Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

I know we have hashed through a few of these before, but would like to hear some stories of cars you went to look at, didn't buy and now regret for whatever reason. I know there are hundreds. Can't be a car you just heard about, or saw for sale in a magazine. Must be one you actually went to see, and hopefully drove, if it was drivable.

I just saw this on ebay: burned out 190SL

I am shocked that a burned out example is over $10k and reserve is still not met. Can't be much usable there.

ANYWAY.... reminded me of the 1960 190SL I went to look at in about 1973. It was a very nice driver. Came with a clapped out, but running parts car. Could have bought the pair for $1,200, but passed. I thought (and still do) it was just too underpowered.

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

It was about 1984 and Dad and I kept hearing a story about a 1965 Z-16 Chevelle. One day out of the blue Dad wanted to go and see if it was true. It was and the owner said he would probably take $5000 for it. Dad did not push the issue and still kicks himself for not buying it. It is still owned by the same guy.

Brian

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

Hemi Cuda in 1983 for $ 6000, no money in college and didn't sell my '69Z to try and buy it. The 66 GT350 that I looked at about 10-12 years ago, stored since '69 with the plates from '69 still on it, carryover car, white/blue stripe, all there, needing light resto for $ 30k. I was told they were only $ 40k restored at the time, oops.

The tired '69 Yenko Camaro, ugly blue/primer with no motor or trans needing everything for $ 28k in '97. They were about $ 60k restored at the time, didn't make sense and I let a friend at the time buy it. I found the dealer paperwork for it later that year, shipper copy, dealer invoice etc. It was the first serial numbered '69 Yenko Camaro and sold for big money after restored, oops again. I was also offered the last Yenko Camaro built, an original owner car, but that was way out of my price range.

The one that started the Yenko searching for me was a black painted '69 Camaro parked on the streets of Chicago near the lakefront in '86 or so. I drove by this car with a for sale sign that said "Yenko 350 for sale", well it has to be a fake, they had 427s of course. Nothing but a Yenko tailpan emblem would indicate anything Yenko at all. I left and never called the seller, who wanted something like $ 6,500 at the time. Months later I found out that the car had been bought, it was a Jack Douglas sold Yenko, Rally green 4 speed. At least that started my searching and let to my discovery of many Yenko cars and friendships over the years.

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

Back in 1991 I could have bought a 1966 chevelle for $25. It need a engine, windshield, and the trunk floor was shot. The body was otherwise in great shape. I didn't have a place to put it at the time so I passed n it. I did pick up a 1970 chevelle the following year for $50. That one took a lot of work to bring back to the road.

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

In 1979 I bought my 67 camaro l78 convertible for $250. The was original and complete. Original born with drivetrain. Pulled the original motor and put in a l78 from a 70 nova that was turned into a drag car. Me,as a stupid 17 year old kid sold the car for $800. The original 67 l78 motor has been on an engine stand for 35 years. After I sold it car was stripped and all parts were sold at englishtown. I found the car 5-6 years ago but owner will not sell. I have since found the original 4:11 rear to my car. Gentleman told me he bought it at englishtown in 1981.

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

The Motion converted Camaro in North Jersey with 10k of Motion receipts probably early nintys for 5k if I recall correctly.. I offered 3500 and he said someone offered him that much for just the motor......

the number 25 ZL-1 that a buddy in my town owned all my teen years... sold it for 69K...it was a nice running complete car with ZL-1 motor and all... I had just bought my #34 ZL-1 and my wife said 'NO WAY"... (now my ex-wife)..haha

green 69 L-78 Camaro.. M-22, 4.10..cowl hood..no console ..center fuel guage..deluxe interior..numbers matching with all paperwork at Carlisle for $3800.. I went back the next day with the cash but it was sold..


the SS427 68 Impala number matching engine...4 speed in junkyard in Phila..for $1200...complete solid car....went back a month later to buy but it was gone..

the list goes on... [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/frown.gif[/img]

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

In 1974 I was 16 and looking around at cars on local lots. Checked out a 1969 Shelby GT500 convertible at Twin Pine Auto Sales in Ephrata, PA. They always had serious muscle on the lot back then. 428, 4 speed, Gulfstream Aqua, gold side stripes, white convertible top, white interior, 5 spoke wheels. The asking price of $5,500 was all the money in the world at the time. <span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">It was absolutely stunning in person</span></span>. I can close my eyes and still see that car. I hope it's still around today and being well cared for.

