I screwed up.

[R Walling]

In 1988 I bought a new Caddilac, a few years ago I junked it.

If I only had kept it, I would be the owner of an antique Caddilac now.

Boy, how time flys!

I don't even want to think about the 56 Caddy w/factory air that I sold for $50.

[DonMicheletti]

A lot of us older guys can say the same thing about todays "classics" that that were used cars to us. We once used those "classics' as creek fill. For instance , a running '56 Buick Convertible and a '57 Chevy coupe. Those cars did a good job of keeping the creek bank from washing away. I wonder if they are still there? Ready for restoration

[Bhigdog]

Coulda, woulda, shoulda...........story of my life.............Bob

[Dave@Moon]

The worst story I know....I have a friend in Pittsburgh who traded a factory 1965 SS396 Chevelle in on a new Mustang in 1972. Look up the production numbers on that one!:eek:

Now what I want to know is who's going to enter the first antique Eagle Premier in HPOF this year?

[Guest Oldengineer]

I don't feel too bad. Didn't own anything in the 80's that I'd like to have back except for a 1980 Ford Fiesta that I souped up and had some fun with.

Regards:

Oldengineer

[Marty Roth]

We might drive our 1988 BMW 528e from New Orleans to Grand Forks, North Dakota and enter it in Driver Participation (DPC) Class for the JUly 25-27 AACA Meet. Then we could drive it to Idaho Falls, Idaho and drive it on the VMCCA Western National Tour, and then back home again - a good 5,000 miles.

Too bad I don't still have the 1954 Caddy ElDorado convertible I bought in Jersey back in '59 for $250.

[Terry Bond]

There's more than one of us once behind the wheel of a 54 ElDorado Convert Marty. I remember in 1967 I got one as a "loaner" from the used car lot at our local Battle Creek Michigan Pontiac/Cadillac dealer. When our 1966 Pontiac went into the body shop for some minor repair we needed wheels for a couple of days mid-winter and the Caddy was provided because it was the oldest, crappiest thing on the lot. It ran like a tractor, handled like a tank and smelled like an outhouse - but it didn't get stuck and even plowed out some snow drifts by just ramming through them. I could probably have taken it away for near nothing but eagerly returned it so as not to be seen driving it to school. Hindsight is always 20-20.

Terry

[Marty Roth]

WOW !!

My 1500th post on this FORUM !

The 1954 El Dorado convertible was beautiful - I remember the Factory Windwings, instead of vent windows - and Power Everything - and this car had a continental kit as well as the "Batwing" air cleaner over the dual carburetion. Dad told me that I couldn't afford the Premium Sunoco 260 grade gas (at $ 0.29/gallon), and he thought it would take up a double parking space where ever I went.

My red 1949 Pontiac convertible with the flathead straight eight and 3-speed stick shift would just have to do. It was probably the right decision at the time since I spent the summer or 1960 cruising the Catskill Mountains when I wasn't playing trumpet with the band in a resort hotel. That is how I spent the next summers as well, with a '54 Mercury, '56 Bel-air, '58 Impala, and '58 TR-3 -- all convertibles (for the purists - the Triumph was an early "small-mouth" roadster without door handles), the 1948 MG-TC, and ultimately a red 1959 Alfa-Romeo Giulietta Spider Veloce.

Just imagine being able to recover any of those today - thu stuff of which dreams are made.

Edited January 3, 2013 by Marty Roth
typo (see edit history)

[Bleach]

I have a chance to get back the '68 Cadillac Sedan de Ville in my sig. I had to let it go over 25 years ago. It's been sitting for the last 15-20 years by the side of a garage outdoors. Luckily it's still in So Cal and has been under a tarp off and on all those years. The body is still solid though the silver paint is all but gone the black vinyl top is still good. The interior is still in great shape but the cushions let out this yellow/orange dust when sitting on them. It has some body damage to the driver's door and fender. It got parked when the transmission starting leaking. Still only has about 60K miles.

[1937hd45]

The only Post WWII Vehicle I'd like back as new is the 1976 Ford F 150 pickup, so I can take scrap to the yard and make dump runs.

[Guest Texas Old Car Guy]

When I was a freshman in college a friend bought a brand new 1963 split window Corvette coupe; a year later he came by my house and proudly proclaimed "Come see what I did to my car!" I walked outside and he showed me where he had taken a hacksaw and sawed off the split window pillar and had installed a new single-piece rear window like the '64 Corvettes had - he was so proud that he had "updated" his car to be like the new models! What a doofus!!!! How much did that diminish the value of the car? :confused:

[The Continental]

Unfortunately many saw that fate, and I hear it isn't cheap to put in a split window.

