Starting My Journey

[5dmc1]

Age 5....I see Back to the Future for the first time...I find myself captivated and in love with this new futuristic car that is like nothing else I have ever seen... Age 8...My parents arrange for a BTTF Delorean to come to our house for my Birthday at night and I go for a ride.... Age 17...I write a full documentary on the story of John DeLorean for school...the day I turn in my paper..I walk outside and a DMC-12 drives by...

The DeLorean has inspired me my entire life and I have waited 23 of my 28 years on this planet to get one...and now...Its finally time...Age 28...I start looking for a car...

Hello everyone, My name is Patrick, I live in Simi Valley California and I am CRAZY about DeLoreans. I finally have the financial means to pick up my dream car and I wanted to ask all of you what I should look for as I shop. Here is what I know so far, but please chime in at any time and give me some pointers, I could really use them.

From the research I have gathered, some important points are:

*check for frame rust, avoid cars with any signs of bubbling epoxy on the frame.
*avoid cars that have been sitting for long periods of time and do not run as the fuel system deteriorates over time
*avoid cars with electrical issues as they are a wiring nightmare
*make sure to immediately install DMC Stainless Fuel Lines to avoid fires
*avoid early builds before October of 81 as they have more flaws in the build quality

Please tell me if I am wrong about any of the above information and any additional points you think I should be aware of going into this. My goal is to buy a car that needs some work, but starts up, runs and drives reliably, I dont mind a battered interior, or a car that needs new gas struts, weather stripping, etc. My price range is around 20-30k.

I also would like to ask on your opinions of the "new" DeLorean Motor Company, are they reputable? Are their prices considered reasonable by the community? Do the do good work? Who do you take your car to/get parts from? All Input is welcome. Im new to this, any and all information is appreciated. Thank you all so much for any and all help you can provide! God Bless! :)

Regards,

Patrick

[Jonty]

Awesome to hear Patrick it’s great to see someone save for their dream. I recommend you pick up the Delorean buyers guide as it has all the key tips to look at for and will be a good guide going forward. Also something to be conscious of is to make sure you by the best quality you can afford and make sure you have budgeted for parts. I bought a really good quality car and I’ve spent at least $10k in repairs and upgrades. It’s a real addiction!

In terms of DMCH Houston they are a good crowd. All Delorean vendors at the moment whether in the US or not are fine to deal with but I have to say some of the Chinese built parts may be good value but can often be more trouble than they are worth. Delorean Industries has the beat quality parts for those key items you don’t want to skimp on.

[Ethan Rode]

Welcome Patrick,

I think your budget might be a bit low for a "reliable" car that meets your other criteria.

At nearly 40 years old, build date doesn't matter, maintenance and repair history does.

It seems unlikely that someone would spend the money to make a car reliable, and then not change out weatherstripping, or a gas strut.

If you're not able to leverage the purchase of a turn-key car, you'll need to reconsider what you're willing to tackle in terms of repair and restoration.

[5dmc1]

@Jonty ,

Hi! I completely agree! :) I have budgeted for some parts. But depending on the price, as I mention below to Ethan, it may eat into that budget some... I am a grocery worker so I only make middle class wage. I planned on getting a car I could keep garaged and take out on days off and fix things slowly over time, that's mainly what I did with my last project, though a decent chunk of change was needed to restore its body in the beginning due to the paint being faded and ghe mount of rust present.
As for the D, I don't plan on upgrading much, I want to keep it fairly stock with upgrades to safety and especially installing a security system with an immobilizer, only personalization stuff I want to add would be eventually an upgraded stereo with backup camera and the "UK" exhaust. Though I won't be able to do the exhaust until I move out of state as it isn't legal in California. [emoji22]

@Ethan Rode ,

The highest I could possibly spend at this time would be 35k, but it would have to be a darn good car. I've seen a few for sale both on here and on a few other websites around that price that seem to be in good running condition. I set my budget to 20-30k as it is what I am expecting to get for my last restoration I have done which was a 1970 Camaro. With the price exceeding that, the cost of the car would eat up a decent chunk of my parts money and I wouldn't be able to touch as many things on it right away as I would like to..

