Who can be trusted to work on a Delorean?

[kings1527]

I think Mr. Graham could tell you a little about that idea.

Sounds like it either went "really good" or "really bad" without any inbetween.....

[mluder]

say what again ??

oops...

[Jonathan]

Sounds like it either went "really good" or "really bad" without any inbetween.....

Not sure if we're talking about the same thing... I just meant Dave restored one of the cars he has done with his Dad and could tell you what the experience was like.

[Rich_NYS]

Plan, Research, Watch YouTube videos, disseminate, read, question. Borrow tools. Ask for help. DIY.
Gotta learn somewhere.

Unless everyone tells you not to DIY. Then don't DIY.

Otherwise, odds are good that someone else (professional or not) can not fix it just as well as you can, just for more money. You can do it cheaper, gentler, and can probably figure it out.

Unless you don't want to DIY, and just want to pay someone.
Then bribe someone here to help.

+1

So far, the only job I hired out was the exhaust manifold gaskets on my first DeLorean. I'm glad I did, because most of the studs snapped.

It's a fun & easy car to work on, but if you have more money than time, it can make sense to pay to get the job done (as with most things in life.)

[Jonathan]

+1

So far, the only job I hired out was the exhaust manifold gaskets on my first DeLorean. I'm glad I did, because most of the studs snapped.

It's a fun & easy car to work on, but if you have more money than time, it can make sense to pay to get the job done (as with most things in life.)

Agree with Rich on this. And ditto on my exhaust manifold gaskets... including the part about studs snapping.

The fun and easy part I may not agree with completely. Depends on where you are in life. Not just financially. If everything else in life is going pretty good, then you aren't likely to get really frustrated by a rusty bolt that won't come out or some other aspect of the job that just isn't going as planned. If other areas in life are wearing you down, then even the littlest thing gone wrong on the car can leave you fuming.

Like you said, just like most things in life. Facebook, family get togethers, work, neighbours, etc. The angry guy at the intersection or coffee shop isn't mad as hell because of one red light or a coffee order that didn't get made quite right. It's all the other stuff going on that wore him down.

Working on these cars can be therapeutic or it can also be a nightmare. Sometimes the best choice is to let someone else handle it. Some guys can afford to do that. Some guys can't. Some guys would want to do that. Other guys would not. The key is to know which one of those guys you are before you get started.

HAPPINESS = REALITY - EXPECTATIONS

The reality with these cars isn't what most people think it is, so the best way to ensure that your happiness with the car doesn't have a negative sign in front is to lower your expectations, one way or another.

[Morpheus]

Very well said, Jonathan.

[Dangermouse]

I feel like a lot of Delorean owners like to respond to a new owner's question of "where can I find a mechanic to work on my car" with the answer "no one, do it yourself, ya dingus!"
This doesn't help if the individual truly doesn't want to work on their car.

I was thinking about this some more, and perhaps it's not that the owner doesn't want to work on his car, more that they are overawed by it, thinking that it is some sort of Ferrari type complexity and expensive disaster awaits if something goes wrong. Perhaps even voiding that all important warranty

But, as we know, it isn't that difficult, particularly with the great help available here, and other places.


Having said that, I wouldn't take it to a certain Valvoline place for it's oil change.

http://jalopnik.com/lazy-idiots-at-l...%28Jalopnik%29

[Andrew]

Following my purchase of 4194 in the late 1990's, I had a European specialty shop in the Chicago suburbs work on the fuel system. They got the car running for a reasonable price. I took the car to them because I didn't have knowledge of K-jet or any diagnostic tools and I didn't want to start throwing parts at it. Ultimately I needed to replace the entire system from the pump to the injectors, so I could have just done the parts replacement myself. Had DMCMW been around in 1998 I would have taken 4194 to them, or I would have carbed it from day 1. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20.

If a vendor or DMC specialist is not available in your area, there are non-DMC techs who know how to work on K-Jet, but as others have pointed out, those techs are getting fewer and further between. The owner of the shop that got 4194 running retired and sold the business to one of his employees a few years later. The shop subsequently went out of business around 2003.

Aside from the fuel system and DeLorean specific parts such as stainless work and torsion bars, a DeLorean isn't too complex for a experienced mechanic to service. Furthermore, the fuel system of a DeLorean can be permanently fixed with about $1,000.00 worth of parts and less than a day of installation time.

After 17 years of Delorean ownership and 20 years of working on cars there isn't a project that I won't do on any of my cars.