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

1977 I test drove a black 1969 L78 Camaro with the black special interior and a 1975 Pontiac T/A. My girlfriend at the time convinced me to get the T/A. I should have dumped the girl and bought the car I really wanted.

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

Well I've got one I wished I had bought and one I wished I hadn't of sold! The one I should have bought, and the only one was a '70 Z28 from Kevin DeWitte in Phoenix. An original car in amazing shape that the values have started to climb in recent times. The car I wished I had never sold was my Cortez Silver '69 SS Chevelle. I'm now trying to get my way back into something similar by liquidating my other cars due to the fact our dollar is now around .70c and the market in the US has risen. I even tried to buy it back with no luck. The guy I sold it to knows what he has and it's going nowhere. Live and learn.

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

This one.

George Delorean's '63 SD Coupe.

Dimitri Toth and Mike McCarty drug it out of an apple orchard.

Could have had it for $3600 but it was in boxes, so we said 'no'.

K

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

----There are literally 100s of cars I should have bought as Corvettes and muscle cars were my business for so long, but theres one that sticks in my mind from a long time ago. In 1969 I was working at a used car lot in Ft. Liquerdale called &quot;Car City, the walking mans friend&quot;. We used to buy all of &quot;King Oldsmobiles&quot; trade-ins under $500 and we financed our own cars right at the lot. We went to King to pick up a couple of cars one day and there was a baby blue/white gut and top 64 GTO convertible with every available option sitting there for $400. My boss picked it up and I drove it back to our lot. The car was in exceptionally nice original condition with the exception of a poorly done enamel paint job. The boss said that I could have the car for the 4 bills. Still don't know why I didn't buy it.....Bill S

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

Mercedes gull wing in decent driver shape for $17k. The owner of the car wash I was working in got it as a college grad present and was selling it. 1975. I knew it was special, but I was making $2.10 per hour and was only 16. It literally sold 1/2 hour after he put the sign on it.

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

1964 Thunderbolt for $1000 in 1976. Thought it was too much for me at 16 and first time driver.
1961 Impala SS convertible in 1977, 348 3x2 4-speed, white with red guts for $500. Walked away because generator was missing rear mount and had a coat hanger to stabilize it. I did not want a jury-rigged car. Otherwise a mint car.
1969 White COPO 427/425 Chevelle in Richfield, MN around 1979. Didn't buy it because I did not believe Chevrolet built a 427 Chevelle in 1969 and thought it was fake. I don't remember the asking price. Well known car today.
1970 Orange 440 6-pack Super Bee in 1979 for $900. Did not think my buddies would approve of me buying a Mopar.
3 1970-71 Hemi Cuda convertibles used at my 1978 High School Homecoming parade for the dignitaries. All three owned by the same owner in Blaine, MN and had for sale signs on the side quarter windows during the parade. I approached the owner after the parade and asked how much and he said something like $1500 each. I laughed and walked away.....
1965 Maroon Impala SS 409/340 convertible around 1981. $3500. Thought it was too much money.
1970 Shadow Grey, white interior, black vinyl top M22 LS6 Chevelle in 1981, Owned by Scott Ellingson (owned International Metal Strippers). Asking $5000. Thought it was too much.
1965 Z16 complete 396 engine in a junk yard in MN around 1982. Front clip of car was still in yard but body had been crushed. Had two friends with to verify. $700, Too much.
1949 Mercedes convertible around 1988, $1500. What the hell would I want with a Mercedes....
1969 Kingswood Estate Wagon, 427/425 in Bloomington, MN around 1990. $3500, too much.
1968 GT500 I found while on my 10 year wedding anniversary weekend in 1991 and we were out driving around in Dodge Center, MN. Drove past a farm and saw it sitting in a farmers 900' driveway drainage ditch. I copied the VIN down as no one was home and had a State cop buddy run the VIN. The car had not been registered in several years and the owner had a arrest list like I had never seen. Finally got a hold of him. Wanted $13,000. I told him he was nuts and a Mustang friend of mine bought it. Known car today.

Numerous other cars and too many to list besides the fact that it hurts too much.




