mercer09 Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 of all of the cars you tried to buy over the years, what is the single most one that you regret missing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Cocuzza Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 A 1949 Frazer Manhattan 4-door convertible. I pursued that car for over 20 years and regrettably I did not get it at the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe in Canada Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 Fall 2016 a 1909 EMF Model 30 touring basket case was listed for sale. Settled on a price and was sent two sets of pictures then to confirm I got them . Sent emails and phone calls to no reply. Was ready to make the 28 Hr. drive to pick it up. Do not know what happened if he died, sold, family, or cold feet/ regret. Than late this summer the car was relisted for sale again so I called and the price was bumped up a bit that we settled on before. It was listed the last time for 3 months with no sale so I figured I had a bit of time and be able to settle at the original price. Well it sold the next day and it would have made a nice project. I also missed on a 13 Cadillac touring basket case that also sold in days so I will have to move faster the next time. As for regrets I have no regrets as there will be another car around the next corner I hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Huston Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 (edited) 1930 Studebaker FE President State Victoria. When I had the chance to buy it I could not pull the cash together at the time. Edited January 7, 2018 by Mark Huston (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 1957 3/4 size Caddy with suicide rear doors and dual quads. Sat behind a local gas station for years but never could find the owner. Pretty sure I saw in Auburn years later for a bunch of money - had the same cracked vent window. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Harmatuk Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 1959 Chevrolet Impala convertable with 348 3 deuces, every option, including wonder bar radio, dual antennas and continental kit, with fender skirts. Parked under a tobacco barn shelter, off the beaten path. Black with red and white interior. The old man would even wax it from time to time. Get this. 2800.00. Probably 1989. Didn't have the money and it sold before I could get to the bank. I was told that some one from Virginia Beach came with a roll back..... Counted out 30 one hundred dollar bills and drove off with it. I cried. Still haunts me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe in Canada Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 7 minutes ago, Mark Huston said: 1929 Studebaker FE President State Victoria. When I had the chance to buy it I could not pull the cash together at the time. I have a soft spot for victoria's as it looks sporty, good for all weather touring, has a back seat for luggage or passengers. It also seals good for rain being towed at high speeds on an open trailer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harold Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 I regret not buying a super-nice '52 Plymouth Cranbrook sedan. The seller was asking $1,000.00 in 1980 and I thought it was too much. I should have bought it then instead of the string of poor condition and inoperable Plymouths I wound-up with over the years. Not incredibly collectible but they're my favorite cars.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xander Wildeisen Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 I had to inspect a Mercedes 190SL, light powder blue, all original, paint was a little faded. I will not say what I could have bought it for, it will show/highlight how foolish I was, when you look at going prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 For me it was an original 1970 Dodge Super Bee, 426 Hemi 4 speed, true TX9 Black with black vinyl roof and black interior. The car was only 7 years old then and in beautiful condition. I went back and forth with the seller over and over and when he finally gave me a price it was $3,500. I remember saying to him "You must be kidding, I can buy a Corvette for that kind of money!" One can only imagine the value of a true, triple black hemi 4speed Mopar today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 (edited) When I was growing up a 190SL was something doting upper echelon parents gave a daughter on graduation. Sons got a Corvette. I bought a XK Jag because could not afford a TR3B (all synchro gearbox). Found out why it was less, bought whitworth wrenches, and got very good at double clutching 2-1. Edited January 7, 2018 by padgett (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Dobbin Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 (edited) In 1981 while buying a 1915 Model T basket case, I found a super nice 57 Ranchero for $1,500 less than the Model T. The lure of brass was to strong to resist. Now 36 years later I bought a 57 Ranchero after 3 old El Caminos Edited January 7, 2018 by Paul Dobbin (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Byrd Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 The little 260 or 289 Cobra that East Tennessee Ford had in their showroom back when they 1st came out (63-64 ?). Bought a little 78 Fiesta there years later, but it just didn't seem the same, ha ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 (edited) A 1952 MGTD for $350.00 in 1974 that I was going back to get the following day of talking to the owner. I made the mistake of telling (who I thought was) a friend about it and he went over that night and got it. I had no cash for a down payment when I saw it, so it was up for grabs still, but....ouch. Edited January 7, 2018 by keiser31 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryLime Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 