2012 State of Our Cars Poll

[Dangermouse]

Here it is, the 2012 end-of-year review of the state of everyone's DeLorean. I will call “Fall” the end of year as many are preparing to store their cars. We did this last year and I thought it was very successful. It will be interesting to see how things have changed.

If your car is already in storage for the winter pick the selection that best fits the car just before you stored it. If your car was “running perfectly before it was stored 5+ years ago” pick “major issues”

If you have more than one D, the poll should allow you to select more than one choice, if your cars are in different conditions. If they are both in the same state, then you're out of luck . (Unless you want to contact a non-owner and have them vote by proxy)

But only 1 vote per car, please. (last year there was a little confusion about choices 1 & 2. If you have successfully undertaken a long trip, pick #1. If you only take the D on local adventures but are an optimist – pick #1 also. If you only take the D on local adventures but are a pessimist – pick #2. )

Last year we had 104 replies with 115 votes:

58% - I would confidently drive my car on a long trip (>250 miles)
20% - I drive it on short to medium length trips only
3% - It starts and runs, but only just.
4% - It is off the road with some minor problems (that would take an afternoon to fix)
11% - It is off the road with major mechanical/electrical issues (or upgrades)
4% - It is off the road for a complete restoration

I wonder did DCS change these percentages.

As always, posts about notable journeys this year will be keenly read.

How many miles have you driven since last October?

Mods- could we sticky this for 30 days please?

[Mark D]

I selected "It is off the road with major mechanical/electrical issues (or upgrades)"

I had some brake issues that lead to rebuilding calipers on all four corners in addition to new master cylinder. I'm also upgrading the suspension with the Eibach/Spax kit and installing poly bushings. While I'm in there I'm also replacing all the rubber coolant hoses and repairing some frame rust.

[stevedmc]

How about an option that says, "I just got finished driving my Delorean on a 2,000 mile road trip"?

[stevedmc]

Can I have a seperate vote for Bill Robertson?

[LEVY]

Can I have a seperate vote for Bill Robertson?

I would say yes, just use your "other" account! :cool1:

LEVY

[Dangermouse]

How about an option that says, "I just got finished driving my Delorean on a 2,000 mile road trip"?

That's option 1.

But may I just say how impressed I am by that trip. Kudos.

[ccurzio]

I voted "I would confidently drive my car on a long trip", but I still have yet to take it in an extended trip without a breakdown. First one was the clutch slave cylinder, second one was the fuel pump. Both have been fixed/upgraded though.

[dmc6960]

50+ miles a day, times 5 days a week, = 250+ miles a week.

Weekly since late July (spent some of the month tracing a sporadic electrical short).

Then of course the 3200 mile drive to and from Orlando in June.

Yea, I'm a #1.

[Shep]

Question: At what point does a D stop qualifying between #5 (major repairs/upgrades) and start qualifying for #6 (restoration)? Mine seems to fit somewhere in between those two options. I know that for example if the doors and seats are missing, it's #6, and if the engine just needs a head gasket replaced, it's a #5, but mine fits somewhere in between the two and I'm not sure where. It had the frame off being repaired (now finished), the wheels needed to be repainted (also finished), underbody needs painting (not done), engine is literally in pieces (unassembled, but has been ready for reassembly), transmission shift computer needs replacing (not done), fuel system needs repairs (not done), so where exactly does that place mine? It's mostly mechanical repairs, but there's also some cosmetic ones, and it's a very, very major repair. Everything was intact before the repairs started.

Is that a major repair, or a restoration?

[Michael]

Status: Perfect Mechanically and cosmetically. A little over a year ago I got mine to 100% the way I wanted it by applying the stainless label kit. I think the last thing I replaced mechanically was a steering rack about 2 years ago. A lot of people get to this stage and don't know when to stop(calculater steering wheel mod) and the car becomes tacky.