[img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/stupid.gif[/img]

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

65 Shelby Mustang in 1979, for $6500. Very clean low mile original with the tri-Y headers, and original spare, and a Paxton supercharger.
We were looking to buy our first house, so didn't buy the Shelby. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/frown.gif[/img]

Not a car, but an engine. About 1977 for $1,200
66 Hemi out of a Belvedere. All original, and we started it chained to the rafters of an old rickety garage in Chicago. The whole garage shook every time I goosed the throttle. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/worship.gif[/img]
The hoist we brought with couldn't lift the engine and kept sinking down before we could get it high enough to go in the pickup.
Called a wrecker, but his sling wouldn't go high enough either.
Should have tried to get another hoist the next day.

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

My story of one that got away is very similar to one of the other stories already posted... so I can totally understand how they felt.

Back in 1974 when I was only 16 years old, I had an opportunity to purchase a gold 1968 Shelby GT500 convertible A/T - for $4,000 (this was in the SF Bay area). It was all stock and in excellent condition.

$4k might not seem like a lot of money now, but this was the same time frame I sold my 1964 tripower GTO 4 speed car (in excellent condition) for $350 and also bought my first Corvette (a black 1962 with two tops) for only $200, and early Impalas in great condition were readily available for $100-300.

I scraped up roughly $2k but had a tough time gathering the rest of the money. The woman owner (who I believe was the original owner) gave me a month to get the funds together, but it just wasn't in the cards so we cancelled the deal.

I remember driving the car down the freeway at 55 mph in San Rafael and then she tells me to punch it, which I promptly obliged. It lit up the rear tires like I was taking off from a stop sign. Man that was fun!

Charlie

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

1) 1970 T/A 340-6. Apparently a well known car today. Was till owned by the original owner in Yorba Linda, Ca. Low miles, all original, rare bronze paint color.

I test drove it, the guy had a small family and couldn't keep the car any more and it was killing him to sell it. He wanted $3500...I figured it was too much! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/frown.gif[/img]

2) 1969 Trans Am, located on a Buick dealer used car lot on Harbor Blvd. Saw it when I was driving to the beach to go surfing. By the time I got home and got my brother to go and take a look at it, they had already sold it. Sold for $2600 and they thought they did well...

3) 1969 Indy Pace Camaro. Located in the &quot;bad&quot; part of Fullerton, Ca, right down the street from the Fullerton DMV. Wasn't for sale...for a long time. One day, I talked to the owner and told him if he ever wanted to sell...to let me know. I gave him my number. He never called. Found out later it sold for $3200.

4) 1969 RS/SS 396/375 Camaro. Located on a used car lot at the corner of Brookhurst and Lincoln in Anaheim. Car had spent time in Tijuana and other parts of Mexico (had stickers showing this on the lower portion of the windshield). Tried to get my dad to loan me some of the money...he said no way. Was for sale for $3100....

Last one for me...another 1969 RS/SS 396 Camaro-still owned by the original owner (had AER?) series blue plates. Original everything including paint.The guy lived off of Sunkist and Mira Loma. I would stop by occasionally to talk with the guy as it was parked outside in front of his house always! I kept telling him that I wanted the car. Same story-not for sale but he'd call me when it became available. One day I drove by and it was gone....I rang the bell and he TRADED it in on a van!

My brother had a chance to buy a black/black 1971 426 Hemi 4 speed Road Runner-that was originally owned by a State Farm Insurance adjuster. The guy was apparently HUGE and strong...The car was located at shop in Garden Grove run by Ray Alley...I talked about this here: Clicky here!

Oh well...coulda-woulda-shoulda!

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

Bruce,
at least you made an effort to buy most of those. Can't really help it if things didn't go your way. I like this thread... makes me feel much better about opportunities I've missed.

Last year I sold an all original (original paint &amp; drivetrain) 1967 Camaro SS/RS 350 to a friend because he wanted the car. A month ago he told me that he was considering selling the car and he advertised it for the same price that I originally sold it to him for. He asked me if I was interested, but I didn't need another car (not at that price). Yesterday I spoke with him and found out that he accepted less than half the asking price for the car. I wouldn't have had the nerve to offer him that little. Had I known how badly he wanted space in his garage, that car would be back in my garage as a future driver for my son... or me, until that day comes.

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

I went to look at that Motion 72 Camaro as well. I was looking at it for a friend. I still have a copy of the Motion invoice that he had for the car. I think the car was done as a conversion in 1976 for a guy named Emilio Marciano of Paterson New Jersey. The cost of the work was $10,600. It was a nice solid car.

