found this D is west LA and want to purchase it

[gasflaphoodfan95]

red d.jpg

I have heard rumors that there is a red delorean in west LA that has been sitting there since 09. so on new years day I went to see if the rumors were true and sure enough there was a red delorean gas flap hood black interior 5 spd the tires were rotted and paint was a bit faded I contacted the company that owned the space where the car was parked and responded saying that " the owner has no intent of selling the car however we will let you know if there is interest" I to me that means he or she wants to keep the car to let it rot in an office building parking lot outdoors in the elements. There has got to be a way to convince the owner to sell it to me before it becomes a lost cause. what should I offer for it my goal is to get the car as cheap as possible ( for a delorean that is) and have the main investment be the parts and repair costs. anyone have an idea of how much it is worth.

thanks

-Gasflaphoodfan95

[Dangermouse]

Nice find. Does it look like it is parked their long term?

Did you note the vin by any chance.

[Silverbullet]

Did you look at the vin on the dash?

[TTait]

Great find - but proceed carefully.

If you just want to purchase it and fix it and drive it so you have a D - I'd suggest you not do that. If you expressly want to rescue the car - that's a lot to take on but it can be done, it just may not make financial sense.

Its not likely that a reluctant seller will let you have the car fully evaluated, and they may not appreciate a frank appraisal of the car when its time to work out the deal. These factors combined may set you up to pay more than you should for a car that is worse than you think.

I rescued my '82 8 years ago. It was technically totaled. I paid $2k for it, I've put tens of thousands into it, possibly a thousand hours of labor, and I love it. What I have done is financially irresponsible. I can only take into account that I could afford to do it and the value of the satisfaction has dulled the financial pain, and made it a hobby with its own value. The only person who values the car enough to justify the expense is me.

You can go purchase a car that has been fully evaluated, and then have a good idea of what you are getting into. If you go in blind, placing a bid on a car that has unknown problems - you roll the dice. That car could need a thousand or two in work to get it on the road, and it may take 15 or 20 - especially if you are paying others to do work.

A painted car is especially tough. You don't really know the condition of the body panels under that paint. They are not rusting, but this car could be hiding serious damage. Stripping the car is hard work - and not worth doing if the panels are in rough shape. If you buy a painted car and don't know the full history - its likely to remain painted forever. These cars are beautiful in red, black, you should see Rob Gradys car - georgeous - but the iconic stainless is typically higher valued in the open market, so don't buy it with the plan to take it back to stainless without a really good body person looking at it with you.


If need be, go through the steps and see what is wrong with the car, and if its not for you, maybe someone else here will have a better position to save it. Rescuing an abandoned car is a lot easier if you already have a stockpile of used parts and the experience to give the car just what it needs to start to live again.

I'm not trying to scare you off - I hope you do have the where with all to pull off at least a driving restoration - but I want you to be sure what you are getting into so its a positive experience for you. Understand this has the potential of high risk before you get to the high reward.

[gasflaphoodfan95]

Did you look at the vin on the dash?

the vin is 2139

[gasflaphoodfan95]

Great find - but proceed carefully.

If you just want to purchase it and fix it and drive it so you have a D - I'd suggest you not do that. If you expressly want to rescue the car - that's a lot to take on but it can be done, it just may not make financial sense.

Its not likely that a reluctant seller will let you have the car fully evaluated, and they may not appreciate a frank appraisal of the car when its time to work out the deal. These factors combined may set you up to pay more than you should for a car that is worse than you think.

I rescued my '82 8 years ago. It was technically totaled. I paid $2k for it, I've put tens of thousands into it, possibly a thousand hours of labor, and I love it. What I have done is financially irresponsible. I can only take into account that I could afford to do it and the value of the satisfaction has dulled the financial pain, and made it a hobby with its own value. The only person who values the car enough to justify the expense is me.