I was going to say a 1930 Tatra sedan until I saw that 1929 Studebaker Victoria. That car makes me sorry ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Smolinski Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 Back in the early 70's right after we were married, I coulda shoulda bought the REAL 427 Cobra I saw for sale. Price $5000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intimeold Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 (edited) In the early to mid 1970's I worked at a new car dealership; I was just making ends meet, early on in my technician/mechanic career. So I would buy the really ragged out trade-in cars , usually the ones that had mechanical problems, or light body work. And then resell them. I passed on a 1967 Corvette 435 hp, because I didn't have the $$$. That's right it was less than 1000.00. The idiots that traded it in; didn't even live in the city, and they were traveling through; and the front wheel bearing went bad. They drove the car until the wheel fell off. The hub ground down into the axle; and thus the wheel fell off. The car was a hog pen, no other body damage; except the front fender area; but junk and soda bottles and food littered the floor. The dealer didn't give them anything for it. remember this was gas shortage times too. The dealer sold them something and the idiots went on down the road. Would love to have that car sitting here now. intimeold Edited January 7, 2018 by intimeold (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 1949 Jaguar Mark V Drophead for $250 in 1969. Asked the old man, he said "don't buy it where you gonna get parts for it" and I didn't have an answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C Carl Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 (edited) Dry them cryin' eyes , all of ya. I have written about this before , but since you asked , here is a picture of how it looks these days. O.K. Sure. Of course TODAY , the thing would NEVER have been "restored" , but it WAS the early '60s when my friend , the late Dr. Crellin Pauling , son of Dr. Linus , Brother of the owner , Dr. Peter , offered me this car substantially under the day's market. Today , taking a beautifully preserved HPOF , TOTALLY original 1930 Mercedes-Benz SS 38/250 , and yes , yes indeed , that IS a FACTORY BODIED tourer , systems completely functional , and wiping the "money couldn't buy it" slight patina off , would be highly frowned upon. Chassis no. 36260 , Engine no. 77633 was originally M-B racing white , red leather , red wheels. That is how I remember it , up on blocks in "Daddy's garage". I was in high school when Crellin , knowing I was interested in old cars , showed me an 8 1/2 X 11 black and white picture of this car , top up. A picture about 10 degrees closer to side on than what you see here. I had never seen anything like it. He recounted driving , and engaging the clutch driven supercharger on the car. Crellin was like an older brother to me. He said the family would let me have the mighty M-B for $2500 !!! That was around 1/3 to 1/4 of the money that car could have brought if properly offered back then. But again , remember , I was still in high school. $2500 back then would be $35,000 - $40,000 , maybe more , in today's money. Back then , unlike now , even rich kid high school kids didn't run around with that kind of pocket change. Neither dad , nor grandpa , were car guys. Did not compute with them. So I naively thought I would get a job after I graduated , and buy it. You know. After all it just sat in the hills above Cal Tech , in Linus' garage , up , covered in newspaper , awaiting it's semi-annual charge of fresh oil , and a thorough warm up drive. Burst my bubble when Crellin came and told me that on his recent , every 1/2 year drive , he was hailed by a wealthy M.D. who waved a wad of 47 C-notes at him , and away forever went "my" 1930 Mercedes-Benz SS 38/250. Go ahead. Go. Go on. You can cry now if you want to. You know I still do. I should have laid as big a deposit as I could on it , and kept on paying until I got out of h.s. and got a steady job at Boeing to pay it off. I got a superb Maserati 3500 , #101 524 , making it a late '59 , or early '60 for about the same money , also way under market at the time , after getting that Boeing job. Maybe these days it would take a Maserati 450S to bring the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ of a 1930 SS 38/250. I just don't know. Bruce will. I'll ask him next time I see him. By the way , he recently told me that even HE would not have been able to have come up with that kind of dough back then when we were drinking buddies. He did pretty well with his own SS down at the 'Beach last August. Epilogue : Three decades or so later , now a 1/4 century ago , I wandered into the "Jewelry Pavillion" at Hershey. Isotta' stuff. "Hisso" stuff. Gregoire stuff. Bucciali stuff. Bugatti. Rolls' , "Duesey" , Pierce Arrow , etc. The Big Boy stuff. On a table were a pair of the huge "Carl Zeiss - Jena" headlight lenses "my" SS 38/250 wore. Price ? Why , $2500 ! .................. Apiece !!! I wipe my weepin' eyes when I realize no crazy beer drinking high school kid should ever own anything like that. I drove '39 and '49 Cads back then. They only cost $100 and $150 respectively. I didn't baby , or wreck them either. Salud ! Bottoms up ! - CC Edited January 7, 2018 by C Carl (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalowed Bill Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 Mark when was that Victoria for sale? I think that a lot of us Studebaker guys missed out on this one! For me I guess that it had to be the 1949 Jaguar XK120. It was for sale by a good friend, who had owned it since new, or almost new. It had the partial aluminum body, and a special tweaked engine. That was the second one that walked away from, the first was when I was in college and also belonged to a friend. The first was a $750 car, the second in the late eighties, was $12500. You can see how this is going, and I could too. I got cold feet when my now x-wife said that she was all for the purchase, but that she wanted to drive it to work, as her daily driver. I said no way, and she had a fit. What I should have done was buy it, flip her the keys and tell here to go for it. I doubt that she would have lasted a week, with the beast. She would have been more then ready to jump back into her 240Z. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrspeedyt Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 6? healey 3000 for peanuts back in '68. i probably would have destroyed it had i bought it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron65 Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 Easy...'65 Catalina Ventura HT, yellow, 389, totally rust free...$3500 negotiable back in 2000. I was finishing up college and looking for a winter driver so I wouldn't have to drive my '65 Mustang in the salt that winter. It was far too nice to subject to salt, and I didn't have money for another toy. That one still haunts me. Almost as bad...an almost rust free '70 Chevelle HT, blue with black vinyl top, 307, nice paint and interior...$3900. This was back in 2003. I could have afforded it then, but the Chevelle has never been one of my favorites. Now I wonder what the heck I was thinking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.H.Boland Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 Back in 1961,when I was 14, my dad finally relented,and let me buy a 1939 LaSalle sedan in reasonably good shape for $75. Towed it the 5 miles home behind his 2 cylinder John Deere AR tractor. The same collector that sold it to me had a sweet 1939 LaSalle coupe and a 1938 Cadillac 60 Special sedan, both with very low miles at $500 each.My $1.50/week allowance just wouldn't stretch that far ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 (edited) It was sometime in the late 1970's and I would call every month about the engineless Paul Weirick two man INDY 500 car. This car had a long life at INDY, sat on the pole twice. For some reason I missed the monthly call to the owner at that time and was told it was sold for $20,000, an amount of money I could have somehow found, but two months ago he couldn't tell me. Later that year a friend asked if I saw the OFFY at Hershey 10 rows over from my spot, no, and it took over two hours of him coming back and asking several times. Finally he just about took me by the hand and we went to see the OFFY. By that time all that was left was the plot of grass it had sat on, YES, turned out to be THE engine out of the Gilmore #33. It has a proper restoration now and I finally got to see it on the lawn at Pebble Beach 2016. There is another car that took 40 years to find since I last saw it, but it can't be bought. Bob Edited January 7, 2018 by 1937hd45 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtnchev Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 For me, it was a '64 Ferrari GTB that I could have had for $4,000. It was in 1970 and I didn't have that kind of money to spend on a car. Shoulda, woulda, but I didn't forsee the tremendous increase in price that collectable cars would being going through. Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skylark4367 Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 In the early '80s I saw a 1961 Impala Sport Coupe for sale on a used car lot in San Leandro, California. The dealer was asking $900 for it. I test drove the car; it ran a little rough and stalled a couple of times. The body and interior were in good condition. I offered the guy $750 but he wouldn't come down from $900. I walked away that day. I drove by the lot a few weeks later and the car was still there. I offered the $750 again but the dealer wouldn't budge. He said he was moving his lot to Arizona and was taking the Impala with him. I still think about that car once in a while. In 1995 I saw a 1965 Chevy II Super Sport for sale on a small used car lot in Long Island City. It was in rough shape but it caught my eye. It wasn't drivable but I visited the lot twice and thoroughly inspected it. The gentleman in the lot's trailer said the owner was unavailable and he wasn't authorized to sell the car. He gave the impression the owner was in legal trouble and the car might be tied up in that trouble. I forgot about the car and bought a 1963 Chevy II Super Sport in 1996. I saw the 1965 SS for sale on ebay a few years later, in the same condition it was in when I inspected it. I didn't bid because I had no room for it, but I'm curious about what happened to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC38dls Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 1979 my boss had 2 1949 Jag Mark 5’s his wife wanted out of their 6 car garage. $1000 for the two of them as he knew I would restore one using the other for parts. We had just bought a house and my daughter was very young. I just couldn’t find the cash. He sold them on open market got around 5 grand if I remember correctly. That would have paid for a lot of our mortgage at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Huston Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 (edited) 11 hours ago, Buffalowed Bill said: Mark when was that Victoria for sale? I think that a lot of us Studebaker guys missed out on this one! In 2013. I was down for several months because of surgery and decided to use the time to search for some missing parts for my 1929 FE President Brougham. I sent a parts wanted letter to everyone listed in the Antique Studebaker Club who was listed with a 1929-30 President. That letter resulted in the owner of the 1930 President Victoria contacting me stating he had no parts but he would sell the car. He was an elderly gentleman who had restored the car