To Mod or Leave Alone? #2993

[BleachedBora]

Hi all, been lurking a lot but haven't posted much. I'm going through a moral dilemma...
I am the second owner of a completely mint 23k documented mile '81 manual. Just about everything is perfect.
But, I'm also the owner of a VW/Audi parts business and I am one of only a handful in the world that can get factory surplus parts, including engines.

The purist in me says keep the car original, and for the last 3 years of ownership I've done just that.

The "I mod everything I own" part of me says I should do something to is, but then I'm no longer original.

I toyed with making it one of the only TDI's in existence, but I think transmission/revs would be more work than I want to tackle.

The two gas engines I have that make sense are a complete VR6 24V as well as a CCTA 4-cylinder 2.0 turbo.
https://www.cascadegerman.com/product/complete-engine-2-0t-ccta-ccza/

I also have an RS4 engine, but that would be overkill :D
https://www.ebay.com/itm/293462207255

The VR6 has a great sound to is, but the CCTA is easily chipped to 300 reliable hp.

Figured I'd get some opinions on here to help me get off the fence...

Thanks all!
-Aaron

64451644526445364450

[Ron]

I would keep it original unless I planned to keep it long term.
Otherwise, being in your (excellent) position, I'd pick anyone of those with a "R" in it...:biggrin:

[Michael]

Do whatever you want with your car that will make you happy.

At the end if the day you are the one paying for it, insuring it, driving it, and putting in the wrench time.

[BleachedBora]

Very true Michael, and agreed. I guess the biggest question was is it worth it for me to keep it original. If I mod it's not like I'm painting over an original Picasso, but once I go down the path I can't really go back.
As we all know these cars are fun to drive, but stock it certainly is not fast! The VR6 engine I got for next to nothing, so that's really really tempting. :)

[CFI]

I vote for leave it alone. It’s a unique car. Keep it the way it was built. Every part of that car has a story behind it. Drive something else when you want speed/safety devices/handling, etc. It will also be easier to sell later on. The car, as is, is good enough.

However, it is your car. If you plan on keeping it, or just don’t care about resale value, mod away. Be careful though. The interwebs are full of stories about project cars that are either:

Never completed, then sold
Never completed, then left to rot
Completed, but not well
Completed, but at extreme cost
Competed, but doesn’t perform as expected.......etc etc etc.

[BleachedBora]

I vote for leave it alone. It’s a unique car. Keep it the way it was built. Every part of that car has a story behind it. Drive something else when you want speed/safety devices/handling, etc. It will also be easier to sell later on. The car, as is, is good enough.

However, it is your car. If you plan on keeping it, or just don’t care about resale value, mod away. Be careful though. The interwebs are full of stories about project cars that are either:

Never completed, then sold
Never completed, then left to rot
Completed, but not well
Completed, but at extreme cost
Competed, but doesn’t perform as expected.......etc etc etc.

Wise words, I had a 450 hp Audi TT DSG I recently sold - with launch control it'd stretch your face. That car was fast. This is more of a gentleman's cruiser. :)

[DavidProehl]

I don't have any data to back this up, but my impression from looking at listings is that engine swaps generally decrease the value of a car. The exceptions would be engine swaps that are well known in the community as being of very high quality.

If your plan is to keep the car for a long time an no plans of selling in the foreseeable future, then a swap might be worth it if that is what brings you more joy. If you are planning to sell the car after only a few years, be prepared to have a smaller pool of buyers that are interested in it and that may impact the price they are willing to pay.

As said above, there isn't a wrong answer here.

[mr_maxime]

Do whatever you want with your car that will make you happy.

At the end if the day you are the one paying for it, insuring it, driving it, and putting in the wrench time.

Agreed... said the guy with an uncompleted mod

There's still plenty of stock examples around. Personally, I don't think the PRV is an important part of the car's DNA. It's a pretty unique car with an off the shelf engine, not an off the shelf car with a unique engine. You're not removing a turbo v6 from a grand national or hellcat out of a hellcat.

Just don't get rid of the gullwing doors

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odx8JvcyIcY

[vwdmc16]

I am a big Proponent of engine swaps, More the merrier! But as a German car mechanic that works on VAG cars, I'd never put on of those engines in, I hate working on them and have seen alot of destroyed 2.0TFSI engines CFTAs of whatever they call them. Many of the issues I have with them could be remedied and I have to admit some sound wicked and make great power.

I think you should dig into the TDI idea more, I don't believe a Diesel Delorean has been completed. What about an older Passat TDI transmission, can the R&P be flipped for a rear engine set up? they would have the strength and ratio a Diesel would need.

Please document the work if it happens!

[Henrik]

I came to that same fork in the road about six years ago: Make the car more enjoyable or sell it. I finally landed on the former and embarked on a VR6 conversion and I couldn't be happier. There is a link to my blog below.

[David T]

When you do an engine swap you usually need to do a lot of modifications to many of the systems in the car. It is not just an engine swap. You will put more money into the car then you could ever sell it for, especially if you don't do a lot of the work yourself. From an economic point of view, if you want a car with more performance, go out and buy one. In my case I found a Lotus Esprit with a V-8 twin turbo.

[Josh]

I would love to do a TDI swap, I have been saying this for several years.

Not in my own car though...

[Henrik]

... if you want a car with more performance, go out and buy one.

and if you want a Delorean with more performance, swap the engine

[Michael]

and if you want a Delorean with more performance, swap the engine

Guru just got Gurued!!

[Riley88]

Im not one to mod a classic car unless its for modern tasteful things that dont take away from its character and improve reliability/handling. That being said, there have been some absolute BANGER swaps on here lately and its a total joy to see what some people have been able to do, and awesome to see the progress they are making. if you are think you are up to it, do it. if not enjoy it for what it purely is. The DeLorean has character, no modern cars really do. it has class, elegance and is just a total joy and brings happiness everywhere, stock or not. End of the day its your car, do what you want.

