Two Deloreans at an auction?

[deloreanHOTBOX]

So two Deloreans are going to be auctioned off at an auction that I go to. Chances are they will be dirt cheap. Neither runs but one seems to be in decent shape and they will be sold together. How high do you guys think I should go on my bid? Is 5000 too high? Most likely they won't pass that. Thanks

[powerline84]

A complete delorean with a solid frame is worth 10 grand not running all day long.

[deloreanHOTBOX]

I have a few more pics. Just need to switch devices.

[deloreanHOTBOX]

Pretty hard to get a good look atm

[deloreanHOTBOX]

Turns out the auction posted pictures. What do you think should I even bother? As a back to the future fan boy I want to snatched them up but idk. Opinions? Lol http://www.brunksauction.com/DeLorean

[BladeBronson]

Wow. I'll buy the AC panel off the parts car.

[Dangermouse]

Depends, as always, on how rich you are, or how handy you are. The first one is obviously the better one (without seeing frame pics) but would still be a lot of work and I doubt you could get anything off the second one for it.

Those cars first surfaced back in May. Not sure why they didn't sell then.

[NJP548]

VIN 16407 is 30 off from mine - 16377.

-Nick Pitello

[Michael]

Someone will pay up for them not knowing what they are in for. I see two parts cars and I would be hard pressed to pay more than 5 or 6k.
Just because you see a left fender doesn't mean it's without faults. Those pictures don't show any small dents that may be hiding in plain sight.

[WHO1DMC]

http://www.ronhackenberger.com

July 14-16 Ohio. 1 photo. Looks good but very dusty.

Good hunting. Dave B.

[DMCVegas]

Turns out the auction posted pictures. What do you think should I even bother? As a back to the future fan boy I want to snatched them up but idk. Opinions? Lol http://www.brunksauction.com/DeLorean

Short answer: No, don't bother.

If you're wanting these cars simply because you're a fan of Back to the Future, I'm going to tell you right now that you should avoid them, and pretty much any other project car out there. These are vehicles that will need allot of work, and the difficulty involved is really only going to be tolerable for someone who is an actual DeLorean enthusiast who can see this through until the end.

Save your cash and just buy a time machine conversion that has already been completed, and save yourself the headache.

[deloreanHOTBOX]

I'm pretty handy and my thinking was to part out the shitty one and repair the nicer one. I love bttf but I also love deloreans as well as other cars. I like the Idea of making it look nice again just like when I remodel a house. Pretty confident I could get the one running. I'm not rich but I do have a bit of money saved up. Is their a good supply of cosmetic and mechanical parts for them? If I were to restore them and sit on them for a bit could turn a good profit if I did most if not all of the labor? Thanks for the responses.

[Dangermouse]

I'm pretty handy and my thinking was to part out the shitty one and repair the nicer one. I love bttf but I also love deloreans as well as other cars. I like the Idea of making it look nice again just like when I remodel a house. Pretty confident I could get the one running. I'm not rich but I do have a bit of money saved up. Is their a good supply of cosmetic and mechanical parts for them? If I were to restore them and sit on them for a bit could turn a good profit if I did most if not all of the labor? Thanks for the responses.

Honestly, if you have to ask this question, I would strongly advise you to not buy these cars at the present time. You will just end up hating the car.

Take the time to read through some threads, particularly restoration threads, look at vendors websites, basically educate yourself on these cars as much as possible,; and then buy one if you are still inclined. There will be others out there, believe me :) Maybe even these ones still :)

[Michael]

Wow you not only are planning on restoring one to drive bit make a replica too? You will be money ahead to just buy a decent runner. Judging by your statement in your last post you are under the assumption that all the parts you need are in the other car. You might be in for a suprise when you see one engine locked up and the other with block rot, or no compression and both gearboxes trashed and both frames shot and there are dozens of other issues that could cost major money to correct that you can't see. These are very expensive cars to restore to factory condition. You are going to take a big gamble buying those cars for anything other than a quick part out.

