Wax nostalgic, name 3 cars that you could have bought but didn't

[Gerry]

Ok, this was started in the Proteam thread but now we can all vent our spleens about one - three cars that we had a real opportunity to buy (not a $50K car when you made $7K/year) but didn't. Only the truth please.

1. 1965 Shelby GT 350 (excellent driver, all original) in 1976 from the kid across the street (Joey Dennis) for $2000. He begged me to buy it from him as his parents were moving and he couldn't take it with him. I said NAH, I got no room in my Dad's garage and what would I do with three cars.

2. 1967 427/435 vette (vert) for $2500 in 1977. Another excellent driver that I turned down because I was too stupid to know any better.

3. 1964/1965 Cheetah in 2000 for $80,000. This is questionable due to the lack of verification of the car as authentic but I dearly love Cheetahs and regret having missed what probably will be the only time in my life that I will ever be that close to owning one. This is my all time, absolute favorite car.

Best regards,
Gerry

 

[1KULC7]

OK I will give it a try...

In 1967 head a chance to by a 63 Coupe, Fuelie, it really good shape for $800. I was a senior in High School, my Grandfather would not let me buy it because, "those fiberglass cars break apart in accidents and people get killed in them." My grandfather was a Buick person, in 1968 I ended up with a GS400.

Next:

In 1971 I had a change to buy a 69 Hemi Roadrunner, passed because the rear and front quarter panels had rust on them. I really wanted a Corvette, ended up with a 69 Camaro.....Price of Hemi Runner was $1700.00, seller would have taken $1400.00. FYI it was sold to another friend for $1200.00 five months later.... He just wanted the Engine and put it is a SS Cuda he built for the drags....Body was parted out and junked.

Finally:

Had a chance in 1990 to buy a Buick GNX for about $21,000.00. A friend of mine who owns a dealership happened to buy one at auction. I looked at it, little voice said "buy it", however was going through divorce and could have come up with the money, but thought it was not the wisest thing to do at the time...kept Nissen P/U for about two more years, and then ended up with Plymouth Laser Turbo.... I often thought about having that car....

 

[JohnZ]

In my case, it wasn't so much cars I should have bought, but the ones I did buy that I should have kept. In the early 70's I was very heavily into Ferraris, and bought several 12-cylinder cars (all less than $26K at the time) that I wish I still had today:

1968 330GTC (worth $150K today)
1961 250SWB Alloy (worth $1.4 mil today)
1967 275GTB/4 (worth $1.6 mil today)
1973 365GTS/4 Daytona Spyder (worth $750K today)

Not to mention the '65 Corvette 327/365 coupe, A/C, tanker, that I bought in 1973 for $3K, restored, and sold a week after I finished it in 1974 for $12K. :eyerole

 

[Gerry]

John, now I don't feel so bad. Thanks.

Gerry

 

[bossvette]

I will limit it to three out of many
I wish I had bought:
1 32 ford for $300 back in 1964 no engine /trans a rolling project
2 64 Vette Vert back in the late 60's had bad motor forget the price but it was under a grand.
3 32 ford pick up about 20 years ago 3/4 done I had no place to store it
The top three cars I wish I had kept:
1 60 Vette
2 69 Z28
3 67 Sunbeam Tiger

Gerry there is a Cheetah that shows up at a local cruise-in out here don't know if it is real or not though.

 

[Gerry]

I will limit it to three out of many
I wish I had bought:
1 32 ford for $300 back in 1964 no engine /trans a rolling project
2 64 Vette Vert back in the late 60's had bad motor forget the price but it was under a grand.
3 32 ford pick up about 20 years ago 3/4 done I had no place to store it
The top three cars I wish I had kept:
1 60 Vette
2 69 Z28
3 67 Sunbeam Tiger

Gerry there is a Cheetah that shows up at a local cruise-in out here don't know if it is real or not though.

Any info about the Cheetah would be greatly appreciated (owner, phone #, anything etc.). :W Even a picture would be wonderful as I have big wood for that car.:crazy Tigers are cool.

Best regards,
Gerry

 

[Craig -1965]

3 cars I missed out on

I did miss out on 3 good buy's
1. 32 Ford 3 window coupe with a caddie motor for $850.00 in 1965
2. 57 Chev fulie (original) $1500.00 in 1968.
3. 1966 Cobra (fastback) raced at Daytona driven by Bob Johnson for $7500.00 in 1967 and I said "who would pay that much for a Ford"...... there went the old 401k.