I see a few people on YouTube who are my age that have acquired some of these cars for reasonable prices, some even lower than what I expected to pay and they managed to get them into a reliably running condition with around 5-10k and a decent amount of elbow grease, which is what gave me the inspiration to attempt to tackle this project at this point in my life.
Being mechanically inclined myself and having done a lot of the work on my camaro myself I was hoping to save a lot on labor by doing the work myself.

DMC Florida has 2 cars for sale, one of which is a manual and its 23k. I have inquired about it and am awaiting a response, though I am unsure that given the current situation they are even open, if I don't get a reply in the next 48 hours I'm gonna give them a ring on my day off and see if anybody picks up. The car does have higher mileage though so like you said, service and maintenance plays a huge part. But if there is any frame damage I'm not interested. Having dealt with rust on my last project and knowing full well how much it costs to fix, I want to steer completely clear of that can of worms....

But I appreciate your insight and I will take it to mind as I begin to look for cars.

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[Rich]

Happy hunting, Patrick.

You're off to a good start.

You didn't mention whether you've read The Illustrated Buyer's Guide to DeLorean Automobiles, the reference book by DMC's James Espey that all first-time DeLorean buyers will find useful. Get a copy if you don't have one.

DMCH listing: the-illustrated-buyers-guide-to-delorean-automobiles (https://store.delorean.com/p-10550-the-illustrated-buyers-guide-to-delorean-automobiles.aspx)

[MrChocky]

This might be the car for you:

https://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/cto/d/argyle-1981-delorean-dmc12/7129554080.html

Stage II, needs ongoing cosmetic work.

[5dmc1]

@Rich Thank you! I appreciate the support. Ill order a copy, should be a good read :) just hope their open lol.

@MrChocky

O.O dude...I think you may be right...

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[5dmc1]

Just curious, any BRP members on here? How was your experience?

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[louielouie2000]

Before you make any big decisions, I'd wait and see if any owners are getting together in your area this year. I know with the whole pandemic thing right now that may not be happening, but track down your local owners group on here or Facebook and find out. Getting to see multiple cars in person at the same time and speak with owners about their experiences is truly invaluable. It will give you a chance to see cars in different states of repair, and different option combinations. This will help you narrow down what sort of a car you want to look for. It may also give you a lead on a possible purchase: I bought both of mine through the DeLorean community itself. Plus, owners will be a bit more forthcoming in person about their experiences with particular vendors and/or replacement parts than they would be on a message board.

Regarding the 2 cars at DMC-Florida which are priced in the 20s, I can almost guarantee they are either non-runners, or on life support. A pro tip: when reaching out to sellers, avoid texting and emailing. Pick up the phone and talk with the seller directly. DeLoreans attract a lot of people who are not serious buyers. Keep this in mind when you are speaking with a seller. If you have cash in hand and are ready to buy, let that be known.

As far as the DMC franchises, DMC Midwest in particular has a very glowing reputation. Don't forget there are other DeLorean vendors not in the franchise which also sell and consign cars, such as DeLorean Industries in Ohio and PJ Grady in New York. Since you are split equally between DMC California and DMC Northwest in Seattle, I'd suggest calling both and seeing if you can visit either or both of them. It would make a fun road trip, and would be very educational. You can also let a vendor know you're searching for a DeLorean with specific parameters and within a certain price range, and they will notify you when one comes available.

