Name Your favorite car(s) you no longer own

Its been awhile since I posted a new thread. One of the threads I started earlier this year was history on Hurst based on my private collection.

This topic depending on your age, should enlighten some of the younger readers to cars from earlier times. I am sure every one has one or more that for whatever reason they no longer have but surely miss owning.

Need not be the quickest one you have owned, but one that gave you the best memories. Being in the business I often think of 2 or 3 that I really did enjoy back in my youth that like many of you got sold or wrecked or simply neglected or did not fully appreciate until it was too late.

Here is two cars I think of frequently:

The time frame around 1970 I was finishing up my tour in the US Army having done a year in Vietnam and then got stationed at the induction center in Philadelphia.

Saw an ad for a 1949 Olds 76 club coupe. Car was in primer powered by a 1957 Olds 371 engine, converted to 12 volt backed up with a 1953 hydromatic transmission. Actually went to the Hurst plant in Warminster and had them fabricate a floor shifter for me as the car had 1962 T-bird bucket seats in it.

Everyone thought it was a typical 6 cylinder Chevy club coupe as they look similar.
Car was a lot of fun except for the knee action shocks which never worked right.
Sold it locally many years back, often look for it at car shows in the area, and in 30-35 years have never seen it again.

Car #2 Time frame around 1972 car was the perfect sleeper combo. A 1964 Lark 2 door sedan white with green vinyl bench seat dog dish hubcaps. An ex-California race car. Had a 1957 Pontiac rear with I think 3.56 gears, 4-speed transmission (Hurst shifter), Avanti 289 engine with R3 heads and dual quads fed a Paxton supercharger. Dual exhaust tucked neatly under the rear bumper with Midas "quiet" mufflers. The system that fed the dual quads to the supercharger was custom made as Studebaker I believe never offered a dual quad supercharged set up.

Outside of the sound of the supercharger which was not a familar sound in 1972 to the local hot rodders this car was an absolute blast to drive. At the time I never really fully appreciated how rare this car was especially the R3 studebaker heads which is like the Holy Grail to Avanti owners.

Sold the car to a studebaker friend who pulled the drivetrain and sold the rust free California body. In other words, no chance of ever seeing that car again.

Memories are nice, its ashame we can't somehow turn back the clock like they do in movies.

Lets hear your story.....

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Twaz the 19 and 67..I order a new 67 Pontiac Tempest with the Sprint package (dear old dad wouldn't sign for a GTO)
I got the car, put in 4:56s, a tach, cheater slicks etc... without a doubt the biggest bang for the buck that I have ever owned. I street race/drag raced the snot out of that car and it just never broke....
In 72 put in a 389... big mistake.. Sold the car for $400.
Pontiac Slim

 

1954 Chevy DelRay coupe......6 cyl, 3spd. Painted yellow with a black button tuck interior; shaved with a tube grille. I was 17 in '73. First car I ever built........I'll never forget it.

 

This one ...



I thought I needed another 32 Ford ... so I sold the 40.
At least a HAMBER has it and takes great care of it

And this one ...



I just got STUPID ... and let a BIG stack of hundred dollar bills sway me into letting it go.
I have NO IDEA where it is ... but I would LOVE to have it back.

 

The one I regret most is my 54 Olds , sold it to put money into my 65 F85 tube chassis car which I ended having to sell after and accident along with my pro street 70 monte carlo. Those two where a necisity and actually thankful I had something to resource in time of need.

 

Post-'64 cars: 1969 Dodge Dart GTS 440 hardtop, 1966 Pontiac Bonneville convertible, 1973 Imperial LeBaron, 1967 GMC Suburban, 1967 Chevy Biscayne 4-dr, 1967 Chevy Impala SS 396, 1967 Dodge Polara 9-pass wagon, 1967 Dodge Dart GT hardtop, 1990 BMW 325i convertible, 2003 PT Cruiser GT 5-speed, 1996 Dodge 3500 Cummins CC

HAMB-friendly cars/trucks: 1955 Chevy Cameo, 1962 Lincoln Continental convertible, 1953 Hudson Wasp, 1956 Hudson Super Wasp, 1964 Chevy C-10 SNB 4x2, 1954 Willys CJ-3B, 1963 Dodge Custom 880 hardtop wagon, 1947 Chevy Aerosedan, 1952 Chevy sedan.

I've owned a BUNCH of cars and trucks since 1972, so I had to give this one a bit of thought. NONE of these were projects - all were runners/drivers. Some I'd owned in the '70s, others later on.

 

i regret selling my 53 its in australia nowsold because i had a baby on the way and was layed off..

