DeLorean Wanted - Closing in on the 33 year old dream

[mattjeh]

(13 Jul 2020, 16:02)DMC1983 Wrote:

(13 Jul 2020, 09:17)mattjeh Wrote: ...I just have no mechanical experience so it's obviously some what daunting.

True and is the same for the majority of us. Imagine getting a non running project on your drive and then thinking "well where do i begin?" I had no idea where to start or what to do. 

If someone told me i would be rebuilding calipers and sorting out the fuelling system (to name a few) i wouldnt have believed them. Youll be surprised what you will have to do even on a sorted car. Ask chris, he recently (like me) ventured into the VOD which is a job i thought i would pay someone else to do. Its all daunting but it gets easier the more you do. I dont intend to ever do a frame off but after everything ive done, i dont see it quite so daunting anymore. At some point i need to drop the transmission just to do that infamous oil seal (which will have to be done on my drive). Never thought i would have done half the things i have. 

Things happen and you either do the work yourself or have a reserve amount of cash to pay someone else to do them. The man hours is what bumps up costs. Changing fuel lines is an £80 (parts) job if you do the work yourself. Add another £100 roughly if you get someone else to do it. It really pays to do as much as possible yourself (for someone restoring, that £100 can buy other parts needed for the car). 
You just need to think and go slow documenting the process. Failing that, you may have another owner near by who may be willing to help out for a nice meal and a couple of beers. 

You can do it. Have some confidence. Be glad it doesnt have all those sensors like modern cars that tend to fail more often than the part they sense lighting up the dash like a christmas tree

Thanks for the encouragement, I'm totally willing to get my hands dirty thats for sure.

Did someone say there is an owner in Swansea? That's just around the corner from me.

[Chris Williams]

Quote:Did someone say there is an owner in Swansea? That's just around the corner from me.

Indeed, there was even a little 'tech meet' very recently whilst trying to iron out a few issues on Kevin's car. Look up TristanC on here and send him a PM. 

[Rissy]

Hi Matt. Welcome. You certainly sound enthusiastic and excited. Just to iterate what others have already said, and to make clear a few home truths.

You're proposing to buy a 40yr old car, most probably with an unknown history (certainly for some of those 40yrs at least), that was never really made terribly well to begin with, and was never properly considered for living in the UK and putting up with everything our little island has to throw at it, and on top of that, you want to use it as a daily driver.

Irrespective of the intended use, with a DeLorean, you can gaurantee your hand will never be out of your pocket. They are demanding for monetary input regularly. Even if you stripped down the car, and spent a fortune on it to make it the best it can be, and then start using it as a daily driver from that point forward, it's still a 40yr old car with 40yr old poorly thought out design flaws and shortcomings. A simple thing that you wouldn't give a second thought to doing with an "ordinary car", like for example, leaving it out in the rain one night; can turn out to be the most horrible thing you've ever experienced with a car in your life. Really. You have to be aware of things like this with these cars.

On top of that, if you're planning on handing the car to a garage for anything technical related. Considering your hand will never be out of your pocket anyway; you also better have pretty deep ones.

Typically, these cars are summer cars, intended by the owner for low amounts of mileage, and where the owner doesn't rely on them to be in a working condition on a regular/frequent basis like for getting back and forward to a place of work daily etc. There ARE exceptions, i'm not denying that, but you'll find that the number of people using these cars as daily drivers, I could probably count in total between both hands, worldwide!

The good thing about most people not putting huge demands on the cars, means that they can afford the time and take jobs upon themselves. It's honestly the best approach. You learn your own car inside out. You learn what attention its looking for/going to look for, and you simply have a better appreciation of the condition of your own car, and with this, when the car isn't choosing your next battle for you (they do this a LOT!), then you'll see where your next pocket full of change is going to have to go to make something right again.

You may not think yourself to be that tech savvy right now, but honestly, after some time owning one of these cars, you'll quickly realise it comes down to three choices.
1. Do the work yourself with the parts you buy and hopefully continue to afford to enjoy driving the car (when it lets you)
2. Get others to do the work for you, meaning you never have any money, and you can't enjoy the car because you're too busy saving for the next fix to be carried out by someone else, meanwhile you watch yourself become more and more broke along the way (unless you're minted to begin with)
3. You do neither, and the car hardly sees the light of day. Another DeLorean left sitting in a garage, practically forgotten about by everyone.

I may be painting a bleak picture. I'm honeslty not trying to put you off. If anything, I'm encouraging you to be more hands on with your new toy. I'm also painting a realistic picture of what you're getting yourself into as well though. It's not all roses.

But honestly, you're in great hands in the community in general. A lot of people around, armed to the teeth with experience who are also friendly and approachable with hands on support if needed. You couldn't be picking a better car for buying your way into an amazing bunch of new friends. We're more like a family. Sometimes we get on. Other times we fall out. But deep down we're all here because we have so much in common, and I think that shines through to anyone jumping on the ownership rollercoaster with us.

