How to maintain your Delorean for less than $500 a year and put 10,000 miles on it

[stevedmc]

Rigging your throttle that way can be VERY dangerous. Just about every cruise control I know of has some provision where if you hit the brakes it will disengage the throttle hold. The way you did it, mechanically, there is no way you can do that. In an emergency situation you could very easily lose control. Never mind that it is also probably illegal to do it that way. The other problem is when you go up a hill the car will slow down and when you go down a hill it will speed up. Just because you are trying to do things inexpensively is no reason to compromise safety.
David Teitelbaum

Had you been at DCS you would have seen Steve Rice on stage telling everyone, not to install redneck cruise control on their cars. In an emergency situation, I would slam my foot on the clutch anyway. Worst case scenario, besides wrecking the car, my engine would burn up due to a suddenly high RPM (if I didn't turn off the throttle).

While I do not recommend this to anyone, it works for me and I use it sparingly when I am coasting on a flat road. I'm not stupid enough to think the car won't slow down when I go up a hill. Remember, I am one of the people who does the majority of my own work. I'm not the type of Delorean owner who pays $100 an hour for a shop to work on my car.

[stevedmc]

Total expenses to date: $925.8832 Miles Driven: 9,446
Expense #1 (Radiator Leak) - January 7, 2012 - 44,079 Miles - Total Cost: $117.83 (including tax)
Expense #2 (Radiator Leak) - January 15, 2012 - 44,386 Miles - Total Cost: $7.40 (including tax)
Expense #3 (Replaced windshield wipers) - January 15, 2012 - 44,386 Miles - Total Cost: $17.54 (including tax)
Expense #4 (Oil Change) - January 21, 2012 - 44,643 Miles - Total Cost: $24.4616 (including tax)
Expense #4 (Reinstalled steering column bushing) - January 22, 2012 - 44,693 - Total Cost: $1.35 (including tax)
Expense #5 (bought coolant and water) - February 20, 2012 - 45,000 - Total Cost: $11.88 (including tax)
Expense #6 (replaced rear interior light) - February 23, 2012 - 45,500 - Total Cost: $31 (no tax and free shipping courtesy of Farrar)
Expense #7 (replaced heater control valve) - March 4, 2012 - 45,766 - Total Cost: $10.39 (including tax)
Expense #8 (bought more coolant/water) - March 7, 2012 - 45,766 - Total Cost: 23.65 (including tax)
Expense #9 (glued rear view mirror to windshield) - March 16, 2012 - 45,772 - Total Cost: $1.57
Expense #10 (604 Manifold and Shipping to Captain Carburetor) - March 22, 2012 - 45,840 - Total Cost: $179.65
Expense #11 (7mm Helicoil Kit) - March 23, 2012 - 45,840 - Total Cost: $49.25 (including tax)
Expense #12 (throttle cable) - March 23, 2012 - 45,840 - Total Cost: $4.20ish (I lost my receipt)
Expense #13 (new wire connector) - April 14, 2012 - 46,123 - Total Cost: $0.25ish (part was laying around)
Expense/Deduction #14 (removed 604 manifold/carb) - April 15th, 2012 - 46,200 - Total Cost: -$179.65 (selling it)
Expense #15 (installed new crimp on throttle cable) - April 16th, 2012 - 46,220 - Total Cost : $1.51 (including tax)
Expense #16 (alignment) - April 21, 2012 - 46,700 - Total Cost: Free (I have a lifetime alignment plan)
Expense #17 (reinforced black lip of binnacle with black screw) - April 21, 2012 - 46,725 - Total Cost: $2.32 (including tax)
Expense # 18 (installed adjustable alternator bracket) - April 24, 2012 - 46,873 - Total Cost: $55.90 (including shipping from McMaster)
Expense # 19 (front wheel balance) - April 26, 2012 - 47,002 - Total Cost $23.92 (including tax/fees)
Expense #20 (oil change) - April 29, 2012 - 47,238 - Total Cost $24.4716 (including tax)
Expense #21 (LCA Brackets from DMCMW) - May 2, 2012 - 47,461 - Total Cost $361.78 (including shipping)
Expense #22 (Shift Linkage) - May 5, 2012 - 47,640 - Total Cost $0.00
Expense #23 (Weather stripping glue, CB Radio, Cigarette Lighter, Fixed some rattles) - June 12, 2012 - 49,219 - Total Cost $2.50
Expense #24 (Filled coolant and replaced coolant tank cap) - June 14, 2012 - 49,920 - Total Cost $15.26
Expense #25 (Added washers and replaced LCA bolts) - June 16, 2012 - 49,930 - Total Cost $48.43
Expense #26 (Replaced ignition rotor) - July 13, 2012 - 51,256 - $11.98 (including tax)
Expense #27 (Oil Change and replaced distributor cap) - July 29, 2012 - 52,158 - $55.39 (including tax)
Expense #28 (r134a charge) - October 5, 2012 - 53,482 - $6.98 (including tax)
Expense #29 (redneck cruise control bushing) - October 6, 2012 - 53,517 - $5.44 (including tax)
Expense #30 (Third brake light and AC Belt) - October 6, 2012 - 53,525 - $9.23 (including tax and shipping)



This afternoon I finally got around to installing my third brake light. I paid $3.79 for a strip of LEDS from eBay. Unfortunately it arrived with a few burnt out LEDs but I went ahead and installed it anyway. The good news is the strip still has a warranty so I just need to get around to contacting the seller. I also used a little duct tape, electrical tape, and a wire connector to install the thing. I don't think I spent more than $1 on those items but for the purpose of this thread we will say $1. Total for the third brake light is $4.79.

