New member studying at Brunel University

[dr-baker]

Hi. I’m David and a new member here. Would love to own a DeLorean one day, but while being a student (studying for my second Bachelor’s degree), am not in a position at the moment to buy one. I had the money to buy a car 5 or so years ago, but needed a reliable everyday runabout. Could anybody tell me if I could have done 88000+ miles in just over 5 years (including a 3000+ mile round journey to southern Italy in September 2011)? (That mileage is what I have managed in the Mini Clubman Cooper D that I had bought instead. Time will tell if I live to regret not buying a DeLorean then instead).

I’m a Formula 1 fan, supporting Williams, McLaren and Jenson Button. Also a fan of Minardi, Simtek, Pacific and Super Aguri while they existed. I have been to the 1996 British GP and 2011 Italian GP (on my way back from the aforementioned holiday to S. Italy, would have been wonderful in a DeL!). Also regularly been to Brands Hatch to see BTCC, A1GP, ChampCar, SuperLeague, Mini racing, Truck racing, etc. Also visited Rockingham a few times (including a BTCC test day…) and Thruxton once.

As I said, I am currently a student at Brunel University, studying Occupational Therapy, and have a BA already in French and History of Ideas (Philosophy, basically) from Kingston University. Would love to find a job after I graduate in London or Isle of Man (or possibly Channel Islands). Favourite films include BTTF and The Italian Job (good car films!). Not yet seen Bullitt, and it’s been a few years since I have watched Le Mans or Grand Prix.

I’ve done a few Mini runs in my (modern…) Mini, including a “Magical Mini Adventure” to Disneyland Paris (organised by GreatDays Travel). They are also opening it up to other Classic Cars this year. Will I see any DeLoreans there? :wink:

And finally, if I ever bought a DeLorean, I would love an August 1982 model (the month in which I was born). And I would love to have the number plate AUG 12Y (to match my Mini’s Y12 AUG). Does anybody know how to find out if this number plate is available, and if so, how I could go about obtaining it, and how much it might cost? Looking forward to becoming a part of this community!

[Guinney1971]

welcome to the forum, and feel free to come along to any events in your Mini, join
in the fun, check out the cars and ask any questions about buying a DeLorean and
ownership.

Good luck with your studies too

[Rich Hanlon]

hi there David and welcome.

You would be able to put a Y-plate on a Delorean but it would have to be a very late model, as it is not permissible to put a newer plate on a car than the actual age of the car itself, but you can put an older plate on. So you can, say, put a W or X on a 1982 Y plate but not a Y plate on a 1981 car which should technically have a W or X plate.

Increasingly the Dvla are only issuing the older of the two plates that existed in any given year. For example, mine is a late 81 and is on an X plate, but others with cars of a similar vin have been put on a W plate as the earlier part of 1981. If there is any doubt they always err on the side of the older. But Y-plate deloreans do exist, I have seen at least one CPE6@@Y.

R

[dr-baker]

Oh, I already have a personalised plate on my Mini, so I know about the rules about not putting a newer plate on an older car. But when I was looking at plates before, it seemed that the DVLA were only selling plates from A-previx (August 1983) onwards. So I was not able to specifically able to get AUG 12Y. One of these days, I may be able to track down that number plate...

[Guinney1971]

I'd keep an eye on the registration plate dealers websites, and maybe even contact
a few and tell them what you are looking for.

Trouble is, the dealers always charge about double what DVLA do .....