Close to pulling the trigger, need advice.

Hi Guys,

Its been a long time since I had an excuse to post here. If there are any owners in the Simi Valley, CA area willing to give me a hand I would love it. I have wanted a D since I was 5 years old and saw "the movie" for the first time. The car has somehow always eluded me and always just been barely out of reach financially. However with the market seeming to be returning to normal after the virus boom, I am looking to finally pull the trigger and get my car! But I have been out of the game for a while and I could use some help. Knowing how things are on forums, I know everyone will probably have a separate opinion on this topic and I am probably opening a HUGE can of worms! So please be gentle!

Here is what I am after: Early Build with Gas Flap hood (for convenience), idc about mileage or interior color, and hate me if you want but I plan on repainting the wheels to the brighter color that came later out of personal preference. Ideally I would like the car to already have the stainless fuel lines, upgraded fuel pump/sending unit and stainless expansion tank. R134a or Freon don't care; and no electrical issues or frame/roof box rust. Looking to spend between $40-60k I know that's a large margin, but from what I have seen on bring-a-trailer the market has been between those numbers on decent examples. I plan on daily driving it for half the year (what Hagerty will allow) and then driving my other car the rest of the time.

What I need help on are as follows:

-Who is the best classic car financing company you know of?
-Is Hagerty the best option for full coverage/daily driving or is there a better option?
-Manual Transmission: how stiff is the clutch and is it daily driver friendly? Do you recommend Auto? (car will not be a commuter, I work locally so no stop and go traffic)
-Besides the upgrades I listed above, what else do you consider a MUST-DO for a modern Delorean?
-What is the best Delorean service provider in the Ventura County area? (I live right on the border between Ventura/LA counties.
-Advice on anti-theft systems or precautions?

I am really excited to finally (hopefully) be doing this; my goal is to have it by Q2 next year but I am willing to wait longer for a better deal. Also I already know to avoid a certain "car club" in a certain high-class area of my state, heard the horror stories... I plan on buying either from a private party or from DMC-CA or DMC-Midwest.

To get a sorted car from one of the vendors, you're going to need to increase the budget. Sorry to say, with one exception, all of the 15 or so cars I've seen that were purchased from vendors have needed considerable additional "sorting".

I'd drop the gas flap hood thing and look for the best enthusiast-owned and driven car you can find. Connect with local owners, educate yourself, and reassess possible deal breakers.

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Originally Posted by Ethan Rode

To get a sorted car from one of the vendors, you're going to need to increase the budget. Sorry to say, with one exception, all of the 15 or so cars I've seen that were purchased from vendors have needed considerable additional "sorting".

I'd drop the gas flap hood thing and look for the best enthusiast-owned and driven car you can find. Connect with local owners, educate yourself, and reassess possible deal breakers.

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I mean, if I had a "compromise" car in mind, it would be as follows:


-stock fuel lines and coolant bottle (easy to replace them)
-interior with cracked dash, binnacle and/or seats
-non-functional AC
-front/rear fascia's need to be repainted and have "eyebrows"
-small dents/ in need of regraining

Deal Breakers:
-Frame Rust beyond simple surface rust/pitting (actual holes)
-Block Rot
-Rodent Evidence (urine, feces, chewed wires, rats nests in AC or storage cubbies)
-non running
-major electrical gremlins (flood car, etc)

Im not looking for a concourse car, or a fully restored to perfection example. I just want a car that runs and drives well, and has all the necessary safety modifications done to it. Cosmetics and creature comforts can come with time (though AC will be high on the list because I live in California)

I agree though, the gas flap thing isn't a must, it is just an ideal. But any Delorean that looks decent and runs well will make me happy.

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Originally Posted by 5dmc1

Im not looking for a concourse car, or a fully restored to perfection example. I just want a car that runs and drives well, and has all the necessary safety modifications done to it. Cosmetics and creature comforts can come with time (though AC will be high on the list because I live in California)

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That took me over 100K. A great low mileage example that sat 20 years + going thorough all the mechanical/electrical to have a great running daily usable car. Also ditched K-Jet for EFI. Today - it's mechanically solid and gets driven anywhere with confidence and ice cold A/C.

