Tips On Buying A DeLorean

[cbateman]

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I'm looking for options below $25k. "Project cars" are perfectly acceptable if the price is right. Please let me know what you have, the condition, etc. Feel free to PM me. I live in Northern Virginia and don't mind traveling across the East Coast or Mid-West to check out some options. Thanks!

[Michael]

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I ended up spending 10k more than I budgeted because I found a great car. Also it might be a little hard to find your car for 25k, 10 years ago the 25k rule was front and center and prices have gone up since, however it's not completely out of the realm to find a decent car both cosmetically and mechanically (not perfect but decent) for 25k (ish). Basically keep your options open, because when one of those unicorn deals does happen to pop up, it doesn't last long. The last time a decent priced runner came up for sale most were asking questions and wanting pictures while the real buyer nutted up and pulled the trigger leaving the timid lukewarm buyers saying "WTH just happened?"

8<

PS: if you do have the extra funds avaliable, 30 to 35k seems to be the new "norm" for a (as James put it) good lookin, good driving DeLorean.

[Riley88]

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Do yourself a favor if you want a car youc an drive worry free, and make that budget a little higher. Yes you MAY find a decent car for 25k, but hey i did the same. I spent 23k, and damn im finally happy with my car, almost another 20-25k later lol. It took a long time and alot of work but you get what you pay for remember that.

[SBL]

I would echo the comments about being "proactive". To my mind, you must a) set your priorities as to what you want and B) be ready to travel immediately. I recently saw an 82 auto for sale in Miami. I just made the drive, saw and tested the car, paid, and was gone.

I knew that for me body and frame were the most important. I do not want to deal with dents in a SS body, or a rusty frame. And it needs to start and drive (although not necessarily very well). So knowing that, I could make an assessment and then a decision without a lot of hesitation or needing time to mull it over.

I have spent about $300 on the car. Not much for parts, but, a lot of my time on the mechanics including preventative things like changing all the fluids. But to me that is the fun of the hobby - starting with something that is aesthetically pleasing and putting time into it to take it to the next level cosmetically and mechanically. Each person has to decide where their skill sets reside, the time they can devote, whether they can get help when needed, etc. Then, be willing to travel and strike.

[Michael]

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To paraphrase an old quote. The difference between a 25k DeLorean and a 30k DeLorean is about 10,000 dollars.

[dodint]

I planned to spend $32k and ended up spending $40k, but I do not regret it at all. Not saying you have to over spend your budget to get what you want, but I hit the easy button and have had a positive ownership experience so far.

[dodint]

Sounds like we’re on the same page for what our priorities are: Good frame, good body, starts under its own power. Regarding that 82 auto you found, how exactly did you come across it? This forum? I’ve got automated searches on eBay, Autotrader, and Hemmings motors. Craigslist is a little harder since you can’t search nationwide. There’s a third party site “AutoTempest” that seems to search every state but I can’t set up an automated search. What’s your advice on using Craigslist for Delorean hunting?

Might want to have a look at CarGurus as well. Right now there are only a handful on there and they're higher priced, but it fluctuates.

I found my car on eBay of all places, but the car had been previously owned by someone here on the forum so I could read pretty well into its history which was a nice luxury.

[cbateman]

Some great advice here! Also, I'll add cargurus to the list.

[Michael]

Sounds like we’re on the same page for what our priorities are: Good frame, good body, starts under its own power. Regarding that 82 auto you found, how exactly did you come across it? This forum? I’ve got automated searches on eBay, Autotrader, and Hemmings motors. Craigslist is a little harder since you can’t search nationwide. There’s a third party site “AutoTempest” that seems to search every state but I can’t set up an automated search. What’s your advice on using Craigslist for Delorean hunting?

Craigslist is probably your best bet for a "unicorn" ie, a nice car for under market. These are the people who may not be on facebook, ebay, or other online marketing venues. The people who advertise there are still a few years out of "taking an ad out in the paper" types and your barn finds will probably appear there first. No harm in keeping your search options open as long as you are aware that the tech manual states Craigslist is also the most likely place you will find a scam ad.

David Teitelbaum

[leepoffaith]

Thought I'd throw my two cents in since I was in the same position as you roughly this time last year but my budget was only 20k. It took me until November to find a car that fit my requirements and I bought it within 3 hours of getting posted on Facebook for sale.

1. Have cash in hand and be ready to pull the trigger immediately if you find a car that fits your needs. At the same time, don't buy something just because it fits your budget. A LOT of people have horror stories from buying bad cars. I was extremely fortunate to get a halfway decent car and have had several great mentors from DMC Talk help me along the way.

2. I read on Facebook that John Hervey from DeloreanAutoParts.com (located in Texas) has 5 cars for sale ranging all the way down to $17k. You might want to give him a call. Personally I have had very good experiences with him and feel he is an honest person.

3. DMC Florida posts cars for sale on their Facebook page, which is where I bought my car. Like their page and put it so you get notified when they post cars. Cars in the price range you are looking at sell extremely fast. I called them 3 minutes after they posted my car and drove 1.5 hours to Orlando to see it. By the time I got there they said they had 2 more serious inquires who wanted to see it if I didn't buy it.

Be patient and you will find a car that is right for you. Good luck!

~Lee