You can go purchase a car that has been fully evaluated, and then have a good idea of what you are getting into. If you go in blind, placing a bid on a car that has unknown problems - you roll the dice. That car could need a thousand or two in work to get it on the road, and it may take 15 or 20 - especially if you are paying others to do work.

A painted car is especially tough. You don't really know the condition of the body panels under that paint. They are not rusting, but this car could be hiding serious damage. Stripping the car is hard work - and not worth doing if the panels are in rough shape. If you buy a painted car and don't know the full history - its likely to remain painted forever. These cars are beautiful in red, black, you should see Rob Gradys car - georgeous - but the iconic stainless is typically higher valued in the open market, so don't buy it with the plan to take it back to stainless without a really good body person looking at it with you.


If need be, go through the steps and see what is wrong with the car, and if its not for you, maybe someone else here will have a better position to save it. Rescuing an abandoned car is a lot easier if you already have a stockpile of used parts and the experience to give the car just what it needs to start to live again.

I'm not trying to scare you off - I hope you do have the where with all to pull off at least a driving restoration - but I want you to be sure what you are getting into so its a positive experience for you. Understand this has the potential of high risk before you get to the high reward.

I appreciate letting me know about restoring a D, as for getting parts my father owns vin 16245 and 01722 and has some extra parts also note I restored 16245 with him so I aquired some knowledge which will help me greatly with the possible restoration of vin 2139 with that said what do you think?

[TTait]

I appreciate letting me know about restoring a D, as for getting parts my father owns vin 16245 and 01722 and has some extra parts also note I restored 16245 with him so I aquired some knowledge which will help me greatly with the possible restoration of vin 2139 with that said what do you think?

I'd love to see you go for it. Having a supply of good used parts is really a good start in these projects. You can swap in used parts to get it up and running and see what you have - then you can prioritize and deal with issues in a more informed matter. You might get lucky and get it running again with a majority of good used parts. Find out as much as you can. Coming here is a good first start.

Do you have the facilities and tools to work on the car yourself?

[gasflaphoodfan95]

If all goes well 2139 will be worked on in my mothers garage since my dads is full with two Ds already and I am not sure what kind of tools i have where the car will be at this time however the parts are with my father in storage

[TTait]

If all goes well 2139 will be worked on in my mothers garage since my dads is full with two Ds already and I am not sure what kind of tools i have where the car will be at this time however the parts are with my father in storage

Beg borrow or buy the basics - Get a mechanics tool set (get a good craftsman on sale), a low profile floor jack, a drop light, headband LED light, 1 set of jack stands and a set of wheel ramps, a multi meter, a drain pan with built in funnel, and the shop and technical manuals. Many specialty tools can be rented from auto zone etc. for free with deposit, but you need your own basic tools.

I'll also suggest you go get 4 lengths of foam pipe insulation and stick them on the leading and trailing edge of the open doors. I'd venture that everyone who has restored one of these has cracked their head open on the gull wing doors while turning to go get a different tool.

And make sure your mom is cool with the car being there a while. Just getting a car that has sat for 5 years running and roadworthy will take twice as long as your worst estimate - and thats if it was in good shape when they parked it.

If you do all the work yourself figure at a minimum:

Refresh cooling system hoses and water pump $400+
Tires $500+
Rebuild all calipers yourself, new hoses, hardware, and master cyl. $400+ (just assume for now you need a rebuild)
Clean up the fuel system $300+++++++
Battery, fuses and relays $150-$250+

If the car was excellent when parked 5 years ago, the above might get you around the block the first time. My first trip around the block was probably $10k in parts and I did all the labor myself.

[Dangermouse]

saying that " the owner has no intent of selling the car however we will let you know if there is interest"

That's an odd comment considering the owner had the car listed on ebay in 2010 and he/she was asking $19000 for it.

Based on the pictures, it hasn't moved since.

Nice find. Does it look like it is parked their long term?

.

wtf Dermot. It's "there" not "their". Goddam grammar nazis.