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

----I feel the need to tell y'all about another one. My cousin, Dave (3 years older than me) decided he was buying an original 427 Cobra. He looked for awhile and found one in Indiana that was a raced car owned by a guy named Gene Cormany out of &quot;Competition Press&quot; (for-runner to Autoweek), and he bought it for $4500 with tons of spares. He was too cheap to rebuild the engine correctly so while it ran awesome, it only ran sporadically. That was in 68/69, and then he chipped a tooth in the Salsbury rear and gave up. He called me and offered it to me with all the same spares (3 sets of wheels and tires for starters) for the same price he paid for it. I begged every relative I had for that $4500 and they were all too smart to give it to me. I don't blame them either. Id have probably killed myself.
----Later, I found out the serial# was 3003, the third 427 ever built and an R car from new. Whats the car worth today, you ask? Probably around $8,000,000 give or take. Yup! That one hurt......Bill S

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

You win that one Bill, no regrets!

Ryan

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

2005: I'd just sold my Pro Street `67 Chevelle and was on the hunt for a restoration project. I highlighted the details of the full story elsewhere on here, but in a nutshell by sheer happenstance I happened to find the current owner of my first `67 SS396 Chevelle. It was on a car lot here in Ohio.

I called the owner and after a brief discussion he emailed me several pics of the car. He was up-front and told me the quarters had been poorly installed and would need to be re-done, and the pics showed a mediocre paint job at best anyways.

Unfortunately for me the seller was apparently suffering from a severe case of eBay-itis when I inquired about the price.

As much as it broke my heart, I had to let my first love slip through my fingers again. I just couldn't justify getting gouged like that to get my old car back, mainly since it still needed so much work to make it right.

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...4-p1010054.jpg

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...5-p1010055.jpg

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...6-p1010056.jpg

Love that quarter panel emblem placement. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/rolleyes.gif[/img]

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...7-p1010057.jpg

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...8-p1010058.jpg

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...9-p1010059.jpg

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...0-p1010060.jpg

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...1-p1010061.jpg

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...2-p1010062.jpg

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...3-p1010063.jpg

The car was an automatic originally and when I owned it. My friend who I sold the car to converted it to a 4 speed.

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...4-p1010065.jpg

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...5-p1010066.jpg

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...6-p1010067.jpg

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...7-p1010068.jpg

When I owned it (~1984-1985)

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...at_kilkare.jpg

Wherever she is today, I hope she has a good home. Even though I couldn't get her back, I did wind up buying my current Chevelle shortly after finding this one...and most know what an epic journey that turned into.

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SS427</div><div class="ubbcode-body">1964 Thunderbolt for $1000 in 1976. Thought it was too much for me at 16 and first time driver.
1961 Impala SS convertible in 1977, 348 3x2 4-speed, white with red guts for $500. Walked away because generator was missing rear mount and had a coat hanger to stabilize it. I did not want a jury-rigged car. Otherwise a mint car.
1969 White COPO 427/425 Chevelle in Richfield, MN around 1979. Didn't buy it because I did not believe Chevrolet built a 427 Chevelle in 1969 and thought it was fake. I don't remember the asking price. Well known car today.
1970 Orange 440 6-pack Super Bee in 1979 for $900. Did not think my buddies would approve of me buying a Mopar.
3 1970-71 Hemi Cuda convertibles used at my 1978 High School Homecoming parade for the dignitaries. All three owned by the same owner in Blaine, MN and had for sale signs on the side quarter windows during the parade. I approached the owner after the parade and asked how much and he said something like $1500 each. I laughed and walked away.....
1965 Maroon Impala SS 409/340 convertible around 1981. $3500. Thought it was too much money.
1970 Shadow Grey, white interior, black vinyl top M22 LS6 Chevelle in 1981, Owned by Scott Ellingson (owned International Metal Strippers). Asking $5000. Thought it was too much.
1965 Z16 complete 396 engine in a junk yard in MN around 1982. Front clip of car was still in yard but body had been crushed. Had two friends with to verify. $700, Too much.
1949 Mercedes convertible around 1988, $1500. What the hell would I want with a Mercedes....
1969 Kingswood Estate Wagon, 427/425 in Bloomington, MN around 1990. $3500, too much.
1968 GT500 I found while on my 10 year wedding anniversary weekend in 1991 and we were out driving around in Dodge Center, MN. Drove past a farm and saw it sitting in a farmers 900' driveway drainage ditch. I copied the VIN down as no one was home and had a State cop buddy run the VIN. The car had not been registered in several years and the owner had a arrest list like I had never seen. Finally got a hold of him. Wanted $13,000. I told him he was nuts and a Mustang friend of mine bought it. Known car today.

