new to list...questions

["Jeff " <essayons07@xxxx>]

First a short history...my father bought a an automatic 81 Delorean 
about 13 years ago. He drove the car for about 5 years until the 
transmission decided to shop shifting into 3rd. The car sat for 
about 6 years. My brother brought the car to his house, replaced the 
transmission control unit and rebuilt most of the fuel injection 
system. The transmission was still not shifting right, and at times 
lost all gears. My brother got a new job, moved, and returned the 
car to my father. Every once and a while my brother would come home 
and try to fix the car. One day the transmission miraculously healed 
itself (yeah right). The car could be driven for a number of miles 
with no problem. My father began driving the car every once in a 
while but it still sat the majority of the time. When I sold my car 
my father told me to drive the Delorean...now...the problem...

I attempted to drive the car from Chas SC to Savannah GA. The car 
did fine for about 2 hours worth of driving...then the trans began to 
shift out of 3rd...then out of 2nd. If I stopped the car, cut it 
off, and let it sit for a few minutes I could get a mile or 2 out of 
it. I thought the car would not lose 1st...until I stopped at a 
traffic light...had to push the car over to a curb, let it sit for a 
minute...then go. I was able to make it to a parking garage near my 
workplace.

I checked the trans fluid this morning. There is a cold, warm, and 
hot identifier on the dipstick. When the car was cold the level was 
way above the cold mark...up on the flexible part of the dipstick. 
When I started the car the fluid level barely showed on the 
dipstick. Is the cold mark incorrect? I would think it would read 
higher cold than warm since the fluid is just sitting in the pan, not 
being pumped around. If I add more fluid the level will be that much 
higher when cold. I always heard you never check an automatic trans 
level when cold...only when warm and while the engine is running. 

Thanks for any advice
Jeff

Oh yeah...the neighbor across the street from my parents has a "dead" 
Delorean. It has been sitting under a cover for the past few 
years.