And the car itself. Despite all of the bleakness I've just pointed out; would I bow out and swap that for something else less interesting...?

Probably.

No wait. No. That's the answer I was meaning. Although...? Nope. Answers still no.

See it's about 99.9% pain and anguish, and then 0.01% amazing joy. But it's that small amount that makes it all worthwhile and worth it in the end.......ramble ramble, distant murmering of comment and reasoning disappearing into the fog getting quieter all the time.
Tumbleweed.

[mattjeh]

Thank you Rissy for your truth-bomb, I think I have been looking at my future ownership through rose tinted glasses to some degree. But not to say that I'm entering into all this completely naively. It may be the case that I can't use it quite as often as I'd like to due to this or that issue, but that's my hope. I will have the family car to always fall back on for important jobs and when I have the family.

I am expecting to have the funds for purchase quite soon, although still unclear as to exactly when, which is why I'm pre-emptively doing my due diligence now in readiness. I can see how local garage maintenance will quickly rack up the costs but I should be in a place of financial security to not worry about that too much. But all of the feedback here as certainly given me the optimism to consider tackling more myself.

I've been enamoured with the DeLorean for 33 year years and until recently, had no hope of ever owning one. I've never dreamt of owning a ferrari or a porsche, they have never grabbed me. Warts and all, i'm up for the challenge of owning my dream car.

[TristanC]

Hi Matt,

Everyone has posted valid points. Don’t let it scare you, but they are certainly valid.
You need to go into this purchase with an open mind and bearing all these points in mind.

As you’re local to me, please feel free to pop over and we can go through the car and I point out a few things to watch out for. (I have emailed you)
Chris W’s book is also what I bought prior to purchase - so study this when you receive it. And take it with you when you view a car.

I had a pretty good car to start with - BUT search out my threads....... even after I got her on the road..... I had some problems. This is to be expected.
However, the more and more you drive them, the more the car reveals of itself and you will become more comfortable with it and will know it better. The good and the bad.

Come over, have a chat.

Tris

[mattjeh]

The buyers guide arrived this morning (thank you) and I'm off this afternoon to meet Tristan for a chat - Today's a good day - Today's sort of a DeLorean day!

[mattjeh]

A big thank you to Tristan today for suffering my questions and taking me out for a spin. I'm coming to realise that owning my dream car will be far more challenging than I probably ever considered, but it'll be worth it in the end. Thanks again.

[Chris Williams]

Quote:I'm coming to realise that owning my dream car will be far more challenging than I probably ever considered

Don't be put off to much, yes they can be a challenge, but it depends on what you but. Buy a good running car and there will be less to spend immediately, buy a project and that's what it is!

[DMC1983]

I notice in that pic that tristan still cant keep within the lines 

[TristanC]

(15 Jul 2020, 19:50)DMC1983 Wrote: I notice in that pic that tristan still cant keep within the lines 

Ha ha!!! Well this time I was definately in the lines..... however the spaces at the front of the car park are abnormally short. You be lucky to fit a smart car in them!!

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(15 Jul 2020, 19:39)Chris Williams Wrote:

Quote:I'm coming to realise that owning my dream car will be far more challenging than I probably ever considered

Don't be put off to much, yes they can be a challenge, but it depends on what you but. Buy a good running car and there will be less to spend immediately, buy a project and that's what it is!

Yes, Matt, don’t be put off. I hope I didn’t put you off. lol
I think you have similar pre ownership ideals as I did, so I just wanted to be sure that you understood what to actually expect when you finally own one.

Vin#2677 does seem like a good car. But the price seems to be quite high considering some of the quite minor issues it has not being already sorted.
(Reverse lights, oil sender, missing radio, etc)

What ever you decide, rest assured you have an adequate support base on your door step to help you through any issues you come across.
Nothing is insurmountable.

Tris

[mattjeh]

(15 Jul 2020, 20:42)TristanC Wrote:

(15 Jul 2020, 19:50)DMC1983 Wrote: I notice in that pic that tristan still cant keep within the lines 

Ha ha!!! Well this time I was definately in the lines..... however the spaces at the front of the car park are abnormally short. You be lucky to fit a smart car in them!!

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(15 Jul 2020, 19:39)Chris Williams Wrote:

Quote:I'm coming to realise that owning my dream car will be far more challenging than I probably ever considered

Don't be put off to much, yes they can be a challenge, but it depends on what you but. Buy a good running car and there will be less to spend immediately, buy a project and that's what it is!

Yes, Matt, don’t be put off. I hope I didn’t put you off. lol
I think you have similar pre ownership ideals as I did, so I just wanted to be sure that you understood what to actually expect when you finally own one.

Vin#2677 does seem like a good car. But the price seems to be quite high considering some of the quite minor issues it has not being already sorted.
(Reverse lights, oil sender, missing radio, etc)

What ever you decide, rest assured you have an adequate support base on your door step to help you through any issues you come across.
Nothing is insurmountable.

Tris

Didn't put me off at all, it all comes down to getting prepared for potential pitfalls as well as the joy of ownership.