Introductions!

[ritztoys]

Hello All,

My name is Stephen and I have an addiction to a 1981 DeLorean, I routinely drive in good weather (weekends) and when all the stupid drivers are somewhere else

Seriously I love my car even all the cussing when I journey into a new maintenance area to keep my car running in top shape.

I found my car in the Honolulu Advertiser, and couldn't believe my eyes (I lived on the Big Island at the time) so off to Honolulu to 'see' my dream car. I had all my savings in my bank account just in case I purchase this car.

I flew over on a Friday afternoon and by early evening met up with the PO, the gentleman purchased the car for his wife and she didn't like it ! (she said she couldn't see over the hood)
I was so nervous my dream car was in front of me and I was about to buy this. I had the woman (PO) test drive the car for me (sat in passenger seat), I was way too nervous to drive it, besides now it was dark.

So now I had to wait all weekend to pick my car up on Monday, as the banks were now closed, damn couldn't transfer $$ (didn't sleep all weekend)

First drive was on the North Shore of Oahu, during a daily rainstorm, had to stop and get new wiper blades, on around the Island back to Honolulu.

Shipped out the next day, had a 10 day wait until it arrived on the Big Island, my work friends were shocked I purchased this, my dream car was now in my hands.

First year was getting all the fixes done, PO didn't do too much maintenance and was in need of a lot of attention. I learned the hard way about the RPM relay back in the day and the hot start problems that were not taken care of by the other owners.
I went through the fuel system, electrical, brakes, cooling, drivers door spring broke, along with a host of steep learning curves on subjects to get this car reliable again.

I had about three wonderful years after that, then I had to move back to the 'mainland' due to family sickness. This was the worst experience for me and my car, it took 5 weeks to ship from Hilo, Hawaii to the Midwest. At the time, NO tracking was available then.
I had 5 weeks of extremely nervous waiting on my car to arrive, I was a wreck, lost weight too!

Now 23 years later I'm sooo glad I took possession of this car, who knows what would have happened to it if I left it in Hawaii.

[DMC5180]

Very Cool story. Where are you in the Midwest? I also took the leap of ownership 23 years ago.

[ritztoys]

Very Cool story. Where are you in the Midwest? I also took the leap of ownership 23 years ago.

Howdy my fellow owner, I live in Indianapolis, Indiana and am currently getting ready to contact the local DMC Club. I want to spend some time with fellow owners and "talk story" about our favorite car.

I just recently finished a complete brake job (so I can drive safely, RR Caliper "blew out it's seals") and charged my A/C system (R12 @ 44* out of my discharge vents) so now I can drive comfortably and visit friends & family.

This car has always 'lived' in tropical climates, so no "road salt, etc." on chassis and is in very good shape. I'll post pictures this weekend, I hope I can figure out how to do that, a little computer challenged here.

btw that's 26 years, getting to know this car the whole time. Gotta keep it running right! ( I just love "breaking necks", when I take mine out to drive)

[ramiel05]

Replying to Post #644 above.

Hi Mike,

Welcome and happy hunting to you. You ask good questions, which is a great start for understanding classic car ownership.

About the financing for a classic like a DeLorean, yes, it complicates a deal with a private party but it happens all the time. Get in touch with one or more classic car lenders and get yourself in position to make offers when you are ready. They can quote you pretty fast nowadays but you might get a surprise no-quote response so it's better to know before you make an offer.

BEFORE you get in touch with lenders get your (free annual) credit report to be sure your credit records look right to you. Then see about buying your FICO credit score, which is based in part on your credit report. You'll probably need to be in the high 600's or over 700 but don't quote me - the credit score criteria is up to the lender. If you haven't established good credit then financing might not be right for you.

See this article listing some classic car financing firms: LINK: hagerty.com/finance/classic-car-financing/Potential-Providers

Oh, and if you haven't already done so then you must buy a copy of The Illustrated Buyer's Guide to DeLorean Automobiles by James Espey. 120 pages of vital shopping information to familiarize you with important aspects of the car.

Thanks Rich, this is really helpful. My credit score is in the high 700s, so I should be good there. I'll definitely check out that link! I haven't gotten a copy of the buyers guide yet, so I'm definitely going to grab that. I appreciate the tips!

[louielouie2000]

Thanks Rich, this is really helpful. My credit score is in the high 700s, so I should be good there. I'll definitely check out that link! I haven't gotten a copy of the buyers guide yet, so I'm definitely going to grab that. I appreciate the tips!

Look at local credit unions, too- they will have much lower interest rates, and often times, won't require you to put as much down. Not all credit unions will provide classic car or private-party sale financing, just hunt around and you'll find one near you that does. The reason I bring up putting less down (perhaps more like 20-30%) is so you'll have a solid buffer for any needs your potential car might have once you start driving it. So many DeLoreans spend their lives sitting, and when they start being put into active use, issues from deferred maintenance and usage start bubbling to the surface all at once. The one downside of credit union financing is the loan terms typically are much shorter than the companies that specialize in classic car financing. Just some options for you to chew over. Best of luck on your hunt, and have fun!

[Jonathan]

Hello All,

My name is Stephen and I have an addiction to a 1981 DeLorean, I routinely drive in good weather (weekends) and when all the stupid drivers are somewhere else

Seriously...

Welcome!

I am curious where it is you get to drive your car that gives you good weather AND no stupid drivers?

That seems to me like an elusive combination... and I don't mean the sunshine/rain part.

[ritztoys]

Welcome!

I am curious where it is you get to drive your car that gives you good weather AND no stupid drivers?

That seems to me like an elusive combination... and I don't mean the sunshine/rain part.

Hi Jonathan, yea I know, still looking for that combination.

What bugs me most is that people will drive up to me in the next traffic lane (looking at the car) and stay driving in my back 1/4 view, can't see um!

[DMC5180]

Hi Jonathan, yea I know, still looking for that combination.

What bugs me most is that people will drive up to me in the next traffic lane (looking at the car) and stay driving in my back 1/4 view, can't see um!

Blind spot gawkers are all too common. But look on the bright side, you just made someones day.

[ritztoys]

Blind spot gawkers are all too common. But look on the bright side, you just made someones day.

I'll remember your comment, when I get a gawker checking out my car, thanks

[maxQ]

Hi all,
I came across this forum while researching information on the Flux Capacitor. I have always loved the DeLorean (even before Back To The Future). I've read so many times that it's an "80's icon". As far as I'm concerned it is an icon. Period. For a while now, I've been considering building a replica Mad Max V8 interceptor but now I'm seriously looking at owning a DeLorean.

Cheers
mQ