Harvey flooded my DeLorean

[Biggio7]

We had about 3.5 feet of water in the house, garage and unfortunately in my DeLorean. Waiting on my insurance to total it out, but while I wait, I was hoping for suggestions on what to do with after. Restore? Engine swap? Part it out?

Thanks

[Andrew]

We had about 3.5 feet of water in the house, garage and unfortunately in my DeLorean. Waiting on my insurance to total it out, but while I wait, I was hoping for suggestions on what to do with after. Restore? Engine swap? Part it out?

Thanks

The answer to that question really depends on the condition and the amount of damage. Has the insurance company already inspected it? Have you started drying it out? Im sure there are to-do lists online regarding how to address post-flood condition cars.

No need to part out an otherwise restorable car. Both of my DeLoreans could have been considered parts cars, but both are now running and drivable.

Post pictures.

[Rich]

We had about 3.5 feet of water in the house, garage and unfortunately in my DeLorean.

3.5 ft of water vs a 4 ft high car - car loses.

Very sad to hear this unfortunate news. With zero flood damage experience I'd guess it's totaled if only due to the interior (up to the high water mark) and electricals to say nothing of the drivetrain. In this respect a D is probably no different than tens of thousands of other flood-damaged cars.

Of course it could part out decently in terms of body/doors/fascias/glass/torsion bars/etc. so (assuming your insurance co. does total it) by no means let anybody haul it to the crusher. Folks on this forum would probably take it off your hands as-is - after the water's out of it.

Will guess that the Texas club as well as DMC Houston will be able to give you much better advice.

Good luck on the house, the other cars(?) and getting back to anything normal there. And good luck on the D, too.

[SamHill]

3.5 ft of water vs a 4 ft high car - car loses.

Very sad to hear this unfortunate news. With zero flood damage experience I'd guess it's totaled if only due to the interior (up to the high water mark) and electricals to say nothing of the drivetrain. In this respect a D is probably no different than tens of thousands of other flood-damaged cars.

Of course it could part out decently in terms of body/doors/fascias/glass/torsion bars/etc. so (assuming your insurance co. does total it) by no means let anybody haul it to the crusher. Folks on this forum would probably take it off your hands as-is - after the water's out of it.

Will guess that the Texas club as well as DMC Houston will be able to give you much better advice.

Good luck on the house, the other cars(?) and getting back to anything normal there. And good luck on the D, too.


How many PMs have asked for the VIN?

[Andy]

How many PMs have asked for the VIN?

Why? I thought the VIN was known for this car?

Anyway, good luck with getting everything back on track in the coming months ...

[cdrusn]

As long as you don't try and start the car without pulling the plugs first and rolling it over by hand it should be o.k.
All of the interior is replaceable if it doesn't dry out. on it's own. Not a particularly electronic car, might have to replace the injection computer but otherwise it should be o.k. Do the regular flood damage work like dumping out the gas tank, change the oil/filter, check the brake reservoir, put fresh gas in it and see if it will start. If it was fresh water it won't do any damage to the drive train. The cars that cannot be saved are usually late models with computers everywhere, Deloreans not so much. :race:

[Lwanmtr]

Sorry to hear you got flooded...you're all ok.

As stated above, make sure you get the water out of all the fuel system and electronics n stuff before trying to start.

would you care to post some pics of it?

[SS Spoiler]

Saw a car at DCS Lexington? that was in Katrina and had a
Water mark half way up the binnacle dash. He was struggling
shorting issues but was running better....good luck

[DMC-Ron]

So sorry to hear about this and the water damage to your DeLorean. Water is not the end. I had a classic pickup truck completely submerged and no insurance. Got everything dried out, replaced all the fluids, treated areas with anti-corrosion (try Corrosion X). Soon it was back and going almost as if nothing happened. The seat (single full width) was the only real issue. It never dried out and began to smell. Eventually had to replace. If the insurance steps up, you should be able to have the DeLorean service center get the car squared away. Everything can be dried out. Leather, carpets, and seats are the issues. You are no doubt dealing with a lot of other issues, but try to get the car opened up, seats and carpets pulled out, and, if time premits, fluids drained and replenished. Your climate isn't helpful either, but it can be done.

Best Wishes,
Ron

[SamHill]

Why? I thought the VIN was known for this car?

Anyway, good luck with getting everything back on track in the coming months ...

Or you could have just said 3537.

[Biggio7]

Thanks for the advice. I'll do my best to keep her on the road.

The water kept me from getting back to my house for about 5 days. That was enough time to turn the interior into a Petri dish. I did open it up and tried to bail water out of the floor, but without power I can't run a shop vac, any fans or dehumidifiers.

If all I had to do was take care of the D, I could give it my full attention. But still in the process of gutting the house. I'm afraid that it will sit too long to be repairable.

[Biggio7]

Also, I will post pics when I get back to the house. Living in a motel in Galveston at the moment.

[David T]

Sorry to hear bout your car. One of the bigger hurdles to getting the car back on the road will be if the car is totaled and gets a salvage (flood) Title. Even if you were to restore the car you can never get that off the Title and the car is worth a lot less than it would otherwise be. If you get "made whole" by your insurance company, let the car go and use the money to get another if you can afford to. On top of all the money it can take to fix the car it will also take a long time. Much quicker to just get another.

[Andy]

Or you could have just said 3537.

That's up to the owner ...

[SamHill]

That's up to the owner ...

Thanks for letting me know.