[SamHill]

Don't listen to the haters. It's all good. Those cars just need some cleanin' up. $100 gets you back on the road.

[deloreanHOTBOX]

Don't listen to the haters. It's all good. Those cars just need some cleanin' up. $100 gets you back on the road.

Where we're going, we don't need roads.

[Rich_NYS]

don't listen to the haters. It's all good. Those cars just need some cleanin' up. $100 gets you back on the road.

lmao...wtf?!

[blueshark66]

Don't listen to the haters. It's all good. Those cars just need some cleanin' up. $100 gets you back on the road.


lmao...wtf?!

What he meant was: $100G. :hysterical:

[powerline84]

I would say if it has a solid frame and the guy is educated....knows what he is getting into....then it's a restoration candidate....if and only off he can do his own work. Even then...it ain't gonna be cheap...and you would need to see it in person.

[David T]

One looks like a parts car and the other will need a LOT of work and parts. You cannot make 1 out of 2, you will just wind up with a lot of parts you won't need. With over 700 cars that auction is going to take a while. More than 1 day. Neither runs so you must provide some method of transportation, a trailer or pay someone to move it for you. Depending on how they are sold you might have to buy them both in 1 lot together wither you want to or not. Whoever buys them should check the Title to make sure the "good" one is not a Salvage Title. Otherwise you can have a lot of trouble trying to register the car. The person who collected all of these cars would buy anything and drag it home so you can't assume any of them were running, driving cars. With all of this said, they may go cheap and for the person wanting a project this could be a good opportunity if they are local. Anyone bidding without examining the cars up close (unless they throw out a low bid) is taking a huge chance.

[deloreanHOTBOX]

Lol I never said that I think I can just take parts off of one and fix the other. My intentions are to part out the shitty one and repair the nicer one with parts on ebay or the dmc website. The two will be sold as one lot and they are the only vehicles at this auction. Also the nice one has a clean title. I'm willing to spend as much as possible as long as I at least get it back when I eventually sell the fixed up one.

[Michael]

Lol I never said that I think I can just take parts off of one and fix the other. My intentions are to part out the shitty one and repair the nicer one with parts on ebay or the dmc website. The two will be sold as one lot and they are the only vehicles at this auction. Also the nice one has a clean title. I'm willing to spend as much as possible as long as I at least get it back when I eventually sell the fixed up one.

Sounds like you made up your mind well before you asked for opinions. So go for it. Those cars are worth at least 30k each as they sit. You would be a fool not to buy them.

[sdg3205]

Lol I never said that I think I can just take parts off of one and fix the other. My intentions are to part out the shitty one and repair the nicer one with parts on ebay or the dmc website. The two will be sold as one lot and they are the only vehicles at this auction. Also the nice one has a clean title. I'm willing to spend as much as possible as long as I at least get it back when I eventually sell the fixed up one.

You can try parting out the other car. You may have mixed results. We are lucky in that for such a low numbers production car, we have tons of vendor support. Parts are also reasonably priced, so much so that buying bleached or roached out parts off a parts car isn't that necessary. The real golden items are frames, binnacles, dashes, interior trim pieces etc. Can you say those items are in decent shape? Perhaps not. I have been trying to give parts away at "make me any offer" prices and perfectly good parts aren't exactly flying off the shelf!

The golden rule USED to be $25k got you a decent driver. I believe the community now considers $35k the magic number. I've restored four deloreans, and that number is pretty accurate.

Proceed with extreme caution.

[DMCVegas]

Sounds like you made up your mind well before you asked for opinions.

This perfectly sums up things here. Usually when we see these kinds of first time buyer threads, OPs will continue to ask inquiring questions about things like frame rot, or whatever else they get warned about to know what to look for when inspecting the cars. They're actually trying to learn and you can tell. But that isn't happening here. We can talk about frames, the real nightmare of parting cars out, or other aspects to these cars, but it's pointless.

