Average length of ownership

[adam_knox]

What do you guys think the average length of ownership of delorean is? It seems to have quite a turnover, although there aren't many specific marquee cars that I follow, so maybe it follows the same "life cycle" as every other classic car...

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[SS Spoiler]

Going on 32 years....

[Delorean02378]

My father purchased 02378 New in October of 1981 and had it until he passed in 2018 so 37 years. I've been a Delorean owner since 1999 so 21 years. My son has been an owner since December 15, 2019 so one month.

[jackb]

Over 10 years for me so far, and I plan on keeping it forever.

I don’t think the car has a high turnover rate at all. It just appears that way because there are so few, and the vast majority that do go up for sale end up getting posted or linked to here or on a few facebook pages or something.

For context, I’ve gone through 4 daily driver cars in that same time period of my Delorean ownership. And each one of them I was sure I’d have that car for ages to come.

[DMC-81]

The original owner of my car had it from new in 1981 until he unfortunately passed away in 2008. His family hung onto it for a further 5 years and then sold it to DMCFL in 2013 (32 years total). I purchased it 2 months later, so 7 years so far for me. I plan to pass it down to my children.

[Michael]

Coming up on 11 years next month.

Funny, all the people who told me it was junk, just passing fancy, novelty will wear off in a year, have strangely gone quiet. I have had this car through their wedding and divorce, and most of them are on like their 3rd so called "dream car" in the same 11 year period.

[crbritt83]

Mine has been within my family since roughly 1987. I took primary ownership several years ago. I think it probably falls similar to other classic cars. Some will buy with great intentions, yet never find the time, or underestimate the expense, and decide to sell. I don't think the Delorean has any unique characteristics that cause it to be sold more than others. Although perhaps there's a noticeable uptick in recent sales as the values have shot up fairly significantly in the last 5 years.

I do not plan on ever selling 05431... but never say never I suppose!

[Riley88]

6 years of ownership here and still in love with the car. I wont ever sell, if i have financial issues, ill be living out of it.

[Maritime-elf]

I am going on 15 years for mine, although it was in storage for 5 years while I was over seas. I don't think I will ever sell it.

[Jack]

I'll be living out of it.

62371

[Bitsyncmaster]

I'm at 13 years. I think owners that work on their own car tend to keep them longer. Fixing things tends to add to owner enjoyment.

[Jonathan]

I think if you survive the first couple of years you'll end up with the car for a long time. Most people that aren't ready for what is waiting as an owner will pull the chute within the first two years. After that, it's part of your DNA. Love it or hate it. It's what people know you by. "Oh yea, I know that guy. He's got the DeLorean, right?"

[Michael]

Last two posts...nail/head

Dave and Johnathan pretty much summed it up.

[AugustneverEnds]

It's been seven years for me and I still enjoy the hell out of it. Like Dave and Jonathan have said by working on 10287 it has become part of me and I have left some of me in the car (a little blood and a note in the roofbox) I sincerely hope I never am forced to sell and I would be delighted if my six year old nephew continues to be interested in the car and wants to learn how to care for it.

[DMCVegas]

Last two posts...nail/head

Dave and Johnathan pretty much summed it up.

Agreed. Once you get past a certain point, you know what the car needs to keep it running, so you lose the anxiety about breakdowns (and warranties with modern cars). The perception of the DeLorean changes as it becomes so much more reliable, and thus enjoyable.

Counting from the day I picked it up, it'll be 20 years for me in April.

Funny thing is that my regular cars will be paid off this spring. Out of curiosity I started pricing both new and used cars in case we wanted a spare vehicle. I looked at things between a Focus ST to a Dodge Challenger. Prices now are so high, that it's actually cheaper to restore the DeLorean and put it into service as a spare car.

[Michael]

Prices now are so high, that it's actually cheaper to restore the DeLorean and put it into service as a spare car.

Take note timid men who need the wife's permission before taking a dump. Next time you find your pair and buy a D on eBay only to realize later that said pair is still in wife's purse you can try this argument in a last ditch effort to make sound Dave Ramsey financial logic.

[Parzival]

Heart warming to hear of all the long time owners!
Being that I'm on my second DeLorean, and even tho mine is putting me through the ringer at the moment, I wouldn't let it go because I'd just end up getting another later down the line, likely for a higher price (which is exactly what happened already once)

[mluder]

Last two posts...nail/head

Dave and Johnathan pretty much summed it up.

Yep... It becomes yours. Some one in the UK once asked me to check out a local car that was for sale for him. It was a bit nicer than mine in some most respects and worse in a few others. I was seriously considering selling mine and buying the other but another owner friend said, "You can't do that... All the work you've already put into your car... it's yours... a part of you." He was right.

Cheers
Steven

[DMCVegas]

Take note timid men who need the wife's permission before taking a dump. Next time you find your pair and buy a D on eBay only to realize later that said pair is still in wife's purse you can try this argument in a last ditch effort to make sound Dave Ramsey financial logic.

What can I say? I hate car buying and I'm cheap. Not to mention that as much as I love my DeLorean, and it is a literal dream car that I managed to own, it's also a used car to me that I'm already familiar with.

