Considering buying, want fun ownership experiance

[eredleaf]

I am considering buying an 81 Delorean. VIN 2294 because owner lives close (in Phoenix, AZ). I am not really a car collector, but like owning cars that either stand out or are special, without being ridiculously expensive exotics. I like cars, but I don't work on cars with the exception of changing a flat tire. This particular car has low mileage (unless the odometer rolled over), of 14,000. I have read that this could be bad, meaning the car could have been sitting for most of the past 30 years. The owner said it was restored, but he has had it mostly stored, starting and occasionally driving it over the past 7 years. Says he is selling because he just doesn't us it enough. He replaced the door shocks (and the doors open well). The car started fine and ran what seemed to be fine, I have no benchmark to compare it to in terms of what to expect. I owned a lexus LS400 from new for 21 years, and it was 21 years old and had 130,000 miles and started and ran much more smoothly than this 36 year old Delorean, but they are completely different cars. I had a Lotus Elise and it was much faster and handled much better than the Delorean, but it was only a few years old and was designed to be close to a race car experience. The seller is asking $35,000 but said he would take $30,000, but below $30K he would just keep it.

I had a Tesla Model X signature which I sold back to Tesla. I have a Tesla Model 3 on order, but after my model X experience I don't want one of the first ones, and figure I will be waiting 8 months to a year before I can get that car. That will be my primary driver. I was planning on getting maybe a 5 year old Prius, or a newer SmartCar. Something where I won't loose my shirt in depreciation if I only own the car for 1 year. If I get a collector car like the Delorean, then I could see keeping it as a collector car, Driving it regularly, but not dependent on it. I work mostly out of my house, be don't want to be stuck home because my car is always in the shop.

I have seen posts recommending the buyers guide to other buyers. I would almost certainly buy this book before making an offer on the car.

One questions that keeps popping to mind is that on first glance this seemed like a great price because Delorean on autotrader nationwide was considerably more, $49,000 to $70,000. But people selling on the this forum, have cars that seem have lots of extras, have been more meticulously restored, but are still not considered Concourse cars, and they seem to be listed for months and months and either not sell or sell for significantly less than this guy is asking. Also, I think it was Humphreys that showed expected expected value for Deloreans and it said $35,000 - $40,000 was a concourse price. Why are the cars on Auto trader so expensive, are they actually special or are they just looking for suckers.

If $30,000 is not outrageous for this car, then I would want a mechanic to check the car out. Do I need a mechanic who has special knowledge of Deloreans, or will any mechanic experienced with 40 year old cars be able to tell me if it is likely to be a money pit or not.

Current owners of cars in good running conditions, assuming you drive the car at least several miles at least once a week, what would you expect to pay in a year to keep it in the same good running condition, (best case, and worst case), assuming no accidents.

Sorry, I do not have pictures. I would certainly post pictures before I buy to get community advise.

Thanks, I look forward to hearing from true enthusiasts.

[Rich]

I am considering buying an 81 Delorean. .....I owned a lexus LS400 from new for 21 years, and it was 21 years old and had 130,000 miles and started and ran much more smoothly than this 36 year old Delorean, but they are completely different cars. I had a Lotus Elise and it was much faster and handled much better than the Delorean, but it was only a few years old and was designed to be close to a race car experience. The seller is asking $35,000 but said he would take $30,000, but below $30K he would just keep it.

....If I get a collector car like the Delorean, then I could see keeping it as a collector car, Driving it regularly, but not dependent on it. I work mostly out of my house, be don't want to be stuck home because my car is always in the shop.

I have seen posts recommending the buyers guide to other buyers. I would almost certainly buy this book before making an offer on the car.

If $30,000 is not outrageous for this car, then I would want a mechanic to check the car out. Do I need a mechanic who has special knowledge of Deloreans, or will any mechanic experienced with 40 year old cars be able to tell me if it is likely to be a money pit or not.

Current owners of cars in good running conditions, assuming you drive the car at least several miles at least once a week, what would you expect to pay in a year to keep it in the same good running condition, (best case, and worst case), assuming no accidents.

In reverse order for the selected questions above:
Running cost: For a car in Condition 2 (Hagerty rating) or better figure about $1K per year barring catastrophic stuff. That keeps it more or less the way you bought it. Some years might be twice that, others not as high.

Buy the DeLorean Buyers Guide right now. Don't wait until you get close to making an offer. It tells you about whether you need a mechanic or not when assessing a target car. For instance it tells you to be sure the frame isn't a basket case and tells you how to do that.

I know folks who have used them as DD's without much problem. When the Bosch ignition and fuel/air system is sorted out the car runs great, goes 30K miles between tuneups. Realize that even a sorted-out car that's over 35yrs old can occasionally suffer from aging problems no matter what brand. Your biggest concern might be to be how comfy it is in the Phoenix summers.

See if we can get some of the Phoenix owners, or others from very hot places, to chime in on that last point.

