Cars I should have bought

[Guest mystarcollectorcar.com]

Very close to the "shouldn't have sold" thread but here's one of mine.

I really wanted a 59 Plymouth from the mid-80s on so I looked at many, many cars.

You car guys know the drill (nothing new here) but one of cars I looked at was a really solid 61 Chrysler 300 G.

It was a nice car,great interior,looked like a very dry body, complete and stock-the guy wanted 4 K for this car in 1987.I took it for a drive and it ran like a Swiss watch except for the idle-the cross ram 2-4s just didn't want to run when the car was sitting at a light.

I knew the car worth about 7 K at the time but I turned this baby down because of the idle and the fact that it wasn't a 59 Plymouth.

Needless to say the car would have been an easy trade for a full-load Sport Fury in equal or better shape (possibly even a convertible).

That would have been logical so instead I bought a 59 Plymouth for 3 grand that was a basket case and cost me 7 times what the G sold for to restore.

It was a painful learning curve but I still have the 59 and that was the mission-I just did it the hard way.And no,there are no regrets because I know every nut and bolt in this car was looked at and who knows?Maybe that G was a bondo bucket under the skin-that helps me sleep at night.

[keiser31]

I had the chance to buy a rust free 1928 Ford sedan delivery in Michigan in 1970 for $350.00.....was not a Ford guy so I passed on it. Still not a Ford guy, but I regret not picking up such a cool vehicle.

[Guest Paul Christ]

I'm still kicking myself for not buying that new Tucker back in 1948...

[Rusty_OToole]

In 1968 I looked at a 1948 Jaguar Mark V drophead for $250. It ran and drove fine. The old man wouldn't let me buy it, where will you get parts for it?

[1937hd45]

Oh, there are many back in the 1970-1980 era, a mid 1950's Maserati A6GCs for $1,500.00, a Lotus 11 that ran for $750.00, a Type 37 Bugatti for $15,000, and a Luso Ferrari ready for a plate change at $6,500. All cars I could have found the funds for but it would have maxed out everything at the time.

[Guest Gary Hearn]

In about 1980 I bought a 4 speed Studebaker Hawk for $700 (sold it 2 years later for $1400 with a $10 carb kit being the only thing done). The owner also had a nice '63 GT Hawk that could have been had for $1500, but I did not want to borrow any money to buy it.

Also, in 1979 a coworker offered my his fully restored 1969 Hertz Shelby for $6500. Again, the money wasn't there (and it was automatic).

[Guest windjamer]

:confused: Leaving Germany in 64 I had to chose between a new in the window VW or a one year old Mercedes for the same price:eek: I raised the hood on the M/B and could not find the spark plugs:confused::confused: so I bought th VW To soon old, to late smart.

[kevin1221]

In the era of 1974 - 1976, I passed on the following:

1969 Shelby GT350 Convertible for $1100.00

1970 Mustang Mach 1 for $1200.00

1968 Pontiac GTO Convertible 1100.00

1957 Ford T-Bird $4000.00

Of the above, the Shelby was my biggest loss.

[alsancle]

In the mid to late 1950s my dad looked at and past on all of the following:

1. The Mormon Meteor (for sale at Auburn)

2. A pontoon Lebaron Dual Cowl Packard (for sale in NY)

3. The round door rolls (for sale update NY).

All three were priced at $8500.00 which seems to have been the going rate for a really cool car at the time. In 1965 My uncle ted was selling his 39 Mercedes 540k Special Roadster for 7500.00. My dad passed because it leaked oil and gas everywhere and was constantly breaking down (which was why it was being sold in the first place).

I've passed a few cars I regret but none as interesting as my dad's mess ups. Ten years ago I was haggling with a guy over a 70 Hemi Cude 4 speed, he wanted 45k and I only wanted to pay him 42. That ended up being a mistake.

[dei]

Back in 1972 while still in College, went with Dad to look at a 1958 Buick Limited convert that only really needed a new top and tires (brakes?). I was making $1.65 an hour part time with no savings and at 2,000 dollars (canadian) had no chance of getting a loan from Dad or the Bank!

Went to the Buick National in Flint and that car was there!!!!!!!

[Bill Harmatuk]

When I get time............ I'll tell ya.......Man. I hate to even think of them.