[powerline84]

I had considered selling up at one point because I had found a really nice origional car and I would have been the 2nd owner . My wife and Rich talked me out of it. She was like you have rebuilt damn near everything on that car and you would regret getting it. In the end she was right. If I was to get another car it would just be my 2nd delorean. 2706 stays with me . Like said previously I just know the car. Every nut bolt and wire. It takes a long time to get that familiar with the car.

[Hill Valley PD]

I talked about getting one for a long time and researched them for a couple of years by reading all the books, monitoring this site, and visiting DMC MW to look at numerous cars in person to get a feel for which production changes I wanted and what different cars looked like at different price points. Research and patience keep us non-original owners around longer because we know what we want and set out to get it rather than buy one on impulse and not know what we've gotten into.

I am at 1.5 years now and bought a really nice one off the bat (25K mile originally from CA car), but still have put a good amount of money in it to get it even better/routine upkeep. That is another mistake an uneducated, enthusiastic new owner makes. A cheap DeLorean is an expensive DeLorean in the long run. These cars cost some money to maintain regardless of how nice they are, especially if you don't do the work yourself. I have 20K in invoices on my car since 2012 from DMC MW, mostly done by prior owner. I am fortunate enough to live an hour from DMC MW, so they have done a good amount on the car. I also have a friend who owns his own shop and is ridiculously cheap, so the car goes there for more basic things that require a lift. He's my Car Wizard for you Hoovie's Garage fans.

This is leads to the point of one of the above posts. The more I tinker with the car myself, the more I feel connected to it. I am by no means handy. I know how to do oil changes, tire rotations, detailing, etc. Th biggest project I have done to date myself is converting everything to LED, sans dash and headlights. I also learned about the ridiculous placement of the oil pan plug and how it squirts all over the frame during oil changes. Now if I only get the damn glove box to close right haha. This is also the first "fun"car I've had where I am not researching a replacement...

[mhanch]

Prices now are so high, that it's actually cheaper to restore the DeLorean and put it into service as a spare car.

This is so true in many ways. I've given up for now on new cars. You just get more for the money with older cars and used deals.

[JBaker4981]

I can't really speak much here... I've owned my car going on 7 months now. It's a life long dream that started when I was 6 or 7 and has evolved over the last decade. As others have said, I'll live out of it if I have to. My wife and my mom talked me into pulling the trigger early as opposed to waiting this summer (2020) and I am glad that I did. The more I work on the car, replace parts, tinker, etc, then the more that I enjoy it and respect it.

[Derek Quint]

I have owned mine for over 13 years, hope to keep it for the rest of my life.

[crbritt83]

It is so true that you become more connected to the car if you work on it yourself. I'm fortunate to be reasonably handy when it comes to working on cars, as my dad instilled that in my brothers and I as we grew up working on the family cars (mostly out of necessity to save money!).

I can vividly remember every piece of work I've done to the car (but note I did send mine off for some more heavy restoration work to DMCFL).

A few of my favorite memories -
1. When I was working to get her cranked again after long term storage, and trying to change the oil for the first time. Hand grinding a socket drive to spec to fit into the square female plug. The sense of accomplishment when the plug finally broke lose with the help of a copper breaker bar, and the shot of oil that splattered my face (eye protection was a good save and made this a funny event).

2. Replacing the fuel distributor, and dropping one of the infamous copper washers into the abyss. Spending 4 hours trying to fish it out with a telescoping magnet, and finally finding it!

3. Hand cleaning the tank of rotten gas and black sludge

4. Replacing the door struts and seeing the magic of the gullwing doors working properly for the first time.

5. Working on the accumulator - the art of hand/arm/tool placement to work in the confined space.

6. The feeling of freeing out a stuck piston in one of the calipers after meticulously soaking it for a week.


The list goes on and on... but I agree with living in the car if I ever get into a financial crisis!

[ritztoys]

I'll be celebrating my ownership of 27 Years in two weeks, it's been a 'sometimes' great experience in taking care of my car. Every time I repair/upgrade a system/item on my car I know it will be even more reliable and enjoyable.

I've had numerous "no starts" in my steep learning curve of maintaining this car from the my early days of ownership, now just an unpleasant memory that I can reflect on, "I fixed it myself" helps me further the knowledge I've acquired over all these years of "Livin' the Dream" and keeping my car in good driving shape.

I even taught myself how to rebuild the transmission shift computer, haven't had any issues since I rebuilt it three years ago.

Always eager to learn something new on the maintenance of this iconic car, 04629 will always be in my life!

[Andrew]

I will hit 22 years in July. Time flies when you're having fun!

[SS Spoiler]

Someone needs to start a "road trip disasters"
thread telling of breakdowns and how you solved
fixing and getting home....

[Mark D]

It's what people know you by. "Oh yea, I know that guy. He's got the DeLorean, right?"

This rings so true. I'm sure there are other collector cars that have a similar effect, but being described as a "that guy with that car" seems particularly strong with DeLorean ownership. For whatever reason the car becomes a part of your identity.