I've been around the car hobby long enough to know the difference between asking for help and asking for validation. Wanting assistance to complete a task is totally different than needing justification for a scheme, and I'm not up for this.

[Rich_NYS]

One looks like a parts car and the other will need a LOT of work and parts. You cannot make 1 out of 2, you will just wind up with a lot of parts you won't need. With over 700 cars that auction is going to take a while. More than 1 day. Neither runs so you must provide some method of transportation, a trailer or pay someone to move it for you. Depending on how they are sold you might have to buy them both in 1 lot together wither you want to or not. Whoever buys them should check the Title to make sure the "good" one is not a Salvage Title. Otherwise you can have a lot of trouble trying to register the car. The person who collected all of these cars would buy anything and drag it home so you can't assume any of them were running, driving cars. With all of this said, they may go cheap and for the person wanting a project this could be a good opportunity if they are local. Anyone bidding without examining the cars up close (unless they throw out a low bid) is taking a huge chance.

Totally agree, that one looks like a parts car, the other needs a lot of work & parts. I think this situation would require a person with a lot of time, space, tools, and know-how as well as a very low purchase price (of course.)


FWIW, the 700-car lot is a different auction than the two referenced in the OP.

There are a total of 3 cars posted in this thread.

[deloreanHOTBOX]

This perfectly sums up things here. Usually when we see these kinds of first time buyer threads, OPs will continue to ask inquiring questions about things like frame rot, or whatever else they get warned about to know what to look for when inspecting the cars. They're actually trying to learn and you can tell. But that isn't happening here. We can talk about frames, the real nightmare of parting cars out, or other aspects to these cars, but it's pointless.

I've been around the car hobby long enough to know the difference between asking for help and asking for validation. Wanting assistance to complete a task is totally different than needing justification for a scheme, and I'm not up for this.

Scheme? Holy shit I'm simply trying to gather information to see if they are worth buying. It's not like I'm forcing people to respond to this thread. I appreciate everyone who has been helpful but it seems some of you guys are just strait trying to stop me from buying them without knowing how skilled I am with mechanics and cars in general. Kind of makes me wonder if anyone on here will be bidding there. Just because I don't know much about deloreans doesn't mean I'm an idiot or incapable of learning about them. Correcting peoples assumptions does not mean I've already made up mind lol

[Michael]

Buy them already. Bid to the moon, they are worth it. You can sit in them for a year or so and retire early off the profits.

[Morpheus]

Scheme? Holy shit I'm simply trying to gather information to see if they are worth buying.

Really? Well then let me gather that information for you:


I see two parts cars and I would be hard pressed to pay more than 5 or 6k.



Short answer: No, don't bother.
...Save your cash and just buy a time machine conversion that has already been completed, and save yourself the headache.


Honestly, if you have to ask this question, I would strongly advise you to not buy these cars at the present time. You will just end up hating the car.



You will be money ahead to just buy a decent runner...These are very expensive cars to restore to factory condition. You are going to take a big gamble buying those cars for anything other than a quick part out.


Proceed with extreme caution.

If you are truly here gathering information and advice from seasoned DeLorean owners, you have it. I don't care if you are a master mechanic with mad skillz, purchasing these cars with the intent of restoring one is going to cost you a lot more money and a crap ton more aggravation than they are both worth. Take the advice given, or don't take it.

[Rich_NYS]

Scheme? Holy shit I'm simply trying to gather information to see if they are worth buying. It's not like I'm forcing people to respond to this thread. I appreciate everyone who has been helpful but it seems some of you guys are just strait trying to stop me from buying them without knowing how skilled I am with mechanics and cars in general. Kind of makes me wonder if anyone on here will be bidding there. Just because I don't know much about deloreans doesn't mean I'm an idiot or incapable of learning about them. Correcting peoples assumptions does not mean I've already made up mind lol

Straight answer to your original question ("is 5000 too high?") Yes, I think 5K is too high, but it would be pretty hard to say what top bid would be reasonable without knowing the whole situation with both cars. Like Michael mentioned...you could end up with two junk cars.