The best piece of advice I can give you is to be methodical and slow in your approach to buying. Most DeLoreans for sale privately are clunkers; they look cool but have been deeply neglected. Ask to see receipts for work done on the car in the past 5-10 years. Verify through Carfax/Autocheck to see if the car is being driven and kept registered/inspected every year. DeLoreans that aren't driven regularly are going to cause you the most grief. Go to some local tech days (surely some will happen this summer), go visit a vendor or two if you can, go see any local cars that pop up for sale. Educate yourself in-person before you buy. Otherwise you might end up with a car which will drain your finances and frustrate you to the point of selling. Good luck in the process, and have fun!

[MrChocky]

Something that's implied in all this, especially what Louie said, is that many cars for sale aren't advertised at all. Instead, they're word of mouth through club members - this could be 50% of cars. That's why it can be great to get in with clubs and go visit. Such cars are often familiar to other club members, so they can be aware of any issues.

[5dmc1]

Something that's implied in all this, especially what Louie said, is that many cars for sale aren't advertised at all. Instead, they're word of mouth through club members - this could be 50% of cars. That's why it can be great to get in with clubs and go visit. Such cars are often familiar to other club members, so they can be aware of any issues.Well...hopefully car shows will be allowed again soon. I really want to start getting involved. Also being a club member car it would probably be more loved and taken care of than some car on a lot or from an old widow who's husband left it behind.

Like I said before, I want a car that's in good enough condition to be enjoyed but still needs improvements that I can do over time as a hobby.

I COULD drop 40 on one of the nice refurbished cars from a vendor...but cash would be so tight for the next 6 years that if anything went wrong it would have to go on the charge card and also paid off over time. But it could be done, so long as the car is reliable and doesn't need any maintenance or repairs in excess of 400 dollars (clutch, or major overhaul of other systems). I can afford normal car maintenance like brakes, tires, fluids, etc no problem. But That's why I only wanna be in it 30k tops, so I CAN afford it if something happens.

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[5dmc1]

What about this one? Been eyeballing it. Its a little above my price range but its doable.

https://classiccars.com/listings/view/1105349/1982-delorean-dmc-12-for-sale-in-covington-kentucky-41015

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[5dmc1]

Has anyone on here bought one of DMCH's "daily driver" Deloreans? Are they reliable enough that I can just do what the name implies? Daily drive it and just perform normal routine maintenance like any other car? Or will I still find myself spending thousands every year on this thing... I'm beginning to feel a little discouraged as I start looking at all the prices of parts on DeLorean industries and pj Grady...they are sometimes double the prices from DMCH...I'm sadly wondering if I already missed my chance to own one of these cars..as some cars considered to be "clunkers" are prices at 20-30k.... [emoji22]

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[5dmc1]

sorry about the above message, I have really bad self confidence issues and my depression took over a bit there. Gotta Stay Positive! Like one of my favorite Youtubers always says, Keep Moving Forward. Im going to do this project, just not as expected. The way I see it, I got 2 choices. A: I sell my camaro for 25-30k and buy a DeLorean in that price range Cash and fix it as I go. Or B: take the 25-30k from the Camaro sale and put it towards a fully restored ready to roll completed car and finance the difference and run normal maintenance.

[MrChocky]

sorry about the above message, I have really bad self confidence issues and my depression took over a bit there. Gotta Stay Positive! Like one of my favorite Youtubers always says, Keep Moving Forward. Im going to do this project, just not as expected. The way I see it, I got 2 choices. A: I sell my camaro for 25-30k and buy a DeLorean in that price range Cash and fix it as I go. Or B: take the 25-30k from the Camaro sale and put it towards a fully restored ready to roll completed car and finance the difference and run normal maintenance.

At the risk of stating the obvious, perhaps what you should do is save a bit more, go see some cars, and then when your perfect car does some up, you'll be ready to nab it.