[dmcnc]

Is it this one?
https://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/cto/6067506693.html

[eredleaf]

Yes, that is the one I looked at. VIN is 2294 if anyone has more detailed information.
So now there are pictures on the thread. That will be helpful.

My wife doesn't think I should buy it. She said we have enough clutter in our garage without a third car. She hated my Lotus Elise (because it was too uncomfortable to get in and out of), she does acknowledge that I paid $30,000 for for that car, had it for 4 years, added about 15,000 miles to it, never had any significant repairs and then sold it for $30,000, making it the cheapest car I ever owned.

My main concern with owning a 36 year old car with hard to find parts is that it is going to be a money pit. My second concern is that everything I have read on this forum seems to indicate that a car like this one should would probably be called a project car and I am guessing that forum subscribers would only be interested if the price were around $20,000 (maybe even lower).

The one car collector I know said if you want a car that age you should get a Mustang, but I don't want it because of its age.

Is there anything special about the cars Deloreans on Auto Trader that make them worth $50,000 - $70,000?

[DaraSue]

A lot depends on how regularly and recently the car has been driven. Mine has less than 30,000 miles on it, but 1/3 of them were put on since last August when I bought it. And I'm currently on my way back to Salt Lake City from Philadelphia, haven't had to call a tow truck yet. :biggrin: That said, however, it was a hard, expensive slog getting it to this point, and it's spent approximately half the time I've owned it in the shop. I don't foresee that continuing to be the case now that I've had the worst of its issues dealt with, but the original owner had apparently parked it since 1993 and there were substantial problems with the engine block and cooling system even after a make-run service was done by the guy who sold it to me. So definitely be wary of cars that have been abused and neglected if you're not looking for a fixer-upper.

On the bright side, it's not nearly as hard to find parts as you might think. Almost everything is available either as new original stock from DMC or redesigned from other DeLorean specialist vendors. So don't let the age of the car scare you in that regard because they're easier to get parts for than a lot of newer cars.

[burch]

I'm here in the Phoenix area as well (Mesa). Fully agree on picking up the Buyers Guide, great reference to have. There are a lot of local folks in the Arizona DeLorean Club, and other local owners who are willing to help out when possible.

As far as owning the car in the heat, it can get a bit rough. Functioning A/C goes a long way, but realistically during the summer, it becomes a night driver. On the occasions that I do drive it when it is over 100 out, it will run warm. Any issues with the cooling system will be magnified pretty quickly :)

All in all, I've really enjoyed my ownership experience thus far (about 2.5 years).

[Ryan S.]

I am not trying to discourage you but I think your wife might be right and she won't be happy. I also had Lotus Elise, added 50K miles, and totaled it a few years ago. At the end, insurance paid me more than what I paid for. Lotus was super fun and easy to maintain. What do you expect from a Toyota motor. My wife rarely complained about Lotus but... with Delorean... well... it's a different story, especially when she sees credit card charges for parts and repairs for Delorean, every month. It seems like I am constantly fixing this car and buying new parts. Unless you enjoy working on cars, Delorean might not be the right car for you. Have you considered used Evora or new Giulia? Used NC3 Miata is also pretty fun and inexpensive to own. Just my $0.02.

[SamHill]

You can't be casual and last very long in ownership. Based on what you've said, overall, I think its a bad match for you. If you're not nuts about it, you will probably be disappointed.

[Dangermouse]

Is there anything special about the cars Deloreans on Auto Trader that make them worth $50,000 - $70,000?

No.

DeLoreans are special cars in terms of all cars out there, but there are few individual "special" DeLoreans inside the flock itself.

[kenny]

You can't be casual and last very long in ownership. Based on what you've said, overall, I think its a bad match for you. If you're not nuts about it, you will probably be disappointed.

I have to agree with Sam from reading your above posts, and if you don't work on cars yourself a low mileage delorean 'could' start costing you in mechanics fees when it starts to be driven regularly

[steve.s]

Hi Guys
they are fantastic carsand we are ture fans here...

although with a Delorean, it is not 'if' you break down, more so 'when'.

you cant expect modern day relabilty for a 30 odd year old car....but what do do get is class and style, every journey is like being a film star....

it just way outclasses any modern car you can buy, and would be a zero loss purchase for depreciation...

steve
ex owner vin 1621

[Soundkillr]

You can't be casual and last very long in ownership. Based on what you've said, overall, I think its a bad match for you. If you're not nuts about it, you will probably be disappointed.

I agree with this. Even if you are nuts about it, it will let you down.

[Lwanmtr]

Im not a mechanic either..I do some minor things...but since I got mine I've been doing more of the things I'd never have done on any other car (but mines a lil different as I'm restoring her). If you dont want to do work yourself, then it could get costly to own even a 'fully sorted' car.

[Col Bennett]

Im not a mechanic either..I do some minor things...but since I got mine I've been doing more of the things I'd never have done on any other car (but mines a lil different as I'm restoring her). If you dont want to do work yourself, then it could get costly to own even a 'fully sorted' car.