I get where you're coming from with some of the responses, but "between the lines" there's some good input....that's kind of how it is sometimes in these threads.


I was being sincere with this response:


Totally agree, that one looks like a parts car, the other needs a lot of work & parts. I think this situation would require a person with a lot of time, space, tools, and know-how as well as a very low purchase price (of course.)

Your goal is also highly relevant. Are you looking to restore the better of the two?

If there's a good frame & salvageable engine, and you have tools & know-how, a place to work on & store these, as well as a lot of time to burn...it might be worthwhile if you got them if you're interested in a big restoration project. If this fits your current position, a couple thousand might be reasonable.


Here's the important question: what's your plan if you bought these?

-Hope this helps!

[Michael]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KKQvk37IVw

[David T]

We can offer advice on what the cars are worth but it isn't a very good evaluation without personally seeing the cars. We can only talk in generalities. What the cars are worth is a different question than "Should YOU buy them?" Without knowing your skill level, experience, a place to work on them, tools, etc we can't give you any guidance. What we can say, generally, is if you buy a non-runner, you had better get it cheap because it is gonna cost you a LOT to get it going. No good way to know if the motor is any good at all, the transmission, etc because you can't run it to check it. The car will need all of the usual things at least and if you don't do the work yourself you can very quickly spend more on the car than it will be worth. Better to buy one that at least can be driven so you can better evaluate it's true condition. You may pay more but it is usually worth it. All of this being said, if you get them cheap enough you can always flip them. Clean them up, list their condition and sell them. That is what BHCC does. If you decide to fix one of them up figure doing all of the systems on the car. That means rebuilding the brakes and clutch, replacing all of the hoses for the A/C, door seals, struts, battery, tires, flushing and replacing all of the filters and fluids, fixing all of the things that don't work, replacing most of the fuel system, and that is just the minimum. Parts can add up to over $10K and that doesn't include anything cosmetic like headliners, seat covers, carpet, binnacle, missing parts, etc. If you do decide to bid on the cars set an upper limit as to how high you will go and stick to it. If you figure on flipping the parts car to offset some of the expense don't figure on getting a whole lot or selling it quickly. If you don't see the cars in person, to be safe, you can only throw out a low bid on the off chance no one else is even bidding seriously. You might get a big surprise and actually win the auction!

[Rich_NYS]

We can offer advice on what the cars are worth but it isn't a very good evaluation without personally seeing the cars. We can only talk in generalities. What the cars are worth is a different question than "Should YOU buy them?" Without knowing your skill level, experience, a place to work on them, tools, etc we can't give you any guidance. What we can say, generally, is if you buy a non-runner, you had better get it cheap because it is gonna cost you a LOT to get it going. No good way to know if the motor is any good at all, the transmission, etc because you can't run it to check it. The car will need all of the usual things at least and if you don't do the work yourself you can very quickly spend more on the car than it will be worth. Better to buy one that at least can be driven so you can better evaluate it's true condition. You may pay more but it is usually worth it. All of this being said, if you get them cheap enough you can always flip them. Clean them up, list their condition and sell them. That is what BHCC does. If you decide to fix one of them up figure doing all of the systems on the car. That means rebuilding the brakes and clutch, replacing all of the hoses for the A/C, door seals, struts, battery, tires, flushing and replacing all of the filters and fluids, fixing all of the things that don't work, replacing most of the fuel system, and that is just the minimum. Parts can add up to over $10K and that doesn't include anything cosmetic like headliners, seat covers, carpet, binnacle, missing parts, etc. If you do decide to bid on the cars set an upper limit as to how high you will go and stick to it. If you figure on flipping the parts car to offset some of the expense don't figure on getting a whole lot or selling it quickly. If you don't see the cars in person, to be safe, you can only throw out a low bid on the off chance no one else is even bidding seriously. You might get a big surprise and actually win the auction!

