Found a Delorean! What do you think it's worth?

[Ikeaboy1]

I sold 2867 months ago and have been searching for another D. I haven't found 'the one' yet. By chance I was working on a project for a man and spotted this Delorean through the woods. I saw the owner taking his dog for a walk and approached him. Sure enough, it's for sale. I had limited time to assess the car, but did snap some photos and get a really good feel for what is good and what is bad. I'm going to return this weekend for some time with the car.

The good:
-Except for the one blistered area on the front frame extension, the fame looks like it's in very good shape. The epoxy in all other areas looks to have survived well.
-16,000 miles, original owner.
-The body is in miraculously good shape, and the panel gap around the doors is perfect(the first Delorean I've ever seen in person to have perfectly aligned doors and body panels).
-It's all there.

The bad:
-It hasn't been driven since the early 1990's and doesn't run. Will likely need complete mechanical restoration. Brakes, cooling system, fuel system, power steering ;) .
-The windshield is cracked, the dash and binnacle are shot. A pillar trim needs replaced.
-Fascias are shot.
-Tires and all rubber components, gaskets, are shot.

So... what does the community think this car is worth? I'm very tempted to make a play for it and save it, but I want to buy the car for the right price. I have an idea. I'm sure the owner has an idea. What's your idea?

[ALEXAKOS]

Short answer: Your Body and soul

Long answer: Well, frame looks great. Engine must need some work. I'd say between 10K to 15K would be a good deal.

[LordFly]

That's a fair bit of work involved. $15K would be pushing it, but at 12 or 13 (assuming you have the skills to fix most of it yourself) wouldn't be too bad a deal. Just be prepared to dump a ton of dollars into it.

[louielouie2000]

Short answer: Your Body and soul

Long answer: Well, frame looks great. Engine must need some work. I'd say between 10K to 15K would be a good deal.

$15k is way, way too much for a car that has some cosmetic issues & hasn't run in 2 decades. $8,000-$11,000 tops, IMO.

[yellowmxwheels23]

I bought 10309 for 5k and it was better off than this D. Same problem was that it hadn't run in sometime. If the guy is serious you should be able to get it for under 10K

[DavidProehl]

Less than $10k for sure for a non-running car with cosmetic issues, I'd say $8k. Since it doesn't run, for all you know the engine has a hole in the valley and needs to be replaced entirely (though unlikely). You will need to put a lot of time and money in to get it operational and that should be reflected in the price you pay. It sounds like you are buying a frame and good body panels with everything else needing to be fixed/replaced.

Of course, at the end of the day it is worth whatever the buyer is willing to pay. If I were that buyer I wouldn't pay more than $8k.

[ssaleen]

I paid $9500 for mine a year ago and it had been sitting in a garage since 1991.

[ALEXAKOS]

Oh boy....
Looking a your prices paid...I feel mugged!!!!:angry0:

[LordFly]

It sounds like the car gets in worse and worse shape the farther down the thread we go ;) He did say frame and body are almost perfect...


The good:
-Except for the one blistered area on the front frame extension, the fame looks like it's in very good shape. The epoxy in all other areas looks to have survived well.
-16,000 miles, original owner.
-The body is in miraculously good shape, and the panel gap around the doors is perfect(the first Delorean I've ever seen in person to have perfectly aligned doors and body panels).
-It's all there.

I guess it's a little hard for everyone on here to say without pictures of it.

[Mark D]

I'd say less than 10k for sure. I'd offer 7 and see his reaction. The frame looked pretty bubbled up in the front... I'd expect there would be rust hidden in other areas too that you couldn't see with the car on the ground. If you can get a jack underneath and prop it up on jack stands that would be a better opportunity to scope out the rust.

The exterior looks cooked from the sun. The tail light lenses are pretty faded to yellow.

[SIMid]

Looking at the roofline, she looks a little bowed. I'm guessing the car has been outside all this time? The roof may be seperating.

Plus with the windscreen replacement, probably best to get someone experienced or else those doors will not close perfectly again once replaced.

[Ikeaboy1]

Yes, the roof was deformed very slightly. And yes, I would only trust an expert to change the windshield. I've actually already been in contact with Josh at DPI about this car and he has given me some insight into what it will take to get these issues resolved professionally. I know I don't have the time to restore this car on my own. I think this is an $8000 car as it sits. Perhaps the owner will agree. I will update as this plays out.

[DeLorean03]

I'd take $7000 - $7500 in cash and offer it to him. Anymore for a non-runner = no thank you.

[Sidaries]

I think 8-10 thousands is ok. I bought mine for 15000$ in 2008 and it was in perfect running position. It needed only minor issues to be fixed.

[kbrown84]

Just bought mine 2 months ago...runs and drives, needs a few updates. 47k miles...i paid 13k.

Im afriad the project car market is closing in on the last remaining dinosaurs, prices will be going up...just my thoughts.

KB

[louielouie2000]

Im afriad the project car market is closing in on the last remaining dinosaurs, prices will be going up...just my thoughts.

KB

This is absolutely untrue. Out of the ~9,000 DeLoreans built, around 7,000 (some say more) are thought to still exist. Of those, only 1,500 or so are currently registered. We don't go more than a couple of weeks on this board without someone posting: "I found this rotted old DeLorean sitting neglected in a field/yard/driveway/parking lot/etc, what do you think it's worth?" As fussy as these cars are, and as moderate as their values remain, there will ALWAYS be project cars sitting around waiting for new life.

[kbrown84]

You have a valid point. I was referring more towards the 'real life' project cars...something that wouldn't take a complete restoration. There seems to be a lot of really nice cars, and there are a lot of really rough cars...With fleeting numbers in the middle. Like I said before, maybe it's just my crooked observation or maybe just my area...


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