Your highest priority should be condition. Everything else is secondary unless you want a project. All of your "wants" can be done to any Delorean if you want them bad enough. Your ideal car would be from a club member who drove it at least occasionally, took good care of it and maintained it. Hagerty is not the only game in town. Get quotes from at least 3, the more the better. Google classic car insurance. A 5 speed is more "peppy" than an automatic but either is fine (automatics are rarer and harder to find). A battery master switch is the best and cheapest anti-theft device but there are plenty of after-market alarms you can buy (a 5-speed is now considered an anti-theft device!). Include in your budget to buy the car enough money to do maintenance and repairs. Not the best strategy to have to borrow money to buy your dream car. When it breaks down (and it WILL break down) and you don't have the money to fix it but you still have to pay the monthly bill, you will have put yourself in a very bad spot.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ethan Rode

To get a sorted car from one of the vendors, you're going to need to increase the budget. Sorry to say, with one exception, all of the 15 or so cars I've seen that were purchased from vendors have needed considerable additional "sorting".

I'd drop the gas flap hood thing and look for the best enthusiast-owned and driven car you can find. Connect with local owners, educate yourself, and reassess possible deal breakers.

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Agreed on both topics

Haggerty is best I found and I believe most trustworthy
I put half down on mine about 4 years ago and financed the other half through Lightstream. The nice thing about them is its not a traditional type of car loan. I told them what it was for but they never asked for proof, they just wire the money. I think it was about 5.5 % at the time. Plus you will always have title in hand.
I would plan on keeping at least a few k allocated for the stuff that will need done when you start driving it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 5dmc1

I mean, if I had a "compromise" car in mind, it would be as follows:


-stock fuel lines and coolant bottle (easy to replace them)
-interior with cracked dash, binnacle and/or seats
-non-functional AC
-front/rear fascia's need to be repainted and have "eyebrows"
-small dents/ in need of regraining

Deal Breakers:
-Frame Rust beyond simple surface rust/pitting (actual holes)
-Block Rot
-Rodent Evidence (urine, feces, chewed wires, rats nests in AC or storage cubbies)
-non running
-major electrical gremlins (flood car, etc)

Im not looking for a concourse car, or a fully restored to perfection example. I just want a car that runs and drives well, and has all the necessary safety modifications done to it. Cosmetics and creature comforts can come with time (though AC will be high on the list because I live in California)

I agree though, the gas flap thing isn't a must, it is just an ideal. But any Delorean that looks decent and runs well will make me happy.

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Sounds like you got it figured out. That is assuming you work on cars. If I didn?t work on cars, I don?t know if I would buy a Delorean. Not saying this car is trouble. On the contrary, mine has been pretty problem free after the initial work. But, paying someone to work on it would be iffy.

Also I?m not keen on borrowing money for cars, especially classic ones.

Edit, Hagerty has been good to me, but I’ve never made a claim.

You are overestimating the "convenience" of a gas flap hood.

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Originally Posted by JRNY13

You are overestimating the "convenience" of a gas flap hood.

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It can be a huge convenience when your hood release cable snaps.

Adding some advice 3 topics not yet addressed. Clutch effort, safety items, alarm:

1. The stock clutch effort isn't too bad. Advice: Go find a 5-speed someplace. Sit in the parked car and get a feel for the clutch effort, then you'll know what it's like. See if you can find a local owner or ask your "car club" dealer to let you sit in one of their inventoried cars.
2. Must-Dos include safety items such as brakes, steering rack/arms and ball joints, bushings, trailing arm bolts, both horns, fuel leakage, all exterior lights, door latches and the wiper system. Replace old (7+yr) tires. Get a 3rd party car inspection if you can before negotiating the final price.
3. I don't a need for an alarm system. The car does have an anti-theft steering column. The standard inertia switch and an optional battery-cutoff switch can add some security - PM me if you need to know about the inertia switch comment. On the other hand, if you'll feel better having a car alarm then do install one. The goal is to have a car you'll enjoy. Peace of mind can add a lot to that.

