How to evaluate a car out of long-term neglect/storage?

[David T]

The safest bet would be to buy a car where at least the motor starts and runs even if it can't drive because the wheels are locked up or no brakes. The "whiff" will tell you immediately if you have to completely rebuild the fuel system. Once you have smelt stale gas you will always remember that smell. Yes, if you pass on the car because it isn't economically practical, someone else will jump on it and overpay for it. BHCC will buy anything, clean it a little, and put a BIG price on it. As for trying to turn the motor over, you push tightly on the fan belt and try turning the alternator. You can also check the oil and the coolant to get some indication of the motor's health. If possible a compression test would be great if you can do it. Sometimes on a 5-speed, the clutch is seized. Short of taking it all apart one way to break it loose is to start it up in gear and stomp on the brakes while holding the clutch down (if the clutch hydraulics even work). Cars that were left outside in the elements are the worst. Besides the obvious water damage, they get critters living in them. Sometimes they get damaged by branches falling on them too. If they are parked on dirt the frame rots and it can rot BADLY! I do not recommend buying such a car (a non-runner) unless you are capable of doing the majority of the work. If you have to pay someone to work on the car it usually doesn't make any sense.

[mike123]

Given your admitted level of knowledge here (I'm sure you'll learn plenty quick though), and parroting the usual DeLorean advice, I'd say skip the non-runner. You'll just
end up putting a ton of money and time into it. Instead, pay up for the right, sorted car - it'll be worth it. Cars come up for sale every week, so be patient - you'll
know the right car when you see it.

3.8 per week that I can see online at least :-) I think you're right, and I see it often, but I think this thread has helped hammer home the additional benefits of a sorted car. Thank you!

The safest bet would be to buy a car where at least the motor starts and runs even if it can't drive because the wheels are locked up or no brakes. The "whiff" will tell you immediately if you have to completely rebuild the fuel system. Once you have smelt stale gas you will always remember that smell. Yes, if you pass on the car because it isn't economically practical, someone else will jump on it and overpay for it. BHCC will buy anything, clean it a little, and put a BIG price on it. As for trying to turn the motor over, you push tightly on the fan belt and try turning the alternator. You can also check the oil and the coolant to get some indication of the motor's health. If possible a compression test would be great if you can do it. Sometimes on a 5-speed, the clutch is seized. Short of taking it all apart one way to break it loose is to start it up in gear and stomp on the brakes while holding the clutch down (if the clutch hydraulics even work). Cars that were left outside in the elements are the worst. Besides the obvious water damage, they get critters living in them. Sometimes they get damaged by branches falling on them too. If they are parked on dirt the frame rots and it can rot BADLY! I do not recommend buying such a car (a non-runner) unless you are capable of doing the majority of the work. If you have to pay someone to work on the car it usually doesn't make any sense.

Hah, I have noticed that about BHCC. Thankfully they indeed only clean the cars "a little" and you can still get a sense of what a nightmare they will be. I think they have seven cars for sale right now, but I guess good for them for somehow finding and buying all of them. I am definitely in agreement on the cars stored on wet/dirt areas; thankfully the cars stored like that are typically also not cleaned up to hide it, so you can usually tell pretty well and avoid those.

[Helirich]

Take the gas cap off and take a whiff. See if the motor will turn over, preferably by hand. Look at the fuse area and the jack area for signs of nesting. See if the tires hold air. Check the frame for rot front and rear. See if the wheels will turn. Check the glass and the body panels for damage. Find out what comes with the car. Don't expect to start and drive the car so you can't know if the clutch, motor, transmission, steering and other systems work. Expect that they do not. What you can do is see if the car is complete and/or damaged. Check the vin and mileage with the Title. See if there are keys. Be careful you don't overpay for the car, it will take a LOT of parts and time to get it going and parts are expensive.

I agree with most of this. I don?t get the steering point. You can test that on a non running car. One thing I would say is don?t be afraid of higher mileage cars. A low mileage car is great if you are going to park it in your garage. If you want to drive it, I would be looking for a car that has been driven.

[mike123]

One thing I would say is don?t be afraid of higher mileage cars. A low mileage car is great if you are going to park it in your garage. If you want to drive it, I would be looking for a car that has been driven.

Good point, thanks. My gut feel in watching sales/auctions is that lower-mileage cars tend to sell for a bit more than I'd expect, and the higher-mileage cars tend to sell for a bit less. I think higher-mileage cars are a good opportunity to get a bit more bang for your buck.

[ssdelorean]

Good point, thanks. My gut feel in watching sales/auctions is that lower-mileage cars tend to sell for a bit more than I'd expect, and the higher-mileage cars tend to sell for a bit less. I think higher-mileage cars are a good opportunity to get a bit more bang for your buck.

Double True.

They may not be perfect cosmetic condition but most of the bugs tend to be worked out over the years because they were driven.

My car freaks alot of people out because I still have a bunch of "original" parts still on it. I drive, enjoy and replace what fails or is about to fail.

[Timeless]

Double True.

They may not be perfect cosmetic condition but most of the bugs tend to be worked out over the years because they were driven. My car freaks alot of people out because I still have a bunch of "original" parts still on it. I drive, enjoy and replace what fails or is about to fail.

Adding to this, for a car that was designed developed and manufactured in such a small window of time - it amazes me how well the cared for cars have stood the test of time. My D, with a lot of original components, drives better than some modern cars I have driven.

[mike123]

I drive a 17 year old Corolla and I'm starting to notice some quirks it's developing which seem similar to issues I've seen folks post about here and on FB with their DeLoreans. I can only imagine there would be a lot more after another 17 years (and then it would *still* be something like 8 years younger than the early DeLoreans). Anyways point is I totally agree, it's kind of funny how there's some just baffling choices in the DeLorean that give everyone headaches, but all things considered it doesn't seem too bad. 40+ years is a long time for any car!