Image of the DeLorean/Startup Manual

[DMCVegas@xxxx]

A manual on how to correct/watch out for quirks on the DeLorean is 
more then a good idea. It has become an overdue concept.

I understand where Mike Pack was comming from when he suggested a 
more "gentle" title. Although I don't believe that there should be 
any concern about giving the marquee a bad reputation. The DeLorean 
is a car that you will either fall in total love with, or you'll just 
walk on by. So to be cynical about things, the opinions of those who 
do not care for the car couldn't get much worse then they already 
are. Those who will end up purchasing DeLorean's are the people who 
are not fooled by unfound and negative opinions of the ignorant. 
Which brings up another concern, monetary value. Most, if not all of 
us here, acquired D's for our personal enjoyment rather then an 
investment. A DeLorean shouldn't be considered an investment. This 
isn't because our cars don't hold value, it's just that classic cars 
in general are not sound investments. But I too do recognize that 
situations can arise where someone may choose to sell their car for 
whatever reason. And as to be expected, everyone here would want a 
premium price for their car if that time came. The answer is not 
keeping the cars hidden. All that does is scare people, and does more 
damage if someone buys a car and runs into problems that they don't 
expect. With the exception of original owners, who here who has 
purchased a DeLorean didn't ever feel overwhelmed in those first 4-5 
months of ownership? The differance of us keeping our cars vs. 
selling them was not only courage, but knowlege as well. As the DML 
has progressed over the years that I've been a member, I've seen less 
repeat postings for certain issues that were considered "hereditary" 
to the car. Less and less are the postings of issues with the trans 
governor, broken window regulators, ill closing doors, electrical 
problems, and most importantly, engine fires. These problems are 
common to the marquee, but not the car. In other words there isn't 
anything wrong with the engineering of the car, but there are some 
precautions that should be taken when performing repairs (i.e. copper 
fuel seals). The DML as a place to exchange both information on 
current parts, and ideas for future ones is what has helped to make 
the DeLorean that much more enjoyable. Before I joined the DML, I had 
never even done an oil change on a car, let alone rebuild my clutch 
hydrolics as I did last month. If people see things such as how-to's 
on repairs for the car, they will not be scared away. I would rather 
see someone who is not comfortable with owning a DeLorean pass one up 
rather then purchasing it and becoming miserable with thier ownership 
experience. If a person is not prepared to give the car the 
maintenance it deserves, then they should not buy the car. This is 
just as true for DeLoreans as it is any other car on the road. So 
rather then devaluing DeLoreans, we're actually increasing their 
value by way of setting a standard. Which is exactly what one of the 
intentions of a guide for new owners will accomplish.

A start up/new owner guide can help to make the D an even more 
reliable car then it currently is by way of creating a standard that 
it should meet. This would greatly boot confidence in the car for 
both current and future owners. By creating a list of common items 
that can weaken over time/wear and need replacement, repair, tuning, 
adjustment, and even lubrication, the random occurance of specific 
items failing will be greatly reduced. And to inform owners of 
things like precautionary actions while performing repairs and such. 
If we can help to stop problems before they start, the DeLorean will 
reach a "maintenance only" state much quicker. This in turn will 
boost the confidence of the car to create an even better image, any 
relationship with our cars.

In the mean time, lets all work together to help out each other with 
our cars. Expression is good, but along with that freedom that we 
have here on the DML should come the responsibility of courtesy.

-Robert
vin 6585