There've been a few.... -'62 Belair Bubbletop. $65, Bought from a farmer's field with money I made throwing hay that summer. 283, 3 on the tree, running, with title, no exhaust. Needed grill, headlight trim, and frt bumper. All which I had gathered within a month. I was 15, sold it to a buddy before I got my DL. -Passed- '63 split window, $1800, offered from a buddy. Fresh red paint, 327/300/4spd. New Cragars, and air shocks. I didn't like the split windows, prefered '64s, and I was still making $60 payments on my '69 SS 396. -Passed- '64 Belvedere II, $800, 2dr post, 383 4spd, bench seat. Offerd by a regular customer at the gas station where I worked. I was making $1.50 hr, couldn't make it happen. -Passed- '57 210 2dr post, $400. Ex-drag car, now running a stock 283 4spd, in primer, nicely radiused rear wheel wells, no rear shocks, 4 pt rollbar. Offered by an older (25) co-worker at the same gas station. Man, I wanted that one bad, damn. -Passed- '62 Vette, $2500, 327 4spd, Hondura's maroon, both tops, bone stock, original owner. Another older (30ish) regular station customer. Immaculate low miler. It may as well have been $250,000, I was dreaming, at my wages at the time. She was a beaut though... That's just a few highlights, there were plenty more...
2 of them right off hand.. a 1970 426 hemi B-blue road runner.& a 1954 Buick rivy convert W/ wires that served as a chicken coop for about 15-20 yrs before i found it..there's been plenty that i missed.. back in the 80's when they were junk,only if i had known????
OK. Top this one. The year was 1965. The place was a VW dealer (Bud Clark) in Dearborn. Behind the dealership was a 1936 Bugatti fastback for sale. Interior and wiring were ate up, but the car was 100% there including the cammer straight 8 with a huge centrifical blower. Asking price was $3500!!!!!! I did not have that kind of cash.
The year was 1978 I was sitting in school looking at "trading times" the car was in Downers Grove Illinois About 60 miles away . I cut class went to the pay phone called to see if the car was still for sale ,it was & the guy said he would hold it until i got there ! I got stuck in traffic .When I arrived there it was a 1941 Willys Coupe Gasser on a trailer it was orange had Haladrands flat tires a 392 Hemi & extra heads .And it was sold the guy did not keep his word the worst part the asking price was $750.00 I still feel sick over it !!!!
'34 Ford P/u street rod for $650.oo Couldn't get a loan from the Bank of Mom '39 Ford Standard Tudor sedan for $1,000 Running in a Used car lot. In the USAF. Didn't want to run the risk of driving it cross country back to Seattle with a flathead. "56 Chevy wagon with a CHOPPED top. Ex drag car, I was a kid, But DAMN I wanted that car.
'41 Willys drag truck. I went to look at a V8 Vega wagon and the guy had this '41 Willys drag truck. SBC with a glide. I had driven my '55 Chevy which was my daily driver at the time. (avatar) He wanted to trade but I told him it was my daily driver, I needed my car for work. He offered to swap engines and transmissions so I could drive it daily. I said no, there's no heater or windshield wipers. He ended up pulling the motor and trans and sold the truck for more than I had in the '55. Eventually, the '55 got stolen from work. Another one was a '70 Chevelle SS 454 with a 4 speed and 4:10 gears, bought new. My friend's father bought him the car after he crashed his '69 Judge. When the fuel shortage hit, he sold the car for $2500 and bought a Mazda.
I was 16 in 1969 and had been looking for months for my first car. I had $450.00 cash saved up. I had to have a 55-57 Chevy. I had my Mom out with me on a Sunday evening looking at a Turq 1957 2 drhdt Chevy that was in my price range. We drove it and had the "car guy" up the street look at it. He said it was worth the money. We told the owners wife we would take it and we would be back the next day with the money as her husband was at work anyway and he had to sign the Title. I spent the longest day ever the next day in school and then waiting for my Mom to pick me up. I was so excitited I could not even eat. I told all my friends about the neat 57 I was getting with a 4-speed already in it. When we finally got there the owners wife said "Sorry, my husband sold the car to a friend at work last night." Well the wind was out of my sails. My Mom said: It just must not of been meant to be.... Somehow that did make me feel better.....
