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

["Walter" <Whalt@xxxx>]

My twist on the buying experience: When you are going to look at the car to
make an offer, bring a friend driving his DeLorean and park it next to the
one you are looking at. If that doesn't scare the bajebbies out of the
seller, then nothing will.

I bought a garage queen DeLorean with 8600 miles on it for $17.5K. I've
always wanted a DeLorean, but never knew hardly a thing about them. I would
read the Auto Trader ads and some would mention that theirs had a Volvo
engine. I was hoping to find one with the Porsche or Ford engine option
because I heard those were better. Obviously I didn't know what I was
looking for. When I found something that looked brand new and super low
miles, I figured I couldn't go wrong -- especially for the price. I really
wanted one with the Porsche engine, but I settled for one with a Volvo
because they have a good reputation.

Was that a good deal? Eh, well.... I think I paid too much. Now that I
have worked on just about every part of the car, I have found all kinds of
little flaws. If I had of known to look for these when I was making offers
on the car, then I'm sure I could have drove the price lower.

There was little done to the car by the previous owner. BUT, probably
everything that was done was done wrong. Trying to form a criteria for
finding the best DeLorean for you is not an easy task. I know that I bought
the perfect car for me. It had little done to fix it, and I had all the
original factory defects and weak spots to deal with. Is that bad?
Certainly not. I'm an engineer and tinkerer type. I love finding problems
and fixing them. This was a great car for me, but may have been a horrible
car for someone else. Did the $20K rule apply to me? No. Not counting
stupidity and luxury, I have spent a needed $8K fixing my car up well enough
to be suitable for daily driving. This was mostly for parts. I did 99% of
the labor myself. I wouldn't do it any other way.

If you are in need of a DeLorean (it is okay to say that you actually need
one -- there are such things as wants, but then there are some luxuries in
everyone's life that are truly necessities -- and for some nothing other
than a DeLorean will do.) you either need to be a good mechanic with a lot
of tools and money on hand or you need to have a good relationship with
someone who is. Your other option is to buy a refurbished DeLorean -- and
still you either need to be or become a mechanic who is familiar with the
car or know someone who is. But this is true with any car -- the DeLorean
is just an extreme case. Anything less and your car will be sitting.

I have over $30K invested in my DeLorean. If I had to sell it today, I
would have a lot of potential buyers scoffing even at my original purchase
price. I have talked with several DML regulars who admit to me personally
that they have well over $30K invested in their cars, but they are too
embarrassed to admit it publicly. I say that the $20K rule is conservative
for a D that can hold up to regular use. If you want a very reliable daily
driver that looks new, then forget the $20K. You are now in the $30K rule
class.

My advice to anyone buying a fixer-upper (this includes garage queens with
very low miles): make a list of every part on the car that should be
repaired or replaced. Then make two expense columns: Parts & Labor. Then
subtract this total from the magic $20K rule. If I had of done that, then
my garage queen would have a negative worth. The seller would have had to
pay me to take it off his hands. Do you get my point? Maintaining a
DeLorean is a hobby. You do it because you love doing it. Many times I've
heard a statistic that auto manufactures make more profit from selling
replacement parts than they do from selling the car when it was new. Cars
are money pits. But what makes a DeLorean so great is that my DeLorean is
still worth what I paid for it -- probably even more. I can't say that
about any other car that my family has ever owned!

If a DeLorean has had a lot of work done on it by a reputable mechanic such
as PJ Grady, DeLorean Services, DMC Houston, or even DeLorean One -- you are
probably getting a great value. There are so many barely roadworthy
DeLoreans out there that are selling for $10K to $17K that it they are
pulling down the values of the well maintained ones. A properly maintained
new-looking DeLorean should cost you $30K+. Anything much less and you will
only be driving it occasionally.

Buy a DeLorean. You NEED it. It is healthier than anti-depressant drugs.
It is more true to me than any girlfriend and costs much less. (At least my
car hasn't driven itself back to the garage of its previous owner.) Now
I've said too much :)

Walt Tampa, FL