Numerous other cars and too many to list besides the fact that it hurts too much.




[img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/stupid.gif[/img] </div></div>

Are there any pictures floating around of your 1978 High School Homecoming Parade? Was the town paper present perhaps?

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

I am a little young. 1991 graduated high school and one of my dad's Co workers had a 69 Pace Car all NOS sheetmetal,7k to much for a young guy. 2 69 Z28 s one rough in 1997 for 3500 and the other for 5k. Just did not think they would go so crazy

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

This is a great and (sometimes) painful thread to read.

I have some old Auto Traders with some really great prices on some old muscle cars that I'll have to dig up and post.

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tracker1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

Are there any pictures floating around of your 1978 High School Homecoming Parade? Was the town paper present perhaps? </div></div>

I would imagine there was as it was our homecoming. It was in the Yearbook but unfortunately no photos of the cars. There were several thousand people present and the owner of the cars was VERY well known in the Blaine, MN area as he had several Hemi cars and parts when I visited his garage somewhere in the mid 70's. Spring Lake Park (where the homecoming took place) had their own newspaper at the time and if I recall was called the Spring Lake Park Sun. Unfortunately it is no longer in business.

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

I have a few.

Fall Carlisle 2003. Superbird project car on a trailer in North Field for $17,500. I thought he was crazy.
Spring Carlisle 2013. Rally Green SS 350 1969 Nova in the infield for $5500. Ran and drove. I must have forgot my brain at home.
I parted out a 1968 Z28 old street race car in 2004 because it was &quot;too rusty&quot;. Why did I do that again?
1996 a 1970 Chevelle SS 396 sitting in a chicken coop. Citrus Green white stripes. Price was right very nice car but car had 4 flats with wheel locks and no lock key. I couldn't get it home on the car dolly.
1970 Challenger R/T in 2000 guy wanted $2500 and I didn't know the Mopar market at all.
Tradin Times 199-2003 there was always a large contingent of SS 66-67 Novas and 1970 Chevelles priced around 5K that I never called about.

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

When I was about 13, 1983, I saw my first altered wheelbased car it was up on a trailer , I climbeb up and remember reading to my dad alluminium on the fender. All I remember is it sat there all weekend and no one wanted it, but I thought it was so cool

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

1986
'69 Z/28
Citrus Green
Light Green int
9,000 miles
Original owner
POP Window Sticker
Shipper sheet.
Bill of Sale etc.
Flat Hood
No Spoilers
Firestone 200's
No Console or gauges
Center 8 track player with Blue light Radio.
$10,000 I thought he was goofy and yet , I hated the Colors and lack of equipment.
I walked to the other garage ......
His Dad had a Cortez Silver Z/28 with gauges ,tach &amp; spoiler.... same paper work as they bought them the same day at Kenny Ross
$7,000.
Drove it home.

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Day2_69Z</div><div class="ubbcode-body">1986
'69 Z/28
Citrus Green
Light Green int
9,000 miles
Original owner
POP Window Sticker
Shipper sheet.
Bill of Sale etc.
Flat Hood
No Spoilers
Firestone 200's
No Console or gauges
Center 8 track player with Blue light Radio.
$10,000 I thought he was goofy and yet , I hated the Colors and lack of equipment.
I walked to the other garage ......
His Dad had a Cortez Silver Z/28 with gauges ,tach &amp; spoiler.... same paper work as they bought them the same day at Kenny Ross
$7,000.
Drove it home. </div></div>

Tom... your family used to have all kind of Chevy muscle cars on the car lot back in the 1980s I wish I could have bought. It just wasn't in the cards for a broke high school kid. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/smile.gif[/img]

Along those lines, how about cars you bought and parted / junked? In 1980, my Dad was building a '40 Chevy coupe street rod. He bought a fairly solid '66 Malibu convertible for the running 283. Ermine white, red interior, black roof. Bought the car for $60, drove it home, yanked the engine, and sent it to the junkyard!