[Biggio7]

Well, the insurance has called it a total loss. They said they can offer me less if I wanted to keep the car, but really need to put the cash towards bigger priorities. It's been a pleasure learning everything I have from the message boards and I wish all the best for y'all. Thank you again

RIP #3537

53264
53263
53265

[Biggio7]

Don't know why these came out sideways, but y'all get the idea

[Domi]

#3537 was a turbo car right?
I'm so sorry for you, there is no way you can keep it and try to repair it in a near future?

[Biggio7]

Yes, it was a turbo.

I could keep it, but just can't spare the funds to restore it.

[David T]

You could buy it back and resell it or part it out. You know your priorities better than anyone so you probably need the money. Best wishes and I hope things turn out OK for you and your family.

[louielouie2000]

Well, the insurance has called it a total loss. They said they can offer me less if I wanted to keep the car, but really need to put the cash towards bigger priorities. It's been a pleasure learning everything I have from the message boards and I wish all the best for y'all. Thank you again

RIP #3537


Yes, it was a turbo.

I could keep it, but just can't spare the funds to restore it.

When I was hit by a drunk driver in my DeLorean, the insurance company gave me the option of buying the car back at something like $5,000. When I declined and the car went to auction, it only brought about $2,000 (this was almost 15 years ago). So it's still possible to get your car back if you change your mind, and possibly at a much lower amount.

That being said, don't let all of the well-meaning peer pressure on here add to your stress. You don't have to justify your decision, either. Do what's right for you & your family. Should you want to buy again down the line, there will always be other DeLoreans for sale, and the community supports you regardless. Best of luck!

[Biggio7]

Thank you all for your well wishes. Everyone is safe, even the dog, and that's all that matters.

[eight8toy]

Glad to hear everyone is safe, sorry about the car though.

Just a thought, what about setting up a gofundme page to get the car fixed? I would imagine spreading the word across the many Delorean Facebook pages and this website you might get enough to get a rare turbo car up and running again?

[Lwanmtr]

Sshh...people here look down on those who use Gofundme. That being said, its an idea to think about.

[Rich_NYS]

Glad to hear you & your family are OK, sorry about the car....hope things soon get better for you and all those who were flooded.

[TTait]

The car could probably be restored, but its unwise IMO in the states. The problem is that now that it has a salvage title, most insurance companies will see a perfectly restored car with a salvage title and say its worth $4k. Unless the new and all future owners are willing to use specialty agreed value insurance its impossible to insure properly. To put $15k into a car and not be able to properly insure it is a problem.

That being said, I understand in europe the salvage title is not considered, rather the car gets fully inspected and is either a roadworthy car or not.

When I faced your same situation i chose to sell the car to Ed at DMC Europe. I bought it back from the insurance company and sold it to him for a bit more.

[David T]

My point exactly. If the insurance company will make you whole there is no point in trying to restore that car. No matter how much you spend you can never 'fix" the Title. If having a Delorean means that much to you it is better to just take the money and buy another. Right now you probably have other things on your mind besides replacing your Delorean.

[Andrew]

It would be a shame to see that car get parted out. Sure it would take a lot of money to get it back to show car status, but with a fraction of that amount it could be returned to driving status. The advantage of driving a non perfect car that was saved from being parted out is the complete lack of guilt that comes from racking up countless miles.

Insurance is all about calculated risk. I would be much more willing to drive a lower value car with liability only insurance than a 40k car. If you go a few years without an accident, you've already recouped a chunk of your money.

Heck, here in Michigan 25% of motorists drive without any insurance whatsoever due to the outragous costs. Not something I would do or endorse, but I can understand that people can't afford $2,500 per year for liability only coverage.

[Spittybug]

I too got flooded out by Harvey. Only about 4" in the house (total gut anyway), but the attached garage got a couple more inches. The Delorean got water in the footwells and the carpets will all need to be replaced along with the vertical board behind the seats. I was lucky in that I was able to get to the car within 36 hours of the flood and rip the carpet out. It sat in the hot sun and dried it out quickly. I vacuumed out the water and checked that nothing else was damaged. No smell at all. The oil was clean. I have driven it and it runs just fine. No apparent electrical issues (water never got high enough to touch any wires other than maybe a seat belt sensor. The adjuster came to see it and found some rusting on the underside and some other places, but relatively minor. I got lucky. I haven't had his estimate yet, but with bigger fish to fry rebuilding the house, needless to say the D has to wait.

[Dangermouse]

Looks like it has rolled up at auction

https://www.iaai.com/Vehicle?itemID=25993243&RowNumber=0&loadRecent=True

looks salty.

[Nuclearbacon]

Also found a Bricklin. (https://www.iaai.com/Vehicle?itemID=26352120&RowNumber=1&loadRecent=True)

[Michael]

OK, who made the repair estimate?

https://www.iaai.com/Vehicle?itemID=25993243&RowNumber=0&loadRecent=True

[Dangermouse]

That's about 5 goes through with the gas station vacuum machine. Good as new.

Quarters only.

[Lwanmtr]

I'd say more like $8 gotta get some dish detergent to wash the car too.

[lazabby]

Looks like it has rolled up at auction

https://www.iaai.com/Vehicle?itemID=25993243&RowNumber=0&loadRecent=True

looks salty.

Hmm, That's located close to DMC Houston. Too bad it's not on my side of town or I might have wandered over to the auction to see the action.

[Ras12]

SOLD for $11,250 plus fees.

[81dmc]

SOLD for $11,250 plus fees.

That's quite a bit for a flooded salvage car...

[Stainless]

That's quite a bit for a flooded salvage car...

Amen