+1- time
- money
- patience
- mechanical skills
- a willingness to learn mechanical skills
If you don't have at least two or three of the above, owning a DeLorean or any other 30+ year old car is unlikely to be a a very satisfying experience.
When I bought mine, I'd had a 1987 CRX as a daily driver for my entire adult life. I took it for granted that 30 year old cars could be as reliable as anything else. And they can be, if you're willing to either spend a ton of money up front or spend a ton of money and/or time fixing everything that previous owners have neglected or half-assed. I've driven my DeLorean from one side of the country to the other, and haven't had to call a tow truck by the side of the interstate in 3 years. But I've spent over $20k on top of the original purchase price and a whole lot of my own time and various shops' to get it to that point. Is it worth it? Yeah, but if I had a mortgage payment on a house full of mouths to feed, I would probably feel differently.
To go along with what Rob said, it does sound like you're used to modern cars. A stock DeLorean lacks many of the conveniences of modern cars. It corners like an SR-71, shifts like a tank and brakes like the Titanic. If you aren't prepared for that, you can get yourself in trouble pretty fast. I've had mine out in supercell thunderstorms and blizzards and it performed adequately but are you willing to risk a $30-50k investment on a road full of dumbasses who think having 4wd means they can and should do 90 in a snowstorm? Are you willing to spend $1000+ per year on insurance that will cover a classic car for a total loss as a daily driver? Are you willing to get your hands dirty troubleshooting problems and/or do you have a trustworthy shop that knows these cars or has mechanics willing to learn (and bear in mind that these cars have been known to develop gremlins that can have even experienced DeLorean mechanics tearing their hair out)?
You're the only one who can decide what's right for you. But it does sound like you might be better off buying a Honda. Or pretty much any other car manufactured this century.
Excellent post.
Best response ever! Pure wisdom right there, Mr. Chocky!