Project DeLoreans for sale!

[Rich Hanlon]

One wonders if it might be asiest to lose the 'Salvage' paperwork, restore, then poll up at DVLA with no paperwork at all?

[RobScott]

no way, as it could be stolen, no paperwork, no import papers, your likely to get it taken off you and crushed.

[Rich Hanlon]

Yeah, suppose so...

[Chris P]

Several of the cars I've got back on the road were completely unknown to the DVLA, i didn't have a problem getting them registered.

A letter from the Club secretary or Historian would help………..Quite a lot of these cars have no records…. Its not the sort of issue to be discussed on the interweb.

It someone "finds a car" gets it restored and running, getting the paperwork sorted later, would not worry me.

[RobScott]

times have changed dude, its really strict now, only in the last couple of months there has been big big changes, I'm on a hot hod forum and its a big topic at the moment.

[Chris P]

https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-registration ... ion-number

I don't pretend to be an expert on any recent changes, but the DVLA website seems to be fairly positive about cars older than 25 years, being reconstructed from period parts.

Any comments welcome

[dmcnorway]

Good to hear Chris!
Over here it's very difficult, and I'd hate to see a VIN disappear just for that reason.
Besides, if a car is sold from here, the US salvage title wouldn't be needed in the UK I guess.

[dmcnorway]

Anyone interested can send me a PM, and I'll give you my mail to establish contact.
Also, it's not a long way, you can take the ferry from Harwich to Esbjerg (Denmark), then drive north to Hirtshals, take the ferry to Kristiansand, Norway, and from there and westwards approx. 2 hrs.

[Chris Williams]

I think ChrisP & Stian are correct I'm sure as a bona-fida club registered with the DVLA I'm sure we would be able to get any cars registered within the UK. 'PM' sent!
Chris

[RobScott]

i guess you can do it if you pretend it wasnt imported, a bit illegal i guess.. personally i wouldnt like to do it.

All it takes is to run a vin number find it was salvage in another country, then you have two problems, lack of registration with import papers, and putting a car on the road without proper testing after it has been registered as salvage.

It may be worth it to save a car?


If i use the method you guys are suggesting, then i could buy a cheap car off stian with a salvage title for £7K, i could then go out and steal a mint delorean worth £25k, swap the vin numbers over, then register it.

I'd then be able to sell the salvage car in bits on ebay/forums etc, and get my money back. I'd then have a nice delorean for free, thats all legal with the DVLA.

[Chris Williams]

You are right, but as I understand it not all the cars are salvage ones anyway. There is no way you could re-vin a DeLorean without the club knowing at some point, either through DVLA/insurance checks with the club (remember both talk to us, more so now than ever before) Would it not be that as part of the great EU we are only moving a car across borders? Stein has imported it. As I understand it country's dont trade VIN information (even within the EU) Perhaps this is something that needs to be crossed if indeed any one does actually bring a car back. At the moment none of us know what condition the cars are in some may only be usable as parts cars anyway.
Chris

[Chris P]

I think we should all be very positive about Stains actions.

Some cheap cars have been saved and offer future generations a possible way into ownership.

Many Delorean fans may never be in a position to shell out £20 k + on a decent car, but by buying a fixer upper they can say they "own a DeLorean". (but most of us know that its not necessarily a cheaper way in the long run)

The criminally minded will always be able to get hold of vin plates. There must be dozens, if not hundreds in the USA and new ones ( and old new one's) are freely available in the UK.[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]
As Chris W says, the biggest deterrent to any criminal activity is the vigilance and awareness of Clubs and other owners, should a car get stolen. The last Car stolen in the UK was recovered in a few days….too hot to handle.

It anyone is worried about getting their car nicked, i suggest they take some simple precautions. Immobilisers , isolation switches, a GARAGE! Tracker, etc. .

It would probably be a good idea for all of us to take a load of photo's of the car, detailed closeup ones that could be useful in the future.

I personally applaud Stains efforts……...well done that man.

[TheOriginalMrP]

The early days of my intention to buy a delorean were full of the ideas to get one as quick as possible regardless of overall condition. . I had seen one at the Beaulieu auto jumble in September 2000 for around the 6k figure.

Totally unaffordable for me at the time at 26 years of age, I let it remain a dream, even though it was something I wanted since passing my driving test when I was 17.