Happy hunting.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 5dmc1

What I need help on are as follows:

-Manual Transmission: how stiff is the clutch and is it daily driver friendly? Do you recommend Auto? (car will not be a commuter, I work locally so no stop and go traffic)
-Besides the upgrades I listed above, what else do you consider a MUST-DO for a modern Delorean?
-Advice on anti-theft systems or precautions?

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If you have a 5 speed, very few people know how to drive them so would not steal them. Anyway the car is so visible that also deters theft. You can't really resell these cars without all of us knowing. Even parting the car out would be hard to do.

Put an Apple Airtag in the car somewhere and you'll know where it's at.

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Originally Posted by iflights

Put an Apple Airtag in the car somewhere and you'll know where it's at.

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I bought an Aston Martin recently and the sales team put an airtag under the seat for added security during transport. I like that.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bitsyncmaster

If you have a 5 speed, very few people know how to drive them so would not steal them. Anyway the car is so visible that also deters theft. You can't really resell these cars without all of us knowing. Even parting the car out would be hard to do.

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I would agree with this. Unless your car is targeted by some offshore export car thief, you?re pretty safe. And they would probably only go for a concourse car.

On the clutch, I do think it is kind of heavy. Not a problem unless you get caught in one of those crawling traffic jams on the interstate.

Out of curiosity, I spent some time searching and could find only 2 instances in the past 25 years of a DeLorean being stolen (and, the theft being discussed online). A far more common risk from what I have seen is damage from someone touching it, leaning on it for pictures, etc. There are some great cameras that can transmit over wifi or cell service to an app on your phone, and can alert you with a phone notification if there is movement in the camera field. Depending on your parking situation, that could be helpful.

I also hate to comment on this stuff, but I don't think the $40k end of your range is reasonable for what you're looking for. There's a car on Bring-A-Trailer right now that's already bid at $40k (mentally add in another $2000 for their buyer fee) and it's got original fuel lines and it overheats (!!). It is a gray/manual/grooved car though, and I think those tend to be a bit more expensive than other other styles because of the time machine builders.

I also do not think prices have come down since the pandemic boom. They seemed to come down a bit in late 2023 through 2024, but rebounded in 2025 to their 2022 peak or maybe a bit higher. I base this off of Bring-A-Trailer sales since I can see actual sales prices; trying to track asking prices over time is pointless in my opinion.

Since you are asking for advice, I would suggest you plan for about $55k all-in (car price, tax, title, auction fees, loan, etc.) and additionally set aside $5k cash for first year repairs. There are just too many things that can go wrong with these and even a pretty well sorted car will have occasional issues arise that could not be foreseen. If you set aside a repair budget, you can at least enjoy the fact that you can handle many of these issues with that.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by David T

Your highest priority should be condition. Everything else is secondary unless you want a project. All of your "wants" can be done to any Delorean if you want them bad enough. Your ideal car would be from a club member who drove it at least occasionally, took good care of it and maintained it. Hagerty is not the only game in town. Get quotes from at least 3, the more the better. Google classic car insurance. A 5 speed is more "peppy" than an automatic but either is fine (automatics are rarer and harder to find). A battery master switch is the best and cheapest anti-theft device but there are plenty of after-market alarms you can buy (a 5-speed is now considered an anti-theft device!). Include in your budget to buy the car enough money to do maintenance and repairs. Not the best strategy to have to borrow money to buy your dream car. When it breaks down (and it WILL break down) and you don't have the money to fix it but you still have to pay the monthly bill, you will have put yourself in a very bad spot.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bitsyncmaster

If you have a 5 speed, very few people know how to drive them so would not steal them. Anyway the car is so visible that also deters theft. You can't really resell these cars without all of us knowing. Even parting the car out would be hard to do.

