh's work, 4 months does sound very optimistic for a full, frame-off/engine-strip rebuild.

acaciolo
04-08-2014, 06:36 PM
all great advice.

I loved the analogy of the 50 year old women. Although, after they have had more cosmetic work done, they are usually more fun to drive. Wait..am I talking about cars? hmm.

I agree on the value of the stage 2. I think the total cost is about $6k...and I figured if it was getting a rebuild, might as well do it right. I have a friend that had one done by dmc texas and he really likes it much more than without it. I recognize that it doesn't add a ton of value, if any.

I'd love to find a great shape private car and spend the money as I go. I saw dracula's sold a few weeks ago. that would have been perfect. But, I was a little late to the hunt.

I've seen a few for sale, but they were all pretty rough. $25k for one with not much maintenance and loads of oil leaks. I've been keeping my eyes open, but haven't seen anything. If anybody knows of anything, let me know.

And thanks for the offers to check out the car and all the advice. forums like this are what makes owning something like this worthwhile. If any of you ever need any homebuilding or pool building advice, please don't hesitate to reach out to me!

I guess it comes down to that I spend $45k for probably more than I really need and more than I'll be able to get at resale some day OR I wait to find something nice in the $20-$25k range and then put some money in it to make it what I want. I might end up spending $10k less this way...but I wasn't sure if I wanted to deal with the hassles. I was looking at josh or dmc as a turnkey, simple (albeit more expensive) solution.

Here is an idea...how about one of you sell me your well maintained car and then you get the joy of starting another project!

tony

Delorean Industries
04-08-2014, 06:43 PM
I read and see everything :)

I would go off publicly in detail regarding the remarks made by DMC affiliates and our superior products. That won't solve anything so lets stick with facts. Face it their days are numbered and they are getting desperate. Our superior design, reliability and car manufacturing are winning out. It was a up hill battle but owners not sucked in by a company wrongly using a name understand true quality. It's only a matter of time before no one will even consider using NOS consumables.

The nice thing about our builds is the use of superior parts. What is mentioned above as "knock off" is nothing of the sort.

You purchase a car from dmcf everything is original 30 year old parts.

You purchase a built to order car from us. Here is a basic sampling of the new engineered products installed standard on everything we build. From dmc they will be stock used or NOS mild steel.


stainless upper and lower control arms front and rear
stainless flexible fuel lines in engine compartment
stainless hard lines on frame
stainless brake hard lines
stainless fan shroud with low amp high flow fans
full stainless exhaust
performance camshafts
all engine gaskets manufactured from modern sealing solutions preventing costly short term leaks with NOS gaskets
aeroquip low profile A/C lines (leaps and bounds ahead of the technology from the early 80's)


I could go on and on about this but there is really no point. I have engineered and developed a better build process compared to DMC. Hands down you can't match the value or quality of upgrading flawed components.

Houston build cars do not hold their value due to deterioration with use. I would state recent examples but salt in previous owners wounds isn't fair on here. Ours do because we build in longevity with modern solutions, coatings and manufactured components etc.

That is a fair analysis without attacking with comments such as "knock off" etc. Everything above is based on facts.

Kane
04-08-2014, 06:52 PM
Josh,

Now all you have to do is open a franchise on the west coast. Then you could spread the love out here.

Delorean Industries
04-08-2014, 07:01 PM
Already in the works. I have the right people line up for it as well. That is everything in the equation. I can throw as much money as I want towards a goal but with the wrong people it is mute.

Once we finish testing of our full stainless chassis I will personally spear head our push out west. Things you will see in the coming months:

-over 300 new stainless parts
-stainless rolling chassis options
-full interactive website allowing for owners to build cars from scratch piece by piece
-west coast domination which is already going strong with the massive influx of cars being shipped to our Ohio location.
-and enough other surprises to keep owners smiling for years to come.


Remember: I am younger than everyone else in this business and have nothing but determination, funding and time.