[CFI]

Has anyone on here bought one of DMCH's "daily driver" Deloreans? Are they reliable enough that I can just do what the name implies? Daily drive it and just perform normal routine maintenance like any other car? Or will I still find myself spending thousands every year on this thing. [emoji22]

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I have a car that was refurbished by DMCF. I’m not sure if it was considered a “daily driver” or a “premium”, but it’s been 100% reliable for the roughly 7,000 miles I’ve put on it in less than 2 years. I’ve put a few thousand dollars into it because I wanted to, not because I had to. Mostly upgrading things like stainless fuel lines, solid state relays, radiator fans, silicone hoses, etc. The only required expense so far has been a starter, which was cheaper than replacing the starter on my old Subaru.

Prices are increasing for these cars, and each year we probably lose at least a few to fires or crashes, so supply is decreasing. No one has ever said “I purchased too nice of a car”, but plenty of people (my brother included) did regret not paying enough....and getting a basket case of a car that needed way more than they could handle. My brother sold his car after a year or so of frustration, the car spending more time not working than working. I guarantee that if he had purchased a better example it would still be in his driveway.

[andi1086]

i have been looking for my delorean over 2 years, because the offer in europe is much smaller than in the usa. i have looked at some of them and travelled a lot and learned a lot. with every car always a little bit more.offer and demand determine the price and the market is getting smaller and smaller. you should find your way and be patient - the delorean should find you :-)
i found mine in england and had it brought to germany. it was overhauled in a garage and so i invested much more money than i had planned. because i always chose the better option. with a 40 year old car there is always something to beautify and improve and optimize - that's our passion.
you should find your personal way and know exactly what you want and be patient.
but it will never become a daily driver - because something new can happen with every ride - but that's also the attraction. or you decide for a perfect frame-off restoration.
i have never regretted my decision and have a smile on my face every time i drive.
i wish you much patience and success in your search.
greetings from germany
andi

[Ron]

+1 on all of the great advice above!

Check out the 2nd & 3rd Sticky HERE (http://dmctalk.org/forumdisplay.php?5-Resources) -- And keep educating yourself so that you are ready to inspect your car properly when it shows up!

I will add-
If you post a link to a D asking if it is a good deal, and it really is, it will probably be sold before you get a reply. :deviltail:

[5dmc1]

+1 on all of the great advice above!

Check out the 2nd & 3rd Sticky HERE (http://dmctalk.org/forumdisplay.php?5-Resources) -- And keep educating yourself so that you are ready to inspect your car properly when it shows up!

I will add-
If you post a link to a D asking if it is a good deal, and it really is, it will probably be sold before you get a reply. :deviltail:Its not the car I want anyway. I mean...it is..but isn't..I wanna start with a stock car, and put my own goodies on it, not buy someone else's personalized car, I'm not a fan of the fact the car is stage 2, I wanna experience it stock first and then change things to aftermarket as I see fit, not knowing stock to begin with might lead me to have things about the car I need to put back to stock because I don't like the effect the mod has on the car, or I might not even know a mox is there and it could be a potential cause of a problem that otherwise wouldn't be there. I learned all this modifying my Focus ST, so I really don't want a modified car, I want a stock one.

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[Timeranger]

Welcome, Patrick! You are the same age as I was when I got my dream machine, VIN #715. To give you a preview of the road ahead for you, my DeLorean is one of the best things that ever happened in my life. I used my DMC-12 as a daily driver for years in California, have taken it on many classic road trips, and love my car to this day. It still feels like a spaceship more than a car.

It sounds to me like you have a realistic attitude about the maintenance and ongoing investments that will be necessary, and so I expect that when you take the plunge you are going to end up happy.

The fellows here are giving you good advice. Listen to them and take your time finding the right car for you. I think you will find that after absorbing a certain amount of counsel you will develop your own perspective and you will know when you are ready. Pass up the cars that aren't right. You've got time. For me, when the right car appeared, it checked all my boxes and I was delighted to see it. I knew it was a great deal, promptly pulled the trigger with confidence, and have never regretted it. In my case, years ago, I wanted a car with higher mileage than other people were usually looking for, because I wanted a DeLorean that had been maintained as a practical driving vehicle rather than as a garage display or a concours winner. That approach paid off handsomely for me. I saved money and also got a car with road-proven, updated components. Knowing what your priorities are will help you similarly make the best choice for you.