I also noticed that my AC belt was a little loose and had some small cracks in it. The AC has still been blowing very cold air but for preventive maintenance I went ahead and installed my spare AC belt. I really don't want to drive to North Carolina without AC. I am keeping my old AC belt in the car as a spare.

The part number for the AC belt I use is Gates 9530. If you go to Oreilly Auto Parts you can get a cheaper version of the same belt for $4.99. My cost for the belt is $5.44 after tax.

brake light.jpg

[stevedmc]

Here is a picture of my redneck cruise control. Don't try this at home.

[David T]

I was not the only one on this forum that did not attend DCS to hear you warn everyone about this MOD. I can appreciate you understand the danger. It is just that in an emergency you do not always think clearly but since you will instinctively slam on the brakes it makes sense to have a system that will disengage when the brakes are applied. I also disagree with your premise that a Delorean can be maintained for less than $500 a year and still use it for 10,000 miles. First of all you do not include anything for labor. Not everyone can or will do their own work. Next point, you do not allow for the wear of normal wear-out items like tires, brakes, battery, etc. Easy to get a year in for under $500 and then just buying tires will blow next year's budget! Last point, if you do your own work you should include a # for buying tools. The "secret" to keeping the cost of ownership down is preventive maintenance. Buying the cheapest parts and putting them on yourself is not the best (or only) prescription for economy. Tell Steve I said so (since you are referring to you in the 3rd person!).
David Teitelbaum

[Dracula]

Chad agrees with Steve that a DeLorean CAN be maintained on that budget and Chad has had a few under $500.00 years with his car after paying DMCMW to do all the work. Chad knows that it won't always be the case, but Chad expects the maintenance costs to decrease and Chad could have had another sub-$500.00 year this time; including having the car towed to DMCMW for fuel system work, were it not for the fuel sender failing and having to buy a new pump unit as a replacement. Chad just happens to like knowing how much gas Chad has in Chad's DeLorean's tank.

[stevedmc]

I was not the only one on this forum that did not attend DCS to hear you warn everyone about this MOD. I can appreciate you understand the danger. It is just that in an emergency you do not always think clearly but since you will instinctively slam on the brakes it makes sense to have a system that will disengage when the brakes are applied. I also disagree with your premise that a Delorean can be maintained for less than $500 a year and still use it for 10,000 miles. First of all you do not include anything for labor. Not everyone can or will do their own work. Next point, you do not allow for the wear of normal wear-out items like tires, brakes, battery, etc. Easy to get a year in for under $500 and then just buying tires will blow next year's budget! Last point, if you do your own work you should include a # for buying tools. The "secret" to keeping the cost of ownership down is preventive maintenance. Buying the cheapest parts and putting them on yourself is not the best (or only) prescription for economy. Tell Steve I said so (since you are referring to you in the 3rd person!).
David Teitelbaum

People who pay others to do work usually don't follow "how toos".

If you want to spend less than $500 a year do the work yourself. If you want to spend more than $500 a year pay a vendor.

You obviously didn't read the first 30 posts on this thread. You are just repeating what others have said.

How many miles have you driven a Delorean this year?

[David T]

I drove my Delorean about 500 miles this year so far. It only has 13,xxx miles on it. I am limited by my insurance company to 2,500 miles per year. So far this year I have spent nothing on it except insurance and gas. Registration is free because it is registered as Historic so it can't be a daily driver. I expect to spend a little to change the oil, filter, and brake fluid before I put it away for the Winter after this year's parade. I do agree with you that you can keep expenses below $500 a year if you take care of the car (especially if you do your own work) but once in a while you still have to buy tires or replace the water pump or something like that and it will blow that year's budget. I do it on my daily drivers too. It is rare that I have to spend any big bucks except on wearable items. On my Yukon the fuel pump went bad recently. The Dealer wanted $475 just for the "assembly". Labor involved dropping the tank so that was another approx $400. I got the fuel pump for $225 from GMCDirect and did it myself.
David Teitelbaum

[stevedmc]

The Dealer wanted $475 just for the "assembly". Labor involved dropping the tank so that was another approx $400. I got the fuel pump for $225 from GMCDirect and did it myself.

Based on some people's logic, it still cost you $875 to replace the fuel pump since spent your time (which is worth money) replacing the fuel pump. Your best value would have been to find someone willing to do the work for free.

[David T]

You got me there! Maybe if I was to put a carburetor on it I could get Steve and Bill to do the labor! I didn't mind doing the work actually. The way see it the time it took me do the job was probably less than the time it would have taken me to take the car to the dealer, drop it off and pick it up.
David Teitelbaum

[stevedmc]

Did you factor into the price your tools? It probably cost you over a thousand to do the job. You could have gotten the whole thing done for $875 and it would have been much cheaper than buying tools. You forgot to count the expense of breakfast and lunch. I'm guessing you had to feed yourself and that must have cost money too. Don't forget that you also had to provide housing for yourself the night before you did the job. What did that cost? Did you take a shower after doing the work? Surely you used soap and water. Everyone knows it isn't free to take a shower. You really did get ripped off. Next time you need something done save yourself a bundle of money and just pay a mechanic $100 an hour.