[Dangermouse]

IMHO, if the words "frame off" appear in your thoughts, then that's a restoration. :)

By Major Repair, I am thinking of one ( or perhaps two ) items being repairs. For example, a gearbox failure, or new engine, etc.

A GB failure could lead to an upgrades engine, which to me, is still a Major Repair, but add a brake overhaul, fuel overhaul, new carpet etc and you are in Resto territory.

But, it's just for fun, so pick whatever one you like. One mans Resto is another mans repair.

[Ron]

Question: At what point does a D stop qualifying between #5 (major repairs/upgrades) and start qualifying for #6 (restoration)?
$.02
When you get done with your current plans, will you be able to say it is completely restored?
No = 5
Yes = 6

[Shep]

$.02
When you get done with your current plans, will you be able to say it is completely restored?
No = 5
Yes = 6Honestly not sure about this one. There's still some things that won't be fixed (bit of a hood X, many "incorrect" parts, etc.), but I don't know if it would still be "restored" in my mind. I may never truly call it "completely restored". But I'm sure others disagree with this assessment.

Not trying to be difficult, honest! :biggrin: Just very unsure.


IMHO, if the words "frame off" appear in your thoughts, then that's a restoration. :)

By Major Repair, I am thinking of one ( or perhaps two ) items being repairs. For example, a gearbox failure, or new engine, etc.

A GB failure could lead to an upgrades engine, which to me, is still a Major Repair, but add a brake overhaul, fuel overhaul, new carpet etc and you are in Resto territory.When you put it like that, it's definitely a restoration. I have indeed used the phrase "frame off", and I am getting a new headliner and window motors out of it too, so that does wander off into restoration territory. Option #6 it is!

[Dangermouse]

I guess to complicate things, you could have a "minor restoration" which I think yours is and a "full restoration" such as DMCH and other shops do, as well as some forum members.

Maybe next year I'll break it down more, maybe based in dollar value. Less than $10k (parts and labor) is a repair? Over $10k is a restoration?

[sdg3205]

This time last year I had no heat or a/c, a bad coil that caused stalls, torn up seat covers and terrible headlights.

Car is going to bed in great shape.

[Shep]

Maybe next year I'll break it down more, maybe based in dollar value. Less than $10k (parts and labor) is a repair? Over $10k is a restoration?Depends on what all is being done. Engine/tranny rebuilds can start to get close to that range, even though both would be repairs individually. Throw in a fuel system rebuild and it's easily beyond the $10K mark. That being said, if the drivetrain is perfect, there's a ton you can do with $10K. Redo the entire interior, fiberglass repair, all that would be in restoration territory, but may still be short of $10K.

What about three categories:
(1) <$10K repair/restoration
(2) >=$10K repair/restoration
(3) being and/or needs to be rebuilt

The third option would be if the D was getting a nut-and-bolt restoration (i.e. everything is completely disassembled and reassembled), was missing major parts (seats, doors, etc.) and needed them, or was in dire need of either of the two options. Of course, you can always add in a fourth option for museum D's: "Display Only". Some of these don't even run (BTTF conversions come to mind), but do not need any kind of repairs since they're just for show.

[Ron]

I guess to complicate things, you could have a "minor restoration" which I think yours is and a "full restoration" such as DMCH and other shops do, as well as some forum members.

Maybe next year I'll break it down more, maybe based in dollar value. Less than $10k (parts and labor) is a repair? Over $10k is a restoration? IMHO it's good as is, especially since you can clarify again if needed....it will screw up your stats (well, it is only one year tho) and then you're going to get, on frame, off frame, rolling etc just for the one angle...


I finally put the fuel boot in today, so I would have graduated from a 6 to a 1. :burnout:
BUT, a squirrel ate about 4" along one of my brand new door seals last night...:swear1:
I guess I'm at 1.1 then..:swear1:

:swear1:

[Dangermouse]

I don't think there are any members on here that have their cars in a museum, or even long term storage for that matter.