many years earlier and was now selling off his collector cars. Unfortunately, the timing was not right for me and I could not swing the $40K firm price he wanted for it. The car was worth what he wanted for it. The car was located near West Peterson and he inspected it and took it for a test drive. West gave a very positive review of the cars condition and test drive. I sure someone is enjoying it now. As as a result of my parts wanted letter I located and bought a parts car and have nearly all of the missing parts I was looking for. Edited January 7, 2018 by Mark Huston (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimy Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 26 minutes ago, Mark Huston said: In 2013. I was down for several months because of surgery and decided to use the time to search for some missing parts for my 1929 FE President Brougham. I sent a parts wanted letter to everyone listed in the Antique Studebaker Club who was listed with a 1929-30 President. That letter resulted in the owner of the 1930 President Victoria contacting me stating he had no parts but he would sell the car. He was an elderly gentleman who had restored the car many years earlier and was now selling off his collector cars. Unfortunately, the timing was not right for me and I could not swing the $40K firm price he wanted for it. The car was worth what he wanted for it. The car was located near West Peterson and he inspected it and took it for a test drive. Wes gave a very positive review of the cars condition and test drive. I sure someone is enjoying it now. Mark, I'm pretty sure that car is now in Escalon. We were in a tour with it out of Murphys last April. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercer09 Posted January 7, 2018 Author Share Posted January 7, 2018 well cash appears to be the problem half of the time and garage space also seems to be a major concern...... I had a chance at a 1915 National about 8 years back. It was in parts and almost there for a speedster. The price was 8500. I wanted to see it and was told it was put away in a barn in PA and would take a few months till the weather broke, to go and see it. So I contacted the seller a couple of months later and was told it was already sold. My best acquisitions have come when Ive been persistent. Sometimes sellers need to be persuaded. some great stories.............. keep them coming! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimy Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 I missed out on TWO due to an ex-wife who did not appreciate my passion for these things--although she did before the vows. 1. Summer 1968, Silver Spring MD: I had returned from Vietnam in late April, bought a 1939 Cadillac 75 7-p sedan (which I kept for 42 years) and had driven it to my next assignment in Washington DC the long way via Grand Canyon, New Orleans, Atlanta, Knoxville, and up the Shenandoah Valley. While networking among Cad people in DC, I found the estate of a Cad collector offering a decent driver / amateur restoration 1939 Cadillac 75 convertible coupe (141.3-inch wb, total production = 27) for $2,500. I'd bought the sedan for less than half of that and offered to sell it as a rust-free CA car if I bought the convertible coupe. Not just no but HELL NO, 2. August 1971, Baltimore, MD: The Army Intel School at Ft Holabird was closing and the School moving to AZ, and I would close the existing facility and leave active duty and return to California. A lieutenant colonel being transferred to the Far East offered me his 1964 Porsche Super Carrera twin cam (very pretty car, black top and tan body, with 3-piece wraparound back window) which he had bought new, carefully used and stored, 45K one-driver miles, but with a freshly-rebuilt engine because (as I recall) he had lost an external oil line. The $2,500 he sought was the cost of the rebuilt engine, and I had in fact driven that car from the rebuild shop to his home a few months before. Once again, HELL NO. On the other hand, the Porsche needed valve adjustment every 3K miles and Step #1 was "remove engine." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retiredmechanic74 Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 Back at the end of the 60's I got married (What a mistake that was) BUT my new brother-in-law was willing to sell me his 58 all white Chevy impala 2 dr H.T. in mint condition for $600 dollars, I was going to buy the car the next weekend But that %$&#@ thing I married went behind my back bought $450 dollars worth of new furniture that we didn't need. and a set of Encyclopedia Britannica's. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 57 Eldo Barritz, stainless top in good condition, drive and use. Late 80s, $5 grand. Not my dream car but they certainly have appreciated nicely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29 franklin Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 It was 1985 . I was 21 and looking for something sporty. I found a 1970 Chevelle Baldwin motion 454 4 speed about an hour from my house for 10,000. I also found a 1970 Corvette convertible cortez silver ,red interior and black top. 350 300 hp 4 speed. Same price I wound up buying the Vette from the original owner with every piece of paperwork. It was a sweet car . Maybe I should have bought the Chevelle. It would be worth a bundle today Anyhow 5 years later sold it to pay for the wedding Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auburnseeker Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 (edited) Lots of cars. I tried not to let the best ones get away. There was an 8 cylinder Marmon phaeton. A 1930 I believe at Carlisle in the swap meet back in around 1995 for $7500. It needed some missing pieces and was in primer but still seemed like a buy to me. It was little pieces that were missing and nothing big or convertible related. I kind of wish I had bought the 33 