The worst &quot;wish I woulda bought it&quot; was a '70 SS396 convertible. Astro blue, blue buckets, 4-spd. Original engine gone and replaced with a hopped up 327. $2500. This was around 1985 in the west end of Pittsburgh. My Dad has a '63 Impala 327 4-spd for sale at the time, and there was no room or money for another car until the impala sold. The Chevelle got sold to a kid who wrapped it around a pole coming home from the bar 3 weeks after he bought it.

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

Early 80's:
1970 Chevelle dark green/green, 307 auto for $300
1969 Camaro SS minus the engine &amp; trans, body all completed with candy brandywine paint for $2500
1973 Camaro SS built 350, mint, blue/white stripes for $3200
1969 Pace Car, 350 auto, not for sale

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

That's easy, the big 3 that will be with me till the day I die; All early to mid 80's, early 90's or so. All in the mid $3k range

1. 69 RS JL8 Z, triple green, loaded, wanted $3500 for it, missed it by a few hours and heard it's in the Midwest somewhere, still have some pics of it
2. Untouched 440 Sixpack Cuda 4spd, every option including leather interior, Hemi orange, white top/gut, Had argent shaker too. bought by guy who went to Nam, didn't come back. Helped his father push it out of the garage, blow the dust off it and pour some gas down the center carb, fired right up. Maybe had 15k mileage on it, Begged Dad for $3k, told me I was an idiot and enjoy the hammered Escort your driving, Called back 2 days later, gone
3. Last, but not least, 70 Stage 1 4spd Conv, 4 miles from my house. just got my license and the guy let me take it on a half hr cruise! Car could rip a house off its foundation. Back to Dad for another $3k, same answer. next guy who called on it bought it, was at NMCN a few years back and the owner truly enjoyed the story of how he got the car via my misfortune!

Did get lucky on a few though... It was a lot of fun chasing these cars back then, that's for sure!

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

Some of the local Chicago Auto Trader and Old Car ads from back in the late '80s early '90s:

1971 Buick Stage 1 Convert, window sticker/docs/loaded $ 7,200 / 1968 Hemi Charger RT 25,000 miles mint $ 10,000
1970 Trans Am RAV motor $ 11,500 (This one went to Al Maynard back then)
1965 Shelby GT 350 $ 14,900 / 1968 Shelby GT 350 blue 4 speed $ 9000 / 1969 Z28 JL8 $ 11,500
1971 Challenger 440-6 original paint $ 5,500 / 1974 SD Trans Am auto 35k miles $ 8,200 / 1969 Trans Am auto $ 12,000
1971 Z28 Mulsane Blue 4 speed 19k miles 4 speed window sticker $ 9,500 / 1970 Z28 4 sp 35k miles $ 9,500 / 1970 Olds 442 W30 4 speed $ 8,500
1969 Z28 61 k miles $ 5,200

The wish list was really long, they always seemed to be too much money.

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: VintageMusclecar</div><div class="ubbcode-body">2005: I'd just sold my Pro Street `67 Chevelle and was on the hunt for a restoration project. I highlighted the details of the full story elsewhere on here, but in a nutshell by sheer happenstance I happened to find the current owner of my first `67 SS396 Chevelle. It was on a car lot here in Ohio. </div></div>



WOW...those pictures were taken at a little lot between Lima and Elida right on ST RT 309.

Brina

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

Looking at a Oct 15, 1992 Muscle and Classic Auto Trader for Ohio and W. New York:

1970 Chevelle SS454, rebuilt engine, 4 spd, red w/black stripes, $6750
1970 AAR Cuda with 61k miles, trophy winner, $11,500
1969 Z/28, 59k miles, Hugger Orange, all numbers match, Protecto Plate, etc. $14,900
1967 Jaguar XKE 2+2, excellent condition, $17,900
1968 Camaro, 4 spd, good condition, $3,000
1969 Chevelle SS396, solid, red w/black, $6200
1968 Z/28 - RS, 350(?), 4spd, VGC, $6900

And so, so many more.

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

How about in 1976 when I got out of High School, I saw a 70 Vette and a Superbird [B5 blue with wheelcovers, auto column] Parked in front of a guys shop for sale.

when asked, he said your choice.... $3000 each.

I bought the Vette :O(

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

69 L88 for 68K in 2001-2 in monterey. Back then it was market value. But it was nabors restored (replacement engine).
bill mitchel cherokee camaro. Too much pressure in too little time. Lots of complexities in that decision. Just could not get my big boy pants on and risk a lot of money.
junkyard 65 Z16 (only because it was stupid cheap).

