Newbie DeLorean questions

[<fenris@xxxx>]

Hi,
I'm new to this list, hence all the questions. I have had two dream cars all the way from 80ies, one is a 3rd gen. Trans Am, the other is DeLorean. And now I have one of them, that's the Trans Am. Getting one was relatively easy, there are many of them here in Finland, I just had to wait for the one to be found that matched my criteria. It took less than 2 months. Not same with a DeLorean. As far as I know there's none in this country, so one would have to be brought from abroad (closest I've located from Sweden, 2nd closest in Germany). So before hauling one I'd really need to know that it is more than just a beautifull shell, since I have heard from two sources that it's not that good of a car, which I'm reluctant to believe.

So, on to the questions:
- Spare parts (Now this is the most important). Are the spare parts of the car (engine, fuel pumps, steering rods etc. excl. body parts and panels) compatible with another make (like Volvo's or Renault's), or must the parts be always ordered from a specialized DeLorean parts maker?)
- Performance (I do know it won't match my 5.7 liter TPI, 240 hp Trans Am, but still). How fast does it accelerate from 0 - 60 mph? Can you "burn rubber" and make the car skid by the sheer use of the gas pedal? (This one's for fun :)
- Steering. I have read somewhere that the steering ain't so light. How stiff is it? Does it have a power steering that can be adjusted?
- Engine noise. Does it make lots of noise while driving, given that it is right behind you?
- Suspension and chassis. How rigid it is? Or is it loose?
- The doors. The Trans Am has same kind of pressurized springs that keep the hood and the rear deck lid open, and it's previous owner had just replaced them. According to him they wear up quite fast. Now the DeLorean has same kind of springs that hold the doors up. Now, trunk and hood ain't used as frequently as a door. So how good they hold up, or do you neeed to change them frequently?
- General type flaws. Does the DeLorean have any general type flaws (like radiator, steering relay rods, suspension etc.)

There's all for now. Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for any replies...

/JD 


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