Most Expensive Replacement Part You Didn't See Coming

[LordFly]

Hi all! In the market for a D, and thought it would be a good idea to see what the most expensive "out of the blue" repairs people have required were. It might give me some good things to look for while shopping. Thanks.

[WelmoedJ]

If you have done your homework, you will probably never have an out-of-the-blue repair.
However you will detect upcoming repairs while inspecting and driving the car prior to buying.

I knew I had to do something about the irregular behavior while accelerating (not gently, but in bursts going toward higher speeds).
I also knew I needed new tires and cooling system hoses (30 years old stuff).
I knew I had to repair or replace the cracked dash and binnacle vinyl.
At the end of my trip through the US I noticed an upcoming replacement of the clutch (engine revolutions didn't always match acceleration).
I also had reserved money for the new exhaust I wanted for this car.

Prepare yourself with the Buyer's Guide by James Espey.
It provides very helpful information about the car, its flaws and bad spots.

[sdg3205]

Hi all! In the market for a D, and thought it would be a good idea to see what the most expensive "out of the blue" repairs people have required were. It might give me some good things to look for while shopping. Thanks.

You may have heard that DMC recently raised the prices on NOS parts. There are some parts, like say a frequency valve, you just pray never quit. I thin a FV goes for near $600 IIRC. It's about the size of an eraser but integral to K-jet function.

"Expensive" to me may also refer to seemingly insignificant parts that are pricey, or rare, like M7 bolts, trailing arm bolts, etc. Some parts you simply cannot obtain anymore and are valued at whatever you're willing to pay for it, or the seller is willing to let it go at. Left front fenders go for $2000 - $4000. It's all relative.

I just spent $300 on a clock. I attempted to fix it ($20) and then ended up ordering a near perfect replica from Maurice waaaaaay over in Amsterdam, IIRC. Originality and functionality have their price. Depends what you're going for.

[DMCMW Dave]

Hi all! In the market for a D, and thought it would be a good idea to see what the most expensive "out of the blue" repairs people have required were. It might give me some good things to look for while shopping. Thanks.

The entire frame. An engine. An automatic transmission. Those are the big ones.

[Jonathan]

If you don't understand the condition of your car when you buy it, the answer is simple: the frame (and many other things that go with that).

In terms of just "what are the most expensive parts", your stainless panels aren't cheap. I don't consider one of those ever being a surprise though as their condition is obvious. If someone drives into the side of your car and wrecks a panel that used to be fine, that is another subject all together.

Go to the webstore and find parts with prices of $0.00. Those are the expensive ones of a varying degree. Some you can live with. Some you can find a cross over that will work. Some you will be parking your car until you find one. I've never really heard of the 3rd option there happening, but I would guess it is technically possible. This is mostly true for parts they don't make anymore and once the inventory gets used up, it's harder to find a replacement. Luckily we have vendors and others making batches of NLA parts every so often. Things like headlight switches, estucheons, and torsion bars.

Don't worry too much about any switches, electrical odds and ends, valves and fittings, etc. Most all of that is not super expensive. Your big ticket items would be if you got a surprise hole in the VoD of your engine, or landed yourself a car with some interior pieces missing. A number of the interior trim pieces, consoles, etc. are not readily available.

EDIT: Nice one Dave, right on... haha, I was typing too slow

[DeLorean]

Aside from already mentioned items, failure of something like the torsion bar for a door could happen right out of the blue, and be a nearly $1000 kick in the teeth... and is absolutely necessary for door function.

[kajcienski]

I would also be curious as to the part that is the cheapest but pay a ton in labor. My rear main seal is about due and something like $1,100 (the labor estimate I was told) for a part that is just over $10.

[kajcienski]

Aside from already mentioned items, failure of something like the torsion bar for a door could happen right out of the blue, and be a nearly $1000 kick in the teeth... and is absolutely necessary for door function.

That's okay, you can just crawl through the window

[DMCMW Dave]

I would also be curious as to the part that is the cheapest but pay a ton in labor.

The winner on that one, at least on a percentage basis, has to be the manual transmission second gear roll pin. The part itself is LESS THAN $1. But you take the trans out of the car and take it apart. And generally do the clutch while you are in there.

Your automatic rear main is a close second. Be sure to have the torque converter seal done at the same time. It's another $10 seal that you can't get to.

[Rich W]

I would also be curious as to the part that is the cheapest but pay a ton in labor. My rear main seal is about due and something like $1,100 (the labor estimate I was told) for a part that is just over $10.

IIRC, the "roll pin" or shear pin (or whatever the real name is) that often fails with the shifting mechanism for the manual transmission
is very inexpensive (two bits or less?) but replacement and re-adjustment of the shifter is comparably expensive.

Back in the day, Dave Swingle started installing a pin-inside-a-pin to increase the strength of this part...maybe he still does? Dave?