The one that got away

toddr124

toddr124

Hagerstown, MD
We have all had cars that we have sold. The question is which 3 cars you have sold would you like back. Assume that the wreck/blow engine/wife bitching had never happened.

1) I would like to have my 74 Vega Gt back. Yes I know it was a Vega, but I put a 231 V6 with 5 speed transmission and positraction SS rear into it. I also replaced all the spring and shocks. Faster than a trans am 0 to 80 and could take corners a little. Fun car I built myself from 3 junked cars and $600 Vega. Reason I sold it; RUST

2) Alfa 164S Fast family car that was very comfortable on the track and the highway. Still look at them on ebay. Reason I sold it; Blew the engine.

3) Porsche 914. I had a 1974 2.0. I had a blast with the car, but small repairs were very expensive even doing my own labor. Handle even with an X1/9 and a lot more horsepower. Reason I sold it; To buy an X1/9.
 
1750 Alfa Gulia GT Coupe

I used to have a 1750 Alfa Gulia GT. In my opinion, the Gulia is one of the prettiest cars ever made. I still have no idea why I sold her. I had 5 cars at the time, which may have been a contributing factor.

The 1750 was the pick of these cars. The later cars had a 2L engine, but although these had more torque, they didn't rev nearly as well.

Here she is not long before I sold her:

IMG_0861.JPG


Even though I sold the car at a net profit (in Australia), they are incredibly expensive here in Germany. I still remember walking away from the car after handing over the keys and feeling like a traitor...
 
1. Brit RHD Mini with fiberglas Marcos GT body.
Fun skateboard, but too fragile for thrashing the way I liked to thrash.

2. Porsche 356A. Same as above, plus expensive parts.
As values climbed, parts prices got worse.

Both had escalated in value, so cashing out seemed logical.
In retrospect, not so much, but it was right decision at the time.
Both experiences led me to buy a Fiat-based racecar 20 years ago.

The one that didn't get away is '69 Camaro SS, which I've owned 45 years.
canon022_zpsb54b6e42.jpg
 
3 carz

1. 1974 Chevy Nova SS lime green w/fat black stripes on the hood and trunk. 4 speed Muncie rock crusher w/Hurst shifter, Headers, dual exhaust....6MPG...Gave it to my little brother, who drove it a couple years and then sold it. (never gave me any of the money)...

2 1979 X1/9 lime green also. had been an Arizona car. No rust, but crispy interior...pretty ragged out on the inside, contankerous carb issues/vapor lock....Gave it away/no place to keep it/wife's ruling

3. 1990 Nissan 240sx black on black, Heads up speedo, fun car, put 170,000 miles on it. Sold it to buy my 2000 BMW 528 Sport, Black with Tan interior. Still my daily driver. 145,000 miles and running strong.
 
LOL timing is everything...

The #1 car I regret selling was my first self-owned car, a 1969 Camaro with a 327 and Hurst shifter. It was maroon with a white vinyl top and I loved it.

#2 is definitely a Gran Finale X1/9 I owned for a few months. I got it at a hell of a deal and made the mistake of telling teh Wife, who pushed me to sell it at a huge profit. Which I did, which was a second mistake. Metallic blue, Gran Finale Alcantara, Gran Finale Wheels and A/C. Sigh

# 3 is another Fiat, a Green Fiat 128. Best car I had til it caught on fire, most room of any car I've ever owned, even more than a Chrysler Imperial LeBaron (1963) I owned.

I also lost a Fiat 850 Spider I should have never lost...oh well.
 
1. 1979 Lancia Beta Coupe - dark green with tan interior. Used it in college, where it made me quite popular (the guy with the car that always had its hood open). anyway I loved it. To this day, I have not had a car with comparable miraculous handling. Gave it in trade inn for my first X 1/9.

2. 1982 Porsche 928 S - metallic black with black interior and titanium finish flat type wheels. I had it for about nine years. Many good and not so good $$$ moments. Incredibly fast and pretty. Became tired of expensive repairs.

3. 2005 Aston Martin DB 9 - meteor silver with tan interior, 450 HP V 12. I made some drastic changes in my life in 2013, and had to sell it to reduce expenses. This one made me quite popular, in a good way, at last. Very sorely missed. Some day...

Honorable mentions include 1986 black Toyota MR2, 1996 black MB SL 320, 2006 MINI Cooper S (extremely modified), and 2008 black Porsche 911 (I still have nightmares with my conscience torturing me on this one).
I can not imagine selling my Black Beauty 1986 Brand New-looking X.
 