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

1970 Buick GS Stage 1, Gulfstream Blue, white vinyl roof and white interior. 4 speed with like 35k original miles in 2001. Could have bought it for $10k as the original engine wasn't running right. I couldn't afford it at the time. No idea what ever happened to that car. It was a 2 owner car at the time.

1969 Judge, RA3, CR, Auto. 1 owner car. Original engine was blown but still with the car. Heard about the car's location, went to find it and it was gone. Turns out a family friend bought it a week before I heard about the car. Rumor was he got it for $2500 in 2004. 11 years later, he still has it and it's still not restored. I was sick that I missed that one.

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

around 88 Sox and Martin Belvedere...Hemi missing..still Red White and Blue and lettered up...went to look at a 67 GTO convert and got hung up on the Hemi...never could get it done..years later turned up at R&amp;R..bunch more money..never found out the history but Ron said it was real, but a back-up car or something..cant remember the details..Ron got sick and the cars all got sold...it was ruff...but still a Hemi car, with Sox and Martin on the side

71 Hemi Charger r/t..no motor, slate grey..$8500..thought too much missing motor..99ish

71 440 6PAK 4 speed charger r/t auto with orig motor included..red with white top loaded air grabber etc..$6000...thought too much...97-99 i guess

70 Super Bee sublime...rust free texas car..440-6 air grabber 4spd on and on..motor in trunk $6000 thought too much around 2000

70 Trans Am Javelin.real RWB with 2 parts cars..$2000..couldnt get it moved quick enough and was crushed because the guy was being evicted etc..all orig missing the 4 speed trans..very nice car..around 99

71 Judge..$4000..correct...dead broke,, 1986

and on and on..

one i really regretted..65 365 h Corvette Coupe..side pipes, knock offs..white with red guts, made up..slicked over bondo buggy...sitting on a buy here pay here lot...$3000 i was 19 maybe 20 and making $8 and hour prepping cars for paint and was barely making it...mom lent me the money...but i got guilty conscious on it, because i already borrowed a ton to go to trade school..etc, and gave her back the check the next day...$3000 seemed like a million to me back then..i didnt know how i was going to pay her back

the next day i bought my first GTO, a 71 triple black 4 speed for $500..54xxx original mile cream puff..bad clutch..wouldnt move, on a car lot and they wanted to dump it...up on St Charles Rock Road in STL...i loved that car...and have pretty much been a GTO guy since..mom gave me the money...she knew i was suffering over the Vette..lol..

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

----OK,,,Ill tell you about one more. I had taken a job offer from Jack Douglas and his partner Richard Buxbaum to go to work at Classic Motors in 1976. Had to move from Ft. Liquerdale to Chicago. Went to work my first day at the old Jack Douglas Chevrolet store just off 294 in Hinsdale (home of the Ferrari dealership today, I think). I went down the stairs into the shop and there was a guy detailing out a GT40 Ford. I was kind of surprised, but Richard told me he found it one town over and bought it. He then informed me that this particular GT40 ran at Lemans until the Coletti transaxle puked. Later Richard told me I could own it for $30,000. I had just bought a house for a couple of bucks more than that and had to finance about 90% of that, so it just wasn't in the cards. Should have hocked everything I had and slept in my car. Whats that car worth today???......Bill S

Re: Cars you DID NOT BUY.
 

I feel for you Bill. I think the biggest heartbreakers are the ones from about 69 to 78 or so. Most of the desirable cars started appreciating around then.

I have some old Road &amp; Track mags, and some of the for sale ads just make me want to cry. Multimillion dollar Ferraris (today anyway) for 5 to 7k. Did you realize that there was one of the 63 Ferrari GTO's GIVEN to a high school vo-tech in the eary 70's because the owner couldn't see any use for such a high strung car? The last one I heard of changing hands brought something like $48 million!!!! Early Corvettes were dirt cheap.

In addition to that 190SL deal I passed on, I also passed on a 56 Corvette, never hit, but poor repaint, missing the hard top. Ran and drove fine. 3 speed. Price was $700 in 1972. About that same time, passed on a 55 Nomad, then a 56. Both under $700.

But, and this one really hurts, in about 1976 or 77 (first gas crisis) I passed on a Hemi Superbird for $1,200, because it had been run a little hard, had a lot of scratches.