The seller of today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe Delorean says he needs to be rid of it ASAP due to his impending divorce. Let’s see wether or not his price for the car shows he’s already divorced from reality.
Today, when it comes to cars so small you have to get out to change your mind, Ford U.S.A. is all about the four-door hot hatches. In fact, the only thing they presently offer with two-doors and a hey-watch-this attitude is the Mustang and mega-wowzer GT. Back in the day however, Ford offered a sporty two-seater to compete with Chevy’s Corvette bring some cred to their Escort platform.
That two seater represented last Friday, and the memories came flooding back. You don’t see too many cars like that 1986 Escort EXP anymore, and that one came away with an equally rare Nice Price win, garnering an appreciative nod from 73% of you. I guess time heals all wounds.
John Z DeLorean started his career at Chrysler. He quickly made a jump to Packard and when that company merged with Studebaker he merged over to GM. While there he created Pontiac’s GTO, Firebird, and invented the lane change turn signal. DeLorean also oversaw the launch of the Chevy Vega, a car he personally touted would be Chevy’s “highest quality product.” That wouldn’t be the last time the jet-set auto executive would get something horribly, terribly wrong.
Everybody has an ego of course, although some are bigger than others. Because of this, many would like to have their name attached to something - preferably something other than a disease or a sex act that requires a mop afterward. Few however, get the chance to imprint their name on a car, fewer still on an entire car company.
DeLorean left GM in the early ‘70s to attach his name to a car and the company that built it. The DMC 12 was originally intended to be a mid-engine sports car built from composite materials, but as cash grew tight and development grew onerously long, the car was handed over to Lotus to underpin.
That company gave DeLorean back a rear-engined car riding on what was essentially a modified Esprit backbone. DeLorean also initially envisioned his namesake to rock Wankel power, but in the end it made do with a PRV V6. Oh well, at least it once was a time machine.
This 1981 DMC 12 sports factory side stripes to differentiate it from all the other stainless steel bodied cars out there. The ad says that the car rocks a healthy 42,500 miles and comes with some aftermarket perks - albeit not ones that muck it up visually.
Unlike the Bricklin which preceded the DeLorean, the gullwing doors were mechanical rather than hydraulic. That’s been upgraded here with a Wings-A-Loft system for remote lock popping which will save your manicure from unnecessary scrapage upon opening.
The interior has also been outfitted with an updated stereo that can play your 21st Century music in this 20th Century car. I recommend Will I.am. There’s also an A/C vent move to the knee bolster inside for all you ladies and kilt-wearing men.
The only issues noted in the ad are a failing clutch slave cylinder and an instrument binnacle crack. Of course, there will probably be a few more for the new owner to discover. The present owner may have been lucky in cars, but he’s presently apparently pretty unlucky in love. That’s because he’s trying to unload the car due to a breakup of his marital bliss.
Divorce can be ugly, but there doesn’t seem to be anything ugly about this child of divorce DMC 12. You can buy it now for $25,000 from its present owner, or for probably a lot more down the road from his soon to be Ex. Seemingly, joint custody isn’t in the cards.
What do you think about this DeLorean and that $25,000 price tag? Is that a deal to make the seller’s loss your gain? Or, is this a DeLorean with a price tag that blows?
You decide!
Detroit Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Owen Magnetic for the hookup!
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