Re: [DML] On Buying a DeLorean...BE CAREFUL!!!!

[senatorpack@xxxx]

In a message dated 10/26/2001 6:16:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
heskin@xxxx writes:

<< 
I have to chime in here one moment... I certainly did my homework (about two
years worth) before buying my '81 Delorean, VIN# 1619, and I could not be
happier with it. I've certainly had some of the problems common to all
Deloreans, but by no means more than average.

It depends 90% on how well the car was maintained before you get it, and 10%
VIN number and year. In my case, it had 17k miles last spring when I bought
it, and now it has 24k miles. I am "technically" the second owner, as the
original dealer owned the car for the first 15 year under the original
dealer title, but in reality, I am the third owner. The dealer did all the
recalls and updates. I bought it for $16K and have put about $6k more into
it (not all necessary - about $4K was necessary, hitting the $20K rule dead
on).

As Les said, it pays to do your homework - mostly to be able to evaluate
whatever car you may find, regardless of Year and VIN number. Personally,
I'm very happy with my gas flap and hood lines.
>>

Did you do the work yourself?
How much of the repair bill paid for the labor?

There was a DeLorean car #1554 donated to a vocational high school in my 
area for the students to work on. The original owner was a teacher, who 
crashed the car (poor workmanship on the front frame extension replacement & 
fiberglass bonnet, grill was missing, etc.) DMC dealer repaired it and she 
was scared to drive it. She donated it with 18,ooo miles.
The car sat for 8-9 years on a lift in the vocational school. I looked 
at this car 10 years ago... VIN 1554. The car was in very poor condition. The 
county board of education wanted $18,000 for it, 10 years ago.
The car was later sold to a junk yard owner who got it running, then sold 
to another local owner who rescued it, pouring his life saving's into it. 
He later sold it 4 or 5 years ago to a Naval Academy cadet, who put more 
$$$ into it, then drove it from Maryland to "Top Gun flight school" in San 
Diego with no problems.

So the rule of $20,000 needs further analysis and a new figure (much 
Higher) will likely surpass the "old rule of thumb."