Car(s) You Regret Selling

[hobthebob]

So with this thread I'd like to see if you have any stories about "the one that got away," so-to-speak. The one car you sold, that, looking back, you would have kept. That one car you really miss.

I'll start: I had a 1981 BMW 320i, automatic, with a crank sunroof and a rear bench seat I slept on driving back from South Carolina to NY one night. I inherited it from my dad when he died. It looked just like this:

Technically it was misfiring (who knows why and I didn't know how to fix cars at that point) and had rust through the floor in the back seats that you could feel the wind coming in, but it had style and drove like a BMW.

The rear windows popped out, the sunroof cranked open, the hood opened up backward, and she handled like a dream on the back roads. I remember one time taking her down to South Carolina from the NYC area. On my way back I stopped at a gas station and slept on the bench seat in the back. The next morning I stopped for gas and ran out of gas waiting in line for the pump.

Ultimately I sold her figuring I couldn't afford to buy premium gas all the time, and I bought a beat up old Honda CRX to replace her. Honestly, best handling car I've driven next to a ford fiesta, and up there with my favorites of all my cars. Now that I have a beetle, I don't think I'll ever sell it, because my beetle is right up there with the bmw.

How about you?

[ubercrap]

I also had almost that exact car, mine was a 5 speed, though.
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'74 412 wagon
(2) '74 412 2dr. sedan
'73 412 2dr. sedan

[Bug-nut]

I really miss my 2003 Toyota Celica GT, yeah it was an automatic but it was painted the rare Zephyr Blue metallic color, had a sunroof, and was equipped with the factory "Action Package" (a Toyota body kit). It was quite a looker, and was genuinely a "chick magnet". It was very fun and comfortable to drive, got terrific gas mileage, and was bulletproof. I was stupid and sold it (too cheaply, I might add) to one of my cousins. He promptly turned it into a ricer and then got mad that every punk kid with his clapped out civic wanted to race him. He then quickly sold it, and I lost track of it. I'll never sell another car to family again.
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1959 Fjord Blue Volkswagen Beetle
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6...highlight=

1962 Austin-Healey Sprite

[VWFIXER]

1964 French Ruby Red Notchback

1957 Chevy Pickup longbed mostly 99.9% original. Will replace this one.

1957 Double Door Panel Bus walkthrough dove blue.
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( ) Cheap
( ) Fast
( ) Reliable

Choose 2

Over a million air cooled miles driven and 15,000+ cars serviced.

[frenchroast]

91 gti 8v
75 bus

[Emily's Owner]

My husband sold my 1970 red Impala convertible so he could buy a rope horse...who turned out to be a knothead, and we sold him at a loss. Then he felt guilty and bought me a 1974 Eldorado convertible, which we had to sell later when life went sideways on us...kept the bus, since it was in my name and he couldn't sell t.
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Xargaret

ITMC - OG Den Mother

What (and I cannot stress this enough) The Actual Fuck?!

1974 Transporter
2023 Subaru Outback

[hobthebob]

So a few people have more than one car they've wished they didn't sell.

@ Bug-nut: I love those 2000's Celicas, too. I had a neighbor in the early 00's that owned 2 of them, that's how much he liked them too. I was always jealous that he got 2, when I couldn't even afford 1!

@Emily's Owner: I've never ridden a horse, but I'd never guess someone would sell their car to buy a horse! Seems like going backward in history, somehow. That's the thing about life, though. You can never know which direction it might go, so just keep walking the path He sets before you. I guess you can be thankful you kept the bus in your name!

[Lingwendil]

I had a 1971 Ford Maverick, two door, automatic, 200CI inline six. That was a surprisingly fun and practical car. It wasn't the fastest thing around, but was smooth, comfortable, got mid twenties MPG on the highway, and had tractor torque.

I was young, dumb, and let my GF and her family talk me into selling it for a more family friendly car. I should have stood my ground and held onto it.

Knowing what I do now versus then I could have done so much to that car
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73 super beetle thread http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=649622 Back on the Road!

Modify your Kadrons for SVDA http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8115884#8115884

Cast iron VJU4BR8 SVDA reference thread- https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

Need replacement filters for original Kadron aircleaners? WIX #42087 is a perfect fit, as is Napa Gold #2087!

[jinx758]

1 )
1969 Dodge Dart Custom 2door :
slant six 225, single barrel carb, medium metallic green, off white vinyl top, vent wing windows, & with topside fender mounted turn signal indicators that work. Completely original & all factory with super cool & wide aluminum side trim, one barrel Carter carburetor, & one side of the lug nuts were reverse thread - that ALWAYS messed me up.
Paid $700 cash in Jan 1990 - owned / driven till 1996. I abandoned it in a field, still running & driveable. Out of approx 70,000 built only 4700 or so like it. SIGH
The word custom has become so overused it's disgusting.

2 )
1970 Ford Maverick 2door :
straight six 185 ( ? the largest of the 3 available ), three on the tree, red with white vinyl top, pop out rear side windows, & working under dash Pony AC ( think Mustangs from the mid '60s ). I bought it for $550 in 1993 from my step uncle who got from a lot in '72. Sold for $450 in 2003 to my buddy from Scotland whose accent was so thick the waitress would look to us for clarification. LOL
It only had 5,200 miles per year on it & ran so smooth you actually had to put your hand on the hood to feel the vibration.
Never could get the dash/ speedo lites working so I zip-tied a license lamp on top of steering column & wired to an ignition "on" fuse. I drove that thing ALL OVER TEXAS at 60mph - it was comfortable there.