After a few more years, 2005 to be precise, it was bugging me so much that my quest had to start there. I joined the DOC at the NEC in November of 2005, by which time I had 4k saved in a delorean fund. I only started saving 2 months previous so I was pretty determined.

Anyway Chris P was our Secretary then and he signed me up. John Chapelhow and Paul Birks car were on the stand that year as well as another.
I was totally obsessed and nothing was going to talk me out of this.

Saving was slow over the Christmas period and early 2006. Cars were anything from 13-16k in the UK and the temptation to import or buy the first car available became strong.

I had 6.5k and was tempted by an eBay car sold by some gent in the amercan forces who was moving back here. I run this by Chris P who said the car was a bargain, but a few days later it was apparent the eBay listing was a scam. There were a lot of them at the time.
Chris P then forwarded me Dave Howarth's number as apparently there was a cheap car already here in the UK. It belonged to Nick Birch, the car was named "The orchard car" from memory.

Anyway, after talking to both parties, I never bought the car. There were too many frightening issues that I was unsure if I could address. In the end I became firm with myself and set my budget at 16k and I wanted a good example fully sorted and ready to use.

My determination paid off as in December 2006 I found my car. For a smidgen under my 16k budget, as I had only reached around 14.5k, I put a deposit on a 15k car and chipped a little off making my purchase the grant total o £14,750.

Despite a good clean, the car was ready to love straight away.
I used it for the first year of ownership and attended every show possible covering 5000 miles without issues. That's where me and my car bonded. No matter what happens now, I will always remember that first year.

The point I'm trying to make is this.

If you import or buy a fixer upper, your love for the car may be long gone before it ever touches the road. There are so many issues to consider and some of the work some people have taken on just to save a few bucks is unreal. Some who are passionate may be able to love the car after hours of heartache, graft, disappointment, expenditure etc, but I know my love wouldn't be the same had I bought a project car.

Chris says these cars are a bargain. I'm not disputing that. They are worth every penny.
But sometimes you have to realise what you are getting into.
Stian has 11 cars with intent to restore. But if none have them have seen the road for this long, then it could be many more years before they are actually done....

:-)

My history lesson explained... Lol.

[RobScott]

Dont worry, i'm not putting down Stians efforts, infact he has done a top notch job, he is a great friendly guy and obviously has a massive love for deloreans.
I was just pointing out a few issues that may come up if you think about buying a salvage car to put back on the road here in the UK. you can do anything if you dont mind being a bit dodgey, but the rules are put/getting put in place to make it harder for criminals to ring cars. I know you can easliy make up a vin tag, but if its a vin thats allready used, or scrapped in the UK, or someone then finds out on a vin database that their car allready exists - as its been ringed, then its a gamble for the criminal that he may get caught.
If he does it the way mentioned above, then its pretty easy.

If you were to buy a salvage car with intentions in putting it back on the road, do your research before you find out it may only be good as a parts car.

Some people like to buy projects, like me, i enjoy building cars, more than i like driving them, so a project car for me is perfect. I dont think ive ever bought a car that was ready to drive, apart for a £250 toyota avensis.

Go to a car show, talking to people, saying you built the car from scratch is the best feeling ever, rather than saying, yeah i just bought it and polish it, or i got the cheque book out and payed someone to do it for me.

[TheOriginalMrP]

Yeah that's a good point too Rob... You have that feeling of well being for your creation.

I have done that with other cars I have modified and it's a good feeling knowing you've done the work...

It's also a nice feeling that I've been competent enough to take on some of the bigger jobs on the delorean and prove successful.

I take my hat off to anyone who resurrects a delorean from the grave.

But I am neither brave enough, skilled enough or rich enough to do that with such a car.

As for paying for someone to do it for me, I don't see it that one. Someone else had the heartache, the issues, the hard hit wallet and made my car reliable to a degree. By the time he'd done that, his love must have gone otherwise he wouldn't have sold it!

I've seen it dozens of times. People strive to make their car perfect, then what do they do? Sell it!,

If I ever buy a Ferrari Testarossa, which is another life long ambition, I'm afraid I will just to just throw my cheque book at it and give it a clean... It will be a long time though! The urge isn't enough as it was with the DeLorean....!