Ever sell anything and regret it down the road?

[ejboyd5]

Many more regrets about items I've failed to purchase than about things I've sold. Even so, I'd like to have my '63 E-Type back in my garage.

[alsancle]

13 minutes ago, ejboyd5 said:

Many more regrets about items I've failed to purchase than about things I've sold. Even so, I'd like to have my '63 E-Type back in my garage.

I like the stripe on that 140.

[1912Staver]

On 5/5/2021 at 6:46 PM, Akstraw said:

No regrets personally, but hard to go to a cruise-in or car show and not hear:  “I had an xxx once.  I should have kept that car.”    If you are deeply into the hobby, and fully understand the long-term costs of storage, restoration, insurance, maintenance, etc; then maybe you are less likely to feel that way.

 

Cars ; and especially old cars , are as much emotion as logic. 

The cars we parted with out of circumstance rather than a clear logical decision are the ones most likely to cause regrets.

Your back is to the wall and you need the money.  That sale will often haunt you for decades if not the rest of your life. 

 

This is especially true if you are one of the people who's disposable income has been left in the dust  by hobby car price inflation.

You now are in a decent place in your life with regard to the basics. But the hobby cars of your youth are 10 x the cost { or more } than they were when you were young . Your situation has improved but your goals just keep getting further away. More common than some think.

 

Some of us have never been in that position and probably never will be . 

And may even be in a position today to chose from probably 80 percent of the existing hobby cars from a budget point of view at least.

Those people will probably never understand.

Edited May 7, 2021 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[JamesR]

Quote

Ever sell anything and regret it down the road?

 

Not from my "cars as quasi-collectibles" era of the last 20 years.

 

But cars from my "genuinely cool cars of my youth (back when they were affordable)" era? Absolutely.

 

My first car was a '66 Impala SS that I paid $200 for when I was 17. Wish I still had it...it was in reasonable condition as a ten year old used car and was reliable, but I sold it after it had been rear-ended during a snow storm. I admit to being happy to sell it at the time, however, because It was painful to see it that damaged condition. I didn't have the kind of money, experience or tools needed to properly repair it back then...and besides, I'd bought a Chevelle SS to replace it. I have several such stories about decent $200 - $900 cars that (had I hung on to them) would be much more admired by car folks today than my current three old cars.

 

4 minutes ago, 1912Staver said:

Cars ; and especially old cars , are as much emotion as logic. 

The cars we parted with out of circumstance rather than a clear logical decision are the ones most likely to cause regrets.

Your back is to the wall and you need the money. 

 

I know what you're saying. The reality is, cars make poor keepsakes and heirlooms for most of us ordinary people. They're too big, valuable and expensive to maintain...even when they were only 200 bucks back in 1976.

 

[Pilgrim65]

1 hour ago, ejboyd5 said:

Many more regrets about items I've failed to purchase than about things I've sold. Even so, I'd like to have my '63 E-Type back in my garage.

I know this an American forum , but apologise I’m biased but owning a  jag 140  would wipe out all of my regrets 😊

[alsancle]

55 minutes ago, Pilgrim65 said:

I know this an American forum , but apologise I’m biased but owning a  jag 140  would wipe out all of my regrets 😊

I am a huge fan of the 120-150.  Early E Types too!

[1912Staver]

I am in Canada, but post 1925 a British car guy. Pre 1925 primarily a US or Canadian car guy. 

Actually one of my " didn't buy it ' regrets is a 1922 Vauxhall 23 - 60 that a local guy had for sale several years ago. Needed some expensive engine work, but overall a pretty decent car and while not cheap , it wasn't all that bad either. I hadn't finished paying off my mortgage at the time and would have had to borrow to pay for it.  Shortly after I looked at it it went away to its new home in Scotland. 

 As far as ones I didn't buy are concerned 1950's - 1970's and British , almost all of them are no longer in Western Canada. Prices; on a world wide basis at least, were quite low here due to the very serious recession Western Canada went through in the mid 1980's - mid 1990's. So one by one they went somewhere else. Western Europe, the U.K. the U.S.A. and to a lesser extent OZ. and N.Z.

 Lots of interesting British cars ended up here in the 1950's and 1960's during the prosperous post war years . And there are still some very nice local British cars, but upper middle class and up owners { and valuations }. Mostly " and up ".

 Anything in the "affordable " class today is either a very ordinary car indeed or a basket case or as often as not both. 