It's just a question of where to stop the options. Ultimately this is just a small sampling of owners that are on this forum but it's good to know that the majority of them are runners. As Steve points out, some are long distance runners :)

[Ron]

Depends on what all is being done.
....
AH! I see what you were getting at better now Shep...Big difference in time expected down and money spent!

[Jacko]

4915 ... Thirty one years and 365,000 miles later she demanded a break. She is being disemboweled at DPI by Josh and crew and I'm expecting great things when she comes home. I'll be blunt ... after spending close to $30K ...the Bitch better be ready to party!!! :Headspin::bootyshake::Headspin:

[WelmoedJ]

Good to read that so many of you drive the car regularly and without much problems.
Since I have 6513 I only have performed pre-emptive maintenance, which of course also can be costly.
There has been only one case that 6513 left me in the breakdown lane.
That was after I couldn't get the shifter out of 5th gear and used only that gear to get as close as possible to home.
A traffic jam however landed me in the breakdown lane as I didn't want to put too much strain on 5th in stop-and-go traffic.

This year I did a 1200 Mile roundtrip to the south of Germany, no on-the-road accidents or failures met.
Recently however I had to replace the upper U-joint of the steering axle and purchased a new battery.
That's about all I did this year.

A recent appraisal for Insurance raised the insured value of 6513 to 24k euro.
Not bad for a 31 year old "can".

Momentarily it's a DD as my Pontiac lost all oil pressure and need repairs.
I have to put the repairs on hold as I first need to find out the cause of the pressure loss.
Probably (145k Miles on it) it's the oil pump and that's a bitch to get to.

So 6513 probably will be adding the Pontiac Miles during the upcoming winter as well.

[Michael]

4915 ... Thirty one years and 365,000 miles later she demanded a break. She is being disemboweled at DPI by Josh and crew and I'm expecting great things when she comes home. I'll be blunt ... after spending close to $30K ...the Bitch better be ready to party!!! :Headspin::bootyshake::Headspin:

I assume you are an original owner. You should do a post on your experiences and impressions from day one since not to many people do what you do with your car. I think a lot of people would enjoy a lengthy write-up on your ownership history. I know I would.


PS: I'm not sure you are being clear enough in the poll options, I chose a because I would definately trust it anywhere, it b says that I drive it only on short trips, which I do. I dont take it on long trips(that's what the Volvo is for). I think b should he worded " I only take it on short trips because I don't trust it enough" or something to that effect.

[hmcelraft]

Last year a "new" auto trans @ 87,000 miles. In mid-September this year a "new" engine @ 91,000 miles. Over 92,000 now trying to get it broken-in before winter.

[Dangermouse]

PS: I'm not sure you are being clear enough in the poll options, I chose a because I would definately trust it anywhere, it b says that I drive it only on short trips, which I do. I dont take it on long trips(that's what the Volvo is for). I think b should he worded " I only take it on short trips because I don't trust it enough" or something to that effect.

I can't edit the text on the poll after the fact, unfortunately. I had tried to cover that description in my original post with

"If you have successfully undertaken a long trip, pick #1.
If you only take the D on local adventures but are an optimist – pick #1
If you only take the D on local adventures but are a pessimist – pick #2"

Next year :biggrin:

[Dracula]

Since 2006; when I acquired the car, I've put over 27,000 miles on my car; averaging about 4,500 miles a year. Though, if you subtract the 3 years I was unable to drive the car due to my time with the Army, I get about 9,000 miles a year's worth of driving.

[Jonathan]

For my car and it's condition, I chose #1. There is technically very little wrong with it. Not to say I don't have a to-do list, but most of the current to-do list is cosmetic versus mechanical/electrical or all that important. Stereo deck and speakers upgrade for example. My car is far from perfect, but it starts every time and has never actually left me stranded somewhere.

