New Owner Check this out

[Giamanut]

Just got to a point I could try to start it.
2 cranks it fired!
It runs it run it runs Whooooo hooooooo.

It will start and idle at this point rough but it's stays alive! will not rev just falls on it's face. but now I can open the check book.
Next up new Radiator, Fans, Ignition switch, Water pump,Thermostat, Plug wires. a couple more grounds to clean a few connectors and a little more work on the fuel system.
I don't think this car has ever seen rain, Just awesome!

[Hill Valley PD]

Is it growing on you? Keeping it? That car looks incredibly clean and is probably a keeper.

[Giamanut]

Is it growing on you? Keeping it? That car looks incredibly clean and is probably a keeper.

Yes it is growing on me but I don't know......... It is surprisingly clean
I have major tuneup and pressure gauge on the way so that is next. Then I need to get the heater blower, mirrors and ac working Oh and one running light in the back.
and adjust the parking brake!
So with my schedule about 3 more weeks!

[carbob81]

....
I just can't permanently own it at this time. So yes I believe it needs to be in someones collection.

At what point did these become collector cars? So many still on the road and not a limited production.
We all love them for the look, feel and mine but ....
The body style was very nice , the rest of the design and production was not so well executed.
Very many mistakes and warts but I do love the car.
How to puck up a very good idea is a capital lesson here.
It was on line to be a king at the time but design and production staff failed in spades.
Bob

[louielouie2000]

At what point did these become collector cars? So many still on the road and not a limited production.
We all love them for the look, feel and mine but ....
The body style was very nice , the rest of the design and production was not so well executed.
Very many mistakes and warts but I do love the car.
How to puck up a very good idea is a capital lesson here.
It was on line to be a king at the time but design and production staff failed in spades.
Bob

Large scale car collectors have had DeLoreans in their collections since these cars were new. They aren't exactly Camrys and they aren't making any more of them...

Having owned 2 of these cars & been in the community 20 years, I'm keenly aware of the DeLorean's shortcomings. But honestly, it's amazing they weren't far, far worse. The company had 28 months to design & build a car from scratch (or the new UK government was going to pull the plug), concurrently design & build a factory for a car that wasn't yet fully fleshed out (and the factory site was literally in the middle a worn-torn area), hire & train a totally unskilled workforce (which must be equally divided between factions that were actively killing each other), all with a brand new company which had limited funds & zero experience building cars. Let's not forget the DeLorean wasn't exactly an easy car to build, either- they had to design & productionize stainless steel body panels (nobody has done that before or since), design & productionize gull-wing doors (the torsion bars ended up having to be designed by Grumman aerospace utilizing liquid nitrogen... Grumman also is known for the B-2 Spirit bomber & F-14 Tomcat), build a fiberglass body to fit under that problematic stainless steel body, all of this without computer aided design. 40 years later, even legacy automakers that have been around a century & have billions of dollars at their disposal couldn't pull off concurrently designing & building a new car & factory in 2 years the way DMC did. Let's not forget all cars of the late 70s/early 80s are all pretty much garbage when it comes to quality, too. Yes, the DeLorean is lacking in many ways... but what's remarkable is how much worse it truly could have been.

[Hill Valley PD]

Large scale car collectors have had DeLoreans in their collections since these cars were new. They aren't exactly Camrys and they aren't making any more of them...

Having owned 2 of these cars & been in the community 20 years, I'm keenly aware of the DeLorean's shortcomings. But honestly, it's amazing they weren't far, far worse. The company had 28 months to design & build a car from scratch (or the new UK government was going to pull the plug), concurrently design & build a factory for a car that wasn't yet fully fleshed out (and the factory site was literally in the middle a worn-torn area), hire & train a totally unskilled workforce (which must be equally divided between factions that were actively killing each other), all with a brand new company which had limited funds & zero experience building cars. Let's not forget the DeLorean wasn't exactly an easy car to build, either- they had to design & productionize stainless steel body panels (nobody has done that before or since), design & productionize gull-wing doors (the torsion bars ended up having to be designed by Grumman aerospace utilizing liquid nitrogen... Grumman also is known for the B-2 Spirit bomber & F-14 Tomcat), build a fiberglass body to fit under that problematic stainless steel body, all of this without computer aided design. 40 years later, even legacy automakers that have been around a century & have billions of dollars at their disposal couldn't pull off concurrently designing & building a new car & factory in 2 years the way DMC did. Let's not forget all cars of the late 70s/early 80s are all pretty much garbage when it comes to quality, too. Yes, the DeLorean is lacking in many ways... but what's remarkable is how much worse it truly could have been.