I almost never bring up the DeLorean in casual conversation or when I meet new people, yet somehow they always seem to find out (or already know) that I own one. I will bump into people I don't remember meeting but they'll remember who I am because of the car.

It's actually a little strange sometimes. Last summer I was talking to a guy at a car show who knew I had a DeLorean... but I hadn't actually met him before. It turns out he lives a few blocks away and has seen me washing it in the driveway.

I wonder if this kind of stuff happens to the Porsche or Ferrari guys?

...and getting back to the original question in this thread, I just passed 12 years of ownership in October. It'll probably be a forever car for me unless something life changing happens and I'm forced to sell it.

[Jonathan]

I'll be celebrating my ownership of 27 Years in two weeks, it's been a 'sometimes' great experience in taking care of my car. Every time I repair/upgrade a system/item on my car I know it will be even more reliable and enjoyable.

I've had numerous "no starts" in my steep learning curve of maintaining this car from the my early days of ownership, now just an unpleasant memory that I can reflect on, "I fixed it myself" helps me further the knowledge I've acquired over all these years of "Livin' the Dream" and keeping my car in good driving shape.

I even taught myself how to rebuild the transmission shift computer, haven't had any issues since I rebuilt it three years ago.

Always eager to learn something new on the maintenance of this iconic car, 04629 will always be in my life!

Another thing working on your own car does is make it more reliable and less likely to breakdown and leave you stranded. Not because any of us are expert and superior mechanics, but because the more you know your car, the more you'll pick-up on a subtle change in feel or noise or rattle or position of one of the needles in the instrument cluster. Realizing something small just changed gives you a better chance of catching it before it becomes something big. I don't think owners that let someone else do all their work would pick-up on this kind of thing quite as well as the owners that do their own work.


The list goes on and on... but I agree with living in the car if I ever get into a financial crisis!

As a buddy of mine used to say, "you can sleep in your car, but you can't drive your house!"

[clenet]

Fifteen years for the first one. Then fifteen years without. Now five years with the second one that cost me double what I sold the first one for. The fun just keeps going on!

[SamHill]

About 6".

[dcar81]

In March, I will have owned mine for 35 years.

[Josh]

Will be 7 years in April.
I have a lot into my car, as well as the community. I dont see myself ever selling it.

[JETS 81 DMC]

As of today 13,142 days.
:cheers:

[r00b]

18 years in June, I'll have had the car for half my life.

[Alex Brooks]

I owned my first car for 8 years and my second car for 3 years and counting.

[CFI]

Will be 7 years in April.
I have a lot into my car, as well as the community. I dont see myself ever selling it.

Just 1.5 years for me so far but the attachment level is high. I’ve wanted one since I was a kid. I can’t imagine ever selling it.

[Chris_Von_Bron]

I bought mine in January 2002 with 6,500 miles on the clock. I'm now up to 83,000 miles and counting...

[Kukem]

I had mine for 4 years before I had to sell her. I hope to get another one that stays this time.

[StainlessSteelDream]

24 years this year..... 2nd owner ... wonder if I can be buried in her ...

[louielouie2000]

I was an owner for 5 years. Bought my first DeLorean at age 19 when I was a sophomore in college... and ended up getting out of the hobby a couple of years after graduating when I was a struggling young professional. This October will be 15 years since I sold my DeLorean... I never intended to go this long without buying another, but life keeps getting in the way, and the cars keep getting more expensive. Hopefully this year I'll buy another, since I finally bought a house last year and it has a garage that's calling out for a DeLorean.

Having been in the DeLorean community over 2 decades now, there are definitely trends when it comes to ownership. So many folks buy a car, and get burned out when issues start arising. Those folks usually only keep their cars 2-5 years. If you can make it past the initial hump and flush out all the gremlins (and life is good to you), odds are you'll keep the car for a long time!

[Chris_Von_Bron]

I bought mine in January 2002 with 6,500 miles on the clock. I'm now on 83,000 miles (the last 5000 were on the LS3 which has 4000 miles). The PRV went to save another DeLorean as did the transmission.

[the_watcher87]

Bought mine January 2018 so just over 2 years of ownership. Hope to never need or want to sell it!

[DMCMW Dave]

I've had the one I consider "mine" since early 1997 so going on 23 years.

Of course I've bought and sold a few others. By my count, at least 26 of them.

A hobby gone seriously out of control, turning into a second career.

[todd1561]

I bought mine from it's original owner in 2005. So 24 years for him and 15 years for me. No plans to sell it. In fact, my 4 year old has already claimed it so I guess that's that :)

[john 05141]

I owned mine for 12 years. I loved it from day one until the last day Some minor issues but nothing major.
I loved it, maintained it very well. Got to know great people, went to DCS in the United states twice, went to Eurofest in Ireland twice.. but I sold it last year. It is still very painful to me it is like I sold my friend.

Reason?

Those damn environmentalists. This country hates polluting cars and the city where I live will turn into a low emission zone. As many other cities. 350€ Per year per city will solve that, and obviously will not harm the environment then???

So mad about that. I regret already I did that. I miss my SS friend and often think about it.
When an environmentally friendly and approved engine comes out, I will look for another one.

But I can say I am mighty proud I owned one.

Jan