In the later 1970's / early 1980's I had a huge interest in the more out of the ordinary British cars. And I found many, but always just a bit more than I could afford. I had my pick of MGA's , Bug Eye Sprites, MGB's even a Lotus Europa and a couple of TVR 2500's ended up in my possession. But the seriously interesting cars ; a scruffy DB 4 and later a DBS Aston ,a number of Lotus Cortina's , a dismantled Lotus 23, a Lotus 18, a scruffy Bristol or 3 , a Formula Jr. Brabham , all the TVR Grantura's, I looked at 4 of them when I was in my 20's but could never  quite put a deal together. Only 1 of them is still local. an Elva,  and others { Morgan's , Jag's } slipped through my fingers . These days cars like this simply never turn up for sale , unless you start to look at auction catalogs from a different continent . And can pony up the sort of money that I as a modest income retired guy can only dream about.

 Downward mobility .

Edited May 8, 2021 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[padgett]

Had both E-types (great for embarrassing Corvettes at autocrosses) and a XK-150s as a yout. Were $1000-$2000 cars back then. Am done with oil pressure palpitations though have two cars with DOHC-6s & oil pressure gauges ( and one SOHC-6) now, just like the sound of a six.

 

Back then there just wasn't anything American (thou did lust after a Honduras Maroon 62 Corvette 327-FI.

 

Closest came to regret was selling my FIAT 124 Spyder to buy the V8 Sunbird but while the FIAT was a great driver, it was terrible in an autocross.

 

Other than that I kinda sorta miss the Crossfire Coupe with 6-speed and AC but it was black.

[SC38dls]

When I got out of Walter Reed in late 67 the army decided they needed me in Germany for the last 11 months of my drafted obligation. The girl I had been with for 5 years and I figured I could take a European discharge in late 68. Get married. Buy an E-type in England drive it around Europe for a few months and the army would ship it home for me as a used car. We saved enough money based on the 67 prices. But cost outran our savings, we could buy the car but then didn’t have money for the trip.
Was going to give the girl a ring on news years eve. Four hours before midnight she dump me for a guy she had been seeing from work. So I came home without the Jag and didn’t get the girl. I really miss that E-type, not so much the girl. Met the light of my life 10 days later. Been married 50 years now. The girl found out that guy was married!  

Edited May 7, 2021 by SC38DLS (see edit history)

[Pilgrim65]

10 hours ago, padgett said:

Had both E-types (great for embarrassing Corvettes at autocrosses) and a XK-150s as a yout. Were $1000-$2000 cars back then. Am done with oil pressure palpitations though have two cars with DOHC-6s & oil pressure gauges ( and one SOHC-6) now, just like the sound of a six.

 

Back then there just wasn't anything American (thou did lust after a Honduras Maroon 62 Corvette 327-FI.

 

Closest came to regret was selling my FIAT 124 Spyder to buy the V8 Sunbird but while the FIAT was a great driver, it was terrible in an autocross.

 

Other than that I kinda sorta miss the Crossfire Coupe with 6-speed and AC but it was black.

62 corvette top of my American wish list 

Edited May 8, 2021 by Pilgrim65
Add photo (see edit history)

[Dandy Dave]

On 5/6/2021 at 8:18 AM, cxgvd said:

No regrets selling cars, I do have regrets not buying some cars when I had the opportunity.

 

I have a chance to buy an '08 Buick I've known about for thirty years, I may have to raise my offer, maybe a dream is worth whatever it costs.  Life is too short or am I being overly poetic.

 

Regards, Gary

 

 

 

 

 

Pull the trigger and buy it. Or tell me where it is and I may just go get it myself. Opportunities to acquire an early auto in good condition don't come around every day. Life is short. Time is fleeting, Money is also fleeting. If you have enough and can afford it, go get it. Dollar amount don't really matter all that much. The only thing stead fast is owning something that you enjoy while you are alive and in good enough health to enjoy it. Dandy Dave!  

[Bill Boudway]

My 1956 Porsche Speedster.

 Summer of 1963.

Purchased for $650.00

All there with the Speedster seats.Engine in boxes

No soft top, but with a hardtop.

Sold the fall of 1963 to pay for tuition.

[60FlatTop]

An E Type doesn't even have to be a concours car to regret selling.

 

#3031 flat floor went the way of logic. I figured on a budget of $10,000 per year I would be able to hobble it up to town for coffee in 6 or 7 years. I'm sitting here wondering how I lost the optimism.

[Steve_Mack_CT]

1 hour ago, 60FlatTop said:

An E Type doesn't even have to be a concours car to regret selling.

 

#3031 flat floor went the way of logic. I figured on a budget of $10,000 per year I would be able to hobble it up to town for coffee in 6 or 7 years. I'm sitting here wondering how I lost the optimism.