+1

[DMCVegas]

Scheme? Holy shit I'm simply trying to gather information to see if they are worth buying. It's not like I'm forcing people to respond to this thread. I appreciate everyone who has been helpful but it seems some of you guys are just strait trying to stop me from buying them without knowing how skilled I am with mechanics and cars in general. Kind of makes me wonder if anyone on here will be bidding there. Just because I don't know much about deloreans doesn't mean I'm an idiot or incapable of learning about them. Correcting peoples assumptions does not mean I've already made up mind lol

Enough with the bullshit. Let's cut right to it.


How high do you guys think I should go on my bid? Is 5000 too high?

Dude, right there. That's not asking IF you should buy these cars, you're straight up stating that you WILL be attempting to purchase them.



Turns out the auction posted pictures. What do you think should I even bother? As a back to the future fan boy I want to snatched them up but idk. Opinions? Lol

If your whole thing is just BTTF, you're gonna have a really bad time. This is not convernting a running DMC-12 into a Time Machine replica. Before you do that, you need to get the cars running. And with a distracted focus on making a movie car, chances are really, REALLY high that this is going to be a nightmare project that will just fester in your driveway. Trust me.



I'm pretty handy and my thinking was to part out the shitty one and repair the nicer one.

Referring to the other car as "shitty" isn't exactly doing you any favors. Either with respecting the marque, nor having the experience here with such a vehicle. Parting out a car is not easy. First is the fact that with very, VERY few exceptions, no one parts out a good car. So something is wrong with it somewhere. And even once all your big ticket items are gone, you're stuck with a bunch of other items that pretty much no one wants, and you've got to figure out how to throw away.



I love bttf but I also love deloreans as well as other cars. I like the Idea of making it look nice again just like when I remodel a house.

Yeah, about that. Restoring a car isn't like customizing a house. This isn't like going to Home Depot to buy universal, "good enough" parts that you can make fit. You've got to buy the correct parts to ensure the correct operation and proper safety.
(*cough* crush washers *cough*)



Pretty confident I could get the one running.

Running, and running properly are two different things. I spent almost 4 years lurking and asking questions before I took the plunge. Without looking it up, and despite being advised MULTIPLE times in this thread, do you even know what to look for on the chassis for damage and/or rust?

Because let me tell you now, you could be in for one helluva shock here. The nicer looking "complete" car could have a totally rusted frame that isn't worth saving. And the wrecked car could be the one you want where it may be a desert car that got parked 30 years ago after an accident. So aside from the crunched crumple tubes, the rest of the chassis could be brand new. Trust me, I've seen that.



I'm not rich but I do have a bit of money saved up. Is their a good supply of cosmetic and mechanical parts for them?

If you are asking such a question, that tells me you don't even have a fraction of the knowledge you need.



If I were to restore them and sit on them for a bit could turn a good profit if I did most if not all of the labor?

https://media.giphy.com/media/spfi6nabVuq5y/200.gif

Despite what you see on television, the only way you're ever going to profit from flipping cars is if you're fooling around with Corollas and other "normal" cars. And even then, it's not that simple. And with a car like this, the only way you're gonna make money is if you got the thing for free, and then just sold it as-is. Classic Cars are NOT good investments. I cannot stress that enough. We spend money on our cars because they make us happy. Not because there is any sort of ROI involved. Again, this ain't flipping houses.

Oh, and one more thing:



Kind of makes me wonder if anyone on here will be bidding there.

That's actually kind of insulting. Check out our names. Do you see the words "Beverly" or "Hills" in any of them? If I wanted these cars, the last thing I'd want to do is engage you in a conversation about them to continue your interest in them. I'd cut the conversation off, leave you without answers or guidance as my way of discouraging you, and then just hope you forget about them so I could go in uncontested in my bidding.

