REPOST: Re: [DML] Re: Broken Angle Drive = Faulty mileage?

["tuxr" <tuxdarby@xxxxxxx>]

I was the daily driver you mention below.  Highway miles to work - 
65 miles EACH way - I REALLY miss that, pictures taken on the 
highway every day, hot women checking me out (it was me right . . . 
not the car . . . it was me, right???).  Ahem.  I had to keep it in 
good shape since I used it everyday.  And I know little of cars, so 
never even tried to do something myself other than cleaning it.  DMC 
Florida did a lot of work on it when I owned it, and the guy I sold 
it to spent I think about $9,000 on it there also.  A lot of his was 
cosmetic stuff, wheels redone, lowered suspension, fancy exhaust, 
etc.  But some other things that weren't entirely necessary but 
while it was there he had it done.  And of course a few needed 
things too.  The work done was top notch as expected.  Also, I had a 
lot of work done at a high end shop in Tampa (before DMC Florida was 
open) that only specialized in Mercedes, BMW, Ferrari, Porsche, 
etc.  The sign out front said they only worked on European cars, I 
pulled in, and with a smile on my face explained it was European.  
Turned out the mechanic there had worked on several Deloreans 
previously and was very familiar with them.  And he had another 
customer with a D he also worked on.  It was the type of shop that 
when he did come across something he wasn't sure about, he'd take 
the time to work with the manual and called Rob Grady who was VERY 
kind to help him.  When I asked him if he wanted me to refer other 
Tampa Delorean owners to him given his knowledge of the car, he 
smiled and told me if I did that he'd never work on my car again.  I 
kept my mouth shut.


--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Farrar Hudkins" <fhudkins@...> 
wrote:
>
> Here's take two. I hit the wrong button. Sorry.
> 
> To address something Andy said below: No offence taken, but it 
would
> have been more correct to say "Considering the number of people 
asking
> how serious their leaks are." ;-) My plan is to repair the coolant
> leak at the end of the month, which is when I should have the parts
> and the time. In the meantime, the car is not being driven. I'm not
> irresponsible. A faulty clamp is something I could drive with; 
coolant
> leaking into pockets at the top of the engine is not.
> 
> To address something David T said in another post: thanks for the
> advice. By the way, it's not necessary to assume that my car was
> ill-maintained or worked on by idiots -- even though I do some of 
the
> work myself. ;-) Until 2006, the car was a daily driver. The water
> pump was installed at DMC Florida a couple of years ago, and I am 
sure
> they did it correctly. Everyone who has looked into the engine
> compartment of my DeLorean has commented on how well it has been
> maintained, and how every part on it which has been replaced has 
been
> done in an entirely professional manner. The only things I have 
done
> are a few electrical upgrades -- most recently plugs, wires, and
> ignition coil -- and some troubleshooting of a bad idle, which 
called
> for the replacement of some O-rings and hoses. (Even those small
> repairs I did not do without the advice and supervision of people 
who
> have worked on cars -- specifically DeLoreans -- for years.) If I 
ever
> come across something I can't handle, I will send the car to 
Houston.
> The fact that I live only a couple of hours away from DMC itself is
> one of the reasons I felt safe buying the car.
> 
> To address (finally) the original topic: It is safe to assume, if 
you
> are buying a DeLorean with any miles on it at all, that it has more
> miles than advertised. I think, however, that in most states when a
> car reaches a certain age the mileage becomes irrelevant. I 
distrusted
> the mileage on my car because I noticed in the repair history that 
the
> upper speedo cable had been replaced, even though the original came
> with the car and was in fine condition. I'd say if you want an
> estimate of how much your car has been driven, get a well-seasoned 
(if
> not marinaded) mechanic to look it over, including inside the 
engine.
> I agree with Andy wholeheartedly about maintenance: a well-
maintained
> vehicle is better than one that has not been well-maintained, no
> matter what the mileage! That, however, is my opinion, and I have 
no
> doubt that the debate over low- versus high-mileage cars will 
continue
> until long after I'm dead!
> 
> Cheers,
> Farrar Hudkins
> #2613 (auto)
> 
> On Wed, Apr 16, 2008 at 4:53 PM, drew <Soma576@...> wrote:
> >
> > You are right. There are not many DeLoreans out there that have 
not
> >  had a broken angle drive, dust cap, or whatever in its 
lifetime. The
> >  mileage of any DeLorean should always be suspect, and you can 
only be
> >  sure of the general mileage based on documented services, 
inspections,
> >  insurance queries, etc. And even then, how do you know someone 
didn't
> >  drive it 1000 miles in one week? How many owners are going to
> >  Gettysburg with non-functioning odometers? Based on people 
planning
> >  trips with leaking cooling systems (no offense to Farrar), I 
would bet
> >  plenty.
> >
> >  Fact is, mileage isn't so much a concern as maintenance and
> >  driveability is. A new owner would be better off worrying about
> >  whether the antifreeze and brake fluids have been changed 
regularly,
> >  the car driven a couple thousand miles a year, etc.
> >
> >  Andy
>



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