Here's an ad that was forwarded to me by a potential DeLorean owner and reader of The Illustrated Buyer's Guide to DeLorean Automobiles. This person asked me my thoughts about the car, based on the ad alone.
This ad represents a number of the things that could be wrong about most DeLorean cars for sale. Many are the result of the owner just not knowing enough about the car they own, or the owner could be purposely misrepresenting the car as they know most buyers won't know the difference.
The seller writes:
"It has only 36000 original miles"
Readers of the book know the angle drive (which is how the odometer records mileage) is a very high failure item, and that mileage is to be viewed as suspect. Quality and quantity of recent service history documentation has more impact on true value than does mileage. Especially with DeLorean cars, the accuracy of the indicated mileage can only be accurately judged by close examination of the car and its condition.
"The original tires are still on the car and still in good condition"
The seller writes:
"It has only 36000 original miles"
Readers of the book know the angle drive (which is how the odometer records mileage) is a very high failure item, and that mileage is to be viewed as suspect. Quality and quantity of recent service history documentation has more impact on true value than does mileage. Especially with DeLorean cars, the accuracy of the indicated mileage can only be accurately judged by close examination of the car and its condition.
"The original tires are still on the car and still in good condition"
They may be the tires that were on the car when the current owner bought it, but they are absolutely not the "original tires", and I would want to check them over very carefully (including the date codes) before I felt they were good enough to be used for regular driving.
"The last time I drove the car was to a local car show in the summer of 2011 so it's been sitting a little over a year"
This is a red flag that storage-related issues may be at play here. Fuel system contamination is a distinct possibility, and it's very likely that brakes, cooling, and clutch systems will need attention. While one wouldn't normally see problems after just 1-1.5 years of storage, in the absence of service history saying otherwise, you must presume that it's not had any other maintenance prior to this that would prevent damage from occurring. It's also unlikely - and hard to prove one way or the other - that the car was properly prepared for storage, as well.
"Last time I drove the car, it ran and drove fine, however, it's going to need some tlc"
Another red flag here - ask the buyer what they mean by "some tlc". After reading the book, you'll have an idea what is real and what is nonsense from the seller. An in-person inspection is important here.
"The body and interior are original and in good condition"
"The last time I drove the car was to a local car show in the summer of 2011 so it's been sitting a little over a year"
This is a red flag that storage-related issues may be at play here. Fuel system contamination is a distinct possibility, and it's very likely that brakes, cooling, and clutch systems will need attention. While one wouldn't normally see problems after just 1-1.5 years of storage, in the absence of service history saying otherwise, you must presume that it's not had any other maintenance prior to this that would prevent damage from occurring. It's also unlikely - and hard to prove one way or the other - that the car was properly prepared for storage, as well.
"Last time I drove the car, it ran and drove fine, however, it's going to need some tlc"
Another red flag here - ask the buyer what they mean by "some tlc". After reading the book, you'll have an idea what is real and what is nonsense from the seller. An in-person inspection is important here.
"The body and interior are original and in good condition"
The very first photo posted shows a significant crease in the passenger rear quarter panel. That disqualifies the body, in my opinion, as "good condition". Worst case scenario is that the new owner will have to replace that panel, or at minimum transport the car to a trained stainless repair specialist or remove the panel and ship it to and from. Figure a minimum of $1,000 and upwards of $2,000 for these options.
Even worse, and harder to see in the photos, is the drivers side quarter panel (better seen in this second posted photo) shows lots more damage and replacement probably the best option here, with either a good used or new part. Don't forget to factor in swapping the glass/vent/side marker lens/moldings if your used part comes without it. A new panel will not come with any of those parts included either, so they will need to be swapped over or purchased, as well.
The car is very wet in all these photos, which is an old trick to make any car look "better" - it hides lots of minor imperfections that might be visible with a dry car. This is where, at the very least, you'll want more/better photos of the car, and a personal inspection is strongly encouraged.
Even worse, and harder to see in the photos, is the drivers side quarter panel (better seen in this second posted photo) shows lots more damage and replacement probably the best option here, with either a good used or new part. Don't forget to factor in swapping the glass/vent/side marker lens/moldings if your used part comes without it. A new panel will not come with any of those parts included either, so they will need to be swapped over or purchased, as well.
The car is very wet in all these photos, which is an old trick to make any car look "better" - it hides lots of minor imperfections that might be visible with a dry car. This is where, at the very least, you'll want more/better photos of the car, and a personal inspection is strongly encouraged.