But the bottom line here is that I, and others, are trying to help you. If you are serious, you need to become a serious DeLorean enthusiast before you become a satisfied owner. You can't shortcut that. You've got plenty of online mentors here, and most likely tons of other ones in your area. Last thing I want is someone who buys a car, has a bad experience, and then shit talks the marque. It's not to discourage you from buying, is to help you avoid a bad experience. That's all.

[Mark D]

Is our forum under attack from trolls or something? This whole thread reads like someone specifically trying to get a rise out of us. Trolls do it for the LOLs and it happens all the time. I'll be the first to say that this guy deloreanHOTBOX and Stephen Burns S2K are totally just messing with us.

Forum takeovers are a popular activity on E46 Fanatics Off Topic... and can be hilarious. Here's a old random thread discussing which forums would be best fit for trolling.

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=1003349&highlight=forum+takeover

[deloreanHOTBOX]

To those of you genuinely trying to be helpful I appreciate you. I believe I have a pretty good Idea what to look for based off of some of your warnings and recommendations. I'm able to see them multiple times before they are auctioned off and I will examine the fuck out of them before I make my final decision. If you think I'm trolling you couldn't be more wrong. Never said anything about building a BTTF replica but some how that assumption keeps getting thrown in the mix. And yeah I totally expect to be able to go to Home Depot and buy parts for a Delorean LMFAO! Thanks agian to those of you with helpful advise.

[Rich_NYS]

Try to get pics of the frame and engine bay...

[rickjames8]

Straight answer to your original question ("is 5000 too high?") Yes, I think 5K is too high, but it would be pretty hard to say what top bid would be reasonable without knowing the whole situation with both cars. Like Michael mentioned...you could end up with two junk cars.

While I think that $5k is too high from the vantage point of the fact it would likely take $20k in parts/work to get it to the condition of a $20k driver, I'll say this - I'd buy those for $5k, and here's why. I've recently seen worse looking cars go for over that on eBay. The ads I'm thinking of are all past the archive limit so I can't link them, but I've seen some really poor examples (engineless, burnt out, abandoned for years, etc) go for prices I thought we're insane, like $7k to $10k.

So I don't think these cars are the best bet for your intentions, but if you got them for $5k and realized once you took stock of what you had that it was going to be too much work, I think you could recoup your investment, even if you disclosed the faults you found and factored in towing. For some reason, the 'project cars' always attract the dreamers, and they see a car selling for a fraction of what it goes for normally, and they jump. That said, I think those people will drive up this particular auction, and it will go past $5k quick. Don't worry about it being anyone from these boards, our feelings are quite clear. :)

If you do get them, you'll find a pretty good support network in this community. Good luck with your bidding.

[Andrew]

The complete car would be worth at least $5,000.00 by itself. Depending on the condition of the frame, the complete car should be fixable. The cost of restoration will depend on what you or another potential buyer does with the car. Assuming the engine turns and the frame is solid, I could get that DeLorean on the road and drivable for well under $2,500.00.

It is possible to keep the restoration cost down by being resourceful with parts and doing your own work. Also, a project car like that is well suited to be used as a driving DeLorean. In contrast, taking the car from its current state to show-winner status would likely be cost-prohibitive.

[deloreanHOTBOX]

The complete car would be worth at least $5,000.00 by itself. Depending on the condition of the frame, the complete car should be fixable. The cost of restoration will depend on what you or another potential buyer does with the car. Assuming the engine turns and the frame is solid, I could get that DeLorean on the road and drivable for well under $2,500.00.

It is possible to keep the restoration cost down by being resourceful with parts and doing your own work. Also, a project car like that is well suited to be used as a driving DeLorean. In contrast, taking the car from its current state to show-winner status would likely be cost-prohibitive.


While I think that $5k is too high from the vantage point of the fact it would likely take $20k in parts/work to get it to the condition of a $20k driver, I'll say this - I'd buy those for $5k, and here's why. I've recently seen worse looking cars go for over that on eBay. The ads I'm thinking of are all past the archive limit so I can't link them, but I've seen some really poor examples (engineless, burnt out, abandoned for years, etc) go for prices I thought we're insane, like $7k to $10k.