I have spent lots of money taking care of my car over the years but it has not been out of line with what I expected. I still feel like I am getting all the thrill and enjoyment I would get out of a much more expensive exotic. I love classic designs like the Lancia Stratos, the Lotus Esprit, and the Lamborghini Countach, but money aside I wouldn't trade my DMC-12 for any of those beautiful machines. The DeLorean's pleasures are uniquely satisfying for me. On the simply practical side, I enjoy the fact that, unlike the aforementioned supercars, my DeLorean has the capacity to accommodate my groceries and carry enough luggage for a thousand-mile trip. (I also find the rear visibility very good compared to that of many other exotics.) I have found the DMC-12 is just a very comfortable car to go driving in.

One person's maintenance experience, for what it's worth: Danny Botkin and Don Steger in L.A. prepped my car for a Route 66 transcontinental. When the shakedown turned up an unexpected problem, Don came in on a Sunday to take care of it for me because he knew I was counting on his work and I had a schedule to keep. What great guys. I bought peace of mind working with Don and Danny, and as a result I had a classic time on Route 66. I enjoyed buying parts and learning much from a helpful gent named Warren at DMC Houston for years. More recently I had DMC Midwest install remote door locks and launchers. That didn't go as well as I'd hoped, so I will shortly be sending my car back to Danny Botkin in L.A. for its next big round of maintenance. The trouble I have consistently had with most non-DMC repair shops, both in California and in the Midwest, makes me avoid them now whenever possible. A Lamborghini-trained shop in the Bay Area finally had the skill (and courage) to be dependable but wow, the cost. I have tried doing maintenance myself but I am no brilliant mechanic. Your experience plus YouTube will probably set you up to do much better than I have done in this regard.

Patrick, the main thing to me is what I said earlier: I think you have a appropriate expectations about the purchase you are going to make, and because of that I expect you are going to sit down to an inner smile every time you take the wheel, just like I do. I'm glad you have joined DMCTalk and are asking questions. You'll have much more support than I had starting out, and you have much greater mechanical capability. Get ready for a fantastic ride! I wish you all the reward I have found as a DeLorean owner and I hope you'll keep us posted as you progress on your journey.

Best wishes,
David West

[DMC-81]

Just curious, any BRP members on here? How was your experience?

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Yes. I completed my restoration under DMC's Budget Restoration Program (BRP). Besides the discount, when I completed the car, I got a very nice framed certificate of completion and a handwritten Thank You card from James Espey. I bought certain parts from other vendors, but DMC earned the lions share of my parts business.

I don't have as much time to read and respond to posts on this forum lately, but when you get a car and restore or work on it, you'll find threads here when I was restoring my car, plus I have organized pictures and comments in the album section of my profile. Hopefully they help you some.

Good luck with your purchase.

[jackb]

Buy the best car you can afford, but barring any dealbreakers (rotten frame, non-running engine, significant cosmetic damage) any Delorean configured the way you want (transmission type, interior color, and hood if you care) within your budget will do. What you need to do is ensure the cars current condition is appropriate for the price. No matter what you’ll end up spending plenty to continue improving it. The only “customization” dealbreakers for me would be significant modifications, like fuel management or a painted body. (I think vendor stage engines are ok, but I’d stay away from a swap unless it was very professionally done, with significant records/history).

Example- I paid $21k for mine a little over 10 years ago. It was in turnkey condition, no major issues, mechanically good, cosmetically decent. I drove it home 4 hours the day I bought it. I added up my receipts a few months ago and I’ve put over an additional $20k into it. 90% in parts alone; I do almost all my own labor.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, all the (correctly configured) Deloreans are right for you, just make sure their price is tolerable and correct for their condition.

