New Owner: The Greatest Adventure of #6895’s 1100 mile journey

[megamanex]

Hey all!
My first post here! I’ve just purchased Vin 6895 and will be flying to Seattle to pick her up and begin the drive down to Los Angeles on Friday the 10th!

I’ll try to keep this post updated as I begin the journey down and hopefully make it without incident to LA.

Here are my questions for you all, the brain trust, about the car and what things I should potentially bring with me on the plane to help mitigate any odd situations that may arise.

I currently have a replacement AC and alternator belt on hand coming along. What else should I bring along?

The status of the Vehicle as of now:

-6700 miles on odometer
-1981 manual transmission

Work done at time of purchase:
- new Aluminum radiator and low draw cooling fans
- new coolant hoses
- new stainless overflow coolant tank
- new brake pads on all 4 wheels
- fuel tank cleaned with new filter installed
- new cap, rotator, distributor, and spark plugs
- new stainless steel clutch line

Things I’ve been told are ‘off’
- air conditioning works but doesn’t blow air out of the center vents. Door vents and floor vents work.
- engine cover doesn’t latch


My overall question is this...should I attempt the 1100 mile drive in the car or just rent and tow the car the whole way down?

I’ve been driving stick for 20 years and am comfortable with 80’s transmissions.

I’m inclined to try and do the drive and not tow her the whole haul unless something goes awry?

What do you all think?

[mark w]

unlikely you can do all that in one day, imho.

[eight8toy]

Bring some simple tools and buy a fire extinguisher. Join the FB delorean groups like technical help and restoration so IF you break down you can post there and get pretty fast replies. If you have the extra time off of work planned ahead in case of a break down then sounds like a great road trip. I did Vancouver WA to San Diego buying a car like this and it was a great way to get acclimated to the vehicle! Have fun, take pics.

[megamanex]

Eight8toy, Thanks for the info! I’ll grab a fire extinguisher in the city when I pick it up.

I’m planning to take 2-3 days to drive the route and not try and push the car too hard to make a deadline. Assuming I’ll leave Saturday and arrive Monday end of day barring no issues.

I agree it’s a great way to learn the vehicle.

[Timeless]

Was the car sitting for an extended period of time? If so I would be more cautious of an 1100-mile trip vs. a car that is driven regularly.
With that, I bought a 67 Mercury years ago for 2K that was basically a barn queen but the owner had the mechanical side of things updated and it was driven a few times yearly. Quick inspection by me and fluid check and I drove it 100 miles home with no running issues.

Good luck with the trip and congrats!

[eight8toy]

Not sure if you've driven that route before but the 5 can be pretty barren in certain areas. You might consider going through Fresno via the 99 just so you're near bigger cities in the event of a break down. Have fun going up the grapevine with all 130 HP! Probably sit at Tejon Ranch for awhile to let the car cool down before tackling that mountain pass...

Also Oregon still has some gas station attendants who pump your gas so be sure to fill up before so you know how and can show them how it's done without spilling gas all over the place.

When I was in college at UW I'd drive Seattle to San Diego straight for like 20 hrs, not anymore!!

[Bitsyncmaster]

Center AC vents have a knob on the side of the vent to shut off air flow. Bet that is all that's wrong with the vents.

[Rich]

Go for it. More tips here, mostly safety-related and new-owner-related. Maybe the PO or the shop you used took care of some of them already.

1. If you didn't flush-fill the brake fluid when the brake pads went in then do that. You probably flushed the clutch fluid when you got the SS line installed.
2. See if both axle seals are tight, not leaking. If either one has leaked then top off the transaxle oil level with correct gear oil. Any decent shop can manage that. Leaking a few drops per day won't matter during the trip, you just don't want to start a long trip with the tranny low on oil.
3. Check tire pressures, including the spare. Be sure you have a working jack just in case. Plan to use a flatbed for emerg. towing - with car facing forward only should the need arise.
4. Bring a small set of assorted 10/15/20 amp blade-type fuses just in case. Become familiar with the fuse box location behind the pass. seat. A 12V test light probe is handy for troubleshooting and packs easily.
5. Have a shop check the ball joints and the TABs (trailing arm bolts).
6. Perform a walkaround lighting check. Know where the hazard switch is. Verify that all 4 turn signal lamps work, also all 4 brake lamps burn bright as well as tail/parking/headlamps hi-lo.
7. Lift both wiper arms and practice using the wiper control stalk, especially the delay feature. Make sure the blades aren't torn or brittle. The West Coast weather hasn't entirely settled down yet this season, as you probably know.

