Daily Driver Wanted

[kdlex]

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to realize a dream I’ve had for over two decades. I’ve finally been able to save enough money and the time is right.

Trying my luck here after having tried several other avenues.

I’m looking for a daily driver, manual. Grey interior would be preferred but black works as well for the right car. Mileage doesn’t matter.

I’m absolutely not mechanically inclined, so a car that needs fixing would not be relevant.

I’m located in Europe so somewhere over here would be great but shipping can be easily arranged from the US, so that’s not a big deal.

Appreciate any assistance or leads.

Regarding budget, I should be well within range based on the current ongoing price poll: http://dmctalk.org/poll.php?pollid=85&do=showresults

Thanks all.

[Rich]

Here's wishing you good luck in your search. There are plenty of good DeLoreans out there.

I do not have any leads, only some guidance to share.

You mentioned you already looked around for a car that meets your needs so you may already know about some of these ideas.

I think you are looking at cars in North America.
There are some DeLorean clubs in Europe - you may get some ideas from owners in Germany or the UK. They may know of some cars for sale there or share stories about importation.

http://www.delorean-club.de/
http://deloreans.co.uk/

You mention that you do not want to repair the car yourself. A daily driver that's >40 years old will eventually suffer a failure. So you may want to join a club. And you will want to find a good repair shop connection in advance.

Be sure to buy a copy of James Espey's book- it will help you make informed buying decisions.

Also, keep in mind that the forum poll results you refer to may no longer be current. The votes were probably submitted over 2 years ago.
A Daily Driver would be equal or better than Condition 4 (which needs "no or minor work to be functional").
The value of a Condition 4 DeLorean has risen about 25% since then. Same for Condition 3. The trend is from the Hagerty collector car insurance database.

NO. 3: VERY GOOD
Completely operable original or “older restoration” showing wear; also, a good amateur restoration, all presentable and serviceable inside and out. Plus combinations of well-done restoration and good operable components or a partially restored car with all parts necessary to complete and/or valuable NOS parts.

NO. 4: GOOD
A drivable vehicle needing no or only minor work to be functional; also, a deteriorated restoration or a very poor amateur restoration. All components may need restoration to be “excellent,” but the car is mostly useable “as is.”

[kdlex]

Hi Rich,

Thanks a lot for the input. I’ve been looking around the European forums but so far no luck. I almost had a deal for a daily driver for around USD 43,000 but then the seller inexplicably sold the car to someone else even after I had done an in-person viewing and said I would buy it. At the moment, in Europe I’m only seeing cars with asking prices that are way too high, one example is an average, in good condition, Delorean being offered for the equivalent of USD 100,000.

The most recent post on the forum here for a car for sale seems interesting, but the seller isn’t being super responsive so I’m not sure what’s going on there. Complicating matters is of course that I’d have to buy it sight unseen.

I do realize that a 40-year old car will need regularly TLC and I already have a guy lined up who has owned and worked on Deloreans since the late 80s so I feel pretty well covered in that respect.

I’m familiar with Espey’s book but thanks for the recommendation.

I understand that the polls aren’t an exact science and that there’s been some inflation in the prices in the last two years but I’m still hoping to find something within my budget.

Again, thanks for taking the time to respond to my thread and your advice. That’s very much appreciated.

[Ron]

+1, Rich

Regarding budget, I should be well within range based on the current ongoing price poll: http://dmctalk.org/poll.php?pollid=85&do=showresults

That poll is well over two years old...

[kdlex]

Hi Ron,

Thanks. All clear that the prices have gone up since that poll, however, based on what I’ve seen selling lately, I am still within a reasonable budget.

Any leads would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[MrChocky]

Hi Ron,

Thanks. All clear that the prices have gone up since that poll, however, based on what I’ve seen selling lately, I am still within a reasonable budget.

Any leads would be appreciated.

Thanks!

To be clear, current prices are running US$55K+ for a sorted car. Anything less, and you're probably going to have to spend more
to fix all the things. Add more for European pricing or shipping from US, etc.

Your best bet at present is to contact a DMC dealer; DMC FL in particular.

[kdlex]

Thanks MrChocky.

I'm in touch with DMC, but they currently only have cars in the 70+ range.

Cosmetics is less important to me as long as it is somewhat mechanically sound.

[MrChocky]

Cosmetics is less important to me as long as it is somewhat mechanically sound.

Well, wouldn't that be nice! I'm sure plenty of people would take a break on price if they could find such a car. Not that such
cars don't exist, because they surely do, but they are not common.

The reality is that by the time an owner is ready to sell, he/she might have let of the upkeep, replacing of failing systems, etc. So it's
quite common to find cars with nice or even excellent cosmetics, but needing some work. A car with bad cosmetics is probably
starting to be into the project category, and often (not always) belies more issues underneath.

There are plenty of cars for sale right now, since it's winter in the US, but you still gotta pay up unless you get very lucky.

[kdlex]

I fully understand these cars can be hard to find. Otherwise I wouldn’t need to enlist the assistance of this forum. My googling skills are not that poor.

Like I mentioned, I was close to getting a car like that (dents here and there, needed some upgrades to the engine and interior) but for reasons that remain unclear to me, the seller sold it to someone else. So much for a gentleman’s understanding.

[kdlex]

Hi Forum,

With over a year having passed since the last post, I just wanted to bring my continued interest to the forum’s kind attention.

Thanks!