Now that one still hurts.....At the time I had a 65 Vet 396/425 that cost me $5100 and some change......

Life goes on.......:W

 

[paul67]

A Goat. And the Sunbeam Tiger. Love the Tiger but most have rusted away.

 

[kabong]

Wax nostagic

I was down in Green Bay Wisconsin, April of 71, a Chev dealer had three C2;s, take your pick, for $1800 each, no money!

Could have bought a Shelby 500 mustang in 1971 for $2000. Just got out of the Army and was making $64.00 a week on unemployment, just couldn't swing it.

Could have had a 1969 SS 396 Camaro Convertable for $800 bucks in 74, just plain didn't want it.
Oh well!!

 

[BADBIRDCAGE]

67 Camaro Z28, factory 4 wheel disc brake car
68 4 speed Hemi Charger
69 Boss 429 Mustang

Sucked to grow up poor.

Rich

 

[Mac]

Immaculate 1963 SWC fuelie from a collection being sold off... $30K CAN six years ago; I should have taken out a loan but I wouldn't do it. Stupid me.

Rough but ready 1965 Mustang convertible w. small V8 (265?) and 4 speed... it needed more work and money than I had to give. Smart me.

Beautiful 1965 Pontiac LeMans convertible w. 283 and 2 spd auto back in 1999... He wanted to trade straight over for my 73 Vette before my restoration. It was a good deal but I couldn't part with the 73 which has been in the family since 1986.

Nice driver 1971 Cuda w. 340 and 4 speed back in the 80s... The day before I was to finalize the deal with the owner, he took it for one last drive... and was involved in a minor collision which killed a young cyclist. I couldn't bring myself to buy it.

There were a few others over the years... memory lane...

-Mac

 

[bossvette]

Any info about the Cheetah would be greatly appreciated (owner, phone #, anything etc.). :W Even a picture would be wonderful as I have big wood for that car.:crazy Tigers are cool.

Best regards,
Gerry

I found a couple of Pics back from 2004 I didn't make the show this year but I have seen it several times in Wasean Ohio super cruise this little town pulls in about 900 cars on a Tuesday nite

 

[IH2LOSE]

This was back in 1979 thru 82

1969 340 dodge dart swinger,1200 miles Red bench seat and a stick $1,400.00 from my neighbor
A guy from work purchased before I could pay the guy,I was mad at the guy and made his life miserable, Only to find out about a year or so ago my Dad actually put the cabosh on the deal.

1969 428 4 speed triple black Gran Prix (with a trans am shaker scoop)
$2,000.00 ,I only had $1,800.00 at the time and treid to explain to the seller I wanted the car but only had $1,800.00 .He thought I was trying to chizle him on the car and we ended up getting in a fist fight,All I wanted to say was I would pay him the balance in 2 weeks, but some how It came out wrong,

1968 1/2 Mustang 428 Cobrajet it was rotton to death and needed everything, I could have gotton it for swapping a motor from an L.T.D. into a torino, Instead I chose to be paid in cash for the work,All $250.00 dollars worth.

Still looking for all three of the above cars, This are the cars I would want out of my love for cars not for there monatary value.


I forgot one

1969 SS 396 4 speed car could have gotton for the impound charges from an old body shop i was working in at the time and I passed on it because it was a pale yellow and blew smoke

 

[Tom Bryant]

A new on the lot in Ann Arbor 1969 Boss 429. Triple black for a deep discount since the guy that ordered it backed out. The Salesman was a friend of my uncle and wanted to make me a deal. I just bought my '59 Corvette and didn't have any money left. I s'pose I could have traded the Vette but that was out of the question.

1934 Ford 5 window with a small block for $175 in 1965.

1932 Ford pickup Chopped and channeled with a De Soto hemi for $150. in 1964.

The Lyndale Blue car. 1967 L88 convertible on the showroom floor at DeHaven Chevrolet in Ft. Wayne in June 1967 when I was looking for a new car. I sold my hot rod '56 Bel Air 2 dr hardtop and was trading in my '62 Impala convertible and could actually afford the Corvette. Insurance was going to be high but who needs to eat anyway? One of the very few times in my youth when I let logic over rule my lust. I needed a heater. I bought a new 442 instead. Also the new 442's insurance was less than my '62 convertible. 442 was an option then and not a model so to the ins. co. it was just a Cutlass Supreme.