Here's the thing though, under option #1 about being confident on taking long trips, I would say I myself score lower than the car scores. I still to this day don't always feel at ease behind the wheel. This might have early on been to do with a problematic brake master cylinder, or auto trans shift computer, or fuel accummulator, but even with all that behind me, the "curse" feeling continues. Something about the combination of driving a 31 year old car, getting spooked by new noises, having a lot of your time, money, heart and soul in the car, and especially when you factor in the endless supply of dumb-dumbs driving around you, I still am quite nervous driving the car.

Even on short drives I build more confidence after a while behind the wheel. But more often than not I am worried about what "might" happen in the DMC. It's not really founded, as very little if anything bad has ever happened, but a ton of the time I would rather let it sit in the garage than take it out. So when it comes to big road trips, especially far enough away that it is over night and you don't know where you're going to park it, I pretty much always choose to take my Pontiac.

So in terms of your poll, my car is a #1, but I myself am more like a #2.

[Shep]

4915 ... She is being disemboweled at DPI by Josh and crew and I'm expecting great things when she comes home. I'll be blunt ... after spending close to $30K ...the Bitch better be ready to party!!! :Headspin::bootyshake::Headspin:Boy do I know the feeling! :hysterical:



[Jacko,] you should do a post on your experiences and impressions from day one since not to many people do what you do with your car. I think a lot of people would enjoy a lengthy write-up on your ownership history. I know I would.Seconded! I have not yet spoken to or heard from an owner who bought their D new from the dealership enough to hear their story, and I would be greatly interested in such a story! :biggrin:



I think b should he worded " I only take it on short trips because I don't trust it enough" or something to that effect.What about simply adding "would only" so it becomes "I would only drive it on short to medium length trips only"? Same meaning, but worded more similarly to option A. That's where I'm aiming to be -- I don't even trust my non-DeLorean daily driver enough to make any >250 mile trips.

[jawn101]

I voted 250 miles confident this year.

The interesting thing is I voted the same way last year, but since that poll I've done so many things I would consider critical preventative maintenance and upgrades that I think I'd like to change my 2011 vote :)

As of now however, I'd seriously trust it to get me just about anywhere. Except maybe Tahoe in February.

[Dangermouse]

I've think that next year I will have a pre-poll thread where we can thrash out the verbiage for the options :)

These are all valid points. Feel free to qualify your choice with a note here.

I would also "third" the suggestion that Jack starts a thread outlining his experiences. Perhaps not all at once, but piece by piece. If I recall correctly, Jack has a second D, but it's only got 220,000 miles, no interesting stories there, I'm sure :)

PS - I've owned my car for four years today. Yeah baby.

[Cory W]

1. From the roughly 2500 mile trip home in 2008 (did I ever mention sight unseen?) to the various weekend trips this summer, I'll take it any time the opportunity allows. It's harder to have a weekend alone or with only one passenger than it is to drive it places.

[cdrusn]

After owning several hundred cars over my 45 years of driving, I have to place my Delorean near the middle of the "fun to drive" category. I've had Corvettes, driven Shelbys, had Mustangs, Porsches, Mercedes, BMW, Chevrolet Super Sports ('66 SS 396), they all hold certain places in my car ownership and driving experiences. The Delorean has a lot of good points and maybe an equal number of bad points but overall it excels at one thing. Whenever I take it out, no matter how well it is running or driving, no matter what repairs are still needed, it attracts attention unlike any car I have ever owned. I was sitting on the side of the street one day with a smoking stuck brake caliper and some lady stopped her car next to mine (with smoke billowing out of the caliper) and struck up a conversation "is that the back to the future car?" As I held my fire extinguisher I calmly said "yes it is". It is reliable as much as any '80s car can be and the list of future repairs and upgrades is long but there is no other car that can just sit in my driveway, broken from a faulty alternator or starter and still have neighbors walk by and make a comment. Will I ever trust it to go 1,000 miles or more? Why would I want to. There are plenty of cars that can do that, I just want a car I can work on, drive around town and occasionally go to the beach and enjoy.

