Hoping to purchase my first DeLorean, but need some insight

[Sam Alexander <sam@xxxx>]

Hi. I've been wanting to leap into my first DeLorean for many years,
but in my research and talking to others, I've found some reasons which
might prompt me to reconsider. I'd like the opinion of the group on the
following:

I'm no mechanic and I've never torn down or rebuilt an engine, but I
used to own an older Chevy which needed attention quite a bit... so I'm
used to reading manuals and fixing stuff myself. If I purchase a
DeLorean that needed some engine work, but had a sound engine, could I
work on this myself and get parts easily from my local hardware store or
online? Also, are there sufficient manuals and books to help with this?

I've read that there were many factory defects with the DeLorean, most
notably the fiberglass under the stainless steel breaking and the
electrical system flaking out. Are there any issues like this I should
be aware of or ways to fix them?

Finally, the way the body is setup, how hard is it to repair dents or
dings? I know I couldn't easily replace a bumper if someone backed into
me or bondo/repaint the door if someone gives me a major ding. What are
my options here?

With this said, let me give my goals. If I find a good DeLorean and
rebuild it, it won't be a daily driver. I want to take it to shows,
drive around town from time to time, and just have because they're just
so dang cool :) 

Anyway, thanks for the great info. I've been reading through the DML
and it looks like there's some great folks out there that hopefully will
give a newbie to this a hand from time to time.

Thanks and take care,

Sam Alexander
sam@xxxx