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Thread: For sale - 1981 Auto / Grey

  1. #1
    Senior Member rickjames8's Avatar
    Join Date:  Jul 2011

    Location:  Northern Virginia, near Washington DC.

    Posts:    214

    My VIN:    5470

    For sale - 1981 Auto / Grey

    I've been putting off writing this post because I don't want to do it. I've kinda of accepted the fact that having a kid is turning out to be a little more expensive than I budgeted, and at a time when my wife was laid off and is starting a freelancing business. It just doesn't make it the best time to be owning a non-essential vehicle.

    So it's going up for sale.

    Basics:
    1981 with a smooth hood, grey interior and an automatic. Vin5470
    Probably about 140,000 miles, but a long-broken speedo makes that a good guess.
    Runs absolutely perfect. I drive this car 7 days a week, rain or shine.

    The car has a bunch of projects I'd do if I was keeping it, all of which were put on hold because they're non essential and I can't justify spending money on it when we're on a budget. For instance, I have a GPS speedo conversion project that I've started, but need to 3D print some pieces to finish, which is why I've chosen not to buy the angle drive and cable. There are 2 dents that could be knocked out or panels replaced. The AC could use a conversion to R134, but I'm from the tropics and absolutely not bothered by the heat. There's a longer list, but it's on the link below.

    I will take pics of the frame, and shame on me for not taking them before posting this, as I know it's critical. There is one small rust spot that I may actually have fixed before selling, just so I can sell in good conscience. It's small and up near the front. I've been under this car enough hours to tell you that's all there is. It's got the standard oil leak, but not even enough to require top-ups between changes.

    I'm asking $24k based on what I've seen others sell for on ebay. and based on the final bid of this very car about a year ago ($20.5k) when it was an unproven, undriven car that I took a chance on and just got real lucky. Even luckier that the high bidder didn't come through.

    I plan to list it on ebay in the next week or so, and feel that's most likely the venue where it'll sell. However, wanted to post it to the community first, and let people know I'm selling, rather than them finding out on eBay. While I'm sad about it, I'm also thrilled with having owned it. There was a box on my bucket list that said "Own a Delorean". I've checked it. The 10-year old inside me giggles everytime I drive it. The adult in me wishes I could take rides with my wife and son, and I can't. When the time is right for me to get another 'fun' car, it'll have 4 seats.

    Photos and tons of details can be seen here: deloreanforsale.com

    (I am happy to give away the remaining lease on the domain name once the car sells if anyone wants it,)

  2. #2
    Senior Member Dangermouse's Avatar
    Join Date:  May 2011

    Location:  Atlanta OTP GA

    Posts:    7,084

    My VIN:    2743

    Club(s):   (SEDOC) (DCH) (DCUK) (DOC-UK)

    For Sale Section Discussion [Moved From: For sale - 1981 Auto / Grey]

    Life, eh ! Sure gets in the way sometimes

    Good luck with the sale
    Dermot
    VIN 2743, B/A, Frame 2227, engine 2320

    I don't always drive cars, but when I do, I prefer DeLoreans

    http://www.will-to-live.org

    No-one is to stone anyone, even, and I want to make this absolutely clear, even if they do say "carburetor"

  3. #3
    Administrator Ron's Avatar
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    Location:  North GA

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    Club(s):   (SEDOC) (DCUK)

    Quote Originally Posted by SamHill View Post
    I hope it's okay to leave a testimonial. I have no personal relationship with the seller or interest in the sale.
    ...
    Not really...
    The answer to this and other questions about the
    "For Sale & Services / Want To Buy" rules can be found in the "For Sale Section Rules" sticky, titled "For sale section rules- PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING !!!",
    located at the top of the thread and at the top of all of its sub-sections.

    8.
    "Members: STOP posting remarks like "free bump, good guy or good item”. If you are NOT going to purchase the items listed. Remarks like "you can get it cheaper at so and so place" are NOT allowed. Again, do not post a question or remark if you do not intend to buy the item."

    Maybe a link, by the OP, to a "testimonial" in the Open Discussion section would help.

  4. #4
    Senior Member rickjames8's Avatar
    Join Date:  Jul 2011

    Location:  Northern Virginia, near Washington DC.

    Posts:    214

    My VIN:    5470

    So let me clarify the mileage, as it's the only thing that's been asked about in a PM.

    The odo reads 4772. It's had that reading since 2001.
    Here's what Carfax says:

    05/08/1991
    30,818 mi

    05/07/1992
    32,384 mi

    04/23/1993
    36,923 mi

    11/28/1995
    93,360 mi

    08/05/1996
    102,899 mi

    06/08/1999
    3,249 mi
    POTENTIAL ODOMETER ROLLBACK

    05/07/2001
    4,772 mi

    01/02/2017
    47,487 mi

    So the car was driven about 36000 miles over 14 years, or 2500/yr when it lived in CA. Then it takes a 60k jump between '93 and '95. This doesn't add up, if someone did a monumental road trip, there'd be signs of it on Carfax. My theory is that the speedo broke and it was replaced with a used unit - again, just a theory. New units would have been available, but probably not as easy as DMCH.com is today. So that would make the actual mileage in 1995 about 41,000. Around 2004 the car got sold to someone on the east coast who drove it a ton (according to the guy I bought it from). One of the more recent mileage jumps was 9K in one year, but that was still in CA. Anyway, in 2001 the car had 4772. Then it was driven "a lot" from 2004 to 2012 when a guy in W.Va buys it for his collection. He tells the seller "if the car makes the 4 hour drive to my house, I'll buy it on the spot". It did and he did. Apparently the guy had no qualms about making a road trip and he did it often. The new buyer in W.Va didn't enjoy driving it, but did like the way it looked in his collection, so he kept it and drove it once every 6 months to town and back. So 11 years (2001 - 2012) X estimated 7k/year (wild guess) = 77k, plus the 41k in '95, plus the 11k up to 2001 and that puts it around 129k?? Again, there are so many wildly variable guesses in this formula, it's easy to see how I could have come up with 140k before, but it could just as easily be 80k. The truth is, I've always just thought of the car as "true mileage unknown". It runs, it drives. A low mileage car can be worth the same as a high mileage car, it all depends on the buyer. It never concerned me much.

    By the way, the car showed 4772 when I had it inspected in Dec/Jan. I don't know where 47487 came from?? I noticed it 2 minutes before writing to this post. Not sure what to do? Write to CarFax? To VA state? Any attempt to correct it would sound like me trying to roll it back, however, leaving it as is will confuse a new owner down the road for sure.

    Where it lived prior to me buying it: s-l1600 (4).jpg
    Last edited by rickjames8; 08-18-2017 at 02:41 PM.

  5. #5
    Senior Member Dangermouse's Avatar
    Join Date:  May 2011

    Location:  Atlanta OTP GA

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    Quote Originally Posted by rickjames8 View Post

    This doesn't add up, if someone did a monumental road trip, there'd be signs of it on Carfax.
    I would doubt it. back then very few places would have been computerized to have records that could be sold to carfax years later

    Quote Originally Posted by rickjames8 View Post


    By the way, the car showed 4772 when I had it inspected in Dec/Jan. I don't know where 47487 came from?? I noticed it 2 minutes before writing to this post. Not sure what to do? Write to CarFax? To VA state? Any attempt to correct it would sound like me trying to roll it back, however, leaving it as is will confuse a new owner down the road for sure.
    Almost certainly your mileage that day was 4,748.7. Check the inspection docs.

    I would doubt if you could get it changes in time to have it done before selling car. Just add a note in the advert
    Dermot
    VIN 2743, B/A, Frame 2227, engine 2320

    I don't always drive cars, but when I do, I prefer DeLoreans

    http://www.will-to-live.org

    No-one is to stone anyone, even, and I want to make this absolutely clear, even if they do say "carburetor"

  6. #6
    baldwinsusa
    Guest
    Is it still for sale? Where are you on DC?

  7. #7
    Senior Member rickjames8's Avatar
    Join Date:  Jul 2011

    Location:  Northern Virginia, near Washington DC.

    Posts:    214

    My VIN:    5470

    Hey Paul (and anyone else)

    Yep, the car is still for sale. I've been working 60+ hour weeks at work, and will continue to do so until my project completes on 11/8. So I haven't been checking the forum at all. My email is [email protected] and I do find time to check that once or twice a day. I'm in Sterling, VA.

    I've also decided to get the small bit of rust repaired on my frame. There is a difference between "an almost rust-free frame" and "a rust free frame". I found an awesome welder in the DC area if anyone wants his info. He works on aerospace machinery and knows his metals well. He began welding and instantly identified the frame as something other than standard steel by the way the welds took (although they looked fine to me) and switched to a different stick. Anyone know what the frame is made of? Info I find on the web says steel covered with epoxy (which he had ground off). Also, we were both surprised at how thin the metal was.

    I am also going to try to complete my GPS speedo project before selling.

    But yes, car is still for sale, although I don't have it advertised anywhere. You can check it out any night in Sterling, or any day at my office in Herndon. Or any weekend. I've been too tired to make it to C&C, but may try this weekend.

  8. #8
    Senior Member rickjames8's Avatar
    Join Date:  Jul 2011

    Location:  Northern Virginia, near Washington DC.

    Posts:    214

    My VIN:    5470

    As another data point on the car, I'd listed it at $24k. I had several fellow owners say I was asking too little. I told these people they should buy it and flip it. In the end, I thought my price was fair based on what I'd seen other SOLD ones go for on ebay. The ebay asking prices are all over the place, so I don't use those. So I listed it with no reserve and an opening bid of $24k. I got zero offers. I know I can't judge much on a 7-day listing that didn't get any bids. But do other owners feel the price is fair? Feel free to PM or start a new thread if it's not appropriate to post opinions in the For Sale thread section. I know going in to winter isn't an ideal sales time. How much better off am I waiting for spring?

  9. #9
    Senior Member rickjames8's Avatar
    Join Date:  Jul 2011

    Location:  Northern Virginia, near Washington DC.

    Posts:    214

    My VIN:    5470

    As promised months ago, underside pics. Sorry, as mentioned, work hasn't afforded me really any free time these days. The front passenger area you can see the rust spot I am having fixed. The repair man is going to help clean up some of the surface rust in other area as well, (sway bar, a-arms) and treat it with a rustproof coating.


  10. #10
    baldwinsusa
    Guest
    Thanks. Sent an email.

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