A common issue with the car at this age is hot starts after a fuel stop. If you have time to do a half-hour test run before setting out then drive in town for at least 20 min., park it and turn it off with engine cover down. Restart it in 5-10min. It should light right up or within perhaps 3-4 seconds cold or hot.

Also, the new cooling fans were tested, presumably, with the A/C off?

Having an unlatched engine cover isn't bad unless you hit some speed bumps too fast.

Congrats on your purchase and enjoy the new ride!

[megamanex]

eight8toy, Great advice. Thank you! I've modified my route to accommodate more populated areas using the 99.

Timeless, the car hasn't been sitting and seems to have been run consistently.

Bitsyncmaster, I'll check for that when I get the car. It'd be odd that the previous owner wouldn't know about it but perhaps its just one of those non specific things that aren't documented and overlooked.

[megamanex]

1. Unsure. I'll consult with the previous owner
2. Will also check that.
3. I'm aware of the towing forward which makes sense due to the louvers, but a good reminder nonetheless, thank you! I'll be checking tire pressure before leaving Seattle
4. I have a full fuse set for the fusebox set to come along with me on the plane as well as a test light!
5. Hopefully its good on that front,not sure I'll be able to make an appointment to check
6. 100% doing a lighting check, I've driven a few Deloreans before so I'm familiar with the lighting sequence (3 presses on the switch) and the hazard switch location but all good reminders, I've a whole checklist I'm compiling to remind me of things along these lines.
7. Wiper blades are a good call. Does anyone know the part number where I could pick up a entirely new set to take on my way?

Hot starts have always been my concern. Another Delorean I'd driven had hitching when it was started hot and I had to give it gas to keep the engine from dying. I'm hoping this one is clear but I'll know pretty quickly on the day.

New cooling fans were tested with the AC off from what I've been told.

I'm wondering if I should bring some zip ties with me to tie that cover down and just clip them should I need to get in there? Thoughts?

Thanks SO MUCH for the info, I'm hoping to be as prepared as I can and you all contributing wisdom is fantastic!

Go for it. More tips here, mostly safety-related and new-owner-related. Maybe the PO or the shop you used took care of some of them already.

1. If you didn't flush-fill the brake fluid when the brake pads went in then do that. You probably flushed the clutch fluid when you got the SS line installed.
2. See if both axle seals are tight, not leaking. If either one has leaked then top off the transaxle oil level with correct gear oil. Any decent shop can manage that. Leaking a few drops per day won't matter during the trip, you just don't want to start a long trip with the tranny low on oil.
3. Check tire pressures, including the spare. Be sure you have a working jack just in case. Plan to use a flatbed for emerg. towing - with car facing forward only should the need arise.
4. Bring a small set of assorted 10/15/20 amp blade-type fuses just in case. Become familiar with the fuse box location behind the pass. seat. A 12V test light probe is handy for troubleshooting and packs easily.
5. Have a shop check the ball joints and the TABs (trailing arm bolts).
6. Perform a walkaround lighting check. Know where the hazard switch is. Verify that all 4 turn signal lamps work, also all 4 brake lamps burn bright as well as tail/parking/headlamps hi-lo.
7. Lift both wiper arms and practice using the wiper control stalk, especially the delay feature. Make sure the blades aren't torn or brittle. The West Coast weather hasn't entirely settled down yet this season, as you probably know.

A common issue with the car at this age is hot starts after a fuel stop. If you have time to do a half-hour test run before setting out then drive in town for at least 20 min., park it and turn it off with engine cover down. Restart it in 5-10min. It should light right up or within perhaps 3-4 seconds cold or hot.

Also, the new cooling fans were tested, presumably, with the A/C off?

Having an unlatched engine cover isn't bad unless you hit some speed bumps too fast.

Congrats on your purchase and enjoy the new ride!