The one that got away....

[N6504X]

What's the worst mistake you ever made in letting a car get away from you? I have three such experiences in my nearly 50 years of living:
In order of "tragicness":

1) 1968 Pontiac Firebird 400, Red/White (pearl parchment?) deluxe interior, bought for $80 in 1975, spent $3000 on it, sold in 1979 for $700 so I could but a Honda Prelude. Would be worth $30k today maybe?

2) 1968 Camaro 327/210, Tripoli Turquoise, Pearl Parchment Deluxe Int., bought from orig owner (after pestering him for nearly four years while it wasted away in his back yard) in 1993 for $900, self performed frame off restoration over 3 plus years, spent $9000, reluctantly sold to a pest who heard I had it, for $13,000 in 2002. I still see it at car shows. He recently turned down $25k for it. It's that nice....

3) 1994 Trans Am 25th anniv. Convertible, one of 250 built, bought in 1996 for $19,000 from a guy with a pregnant wife, sold to a friend in 2002 for $12,000 @ 36K miles because I was tired of paying $100 per month to insure it. Tried to buy it back six months ago for $20k @ 44k miles, he wouldn't take it.

I must've had a bad year in 2002, but I can't really remember.

I have decided that it will do my heart good to dwell on something else besides the non-delivery of my early order. Please contribute if you can.

[jeffny09]

ok

[softail02]

1970 L78 RS 4 speed Can Doc could of bought it for 26K after getting the guy down from 32K in 01' went with Money pit blower car that cost money to look at

[Hylton]

I can't even bring myself to disclose it.......

[tjbusa]

Sold my 2001 ss Camaro and my 1999 Hayabusa, been suffering from horsepower deficiency ever since, will take a 2ss/rs to get my health back or I may need to check into the Betty Ford clinic.

[PQ]

My 73 Z28. I went in the military and left it for my brother and he sold it. :(

[Rogue Leader]

Not so much letting it get away as it was taken.

Aside form always wanting a Pontiac Firebird (Knight Rider) since I was a kit, my true Dream car was a 1987 Buick Grand National.

In September 2000 after working my TAIL off I finally bought one, 39k original miles, concert coutn II, astroroof, digital dash, all power, every option. Did a little clean up work (it was basically mint though) chrome parts on the engine, chip, adjustable wastegate, hooker exhaust, gauges, and stuff.

I had it for 1 month and 24 days.... then it was stilen from next to the security booth at my college in a VERY expensive area of Long Island.

I found it stripped blown engine, smashed up, on 86th st and Rockaway Blvd in Queens 3 days later. :(

[Steve]

Originally Posted by N6504X

What's the worst mistake you ever made in letting a car get away from you? I have three such experiences in my nearly 50 years of living:
In order of "tragicness":

1) 1968 Pontiac Firebird 400, Red/White (pearl parchment?) deluxe interior, bought for $80 in 1975, spent $3000 on it, sold in 1979 for $700 so I could but a Honda Prelude. Would be worth $30k today maybe?

2) 1968 Camaro 327/210, Tripoli Turquoise, Pearl Parchment Deluxe Int., bought from orig owner (after pestering him for nearly four years while it wasted away in his back yard) in 1993 for $900, self performed frame off restoration over 3 plus years, spent $9000, reluctantly sold to a pest who heard I had it, for $13,000 in 2002. I still see it at car shows. He recently turned down $25k for it. It's that nice....

3) 1994 Trans Am 25th anniv. Convertible, one of 250 built, bought in 1996 for $19,000 from a guy with a pregnant wife, sold to a friend in 2002 for $12,000 @ 36K miles because I was tired of paying $100 per month to insure it. Tried to buy it back six months ago for $20k @ 44k miles, he wouldn't take it.

I must've had a bad year in 2002, but I can't really remember.

I have decided that it will do my heart good to dwell on something else besides the non-delivery of my early order. Please contribute if you can.

Mine was a 1969 Pontiac Firebird Formula 400 convertable with a Muncy Rockcrusher four speed. She was fast! I had it 6 months of which it was on blocks four of them. However, the body was in fantastic shape and the electric top worked great. I paid $1,500 and sold it for $750. With a recondition it would be worth a fortune today

[1_2Many]

2001 GMC Sierra that I invested $10k into and sold for $16k...10" lift, full custom paint, interior and audio system. I loved that truck and I sold it to get a ....IS300. WTF was I thinking!?

[Bowtie Guy Z28]

My first mistake was getting rid of my 92 Camaro RS 25th Anniv Edition. It was white with the white wheels 5 spd and imaculate. The alternator went and I was strongly suggested to get rid of it by my dad.

My second was my 96 Camaro RS that I got in place of the 92. This car wouldn't be worth anything out of the ordinary really but it was stunning. Black on Black with ground effects and blackouts in the rear. 3 1/2 chrome pipes with borla exhaust and chrome wheels like nothing else I've seen I traded it for a 99 Blazer and got 3K for it I only owed 1500.

That's why I'm keeping my Z28 when I get the new SS. I don't want to make the same mistake 3 times!

[Camaro_Corvette]

MY dad failed on this one 20 years ago. 1971 barracuda! red convertible with a hemi... He went to the bank 20 years ago to get the money, and something distracted him and he ended up not getting it... Current value would be...Well, to me it's priceless because I LOVE that car!

[SSOOCH]

DEWDZ!

Check it. I sold my Red 1994 Z/28 in 1999 for a 99 Chevrolet Venture...white at that!! Z/28 to a mini-VAN!!

I seriously sobbed driving that van home...but I had to do it for my daughters. But now that my Daughters are older and can climb into the back seat of the new Camaro..it's ON!!

[Dave McFly]

I only had one 'get away from me', my 88 Camaro IROC Z clone. it was a 88 RS T Top coupe with the same lower ground effects as the IROC. I found a good clean IROC hood, a set of 'strobe 3 stripe' IROC tails and the wheels in a junkyard in Daytona Beach. I had my body guy repaint the hood the same dark gunmetal gray as the rest of the car. had it, the tails and the wheels installed. the final touch i got a set of never used IROC Z stripes and IROC Z decals for the doors and a badge for rear and 2 for the side. car had 147k on the throttle body 305. bought the car for 1600 was selling it for 2000 bucks. the factory stereo was replaced by a detachable face pioneer tape deck and a 6 disc CD changer in the rear cargo area and 4 new pioneer speakers. the guy who bought it from me said he would give me and extra 300 if i left the sound system alone, i said yes. a few months later i was in the same junkyard i got the IROC parts from go get a center cap to replace the broken one a idiot mechanic cracked after getting tires installed on the car. my brother said i should go over to the camaro section. we walked over and there on a pallet was my camaro and it looked as if a wrecking ball hit it. found out that shortly after i sold it the new owner lost control and slid sideways into a telephone pole striking the passenger side . I regretted selling that camaro, i really wanted to pull out that tired 305 and put in a new or rebuilt 350 and replace the worn out shocks/struts but i got the Thunderbird instead.

[TFord]

I was living in SE Georgia at the time... There was a really small dealership that most would tell you not to buy from. well they had a grand national there with 40K miles on it, clean inside and out. Engine running beautifully. Price was 2000 dollars. No one at the dealership really knew what it was, this was my first time seeing one in real life. I pass it up, and call my father later. I ask "whats a grand national, or GNX", he replys "a car I told you to buy if given the chance" he go's on to explain why...then I tell him what happened at the dealership. He calls me a dumb@$$. The next day Im there at the dealership first thing in the morning...car's sold