Automotive regrets | FerrariChat

Automotive regrets

Discussion in 'Other Off Topic Forum' started by Horsefly, Jan 8, 2004.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. Horsefly

    Horsefly F1 Veteran

    May 14, 2002
    6,929
    #1 Horsefly, Jan 8, 2004
    Started to put this under the previous thread, but thought that it deserved a thread of its own. I'm sure others have plenty of automotive regret stories.
    I regret not buying a 1970 Maserati Ghibli coupe for $7500 about 10 years ago. I regret not making the deal on a 1959 Corvette for $5000 because some other buzzards ruined the deal for me. I regret not making the deal on another 1959 ex-fuel injected Corvette for $2000 because the seller didn't keep his word and wait for me to get off work and bring him the cash, even though I had looked at the car the night before and called to confirm the deal at 8 o'clock the next morning. I regret not buy a complete driveable 1957 fuel injected Corvette for $10,000 over 10 years ago even though it was not originally a fuel injected car. As always, it got bought by another wheeler dealer type who immediately took it up north to Bloomington for a fat profit. (After he changed out the accelerator rod to the proper round type in order to make it "look" more original. And probably fool an uneducated buyer.) I regret not buying a 1967 Pontiac Beaumont convertible that was lying in a salvage yard back in 1979. A very rare car that was an original big block car which was a weird cross between a Pontiac GTO and a Chevy Chevelle. It was only sold in Canada. I saw the same car about 5 years later in a wheeler dealers back yard. Another loss. I regret not buying 3 or 4 different 1957 Chevy convertibles that I looked at. But at the time, the cars were either horribly ragged or grossly overpriced or both.
    I regret that a friend of mine and myself didn't buy a 1962 Chevy Impala Supersport for $300 on a very rainy and muddy day because the wiring was trashed under the hood and we couldn't even begin to sort out the mess and get the car started. In a similar vein, I regret not buying a 1962 Chevy Impala Supersport CONVERTIBLE that was sitting on top of a pile of cars at a salvage yard. A very sad loss. Also regret passing up a completely stock original 1965 Chevy convertible for $2500 around 1984. About the same time I got a lead on a 1960-70 something XKE Jaguar for $2500. Never chased after that one. Probably should have. A close friend of mine has several similar stories that I'm well familiar with. A 1967 Camaro SS for $700 around 1976 with only a crunched side door. He passed. A 1965 SS396 Chevrolet Impala for about $1500 and a 1965 Pontiac GTO with tripower intake for about a little more. The Impala overheated on the test drive and the GTO was a bit too high priced. He also passed on a 1968 big block Corvette because the car had been wrecked at one time and it "crabbed" sideways as it drove down the road. I could go on if anybody cares.
     
  2. Doody

    Doody F1 Veteran

    Nov 16, 2001
    6,099
    MA USA
    Full Name:
    Mr. Doody
    #2 Doody, Jan 8, 2004
    i regret selling my 1993 Mazda Rx7. i don't know why, but i really do.

    it's the only car i no longer own (a list that includes a 355 and a 996 Cab and a 996 TT) that i miss.

    though it's not like i couldn't pick one up for short money any day of the week and twice on sunday - and i haven't. so i dunno.

    doody.

    PS: i also regret keeping my 996TT too long. PAG screwed the owners with over-production. once it was clear it wasn't just pent-up demand, they couldn't make those things fast enough. i knew at about 12 months that i wanted out, and if i'd sold it then instead of waiting towards 20 months it would have been far less painful.
     
  3. PSk

    PSk F1 World Champ

    Nov 20, 2002
    17,673
    Tauranga, NZ
    Full Name:
    Pete
    #3 PSk, Jan 8, 2004
    Not buying the first Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV I went to look at. The owner was prepared to hold it for me with no deposit (even though he had a queue of guys wanting to look at the car) ... and I probably would have got the small amount extra from my parents as a loan, but in the back of my head was that nagging thought that you should not buy the first car you look at.

    Eventually a lot lately I did buy my 1750 and it is an original unmodified one ... but in far, far worse condition (assumed, as until you start a restoration or actually own a car you never really know). Hopefully in only few years time I will complete my restoration and then I will have a perfect 1750 ...

    I hate buying cars!

    Pete
     
  4. WJHMH

    WJHMH Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Sep 5, 2001
    25,401
    Panther City, Texas
    Full Name:
    WJHMH
    #4 WJHMH, Jan 8, 2004
    My old 1980 633 csi, after all the mods & $$$$ spent, it was a lost cause. I also sold a sweet BMW 2002 before it's time. what a great little car that was. I chalk it up as a learning experience.
     
  5. LP400S

    LP400S Formula 3

    May 18, 2002
    1,223
    West Coast
    #5 LP400S, Jan 8, 2004
    Even though I am not a domestic car guy. Around 1985 I sold my original 19,000 mile 1969 L88 427 Corvette. It was all original had about 550Hp and I had to run race gas cause of the 12.5 to 1 compression ratio. I tried to get it back a few years later from the same guy but no dice.
     