I'm the same. My car is luckily in great shape but like everyone, there's always a list of stuff to do. To save money, I'm doing the basics myself but if you have issues, it's going to be costly to get a reputable expert to work on the car. At least with an expert you know the work is being done properly, but as they say - "you get what you pay for". I don't like the idea of taking it into "Joe Mechanics" and have them scratch their head as they fumble around making guesses and potential shortcuts.

One note for obsessive perfectionists like me. There's no such thing as a perfect DeLorean. You may find one that's close but once you go down the rabbit hole of perfecting every last detail, it can become a costly pursuit. Sure, parts are available from DMCH etc. but they're expensive and quickly add up. I've spent a lot of money on my car. Would I do it again? Absolutely - but be prepared to continually spend on the car and spend WAY more than you imagined.

Our beautiful 36 year old cars aren't getting any younger and as time goes on, chances are something that hasn't failed yet will probably fail at some point in time.

My 2c.

[Rich]

Our beautiful 36 year old cars aren't getting any younger and as time goes on, chances are something that hasn't failed yet will probably fail at some point in time.

+1

Well said!

Owners can stay ahead of most degradation (pay attention to clutch and brake fluid flushes every 2yrs, coolant every 3yrs, ALL safety checks like TABs, ball joints, electrics/lighting) but even when they were new these cars were not as reliable as most of today's cars.

And neither were the Porsches, Jags or Corvettes they competed with at the time!

[dn010]

She hated my Lotus Elise (because it was too uncomfortable to get in and out of

If this was her complaint with the Lotus, it will likely be the same exact complaint with the DeLorean. I've noticed many people comment on how difficult it is to get out of my car when they sit in it just to say they've sat in one.

[sdg3205]

I agree with this. Even if you are nuts about it, it will let you down.

Interesting. Can you elaborate on this?

I love my DeLorean, I really do. I still wouldn't trade it for a super car like a lamborghini or a ferrari, that's how I know its the right car for me. As a father of two and after having my daily driver impounded for speeding and paying thousands in fines I can safely say my days of pushing the envelope on the roads are over. The only thing i miss is the magic, mystique and excitement that comes from daydreaming about someday owning a DeLorean - that's special. Now and then if a long period of time accumulates between drives I still get that a piece of that feeling when i get out on the highway, especially if I'm with a couple other DeLoreans.

In terms of reliability, my DeLorean has never let me down. Shocker right? It took 18 months during the restoration/teething period to work out the kinks, but it's absolutely rock solid. I've done 3,000 kms (2000 miles) in two days without hesitation. Just did an epic rally with 90 other classic cars first weekend in may pushing 500 miles per day in the mountains, loaded down with tools, fluids, spare parts etc. It was a champ.

The BTTF, cocaine jokes, and general misinformation can be exhausting, especially if it comes at the wrong time. If i get one or two jokes a day and Im in a good mood, it's totally fine, but if it's the 25th joke in 3 hours and I'm trying to follow the directions on a gas pump, I'm not quite as tolerant. This literally happens - Im following the prompts on the gas pump and some will will walk up and say "How much did it cost?" I reply with "How much did you spend on your wife engagement ring?" or something equally arbitrary that drives home the point about how inappropriate the initial question was.

When it comes to DeLorean ownership there are great things and bad things. You'll learn as an owner how to maximize the former and minimize the latter. I don't frequent car shows anymore, but I'm involved with or organize large drives with other classic or sports car owners which is really a thrill. I also rent it out for weddings and movies. This almost always ensures the environment will be both grateful and positive and it helps offset (big time!) the cost of ownership and upkeep.

Support your local DeLorean vendor. It's the right thing to do. They put a lot of time and energy into developing new products and offering free technical support, often any hour of the day or night.

Oh, and get a spec 1 exhaust - it's a whole different car afterwards.

The DeLorean; not what you dreamed it was gonna be, but still a pretty damn great car to own.

[Soundkillr]

Dave, to try and minimize my post, I'll just say my last Delorean was a good one. I rarely had issues with it, but I also knew how to work on it and what possible problems may be lurking. Had I not known what to look for, or how to work on cars I would have sold it long long before I did. And I was crazy about it. My first Delorean was junk, and always left me stranded. I was crazy about it as well. Ownership is usually great, but what I got so sick of was the constant jokes the car would procure, by crowds loved or not. I got tired of anemic power, albeit mine was turbocharged and way faster than others. I don't want to come off as knocking the car, so long story short, I got burned out.
Love the car, still do, but I know going into it, if I ever got another one, I feel safe to say, I would be let down with it as well (one way or another.) I love the delorean, but all owners must be willing to accept the car for what it is. I'd hate to see people buy this car for the novelty and then dump it off because it isn't what they thought it would be. I guess that it what actually spawned my advice to this potential buyer.