The interior, unfortunately, is not much better. This photo of the drivers side interior shows a saggy door headliner, so you can expect the other three pieces to be about the same and in need of recovering or replacement.
The rear shelf carpet is ajar and the cargo net not visible - unless someone was working in the electrical compartment (why?), there's not many other reasons to be in there. The cargo net may just be under the shelf carpet, but it's be nice to know if it's there and its condition as they are more than $60 new.
Hard to tell in this same photo, but it appears the drivers inner door seal is torn/damaged, and at minimum you'll get wind noise there, at worst case a water leak. Another photo shows the passenger side, with similar damage.
Again, hard to tell in this photo, but the rearview mirror on the windshield doesn't appear to be "right" - remember that an improperly installed mirror can (and will) crack the windshield.
Also none of the door lights appear to work - it's likely that the fuse has been pulled or the battery dead/disconnected, but a later photo shows the upper and lower interior door panels removed from the passenger door, so tread carefully.
The drivers seat leather is typical for a 36K mile DeLorean, which is good as it helps to validate the mileage claim, but doesn't help the cosmetics of the car very much.
The rear shelf carpet is ajar and the cargo net not visible - unless someone was working in the electrical compartment (why?), there's not many other reasons to be in there. The cargo net may just be under the shelf carpet, but it's be nice to know if it's there and its condition as they are more than $60 new.
Hard to tell in this same photo, but it appears the drivers inner door seal is torn/damaged, and at minimum you'll get wind noise there, at worst case a water leak. Another photo shows the passenger side, with similar damage.
Again, hard to tell in this photo, but the rearview mirror on the windshield doesn't appear to be "right" - remember that an improperly installed mirror can (and will) crack the windshield.
Also none of the door lights appear to work - it's likely that the fuse has been pulled or the battery dead/disconnected, but a later photo shows the upper and lower interior door panels removed from the passenger door, so tread carefully.
The drivers seat leather is typical for a 36K mile DeLorean, which is good as it helps to validate the mileage claim, but doesn't help the cosmetics of the car very much.
Here we can see the original Craig radio still fitted, which gives a little hope that the wiring behind probably hasn't been hacked up, but it's also likely that the speakers are still original, and their cones have probably disintegrated. Replacement of the fronts is typically no big deal, but the rears are bit more involved and require some care as not to damage the rear trim panels. We're seeing a comeback in popularity with the original Craig (and ASI) radios, so check to make sure the display is good, too, if you plan on keeping it.
A strange looking aftermarket switch (?) under the drivers LH kneepad is not original and would dash my previous hopes that the wiring hadn't been hacked up, but again, a personal inspection is the only way to know for sure.
A strange looking aftermarket switch (?) under the drivers LH kneepad is not original and would dash my previous hopes that the wiring hadn't been hacked up, but again, a personal inspection is the only way to know for sure.
This passenger side interior photo shows the passenger seat, with a seat back that looks original (much like the drivers side) but the seat cushion on the passenger side appears to have been recovered at some point as it looks "too new" in contrast to the rest of the seats. If it has been recovered, it doesn't appear to be the right material. The missing center cap on the adjustment knob where the seatback and seat cushion meet is a clue that someone probably had the seats apart at one point, probably to replace the covering on the seat cushion. Also of note is the missing blanking cap on the glovebox latch - but these are readily available, as are the later style that do away with the cap entirely.
The "doors up" front view photo shows the common warping over the headlights on the front fascia and perhaps some paint damage just right of center. Repair or replacement and repainting here will set you back anywhere from $500 to $2000.
A lot of people might overlook the missing (or at least removed) upper and lower door panels from the passenger side door. That raises another red flag and more questions. Why are the panels removed? Door jamming shut? Has someone been fooling with the lock/latch rods in the door? Bad window motor?
A lot of people might overlook the missing (or at least removed) upper and lower door panels from the passenger side door. That raises another red flag and more questions. Why are the panels removed? Door jamming shut? Has someone been fooling with the lock/latch rods in the door? Bad window motor?
The one photo of the engine compartment offers some more insights into the past maintenance history of the car - original hoses, detectable by their unique shape and pronounced "ribs" mean that a hose kit will be in someone's future soon. The addition of the metal coolant overflow bottle is nice, but it's got the wrong cap on it - needs to be 15lb. Not the end of the world, but safe to assume that regardless, a lot of cooling system work is overdue on this car.
The missing coil cover in the back right corner is a $120 part, so hope it's with the car as it's best to keep those electrical connections clean and dry. Some odd looking wiring in the back left corner merits attention, as well.