Bill H

[Guest Skyking]

Two cars I can recall were a '55 Chevy convertible, PowerPack V8 and a '59 Plymouth Fury......... In 1962 I just turned 16 and my uncle was selling his '55 Chevy that he bought new. The car was only 7 years old and he wanted $150.00 for it. My father wouldn't let me buy it so my best friend bought the car. He kept it for a year then sold it to another friend. That guy still owns it today. The other car, the Plymouth was owned by a guy my father worked with. I used to take it home and wash & wax it for him. It was off white with the gold insert. It had duel 4's and screwed like he$$. That was another one he wouldn't let me buy when it was time for the guy to sell. I think back now and wonder why I didn't go to my mother when I wanted to buy those cars..........she was sooooo easy!

When I turned 18, I bought a brand new 64 Chevelle. I think I was making $1.75hr working in my brother's gas station. Those were good days!!!!

[Jim Rohn]

In the mid to late 1950s my dad looked at and past on all of the following:

3. The round door rolls (for sale update NY).

All three were priced at $8500.00 which seems to have been the going rate for a really cool car at the time.

LOVE the "junk yard" photo of the round door Rolls, way cool

someone should put together a collage of pics like that

[1937hd45]

Jim, The "Round Door Rolls" is in the Petersen Collection now and was shown at Pebble Beach a few years back. Looks much better in black now.

[Guest mystarcollectorcar.com]

Man,after reading these replies the 300 G looks pretty boring.Okay,one more-in 71 I could have bought a really solid little 62 Austin Healey Sprite from my Grade 10 Chemistry teacher for 200 bucks .His wife wanted it gone but I had my own stumbling block-my dad would never have gone for it so I passed.

The guy that did buy it drove it for years because it was that reliable-odd for anything from AH, but true.

[keiser31]

I just cannot believe that someone let that round door Rolls-Royce get so bad. I never consider any of the early ones as just used cars. It actually looks like a big pressed steel toy! VERY COOL!! I would have to have sold my soul to buy that car.

Edited November 18, 2009 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[rick60]

It was the summer of 1968. My family was on vacation in the Ozarks. I was 12 years old. I spotted a two tone blue Olds convertible with a for sale sign in the window. Closer inspection revealed it to be a 1953 Olds Fiesta convertible. The front tires were replaced with narrow width white wall tires. The rear tires were the original wide whitewalls. The paint was slightly faded. The chrome was only dirty. There were no dents. The interior was dirty with some "comfort wrinkles" in the leather. It had a white top that was extremely dirty. Even at that young age I was aware of the low production totals of these cars. I remember this car like it was yesterday. Even in this neglected state the car looked like the most perfectly styled car I had ever seen. I called my Dad over to the car to look at it. He didn't say anything, but I could tell he was impressed with the car. I'm pretty sure he was visualizing himself cruising down the road in the flashy convertible. I tried to convince him to buy it for me so I would have a car to drive when I was 16. At that moment he snapped back to reality and informed me that we didn't need another car. My dream was shattered! The asking price for the car was $300 ! I will never forget this car.

[Guest DeSoto Frank]

Jim, The "Round Door Rolls" is in the Petersen Collection now and was shown at Pebble Beach a few years back. Looks much better in black now.

I'm glad to see the RDR has been restored and is available to marvel at, but I think I liked it better in a light color; that round door stands-out so much better.

Black looks "sleek" and "classy", but if it were my car ( ha ! ), I would probably lean towards a silver-gray, to resemble an aeroplane fuselage...

In black, from the side, looking at the RDR makes me wonder if Harley Earl's boys had seen this car before they designed the '41 Caddy "Sedanette" fastback... that tear-drop quarter window and fender skirts with the badge at the center sure look like they were appropriated by Caddy...

Amazing that it was in the boneyard by the 1950's... but by then, it was probably a tired, shabby, "funny-looking" car, that you "couldn't get parts for"...

Nice to see it returned to glory !

:cool:

[Guest Dave41]

About 25 years ago I was offered a 54 Corvette with a smokey motor for $1000 ,I passed it up

dave

[Guest mystarcollectorcar.com]

It was the summer of 1968. My family was on vacation in the Ozarks. I was 12 years old. I spotted a two tone blue Olds convertible with a for sale sign in the window. Closer inspection revealed it to be a 1953 Olds Fiesta convertible. The front tires were replaced with narrow width white wall tires. The rear tires were the original wide whitewalls. The paint was slightly faded. The chrome was only dirty. There were no dents. The interior was dirty with some "comfort wrinkles" in the leather. It had a white top that was extremely dirty. Even at that young age I was aware of the low production totals of these cars. I remember this car like it was yesterday. Even in this neglected state the car looked like the most perfectly styled car I had ever seen. I called my Dad over to the car to look at it. He didn't say anything, but I could tell he was impressed with the car. I'm pretty sure he was visualizing himself cruising down the road in the flashy convertible. I tried to convince him to buy it for me so I would have a car to drive when I was 16. At that moment he snapped back to reality and informed me that we didn't need another car. My dream was shattered! The asking price for the car was $300 ! I will never forget this car.

