Delorean auto with black interior, low miles wanted

[peternikkiskinner]

Hello everyone,
i am looking to purchase a delorean, auto, prefer black interior, (will consider grey) ideally with under 10k miles. It would be great to find a delorean which has also been through a complete refurbishment from one of the respected delorean companies in the u.s.a. Or perhaps a member who has done this work themselves. Documentation and as much history of the car from new is a must. Most importantly the under carriage must be free of rust, corrosion and accident damage/repair. The condition of the chassis is vital as i will have serious issues importing into new zealand.

I am happy to consider a delorean which needs refurbishment but will have to allow $10k - $25k depending on the work required. Trying to get this level of work done in new zealand would not be easy and having the experts in the u.s.a. Complete it before shipping would be advisable.

Budget is under $45k, perhaps a tall order but i am willing to wait and be patient. I would like to enjoy my delorean going for a sunday drive and attending the odd charity event to raise funds for various needy causes. There is a small number of deloreans here in new zealand so catching up with these folk would be fun too. Any thoughts or leads would be most appreciated. Thank you.

[Michael]

BOOM! There you go.

https://m.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=483238230

[Jimmyvonviggle]

I think that car is covered here;

http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?14543-81-Automatic-Delorean-for-Sale&highlight=Ryan

[peternikkiskinner]

BOOM! There you go.

https://m.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=483238230

Thank you Michael, this is indeed more or less what I am looking for, however I would prefer under 15k miles.

[peternikkiskinner]

I think that car is covered here;

http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?14543-81-Automatic-Delorean-for-Sale&highlight=Ryan

Thank you for the suggestion.

[Michael]

Thank you Michael, this is indeed more or less what I am looking for, however I would prefer under 15k miles.

When I was at Mercedes we had a guy come in who wanted a S Class. His particulars were no more than 3 years old, certain optins, and no more than 50k miles. His maximim he was willing to spend was 30k. (Most s classes in this category are 50k minimum)
I told him sure, we would call him as soon as one appears. This was aboit 17 years ago. To my knowledge he is still waiting on that call.
Good luck in your search.

[Col Bennett]

this is indeed more or less what I am looking for, however I would prefer under 15k miles.

Imho, 44k miles is a near-perfect milage for a 37 year-old DeLorean and considering Ryan has done all of the upgrade work for you - it's a spectacular car for the price. Heck, in my opinion it's a $60k+ car in today's market at a $40k price point. Cars like Ryan's are rare. Cosmetically excellent and mechanically and electrically sound. The 44k miles just says that it's been exercised over the past 37 years - and we all know DeLoreans are at their best when exercised regularly. Low milage cars, barn finds, sitters etc. are a whole other headache.

I'd seriously consider Ryan's car. I've seen it in person, and as a perfectionist, it's a stunning example of the marque and a no-brainer at the price point.

[peternikkiskinner]

When I was at Mercedes we had a guy come in who wanted a S Class. His particulars were no more than 3 years old, certain optins, and no more than 50k miles. His maximim he was willing to spend was 30k. (Most s classes in this category are 50k minimum)
I told him sure, we would call him as soon as one appears. This was aboit 17 years ago. To my knowledge he is still waiting on that call.
Good luck in your search.

Thank you for your suggestions and insight into Ryan's Delorean.

[peternikkiskinner]

Imho, 44k miles is a near-perfect milage for a 37 year-old DeLorean and considering Ryan has done all of the upgrade work for you - it's a spectacular car for the price. Heck, in my opinion it's a $60k+ car in today's market at a $40k price point. Cars like Ryan's are rare. Cosmetically excellent and mechanically and electrically sound. The 44k miles just says that it's been exercised over the past 37 years - and we all know DeLoreans are at their best when exercised regularly. Low milage cars, barn finds, sitters etc. are a whole other headache.

I'd seriously consider Ryan's car. I've seen it in person, and as a perfectionist, it's a stunning example of the marque and a no-brainer at the price point.

Thank you C Bennett for your thoughts on Ryan's Delorean.

[Michael]

I don't think you are totally unrealistic in your goals. You know what you want and your maximum is what they are going for in this market however (as mentioned earlier) that mileage thing just doesn't matter that much. You should not put that much emphasis on mileage. Contrary to most cars, low mileage DeLoreans that start seeing frequent use are not exactly reliable if they have been sitting for years (if not decades). Here is one that meets your criteria other than mileage but at 38k that's like 1,000 miles a year! I seriously doubt that this car has been driven that frequently, most likely half of that was in the first 5 or 6 years and probably has several years here and there of being parked. The upside is the price is over 10k less than your max budget. The down side of this one over the well known and loved example mentioned earlier that you dismissed is that this one may or may not need quite a bit to make reliable.

https://www.machinerytrader.com/listings/other-items/for-sale/25657751/1981-delorean-dmc-12

Edit: upon looking at the pics of this ad again, I see an original coolant bottle and not a whole lot of paperwork that tells me this car probably (underscored for the David T types out there who have to contradict everything) hasn't been driven much in the last decade.