I would like to have just about every car I had in the past but the one car I would like to have back the most would be my 63 Renault Caravelle. I got it in 1972 and sold it in 1977. It had a 1189cc straight four cylinder rear engine with 1300cc sleeves and Gordini hemi head bolted to a Gordini 5 speed. I forget the cam but was running duel 3/4 inch SU's. I could get 45mpg but averaged around 36mpg. It was a little tail heavy but still did good in the turns and would cruise at 70 all day long. The speedo went to 100 but it would do more. The rims were custom made steel with the stock Renault three lug centers. The fronts rims were 13 x 5.5 and the rears were 14 x 6.5. The tires in the pictures are Michelin. It was originally powder blue with a dark blue top. I shot the metallic beer bottle brown and saddle tan top. The top is removable by the way. The interior was a tan with Toyota corolla bucket seats with lap seat belts. I was in my twenties when I built it and drove it like a man insane. After 45 years my wife still apologizes for talking me into selling it. It was probably for the best.
 
My trio

1. 1973 Triumph GT6 MK3 Found in original non running condition for $500. Got it running and driving in 3 days, sold at profit. Now they're kinda hard to find unrestored and in decent shape...

2. 1966 Porsche 912. This was my first car at age 15. It was a rusty POS, but should've kept it.....

3. 1995 Acura Integra GSR coupe. Awesome college runabout. fast, cheap to own and drive. Still ran like a top the day I sold it with 240k on the odo
 
Several

Like others here, there's been more than one that I would happily have back.

1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5

1. 1960s Morris Cooper. My first car and I only now appreciate what it was. This is not my actual car, but identical.

2. 1970 Mazda rally car. My first rally car and I still miss that old thing. This was a state championship rally in north eastern Victoria somewhere. Sorry about the scan of the fading print.

3. 2001 Subaru WRX. Again, not mine, but identical. Apparently the side mirrors vibrate at around 160km/h (the ton in old money), but I wouldn't know from personal experience. :whistle:

4. 1978 X1/9 rally car. Loved that car so much I used to travel half way around the world to compete in multi day epic rallies like the Alpine and the Olde BPs. This was at the start of the 2004 Olde BP.

5. Alfa 147 Selespeed. Sweet 2 litre engine and flappy paddle gearbox. And this was my actual car. :love:

Then there's the cars I have driven that weren't mine......
 
My three

1. 1964 Pontiac GTO that I owned in 1971 (my first car).
2. 1968 Chevy Nova 307 V8 4 speed bench seat, which I sold to a buddy in prep to buy my...
3. 1974 X1/9... my first new car purchase, owned from June 1974 thru May 1980.

I wish I'd held on to all three.
 
Only one car sold that I regret selling..................................

1972 Porsche 911 Carrera Replica with Steel Flares, Fuchs alloys, Stainless steel heat exchangers with Roll cage, Momo Steering wheel painted in ROSA CORSA.:grin::eek:mg::eek:mg: I sold this car in 98 and today it will cost between 60 and 100 grand if you can find one.:hrmph:



 
I've owned over a dozen cars since 1974 ...

#1 - 1963 Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider, my first car. Bought it from my brother (who sold it to buy his '74 X1/9). Oh, wait, I still have the Alfa.

#2 1985 Honda CRX - My first factory-new car. Sold because the two-seat car wasn't practical with a second son coming along ... at least that's the explanation I was given.

& #3 - Dunno, I sold the other cars for good reasons, I guess I don't have a #3.
 
59 fiat 600 i drove for a short time while i was in high school. a rocker stud broke and it sat until my dad sold it for 10.00 to some guy that wanted to make a dune buggy out of it.(my dad hated junk parked around the farm)
71 toyota celica. it was a blast to drive after i had moved to houston. totaled that one
 
My Father's car

That I dreamed of inheriting. A Duesenberg SJ LeGrande Phaeton. I grew up working on this car with him. He sold it in 1965. I got to drive it once.

This is the supercharged version, it was faster than any car on the road until the muscle cars appeared.

A Dusenberg SJ Walker-LeGrand Convertable Coupe recently sold at Amelia Island for 4.51 million dollars.

Paul Davock
 
My 1959 Bugeye

that I tenderly restored and sold in 1967 for the amazing sum of $1100.
 
Top 3 (now with pics)

#1 1990 Plymouth Laser RS Turbo - Wow was that thing fast! Crashed it and the insurance company retained the car after paying it off. First I wish I hadn't crashed it then I wished I had kept the crashed car for a transplant into and X1/9.



#2 1980 Fiat X1/9 - had a little rust and after the engine was put into my 1985 X1/9 body I found (still have that car), the 1980 body was sold to a salvage yard for scrap. I was in the Army and living in the barracks. It had to go, but was worth saving. Ah the days before internet!


The 77 Honda CIVIC in the background was fun too (until someone pulled out in front of me.)



#3 1980 Chevy Monza notch back. I sold it to my girlfriend when I left for the Army for $10. She sold it for $500 after we broke up to a guy who crashed it 1 month after buying it.
I don't have many pics of this car. It must be spring in these pics because it's not lowered and I still have the snow tires on the rear.

 
Last edited:
Not that much

The Dusenberg sold for $23,000, highest price for a classic car at that time, about $165,000 in today's dollars.

It would not buy much of a house right now.

Paul
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top