[5dmc1]

@DMC-81 @Jackb @TimeRanger Thank you all for your kind supportive words. I went out to get pre-approval on a 45k loan today and it was just way out of my ballpark to buy one of the DMCH cars..which really got me down But coming home and reading your messages, believe me when I say your words mean the world to me and the positive reinforcement really helps more than you know, as I stated before I have a lot of self esteem and confidence issues due to a lot of trauma during my upbringing. So from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank all 3 of you for your kind and encouraging words. On a brighter note, my cousin made me an offer for 25k on the Camaro and I might just take it, its ballpark what I want and it will be kept in the family, and going to a home where someone who has the money, time and facilities to fix all the rust and stuff on it does my heart good, not to mention is giving me most of the funding for the D.

But that being said, I have 3 cars I am looking at, but I wont be moving on any of them until I get pre-approval on my loan (which now will be considerably less), as well as read the DeLorean Buyer's Guide front cover to back cover. Then Ill start making some phone calls ;)

[mhanch]

Good luck on your hunt! I'm sure you will land the right car in the end.

[David T]

Borrowing money to buy an old car is not the best plan. Let's say you got that $45K loan. Is there any money left over to fix the inevitable stuff that will go wrong with the car, even a refurbished car? Don't forget it isn't just the purchase price. There is taxes, registration fees, Title fee, and insurance. You may want to personalize the car, maybe a radio, or something. Then there are the wear-out kinds of things like tires, brakes, battery, struts etc. And what happens if the car breaks down and you don't have the money to fix it? You still have to come up with the money to cover the loan but now you can't even enjoy the car. This is the worst position to be in, Now you must consider selling a car that doesn't run just to get out of the loan and sell the car at a loss. Save up for a car and don't get "in over your head". In the meantime you can look and learn more so when you do find a good one you will know it.

[CFI]

Borrowing money to buy an old car is not the best plan..

Neither is sitting around thinking, hoping, dreaming, and telling yourself “someday....”.

Life is short. For many of us there will never be a “perfect” time to buy a DeLorean. Yes, try not to put yourself in the poor house with a used car purchase, but also realize that every year you wait is another year you can’t get back. You can make more money, you can’t make more time.

[5dmc1]

I am well aware of the possible woes of a loan for a old car. But I have done all my math and I will still have 1000 dollars left over each month after all my bills. I'm merely financing it to build credit and I have a 5000 dollar emergency fund for high expense items that fail. I think I'm good. I dont plan on getting a car from dmch anymore unless they offer me an exceptional deal. I found 2 more cars last night that are under 30k, run, have been daily driven and are in decent shape. So I may just get a smaller loan, buy one, then when the camaro sells, pay it off immediately (I am aware there are consequences of doing that) if money becomes an issue (which I dont think it will). I have done a lot of research and this isn't my first old car. I had the camaro break down a few times, parts were considerably cheaper than DeLorean parts, but none the less I was able to repair it with my own 2 hands at a cost under 100 dollars each time. I'm really not that concerned. The only way I could get royally fubar is if the ecu burns out, which I have never heard of happening on these cars.

Fuel pump, lines, switches, relays, etc are what I see are common to go bad on these, please correct me if I am wrong but that doesn't sound so bad. I know how to perform all fluid flushes/changes myself and I can do anything short of body work or changing tires as I don't have the specialized equipment, but I'm not concerned with that. Brake pads are 100 bucks a set, I can do them myself, same with caliper rebuilds or master cylinder replacements, clutch jobs, etc give me a book with all the torque specs and he'll I could even tear down and rebuild the engine (heaven forbid). Point is..I'm no novice to restoring or working on classic cars. I may be young, but I'm far from naive. I understand how much goes into these cars in terms of work and maintenance, but I am more than capable of performing 90% of it all. I can even do upholstery work.