[MTDMC]

Since August of 2011, my car has been driven just over 3,700 miles. I drive the car on trips that take an hour away from the house. I drove it to the Gillmore Car Museum a few times during the summer. I'm putting it away in storage at the end of the month. I plan on driving it to DMCMW sometime next year.

[Jonathan]

Will I ever trust it to go 1,000 miles or more? Why would I want to. There are plenty of cars that can do that, I just want a car I can work on, drive around town and occasionally go to the beach and enjoy.

Well said. I totally agree. I completely trust my car to toot around the area, go to shows and meet up with other owners. The long distance stuff I'll leave to my other car.

[DeLorean03]

Ask Dave and Julee - I drove mine 700+ miles getting my car to them - not one single issue that kept the car on the side of the road.

So even though my car is, in essence packed away for the winter with the doors gutted and the T-panel off, I'm voting option 1.

[Texas Twister]

I have racked up 15,000 miles so far on my road trip that started at the end of June. In that time I have rebuilt the front suspension, replaced the front tires, replaced the swing arm bolts and bushings, replaced a cracked tranny mount, rebuilt the alternator, replaced the clutch master cylinder, repaired the AC and replaced the speedo drive. With the exception of the tranny mount, swing arm bushings, pivot bolts and speedo drive I have done all the work. The car is in better shape than ever although the only game stoppers during the trip so far has been the clutch and alternator (shot bearings). The engine has needed nothing other than oil changes. Sure there are some things that need work (upholstery, etc.) but nothing is expected before the end of the road trip other than more oil changes.

Ian

[Dracula]

I'm amazed at how some people don't trust their cars. They are extremely reliable if maintained. I'm back in the habit of using mine as a daily driver and put 130 miles on it yesterday alone. If basic maintenance is performed and issues are noted and fixed as they arise, then there's nothing to worry about. As long as it's not one of the cars I'm presently making reliable, I'd drive any car I own cross-country without a second thought and every car I have is a classic.

[Dangermouse]

Could someone please summarize the poll results, and # votes, to date, for those using Tapatalk (such as me at the weekend) ?

One of TT drawbacks is that you can't see poles :(

[Shep]

Could someone please summarize the poll results, and # votes, to date, for those using Tapatalk (such as me at the weekend) ?As of October 21, 2012, 9:21 PM / 21:21 UTC (5:21 PM EDT), here's the current results:

Option 1 - I would confidently drive my car on a long trip (>250 miles) - 67 votes - 69.79%
Option 2 - I drive it on short to medium length trips only - 16 votes - 16.67%
Option 3 - It starts and runs, but only just- 0 votes - 0%
Option 4 - It is off the road with some minor problems (that would take an afternoon to fix) - 2 votes - 2.08%
Option 5 - It is off the road with major mechanical/electrical issues (or upgrades) - 5 votes - 5.21%
Option 6 - It is off the road for a complete restoration - 6 votes - 6.25%

Total votes: 96


One of TT drawbacks is that you can't see poles :(That's silly. Why would it be prejudiced against Polish citizens? :tongue:

[refugeefromcalif]

That's silly. Why would it be prejudiced against Polish citizens? :tongue:

Dang, you beat me to that... ;)

George

(I've got Polish ancestors)...

[Rad Dad]

I've been out of touch with the internet for a week. . . . .way down in back country SE Texas . . . .and when I read the first choice in the poll I had to laugh out loud . . . . .I regularly drive on trips of 500 to 2000 miles . . . .and, yes, without a spare . . . . so 250 miles didn't impress me. I recently met "third person Steve" and wondered how I would fare if I had to carry all those "spare parts" with me. Well,maybe that would save me money since my wife wouldn't be able to pick up "little things" along the way when we take trips. No spare tire . . . no spare fuel pump . . .no spare - oh,well, you get the idea . . . . It is a car. If you drive it regularly, it will act just like a car. It will be reliable. Please . . . . unless you bought it to be a work of art to sit and look at . . . . .DRIVE IT. It is really fun . . . . . .unless, of course, you are really paranoid!