Rich_NYS
04-08-2014, 07:21 PM
I saw pics of that dude's car that DPI Josh finished recently....looks pretty badass.

JRNY13
04-08-2014, 07:26 PM
How about a New England location??



Already in the works. I have the right people line up for it as well. That is everything in the equation. I can throw as much money as I want towards a goal but with the wrong people it is mute.

Once we finish testing of our full stainless chassis I will personally spear head our push out west. Things you will see in the coming months:

-over 300 new stainless parts
-stainless rolling chassis options
-full interactive website allowing for owners to build cars from scratch piece by piece
-west coast domination which is already going strong with the massive influx of cars being shipped to our Ohio location.
-and enough other surprises to keep owners smiling for years to come.


Remember: I am younger than everyone else in this business and have nothing but determination, funding and time.

NightFlyer
04-08-2014, 07:28 PM
I read and see everything :)

I would go off publicly in detail regarding the remarks made by DMC affiliates and our superior products. That won't solve anything so lets stick with facts. Face it their days are numbered and they are getting desperate. Our superior design, reliability and car manufacturing are winning out. It was a up hill battle but owners not sucked in by a company wrongly using a name understand true quality. It's only a matter of time before no one will even consider using NOS consumables.

The nice thing about our builds is the use of superior parts. What is mentioned above as "knock off" is nothing of the sort.

You purchase a car from dmcf everything is original 30 year old parts.

You purchase a built to order car from us. Here is a basic sampling of the new engineered products installed standard on everything we build. From dmc they will be stock used or NOS mild steel.


stainless upper and lower control arms front and rear
stainless flexible fuel lines in engine compartment
stainless hard lines on frame
stainless brake hard lines
stainless fan shroud with low amp high flow fans
full stainless exhaust
performance camshafts
all engine gaskets manufactured from modern sealing solutions preventing costly short term leaks with NOS gaskets
aeroquip low profile A/C lines (leaps and bounds ahead of the technology from the early 80's)


I could go on and on about this but there is really no point. I have engineered and developed a better build process compared to DMC. Hands down you can't match the value or quality of upgrading flawed components.

Houston build cars do not hold their value due to deterioration with use. I would state recent examples but salt in previous owners wounds isn't fair on here. Ours do because we build in longevity with modern solutions, coatings and manufactured components etc.

That is a fair analysis without attacking with comments such as "knock off" etc. Everything above is based on facts.

DPI's products are undoubtedly fantastic, and Josh is a great salesman, but I don't think that Josh's assertions about the value of DMC-X in the DeLorean marketplace is very fair or accurate.

As for the improved/redesigned parts mentioned, I'm not sure of what value/consequence that all that would have on a car where the intention is to use the car as a weekend/show/fun car. My car is 99.8% exactly as it left Dunmurry, right down to the door struts, and I don't have any issues using it as a weekend/show/fun/vacation car without all the wonderful upgrades/modifications/redesigns. I also know that a lot of people think that I'm nuts for running the original plastic header bottle, original factory belts, original fuel lines, original hoses, Ducey alternator, plastic tanked radiator, etc - and will even drive it on the 33 year old Goodyear NCTs. And yet, other than a fuel line blowout that was of my own fault/doing, my car has never left me stranded over 10,000+ miles. Proper care/upkeep/maintenance of the original stock/OEM equipment is just as good as all the wonderful redesigns/upgraded/modified parts for how a majority of owners actually use their cars, IMHO.

That's not to say that I don't think that what Josh is doing is great - I love his passion/commitment/dedication, what he's doing, and the products that he's turning out. Only that it's not really necessary for a lot of owners and how they actually use their cars.

As the OP expressed his intended use as being for occasional/light weekend/show/fun purposes, I don't see of what value/gain/benefit he'll receive by replacing a lot of properly maintained original components with upgraded/modified parts. But that's just MHO, premised on actual experience and decades of observation.