Auburn Cabriolet that was for sale a few years ago when we bought our new house. That was 55G. I used the money to buy a tractor and put toward the house instead. another will come along some day. I still have the Cord, so I still have a good consolation prize. On a small scale, I had the chance about 10 years ago to buy a 63 VW convertible. All original from the original Owner's daughter who remembered going to the dealership with her Dad to pick it up. All original black paint, red interior and top. All serviceable and quite good for original. (a lot better than most of the survivors people are touting now). She had spent 3500. the year before at the VW dealer having all the mechanics redone, including tires, brakes, exhaust, complete engine rebuild, fuel system etc. The only rust on the car was a tiny hole under the battery tray two spots on the bottom under the 1/4 windows, that didn't show on the side and the heater ducts/ boxes. It was ready to drive and just needed elbow grease to make it really look nice. Even the chrome was really nice. She contacted me through an ad I placed in the local paper looking for an old car to tinker with. She was actually the lady in the advertising department and was putting the ad on the page. All this for $1500. I even had the money in my pocket but thought the heater boxes (not knowing anything about VW) were structural. Needless to say, by the time I contacted the right person and they got back to me a day later, that it wasn't a big deal, the car sold to the next guy she called to look at it. That's my Homer Simpson moment. Usually I know enough about old cars to not make such a mistake and with this forum and the rest of the internet I'm pretty sure it won't happen again. It was cheap enough I should have just bought it anyways. Edited January 7, 2018 by auburnseeker (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frantz Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 When I was 14 (late 1990s) my neighbor was going to give me a pretty solid restorable 1965 Buick Skylark convertible. I didn't grow up working on cars and my mom was very against the idea of project car in her yard. So every time I dragged another Rambler home, I reminded her "I could be a Buick man, but you said no". To my knowledge the car is still local, and still not restored (much like my own projects). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bush Mechanic Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 1968, visiting Tasmania for the first time. At the Baskerville motor races a Lotus Super Seven was competing, and was offered for sale with trailer, spares, including road legal lights etc, for $475. I had the money, but was unable to tow it back to the mainland behind my Bug-eyed Sprite. The Super 7 and the first Lotus Elite with the fire-pump engine were my dream cars in my youth. I have a couple of the Coventry Climax fire-pump engines in the shed, but no Elite! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 (edited) 3 hours ago, 29 franklin said: It was 1985 . I was 21 and looking for something sporty. I found a 1970 Chevelle Baldwin motion 454 4 speed about an hour from my house for 10,000. I also found a 1970 Corvette convertible cortez silver ,red interior and black top. 350 300 hp 4 speed. Same price I wound up buying the Vette from the original owner with every piece of paperwork. It was a sweet car . Maybe I should have bought the Chevelle. It would be worth a bundle today Anyhow 5 years later sold it to pay for the wedding In 1985 I swapped a nicely refurbished 56 Chevy for a steel cities grey corvette roadster. Biggest bungle in there entire time I have been involved with cars! I was 22 at the time. Edited January 8, 2018 by Steve_Mack_CT (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stude Light Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 1935 Röhr Type "F" Cabriolet. I had my opportunity.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Roth Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 (edited) 1916 Cadillac Early Production Touring- The car had been listed in the Cadillac-LaSalle Club's Self-Starter monthly publication. The owner, and I spoke back and forth and he sent photos of the car. Following discussion, we agreed on a price for both the car and the enclosed trailer. I offered to send the full amount by bank wire transfer. Being winter (December) in Maine, he advised that I should not drive up in the bad winter weather - but he assured me that the car was mine, that he would hold it until late spring, and that he was taking his wife for a doctor visit following cataract surgery, and would then leave for Florida, California, and the Northwest, but would return to Maine by late May. While I urged him to let me pay, and getting the bill of sale and title, he insisted that his word was his bond, and the car would be safe until I came for it the following May/June. I explained that I wanted to take the winter months to prepare it for the coming season's tour schedule, but he insisted that their weather made it unwise to come to Boothbay Harbor in the winter - that he and his wife would be driving their motorhome from the west coast to Maine in early- to mid-May, and to phone him at that time. I phoned him in mid-May and he answered that they were passing through Nebraska, but that he had decided to give the car to his son in Pennsylvania. Several months later a friend in Copenhagen, Denmark told me he had bought a 1916 cadillac Touring, and when he showed me the photos- they were the very same photos of the very same car which had been promised to me by the seller. Of course my friend paid a substantially higher price than what the seller had committed to me. So much for taking a man at his word ! Edited January 8, 2018 by Marty Roth (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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