Bernie if you don't regret that even the Jaguar gods will forgive you. 😉

[60FlatTop]

11 hours ago, Steve_Mack_CT said:

Bernie if you don't regret that even the Jaguar gods will forgive you. 😉

 

That's the picture I took when I bought it. The car was cleaned, well lubricated, and on a pedestal in my garage when I sold it.

 

At the beginning of this topic I thought I didn't have any examples but they are coming back. Like the H&E Eldorado with the 4100 engine.

 

I have sold three cars in the past two months and this one goes next. I know I am going to wish I hadn't.

 

[Steve_Mack_CT]

20 minutes ago, 60FlatTop said:

 

That's the picture I took when I bought it. The car was cleaned, well lubricated, and on a pedestal in my garage when I sold it.

 

At the beginning of this topic I thought I didn't have any examples but they are coming back. Like the H&E Eldorado with the 4100 engine.

 

 

You had to know someone would bust your butt a but with that pic Bernie!

 

Love the Eldo.  I want one of those 79 - 85 Eldos, H&E or factory would be fine.  They are a deal I think still and every inch a Cadillac!

[1912Staver]

Rough { like dredged up from the bottom of the harbour } E types are 100% restorable.  But the cost can be truly eye watering. If I was going to spend that sort of money I think I would slightly divert to a C type / D type or Lister Jag replica. But it is all a mater of personal preference. Same basic building blocks , just lighter. Less show , more go. You don't even need to use E type parts. Lots of much more ordinary Jag's use the same parts a sports replica needs.

Edited May 9, 2021 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[8E45E]

2 hours ago, Steve_Mack_CT said:

You had to know someone would bust your butt a but with that pic Bernie!

 

Love the Eldo.  I want one of those 79 - 85 Eldos, H&E or factory would be fine.  They are a deal I think still and every inch a Cadillac!

The factory '84 & '85 Eldorado convertibles were done by American Sunroof Corp.

 

 

[76 Caddy]

I've regretted everyone I have let go and that's why I wont sell my '67 Eldorado even though I haven't touched it in 5 years or so.  Every time I think about selling it I talk myself out of it because I know I wont be able to afford another one.  My wife wanted me to sell it and buy her that '67 Corvair I asked y'all about.  Nope aint happening.

 

Tim

 

[padgett]

D-type head on the Jag ?

76 Cad was last to have a big engine. By '85 they were either a Buick V-6 or a Cad 4.1 and could be beaten by an escargot.

 

 

Edited May 9, 2021 by padgett (see edit history)

[1912Staver]

New heads are readily available in any version you may desire. Just make sure you charge up your wallet.  Also new alloy blocks .  No different than the parts situation for the ever popular FE and Cammer Ford engines. New castings abound . As well as billet cranks , exotic con rods and everything else needed to build " new " old engines. 

[keiser31]

I have regretted selling mostly everything I have ever sold. Most were sold due to the need for money. If I could have kept everything I would have a collection that rivals most.

[padgett]

If I had kept everything, I'd need a facility the size of the Brothers Collection. Besides there are many I would not want to have now.

[8E45E]

My regret was parting out a '61 Studebaker Cruiser I paid $100 for.  The body was not the best on it, but it actually was fixable with some effort.

 

I parted it out, and did make money on it with the sum of everything I sold off it it, but a little over 40 years later with the passage of time, these cars have become very rare, and not many survive thanks to fools like me!

 

Craig.

[Harold]

I regret getting rid of two cars in particular.   

 

One was a '51 Plymouth Cranbrook that had a seized engine.  I un-stuck it but couldn't get it to start.   After sitting for a number of years, I stripped it down to the body shell and frame, then scrapped the rest.   Looking back, it was very restorable despite the usual rust and deserved to be put back on the road.

 

The other was a '68 Pontiac Catalina convertible in factory red.  It was a confiscated car and I won it on sealed bid from the DEA for $41.50 (second-high bid was $40.96!).  The guy I sold it to was going to restore it.  Instead, it wound up abandoned and vandalized in a vacant lot.  I should have kept it.

 

[joelj]

I have no regrets to selling anything  I have owned. I always looked at it as a way to advance my ambitions to something new. If I hadn't  had  this experience I probably wouldn't have had the opportunity to own some of the best vehicles that I have owned. Sold: 1977 Chevrolet K1500, 1972 Buick  Lesabre convertible, 1964 Chevrolet  Impala SS, 1961 Chevrolet Impala 348 4 speed. 1993 Cadillac Allante, 1990 Buick Reatta. I currently own a  1964 Riviera and a 1949 Buick Super and have no regrets for letting go of what I had.

