Good point there. And over all the answer really is that neither one is actually better than the other. But personal taste does fit into things here a bit. No doubt that a car that a dealership painted would demand a premium price at sale. After all, a large chunk of that price you're paying is covering the dealer's cost to have the car customized. So that's not the same as though the vehicle's price increased because the paint job actually made the vehicle more valuable over all. Speaking specifically about a painted brand-new car in 1981-1983 of course. Now by the same token when you have all of these cars that look the same, painting them does make a car so much more unique and individual. I mean after all, having no choice for customization was a HUGE factor that was slated to drive down the long term value of the cars. DMC knew this, and was of course exploring both paint and anodizing options. And DeLoreans do look spectacular in color. Now moving towards the situation that we have now, beyond the days when DMC was selling cars let's look at where we're at. Painting a DeLorean is looked at as less of a expression of individualism, and has gotten slapped with this horrible stigma of being the sign of a sloppy collision repair. Obviously this isn't always the case. Dealerships painted cars, owners painted their cars after they took possession, etc. But for the few people who painted cars because it was cheaper than repairing/replacing a body panel, or they just didn't know any better, it changed things. One bad apple here truly does ruin the entire bunch. Now I love painted DeLoreans too. IMO, Black (flat and high gloss), Yellow, green, and especially blue (dark Ford blue is my favorite) are the best colors that really bring out the car. I HATE red though! Flame me if you want, but no matter what the shade it's one of the most dull colors that you can paint any sports car. Which considering how many people paint their cars red and they all start looking the same, you too can experience how having so many cars look alike starts to make the entire line look dull (feel free to flame me on that one). Yes, I love painted, as well as unpainted DeLoreans. One day when I have kids, working on a painted DeLorean is a project I'd like to do with them. But I do have to admit though that bare Stainless Steel is my personal choice. Paint wise, I have always perfered silver over any other color. So in bare metal, the DeLorean is already my favorite car color. Plus I am lazy. A quick dusting, or hosing down if needed, and a scrubbing of the tires and wheels is all I want to do (never use tire shine, it'll rot the rubber all the much quicker, and turns it orange). I don't polish the metal, because it just attracts dirt all the more quickly. And I've got too much detailing inside to do already. Stainless doesn't fade, scratches buff out easily, it doesn't chip (I've had rocks bust 2 headlights and cause numerous chips in the windshield over the years. I cringe to think what would have happened to paint). It's low-maintenance, just the way I like it. So my opinion here probably isn't a truly neutral one since I have certain desires for a car's finish that Paint cannot compete with Stainless on. Bottom Line: *maybe* the odds are a bit increased in many circumstances, yes, that a painted car *could* have been in a wreck. After all, who knows out of how many DeLoreans that have ever been painted, what percentage are due to damage versus owner expression. Until we know, we really can't say that paint increases chances, let alone affects value other than a buyer's desires (stainless is a drawing point after all). But when buying a car, you should always look for damage regardless. A painted DeLorean is no more an indication that a car has been in a collision, than an unpainted DeLorean is a guarantee that it's been free from any damage ever. -Robert vin 6585 "X" --- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "gullwingmag" <gullwing-magazine@...> wrote: > > On 6/20/07, therealdmcvegas <dmcvegas@> wrote: > > "Doesn't matter if the dealership painted the > car before it's initial sale, the owner painted it after, or even if > someone even did it themselves in their garage. The price is > unaffected." > > ---In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Ryan Wright" <ryanpwright@> wrote: > > "I disagree - I think the price is affected: Negatively. > Certainly if you're in the market for a painted DeLorean, that's one > thing, but I don't think most buyers are." > -Ryan > > > I know for a fact that a new painted DeLorean from a California > dealership in 1981 ran $3000 more than a non painted D. So, back then > the price was effected... and I suspect had the factory been able to > get the painting process in place, it would have increased the price of > the car. > > This all raises an interesting question thats probably been brought up > before.... if they did paint the D, would you not own one now because > of that?!? > > And here is another observation I have made that I might regret > bringing up, but... why is it when everyone is so "stainless" gun ho, > does the painted DeLorean take the "Peoples Choice Award". Please dont > flame me on that comment... I own one of each and love them both... its > just an observation. > > Ron > To address comments privately to the moderating team, please address: moderators@xxxxxxxxxxx For more info on the list, tech articles, cars for sale see www.dmcnews.com To search the archives or view files, log in at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dmcnews Yahoo! 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