As far as the value of a modified vehicle goes, it's all about what market one is targeting. Properly done resto-mods can command as much money as a concours car does, but, traditionally/conventionally speaking, the market is a lot smaller for restro-mods than original cars. Does that traditional/conventional wisdom hold true for DeLoreans - to a certain degree yes, but there are admittedly a lot of unique factors/forces that affect the DeLorean market in ways that sometimes go against that traditional/conventional wisdom.

NightFlyer
04-08-2014, 07:30 PM
Already in the works. I have the right people line up for it as well. That is everything in the equation. I can throw as much money as I want towards a goal but with the wrong people it is mute.

Once we finish testing of our full stainless chassis I will personally spear head our push out west. Things you will see in the coming months:

-over 300 new stainless parts
-stainless rolling chassis options
-full interactive website allowing for owners to build cars from scratch piece by piece
-west coast domination which is already going strong with the massive influx of cars being shipped to our Ohio location.
-and enough other surprises to keep owners smiling for years to come.


Remember: I am younger than everyone else in this business and have nothing but determination, funding and time.

What happened to the sand cast redesigned PRV heads and intake performance upgrades that you were working on - did they ever come to fruition?

Delorean Industries
04-08-2014, 07:38 PM
What happened to the sand cast redesigned PRV heads and intake performance upgrades that you were working on - did they ever come to fruition?

Went down that path. Made great improvements and decided that the price I would need to command wasn't feasible within the community. Instead we revamped with spec I being cams and exhaust, spec II being twin turbo to simplify things.

You are correct. I was a bit harsh on showing the differences. I think for the foreseeable future there will be a demand for both of our options in one capacity or another. But the righting is on the wall. People hate replacing parts again and again and again. I like to fix it and forget it.

Ron
04-08-2014, 07:42 PM
.how about one of you sell me your well maintained car and then you get the joy of starting another project!

tonyIf you're interested in a low VIN auto with new paint, new black leather, grooved, flapped, 160 speedometer ect., check it out in my albums.
If you want it before I finish repairing a rock dent in a quarter panel, I can let you have it well below the prices I'm seeing here as I recently found a manual to restore next.:D
PM me.

tommyrich
04-08-2014, 08:41 PM
Here is an idea...how about one of you sell me your well maintained car and then you get the joy of starting another project!



I tried :biggrin:

NightFlyer
04-08-2014, 08:41 PM
all great advice.

I loved the analogy of the 50 year old women. Although, after they have had more cosmetic work done, they are usually more fun to drive. Wait..am I talking about cars? hmm.

If plastic and botox floats your boat, so be it, but I prefer 100% au natural beauty :biggrin:


I agree on the value of the stage 2. I think the total cost is about $6k...and I figured if it was getting a rebuild, might as well do it right. I have a friend that had one done by dmc texas and he really likes it much more than without it. I recognize that it doesn't add a ton of value, if any.

If you're looking at spending that kind of money, IMHO, you'd do yourself a great dis-service if you don't at least test drive both versions first. Case in point - the supposedly high performance Nology ignition system that used to be included in the Stage II packages actually caused a loss of power over the stock low-voltage Bosch ignition system.


I'd love to find a great shape private car and spend the money as I go. I saw dracula's sold a few weeks ago. that would have been perfect. But, I was a little late to the hunt.

I've seen a few for sale, but they were all pretty rough. $25k for one with not much maintenance and loads of oil leaks. I've been keeping my eyes open, but haven't seen anything. If anybody knows of anything, let me know.

And thanks for the offers to check out the car and all the advice. forums like this are what makes owning something like this worthwhile. If any of you ever need any homebuilding or pool building advice, please don't hesitate to reach out to me!

As for pool advice - any tips on how to repair a leaking main drain on a vinyl lined in-ground without taking out the liner?