So I don't think these cars are the best bet for your intentions, but if you got them for $5k and realized once you took stock of what you had that it was going to be too much work, I think you could recoup your investment, even if you disclosed the faults you found and factored in towing. For some reason, the 'project cars' always attract the dreamers, and they see a car selling for a fraction of what it goes for normally, and they jump. That said, I think those people will drive up this particular auction, and it will go past $5k quick. Don't worry about it being anyone from these boards, our feelings are quite clear. :)

If you do get them, you'll find a pretty good support network in this community. Good luck with your bidding.

Thanks guys, your input is very helpful for my decision making process. Rich and David also I really appreciate the help and info. I knew everyone involved with these sweet ass cars can't be so uninviting lol

[powerline84]

I sent you a pm as well.

[Andrew]

Thanks guys, your input is very helpful for my decision making process. Rich and David also I really appreciate the help and info. I knew everyone involved with these sweet ass cars can't be so uninviting lol

You're welcome. Knowledge is power, especially when undertaking a large project with a number of unknowns. I can attest to the fact that I took 5052 from a basket case to a running drivable car for less than $2,000.00 in parts. (I had a spare engine on the shelf and a found a complete Peugeot 604 intake with carbs for $250.) I drove that car from on a 500 mile round trip to the 2015 DMCMW open house 11 months later and drove it to the Springfield DCS in 2016. I subsequently upgraded the exhaust, front end, stereo system and added cruise control. Aside from the exhaust pipes, I have not hired out any of the work. 5052 is a presentable, reliable Delorean that I wouldn't hesitate to drive anywhere in the US or Canada.

Furthermore, frame swaps are possible (but a lot of work!). Some rust issues can be resolved by a competent welder. 4194 has had a custom fabricated engine cradle since 1999. It has now outlasted the original engine cradle! Again it's not a show winner, but I've clocked about 35,000 miles on that car in the past 19 years.

[AirmanPika]

A complete delorean with a solid frame is worth 10 grand not running all day long.

Non-running 10 grand? Christ thank God I got mine for $9100 in 2008...it runs (and ran back then) too.

[powerline84]

Non-running 10 grand? Christ thank God I got mine for $9100 in 2008...it runs (and ran back then) too.

Um congrats? Lol

[Rich_NYS]

Straight answer to your original question ("is 5000 too high?") Yes, I think 5K is too high, but it would be pretty hard to say what top bid would be reasonable without knowing the whole situation with both cars. Like Michael mentioned...you could end up with two junk cars.

~snip~

If there's a good frame & salvageable engine, and you have tools & know-how, a place to work on & store these, as well as a lot of time to burn...it might be worthwhile if you got them if you're interested in a big restoration project. If this fits your current position, a couple thousand might be reasonable.





After reading the other responses, I'm going to flip on my post above: I do agree they're worth 5K, but would be too high for me personally. The reason is I don't have some of the elements mentioned above (plus I already have a car I'm restoring,) so my [personal] approach to this situation would have to be: how much time & money do I have to burn? Answer: I could burn a few thousand, but have very little time. So, If I ended up with two bad engines and no time to make anything good happen, I could probably resell them to recover.....so for me, I'd need to stay at few thousand to play safe.

Andrew is a great example of someone who could make this situation work. He has a lot of tools & know-how, can assess & pull engines, has a place to work on & store these, as well as available time and ambition to work on them. He also has the experience to know when to hold it or fold it. He could totally make it work for 5K.


In any case, we're all interested to see how this goes....keep us updated, and send more pics!

[Michael]

Without proper inspections, compression tests, etc., you are simply leaving a lot to chance which is why I put 5 to 6k value and be comfortable doing so. Anymore and you are (imo) risking too much or assuming too much. There is one hell of a nice project car for sale right here on the board for just over 10k, if I were on a budget and wanting a fixer upper/resto project, that would be the one I zero in on well before any auction car with no information as to its condition.

