Cars you DID NOT BUY.

[Lynn]

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.

[nova7579]

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

[camaromb]

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.

[bracketracer-78]

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.

[luzl78]

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.

[iluv69s]

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]

[SUSQ]

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.

[x44d80]

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.

[Damien]

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.

[Keith Seymore]

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