The '55 Corvette for $3600. that I swapped engines with in 1975. I took out a complete 1961 283/270 and put in a '55 power pak 265. Got the car running for the guy so he could sell it. I have $65. in the 270 carbs to pan but should have bought the whole car. It was nice with only 1 repaint and never wrecked.

Sorry. That's 5 but there are others that I think about from time to time also.

 

[firstgear]

I found a couple of Pics back from 2004 I didn't make the show this year but I have seen it several times in Wasean Ohio super cruise this little town pulls in about 900 cars on a Tuesday nite

the body shop doing my '60 is run by a guy named Harry. He has Cheetah parts for knock off cars laying around his shop everywhere. He is in the process of getting kits together to sell,,,,,wild looking car....

 

[firstgear]

This was back in 1979 thru 82

1969 340 dodge dart swinger,1200 miles Red bench seat and a stick $1,400.00 from my neighbor
A guy from work purchased before I could pay the guy,I was mad at the guy and made his life miserable, Only to find out about a year or so ago my Dad actually put the cabosh on the deal.

Dads will do that kind of thing.....

 

[firstgear]

I never really had the chance to buy it because I was still in high school...but I remember going to the fair and the local Plymouth dealership had 2 AAR Cuda's there for sale...one was green and the other purple....I thought how cool and the tire size in the front and rear were different....which was really different in the day!

 

[63mako]

This was back in 1979 thru 82

1969 340 dodge dart swinger,1200 miles Red bench seat and a stick $1,400.00 from my neighbor
A guy from work purchased before I could pay the guy,I was mad at the guy and made his life miserable, Only to find out about a year or so ago my Dad actually put the cabosh on the deal.

Summer, 1974 I was 16 and looking for a Camaro. Went with my dad to look at a 69. Black with Black interior, SS 427 4 speed COPO. We took it for a ride, with dad driving, and immediatly took it back to the seller. I loved it. Dad said "That thing will bury you" He was probably right. $1000 would have bought it:cry Summer,1976. I could have bought a 1957 Chevy Belair Convertible. Red and white with red and white interior, 283 power pack, 3 speed manual, PERFECT!!! $800. My dad said NO WAY! you need something dependable to get back and forth to work. Bought a orange, black interior 1 female owner, with 32,000 miles, 318 auto 1972 Challenger instead for $1000

 

[JohnZ]

A Goat. And the Sunbeam Tiger. Love the Tiger but most have rusted away.

Love that '65 goat! First thing I did when I got back from Vietnam in late '64 was to buy a brand-new medium blue metallic tri-power '65 GTO hardtop like that one, had Royal Pontiac do the "Bobcat" trick on it, and went to work for Chevrolet a week later. Guys in the plant gave me all kinds of crap for not buying a Chevy :eyerole

 

[alps66]

This was back in 1979 thru 82

1969 340 dodge dart swinger,1200 miles Red bench seat and a stick $1,400.00 from my neighbor
A guy from work purchased before I could pay the guy,I was mad at the guy and made his life miserable, Only to find out about a year or so ago my Dad actually put the cabosh on the deal.

This thread really does wax nostalgic! A long time ago, after doing tons of research, and working lots of hours after class, I was about to order my first new car - a 1970 Dodge Dart GTS 340 - until I discovered that Mopar streamlined the old boxy sleeper and added exaggerated scoops for 1970 (BTW, prior to 1970 I believe the 340 was packaged as the GTS. I don't think the Swinger was available until 1970. The name turned me off as well since I didn't consider myself to be a "Swinger" kind of guy.). I ended up with a 1970 Challenger 340 ($3500). I was really in love with the 340 engine. It was one of the first off the line and was plagued with startup problems. Unquestionably, the worst car I ever owned (which makes me chuckle when I see what Challenger/Barracudas of that vintage are going for these days).
There was an apparant misalignment problem which caused clutches to wear prematurely. At 11,000 miles, I was in need of my fourth clutch and got rid of the car for a 1971 240Z ($3750). That was a great car, except that it rusted out from under me!
One great story about the Challenger. The gas tank wasn't vented properly at the factory and it sucked itself into a four gallon tank within the first two weeks of driving. Consider a car that got nine miles to the gallon with a four gallon tank... Adding insult to injury, my friends at Chrysler wouldn't pull a tank off the production line to resolve the problem. How's that for customer service? Had to drive around that way for four months. Haven't had a Mopar product since!
Now I own another money pit, but love every minute of it! In the midst of a full body-on (the frame is in great shape) and hope to have it back together by the spring.
Cheers!
Jeff