Saving 1169: Live The Nightmare

[ArtisanFX]

It's time I begin detailing my journey, now being about a month into ownership.
My personal story is not unlike most here...childhood dream, ect...I'm a 40-something male who's reached financial solvency to make this type of purchase a reality and to "Live the Dream". I had no idea such a vast community existed with the wealth of knowledge and parts available. My naivety is one fault of mine that has brought me to this critical point: had I known what I know now, my purchase would of been drastically different and although we own a car commonly associated with being a time machine, I cannot go back and change things and I have reached a personal and financial "point of no return" in which I am thankfully not alone yet woefully overwhelmed and find myself oscillating between feelings of buyer's remorse and an energized resolve to restore this Vin one bolt at a time.
I'd like to make very clear that at no point will my intention be to badmouth or in any way misrepresent or dramatize any person or company that has been involved with my acquisition. I will lay out the details as accurately as I can and document my journey as I forge ahead.
This will not be easy...I am therefore fortunate to be a part of a tremendous community of dedicated and knowledgeable fellow owners.
This will not be a short journey...I am therefore grateful for my patience and resolve.
This will not be cheap...I am therefore fortunate to have the means and resources to make it happen, even if the time frame is fluid and contingent on my financial management.
My name is Jimmy and I am (what I believe to understand) the third owner of Vin 1169, 1981 Automatic black interior.
Please be cordial and patient as I struggle with understanding and learning but with those faults I am gifted in many creative arenas. I will do my best to articulate myself and to understand more technical feedback and I value and appreciate any and all advice and suggestions...
I will be organizing my photo archive and updating this thread with total documentation on the entire timeline of ownership.
Thank you for reading!

[BladeBronson]

You could also sell the car immediately and use the help of this community to help you find the right one. I wish I’d done that with my first DeLorean instead of keeping it for 5 years and trying to make it reliable.

[ArtisanFX]

You could also sell the car immediately and use the help of this community to help you find the right one. I wish I’d done that with my first DeLorean instead of keeping it for 5 years and trying to make it reliable.

This is not feasible at this point. I have surpassed a personal point of no return in regards to upgrades invested and I sacrificed quite a bit to get the loan to purchase.
I know it would be easier for others to sell as quickly as purchased but I think I can make something out of her

[Riley88]

Make a list of issues and where you are located. People would come help. A list of issues will help people, help YOU!

[Helirich]

I await the pics. Are you saying you want to do a complete frame off restoration? Or the comment “one bolt at a time” is just fix things as needed? This may only be my opinion, but I think these cars are valuable drivers, not concours show cars. So if you fix things as needed and do it right, you probably won’t lose money. If you make everything perfect, you probably lose.

Anyways good luck

[MrChocky]

This is a document I made recently and might be a good starting point:

https://peternaulls.medium.com/delor...n-1270b4c3d041

[ArtisanFX]

This is a document I made recently and might be a good starting point:

https://peternaulls.medium.com/delor...n-1270b4c3d041

This is an excellent resource and I'm happy to report I've already begun addressing a number of these critical issues!
I've been sick the past few days so haven't been up to gather my thoughts and photos to post meaningful follow-ups to my introduction. Things will be layed out thoroughly shortly and I look forward to hearing feedback.

[JBaker4981]

This is a bit of a personal plug but first, I must say welcome to the community, obsession, and money pit. Jokes on you!

Now... my plug: Check out my website's download section. Apparently it's helped a lot of people over the last couple of years and there is an invaluable amount of documentation and guides there.
TN-DMC.com/Downloads

It goes without saying that Talk, Today, and the various Facebook groups are a great resource in addition to our vendors around the world.

[ArtisanFX]

This is a bit of a personal plug but first, I must say welcome to the community, obsession, and money pit. Jokes on you!

Now... my plug: Check out my website's download section. Apparently it's helped a lot of people over the last couple of years and there is an invaluable amount of documentation and guides there.
TN-DMC.com/Downloads

It goes without saying that Talk, Today, and the various Facebook groups are a great resource in addition to our vendors around the world.

Good stuff!! This'll be invaluable.

[Iznodmad]

Don’t take it back to where you bought it. It is part of the business plan to have you bring it back, year after year, for $10K annual visits to address existing issues and the new ones that come along too. Don’t fall further into the retail trap. Make a good effort to learn the strengths and weaknesses of the different parts that are available. Just like the quality of each car available, there are differing levels of parts support and quality as well. There is a lot to learn and digest after such a rocky start for you. Sorry you had to endure that. Good luck and can’t wait to hear more.