DeLorean in the $14k price range

[louielouie2000]

Oh man, that's a VERY discouraging story!!

Thankfully there are other owners who have the exact opposite experience, such as Nightflyer & Michael. I just feel it's important to share all sides of DeLorean ownership. Some folks have remarkably reliable DeLoreans, while others struggle to keep their cars running. The fact that only 1,500 of the remaining 7,000 DeLoreans left are currently registered & roadworthy is telling of the cars reliability & sustainability, though. Not that I wouldn't own another... it's all I've thought about the past 8 years.

It is, but it is also a distinct possibility with a car this old that was not built well to begin with. I just don't see how it could possibly be sane to have a car of this age as one's only car. Not a good idea.

It seems I read somewhere that Roman Legion had a motorcycle as backup? I recently went a couple of years with my motorcycle as my only form of transportation. It's not always ideal- rain & cold downright suck; but certainly can be done with fewer compromises than you'd think. I had back up cars while owning my DeLoreans. You've definitely gotta have some other form of transport while owning a DeLorean; be it a car, motorcycle, or bus system.

[JohnZ]

So is it just a matter of luck? I thought that a well maintained Delorean with proper upgrades could be fully reliable! Of course it comes with the normal car problems... take my mum's Lancia Y: it's a 2001 vehicle but every day a new issue can be found!

[Roman Legion]

So is it just a matter of luck? I thought that a well maintained Delorean with proper upgrades could be fully reliable! Of course it comes with the normal car problems... take my mum's Lancia Y: it's a 2001 vehicle but every day a new issue can be found!

Seems among owners, their opinion differs. Nothing is certain and everything is a potential risk, just like everything in life. To answer the above post, yes, my primary vehicle is a motorcycle and not my car.
The only Lancia I would ever own is rare, impractical and road legally questionable.



Anyway, I digress.

[Farrar]

A DeLorean has more "issues" than National Geographic.

[NightFlyer]

So is it just a matter of luck? I thought that a well maintained Delorean with proper upgrades could be fully reliable! Of course it comes with the normal car problems... take my mum's Lancia Y: it's a 2001 vehicle but every day a new issue can be found!

It all comes down to expectations.

In all honesty, a DeLorean is no different than any other 30+ year old used car that a person would consider buying - you have to know what it is that you're looking at when assessing condition/value and making the decision to buy. And you also have to go into the purchase fully expecting to have to put some amount of work/money into the car on a regular basis to keep it running. The only difference is that there isn't a virtually infinite plethora of salvage yard parts available to us as there is with a mass produced car. Remember, in the end, we're just talking about a car here - it follows the same basic principles as any other car.

As far as reliability is concerned, the biggest issue lies in the Bosch K-Jetronic fuel delivery system, with a close second being the Lucas electronics. Learning the intricacies of both, or fully replacing both with an alternative of your choosing, will pretty much mitigate any reliability concerns. There's also the 30+ year ownership experience, where common weaknesses have been identified, shared amongst the community, and fixes developed. As far as the power-train is concerned, the PRV has proven itself to be fairly resilient - especially for an early design all aluminum engine, which many attribute to the fact that it was originally designed to be a V-8, and thus over-engineered in many respects.

Keep in mind that owners do enjoy something kind of special in the rare/unique/obscure car world with the relatively large stock of NOS parts and the willingness of global commercial venders and enthusiasts to engineer, produce, and sell replacement and/or improved parts. I personally don't know of any other limited production car (especially within the value range of the DeLorean) that enjoys that kind of support.

So, as long as your expectations are realistic from the onset and you realize what it is that you're buying when buying, you won't be disappointed.

But if you go into the purchase expecting something akin to a brand new car that requires nothing but regular oil changes for the first 100,000 miles, then you're setting yourself up for disaster. Many owners purchased low mileage DeLoreans expecting just that, hence why many have since sold or bitch and moan about their ownership experiences to this day.

At least, that's my insight, for what it's worth.

[JohnZ]

It is good to read this from you nightFlyer! You put it down in a very pragmatic way!

I don't expect the Delorean to be perfect, but at the same time I don't want a car that breaks up every single time I try to start it up just because it was poorly designed. And I don't wish to pray God every time I get in the car, even If I checked and replaced the stuff that is more at risk (and 30 years of ownership, as you said, in the end has pointed up each and every weak point of the car).

Nevertheless I keep my search with joy. That wouldn't be my only car of course, but that will be my first property car. I'm lucky and blessed to still be close to my parents, otherwise I would not have even considered this mad idea.

Mad... yet cool!

[Dangermouse]

There is certainly an element of luck involved, but also unequal parts of skill, time and money

The first piece of luck is finding a car that is for sale that has been well looked after. The Luck is finding the car, the Skill is determining whether it has been looked after correctly. (How the cars left the factory is largely irrelevant by now, 32 years later - what matters more is how it has been maintained)

Once you get it home, the Lucky part is that when something breaks/falls off/stops working, you are in your garage or close to home. The Skill/Money/Time part is fixing it correctly. Thirty years of engineering progress can fix most you what you might consider "poor design". Anything that is left, you call "quirky"


And by far the Luckiest part is that this forum exists and that you are part of it. Thank you Mr Gore for the Internet.

[Starglider]

Oh man, that's a VERY discouraging story!!

Fortunately it's considerably easier to repair or replace (with EFI) K-Jet now.

[dvonk]

A DeLorean has more "issues" than National Geographic.