[Rich_NYS]

Without proper inspections, compression tests, etc., you are simply leaving a lot to chance which is why I put 5 to 6k value and be comfortable doing so. Anymore and you are (imo) risking too much or assuming too much. There is one hell of a nice project car for sale right here on the board for just over 10k, if I were on a budget and wanting a fixer upper/resto project, that would be the one I zero in on well before any auction car with no information as to its condition.

Elitist!

[Michael]

There's no need in bidding on this lot because at auction someone who is not in the know will probably spend 5 figures on them.(and be promptly stuck with them)

[SamHill]

It's a new paradigm, and everybody who doesn't buy a Delorean now will be priced out forever. Anybody who does buy will be rewarded with a lifetime of riches, as their Delorean will continue its 30% yearly price increase.

Anybody born in a future generation will not be able to afford a $10,000,000 starter Delorean in 15 years. They will be driving Hyundais.

This asset bubble is different than all of the others - it will never slow down, or pop. The gains are permanent.

[Mark D]

There's no need in bidding on this lot because at auction someone who is not in the know will probably spend 5 figures on them.(and be promptly stuck with them)

I think you nailed it.

The real question here isn't whether to bid 4k or 6k. It's who will be the guy that wins the auction by overbidding two times what the cars are worth.

[DMCVegas]

It's a new paradigm, and everybody who doesn't buy a Delorean now will be priced out forever. Anybody who does buy will be rewarded with a lifetime of riches, as their Delorean will continue its 30% yearly price increase.

Anybody born in a future generation will not be able to afford a $10,000,000 starter Delorean in 15 years. They will be driving Hyundais.

This asset bubble is different than all of the others - it will never slow down, or pop. The gains are permanent.

Hardly. People die, and with them, their interest in the marque goes too. Sure the DeLorean has a large following and renewing interest by people thanks to popular culture, but that's not infinite. It happened back in the 90's when prices started to drop as interest waned.

Plus there is the fact that a car is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay. In that respect, there is an absolute ceiling for prices.

Long after people have forgotten about BTTF, so will the higher prices. There will be the hard core of us who still want the car and will support the community, but it's just history repeating itself.

[Michael]

Hardly. People die, and with them, their interest in the marque goes too. Sure the DeLorean has a large following and renewing interest by people thanks to popular culture, but that's not infinite. It happened back in the 90's when prices started to drop as interest waned.

Plus there is the fact that a car is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay. In that respect, there is an absolute ceiling for prices.

Long after people have forgotten about BTTF, so will the higher prices. There will be the hard core of us who still want the car and will support the community, but it's just history repeating itself.

Younare incorrect and Sam is so right.

Sarcasm recognizes sarcasm player!

[Dangermouse]

According to the facebook, both cars sold for $10,500 (or $13,500 including dealer fee, tax, etc etc).

Mr Hotbox, are you 13 grand poorer today?

Or will we see these at BHCC shortly?

[Michael]

Ahem

There's no need in bidding on this lot because at auction someone who is not in the know will probably spend 5 figures on them.(and be promptly stuck with them)


I think you nailed it.

The real question here isn't whether to bid 4k or 6k. It's who will be the guy that wins the auction by overbidding two times what the cars are worth.

[Dangermouse]

Indeed.

per David Hofman on FB, who attended said auction "The bidders appeared to be emotionally attached."

[Mark D]

There's no need in bidding on this lot because at auction someone who is not in the know will probably spend 5 figures on them.(and be promptly stuck with them)


Hah! Did you call that or what? :hihi2:

[Ras12]

Apparently the complete car has NO TITLE and the parts car has a title.

These cars were up for auction a while back but the sale didn't go through due to some other title issues.

Also rumor has it the purchaser is a current DeLorean owner...if this is true...reveal yourself! Ha!