Need some more Ebay advice please?

[SteveyP]

Hi everyone,

Need your help again please. There's an '81 manual on Ebay with a buy it now of $11,000. Now I know there's a lot not to like with it (and I've yet to get any chassis pics sent to me - I have asked though). The dash and seats are horrible (been re-upholstered in the wrong material), there are 2 small dents in it (wing and bonnet), the AC is broken and I'm not sure it'll run for more than a few minutes at a time (the fan is permanently on).

However, it does look the ideal project for me. It's the cheapest I've ever seen - apart from total shed cases. Am I missing something glaringly bad with it? Do I need to ask anything else apart from state of the frame?

Let me know please.

Thanks
Steve

[Chris Williams]

Does not look to bad to me, eeven the seats dont look to bad, as you say you need to get pics of the chassis to make an informed desicion. Might also be more expensive to ship to a port from where it is as well. A/C might be only short of gas, but your not really going to use it in this country (at least this year), a pontoon may be more usefull!
Chris

[SteveyP]

Thanks for the fast response, and agree with you about the chassis pics (fingers crossed he sends some through soon). I've added some pics from Ebay for others to view.

Any other points of view would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Steve

[Rich H]

Project car? Pfft, that's not a project car!!! It needs a few bits and bobs to sort it out, that's all. Buy it, before I do. :wink:

Seriously though, any DeLorean you buy is going to be a risk, even if you went and checked it out personally.

You gotta tick as many boxes as you can, but ultimately it's a gamble. Nobody is going to tell you to 'Buy It'. That's your decision.

It's got lots of good points. It runs, he's spent quite a bit getting it running...New injectors (couple of hundred quid), a Special T Auto fuel pump/pickup kit (couple hundred quid) and fuel lines, new brake hoses and new front pads (sixty or seventy quid, and a crumby brake bleeding job) door shocks and front hood shocks (another eighty quid). That dash job is really nicely done, and I actually quite like the seats, I certainly wouldn't be in any hurry to do anything with those. The interior is excellent, and the exterior is really good to. By the looks of it, a bit of titivating you could slap an MOT on that and be driving it around.

Bad stuff. That dent in the bonnet. It's hard to tell if it's over the cruciform (the X) if it is, it'll be difficult to get out. If it's over a carpeted area not so bad. You need more photo's of it. Has it broke broke through the steel? How deep is it? Chris Nicholson should be able to fix it, but bonnet repairs are tricky and time consuming (read expensive) that dent alone will cost you a few hundred quid...The one over the rear wheel arch is insignificant and won't take him long to fix at all.

The fans constantly running is probably just an electrical bodge to get around a dodgy otterstat or burnt up relay holder. Don't be scared of electrics, the parts are cheap and readily available. Simply chopping out the bad bits and doing a proper job of replacing them will fix all your woes there. It's impossible to say what's wrong with the A/C it could just need a regas, it could need an entire new system, or anything in between. At the worst it'll need an entire system, which can be done for around a grand, but it won't stop you using the car, so it's not that important.

Engine has some bits that aren't quite right/missing (is that a cruise control I see at the front of the engine bay...?) if it's running like a bag of spanners, it'll need a good clean up and sort out. Not the end of the world, but a job nonetheless. It's on stock front springs right now, trust me you'll want to change them, they're around a hundred quid a pair these days...That rear fascia will cost you a couple of hundred quid to have resprayed but won't stop you enjoying the car. The headliners are awful, but not exactly a major job to recover, I made a pretty good fist of it first time around - they're still on my car 8 years later!

You definitely need some chassis pics. Again they aren't necessarily going to reveal all the demons, but will give you a good idea of it's condition. Get some photos from behind the rear wheel pointing at the end the cross member box section that runs under the engine. One of the tank plate on the drivers side at the front edge can hint at a leaky brake master in the past. Some of the suspension would be helpful too, so you can check for bent, twisted and damaged chassis and suspension components. Also plenty of the front crumple section which is notorious for going rusty, cracking, bending, getting dented, bodge weld jobs etc...

How handy are you with spanners? If you're utterly useless, your going to find it hard going and expensive.
I think it fair to say that non of the owners I'm aware of who aren't willing/able to work on their car, last very long before they are selling them.
These things are over thirty years old, you can't expect them to behave like a Ford Focus.
If you're willing and able to learn, then great! You'll get to know your D inside out, learn how it works and make it your own.
They're 'proper' cars, easy (ish) to work on and don't need a computer to fix every damn thing that breaks.

It looks pretty damn good to me so far. If I was buying a DeLorean, I'd get it. But that's just me, usual disclaimers apply yadayada....

[SteveyP]

Chaps

Many thanks for all the tips and advice. However, woke up this morning and it had sold before I'd even seen any chassis pics, or, had any questions answered. Maybe should have just gone for it!

Bugger! The hunt continues.

Thanks
Steve

[Rich H]

Shame

The chassis could have been absolute wheatabix of course. That lovely stainless body might look fabulous, but underneath lies a 30 year old mild steel chassis!

Oh well, better luck next time....

[SteveyP]

Well this was my fear of course - and it's the number one question you ask as a buyer 'can I have some photos of the chassis please?'. For some reason most sellers forget to include these in the ad.

However, I've just logged onto my e-mail account from the office, and the seller had said the chassis is totally rust free (no pics though). I guess it sold soon after he sent this e-mail to me last night.

Yes a big shame. I have said if his buyer falls through then to contact me immediately. But I should imagine the lucky chap will go through with it.

[Rissy]

"whatever's for you, won't go past you."

Don't worry, there will be others.

Perhaps so that you are geared up to ask instant questions, and get quicker replies next time, you should get a prepared email together, asking all the pertinent questions ready for the next advert.

That way, we on the forum won't potentially hold you up next time. You'll already know the questions to ask, the reasons you're asking them, and the potential cost implications of something needing fixed as per the advert.

I'll admit at this point, that I went in somewhat blindly to my purchase. I just knew I wanted one. I hadn't a clue about the different severity levels associated with things that weren't right etc.

I didn't do too bad at all. I also think that at the end of the day, whatever car you buy, regardless of its condition, it'll be YOUR car, and you'll love it, and you'll love making it right. The more you put right also, the more it'll feel like YOUR baby! 8)