Oh, and the nice part about moving from the mountains of CO to the "mountains" of NC is that I now have no reason for "putting the car away for the winter"!

Thirty years of DeLorean driving (approximately 250,000 miles) and ready for the next trip!

Dick Ryan, The Rad Dad
Vin 16867

[jawn101]

Several local owners today trusted their cars for well over 250 miles on a club drive up the CA coast. Not a single thing went wrong with any of the cars (unless you count an accidentally kicked inertia switch... lol)

http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?5512-Amazing-Marin-drive-today

[Dangermouse]

One of TT drawbacks is that you can't see poles :(

Bloody hell, what was I thinking? That wasn't even an autocorrect.

Polls, polls, my kingdom for a Poll !

[DavidProehl]

Several local owners today trusted their cars for well over 250 miles on a club drive up the CA coast. Not a single thing went wrong with any of the cars (unless you count an accidentally kicked inertia switch... lol)

http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?5512-Amazing-Marin-drive-today

I was on that drive and did 300 miles without any issues. Need to post my pictures this afternoon. Great drive!

[dmc4087]

4915 ... Thirty one years and 365,000 miles later

This has to be one of the few with miles anywhere near that. Original engine and gearbox?

[stevedmc]

I recently met "third person Steve" and wondered how I would fare if I had to carry all those "spare parts" with me. Well,maybe that would save me money since my wife wouldn't be able to pick up "little things" along the way when we take trips. No spare tire . . . no spare fuel pump . . .no spare - oh,well, you get the idea . . . . It is a car. If you drive it regularly, it will act just like a car. It will be reliable. Please . . . . unless you bought it to be a work of art to sit and look at . . . . .DRIVE IT. It is really fun . . . . . .unless, of course, you are really paranoid!

Steve Rice thinks Dick's car is very nice and indeed pimped out in the engine bay. Steve Rice agree's completely with the "drive it" reasoning. Steve Rice just carries a ton of parts/tools because Steve Rice is his own road side assistance.

For what its worth, Steve Rice inspected his belts before the trip and noticed the AC belt had some wear on it and replaced it. Steve Rice didn't want to risk driving without AC on his recent trip. Steve Rice didn't notice any wear on the alternator belt so he left the old one on there. Ironically, the alternator belt popped about 1,200 miles into the trip even though it passed Steve Rice's visual inspection.

On another note, Steve Rice also laughs when he hears of someone bragging about their car making a 250 mile trip. Steve Rice easily puts 70+ miles on his car just driving it to/from work.

[Shep]

Bloody hell, what was I thinking? That wasn't even an autocorrect.While we're talking about typos, Third Person Steve (I'm going to start calling him that from now on) made one too:
Steve Rice agree's completely with the "drive it" reasoning.Unless, you know, "Steve Rice Agree" is now a brand, in which case it simply needs to be capitalized. Just sayin' :wink:




On another note, Steve Rice also laughs when he hears of someone bragging about their car making a 250 mile trip. Steve Rice easily puts 70+ miles on his car just driving it to/from work.:confused0:

250 is greater than 70 by a factor of over 3.57...

[stevedmc]

While we're talking about typos, Third Person Steve (I'm going to start calling him that from now on) made one too:Unless, you know, "Steve Rice Agree" is now a brand, in which case it simply needs to be capitalized. Just sayin' :wink:



:confused0:

250 is greater than 70 by a factor of over 3.57...

Steve Rice has over 10k mikes of driving documented on this forum for the year so far because Steve Rice has made more than a few 250+ mile trips in Steve Rice's Delorean that Steve Rice owns.

[Ron]

Steve Rice thinks Dick's car is very nice and indeed pimped out in the engine bay. Steve Rice agree's completely with the "drive it" reasoning. Steve Rice just carries a ton of parts/tools because Steve Rice is his own road side assistance.