 

Probably my two '55 Nomads, one was a driver with a 348 W block in it and one without engine and trans. I was in high school, with little money, and STUPID. Let them both go for... are you ready... $135.00. That was 45 years ago and it still hurts when I think about it. Oh well, they did go to a good home.

Lee

 

That's easy. the 51 Merc coupe that I bought from a teacher at school in 1963 when I was 16 for 175.00 and owned for most of 32 years except for a couple of years when I sold it for 30.00 and bought it back for 10.00 after my buddy found it in a field.

In a few of it's phases in the 70's and 80's.
The rear bumper in these photos now resides on ProstockJohn's Merc as I kept it when I sold the 51 with another rear bumper on it. He made it very shiny though.

In Roslyn, Wa hanging with a few other Mercs. And yes I did pull the travel trailer there with it.

In it's current not so HAMB friendly style but very comfortable in it's own personal garage every night and happily having a lot of pieces of green paper lavished on it.
The gent who bought the car from me has turned it into an extremely nice car with all top flight pieces and no corners cut outside of the painted bumpers and the current wheels and tires.

And like a lot of others I sold the car in a period when family was more important than the car. I regret that I had to sell the car but don't for a minute regret selling it to the gent I sold it to. It is extremely well cared for.

 

I miss my high school sweetheart...she was a 1956 Chrysler New Yorker with a 331 Hemi. Did a lot of fun and stupid shit in that car.

 

My deuce 2 dr project........



and my 59 Impala daily driver back in the 80's.......

 

Funny but it's not a car, it's a 57 International S-120 4X4 pickup I once drove to high school. Cool old truck I'd like to have it back.

 

'34 Chevy coupe, "41 Chevy club coupe, And 1966 Vette.

 

I really liked Pepe but it was Flathead powered and couldnt get out of its own way.



The one car I wish I could have back (in the condition I sold it) is my old '67 Malibu. The new owner painted it orange W/silver SS stripes.

 

For me it was my 65 Mercury Cyclone I had in high school. 1981 to about 1985 when I sold It. Man I wish I could find it....

 

My 61 Cad-One of the best cars Ive ever owned!!

 

1961 Olds Dynamic 88. Bought it for $400, drove it a year and sold it for $400

 

My '56 Chevy 2 dr. post with the straight axel, 57 Olds rear and fiberglass tilt front. Sold it when I went into the Army in '68, I worked after high school at a shop that built sprint cars for the parts and help to build.

 

Man I love that Caddy, I see why you would want to have kept it.

 

I had a black 1963 1/2 ford galaxie that i bought in 94 when i was 25. man i got alot of looks from people in that one. wished i never sold it.

 

My 63 2 top Corvette. Similar to this one. I added the factory side pipe covers and I put glass packs under them. (my first custom exhaust job) I paid 1300 for it, drove it for a year or so. I got the hots for the newer body style and sold it for 1500 to buy a 68 427 Corvette. Mine had real 5 spokes with the cast spokes. That was my first Corvette. I can't afford to get another one now.

 

My 1959 Volvo 544 sport, had in 1967-68.
Then my 67 Plymouth Barracuda fastback had 68 - 1970 sold because I did not like the tan color.

 

1935 Chevy Suburban Carryall

 

My 54 Holden FJ Ute. Sold it because the family wanted to go on drives. Bought a same year Sedan. Kids got in it about twice. Jeez I loved that Ute. Finished in Highfill primer, Chrome rims, venetian Blind in rear,Commodore 6cyl, five speed manual. Hardest part about driving it was stopping the rear wheels from smoking.

 

1956 Austin Healey (2 different ones at two different times),1958 Impala,1959 Bonneville conv.

Bobbyd

 

my 1978 Pontiac Trans Am. That car was a chick magnet!

 

37 ford coupe , merc flathead, high school car paid $250 for it in 66 running and driving.

 

My first was a 1955 Chevy AD PU, then my college car was a 1962 Chrysler 300. Miss them both....

 

1956 Chevrolet 150 2-door. I bought it for $400 (in 1974) with a six-banger, three on the tree. Put a 283 in it several years later.

 

My two cars I had in High School. 49 Chevy Fleetline, I had in 1966. Paid $20.00 for it. In 1968 my Senior year I had a Pink 56' Cadillac Eldorado Convertable. ( $150.00)Wrecked it right in front of the School. Last would be my 1969 Shelby GT 500 Convertable. I bought it in 1972. Paid $1,599.00 for it at a used car lot. Sold it after my Daughter was born. Not because I wasn't still a Hot Rodder....just that the $50.00 a month payments were killing me!