54 belair daily driver with the roof removed... $1800 and it was when I was new to the scene. There was a 53 carcass in the junk yard and I asked all my friends if it would be possible to put the roof from the 53 on this 54 and they all told me no.... If I knew then what I know now I would be driving it today. P.s. some one used that roof I. Another 54 and it looks great... One of my worst decisions!
In 1979 I missed a 66 Shelby by about 30 minutes, I went to the bank and got the money and it sold before I got back to the lot. I have kicked myself a million time over it.
'71 Olds W30.... for $5500 bucks, and a nice car to boot. About 18 years ago. Never forgot. We could talk about the vehicles we've sold and regretted...
When I was in the Navy in Norfolk Virginia in 1968 I test drove a '65 Shelby Mustang in really nice shape and all original. I forget the price but it was reasonable. The front end shook real bad so I passed on it. Big mistake!
Just last week. 1932 Ford pickup. I had the verbal deal but underhanded dealings got it sold out from under me a few hours later. Not a happy camper, that's for sure!
I've missed plenty but this one kinda' hurt. Pomona Swap 1986. Catch a guy pulling in with a 57 Corvette straight axle drag car only missing the engine. It was a 64ish time capsule. He wanted $3500. I had $3200 in my pocket. Offered that. He says no. I ask if he'll hold it for 20 minutes with a $500 deposit. He says yea. I give him the money and get a receipt, haul ass back to my space and borrow $300 from my buddy. Get back to the Vette within 10 minutes and the guy had already sold it for $5500 somebody offered. After I got my money back I told him what an ass he was. He smiled and said "Yep, $2000 worth of ass" I wanted to punch that fucker in the throat so bad. It was for sale later that day for $8K.
My next oldest brother (8 years older) bought a brand new '72 GTO. 400 with a 4 speed. I remember going with him to look at it when it was still on the transport. The dealer was 2 blocks from our tire shop and we saw it go by. Fast forward 6 years. I'm 16 and he wants to sell the car. The folks wouldn't let me buy it because it was "too hot" for me. He did sell to to a buddy of his who lent it to another guy one night and of course he totaled it! I'm a Chevy guy at heart, but I really wish I had that Pontiac. I do however still have the '68 Elcamino I got when I turned 16. I turn 50 this weekend!
Several come to mind..... The "Big One" was back in 1985. I came across a 1953 Studebaker Starlight coupe that had been in the barn where it was sitting since 1962. The automatic transmission had gone out, and the original owner had disassembled both the motor and transmission with intent to fix. According to the son who was selling it, dad had gotten in over his head and given up. Except for an easily repairable dent in the drivers side rear quarter, from something falling against it, the body was excellent. The reason I did not spring for it was that there was no idea if all the motor & trans parts were there, and I couldn't find a replacement transmission. The one that's fresh in my mind was just a few weeks ago... a 59 Studebaker Lark VII 2 door wagon, with AT, for $700. Between my health issues and lack of a place to put it, I had to pass.
'32 Willys 5-window, all steel and all there. My uncle had it, told me he only had a few hundred $'s in it, said one day that he'd sell it....didn't give any figures. I played it cool (don't ask don't tell) but told him I'd help put the word out....... Meanwhile I put up everything I had for sell to try and get up some money and (regrettably) the first thing that got gone was my bagged 49 Ford sedan. For a few days I had various amounts of cash in each of my pants and jacket pockets, and after an hour long casual encounter he brought up the subject and I then asked what he thought he wanted for it. He gave me a perplexed look and told me he never said that he'd sell it. He had heart trouble so I knew he probably didn't remember saying that especially since I didn't push it. Didn't want to let that sour anything so I just blew all my money and forgot about it. Later on he needed some cash and I think he ended up selling it to the first person that came to look at it. I just hope it went to a good home. He died yesterday, maybe I should start a thread about it to go along with all the other depressing ones?