Here is an idea...how about one of you sell me your well maintained car and then you get the joy of starting another project!

tony

One's currently on the market that you may want to check out if you haven't already:

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=49442&endYear=2015&showcaseOwnerId=0&startYear=1981&makeCode1=DELOREAN&searchRadius=0&showcaseListingId=0&mmt=[DELOREAN[][]]&listingId=369478177&Log=0

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=49442&endYear=2015&showcaseOwnerId=0&startYear=1981&makeCode1=DELOREAN&searchRadius=0&showcaseListingId=0&mmt=[DELOREAN[][]]&listingId=360650904&Log=0

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=49442&endYear=2015&showcaseOwnerId=0&startYear=1981&makeCode1=DELOREAN&searchRadius=0&showcaseListingId=0&mmt=[DELOREAN[][]]&listingId=346504292&Log=0

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=49442&endYear=2015&showcaseOwnerId=0&startYear=1981&makeCode1=DELOREAN&searchRadius=0&showcaseListingId=0&mmt=[DELOREAN[][]]&listingId=368103044&Log=0

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=49442&endYear=2015&showcaseOwnerId=0&startYear=1981&makeCode1=DELOREAN&searchRadius=0&showcaseListingId=0&mmt=[DELOREAN[][]]&listingId=352782451&Log=0

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=49442&endYear=2015&showcaseOwnerId=0&startYear=1981&makeCode1=DELOREAN&searchRadius=0&showcaseListingId=0&mmt=[DELOREAN[][]]&listingId=342939708&Log=0

http://classiccars.com/listings/view/482705/1981-delorean-dmc-12-for-sale-in-orlando-florida-32837

http://classiccars.com/listings/view/154010/1982-delorean-dmc-12-for-sale-in-san-diego-california-92101

https://grandrapids.craigslist.org/cto/4410856221.html This car is right down the road from where I am. If you're serious, I can evaluate it for you. Just PM me. Based on the ad, I think this is very promising for what you're looking for.

http://tradenetclassics.com/vdp.php?autos=1981-DeLorean-DMC%2012-&id=73326

http://vacaville-ca.geebo.com/vehicles/view/directory/57/listing/5/id/148595724-1983_delorean_dmc_12/

http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/carsforsale/delorean/unspecified/1639527.html

http://www.mecum.com/auctions/lot_detail.cfm?LOT_ID=HA0414-179237

http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/carsforsale/delorean/dmc_12/1639446.html

http://classiccars.com/listings/view/515744/1982-delorean-dmc-12-for-sale-in-auburn-indiana-46706

http://www.2buycars.net/Listing.asp?Listing=61371

http://www.webstreetcars.com/anticcar_details.php?RID=1162

http://www.oldridetrader.com/listing-detail/?theid=209# Looks like it could be a GREAT deal.

http://www.oldcaronline.com/1981-Delorean-Dmc-Orlando-Florida-for-sale-ID620499.htm

http://www.webstreetcars.com/anticcar_details.php?RID=1756

http://www.webstreetcars.com/anticcar_details.php?RID=884

http://www.autotraderclassics.com/classic-car/1983-DeLorean-DMC_12-1363068.xhtml?conversationId=762931

And don't forget about the many great cars listed for sale on this forum!

acaciolo
04-08-2014, 08:48 PM
tommyrich, you did! and thank you for all the help! I owe you at least a beer or three.

Nightflyer, it is actually silicone, not plastic. :tongue2: thanks for all the amazing advice and links. I've seen some of those ads, but not all. I'll be checking them out.

regarding the drain...I am a concrete guy, not vinyl. so I don't know much about that. but if there is a broken pipe in the main drain (which is usually impossible to fix) there is a pipe that can snake through the existing pipe that works great. It saved my ass once.

http://www.pipesdownunder.com/

gonna check out those links now.

tony

NightFlyer
04-08-2014, 09:25 PM
Nightflyer, it is actually silicone, not plastic. :tongue2:

Forgive me - I stand corrected :wink:


thanks for all the amazing advice and links. I've seen some of those ads, but not all. I'll be checking them out.