[John_Maine]

Well, let's see - the 1956 Chevy 210 V8 powerglide 4 door hardtop my grandfather had, traded in 1968 for a '63 Impala. He sold the '56 with 80K on it for $75.00. I also passed on a 1961 Lincoln Continental Convertible for $650 in 1969, one owner 41K on it. The year before my uncle took a 1961 Impala 4 door hardtop in trade, that had a 348 w/Turboglide, PS, PB, PW, PSeats, AC, Autronic Eye, 34K for $600. When my uncle passed away in 1976, my aunt sold his 1968 Impala Custom Coupe with buckets and console, 327, PG, PS, PB, AmFm radio, 81K for $400. I passed on the 1961 Lincoln and the 1961 Impala because I was in college and needed something easier on gas. I ended up with a Corvair which cost me more in repairs than either the Lincoln or Chevy would have cost me in gas.

[Pomeroy41144]

I should have kept this 1971 Cadillac Sedan DeVille. I did not need to sell it; I did not need the money.

The guy who bought it from me was very happy.

My wife found this car for me when she was just my girlfriend. Well, I kept the girl, but I should have kept the car too.

[Guest papaw]

I had a 65 Impala SS with a 409 tri power, 4speed. Hated the car as it had all white interior and I was a mechanic at the local service station. I could not afford the gas (it was .33 a gallon) so I traded it for a 64 Pontiac Bonneville which had black interior. STUPID, STUPID. So now I have a 73 Riviera with a 455, and gas is 3.33 a gallon. Can't win.

[Paul Dobbin]

In October of 1967 I got out of the U.S. Air Force and shipped my 1957 Porsche Speedster home from Germany. (Which I

paid $700 for it from an insurance company when it was recovered after being stolen from a pilot who died in Vietnam before

it was recovered)

My parents picked up my bride at the Tampa Airport in their 1958 Cadillac Biarritz Convertible. (Had gold turbine wheels)

The following year my brother came home from Germany and borrowed the Cadillac to drive to Ft. Hood WA and sold it for

$300 when he got there.

The next year, I sold the Speedster for $1400 and thought I was the "Salesman of the Century" (It financed my year of

of studies in Heidelberg Germany, Priceless)

Regrets? No, but I'm glad I them had an opportunity to use them and appreciate how expensive it would have been to keep

them for 45 years, then have to restore them at today's costs. (Good memories are Priceless!)

[John_Maine]

Oh, speaking of trading - on one of my summer jobs during college, I worked with an older man - probably in his mid-50's at the time - who traded a red/black vinyl roof '67 Malibu SS396 for a new '70 Maverick, 6 cyl. with 3 on the tree. All of us "kids" who worked there thought he was out of his mind.

[Guest Texas Old Car Guy]

In October of 1967 I got out of the U.S. Air Force and shipped my 1957 Porsche Speedster home from Germany. (Which I

paid $700 for it from an insurance company when it was recovered after being stolen from a pilot who died in Vietnam before

it was recovered)

My parents picked up my bride at the Tampa Airport in their 1958 Cadillac Biarritz Convertible. (Had gold turbine wheels)

The following year my brother came home from Germany and borrowed the Cadillac to drive to Ft. Hood WA and sold it for

$300 when he got there.

The next year, I sold the Speedster for $1400 and thought I was the "Salesman of the Century" (It financed my year of

of studies in Heidelberg Germany, Priceless)

Regrets? No, but I'm glad I them had an opportunity to use them and appreciate how expensive it would have been to keep

them for 45 years, then have to restore them at today's costs. (Good memories are Priceless!)

Paul:

Your story about the Porsche reminds me of the country song, "Riding With Private Malone" - here's a link to the you tube video and music:

Fred

[Paul Dobbin]

Fred,

Thanks for the story. I guess bought the Speedster that was once owned in Texas by "Captain Andrew Malone", because I always had the same feeling about it. A great car the Uncle Sam sent home for me because the Capt. took it to Germany. I made his target charts.

Paul

[junkyardjeff]

I 1980 bought a 1970 Javelin that was hit in the rear for the drivetrain and let the ram air hood go with it when I had a junkyard haul it away,I was building a 72 and could not use any body parts from it so it had to go. Seen a hood on ebay with a buy it now price at 2000.00 and I think there also could have been some air cleaner parts with it too and had the inflatable spare tire with the canister that filled it.

[mrspeedyt]

just about any car i had....i should have kept...especially the old ones i had back in the 60's and the 70's (and in the 80's too) the chevys, fords, mercs, pontiacs, hudsons, packard, and mopars...

[Mark Simmons]

Oh my yes the ones we sold, traded away for something better(?)or perish the thought we junked. I've owned a great many cars in my life to many to list here. The one that is or almost is near the top of the "I screwed list" was a fully running '34 Plymouth coupe with a straight body that I traded to my uncle for two tires for the pickup I owned at the time. What's the line about a "fool and his truly classic car are soon parted" especially if he takes to thinking with his round end instead of his head. Mark