I've had a couple.... in 1983, there was a Used car lot around the corner from the house, selling Gas Guzzlers. There was the prettiest little Orange 70-72 Challenger Convertible.... I just couldn't see giving 2500 bucks for it.... The damn car was Next to perfect. Orange with White interior and Top.... - 2500 bucks was insane for a car that old, that was gonna keep me broke buyin' gas.... Crazy money! What were They thinkin'? (Or maybe what was I thinkin'?)
The one that got away would have to be a 1965 Vw notchback. I learned my leason and made it happen when I found my 1947 1/2 ton and 1947 cab over
The year is early 1971. Married, house payment, car payment, two kids and making payments on both of them. This should make it clear as to why I did not have two extra nickels to rub together. Hell, most of us have been there in some form or another at least once while going through life. A local high roller buys his kid a new 1968 L-88 Corvette for his 16th birthday. This is the kids first car and he is a real Nerd. By the time a couple of years roll by Daddy is tired of mixing fuel, bringing in Chevrolet Engineers to tune it for street use and listening to the neighbors complain about the kids driving habits. The kid screws up once to often and Daddy trades the car off at the Buick-Olds Dealership where I am working at for an Olds 442. Now this car has like 16K miles, not a scratch on it and other than hard to keep running at low RPM it is way cool. You know the type, Slick as a hounds tooth and knee deep in rubber.The price was $3200. It just as well have been a Million bucks. I don't think that car had ever been raced even once since new. Well in looking back it was probably best. If I could have gotten my hands on that car then I most likely would not be pecking out this story now. Its the one that I remember as being the one that "Got Away".
1967 or 1969 Indy Pace Car Convertible White with Orange Stripes B/W Houndstooth interior. $5000. 1986. Oh Wait. Within 300 feet -A guy with a 1965 Shelby R (for Race) calimed to be #1. It turned out to be 100% authentic. Mtn. View California. Still haunts me. Oh well. D
My Dad had a 34 Willys sedan bought on a handshake deal ,,dont worry about a deposit just pay when you pick it up at the weekend ,,$350,, one of our local rodders heard about it and did the undercut ,,,his reply when asked was "theres no friends in rodders " havent had any problems with real rodders he just showed he wasnt one ,,,
on a car lot in 1972 62nd western in chicago sat a 67 convert corvette L-88 when he started it it shook rumbled barely idled guy wanted 2500 we got him down to 2300 and didnt buy it kinda glad we would be dead by now
'30 Model A coupe project... in 1984 the guy wanted $500 for the pile of parts. It was an old Hot Rod with dark green paint... home made frame... old Chrome dropped axle... and a rear end. No motor or trans. I doubt I would have kept the old paint... mainly because it wasn't in vogue at the time. But I would have learned a lot... a lot sooner. There was also a '57 Chevy I could have bought for $300... but I passed. I found a '55 for $500... so I bought it. Sam
Sigh. 1947 Packard Clipper fastback, $1200. Drive home condition with a rare factory automatic trans. It's been years, but that car gets better looking every time I think about it! Then there the car that got away from my dad. After WWII, pop and his best buddy went to a used car lot for some new wheels. There sat an Auburn boat-tail ready to go. Nobody wanted them since Auburn was out of business. Dad had the cash in his pocket, but his buddy convinced him not to buy it because, "They burned oil." I think dad's still pissed over that one!
My dads '68 442 that was sold in '74 when i was 7. A '72 Corvette when I was in high school. '67 GTO big block with a 4 sppeed, and the list goes on.
an all original 1968 superbee. numbers matching that need a full restore that was in a magazine in the 80s. i offered 4500 and the guy wanted 5000 and i wouldnt come up. wish i would have givin up the other 500. damn it.
I'll add a couple to my previous post. A few of these posts got me thinkin'. 68 L88 coupe on a car lot, $3200. Had rear flares with the LR in primer from a mishap. Kinda a gold color, didn't care for it, repaint $$ put me off of it. But was an L88 and it was a BEAST!. 66 SS396 4spd $800 from a local friend. His cousin bought it new, 11,000 miles, spotless. Original BB was smokin' bad from alot of 1/4 mile passes. The car did run mid-low 13s with 4.56s & cheaters, damn respectable for a street car of the day. Passed.
The Jalopy Journal