I know that there's at least one Stage II car in there, if not two.


regarding the drain...I am a concrete guy, not vinyl. so I don't know much about that. but if there is a broken pipe in the main drain (which is usually impossible to fix) there is a pipe that can snake through the existing pipe that works great. It saved my ass once.

http://www.pipesdownunder.com/

I'll definitely check that out - thanks! :thumbup:


gonna check out those links now.

tony

Like I said, if you want me to evaluate a car for you that's near me - I'm more than happy to assist. You contact the seller, get all your questions answered up-front, and then tell them that you'd like a local agent to check out the car for you. You can even fly in, I'll pick you up at a local airport, and we can evaluate the car together, if you prefer. Here's an example of a recent assessment that I did (albeit for a tire kicker - ugh, don't remind me):

http://www.dmctoday.com/showthread.php?388-My-friend-wants-to-buy-this-D&p=6027&viewfull=1#post6027

Rich_NYS
04-08-2014, 09:51 PM
He helped me assess my car & I'm very happy with the result. :thumbup:


BTW, Silicone is way oldschool, guys....I think these days it's saline or a mixture of something else so you're both wrong -LOL! 8)

NightFlyer
04-08-2014, 10:13 PM
He helped me assess my car & I'm very happy with the result. :thumbup:

Glad I could help :smile:


BTW, Silicone is way oldschool, guys....I think these days it's saline or a mixture of something else so you're both wrong -LOL! 8)

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=26392&d=1397009602

Flicky
04-08-2014, 11:28 PM
My opinion would be to get a DPI car. The reason for this is that both ways you are looking to drop 10K over 2 to 3 years. I'm going to say there is a 50% chance that you will sell the car after 3 years. If you get the DPI car, you START with the exact car you want and get to use up a nice fresh car over the time that you will most enjoy it (the first 3 years). If more high quality restored D's are out there, it actually helps the value of all cars go up. Selling any cool car privately sucks big time, that is why the owners just give up and sell them for 5 to 10K under the actual value, or sell them to their friends and we never see them on the open market.

Now explore the other option of building up a private car. 1) over pay for the car from the start because even with help there will likely be something bad on the car and you will eventually feel obligated to buy one of the cars you go look at with people. You also probably don't really have the time to hunt a car in the first place. 2) source the parts you need and then get the car to a builder 3) wait 4) get phone call telling you that it needs another 7K worth of work 5) wait 6) get the car back but not really like that something smells funny and water comes in when it rains 7) send car back for new interior and door seals 8) wait 9) get car back, drive it around 250 miles, break down because some hose fell off 10) get pissed off that you had the idea to get the car 11) sell you car for 12K less than what you have into it when some jackass tow-truck operator asks you about your flux capacitor

If you already have considered 45K as an option, then I'd say you don't have the time to do much else than enjoy the car. I remember when I was a kid and I would see a nice car with faded pant and I would say, 'man, if I had that car I'd wash and wax it every week.' Today, I've had and have plenty of cool cars...I don't wax them every week. I expect them to start up and take me where I need to go when I turn the key.

Rich_NYS
04-09-2014, 08:43 AM
http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=26392&d=1397009602

Cut it out! -lol

(Or should I say: Stop, [while I collaborate] and listen!)

Man I miss the 80's! Vanilla Ice, Poison, and round silicone cantelope titties......

acaciolo
04-09-2014, 09:14 AM
flicky, I agree with your suggestion. currently, is seems like the 2 best options are to get a perfect, exactly the way I want it, more headache free, $45k DPI car (in 4 months.) Or I find a well maintained, not near as perfect but still nice $24-$30k and there area few out there now.