3 )
1977 Mustang II, 2door coup-not hatchback :
289 Hi-Po, unbranded shiny aluminum rims ( wider rears than front ), dark green with gray interior ( upgraded from the factory gold/gold ), & cold AC. Bought for $1200 in 1995, sold for $2,000 in 1999.
I made 3 passes down 1/4 mile track during "test & tune" nite. The best I had was a 102mph @ 14.? seconds & still had the AC goin.

Best wishes ... stay safe

jinx
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" It's not valuable unless you learn something from an experience. " Henry Ford

It's not unlike the same difference

You can't push a rope


VALVES (cold)
POINTS
TIMING
CARB (fully warmed engine)

SCRAPE ALL GROUNDS

My Craigslist rescued 100 footer :
1971 Standard Bug
1776cc dual port
034 distributor
38mm EGAS Carburetor

[iowegian]

I don't really "regret" selling some cars I had in the past------except that most of them would be worth a LOT now. (on the other hand, I had them and enjoyed them so there's that).
!954 Austin Healey BN1*
1957 VW convertible*
1958 Ford Skyliner*
1954 Porsche 356 Cabriolet
1967 Mercury Cougar XR7*
1968 Corvette*
1952 MG TD
1957 MGA coupe
1961 Karmann Ghia
1954 Chris-Craft Riviera

*= daily driver

[jinx758]

@ Linwendil

Too cool ... !
'71 auto, 200 CI
I really think mine was a 185 tho.

I'll never forget merging onto the freeway on a super cold morning (Texas cold, ok ) & watching in amazement as the entire sheet of ice covering the whole hood lifted, flew up/over the roof, & basically exploded far behind me much to the shock of the light early morning traffic - I'm sure. That thing was about 1.5inches thick & made it to 3rd gear or around 45-ish mph.

@ Iowegian

Nice list ... !

I've always drooled for an early Healy - awesome body lines & a Starliner - WOW

Regards ... stay safe

jinx
_________________
" It's not valuable unless you learn something from an experience. " Henry Ford

It's not unlike the same difference

You can't push a rope


VALVES (cold)
POINTS
TIMING
CARB (fully warmed engine)

SCRAPE ALL GROUNDS

My Craigslist rescued 100 footer :
1971 Standard Bug
1776cc dual port
034 distributor
38mm EGAS Carburetor

[Emily's Owner]

[Xevin]

[OB Bus]

We bought a 2002 Eurovan Camper (the Winnebago conversion) to take road trips with our three dogs. That gave us 5 cars for 2 drivers. Something had to go, either the '67 Single Cab more the '69 Westfalia. The 67 was very very rough but quite drivable. The 69 was more useful for certain things that we like to do, so the SC went off to Arizona.
**Sigh**
I miss that thing.
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Larry in OB
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!
69 Westfalia and 2002 Eurovan Camper.

[Abscate]

I took my horse to a studio for pictures but was told they don’t shoot horses, do they ?
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.ssS!

[trektider60]

I sold my 1961 Impala convertible , red with white top and red and white interior, to buy my favorite car- 1966 Le Mans. It was silver with blue buckets; 326ci with a Hurst shifter. Sold it to a 17 year old who wrapped it around a telephone pole two weeks later.
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1960 Indiana Red T1

[OB Bus]

[hobthebob]

It's a pretty fair point, that although we may miss those cars of yesteryear, we spent some good times in them, and enjoyed them while we had them.

I'll never forget driving around in my first Honda Del Sol, slightly lowered, manual, with the top down in the summertime. Slow, relaxed, and when it started raining I could jump out, throw on the targa top, and 15 seconds later it was a hard top! Those memories of the first year I met my wife, taking her around for joyrides and out to Indian buffet in the NY summer weather will always be with me, even without the car.

I went out earlier tonight in the Beetle, and man, it was nice. In only a week (since I last drove it) I forgot the visceral experience of driving a classic VW. Felt so connected to the car, even more so than to the late 80's CRX's I had when I was a teenager. I won't soon forget these times in this car, either.

[oprn]

1965 Corvair Corsa turbo, 2 door, 4 speed, all the gauges and a telescoping steering wheel. The only more collectable Corvair sedan is the same thing in a convertible. Sold due to economic hard times...

1969 VW bay window 7 passenger Bus. Dad bought it new, raised us kids in it, I bought it from him, raised our kids in it, sold it last year. Too many projects, needed lots of TLC and I realized it had no practical purpose for us anymore. We live in a wide open windy country with lots of distance between places. Didn't need the room it had, the fuel mileage it got or to fight the wind constantly.

Hardest car to let go I have ever sold!
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We had the stone age, the bronze age, the industrial age and now we are in the age of mass deception and mind control for corporate profit. (The mass media age)

[Bonesberg55]

1) 1968 AMX 390 w/go-package

2) 1967 Stingray 427-400 tri-power

3) 1961 Corvette fuelie

4) 1963 VW Samba 23 window