New Member silly question

[NewtoDMCRob]

hello all,

This si my first posting here on this forum. I have been inlace with the Delorean since I was a child and now have the amazing opportunity to purchase a 1981 from a second owner. It has about 32000 miles on it, almost all of them put on by the first owner and over the last 10 years the second owner put on about 400 miles. It has been driven a few times a month for short distances. The deal is amazing and I am very lucky to have this opportunity to purchase my dream car.

My questions are:
1 what problems may I be getting into?
2 I hear about epoxy coated frames needing repair about now. Is this very expensive and can it be done by myself?
3 would I be better off buying the parts new and building it piece by piece?
4 how much would #3 cost?

i know I may have opened a can of worms here or that the answers may be scattered all over this forum, so please be a gentile as possible. And thank you for having me as part of the community

Robert

[Soundkillr]

I'm going to move this to general discussion. I think you will get more responses there. I will say this for now: skip 3 and 4, don't even make that an option.
The epoxy re coat or touch up, can be no big deal, or it can be major. Main things to look out for are rust. If the frame is rusted badly, be prepared to get in deep. You will get a lot of good advice here, and welcome to the forum.

[NewtoDMCRob]

very cool! Thank you!

[DMC-81]

Welcome Robert! Congrats on considering a Delorean.

As mentioned, frame repair can be all over the map. Try to get it on a lift and thoroughly inspect the frame. Even if it looks good, look for areas where the epoxy coating has cracked. More often than not, the metal underneath it is somewhere between rusty and rotten.

I assume it is running. How does it sound? You'll want to check for any fluid leaks.

As for what you can expect, it really depends on how the car was maintained and stored. Any work receipts are great to look at. Still, it is a 34 year old car that will need a fair amount of attention.

Any pictures that you can post will help assess the condition.

Cheers,

[NewtoDMCRob]

I am told the car is in amazing condition. interior and exterior are near perfect. Runs great but... "once shut off it seems like the engine floods a little" Was told by a mechanic that "some modulator that needs to be replaced would fix this issue.
He has a 3 book document that has all the exploded parts and replacement procedures that he believes came with the car. His mechanic has used them to diagnose the problem. Thoughts?

And am I hearing that this Epoxy frame issue WILL have rust? Or is that a worst case situation? The car has always been garaged and homed here in California, not near the coast, but in the mountains.

Thoughts?

By the way, its an automatic and I was told that the original owner told him to shift it like it was a manual. Is this correct or an indication of a problem? Whats the cost to switch it to a manual?

[David T]

I am told the car is in amazing condition. interior and exterior are near perfect. Runs great but... "once shut off it seems like the engine floods a little" Was told by a mechanic that "some modulator that needs to be replaced would fix this issue.
He has a 3 book document that has all the exploded parts and replacement procedures that he believes came with the car. His mechanic has used them to diagnose the problem. Thoughts?

And am I hearing that this Epoxy frame issue WILL have rust? Or is that a worst case situation? The car has always been garaged and homed here in California, not near the coast, but in the mountains.

Thoughts?

By the way, its an automatic and I was told that the original owner told him to shift it like it was a manual. Is this correct or an indication of a problem? Whats the cost to switch it to a manual?

Sounds like all of the typical problems of a car that has not been used a lot. The frame can be repaired (if necessary), the shift computer for the transmission can be repaired or replaced, the accumulator, once replaced, will fix the hard hot restart problem. I suggest you start by replacing ALL of the fluids and filters. Check the date code on the tires. If older than 7 years replace them. Empty the fuel tank and scrub it out with Acetone and replace any rubber parts that look deteriorated.

[sdg3205]

I would take what you have been "told" with a grain of salt. Unless it came from a reputable source or vendor, just be cautious. I've been told great things about nasty turds. My last project car was running "better than ever" when I picked it up. Didn't even make it 5 minutes before a breakdown.

As previously said, get the car up on a lift and inspect. Take lots of pictures for us. We can help point out problem areas. If the car is covered with a black undercoat, it could be a bit trickier but we will cross that bridge if and when we get there. Original automatic shift computers are problematic, but shifting it like a manual would not overcome the inherent issues with the governor.

The car probably isn't flooding when it is shut off. Sounds like a hot start issue to me. Again, we will cross that bridge when we get there.

Snap some pics, like LOTS of them. Inside and out. Let's see where we are at.

Welcome!

[NewtoDMCRob]

God I love you guys already!

Now tips for getting my wife to prove of this decision? already tried the "its a great investment" route. I'm getting for under 20k so thats got to be good right?

Any of you want Hang gliding lessons for cheap? look me up and let me know you are a DeLorean owner!
EastBayHangGliding.com!

[Rich]

God I love you guys already!

Now tips for getting my wife to prove of this decision? already tried the "its a great investment" route. I'm getting for under 20k so thats got to be good right?

Any of you want Hang gliding lessons for cheap? look me up and let me know you are a DeLorean owner!
EastBayHangGliding.com!

Depending on where this car is we might find somebody who can check it out. I'm here in the Bay Area like you.

A California D that's never lived in salty-road lands typically has little or no significant rust, nothing that will chase a buyer away. It doesn't mean your target car is problem free in that department it just a good sign.

A 20K car can be a great deal or it can be a money pit. Ideally this target car has always had its fluids changed on time and was never stored for more than a couple of months.

If you still have time then be sure to read James Espey's book, the buyer's guide.

Don't plan to change the tranny. Buy a D with the transmission you like in it. There are plenty of each kind out there. Be sure the transmission works properly or lower your offer. For $20K the transmission should work.

Like David T said, the "flooded" problem likely has an easy fix at <$300 with labor.

Let us know how your search goes.

[cpistocco]

I have a hot start issue as well. Is there a way to determine whether it is the accumulator, or the "o" ring in the throttle plate area? I have heard that those are the 2 main culprits.
Thanks
Charlie