The question is...if the 24k-30k car has been properly maintained (which at that price, seems like some of them have been) suits my needs and gives me something fun to drive every once in a while, do I save the $15k-$20k and get this knowing that I'll put some more $$ into over the next few years. I doubt if I'd need to spend $15-$20k, but who knows. It is a pretty big spread to just jump at the $45k, but I do know that DPI will give me the best car and least headaches...at a price.

t

Iznodmad
04-09-2014, 11:44 AM
Hi Tony,

I feel like I am in a very good position to give you my impression of my situation as it regards to DeLoreans from DMCFL and DPI. I've been an owner since 1998, and have owned 3 DeLoreans simultaneously all in excellent condition overall (but now down to 2). One of the cars (that I recently sold) was originally found and "refurbed" by DMCFL in roughly 2010. The owner that purchased it kept it about 3 years and sold it to me, only putting about 2,000 miles on the car in 3 years. I had all the paperwork with the car showing work done at DMCFL (including Stage 2/Eibach, etc.), and also 2 visits to DPI afterwards during his ownership. Total receipts were in the $60K dollar range between the two shops. I would say at least 50% of the work done on the car by DMCFL either had to be re-done, or was simply overlooked. This is my opinion after owning the car and using it extensively, and closely comparing the work orders/receipts that I had with the car. I am not aware of another forum member that has owned a car that visited both DMCFL and DPI.

One of my other cars, has been a daily driver since 2009. I purchased it privately with low miles from the original owner. I had DPI go through it a couple years ago and it has held up remarkably well, and believe me....I use the hell out of the car. I told DPI Josh exactly how I wanted it to be and he met my very high expectations with the car. I would guess that I have one of the most actively used cars that has been thru the doors at DPI. The products and services available there are, in my opinion, the best that are available today. That is why I continue to do my business with DPI. Food for thought.....there has to be a reason why DPI has no cars for sale currently and there is a wait for build time, but there are cars available now from other vendors. Based only on what you have revealed in this thread in regards to budget and desires, my advice is to go with DPI. If you would like more detailed information, I would be happy to talk to you individually. Just send me a PM.

BTW, DPI has my first purchased DeLorean currently and is undergoing a project to be officially revealed at DCS. This is a great opportunity to see lots of DeLoreans, serviced by all different vendors and individuals. I would make plans to attend and learn all about DeLoreans.

acaciolo
04-09-2014, 04:53 PM
Iznodmad,

thanks for the candid comments. I must say, my first call was to DMC in texas. As was my 2nd call. And then 2 emails. 1 week later, they still never got back to me. I then moved on to gulf coast (I didn't know they were also DCMFL)...but I told Tony there via a PM, based on the way the DMC texas didn't return any calls or emails, I didn't get a good feeling about dealing with a company that was even affiliated with them. Tom at DMCFL was great to talk to and gave me some good info, but in the end, I agree with you that if I go the "high end" route, DPI is the only option for me. No contest. No Question.

I have found some very nice cars with under 15k miles, well maintained with a number of important updates in the $25k range. So the decision I am wrestling with now is do I spend $25k and deal with some expenses over the next few years, or bit the bullet and go for the full $45k right away.


from an investment standpoint, the 25k is smarter if I plan to sell it soon. If I plan to hold on to it, who knows. Bottom line, DPI is the best out there. I just need to decide if I want to pay $45k for the best or deal with something that is just only "very good" for $20k less. If I had to guess, I'd probably end up spending a portion of that 20k spread with josh anyway, but probably not all of it.

thanks again for all the great advice, PM's, and offers to help. I look forward to meeting many of you at future events!

and hello josh. I know you are listening..

tony c.

ps. there are silicone and saline combo's now. best of both worlds. (from an earlier, unrelated to delorean topic)

NightFlyer
04-09-2014, 05:19 PM
So the decision I am wrestling with now is do I spend $25k and deal with some expenses over the next few years, or bit the bullet and go for the full $45k right away.

I'm confused as to why you think you'll have instant expenses (other than desired changes, such as front ride height), by purchasing a $25k car on the secondary market?

If you buy a good car for $20k-$25k, you can start off just driving/experiencing it as is for a while. This will give you a chance to decide if the kind of upgrades/modifications that you're thinking you want are truly worth the expenditure involved with them.

If you decide that they are, you can then spend $25k at DPI on the car and end up in the exact same spot that you otherwise would have been in just jumping in heard first on the big money car. But if not, then you'll have $25k extra in your pocket, and not experience much if any loss on resale of the car if you decide that it's not for you after all (assuming you don't trash the car that you buy).