As the last guy who posted said, time is the issue here. Everyday prices go up and cars get destroyed. I have to move on this before they become out of reach forever for me. 10 years ago, a fixer upper that went for 15k is now 25k and a nice car that was 30k is now 40-45k, I cannot wait any longer or my dream will remain just that, a dream, for the rest of my life. Not to mention due to the rising price it will be a good investment.

Tirade over lol

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[jackb]

You’ll be fine, and you’ll find the right car. When I bought mine I had enough in the bank to pay all cash, but I financed half. It didn’t seem prudent to not keep anything in reserve for the low cost of a little interest to not wipe me out.

Additionally, you and CFI are 100% right about time. When I bought mine I was single and had nothing but disposable income. Now I’m married, two kids, wifes student loans, mortgage, kids school tuition, bills out the ass... there is absolutely zero chance I’d be in a position to buy today if I wanted.

I had an epiphany back before buying that caused me to begin actively searching for my Delorean- I could afford it, I’d always wanted one, they are available, and I’ll kick myself in the ass for the rest of my life if I don’t do it now and later can’t because any one of those reasons became an obstacle in the future. A few months later I drove my Delorean home.

[David T]

Sounds like you have a plan. Also sounds like you can do the majority of necessary work, and that certainly keeps the costs down. Get Espey's book and check out the big ticket items like the frame and drivetrain. Always try to buy the best car you can afford. Even though you can do a lot of your own work, it is still cheaper to get a car that someone else spent money on. If the car drives you don't have to do everything right away. Get the car reliable before spending a lot on cosmetics. Don't jump and buy the first car you see. Try to see as many examples as you can and you will learn something every time you see one so when you see the right one you will know it. If you do get a loan try to negotiate it so you don't have a pre-payment penalty and if you do have one, try to get it reduced as much as you can. At the very least it should be go down the longer you run the loan. Yes, borrowing money and paying it off can actually improve your credit rating but everyone only has so much credit so if you get a $45K loan, that is that much less you can borrow till that is paid off. One advantage of buying a car from DMCH or it's affiliates is that they can arrange financing and take care of many other things like transportation and licensing. For someone who doesn't know how to do these things, working with a dealer can make things more convenient but not cheaper. Services like that are very helpful especially for foreign buyers.

[5dmc1]

Sounds like you have a plan. Also sounds like you can do the majority of necessary work, and that certainly keeps the costs down. Get Espey's book and check out the big ticket items like the frame and drivetrain. Always try to buy the best car you can afford. Even though you can do a lot of your own work, it is still cheaper to get a car that someone else spent money on. If the car drives you don't have to do everything right away. Get the car reliable before spending a lot on cosmetics. Don't jump and buy the first car you see. Try to see as many examples as you can and you will learn something every time you see one so when you see the right one you will know it. If you do get a loan try to negotiate it so you don't have a pre-payment penalty and if you do have one, try to get it reduced as much as you can. At the very least it should be go down the longer you run the loan. Yes, borrowing money and paying it off can actually improve your credit rating but everyone only has so much credit so if you get a $45K loan, that is that much less you can borrow till that is paid off. One advantage of buying a car from DMCH or it's affiliates is that they can arrange financing and take care of many other things like transportation and licensing. For someone who doesn't know how to do these things, working with a dealer can make things more convenient but not cheaper. Services like that are very helpful especially for foreign buyers.Dmch can do transport and financing? I figured they didn't because they were so small.

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[5dmc1]

Well, it looks like finding a car in California would be best practice at this point because they slap a whole bunch of extra fees on you when you bring an out of state purchased car to CA, god I hate this state so much.

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[MrChocky]

Well, it looks like finding a car in California would be best practice at this point because they slap a whole bunch of extra fees on you when you bring an out of state purchased car to CA, god I hate this state so much.

Sent from my VS501 using TapatalkYou're going to be paying CA sales tax no matter what. Sure there's probably some extra fees for out of state transfer but surely it's minor compared to the overall cost.

My current daily driver was bought in California with Utah registration.

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