You may try and talk me out of getting a DeLorean

[Ron]

And to cap it off, some more about me:

I'm a software engineer, in fact, an exceptional one. I have a ton of knowledge, but something which is relevant here is control and network systems - for my day job, I wrote software for robots. Slightly less relevant on an older car, but still - and yes, I saw the digital dashboard project.

Also, I happen to be an accomplished technical writer - I'm great at gathering stuff, and presenting it in complete and thorough form.

Thanks! Appreciate any feedback.

I nominate you to be the first to offer a functioning power source unit BTTF guys can chock veggies into.

[CFI]

1) I find it difficult to back up with precision unless I open the door and peak backwards out the side. Backing into a parking spot is the only time I do this.

2) It is a very small car, but wide. It will fit in compact parking spaces.

3) I’m assuming the booster seat question was for storage only? Yes, I store my sons booster seat on the rear parcel shelf and secure it with the net when not in use. Fits great.

4) There are 3 computers behind the drivers seat. Emission, idle, engine.

5) You’d probably have to have custom seat covers made

6) I drive mine frequently. About the only thing I won’t do is park it in a big, busy parking lot. Mostly because I don’t want door dings, not because I think someone will mess with it.

[MrChocky]

The car may have been assembled by a mutton fed Irishman. Does this matter? 🤔

I'm part Irish and have mutton chops. Does that help?

[MrChocky]

I nominate you to be the first to offer a functioning power source unit BTTF guys can chock veggies into.

There's a guy for everything. That's why I'm MrChocky.

[MrChocky]

Not that I'm aware of, but that doesn't mean it hasn't been done. It'll probably have to be custom, which means expensive. In my view, those cows have been dead for 40 years, and you buying a DeLorean now didn't contribute to that, so your hands are clean, so to speak. Unless you have a significant aversion to being in contact with leather, I'd say to wait until the interior wears out and then replace it with more animal-friendly products them.

That's really all I'm getting at. I'm assuming that some cars have a lot of wear at that age. But perhaps there's enough spares that it doesn't matter so much. But if say, the seats wore out
and have to be custom-covered or something, I'd want to look at non-leather options.

[MrChocky]

Thanks for even the replies - even the vegan trolling. I get that a lot; most vegans do. I didn't come here to debate that - there are numerous forums where you'll find plenty of people to engage you. In any case, I wouldn't be here if I wasn't a little bit eccentric, and I don't think anyone else would be either ;-)

I agree California sucks for driving. That's why even considering having one here is a problem, and also why such a decision is a way off. But here's some questions I forgot:

What's it like in foul weather? I once drove a Mustang on an icy freeway, and it was a little too exciting. And I have first hand experience of water ingress - again, I see the roof box chatter.
The traction control facilities are going to be limited/non-existent, surely? And really for a whole lot of non-weather reasons, it ought to be kept indoors. (I don't have such a location
at present).

Also roof racks - I couldn't find a picture, but there was some mention of a kayak. But how about a surfboard? (Actually, windsurfing board in my case).

Finally, I've seen cars sold with no title - this seems like a PITA. My experience was dealing with an out of state vehicle with a lien on it, and that was quite bad enough.

[Riley88]

IMO id be worried about daily driving. I daily drove mine for 3 months in Portland, Oregon, its stressful due to many factors. Other drivers following you, cutting you off to get photos, visibility, rain, parking brakes which even when set and good working still arent as up to snuff as modern units, always worrying about the panels getting dinged by either people who could care less or people who go out of thier way to be assholes, the sun ruining the interior etc. As a weekend fun treat car it is the perfect car, daily driver I would not ever consider it again, me personally.

[David T]

The car is OK in wet weather and the traction is decent unless there is ice. You can get a luggage rack for a surfboard. The car can be made watertight if it leaks. Never buy an old car (or any car unless you are buying it for parts) without a title. One great advantage of the doors is that when they open they cover you so you don't get wet as you get in and out.

[jangell]

Thanks for even the replies - even the vegan trolling. I get that a lot; most vegans do. I didn't come here to debate that - there are numerous forums where you'll find plenty of people to engage you. In any case, I wouldn't be here if I wasn't a little bit eccentric, and I don't think anyone else would be either ;-)

I think the problem was just that people read it as wanting to change it for the sake of changing it out, not that you just want to replace worn parts with more sustainable ones. I wasn't sure which way you meant when I first read it.

I agree California sucks for driving.

I lived in southern California (Burbank area) with my DeLorean for about a year. That was almost two decades ago, but I didn't find it too bad. But that's me. I didn't live directly in the cities (I don't like cities). I don't like driving it in Boston either, but I don't like driving in Boston period. San Francisco is similar, as I recall.

What's it like in foul weather? I once drove a Mustang on an icy freeway, and it was a little too exciting. ... The traction control facilities are going to be limited/non-existent, surely?

It's fine. I drove it in the rain yesterday, both highway and surface streets. I just got new tires, too (mostly my old ones aged out; the treads were fine). I just take the sharp corners a little slower. You have to remember that 60% of the weight is in the back, too.

It predates the concept of traction control and antilock brakes, so you'll need to be aware of that. I upgraded to the DMC UK Big Brake system earlier this year, which definitely helps with braking, but you're still in full manual mode -- tires can lock, and you can lose traction entirely. I've driven stupid a few times and had minor issues:
- Intentionally turning too fast onto a road with dirt on the ground; kicked the back out, but I expected it to happen, and was only going 20 MPH.
- Going too fast up a recently plowed road, lost control but recovered before hitting a snow bank
- Going too fast around a corner and kicked the back out a little. That was with my new tires, but the tire pressure was lower in the back than it should have been (I feel like it should have been able to take the corner).
- Spun off a highway late at night at 60 MPH at the edge of freezing temperatures going around a gentle curve. I actually wasn't doing anything wrong this time -- it was just bad luck. The car around backwards for a bit, which stalled the engine. There was no guard rail and the nearby ground was fairly level with the road, so I just slide off and came to a stop. Car started right back up and I got back on the highway, no problem.

Any of those could have been a lot worse. Once I slip I just take my foot off the gas and try to get the wheels aligned, but you have to worry about driver-induced oscillation as you over-correct and can't react as fast as the tire grip changes. That's why modern cars have traction control. For the record, I've never lost traction in my Subaru Outback or my wife's old Hyundai Sonata.

And I have first hand experience of water ingress - again, I see the roof box chatter.
... And really for a whole lot of non-weather reasons, it ought to be kept indoors. (I don't have such a location)

I kept mine outside for a few years, but it's mostly been garaged. One summer outdoors in the northeast was enough to crack my binnacle and dashboard, which had survived for 25 years prior. Also, stainless steel gets really hot in the sun, as does the black interior.

My car is pretty much water-tight, but if I do leave it outside in a heavy rain storm, I'll get a few drips from the front of the driver's side headliner, towards the center of the car. I need to look at that someday, but now that it's garaged it's less of a concern to me. I have no issues driving in the rain.

Also roof racks - I couldn't find a picture, but there was some mention of a kayak. But how about a surfboard? (Actually, windsurfing board in my case).

An optional luggage rack mounts over the engine bay. There was a ski rack adaptor sold, but that's pretty rare. You could probably fabricate other kinds of racks that mount to the luggage rack or in the same place it mounts. The main restriction for a surfboard, snow board or wind surfer is just making sure the everything fits between the open doors, and that you can sufficiently anchor it just one the engine compartment, since you won't have any place to tie it down forward of that.

-- Joe

[gluaisrothaii]

How close do you live to Alameda? PM if you want to stop by and check out my progress. pres@alameda-aero dot com will get me.

Ken