Well said. Given the late 70s and early 80s and what else was being produced, the DeLorean has actually aged pretty well in terms of build quality and performance relative to its time. Look at the crap GM was putting out then. Is the DeLorean a great car? No, but it's not a bad car either. It is the perfect embodiment of the era, style over substance. Furthermore, everyone involved in the production from start to finish did an amazing, never to be repeated again, job with the factory/car in record time. Even Porsche told them it would take 5 years, which is why they contracted Lotus to engineer the car for production. They did it in less than half the time Porsche quoted. The company's failure, if you had to place blame in one place, lies with the man himself who sold the idea to the British government of a company that could reliably sell 30K cars per year, which was about 5x what was actually realistic. Had they set out to produce around 6K cars a year and then added more models, they'd still be around. Obviously, a lot of factors contributed to its demise, but that is the one that sticks out to me the most. The production goals were just too high for a 25K underpowered sports car in the recession of the early 80s.

[Giamanut]

So I got a little further on the car today, Installed new injectors cap rotor an wires. Adjusted the parking brake, Trouble shot the Freq valve to Wrong relay installed. The car also had the wrong accumulator.
Started looking into why the Blower Motor does not work, Dropped it out and it test good so on to the switch or relays maybe.
Oh yeah installed my new ignition switch today.
Tomorrow I will get a new angle drive kit.
A radiator and fans.
The stock fans work and the car does not leak but it is gonna be better to have the new fans the stocks sound way loud!
Oh and I have a new water pump but the original is working fine so! maybe I will wait on that.
Also got the fuel filter finished today!
I have a test gauge for the fuel system coming along with a Vacuum hose kit so I hope to be totally on the road by 10/23/19.

[Giamanut]

I was in the exact same position as you a decade ago and, although I mostly agree with Dana, I have to say go for it!
I don't see the concern about you making things worse for the next owner -- Being a seasoned mechanic, you know half of the game is knowing what NOT to do. Seems obvious that you are doing your homework and have already identified the #1 thing. Not to mention you are here... To figure out what TO do boils down to one thing, K-Jet and your willingness to learn it. If you clean it up thoroughly, we can walk you through the rest.
Then comes the real decision(s) -- Will you become to love it, or hate it? If the former, how to keep it?

Short and sweet- Change out all of the fluids, disconnect the pump and get it running good enough to prove the engine and that the trans takes gear. I assume you know how to do that and will know how to proceed from there...

I found a crossover relay in the Lambda relay spot FV won't work like that. Also someone installed the wrong accumulator! I have ran and drove it around a nearby parking lot. Really surprised the mirrors and windows work.
I finished the Fuel system and am waiting on the correct Lambda relay the heater blower motor works bench check but not in the car.
completed the brake and clutch system
Replaced the Bonnet and trunk struts adjusted the E brake
Have a new angle drive kit for this friday.
Fuel pressure test gauges on the way
New heater switch and mode switch rebuild kit also in route
Installed new cap rotor and wires and injectors and have spark plugs for Friday!
Will reset Co? Injectors and start car again Friday and fine tune Monday Tues and Wens! next week!
That is a running driving car at that point.
Final touches will be charge A/C and roof box kit/ repair! Then it will be as nice as any I have seen! Just seen one on Ebay sell for 33K and it was not near as nice as mine! I am Jacked just hope I own it for a little bit after it is done!

[Giamanut]

Well need some head gaskets now? I thought that might come into play.
So far I have cleaned the tank replaced the fuel system except the FD and WUR which work great.
the angle drive
tail light boards because I felt like it
one head light.
Rotor cap wires and plugs.
Brake and clutch master
Overhauled calipers fix and adjusted Parking brake
Got the mirrors and windows working
verified Cabin fan works
Replaced the starter
Trouble shot FV inop to Lambda relay ( cross over valve where the Lambda Relay should be).
Left to do !!!!
change Water pump Radiator and hoses
Roof box repair
Mode sw
heater fan sw
head gaskets
Fluids!
Set Fuel pressure and CO.
2 more weeks!!! With my work schedule!
I got a ton of info from this site
Thanks much!

[sdg3205]

Well need some head gaskets now?

How did you come to realize you need new head gaskets?