The worst part is that you knew that it was valuable even then.I think that's the common theme and that's what makes these stories more painful

I've got one more-a mint 48 Willys Jeep back in 1978 for 800 bucks- had the money, but I was saving for university.This one even had the military markings on it.

[Bob Kinker]

In about 72 or so, I missed 2 GREAT deals. One was a 62 Corvette for $1800. Missed that one by about 2 hours, even had the cash in my pocket!.

The other was a hopped up 57 Chevy 2 door hardtop. $900. Missed that one by a day.

Oh well, everything works out for the better! Now I'm neck deep in Mopars, loving it & not looking back.

[Guest mystarcollectorcar.com]

One more- in 1982 I had the chance to buy a mint one owner 64 Chevy pickup for 750.00.This was a stripper with a 6 banger, 3 on the tree but it only had 40,000 real miles on it.It was owned by a widow and she'd babied it-even though it was used on the farm, she only drove it to town and never worked it.

You could tell-this truck drove like it was brand new.

Same story-it was a summer job,I was still in university and paying for an education was more important at the time.

[jeff_a]

Nice idea for a thread.

I once was at an auction 20 years ago at which I could have had a 1910 Buick Raceabout, Model 16 or 17, for about $3,500 and a Full Classic Cabriolet for about $1,700. I didn't have the money in checking, but was expecting a similar amount in a year or so. Couldn't figure out where to get the money for the purchase. They ought to advertise loans for that kind of thing! The classic was a '26 Elcar.

My Grandfather had a similar "Ought-Oh" moment once. In 1944, some local character who had fallen on hard times came to his jewelry store and said he had a car he knew he'd be interested in buying and he would like to get cash for it. My Grandfather told him he'd had his eye on it awhile but...it being 1944...you couldn't get parts or gas for it and declined. The price: $500. The car: priceless. A 1929 Model J Duesenberg Murphy Roadster.

[Guest corvette]

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[ex98thdrill]

Just a couple off the top of my head.

My dad

- 1978 he had a deposit down on an Amphicar for $400. It ran, it was missing a portion of the windshield and it was faded. My dad got his deposit back because my mom didn't like the car.

- In 1982 he had a chance to own an all original 1961 Corvette with both tops for $8,500. That car is now owned by my region president, and I groan every time that I see the car.

Me

- in 1985 I had a chance to own a 1969 Mustang dragster for $5,500. This car included a spare racing engine. I could've sold the two race engines for enough money to pay for the car and put it back to original.

[budd28]

reading these posts reminds me of a story 2 friends of mine drove up to jersey to buy a 48 tucker they were loading the car on the trailer and the wives got out of the truck looked over the car and moths had made three small holes in the headliner so they got there money back and left the car with the owner

[Guest my3buicks]

In the very early eighties, 81-83 - I had just graduated from college and had started working. A 53 Skylark surfaced in my area for $5000 - it was ugly, they had painted it tan with brown fenders or visa versa, can't remember which now and a tan or brown vinyl interior, but ran and drove beautifully and was really in good shape. Man I wish I had bought that ugly swan.

[keiser31]

Sort of reminds me of a car for sale right now...1928 Dodge Brothers Victory Six roadster. Same situation...lovely car, gotta have it...got no money. ARG!!!!

[padgett]

In the mid sixties there was this funny 3/4 size 58 Cad with suicide doors and a stainless roof that sat behind a Gulf station. I repeatedly tried to find the owner but the station operator was expecting to acquire it for storage costs so was very unhelpful and it had no plates.

Couple of decades later I saw it with the same cracked vent window glass at Auburn and a many digit price tag.