  6. F40

    F40 F1 Rookie

    Apr 16, 2003
    3,230
    AZ
    #6 F40, Jan 8, 2004
    you did WHAT!?!?! !@#$%^&*()_+|
     
  7. Dr C

    Dr C Formula Junior

    Dec 1, 2002
    480
    Kansas City
    Full Name:
    Ed
    #7 Dr C, Jan 8, 2004
    I regret selling my 67 Corvette convertible with hardtop for $3,500 (this was a long time ago). The latest owner called me, checking on the title and services it had had. He told me that he paid $21,000 for it.

    Part of my regret was the money but it had a great sound to it and was really fast. Not a Ferrari sound, a Corvette sound which, in it's own way, it wonderful.
     
  8. cochise

    cochise Karting

    Nov 3, 2003
    140
    Lake Mary, Florida
    Full Name:
    Dempsey Chavis
    #8 cochise, Jan 9, 2004
    Meeting Chuck Queener at a tech session at WWOC (circa '80) and not buying his tan Daytona coupe for $36K ! My wife got cold feet and squashed the action . I ended up trading wives instead.
     
  9. yesod

    yesod Formula Junior

    Nov 2, 2003
    345
    Lakeland,fl
    Full Name:
    Keith
    #9 yesod, Jan 9, 2004
    Back in 95 I passed on 1980 308 for $18,000. Wish I would have bought it now.
     
  10. ty (360mode)

    ty (360mode) Formula Junior

    Sep 25, 2002
    807
    Houston
    Full Name:
    Tim
    #10 ty (360mode), Jan 9, 2004
    i regret buying a 360 F1, paid way over sticker, hated the F1, quit driving it after about 3k miles, sold it when my 6spd came in for about $40k less than i paid.

    i think that's $13 a mile? dumba$$.
     
  11. MarkG

    MarkG Formula Junior

    Nov 3, 2003
    369
    Colorado Springs
    Full Name:
    Mark
    #11 MarkG, Jan 9, 2004
    Missed opportunities:

    couldn't find a bank to loan me $5500 (full asking price - with spare motor and clutch!) 20 years ago to buy a Ferrari 250GTE.

    Beautifull Pantera w/nicest pearl white paint job I've seen...$9995

    Fly yellow 246 Dino GTS $14,000

    Regrets:

    selling my '72 non-stock 240Z; selling my '69 911
    buying my 308
    NOT buying a late model Carrera instead

    Future foreseeable regrets:

    selling my 308
     
  12. sjmst

    sjmst F1 Veteran
    Lifetime Rossa

    Jul 31, 2003
    9,853
    Long Island, NY
    Full Name:
    Sam
    #12 sjmst, Jan 9, 2004
    As someone who can never get enough of cars, I always have regret:
    Regrets:

    1) Getting my first Alfa Romeo 164 in white
    2) That my BLACK Alfa Romeo 164 that I scoured the country for after my wife had the white one totaled was also totaled (while my wife was once again at the wheel. Neither her fault)
    3) That my THIRD 164LS was an automatic instead of manual.
    4) Letting go of my 2002 BMW 325ci 5 spd manual (one of the nicest, most fun cars ever)
    5) Not getting a TURBO Fiat Spider (instead of the normally aspirated one I still have)
    6) Buying a BMW 530 instead of an M3
    7) Getting a Mondial 8 instead of a QV (I admit it...but still happy)
    8) That I have any regrets, as the cars I have been lucky enough to own are still wonderful.
     
  13. Davidlewis

    Davidlewis Karting

    Feb 9, 2002
    69
    San Diego, Calif.
    Full Name:
    David Lewis
    #13 Davidlewis, Jan 9, 2004
    I regret not having the scratch to buy a nice BRG Cat-Allard for $5000 in 1979.
    I also regret selling my 1953 Jaguar XK120MC roadster for $15,000 in 1984.
     
  14. tonyh

    tonyh F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Dec 23, 2002
    14,372
    S W London
    Full Name:
    Tony H
    #14 tonyh, Jan 9, 2004
    I really regret selling my '94 964 Speedster. The car was a one off in Amazon Green over Blk leather sports seats and 1 of only 12 UK RHD drive cars.Traded it for '96 993 C4 Cab , which i hated.
    Tony
     
  15. Ekasilicon

    Ekasilicon Formula Junior

    Jan 21, 2003
    507
    #15 Ekasilicon, Jan 9, 2004
    I regret selling my 1994 BMW 325is.

    I regret selling my 1995 BMW M3.

    I regret not trading in my wife's Acura on my MINI Cooper S. (I am in the process of replacing the head in the acura)

    I regret not buying an M3 instead of my MCS,e ven though my MCS is a lot of fun.
     

Share This Page