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What they said!
Also, I would add that a car driven more will have more bugs worked out of it. Don't eliminate higher millage cars out of your search. K-Jet is not bad unless it is not driven.

When you find a car that you are considering, see if you can ask the local club if they know the car and or owner so you can get more info on the car. Usually owners who join the local car club & socialize will have put more love into the car fixing it up than a flipper or local dealership type of place.

In prior years, whenever threads like these would come up, most of the community would recommend a book to read prior to a purchase. It was a Delorean buyers guide and I thought maybe James Espy down at DMCH was the author but that might be wrong. Anyways, that might be something to leverage into your decision-making process.

https://store.classicdmc.com/p100098...o-returns.html

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Originally Posted by OverlandMan

In prior years, whenever threads like these would come up, most of the community would recommend a book to read prior to a purchase. It was a Delorean buyers guide and I thought maybe James Espy down at DMCH was the author but that might be wrong. Anyways, that might be something to leverage into your decision-making process.

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Maybe you should wait some more and have the funds ready to go, with a $5-10K cushion for surprises. Do your insurance research now. Just find the overall best car and forget what you want as far as build specifics. You need reliability if you want to actually drive it and not just look at it. These are very old cars now, they had issues when built and time has not been kind to them. Good luck!

Appreciate all the input guys! I understand why some of you might think financing a classic is a bad idea due to repair costs. Rest assured, I am doing this because I just don't want to drop the full price of the car. At the rate I currently make money I could have the price of the car saved up in about 6-10 months. I am financing it so I can keep building my savings while also having my dream car, so repair costs wouldn't be an issue. I also am very mechanically inclined and have done a lot of work on my 1970 Camaro's restoration myself. Only things I would need a mechanic to do would be under-car work and stuff to do with fluids. Any basic engine work I can easily do myself especially being that Deloreans have a spacious engine compartment. A car that overheats isn't a huge issue unless we are talking about possible head gasket failure, in which case I would bring a test kit with me to the deal and ask to test for a leak. If it tests clean, its most likely a clogged radiator/cooling system or a bad thermostat which are both relatively easy fixes.

I was contemplating a 5-spd but I am worried about how reliable the UN-1 will be. I have syncro issues on my 2017 Focus ST and being how new that is, I worry that old 1980s designs might have more issues. Plus I hear the car has a stiff clutch and I live just north of LA and deal with a lot of bumper to bumper traffic, so this would not be ideal unless the bite point is not at the bottom. (can someone confirm where the bite point is in pedal travel pls?)

To the gentleman that commented on Bring-A-Trailer pricing, that is what I am using as my reference. I think one of the running cars around 40-50k would be ideal for me. Fuel lines and coolant bottle are easy replacements I can do in an afternoon, bigger issues like leaking radiator hoses under the car, worn radiator or fueling issues would not be ideal.. hot start or cold start issues are easily fixed with the fuel accumulator or Hot Start solenoid being replaced. I also am aware I would need to set aside around 800 bucks to replace all the old fuses and relays behind the passenger seat if it is having electrical gremlins.

Overall, as long as she doesnt have rot in the frame, roof box or engine block; doesnt have any major dings/creases in the bodywork, or any major mechanical issues (basically a club car driven once or twice a week) I think I would make out well between 40-55k. I have all the service manuals and the Delorean Buyers Guide. I have the guide basically memorized at this point lol. But from what I can tell these cars are super simple to work on, maybe even more so than my Camaro aside from the timing chain/overhead cam setup vs the push-rod style engine in my camaro.

Mike over at DMC Midwest was going to key-swap me a D for my Camaro last year but I couldn't part with her, she's a family heirloom. Sorry Mike, hope there's no hard feelings!