[Col Bennett]

Here is one that meets your criteria other than mileage but at 38k that's like 1,000 miles a year! I seriously doubt that this car has been driven that frequently, most likely half of that was in the first 5 or 6 years and probably has several years here and there of being parked.

That's a really good point Michael and I really should have mentioned it in my post.

Even if a car has 38k or 44k miles on the odometer, it's obviously difficult to figure out if the car has been driven regularly. Most of the 38k or 44k miles could have been done in the first few years of ownership in the 80s. Who knows. You really have to speak to the owner, get a good understanding of its history and also find out if the necessary updates have been done to mitigate any issues that could arise from a sitter in disguise. The upside of Ryan's car is that it's driven regularly and has had all of the necessary updates done - so it's a great car from an owner that knows the car well and has cared for it. Definitely the kind of person you want to buy a used DeLorean from.

I bought my car from Ben (Soundkillr) on DMCTalk. He was incredibly knowledgable, knew his car's history and had meticulously and obsessively cared for it over his near-20 years of ownership. He was honest about every last detail, even the imperfections and mechanical issues that needed addressed. You definitely want to find the right car, but most importantly you also want to find the right seller/previous owner.

From Ryan's ad…


Be careful with any low mile or all original parts cars because they will need newer parts for safety and drivability. Upgrades can get very expensive and time consuming for a new Delorean owner.

For me, this is one of the most important pieces of advice you could give to any buyer.

G-luck with the search!

[Jonathan]

My car is a black interior automatic. Odo currently shows just shy of 24,000 miles and I got the car in 2007 with it showing just under 17,000 miles. So, 7,000 miles in just over ten years, right? Not quite. I estimate I have put on about 13,500 miles since I got it. Less in the first few years when it was a basketcase and more in the past few years since most issues have been resolved. My speedo angle drive system didn't work very well for a long time so that's where the missing miles went.

Perhaps the car has more like 31,000 miles on it now. I would guess even higher, although not double or anything as whoever had it before me would have been having trouble with the speedo too. So, call it 40,000 miles as a guess. That's not "low miles" in collector terms, but like others mentioned, beware the one that is low miles. And actual low miles not just broken speedo pretend low miles.

If I could go back in time (yuck yuck), I would be looking for a car that gets driven regularly, like say every Sunday the owner takes it out for a couple hours and puts on 50-100 miles or something. That'd be the best evidence of a car that has had most of the issues sorted out. Better than trusting some classic car dealership advertisement telling you about how great the car is, only to find out it really just sat for a long period of time and needs a bunch of work.

The OP can have my car for that $45k USD he mentioned. My car is pretty in a lot of ways, like the interior and the engine bay is decent, but it does have some rusty fasteners still in spots here and there. Some frame rust where the epoxy has peeled back around the front frame extension and above the exhaust in the engine cradle too. Not perfect enough to satisfy your NZ entry requirements from what I read.

Just to vouch for what a hassle free car is like, like the one Ryan is selling, it is a night and day different experience than owning one you constantly wonder what's going to go wrong next. My own car was full of hassles the first few years I had it and it can really do a number over on your nerves and well-being. I sometimes feel odd driving it now and in the past season or two because I don't really need to do anything to it. Just drive it. These cars make for bizarre ownership experiences. If you're after one as clean as possible, then good for you for choosing that and sticking with it until you find it.

[peternikkiskinner]

My car is a black interior automatic. Odo currently shows just shy of 24,000 miles and I got the car in 2007 with it showing just under 17,000 miles. So, 7,000 miles in just over ten years, right? Not quite. I estimate I have put on about 13,500 miles since I got it. Less in the first few years when it was a basketcase and more in the past few years since most issues have been resolved. My speedo angle drive system didn't work very well for a long time so that's where the missing miles went.

Perhaps the car has more like 31,000 miles on it now. I would guess even higher, although not double or anything as whoever had it before me would have been having trouble with the speedo too. So, call it 40,000 miles as a guess. That's not "low miles" in collector terms, but like others mentioned, beware the one that is low miles. And actual low miles not just broken speedo pretend low miles.