[Terry Bond]

Ooh, so many...still trying to reach my rear end with a foot for missing the chance on a 36 Ford Roadster and a 32 Ford tudor V8. Was looking for a Model A and followed up a lead back in Michigan - about 1967 I think. Looked over a couple of A's and walked right past a 36 Ford Roadster sitting outside rotting away, and a decent low mileage original 32 Tudor in the barn. Cold have had them both for less than a grand. Then there was the 55 T-Bird at the tire store where I bought some red-lines back in 66. $500 including a rear-ended parts car! Biggest miss tho wasn't really my faut. An elderly neighbor had a nearly brand new 57 Chevy but couldn't drive the stick shift anymore after a fall on the ice one winter. His sister drove the car on rare occasions but wasn't happy with it either. Pretty car and just like new! Never in rain or snow. When I joined the Navy, the car was supposed to be mine, but when his wife passed away a couple of years later, the sister moved in and promptly traded the 57 in on a 69 or 70 something with an auto trans. I was told the dealer gave them an allowance of $500. That 57 still had dealer installed plastic seat covers on it and even smelled new!

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

That is funny, budd58. Dare I say the lesson learned I see?

Ben

[Guest 41guy]

In 1960 I had a chance to buy a 1957 Corvette, venition red with cream coves and hard top for $1,200. My Dad was ready to co-sign a loan for me until my older brother said he thought I would kill myself in the car, too fast for me. The truth be known he was jealous that I might get the car. I never got the car and never had another chance to buy one.... ever!

I was a better driver than him then and now and I've owned many fast cars since.

Another car I wish I had bought in the 60's was a 1940 Ford roadster convertible. This car was souped up with a chevy engine and 39 Ford tranny. The car was damaged because it was in an accident. The owner, a young guy like myself at the time, was killed drag racing on the streets of my home town. The front end of the car needed repair but other than that it ran great. The kids Dad didn't want to sell the car, he wanted it junked because his son died in it. He didn't want some other young guy to die driving it. I didn't understand then, but I do now having had kids of my own.

[Guest 25erduplex]

I think it was 1969 and I could have bought a '67 Plymouth Satellite Convertible with a 426 Hemi and a 4-speed.We drove it and my Dad said "you would kill yourself in this car" so I had to pass on it at $1200. Yikes! I also had a chance at a 1934 Chevrolet touring car with a Studebaker V-8 in it for $75. Once again Dad put the kabosh on that one.

[Guest kaycee]

In early 1962 I was working at a Plymouth dealership shortly after my job( just a car washer , gas pumper, grease man, and parts chaser) at a Rambler dealership (half a block away) ended because they went bankcrupt. After working there a year, I wanted a newer car than my nice '55 Buick Century 4dr ht, and after talking to the salesman, I got my cost for a new '62 Belvidere 2dr.ht V8 stickshift , white with red leather (or vinyl) bucket seat interior. The cost came to $2,100, and I almost ordered it, but ,having owned a couple of Buicks and coming from a'Buick family', I went a block away and bought a low mileage '59 Buick LeSabre 2dr ht. for $1,900 from the local Buick dealership. The Plymouth dealership's owner and the salesman were'nt exactly happy, but they got over it shortly since one of their top mechanics owned a late model Ford. I'm still a Buick man after about 14 full size Buicks and 7 Buick Rivieras, but I wish at times that I would have bought that Plymouth.

Of course, there are a lot of cars that I owned that I wish I had today, mostly Buicks.

kaycee

[Guest will morris]

not a car that i should have bought but one i did then let it get away and reget it ever sense

1953 mercury montiray 2 door ht got out of a salave yard in abilene tx in 1959 for the hi amount of $90.00 cash if i could get it off the yard before he closed (in 20 minutes)

this car looked like a new car and i couldn't find anything wrong with it.(it only had 55 miles on the odometer)so i bought it.

the carb was missing so i asked the yardman what the story was, he said"that the dealership sold the car to him because it had had the carb. stolen from it at their lot and the dealer filled an insurance caim .

i found a carb. off a 49 ford and it ran fine

i keep the merc till i went into the army in 62 and got sent to ft. ben then i got orders for nam in 65 and sold the car to a state trooper in ga. when i came back i tried to find the merc but it was gone.

i forgot all about it until 1970.

my wife and i went to arlington tx to a car museum

and there was that white and green merc.

will

[boblichty]

It was 1971-72 or so, I was working for Hemmings and living in Bennington, Vermont. One Sunday I took a drive up Route 100 to a point about 40 miles up where there is a fork in the road. There was an antique shop there that had for it's company car, a 1948,49,or maybe '50 Ford F-1 1/2 ton with what I think was a Cantrell woodie station wagon body. I think the lady was asking around $3000. I thought that was a lot of money, but not terrible as it was really nice and all original. She sold it, and I have never seen another one like in in the almost 40 years I have been working in the old car hobby as my career. Geez, I which I would have bought that wagon. Of course if you want to start talking about the ones I did own and let get away over that same time period, whew.......

