RE: [DML] Delorean for sale - low oil pressure

["Gus Schlachter" <gus@xxxx>]

Jack,

When I was considering a Delorean purchase, I found this mailing list and
read the archives. All of them. Perhaps you're not that serious and/or
crazy but I'll share what I learned.

First, there are a number of things that were defective on the car when it
shipped in 1981, all of which will need replacement if not already done.
The window regulators are one such item. This is likely the problem with
the passenger window and the driver's side is probably not far behind. The
door lock module was under engineered and, in the worst case, will lock you
inside the car and burn up the solenoids in the doors. The "Fan Fail"
module was aptly named, as it made your fans fail and caused overheating.
There are also trailing arm bolts that could shear, faulty inertia switches
that could leave you stranded, etc. (The last three items, among others,
prompted factory recalls and should have been fixed under warranty by a
diligent original owner.)

Don't let these things scare you though. The point I'm making is that these
things will need to be attended to, no matter what Delorean you buy, unless
they've already been fixed. That's my worry with buying a low-miles
Delorean: the previous owners could have owned the car for 20 years without
addressing these items. Fortunately, since these problems were pervasive
the fixes are well documented, and modern replacement parts are readily
available.

There are also problems can can crop up from neglect, such as sun damage,
but these thing will happen to any neglected 20-year-old car. Again,
replacements are available for things like seats and steering wheels.

As for the oil pressure, the value you observed is low for a Delorean. But
the PRV engine is the most reliable part of the car. It is more likely to
be a bad electrical connection. The broken radio is only important if
you're trying to keep the car original and NOS replacements are still
available.

Keep in mind "Rule of Twenty," which dictates that, on average, the cost of
the car PLUS the cost of repairs/updates is about $20,000. Your actual
milage may vary, but if you get a daily driver for under that amount for are
more fortunate than most.

Sorry about the bike. Glad you weren't hurt too bad!


Gus Schlachter
Austin, TX
VIN# 4695


P.S. Get a buyer's checklist at
http://www.delorean.com/english/more/Downloads/downloads.asp



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jack Janney [mailto:fastride@xxxx]
> Sent: Saturday, September 23, 2000 5:45 PM
> Subject: [DML] Delorean for sale - low oil pressure
>
>
> Hi there. I am new to the Delorean world. I recently crashed my
> Buell S2T (motorcycle) and have decided it's maybe time to get
> off two wheels and into four. I've owned a variety of
> 60s/70s/80s muscle and sports cars. I started looking at
> Deloreans because they seem to be a very good value right now - I
> love the looks, and based on inflation, etc, in todays dollars
> new ones would be selling for about the cost of a Dodge Viper.
> Good condition 20K to 30K mile examples seem to be trading in the
> low to mid teens.
> There is an '81 for sale in my area that I'm considering. It's a
> two owner car. The twenty-something year old owners' father
> bought it new. He's had it about 5 years and doesn't look like
> he's treated it exceptionaly well although claims it has always
> been garaged. It's a fairly early car, build date is June 81 and
> vin is 2044, mileage is 32K. He started out asking $14,000 but
> is now down to $12,000. Stainless steel is very good, original
> wheels are good. Leather on seats are as good as can be expected
> for being 20 years old. Transmission shifts well in all gears,
> but clutch is very stiff, which leads me to believe it needs to
> be replaced? There is some general wear and tear on the steering
> wheel hub, the leather piece on the drivers side that everyone
> seems to rub getting in and out. General condition just looks
> like it has been neglected in recent years. Oh, two things are
> broken. The radio doesn't work, and the passenger window won't roll up.
> Here's the thing that has me questioning if I should even make an
> offer (I am thinking of offering $10,500). The oil pressure at
> idle is half way between 0 and the first hash mark (10 psi?).
> Above idle it goes to about the third hash mark (60 psi?).
>
> So two questions for you owners out there. Would the oil
> pressure at idle scare you away? Is ~$11K a fair price for a car
> of this mileage and condition?
>
> Thanks for your help.
>
> Jack Janney