If I could go back in time (yuck yuck), I would be looking for a car that gets driven regularly, like say every Sunday the owner takes it out for a couple hours and puts on 50-100 miles or something. That'd be the best evidence of a car that has had most of the issues sorted out. Better than trusting some classic car dealership advertisement telling you about how great the car is, only to find out it really just sat for a long period of time and needs a bunch of work.

The OP can have my car for that $45k USD he mentioned. My car is pretty in a lot of ways, like the interior and the engine bay is decent, but it does have some rusty fasteners still in spots here and there. Some frame rust where the epoxy has peeled back around the front frame extension and above the exhaust in the engine cradle too. Not perfect enough to satisfy your NZ entry requirements from what I read.

Just to vouch for what a hassle free car is like, like the one Ryan is selling, it is a night and day different experience than owning one you constantly wonder what's going to go wrong next. My own car was full of hassles the first few years I had it and it can really do a number over on your nerves and well-being. I sometimes feel odd driving it now and in the past season or two because I don't really need to do anything to it. Just drive it. These cars make for bizarre ownership experiences. If you're after one as clean as possible, then good for you for choosing that and sticking with it until you find it.
I appreciate your comments and experience Jonathan, I did miss out on the one DMC Mid West had on behalf of a client with $20k work done, 10k miles for $43k. It is still showing on Hemmings website. Just need to find another like that one.

[peternikkiskinner]

That's a really good point Michael and I really should have mentioned it in my post.

Even if a car has 38k or 44k miles on the odometer, it's obviously difficult to figure out if the car has been driven regularly. Most of the 38k or 44k miles could have been done in the first few years of ownership in the 80s. Who knows. You really have to speak to the owner, get a good understanding of its history and also find out if the necessary updates have been done to mitigate any issues that could arise from a sitter in disguise. The upside of Ryan's car is that it's driven regularly and has had all of the necessary updates done - so it's a great car from an owner that knows the car well and has cared for it. Definitely the kind of person you want to buy a used DeLorean from.

I bought my car from Ben (Soundkillr) on DMCTalk. He was incredibly knowledgable, knew his car's history and had meticulously and obsessively cared for it over his near-20 years of ownership. He was honest about every last detail, even the imperfections and mechanical issues that needed addressed. You definitely want to find the right car, but most importantly you also want to find the right seller/previous owner.

From Ryan's ad…



For me, this is one of the most important pieces of advice you could give to any buyer.

G-luck with the search!
This is one of the best pieces of advice I have received, thank you. I have also been told to start with a good one so as not to throw good money at bad. Whatever I buy it will be going to DMC for a thorough going over before shipping to New Zealand unless they find one for me that I can afford.

[Hill Valley PD]

This is one of the best pieces of advice I have received, thank you. I have also been told to start with a good one so as not to throw good money at bad. Whatever I buy it will be going to DMC for a thorough going over before shipping to New Zealand unless they find one for me that I can afford.


I have been looking for a bit now and seriously only recently. DMC will tell you straight up condition trumps everything, and mileage is really secondary. I used to be the same way wanting a car with super low miles, but I've realized in my search I'd be better off buying one that's been driven a bit and had all the bugs/updates sorted out already. I've also got DMC MW an hour from me, which is awesome. Ryan is a great guy from what I can tell, and I've spoken to him a several times through PM and phone. He's gone through a lot with his car getting things sorted and has spent a lot of time and money on her. If his car does not sell this weekend, I'm going out to California later this week and going for it, shipping costs be damned. Life's too short not to go for the things you really want. I've had a really tough week working in Chicago if you've been paying attention to the news.

[peternikkiskinner]

Thank you, I have now purchased, this thread can be closed.


Hello everyone,
i am looking to purchase a delorean, auto, prefer black interior, (will consider grey) ideally with under 10k miles. It would be great to find a delorean which has also been through a complete refurbishment from one of the respected delorean companies in the u.s.a. Or perhaps a member who has done this work themselves. Documentation and as much history of the car from new is a must. Most importantly the under carriage must be free of rust, corrosion and accident damage/repair. The condition of the chassis is vital as i will have serious issues importing into new zealand.

I am happy to consider a delorean which needs refurbishment but will have to allow $10k - $25k depending on the work required. Trying to get this level of work done in new zealand would not be easy and having the experts in the u.s.a. Complete it before shipping would be advisable.

Budget is under $45k, perhaps a tall order but i am willing to wait and be patient. I would like to enjoy my delorean going for a sunday drive and attending the odd charity event to raise funds for various needy causes. There is a small number of deloreans here in new zealand so catching up with these folk would be fun too. Any thoughts or leads would be most appreciated. Thank you.

[Ron]

Congrats!