[Ed Luddy]

There have been more than few I regret selling. The 1970 Torino Cobra SCJ 429 always comes to mind. I owned it 3 times. Just could never afford to keep up with the cost of running and repairing that engine. That was in the 70's. Finally around 1980 I let it go for the last time. It is still around, stashed away less than an hour from me. Needs a total resto.

My 1979 Avanti II is another.

[alsancle]

40 minutes ago, Ed Luddy said:

There have been more than few I regret selling. The 1970 Torino Cobra SCJ 429 always comes to mind. I owned it 3 times. Just could never afford to keep up with the cost of running and repairing that engine. That was in the 70's. Finally around 1980 I let it go for the last time. It is still around, stashed away less than an hour from me. Needs a total resto.

My 1979 Avanti II is another.

 

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1970-ford-torino-gt-cobra-429/

[edinmass]

On 5/7/2021 at 4:16 PM, alsancle said:

I am a huge fan of the 120-150.  Early E Types too!

That color on the 140 is terrible........and you turned gray during the pandemic. Both car and driver need a color change. 

Edited May 9, 2021 by edinmass (see edit history)

[edinmass]

22 hours ago, 60FlatTop said:

An E Type doesn't even have to be a concours car to regret selling.

 

#3031 flat floor went the way of logic. I figured on a budget of $10,000 per year I would be able to hobble it up to town for coffee in 6 or 7 years. I'm sitting here wondering how I lost the optimism.

 

Looks like Imhotep was the original purchaser!

[edinmass]

To quote one of my old car mentors from the 80’s. Great guy, very bad hair piece...........

 

I traded my ex wife for this car..........got a good deal don’t you think? 😎

Edited May 9, 2021 by edinmass (see edit history)

[JamesR]

12 minutes ago, edinmass said:

 

Looks like Imhotep was the original purchaser!

 

 

XKE's and toppers go together like...well, XKE's and toppers, I guess.

[60FlatTop]

That cap kept the interior out of the weather.

 

The car was originally delivered to a woman in Florida. The car was painted black with a red interior, unusual colors at the time. Rumored to be a gift for a special occasion. If you looked close you could still see some lipstick on the tailpipe.

 

Shooda kept it just for the shape in the back of the garage.

 

[edinmass]

Preservation class at Pebble Beach.....Here you come! 👍👍

[junkyardjeff]

I would have liked to keep the 1939 Plymouth sedan delivery my dad got out of a junkyard in Centerville Indiana around nov 1974 where it sat since 1956,he got it running and drivable but that is as far as it got.  It was rough but had a bunch of parts for it but the city got on me for too many vehicles so I sold it.

[Billy Kingsley]

My mom's Chevelle. She loved that car, it was her daily driver until 1991. First car I remember being in. The floor rusted out and instead of fixing it my dad sold it. She never really forgave him for that and still talks about it. I don't know exactly what happened because I was 6 when it was sold. Every car show, every blue Chevelle gets a comment from her. 

 

I remember riding in it and seeing the road going by through the holes in the floor. 

 

The worst part is that my dad could have fixed it...he had the knowledge and tools to do it, he just wouldn't spend the money. 

 

I've looked to find another for her, but 4-door Chevelles are nearly impossible to find...and it has to be blue. (And running reliably...she's had enough of unreliable cars) I was hoping to get one for her 70th birthday next year but I just don't think I will be able to. 

 

She loves old cars almost as much as I do. Even though my father worked in the industry my love of cars and car shows really comes from her, and she still goes to car shows with me on a regular basis. 

[Steve_Mack_CT]

https://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/d/lake-grove-1968-chevelle-dr/7310682530.html

 

Billy this is close.  Looks like a decent ride, a bit overpriced.   I would bet a $7,500 offer would land this in your driveway. 

[Billy Kingsley]

That's a nice one Steve but she only wants a 70-72. 

[95Cardinal]

I would like to have this one back, but the current owner is still very happy with it.

It's the first car I built myself. Bought it as a basket case in 1980 and drove it under its own power for the first time in 1983.

It was a truly amateur "restoration", but I would be happy to have it back in the garage...

 

[8E45E]

On 5/9/2021 at 9:37 PM, Billy Kingsley said:

I've looked to find another for her, but 4-door Chevelles are nearly impossible to find...and it has to be blue. (And running reliably...she's had enough of unreliable cars) I was hoping to get one for her 70th birthday next year but I just don't think I will be able to. 

 

Maybe in the Rust Belt, they're difficult to find, but if one looks hard enough in in rural areas on farms, and other spots outside the city, there should be one or two lurking around still.  After all, they made over a million of them between 1970 and 1972, and the four door sedans were the most plentiful.  And four door sedans are still relatively cheap, pricewise; especially base  '300' model, which it appears is what your mom's car was.

 

Craig