A little bit of black clothes dryer ducting showing between that RH coolant pipe and the air filter box is unoriginal, and the silver ducting itself seems to be out of place, as well.
The absence of the "de-ice recall" should prompt any potential buyer to check if the other recalls have been completed. If any cold/winter weather driving is planned, this is a must-have addition.
A closer inspection of the louver would be in order, as well. Many are cracked along the center spine and require a reinforcing brace or replacement. A broken/missing engine cover stay assembly means at minimum $65 in parts and probably at least some repair (if not outright replacement of the engine cover itself).
Rust is evident on the fuel lines at the fuel distributor, air filter box hardware, ballast resistor and other components, and is the biggest red flag - check for rust all over the rest of the car, especially the undercarriage.
Lots of other photos I'd have liked to see (and would ask to see) before I scheduled a trip to go see this car - hopefully the seller is cooperative and will provide good quality photos - are things like the rest of the engine compartment, luggage compartment, damage to stainless, dash/binnacle, wheels, undercarriage and relay compartment, to name the biggies.
Many more questions remain to be answered before anywhere near $15,000 is paid for this car. What's the VIN? Copies of all service records? Name/contact info for previous owner? Inspection of the undercarriage? Hearing the car start and run (cold engine)? Hot start and run, as well? A test drive is in order to check out the shifting (second gear roll pin, anyone?) and check out things like heat and A/C. A heater core or evaporator can be an expensive, time consuming, and frustrating job - especially for a beginner.
Based on the ad alone, the car isn't worth more than $7,000 - $8,000 as it needs an easy $10K in parts and labor to just be a reliable driver - cosmetics will add to that about the same amount, in my estimation. So you'll have at least $20,000 in it on top of the price of the car, and possibly more if the frame needs work. Of course, if you do any of the work yourself, or are able to obtain good "used" parts where appropriate, that may lower the costs overall.
There are lots of things I didn't go over here, but I think you get the idea that a $15,000 DeLorean is rarely the best deal for your money.
Educate yourself, inspect personally, and don't fall in love with the first (or even second or third) DeLorean you find. There are lot of them out there - buy the best car you can for the money you have to spend. If you've only got $15,000 - keep saving and get a better car, you'll be much happier in the long run.
The missing coil cover in the back right corner is a $120 part, so hope it's with the car as it's best to keep those electrical connections clean and dry. Some odd looking wiring in the back left corner merits attention, as well.
A little bit of black clothes dryer ducting showing between that RH coolant pipe and the air filter box is unoriginal, and the silver ducting itself seems to be out of place, as well.
The absence of the "de-ice recall" should prompt any potential buyer to check if the other recalls have been completed. If any cold/winter weather driving is planned, this is a must-have addition.
A closer inspection of the louver would be in order, as well. Many are cracked along the center spine and require a reinforcing brace or replacement. A broken/missing engine cover stay assembly means at minimum $65 in parts and probably at least some repair (if not outright replacement of the engine cover itself).
Rust is evident on the fuel lines at the fuel distributor, air filter box hardware, ballast resistor and other components, and is the biggest red flag - check for rust all over the rest of the car, especially the undercarriage.
Lots of other photos I'd have liked to see (and would ask to see) before I scheduled a trip to go see this car - hopefully the seller is cooperative and will provide good quality photos - are things like the rest of the engine compartment, luggage compartment, damage to stainless, dash/binnacle, wheels, undercarriage and relay compartment, to name the biggies.
Many more questions remain to be answered before anywhere near $15,000 is paid for this car. What's the VIN? Copies of all service records? Name/contact info for previous owner? Inspection of the undercarriage? Hearing the car start and run (cold engine)? Hot start and run, as well? A test drive is in order to check out the shifting (second gear roll pin, anyone?) and check out things like heat and A/C. A heater core or evaporator can be an expensive, time consuming, and frustrating job - especially for a beginner.
Based on the ad alone, the car isn't worth more than $7,000 - $8,000 as it needs an easy $10K in parts and labor to just be a reliable driver - cosmetics will add to that about the same amount, in my estimation. So you'll have at least $20,000 in it on top of the price of the car, and possibly more if the frame needs work. Of course, if you do any of the work yourself, or are able to obtain good "used" parts where appropriate, that may lower the costs overall.
There are lots of things I didn't go over here, but I think you get the idea that a $15,000 DeLorean is rarely the best deal for your money.
Educate yourself, inspect personally, and don't fall in love with the first (or even second or third) DeLorean you find. There are lot of them out there - buy the best car you can for the money you have to spend. If you've only got $15,000 - keep saving and get a better car, you'll be much happier in the long run.