[https://media2.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2...0YLu/giphy.gif

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Originally Posted by 5dmc1

Appreciate all the input guys! I understand why some of you might think financing a classic is a bad idea due to repair costs. Rest assured, I am doing this because I just don't want to drop the full price of the car. At the rate I currently make money I could have the price of the car saved up in about 6-10 months. I am financing it so I can keep building my savings while also having my dream car, so repair costs wouldn't be an issue. I also am very mechanically inclined and have done a lot of work on my 1970 Camaro's restoration myself. Only things I would need a mechanic to do would be under-car work and stuff to do with fluids. Any basic engine work I can easily do myself especially being that Deloreans have a spacious engine compartment. A car that overheats isn't a huge issue unless we are talking about possible head gasket failure, in which case I would bring a test kit with me to the deal and ask to test for a leak. If it tests clean, its most likely a clogged radiator/cooling system or a bad thermostat which are both relatively easy fixes.

I was contemplating a 5-spd but I am worried about how reliable the UN-1 will be. I have syncro issues on my 2017 Focus ST and being how new that is, I worry that old 1980s designs might have more issues. Plus I hear the car has a stiff clutch and I live just north of LA and deal with a lot of bumper to bumper traffic, so this would not be ideal unless the bite point is not at the bottom. (can someone confirm where the bite point is in pedal travel pls?)

To the gentleman that commented on Bring-A-Trailer pricing, that is what I am using as my reference. I think one of the running cars around 40-50k would be ideal for me. Fuel lines and coolant bottle are easy replacements I can do in an afternoon, bigger issues like leaking radiator hoses under the car, worn radiator or fueling issues would not be ideal.. hot start or cold start issues are easily fixed with the fuel accumulator or Hot Start solenoid being replaced. I also am aware I would need to set aside around 800 bucks to replace all the old fuses and relays behind the passenger seat if it is having electrical gremlins.

Overall, as long as she doesnt have rot in the frame, roof box or engine block; doesnt have any major dings/creases in the bodywork, or any major mechanical issues (basically a club car driven once or twice a week) I think I would make out well between 40-55k. I have all the service manuals and the Delorean Buyers Guide. I have the guide basically memorized at this point lol. But from what I can tell these cars are super simple to work on, maybe even more so than my Camaro aside from the timing chain/overhead cam setup vs the push-rod style engine in my camaro.

Mike over at DMC Midwest was going to key-swap me a D for my Camaro last year but I couldn't part with her, she's a family heirloom. Sorry Mike, hope there's no hard feelings!

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A 5-speed is not the best choice if you are going to doing a lot of driving in traffic but narrowing your choices down to an automatic greatly limits your choices, there just aren't as many automatics as there are 5-speeds. Figure on replacing every coolant hose unless they were recently replaced. Not a big deal, there are just a lot of them. If you find a running car you should not have a lot of major issues with the fuel system but it will probably need something done. Same with the electrical system and basically all of the other systems on the car. Plan on changing all of the fluids and filters and doing a tune-up. Also plan on replacing the battery and the tires because of their age (most owners will drive on tires older than 7 years and that is "pushing" it). Basically you need to do all of the maintenance a 45 year old car requires. I would concentrate on making the car reliable before spending a lot of time and money making it look nice. Use the fact that you will have to do a LOT of maintenance on the car to try to negotiate the price and parts are expensive. Try to have the cash in hand so you can close the deal, saying, wait, I have to go to the bank to get a loan, is not going to get the deal closed. Have a plan on how you are going to get the car home, do not figure on driving it. For one thing you won't have plates or insurance and the other thing is you do not want to break down.

There is one on Facebook Marketplace that just came up for $35K. It is a bit rough but well within your budget. It is currently at PJ Grady's for an estimate and possible repair work.Contact Rob Grady for more details.

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Originally Posted by 5dmc1

I was contemplating a 5-spd but I am worried about how reliable the UN-1 will be. I have syncro issues on my 2017 Focus ST and being how new that is, I worry that old 1980s designs might have more issues.

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I’d say the 5 speed is very reliable, and you’ll have more pep when driving than with the 3 speed automatic.