Hi All,
Im thinking of finally taking the plunge on a Delorean. With that in mind, I was hoping this is the best place to come and seek some advice? Just wondering prices I should be looking? Do's & Donts, anything of use some current owners could advise on.
Really appreciate your time.
Thanks,
Richard
Welcome aboard,
Well, search is probably your friend here - it's been covered, and is already being covered as I write..
But, howabout you tell us what you're after?
There are always classes of car, from the total project right through to the concours car - and that range in the UK is about £10k to £30k. In the US, around $6k to $60k plus shipping. The sky really is your limit.
Age, interior and transmission don't really factor in - it's all about the condition.
If you're up for the challenge (and it's not much of one), bringing a car in from foreign parts, tidying it up and registering it is hugely rewarding and mostly a money-saver if you have the time and patience to do it.
Exciting times ahead!
Savetheclocktower Wrote:Hi All,
Im thinking of finally taking the plunge on a Delorean. With that in mind, I was hoping this is the best place to come and seek some advice? Just wondering prices I should be looking? Do's & Donts, anything of use some current owners could advise on.
Really appreciate your time.
Thanks,
Richard
Just out of interest where are you based?
J
Dan, you've hit the nail on the head there matey!
We have owners all round the UK Richard, and I'm sure there will be someone
close by to you who can show you round their car(s) and give you some
pointers.
We'll also have a 3 car stand at the NEC next month, so feel free to come on over
and see us all and chat all things DeLorean
HI again all,
Thanks for such quick replies. Maybe I should give you a little more information. Im based in Telford shropshire. Im really looking at a small budget compared to most I would imagine. Somewhere as close to 10k as possible. My cousin and Farther are mechanics so will be pulling in their help where needed.
I've always been keen on the car since seeing it in the BTTF films and did orignally want to work on replicating the look in the films. However, for my birthday this year we used hired one for the day and I really did enjoy the original look of the car. Im told parts wise they are not that expensive to keep ticking over?
The NEC show does sound interesting and maybe worth my while.
From the sounds of the information Dan kindly provided I might be better looking at an import for my price range?
Once again, Thanks for your time.
Rich
For £10k you'll be looking at an import that needs work. Don't let that put you off, just do your homework on what to look for and you'll be fine.
In my book, the frame is the thing to be careful of. The cosmetics can be expensive but there are always ways to tart a car up - and the engine was around for donkeys in one form or another and with the brains around here, it'll be possible to fix nigh-on anything.
But the frame.. that'll hurt if it's knackered.
Personally I'd get a mechanically good car, and spend the money making it look nice - but to each their own and if you like the guts more than the cosmetics then you may feel more comfortable with a non-runner.
That said, your budget may force you in one direction regardless. Just don't buy the first car you see - investigate first, ask questions and go from there.
Finally, good luck!
Dan, I think we need to make you the official "Importing DeLoreans Especially Fixer-Uppers" guru on here :lol:
Quote:In my book, the frame is the thing to be careful of. The cosmetics can be expensive but there are always ways to tart a car up - and the engine was around for donkeys in one form or another and with the brains around here, it'll be possible to fix nigh-on anything.
But the frame.. that'll hurt if it's knackered.
Hi Dan - Can you elaborate on this point please? Seems pretty important - how do you 'know' the frame has had it?
Again, it's already been said on the internet - videos and pictures on Google and such like will help you no end, but very simply - the frame is mild steel, and if the frame's epoxy has been damaged over time and water/damp etc has gotten underneath, then it'll rot like any other metal.
Mostly frames should be light grey - so damage is obviousy, but remember that these cars are 30 years old so may have had their frames repaired and so on. To me, it's the first thing I check because it's the hardest part to replace (in my opinion) and almost impossible to get without spending a fortune.
You'll know a "good" car sale when pictures of the frame are included (whereas some sellers may not even know about it!).