No-brainer IMHO, but that's just me.


ps. there are silicone and saline combo's now. best of both worlds. (from an earlier, unrelated to delorean topic)

Man, if Vanilla Ice doesn't convince you guys.... :wink:

rdarlington
04-09-2014, 05:35 PM
I spent $24,995 on my car with 3388 original miles (proven by title history) and I'd call it about a 95/100. No scratches, dings, dents, rust, but I did need to replace the clutch hydraulics ($350 or so plus a couple hours of my time). There is a 2 inch seam separation in the seat near the right shoulder of the passenger side seat that I still havent' dealt with. Also, 2 of my fuel lines were not in the right place on the fuel distributor. I'm surprised it started and ran at all, but that was an easy fix (one of the ones going to the cold start injector and one going to the warmup regulator).

Mmmm, another $15 at autozone got me a new oil pressure sender with lifetime warranty.

I replaced the fuel pump assembly after misdiagnosing a fuel delivery problem. My tank was low, and no baffle was present in the tank. I didn't open it up, nor did I even consider this could be an issue till after I had the pump in. Add another $350.

It came with original tires so I bought 4 new ones.

So all in all, we're looking at $26,500 for an extremely good shape, now perfectly running car with very low miles. Shop around. It's easy to get suckered and spend too much.

Do I have it insured for more with a agreed upon value from Hagerty? You're damn right.

-Bob

acaciolo
04-09-2014, 07:12 PM
yup. you guys are correct. And by instant expenses I implied some changes that I'd "need' to make (maybe seats, springs, etc.) But really nothing mandatory.

You guys have been an amazing source of info and I can't thank you enough for pointing me in the right direction.

Tony c

NightFlyer
04-14-2014, 07:57 PM
Congratulations to Tony on his purchase - he's now officially a DeLorean owner!

Tony snagged the Life House raffle car off eBay for a very fair price. Personally I'm glad to see this one staying in the country, as it probably would have been going overseas had it remained on the market for much longer.

For the curious, here's the eBay listing of Tony's new D:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DeLorean-DMC12-Delorean-/221415953812

Can't wait to see Tony post some pics of his new ride to the forum, once he has taken delivery of course!

Mark D
04-14-2014, 08:32 PM
Wow congrats, that's a very nice looking car.

Flicky
04-14-2014, 08:34 PM
Very cool! I was going to PM him yesterday to tell him that he should look at it. I think it will make for much enjoyment.

acaciolo
04-14-2014, 09:08 PM
I just posted in the thread about that raffle car. I can honestly say, this wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for the help and advice from all of you. Big thanks to Knightflyer for going WAY out of his way to help me find this. I probably would have ended up with some rusted framed, nightmare if it wasn't for him!

I am super excited to spend some time here and look forward to meeting all of you soon.

If this didn't come together, I probably would have ended up with an perfect car from Josh at DPI. He has been super helpful also and if I had to guess, I'll be spending a bunch of money with him over the years.

Part of my decision of the 25k vs 45k was because of your advice. I "think" I am looking forward to the enjoyment of doing some work on this car and improving it.

ironically, I just got home from new orleans to find my fiat 500c under my son's lacrosse net (wind blew it over and put a big dent it.) I said to my wife " i am tired of this car anyway." She then said "would we get a replacement fun 3rd car." and I just said "I'll find something.." she has no idea I'll be picking this up 65 miles from my house over the next few days!

thanks again

tony c

NightFlyer
04-14-2014, 10:03 PM
I just posted in the thread about that raffle car. I can honestly say, this wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for the help and advice from all of you. Big thanks to Knightflyer for going WAY out of his way to help me find this. I probably would have ended up with some rusted framed, nightmare if it wasn't for him!

I am super excited to spend some time here and look forward to meeting all of you soon.

If this didn't come together, I probably would have ended up with an perfect car from Josh at DPI. He has been super helpful also and if I had to guess, I'll be spending a bunch of money with him over the years.