[Rusty_OToole]

Amazing that it was in the boneyard by the 1950's... but by then, it was probably a tired, shabby, "funny-looking" car, that you "couldn't get parts for"...

Nice to see it returned to glory !

:cool:

Believe it or not that was the second narrow escape that car had.

There was a complete article on the car in an English magazine a few months back. They said the car was originally built in 1925 with a conventional body. In 1934 the original body was junked and the present body put on by a Belgian coachbuilder who usually built buses.

At that time it was a 9 year old used car. Such a car had very little value in Europe, for one thing cars got obsolete quicker for another, the gas and license taxes were very high for a car like that, beyond the means of the average person even if the car itself was cheap.

So if the original body was in bad shape, or the car in an accident, it was lucky the car wasn't scrapped in 1934.

They found the coachbuilder but could not determine who commissioned the body. The Belgian coachbuilder is long out of business and their records lost.

Rolls Royce's records told them who the original buyer was and they could trace its ownership in the US after the war but there was a period from the twenties to the forties where its ownership is a mystery.

Edited January 19, 2010 by Rusty_OToole (see edit history)

[Guest Hinckley]

My tragic tales are many but here a couple of my favorites. In 1978, I was in need of basic transportation and purchased a rough but good running 1942 Chevy 1/2 ton p.u. as I thought it would be usable for making extra money on the weekends. I paid $225 after looking at a one owner, 1963 Lincoln convertible in need of a water pump that was also selling for $225.

I was working in a garage on a used car lot in 1983 and purchased a nice one owner 1956 Ford Fairlane sedan, excellent orignal paint, interior, etc. that needed a generator and regulator at trade in for $500. For the same price I could have purchased an even nicer 1953 Kaiser, another one owner trade in, but decided the Ford would be easier to find parts for.

I have always enjoyed the Advance Design Chevy trucks and in 1989 purchased two, one in good condition and one parts truck for $500. The same gentlemen had a very nice Dodge Sweptside for the same price but I couldn't afford it and the Chevies.

My favorite story of missed opportunity took place in 1990 when I passed on a buyer take all Arizona ranch yard clean out. To make it worse, I told a friend, he bought the vehicles and I helped move them. These included a 1965 Plymouth convertible, driveable conditon, 1941 Plymouth p.u., running but no brakes, 1937 Olds sedan, complete but not running, 1955 Cadillac Coupe Deville with continental kit, not running but complete, mid 60's Chrysler convertible, complete and driveable, mid 30s Terraplane p.u. complete but non running, and a J2 powered Olds hardtop s/w, complete but not running. All for the sum of $4500!

[Dave Henderson]

My ones that got away....

As a school boy in the late '40's, I was driving a '37 Olds sedan that I had cobbled together from a sad 2 1/2-fendered heap. (I bought the missing parts for it from a character running a small junk business who would always say "that's the onliest one I got"). I aspired to something better, and along came a nice '39 Lasalle convertible. Its owner needed a family car and liked the Olds. A deal made in heaven? The LaSalle appraised out at around $450, while the Olds was $300. Ugh, no dough, no deal.

Some years later, a friend was caring for a '37 Lincoln LeBaron Convertible sedan belonging to a guy who was off in the army. The front stuck out of the garage about 5 feet because it was so long, but it hadn't suffered much deterioration. When he returned home from the service he decided to go to law school, and not keep the Lincoln, so it was to be put up for sale. I had the inside track, it hadn't been advertized and no one else knew about it! However, I was living in an apartment and despite all efforts, I couldn't find a place to keep it. Reluctantly I passed on it. Price; $250.

[earl e rizer]

I've missed many a nice car over the years as one of my best friends is a wholesaler and he had a car lot where I hung around. But one I always wish I had bought was a 67 Plymouth Belvedere GTX that was an original Hemi powered car, 4 speed. It had a 440 in by the summer of 72 but the rest was original and did it ever haul a$$. A another friend owned it at the time and lost his job or was hard up for cash, as he was asking $1200. Someone more astute than me scooped it up after he offered it to me first.