[Victor]

Totally agree with Riley88 !

[David T]

I didn't say not to do it, I only pointed out that it makes no economic sense. I have seen some ugly engine swaps and I have seen some very nice ones. The nice ones are a lot more expensive to do and it shows. When you do an engine swap and you make the car more powerful and possibly heavier, to do it right, you have to do suspension and braking work too so the car is safe and controllable. There are no "plug and play" bolt-in options except for the Turbo installations that were offered in the past or the DMCH Stage I, II or III offerings. Anything else is going to be very custom and expensive. Even if you do a really nice job, and that means you spent a lot of money, even if it does make the car more valuable, you will not get back what you put into it. The market for a customized Delorean is limited. Once you do an engine swap you can no longer get support from the Delorean vendors, they wouldn't know how to service the motor or what parts to supply. For anyone doing an engine swap, my advice would be to fully and completely document everything so if you have to service the car, or you sell the car, someone will know what you did, how to get replacement parts, and how to service the car. That documentation WILL add value to the car.

[CFI]

The DeLorean has character, no modern cars really do. it has class, elegance and is just a total joy and brings happiness everywhere....

True! Our little mini-meets are proof that happiness follows the DeLorean :)

[Michael]

I didn't say not to do it, I only pointed out that it makes no economic sense.

LOL
Using words like "economic sense" in a DeLorean forum.

You want to make economic sense? Buy a freaking used Corolla.

You want to have fun? Buy your dream car.

You want to live your life to the fullest? Make your dream car your vision of perfection and when someone uses words like "economic sense", tell them to go back to programming the contacts on their Jitterbug phones and watching reruns of "Matlock".

[mr_maxime]

LOL
Using words like "economic sense" in a DeLorean forum.

You want to make economic sense? Buy a freaking used Corolla.

You want to have fun? Buy your dream car.

You want to live your life to the fullest? Make your dream car your vision of perfection and when someone uses words like "economic sense", tell them to go back to programming the contacts on their Jitterbug phones and watching reruns of "Matlock".

Hahaha

As soon as Deloreans start making "economic sense" you'll have all the vultures that only buy cars as investments come in and ruin it for all of us that enjoy the car for fun.

[mark w]

i came from the VW "tuning world" when i bought my first delorean 13 years ago.
i went about on that car like I had done on my VW. "mods" and "upgrades" to try to make it "better."
I was not made better, I got frustrated and sold it.
several other cars and time and now Im on my second D.
Now I restore my delorean- not mod it. big difference.
now my "upgrades" (that word is subjective) are updates instead ( like Dave McKeen relays)

[Michael]

i came from the VW "tuning world" when i bought my first delorean 13 years ago.
i went about on that car like I had done on my VW. "mods" and "upgrades" to try to make it "better."
I was not made better, I got frustrated and sold it.
several other cars and time and now Im on my second D.
Now I restore my delorean- not mod it. big difference.
now my "upgrades" (that word is subjective) are updates instead ( like Dave McKeen relays)

The Lord smiles on people who restore and update. Modders burn in hell with a DPI upgraded fuel pump module keeping their bodies covered in fresh gas while listening to David T recite the tech manual for ever and ever...amen.

[BLWNAWY]

Even if you do a really nice job, and that means you spent a lot of money, even if it does make the car more valuable, you will not get back what you put into it.
While I don't totally disagree, it can be done. It is dependent on the builder's abilities. In 1990 I paid $4000 for a damaged low-mileage car, dropped in a supercharged Chevy V6, drove it until 2005 and sold it for almost twice my investment. Eleven years later I re-purchased the same car, damaged, for $7500, spent a year restoring it and sold it again for a profit. If you can do most of the work yourself it can work; if you have to pay someone else to do it then not as likely.

[David T]

You prove my point. If you can do most, if not all the work yourself, you can make money but if you figure your labor and the hours you will put into it, you will not make money unless you can get the car very very cheaply and it doesn't need everything. While the prices of Deloreans is going up, so are the prices of the parts you will need to fix it up. Parts prices are one of the main drivers of increasing prices for Deloreans.

[Michael]

While I don't totally disagree, it can be done. It is dependent on the builder's abilities. In 1990 I paid $4000 for a damaged low-mileage car, dropped in a supercharged Chevy V6, drove it until 2005 and sold it for almost twice my investment. Eleven years later I re-purchased the same car, damaged, for $7500, spent a year restoring it and sold it again for a profit. If you can do most of the work yourself it can work; if you have to pay someone else to do it then not as likely.

You are this close to getting "gurued"!

[David T]

How's this for "moding" a Delorean?

https://www.facebook.com/461104097390043/posts/1801175733382866/?vh=e&extid=nltIrCFXFM0XmlOr&d=n

It's almost unrecognizable but you can tell they STARTED with a Delorean!

[NJP548]

How's this for "moding" a Delorean?

https://www.facebook.com/461104097390043/posts/1801175733382866/?vh=e&extid=nltIrCFXFM0XmlOr&d=n

It's almost unrecognizable but you can tell they STARTED with a Delorean!

That's all computer generated. No real DeLorean was used in that.

-Nick

[Nicholas R]

How's this for "moding" a Delorean?

https://www.facebook.com/461104097390043/posts/1801175733382866/?vh=e&extid=nltIrCFXFM0XmlOr&d=n

It's almost unrecognizable but you can tell they STARTED with a Delorean!

That's a computer rendering. Welcome to the internet.

[Mark D]

That's a computer rendering. Welcome to the internet.

"Balderdash! Those pesky internet kids are at it again!" *Mustache intensifies*

-David T, Probably.