I couldn't agree more with this posting! Before you purchase a D, you should do a certain amount of homework first. Knowing what to look for will save you not only some $ in the future, but if you're a true enthusist, it will save you ALOT of heartache as well! If you can, get in touch with someone in your area who already owns a D, and knows a little bit about the car as well. That way, you can get a feel for the car, and decide if a DeLorean is the right car for you. In other words, what will you use the car for (daily driver, show car only, etc...), and will you be comfortale with it for your purpose? What you should also do is keep at least $2K minimum ($4K prefered) aside for after the purchase of the car just incase something does go wrong since after all, nothing is predictable. For a good daily driver, look to spend a minimum of no less than $16.5K. This encompasses both a car that needs some TLC, and will make up the difference in repairs, and one that is ready to go as soon as you pick it up. No matter where you live, expect to travel to find your car! The one closest to you is probably not going to be the one you want. On a more personal note, would advise NOT to buy a car sight unseen. Find out what the climate is like in the area where the car is comming from. My rule of thumb is an arid climate will preserve the irreplaceable parts (chassis, suspension, etc...), while a wet climate will only preserve the replaceable (rubber hoses, door seals, etc...), unless of course, it's been garaged all it's life. The most important thing of all, know the differnce between "TLC", and "blind devotion". The car that Wayne descirbed below, sounds like a typical car "that just needs a little TLC", because it only needs minor to moderate repairs at the most completed. "Blind Devotion" would be where the complete suspension on the car, and the chassis are both rusted, and you'd probably be looking at thousnands of dollars to get thoses componets repaired/replaced. And that's just for thoses 2 items! But don't let all this intimidate you in your search. Once you find the right car, you'll know it! Aside from the obvious, money, the 2 most important tools that you can use are knowlege, and patience. Both will aid you in all your decisions. -Robert >For the amount you're willing to spend, $20,000 you can definitely find a >decent De Lorean. They're out there. But you'd be wise to not jump on the >first one you see. Better to lurk in e-space reading these posts for awhile >to get a feel of what to look out for. And be willing to spend some $ >travelling to see a few. Don't buy sight unseen because the pictures looked >great. You may be sadly disappointed. I spent well over $700 on mine last >week... but I wasn't surprised or disappoointed. I had done my homework, and >though I'm not a mechanic, I could see when I looked under the car that the >coolant hoses were leaking. And I could guess the brake lines were ancient. >If I thought I was buying a car I'd never spend any money on, I'd be >horrified. But I bought it (for $13K) fully expecting to need to spend at >least another $3k+ to bring it up to what it should be, mechanically. >They're on the market all the time. Get to know what's out there, for your >own protection. Just my 2 cents worth.