Part of my decision of the 25k vs 45k was because of your advice. I "think" I am looking forward to the enjoyment of doing some work on this car and improving it.

ironically, I just got home from new orleans to find my fiat 500c under my son's lacrosse net (wind blew it over and put a big dent it.) I said to my wife " i am tired of this car anyway." She then said "would we get a replacement fun 3rd car." and I just said "I'll find something.." she has no idea I'll be picking this up 65 miles from my house over the next few days!

thanks again

tony c

Ha, ha - I'm sure that the wife is going to be very surprised, as are the kids :thumbup:

Rich_NYS
04-14-2014, 10:26 PM
That's a really nice car & a really nice price....if I hadn't already bought one, you would've been bidding against me! :thumbup2:


Congratulations!

Ron
04-14-2014, 10:28 PM
I just posted in the thread about that raffle car. I can honestly say, this wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for the help and advice from all of you. Big thanks to Knightflyer for going WAY out of his way to help me find this. I probably would have ended up with some rusted framed, nightmare if it wasn't for him!

I am super excited to spend some time here and look forward to meeting all of you soon.

If this didn't come together, I probably would have ended up with an perfect car from Josh at DPI. He has been super helpful also and if I had to guess, I'll be spending a bunch of money with him over the years.

Part of my decision of the 25k vs 45k was because of your advice. I "think" I am looking forward to the enjoyment of doing some work on this car and improving it.

ironically, I just got home from new orleans to find my fiat 500c under my son's lacrosse net (wind blew it over and put a big dent it.) I said to my wife " i am tired of this car anyway." She then said "would we get a replacement fun 3rd car." and I just said "I'll find something.." she has no idea I'll be picking this up 65 miles from my house over the next few days!

thanks again

tony c Congratulations, Tony!
What a story behind this one....all and all we found it a home. (Looks like it's a good one ;-)

Dangermouse
04-14-2014, 10:44 PM
Lol. On initial reading, I thought the wind had blown the Fiat over rather than the net. :)

Congrats also.

acaciolo
04-14-2014, 10:49 PM
I just reread it and it basically does say that! funny. that's why I need a heavier car.

NightFlyer
04-15-2014, 02:07 AM
Make sure you become familiar with Section S of the Workshop manual before operating your new DeLorean!

http://deloreanwiki.wikidot.com/wiki:section-s

NightFlyer
04-15-2014, 03:16 AM
I was just looking at the auction page again and noticed the Q&A area - this one in particular stood out to me:


Q: hy from bavaria, germany. great car! a few questions: do you have a short video of this car? any underbody pictures? all "systems" and instruments running? something to do? regards, christian

Not only was this car receiving a lot of inquiries (more than any of the other currently listed cars on eBay), but from interested overseas parties no less.

Not to toot my own horn any, but what the hell - did I call this or what?

Again - way to go Tony! You got there first :biggrin:

acaciolo
04-15-2014, 06:55 AM
nightflyer, you called it! within 2 min of you telling me to grab it, I did. I actually purchased it while in the plane on the way home from New Orleans! from you suggestion to my offer to his acceptance it was about 5 min!

love that in flight wifi...

tony c

Ron
04-15-2014, 10:26 AM
Make sure you become familiar with Section S of the Workshop manual before operating your new DeLorean!

http://deloreanwiki.wikidot.com/wiki:section-sLOL
I wonder what happened to the rest of it...I found some of it here:
http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?2199-Secret-Section-S-of-the-Workshop-Manual

acaciolo
04-18-2014, 08:30 AM
so..I picked up the car yesterday morning and the condition was even better than I imagined. Truly amazing. looks like it just left the showroom floor. I did have to drive it 80 miles home, so the original Renault belts and missing steering bushing made for an interesting drive.

All went well until I shut it off at home. And then for the next hour or 2 I learned about the hot start problem! new accumulator is on the way..along with a bunch of other maintenance items.

I have another post about a minor shifting problem too...

thanks again

tony c