Diamond in the rough?

["jerjoyner" <jjdyn0mite@xxxx>]

I found out about a delorean that has been sitting out for at least 1-
2 years without being moved, completely uncovered and exposed to the 
elements (whatever elements Georgia has to offer) in someone's yard. 
I drove by today to look at it and just from the street it looks like 
the body itself is in good condition (i.e. no gross damage) but 
before I bothered the owner about it I thought I would try to garner 
some info. 

I'm looking for something that can be driven in the short term with 
little concern for cosmetics at this time with long term plans of 
possible restoration and/or engine modification (after 4-5 years.) 
Basically something I can get running and get me to work (5 miles 
away) for a couple years.

I'm well aware of the $20,000 rule and I know that in the long run 
I'll probably end up spending more on the vehicle than if I bought 
one in good condition now, but a) I don't have the money now and b) 
when I do have the money (i.e. after residency) I think restoration 
would be a fun way to spend it (it's the journey etc...).

Anyway, on to the questions. I'm going to assume that this is a 
manual transmission car at this point because if it's not I don't 
want it anyway. 

1) mechanically what are the most important things I should know or 
look for when I approach the owner?

2) Since there are no DMC mechanics that I am aware of in the area, 
who are typically the mechanics that would understand this car the 
best (import/volvo/renault types specifically or just the best 
mechanic I can find regardless of background)? I'm not a mechanic (I 
only know how to put humans back together) and have only ever changed 
oil and belts and such.

3)I've been through the delorean.com checklist for buying a 
delorean. I'm going to assume that this car will have some rust, how 
do I know if it's beyond salvagable?

4) estimate for repairs of all the known/recalled areas (electrical 
stuff etc...) to make this a fairly reliable vehicle (assuming 
everything else is half decent).

5) What initial steps should be taken in a car that has been sitting 
this long (will assume it wasn't properly prepared for a long term 
slumber)

6) I won't worry about the interior too much at this point, but I'll 
assume the dash is shot and the interior will probably be hosed at 
this point, what does it usually take to get the headliners repaired 
so I could see out the windshield?

7) Given the limited amount of information that I have at this point, 
what is a ROUGH estimate of the cars worth (let's assume it's an 81 
manual, black interior, 50k miles, and not currently in running 
condition) so I'll know how much to consider offering.

I plan to try talking to the owner in the next week or so and hope 
they will allow me to take some pictures and get more specifics 
soon. At this point I'm kind of looking for general information 
concerning a car that has been poorly cared for for at least 1-2 
years if not more.

Thanks for any help.

JJ