For what its worth, Steve Rice inspected his belts before the trip and noticed the AC belt had some wear on it and replaced it. Steve Rice didn't want to risk driving without AC on his recent trip. Steve Rice didn't notice any wear on the alternator belt so he left the old one on there. Ironically, the alternator belt popped about 1,200 miles into the trip even though it passed Steve Rice's visual inspection.

On another note, Steve Rice also laughs when he hears of someone bragging about their car making a 250 mile trip. Steve Rice easily puts 70+ miles on his car just driving it to/from work.
Steve Rice mised a few...

[stevedmc]

Steve Rice mised a few...

Steve Rice is obviously a successful troll.

[Shep]

Steve Rice has over 10k mikes of driving documented on this forum for the year so far because Steve Rice has made more than a few 250+ mile trips in Steve Rice's Delorean that Steve Rice owns.Don't change the question. That's not even remotely close to what I said. You said you laughed at owners who made 250+ mile trips like that was nothing because you made 70+ mile trips to/from work, which makes no sense considering 250 is over 3.5x greater than 70. This ad hominem change of topic doesn't explain anything and only adds entirely irrelevant information. :confused2:

[stevedmc]

Steve Rice was using Louisiana math.

[john 05141]

Mine is a very reliable car, I'd drive it a long distance at any time, but unfortunatey rarely do so Only the sad moment is about to come to put her into winter storage :disapprove:

I am about to reach the 70K miles mark. I'm probably the 5th owner of this Delorean, and I am quite sure the mileage is not correct. The provious owner already told me the spedometer was down a couple of times. So let's say it is 80K miles.
What I wonder is if there had been a poll done ever on how many miles your Deloreans have. I saw 250K in the beginning of this thread, wooow!
Can such a poll be done?
What's marked on your speedometer?
What do you think is more or less the true mileage?

Jan

[SIMid]

I drove mine to a car show the other week and that was around 350km, there and back. Did not miss a beat. Told my mechanic when I caught up with him yesterday, his response;

"Are you f-ing mad?"
I asked him why.
"What happens if you break down in the outback and the service guy rocks up and ... say you need a coolant hose?"
"But you replaced all of them."
He pauses ... "belt snaps".
"I have spares in the car."
He laughs and says, "You are a brave man!"

Mind you, I have backup relays and also fuses with me as well.

[Sidaries]

Mine is a very reliable car, I'd drive it a long distance at any time, but unfortunatey rarely do so Only the sad moment is about to come to put her into winter storage :disapprove:

I am about to reach the 70K miles mark. I'm probably the 5th owner of this Delorean, and I am quite sure the mileage is not correct. The provious owner already told me the spedometer was down a couple of times. So let's say it is 80K miles.
What I wonder is if there had been a poll done ever on how many miles your Deloreans have. I saw 250K in the beginning of this thread, wooow!
Can such a poll be done?
What's marked on your speedometer?
What do you think is more or less the true mileage?

Jan

My speedometer says 59000 miles, but this is surely not true. When I bought it had 53014 miles and a broken angle drive. As Ed in the Netherlands said, it possibly has 70000 miles in it, maybe a bit more. I think I can accept that.


The car is absolutely reliable, I often make short trips with it and a bigger holiday every year. I've been to Germany many times, in the Netherlands 2 times and last year I attended to Eurofest in Ireland as Jan did also.

[john 05141]

I doubt many Deloreans out there have the accurate mileage anyway.
I'd like to make more "holiday trips" with the Delorean. Eurtofest was the most memorable one by far.

Jan

[WelmoedJ]

The poll here isn't about the mileage of the car, it's about making long (higher mileage) trips with the car.
And the poll is about you (the owner) being confident/having confidence that your car can do this.

