Buying VIN# 10719

A 1982 Delorean for sale.....
Grey interior, manual, refurbished wheel and fuel system. New leather seats covers and excellent interior. Electrical system updated with new fuses and relays and all door/trunk struts replaced. Window motors replaced. New tires installed and the brakes have been serviced with new rotors and pads.......

Above is the original ebay listing for VIN#10719, including just some of the many refurbishments and repairs made by the owner. I knew as soon as I clicked the link this was the car for me. All the major points had been sorted out and, although there is always room to stamp your own identity on a DeLorean, many of the key points had been done. It had all the features I wanted in a D.

• Manual gearbox (a must really).
• Grey interior (even though I toyed with the idea of a black interior grey just looks better in my mind).
• Later smooth hood, without groves and gas flap and with the DeLorean logo.
• An ariel in the  rear quarter grill. Much better than the one in the wind shield/screen, and not as unsightly as the wing mounted versions.
• Silver, later version wheels. I think the first model grey wheel are nice, but there's something about the silver finish for me.
• Original wide dealer stripe. Its an acquired taste, but I love it!

But, the seller was looking for mainly a US buyer....

so, I messaged the seller to see if he had any pics of the frame, plus could answer any more questions. to my surprise he got right back to me within minutes! Now bare in mind that this is gone 11pm at night here in the UK. I went back to him saying it all looked good and would be in contact.

Next day, five minutes before the end of my lunch, I received a reply from the seller.

"It sounds like you would appreciate this car as it is an extremely nice one. We turned down an offer this evening for ($1000 below my max) and I don't expect the auction to run it's full course. Please feel free to call or email me if you have any more questions, would like additional photographs, or any other points to discuss.

Happy cruising!"

 

I was frantic. I wanted this car, and to have it snatched away so quickly would be a nightmare! So, quickly I emailed him back with my final offer. Then started a VERY long afternoon which dragged and dragged. Would he take the offer? A car in this condition would normally go for more money. Maybe I should have gone with more?

The end of the day couldn't come soon enough. When it did I flew back home. I had decided on one thing. I'd give the guy a call. Much better to talk in person. That way he'd understand I was a serious bidder. Maybe he would see that an international buyer wasn't such a bad thing. No visits to look at the car for a start! I couldn't afford the airfare for one thing.

So, just as I sat down to make the car an email came in....

"I am glad you decided to take it, I know you will not be disappointed."

The car was mine! All I had to do was send over a deposit for $1000 via PayPal to secure the car and |He'd take the auction down. After thinking about it for so long I couldn't believe id actually brought my very own DeLorean. The smile on my face was like a kid on Christmas morning.

I rang the seller anyway, and had a great chat about the car. Seems he was selling for his best friend, and it had been cared for very much. things were looking great. Now all I had to do was sort out how to get my dream car back here to the UK.