Hello from Grimsby, Lincolnshire

[MIKE1979]

Hi everyone, just wanted to introduce myself.
I'm Mike from Grimsby in Lincolnshire and like everyone here, I'm a massive fan of the car and the movies, but living in Grimsby the chance to see a Delorean never arises.
Does anyone know of any owners in my area who would be willing to arrange something?
I have been saving for as long as I can rememberand I feel now is the time to take the plunge, now or never, prices seem to be going higher and higher.
Obviously I have many questions, so any advice or point in the right direction would be of a great help.
Import, don't import?
Thanyou for having me.

[Chris Williams]

Hi Mike

Welcome to the forum, your not that far from the Midds/Notts hot-spot for DeLoreans so it's well worth checking out the Midlands thread for up-coming events: viewforum.php?f=53 The main event this year for DeLoreans in the UK will be in August: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=5440 Mainly based around Norfolk/Cambs this year but well worth making the effort to pop along. Lots of cars (the biggest gathering in the UK) will be in attendance with lots from Europe and Ireland in attendance as well a true euro-fest of cars one could say. Even if you could only get along to Duxford for example it would be a good day out for the family and give you a great insight into the cars.
Hope this helps to start, as most cars are still off the road for the winter!
Chris
P.S joining the club is a great place to start as well

[88mph]

Hi & welcome Mike.
I was in your position last October, I went the import route, buying from US ebay.
Prices are definitely cheaper in the US but there is a lot of advantages to actually seeing, touching, driving a UK road legal car. Buying any 35 year old car is a gamble but buying a UK car is less of a one.

[MIKE1979]

Hi Chris,
Firstly, thankyou for having me onboard and replying to me, thankyou for the time you have taken to respond.
I have taken on what you have said, I'm more than willing to travel to gain more of an insight and to have a fun day out with the family, I think my partner will be pleased that I have other people with the same interests to talk too.
I'm just really keen to get started, I'm just keen to get involved before the price is too far out of reach for me, as prices just seem to be going higher and higher.
I have the house with the nice big garage, now I just need the car.
The main question I have though is this, will 25k buy a well looked after car in full working order?
Mike

[MIKE1979]

Hi 88mph,
Thankyou for taking the time to reply, I always wonder what the reception will be for new members, most impressed.
Thats the big question for me, to import or not to import, I just wonder how far 25k will get me here in the UK?
Mike

[88mph]

I'm fairly new to the marque too, and others will no-doubt of checked pricing & price inflation in more detail, but £25k is a fair amount to go looking with.
In the UK, fully sorted, road legal car asking prices start around the high 20's.
There was a very nice looking one for sale on here earlier this year, £28K iirc, but no takers. It eventually went to a car auction and the seller walked away with circa £25/26k in his pocket.

In the US, after shipping, insurance, VAT & UK compliance, you'd being looking at £21k to spend in the USA. That would definitely get you a nice car out there in a private sale. Its just that you are getting into big money to be gambling on a unseen/untested car. You could fly out and view, but there is no point buying a US car if its the eventually the same cost.
IMO, unless you are very confident about the US car & it is considerable cheaper the import gamble isn't worth it.
Hope that helps.

[Theflyinggeordie999]

Hi, welcome to the club. I just bought mine last year from someone in southen Ireland for 17k. Hadn't been run for 8 years and wasn't registered. I didn't get a chance to look at it so took a big gamble. I got lucky. Thankfully it was a good example that only took £2500 to get to a decent standard. If you do go down the U.S. import route and can't go over to see it, ask for plenty of photos of the engine cradle and front chassis and see if they upload a video of the car running. Chris Williams has been a great help to me with technical knowledge of the car too. Whatever you decide, the club members are always happy to help

[MIKE1979]

Hi 88mph,
Thankyou for your insight, I spent alot of time yesterday going through the topic of the DeLorean you bought on the US Ebay site, wow, that must have took some guts to do, but it looks like it all worked out for you and the car looks great.
I Thought that 25k was a fair budget, I'm aware that I won't be able to get a car with really low miles, but I'm not that bothered with that.
Looking at cars for sale in the US, my budget will get me more, but at more of a risk. I'm 35 now and have been saving hard for 10 years, I want to do the right thing.
Just out of interest do you know of any DeLorean owners in the Grimsby/Lincolnshire area?
As always, thankyou for you advice.

[MIKE1979]

Hi Theflyinggeordie999,
Thankyou for your reply, That was a gamble you made, but like you said, it paid off and worked out for you. The import route from the US seems like a good idea, at the very least to stretch my 25k budget, but if I fly out a time or two it's soon going to eat into any savings made by importing.
I just know that I'm really keen to get my hands on a car, that is of good working order and original as it can be, that's why I havn't joined this forum before, It's only now that I can look with the intention of buying.
Thanyou for your advice about what to look out for.

[Chris P]

Life's a gamble……thought for the day……..

[88mph]

I feel like an old sage here but..........
Forget low mileage, Most low miles car have just had broken speedo's &, imo, a car with genuine 3000miles, that has sat unloved in a shed or under tarp for 99.9% of its life, can be more trouble than a weekly driver with 60,000 miles on it.
Example, my risky US gamble was a one owner, weekend driver in Nevada car until 2004. It then spent the next 9 years in a barn in Vermont with the second owner until last year, when he then spent $9k to put it back on the road (Lots of new parts ie, brakes, suspension, exhaust, hoses, fuel/brake/clutch lines, water/fuel pumps, windscreen, window motors etc etc, plus labour costs) before selling it to me. These were the reasons I took the gamble.

If you do gamble on US car, this is the type of car to go for.......
Much loved, dry state car.
Money recently been spent in right areas.
On road runner.
Considerable cheaper than equivalent UK cars.

Just my opinion but hope that helps, Karl

[88mph]

Chris P Wrote:Life's a gamble……thought for the day……..

Tell me about it!! :lol:

[Chris Williams]

Quote:Forget low mileage, Most low miles car have just had broken speedo's &, imo, a car with genuine 3000miles, that has sat unloved in a shed or under tarp for 99.9% of its life, can be more trouble than a weekly driver with 60,000 miles on it.

A very true statement, Value wise it makes little difference if it shows 10k miles or 60k miles.
Chris

[MIKE1979]

Hi 88mph,
I can't thankyou enough for your advice, listening to other people who have gone through the same sort of thing is a great insight, I admit that I need as much advice as I can get. From my past cars I know any car is a gamble, but it's nice if you can make the gamble less of one, with regards to having an understanding as to what to look for. i.e. don't worry to much about the miles on the clock (within reason)
Looks like importing is going to be the better option, when looking around what is available here in the UK, not much around, or maybe It's too early in the year for people to sell.
As always, thankyou for your time,
Mike

[Mike holtby]

Hi Mike
Mike here from Goxhill near Barton, good to hear that someone near to me is as enthusiastic as I am about Deloreans, I have recently bought one from Delorean Motor Company in Humble Texas, just waiting for it to be shipped to Southampton, where I will pick it up from.

Been a great learning curve, ups and downs along the way, but everyone has been really helpful, on the forum and the shipping company.

When it arrives you are quite welcome to come and see it, might be able to offer you some advice.

I was looking for a silver one wanting a bit of work doing on it, mainly to get one at the price I could afford, the one I have bought is actually Red!! Needs a few bits but nothing I can't manage, got the bits already, just need the car!!

Cheers Mike