Being confident is one thing, having confidence is another.
Both however stem from the state of maintenance (especially the pre-emptive maintenance).
If you do that maintenence yourself, you (get to) know your car and thus build up confidence (or the opposite).
Anyway if you do your maintenance yourself, you also know the culprits and make sure you have less chance to fall into one.
It surely helps to prevent you getting panicky if something strange happens while on your way.

Besides knowing your car, it is a huge help this and other De Lorean fora exist.
The combined knowlegde here is very comforting and an ease of mind once bad things happen.
I feel this also must be said.
Thank you all.

[Sidaries]

Besides knowing your car, it is a huge help this and other De Lorean fora exist.
The combined knowlegde here is very comforting and an ease of mind once bad things happen.
I feel this also must be said.
Thank you all.

Well said. +1

[stevedmc]

Being confident is one thing, having confidence is another.

Thinking your car can go on a long trip and actually driving it are two different things as well.

[Shep]

Thinking your car can go on a long trip and actually driving it are two different things as well.I think that's what he was getting at :wink:

[john 05141]

The poll here isn't about the mileage of the car, it's about making long (higher mileage) trips with the car.
And the poll is about you (the owner) being confident/having confidence that your car can do this.

Being confident is one thing, having confidence is another.
Both however stem from the state of maintenance (especially the pre-emptive maintenance).
If you do that maintenence yourself, you (get to) know your car and thus build up confidence (or the opposite).
Anyway if you do your maintenance yourself, you also know the culprits and make sure you have less chance to fall into one.
It surely helps to prevent you getting panicky if something strange happens while on your way.

Besides knowing your car, it is a huge help this and other De Lorean fora exist.
The combined knowlegde here is very comforting and an ease of mind once bad things happen.
I feel this also must be said.
Thank you all.




That is why I always have Welmoed's Phone number at hand while driving around in the Delorean, he's better than any road assistance! :headbang:
The car never failed on me while driving, but it is a comfortable feeling.... I'll stop writing now before Welmoed charges membership.

Jan

[Jonathan]

That is why I always have Welmoed's Phone number at hand while driving around in the Delorean, he's better than any road assistance! :headbang:
The car never failed on me while driving, but it is a comfortable feeling.... I'll stop writing now before Welmoed charges membership.

Jan

Haha, that's hilarious. I believe that is known as "Dave Swingle Membership" in these parts :) Luckily, too, I've never had to use it in a panic. Comforting though in MANY ways knowing the experts are only a keyboard away.

[Dangermouse]

De Lorean fora

Trust the non-native english speaker to use the "historically technically correct" form. :wiggle:

123 votes after 2.5 weeks. More than last year, which is good. Even better is the 70% score for the first option.

[Shep]

Trust the non-native english speaker to use the "historically technically correct" form. :wiggle: I've talked with some native Englishmen who swear by the term "fora" instead of "forums", especially when they're articulate in their native English. Could just be a European mannerism, similar to the use of the word "loo" to refer to what we Americans call a "bathroom".


123 votes after 2.5 weeks. More than last year, which is good. Even better is the 70% score for the first option.I also find it comforting that no one yet has selected the "barely runs" option. It means no one is pulling out any hairs trying to get their D's drivable when they're extremely close to doing so.

By the way, where's last year's poll? I'm interested in comparing the results.

[Dangermouse]

The 2011 results are listed in the first post of this thread.

[Dangermouse]

I've talked with some native Englishmen who swear by the term "fora" instead of "forums", especially when they're articulate in their native English. Could just be a European mannerism, similar to the use of the word "loo" to refer to what we Americans call a "bathroom".



Welmoed is Dutch, not English, which is why i think it is interesting. Perhaps they learn English grammar /spelling more intensely than native speakers.

but yes, I would perhaps have expected a native Englishman to use "fora".

Looks like "fora" and "forums" are equally acceptable these days

[Shep]

The 2011 results are listed in the first post of this thread.I see it now. Must've missed the results when I was looking for a link. Thanks!


Welmoed is Dutch, not English, which is why i think it is interesting.Hence "European mannerism" :wink: