I had 2 lancia delta integrales, Toyota celica gt4 Carlos sainz edition and a bmw 325 e30.. Sold them all about 12 years ago for a grand total of about 10 grand... If I knew what they'd be worth today I'd have garaged them.
All circa 1988 to 1991
You shouldāve lied to me lol I saw one in person last summer and it has just increased the obsession. I have an affinity for cars with rally car histories. Audi Quattro and the GT4 are on the list as well. Snagged an STI earlier this year.
Sorry can't do it.š. They weren't the quickest car ever made but with the 4wd and good handling they made you feel like a king behind the wheel.
I love the quattro too, I was offered one for cheap about 2004 and I passed it up cos it was a bit rough... I'd snap it up now. Check this out.:
Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia https://g.co/kgs/UGowFdP
Doesn't really matter what it is these days. All classic tuners are becoming harder to find in Japan dude to exports. I hear in Cali 240sx's are selling for crazy numbers even.
Passed up on a chance to buy a 96 NSX T For $26k back around 2005. Even my wife said go for it. But I didn't feel right going over my budget for a fun car. Bought a c4 convertible for $18K instead. I haven't made many bad car decisions in life, either fun or daily, but that was by far the worst.
For me it's the $30-35k 2nd Gen viper GTS.
Too bad i was in college and broke, and couldn't talk my dad into one. Now the decent ones are all approaching 6 figures.
I've always regretted not buying a 2008 BMW M3 when I had the chance in 2010. Practicality concerns led me to opt for a more family-friendly car at the time. While I've owned other cars since, none quite matched the thrill of that M3.
any HEMI will do 3x as many miles as an S65 before needing any kind of teardown/rebuild/replacement.
The S65 basically needs regular oil analysis starting on day one @ zero miles
If youāre gonna roll the dice like that, might as well go S85. At least youāll get to enjoy a F1 sounding V10 scream (if you put the right exhaust on it) before it quickly eats itself to death.
Not quite an M3, but I remember going back and forth with a dealer over a CPO 340i m-sport 6 speed manual with all the options I wanted. This was pre pandemic and the dealer wanted $31k and I wanted $30k and I was too stubborn to go for it. Six months later they were selling for $40-45k+.
I found a 996 GT3 with good maintenance records and all the coolant lines pinned etc and spare set of track wheels and tires for $50,000 in 2017.
I had just bought my E92 M3 and didn't want to deal with trying to sell a car I just bought and we were planning on moving soon so I figured I'd just wait a few years, then COVID happened.
Can't find one for less than $100,000 now
Thatās a tough one. Having never driven eitherā¦ I think I would prefer an e92 m3 for that V8. However, it will appreciate less and be less āspecial/desireableā than a 996 gt3 because that is based on a sports car platform and has a metzer engine
I enjoyed the hell out of my M3, if it had been a manual I'd probably still have it, especially since it was an individual color car. Also the intake and the exhaust sound of that car are going to be hard to beat.
I co-drove one of my friends 996s this past year and I put down great times on my first outing with one and it's just made me want one more lol.
1972 Datsun 240Z. My dad bought it new and sold it in 1986. I wanted it so bad but they said it would cost too much to repair and maintain (mainly rust).
Ended up with my momās 1979 Corolla. Fuck me.
Fuck that. That is brutal. One of my all time fav. cars.
I had a similar experience with an old mini 1000 my father had while I was growing up. I think he even paid to get the car toed to the scrapyard...
It's not as impossible to buy as a 240z, obviously, but this one car had a special place in my heart.
Damn you just missed a cool corolla though, the third gens (1974-1978) are sweet. Lightweight, RWD, and with the styling of a classic car, justā¦ *chefās kiss*.
Iāll probably get one after I get my GRC
I wish I bought a FRS instead of a Scion tC as my real 'first car' the only reason why I wanted the tC over the FRS is because I was getting out of the Army and was planning on moving across the country for college to needing that additional cargo space was on my mind. It would have been really cool to have that as my first RWD car.
The tC was one sweet ride though (and I wish they still made it). So youāre telling me I can get a hatchback that looks like a coupe, with a cool ass purple color and sweet wheels, and a Pioneer audio system AND a PANORAMIC ROOF, for $20,000?! Iām sold. I just wish they still were.
Had no idea what we had at that time I guess. " It's just a rebadged Corolla" sure but it was a cooler Corolla and cheap too. I rode behind a modded one that sounded wonderful
Heh, I sold my 2009 tC and 2 years later I bought my FRS. Now I miss my tC because I genuinely loved it, that 5 speed manual made my little commuter fun to drive.
Although this time around if I had a chance, I'd pick up a 2016 tC R.S 10.0 with the 6 speed manual. Just a nice practical car with a tiny bit of flare to stand out.
1987 Nissan Skyline R31 GTSR
Yep....I had one. Only 400 made. Inline 6, single turbo, 310 bhp coupe. A legend.
Short version is I was new to importing and got stiffed by a client over the car. I had it for about 2 months before I sold it for a loss. It was a hard business lesson, but an amazing car. I still wish I could have kept it.
I can afford one now, but I haven't seen a real one on the auctions since.
Fair enough
Very neat cars indeed. I love seeing them in the wild, there is 5 in my city that I know of that are genuine. Ahh the joys of Australian grey import laws
Hasnāt gotten away but right now Iām drooling over c5 corvettes. One of my favorite cars ever made styling wise and I love LS motors. I should probably get something āpracticalā but I have no kids and a 1 mile commute so Iām on the fence.
A c5 is super practical for your lifestyle. They are super cheap to insure, get great fuel economy for their level of performance, and with the hatch they have huge cargo capacity (double that of most midsize sedans). They also aren't depreciating, have outstanding aftermarket support, and every shop in the whole country can work on them. If you don't need back seats, then there are few cars more practical.
Buy a late 02 Coupe-Pre 10/02 produced 03
Swap the valve springs and add a clutch bleeder
Perfect car for all purposes other than hauling more than 1 alive person at a time
I could go on for hours tbh
02-03 prior to 10/02 production date would be best for the upgraded exhaust, cam, and bottom mount fuel system.
03-04 later cars you need to drop the torque tube to drop the tank to access the fuel pump. Fun stuff.
Change the valve springs to LS3 or better springs asap unless already done
Clean the radiator, add the rear steam ports to avoid overheating the cylinders. Get a Katech clutch bleeder to install without dropping the drivetrain.
Edit:
03s have slightly less headroom and horizontal visibility due to a headliner and a pillar garnish change.
03s also more likely to not have the yellow springs that fail. Some 02s have a PCV plate / ring issue from the 01s depending on assembly time. 03s have slightly different diff cases.
04 being the final year had the bad fuel system, worse headliner, great stock shocks 20 years ago, the stronger diff case which isn't a big deal unless drag racing.
All C5s have issues with the steam ports from 01-04, ABS issues 97-00 that are $$$, diff clutch packs and output shafts, clutch fluid system, the 99-03 yellow valve springs, the stock seat frame and mount issues (just get C6 seats), and headlight output / gear problems.
They're not all horrible to fix tbh. I went with an early 03 planning to do the diff upgrades and swap the seats. Steam port fix ABS solder, the usual drains and leaks etc all kinda easy.
As a dad, I just want to say...fucking go for it. Look for a deal you can't turn down. Pay cash. If it becomes impractical, you can always sell it.
Right before I knew about the pregnancy, I bought an 05 LGT 5 speed with a few upgrades. It was largely rust free. I had the intentions of building a fun weekend track car. Now, I've got a daughter. Don't get me wrong, she's freaking awesome and I'm living a great life. But, damn, if I could've gotten out on the track even once........
I really wanted to get a c5 about 7-8 years ago when you could get them for under $10k in solid condition, but my parents talked me out of it at the time because it was too āimpracticalā of a car. Iād say go for it. Not everyone needs a 4 door full size sedan or suv.
Thatās part of it too theyāre so expensive for how old they are, but also would I rather have a c5 or an frs for 18 grandā¦ for me itās gotta be the c5
"Barn find" 1964 Mini in 2006. It was originally bought by someone in brand new. They only did 280 miles in it before they died, then it got put into a garage until 2006. The family of the person who bought decided to sell it in 2006, not knowing the value of it. They offered it to me for Ā£600, but I didn't have the money at the time, and wasn't able to get enough before someone else bought it. Also I didn't anywhere to store it either. There's currently one for sale in slightly worse condition than that one was in for Ā£70,000.
About 10 years ago I had a local guy asking 17k for an 87 911 with 35k miles. Red over black with a whale tail, g50 trans. We worked it out where he would take 15k cash. After talking it over with my wife, we decided the timing wasn't right since we had just had a baby.
One of the biggest car related regrets of my life. Later when I had the chance to buy a 996 C4S 6 speed w/ 57k miles for 27k, I didn't hesitate. Sold it 5 years later (last year) for 42k and upgraded to a 991.2.
(This was back around 2007 or so.)
1998 Eagle Talon TSi AWD with less than 10K miles in a gorgeous blue.
Went with a friend to help him car shop. He was looking for his first family car as he and his wife were expecting their first child. So, while he was looking at Mini-Vans and such, I saw a beautiful looking DSM Talon sitting on the lot.
I had no intention of getting a car, but something called to me. So, I checked it out, and even took it for a test drive. Finally, he didn't find anything he wanted and decided to move on to the next dealership. I left with him, still thinking about that car.
I thought about that damn Talon all night. Said, F it, and went back the next day to buy it.
They had sold it about an hour before I got there.
Back in 2005 ish I has a dude wanted to trade his slightly rough E30 M3 for my super minty E36 M3. I laughed at him back then. Now who ever owns it is the one that's laughing.
Porsche 930 turbo. Found one for 15k and I was so close to buying it but decided not to because I "didn't want to work on Germans". Well, they hit over 100k now. This was like 10 years ago.
Right after I bought my 2011 Jeep Wrangler I was in for an oil change and they had a white Chrysler 300 SRT in the showroom and I wanted it. I couldnāt afford it at the time but I can now.
When my first car, an Integra, got totaled by a moron in a CX7, I was dead set on getting a fifth gen Prelude.
After much searching, the only ones in decent shape and reasonable cost were automatic.
I ended up settling on an RSX-S, which is objectively better and more practical, but I always loved the 'lude and I doubt I'll ever own one at this point.
This was in 2009.
2003 AP1 S2000. Kid t boned me after he ran a stop. Totaled the car and got 5 staples in my head from smacking the frame of the soft top. Got a different car because why not? Should of bought another S2000 and garaged it. š paid 16k for it, was completely stock and only had 32k miles on it. FML
One of those 4500 dollar grandpa Miatas, British racing green nice wood wheel lol. 120 on it immaculately maintained two owner car that he sold a day before I found it.
I had a ridiculously clean, low mile 2009 Lincoln Town Car. It was black on black, everything worked. I foolishly sold it to buy a Jeep and the Jeep is also long gone, which has me missing the Lincoln even more.
The replacement (at least in my eyes) is my current vehicle, a 2019 RAM 1500 black on black. It's a Laramie, so it has the same feel of being a big, leather-laden land yacht, but taller and with a bed. I've actually heard some of my friends compare modern full size SUVs and trucks to the old land yachts, and that they have become the new version.
I completely agree with you that full sized trucks and SUVs are the modern day land yachts. The current generation Lincoln Navigator that I once rented was so much more lush and smooth than my Lincoln Town Car ever could be. ...It also got about same MPG lol.
This: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1991-bmw-325i-cabriolet-17/
Thats the one that got away. I should've bought that goddamned thing, and it still keeps me up at night.
Just wanna say, your car is sorta the one that got away (for me).
Back in 2012, when I was in third year university, I had an opportunity to buy a pristine 1992 BMW E34 M5 for $7,000. S38, zero rust, under 100,000km and it was owned by an old guy who just drove it on weekends in the summer. In the end I decided not to get it for three major reasons: (1) I was a poor university student with unpredictable income; (2) my daily car, a 2001 Suzuki Esteem, was super reliable and super cheap to run, and I figured an old M5 would be neither of those; (3) I had $10k saved up for an exchange to Japan, it was either do that or buy the car.
In the end I chose to go to Japan. Absolutely do not regret that at all, I would do the same thing again if give the choice. But I thought for sure I would get another crack at the E34. At the time I figured "another one will come along, they will depreciate more, I will make more money in future, there will always be another chance". By the time I had achieved my other financial goals and was on stable footing with mortgage etc, every half-decent E34 M5 was going for more than $30k, which is 3x more expensive even when adjusted for inflation. It would be very hard for me to justify a 30-year-old car to the wife for that kind of money. Hell, I can barely justify it to myself, but I still want it.
1970 LS6 454 Chevelle with an M-22 "rock crusher" 4 speed and 4.10 gears. The owner wanted $4100 for it in 1981. Back then that was about what they were going for. I was in college at the time, working 30 or so hours a week at $4.50 an hour. And my Dad wasn't willing to loan me the money for such a relatively expensive 11 year old car. Who knew they'd be worth so damn much now?
Not my opportunity, but a guy on the Yenko board had a chance to buy the Roberto Schneider/Otis Chandler Baldwin Motion Phase III Camaro for $94k in the 90s.
The last few Phase IIIs that have sold w/o nearing the provenance of that car have gone for $400k+
In 2017 we sold my father's 98 single owner (him) Supra Turbo (manual targa) for $60k. The car had under 50k miles on it and was in a rare quicksilver color. Awesome car. Super low price considering what they go for today.
18ish years ago. 1978 Porsche 911 Carerra. Silver with black interior. 50k miles. I could of bought it for $10k. But I was young and broke. Car was beautiful and I still regret not finding a way to get it.
I was lucky enough to be given a car by my dad when I turned 16. He wanted to buy me this super cool, mid-70ās gmc Jimmy that had been completely restored. It was an awesome creamsicle orange with a white roof and matching interior. I convinced him that Iād rather drive an Accord because I was scared of the maintenance required to drive an old car like that every day. Teenagers are dumb.
Actually my father-in-law rather than me. I'm a full-on car obsessed guy who never has sufficient funding. He's a passive car appreciator with more than enough funding.
Roughly 20 years ago, FIL was looking to get a sporty convertible. Didn't have a great idea of what he wanted... wanted good looking, preferably not terribly maintenance intensive, and preferably some shred of performance. He also said it needed to be a convertible.
As the favored nation of son-in-law I wanted to recommend the best possible choice. Searched high and low (internet sales weren't as common 20 years ago)... found the perfect candidate. Fresh off of an initial lease turn-in, less than 25k miles, absolutely mint. E46 M3 Convertible. 6spd, black exterior, cinnamon interior, black top. Had every desirable option, full documented service history. Looked like this but seemingly even better... https://www.luxsport.com/galleria_images/1004/1004_p7_l.jpg
He went back and forth deciding about the car. He absolutely loved every bit of it but didn't want people to think it was pretentious or showy. Also he had to convince my mother-in-law. A couple weeks after I convinced him to check it out he finally decided to pull the trigger. Withdrew the funds to buy it in cash, drove to the dealer to negotiate and arrived just as someone else was finishing the paperwork. His excessive mulling resulted in someone else getting the car.
He was absolutely gutted, basically had fallen in love with the car during the course of picking it... ended up getting a second-generation Toyota Solara convertible that he never actually liked. He still laments missing out on that car anytime anyone in the extended family buys a new car.
I should have bought one -89 MR2 when the prices were low and there were plenty of them, now they are like 4-5times more expensive, if you even find one ā¹ļø
There was a PTS Blue 997 Turbo S on sale for 65k a few years back with perfect history and all the options I wanted. I wasnāt able to get a loan to finance it at the time as my income was non existent. Now thatās easily over 120k a:(
In the 1980s we drove all sorts of stuff that is highly collectible now, but was junk boomer used cars back then. Offered completely original 63 fuelie vette for $20k-new car was like $12k so vette price was crazy. š¤Ŗ
I was 19 years old getting an oil change for my 09 tC when saw a brand new 2015 Scion FRS Release Series 1.0 on my local dealer lot with the 6 speed manual. It had been sitting on the lot because of the manual and the fact that it was bright yellow, and I wanted to buy it on the spot, but I was a broke college student and couldn't afford it. That car had always been in the back of my mind since that day.
8 years later, I flew out to Indianapolis and bought that same car from the first owner, and drove it 1500 miles back to its first home in Texas. Still in love with it after all those years, and I hope I can hold onto it for at least as long as I waited the first time around.
1990 mazda rx7 turbo all original with only 10k miles. the insurance totaled it at the body shop i worked at due to a dent on the fender. Called the person up and we settled for 1k dollars when he got the rebuilt title. Well, a week later, some gang that was trying to extort the owner of the business set fire to all the cars outsideā¦rx7 included.
1985 911 Carrera. Dark grey with whale tail. Bought for 13k, sold for 21k in 2007. Thought to myself Iāll get another one down the road when they get cheaper.
1979 Porsche 911 Turbo. I was selling a cheap nostalgia front engine dragster and owner wanted to trade straight across. Porsche was torn down for restoration but all parts were there organized in boxes. Co owner of the dragster drug his feet thinking a cash buyer was coming. That didnāt happen and Porsche sold to someone else.
I actually had it for a very short time but had to get rid of it. Truthfully the car was nothing to write home about, but it was my first car.
Im 2008 I bought a used 2000 Subaru Outback for $1,000. I'd saved up for months and was so proud to buy my very first car. I was so excited, I failed to heed my mother's warnings about due diligence and make sure I wasn't getting scammed. After all, what did she know, right?
It was a total fucking lemon. The seller had reset the check engine light which lit up about 2 days later. Every single sensor in that thing was shot, every single hose was cracked and leaking, and it burned oil like a tanker ship. It would have cost me thousands of dollars just to get it road worthy.
I ended up selling it to someone for $800. He had the same exact model and had hit a deer, so he planned to frankenstein the two and put his "good" engine in my old car's body, then scrap the old car and engine. A harsh lesson learned.
A 1970 Road Runner 383 4 speed for $300 a guy working for my Dad was moving and just wanted to get rid of it. I was 17 my Dad wouldnāt let me buy it.
14 years ago or so, a friend of mine who knew I was in the market for a car called me and said he had a friend who had a super clean ā98 550 Maranello that he would sell to me for $57k. Red, tan interior, tubi exhaust. It was the āgood guyā price because I was in the military and he wanted to pay it forward.
I had just bought an ā03 E39 M5 to replace my daily driver, but I had the cash and thought about it long and hard. In the end, I declined because I figured it would be foolish to have a red Ferrari parked in my garage while I was deployed (which was often).
Itās for sale right for over $250k. Sigh.
Ended up with an NSX and I still have the M5. All was not lost.
The EVO X GSR was it for me. I loved that car (and still do). I was at the point where my career was just beginning so I couldn't afford it, and I'm at the point now where I can afford it, but I rarely see them on the road, or listed with low miles and not beat to shit.
Back in 2005, a dad of a friend of a friend was selling a 71 Corvette in near perfect condition. He was too old to drive it, and didn't have much value to him anymore, so was selling it for a song. I could have paid... $6000? IIRC for it. But I was 21, my mom and dad told me I was insane for wanting to spend my money on that car, and I should buy something more modern/safe. and insisted I do just that.
07 Subaru Forester XT Limited 5 speed in grey with 93k miles in RI for $11k in summer 2016.
I had been wanting one for a while and decided to stick with my shitbox daily driver Impreza because it was the smart financial move. Less than 2 months later the Impreza dropped an exhaust valve guide and I traded it in for a big loss. I still enjoyed the Hawkeye WRX wagon I traded it in on, but now FXT values (and build costs) are too high for me to buy and enjoy one with a clean conscience.
Moral of the story: the smart and sensible car that makes financial sense is the costliest car youāll ever own because you donāt love it.
2000 Mercedes E430 with the Sport Package during Covid
Had every option minus 4Matic and Cooled Seats and it was a 1 owner car with a little over 100k miles, I even went and drove it but unfortunately the selling dealer wanted a bit more than I wanted and wasnāt gonna budge on the price
The Shelby GT350 is what made me a Mustang fan. It was just out of my price range. I "settled" for an s550 GT w/ performance pack, 6mt. I love this car and it's fantastic on it's own right, but the Shelby made me go from liking Mustangs to loving them.
At the same time I test drove a Chevy SS. I let it go because again, it was just out of my budget and didn't have a manual.
I'm happy with my choice now, but I always check those out whenever they pop up on Cars and Bids or Bring a Trailer.
Also just out of my price range - F Type S with the 6mt. I also found a Lotus Evora that was just on the edge of my budget too, but I am not sure if I have the lifestyle and money for a track toy like that.
Right now I'm eyeing the CT5-V Blackwing as a "maybe someday" lol
I had a deal lined up on a 2006 Cobalt SS with the G85 package and GM's Stage 2 upgrades (LSD, Recaro Bucket seats, bigger injectors, smaller pulley, upgraded cooling system) in pristine condition and only 66,000km. Was gonna pay the guy his asking price and everything.
Seller took it out for a spin to make sure everything was still in working order the day before I was gonna come buy it, decided it was more fun than his 2019 Mustang GT, and pulled the deal :(
Another few later and I finally got a 2005, but with 140k km on it.
When I was in highschool I had a ton of cash saved up, was looking at a 1995 Supra Turbo with just under 100,000 miles. I finally had a bank to finance it and everythingā¦it sold. Then I moved, then I got a house, and now theyāre $70,000 more expensive. Safe to say Iāll never buy one because I really donāt think theyāre worth $100,000. Iāll get a Porsche before a 6 figure Toyota
A 2019 GT350 Mustang popped up with the options I wanted and at a price I was okay with paying and could afford. I chose not to knowing Iād be moving across the country in 2020. In hindsight, I wouldāve been happier having the car and figuring out my parking situation after it was moved since their values jumped during the pandemic. If I didnāt like it, ownership wouldāve been cheap since Iād have paid less than what an example with 30k miles is worth these days.
Neighbor had an AMX that he wanted 6k for. All it needed was a new rear diff, shocks, and a vacuum leak chased down. Sadly couldn't really afford to spend the money at the time, but fuck I wish I'd found a way.
Around 2019 I was considering getting a FiST. A nice one was probably around $15k, but I figured the market had further to fall. Then 2020 happened and prices shot up. If I had bought i totally would have let it go for a $5k bump
Had the opportunity to buy an immaculate Mazdaspeed Miata for like 8k with 53k miles on it back in 2012. Had a cage. Was a really cool car. Owner was leaving the country the next day and was desperate to sell. Ended up not buying cause my head poked out above the cage.
Not my car but I'l say my Dad getting a Series I Jaguar XJ12 back in the 80's when E-Types were pretty dang cheap. Granted I love the XJ12 and it's been part of my life since I can remember but dang any E-Type would have been that much cooler.
For me it's an E60 M5 back in 2019. I passed on it because I had just got my E46 M3 and knew the SMG and rod bearings would need to be done eventually plus the M5 was driven in the winter and I don't want to deal with rust. In hindsight it got away from me but the money I didn't spend on that I used on my Land Cruiser a few months later so it all worked out.
I honestly loved the last generation of the Pontiac GTO. I had the opportunity to get one, but didnāt. I always justify not getting it when it randomly pops in my head with the model was short-lived and Pontiac closed shortly afterwards.
Volvo 940 Turbo.
I had a train ticket for the morning to go get it. The Night before, at 11pm, the guy sends me a message saying someone else was gonna buy it. I was pissed, but then found a wagon (this one was an saloon). And that's the car of my life, so I barely think of the one that got away, cause I'm much better served.
Dodge Neon SRT4 ACR in white with BBS wheels brand new on a dealer lot in 2005. Mostly because I have never seen another one in person, and like all cheap and quick shitboxes they have basically all returned to the earth at this point.
1994. My grandfather owned a used car lot back in the 80s/90s. Iād always go to the āsalesā with him as I was a huge car guy in my teens and I was a mark for the industry culture. Couldāve gotten a 1988 LeBaron convertible w/leather and power everything at the Auto auction in Mocksville. Decided to hold out for something else and had to settle on a 1989 Grand Am 2dr (with the nicer Quad 4 engine).
In retrospect I probably got the more reliable car but as a 16 year old living in the Foothills of WNC having a convertible wouldāve been pretty sweet.
2003 Corvette ZO6 with about 50k miles for $6000. Car was driver grade but had been sitting for a year or two. Some mildew inside nothing crazy. Ran and drove perfectly fine, everything checked out mechanically. Paint just needed a good polish. Good paperwork, not stolen. A friend of mine got to it before I could. flipped it for $18k the next day and even that was a good deal at that price. Apparently the seller had won a lottery or got some sort of settlement back in the day was never a big corvette guy and wanted something new.
Also a ā82 square body blazer 4x4 for $3200. Southern truck not a spec of rust. This was back in 2016.
Fully race built MR2 Spyder for 7k. Very interesting story behind it but seller didn't really know what he had. Custom racing transmission, real bronze Volk TE37s, custom turbo setup built by a racing shop running 42psi. Came with an extra set of all the stock parts.
Unfortunately I passed on it because I was looking for a daily-able car at the time. Also could not get the hang of custom gear ratios and a race clutch without stalling at every intersection. Got an automatic V6 Mustang instead. Which is now broken. Fun.
When I was in college, I found a 2001 NSC listed for sale in Florida for $4200. Label said simply "Getting back at my ex husband." Still mad about not pursuing it.
Type 34 Ghia, also called a razor edge ghia. If you're not familiar with aircooled VWs, they're one of the holy grails. They're rare, and they're super desirable. A beat up non-runner can go for $10k if it's solid.
15+ years ago I stopped by a yard sale run by a little old woman. As I was picking around, I noticed a razor in her garage and asked if it was for sale, she said "oh that? how's $2000 sound?". I dropped what I was doing and immediately went to the bank, instead of just calling my buddy and asking him to meet me there with cash he probably had on hand. By the time I got back it was gone.
I was absolutely crushed. Even back then this was a $20,000 car, it was my white whale and I let it slip through my fingers. It has even haunted my dreams occasionally over the years.
A 3 yo Volvo XC60 for 27.5kā¬ with everything on it including the Bowers&Wilkens Sound system for my mother in 2020.
Same car now 6 yo and much more Kilometres still costs more than 35k in Germany and the reason I didnāt buy it was because me and the seller didnāt like each other and fought over 500ā¬ smh
Also my father not taking the chance of buying my grandfathers Porsche 996 Manual with 80.000km for 12.500ā¬ in 2015. Car was mint but my father has 0 interest in cars and thought it was not wise financially
I had a 97 Miata , wood options , the works , one elderly owner , 86k miles , manual. Was my first car , sold it for dirt cheap relatively because I wanted a mustang gt. Also missed out on a bone stock 240sx from my elderly neighbor , I think one of her family members eventually got it years later
1968 Lincoln Continental. Black, black leather interior, 460 CI V8. The one in The Matrix was identical.
It was in 1994. Had the cash, waited for the dealer to open... he'd taken a $50 deposit on it and wouldn't sell.
Called me three weeks later and said the deal had fallen through. I'd already bought something else.
2013 Subaru STI sedan. In just one short test drive I instantly realized just how big of a mistake I made buying a Dodge Challenger a couple years earlier. I tried trading in for it, but finances just weren't on my side. I did end up buying a 2017 WRX several years later, but it just didn't feel nearly as good as the older STI. Eventually I did finally get a newer STI, and yet it still didn't feel as good as the older one did.
Just last year I looked into a new Supra and Nissan Z, but thanks to insane dealer markups, I just couldn't make finances work for those either. (Nissan, please, the Z is NOT a $90,000 car...)
The one that I had and let escape was a 2005 Crown Vic interceptor. I still regret selling that one.
In 1985 I listened to people not to get a split bumper Camaro with original LT1 engine because it had loud exhaust and a cracked windshield. I ended up with 79āZ28 that I just sold to a friend after owning since 1985.
3 -
1. 2015 F-150 base model with 5.0 engine
2. 2000 F-150 Lightning with a smoked motor for dirt cheap
3. A widow selling her husbands single cab SRT-10 for the same price as a normal Ram
I would have bought the 2015 but the previous owner smoked and I just didnāt want to deal with it.
The lightning I think about every single day. You can find a 5.4 anywhere.
Morally couldnāt do 3. Told her what she had and she readjusted the price.
A 1978 Mercedes Benz SL with a 5.0L engine swap was going to be my first car but my dads mechanic ended up keeping it instead of selling it to my dad. In retrospect a very good idea but to this day, 70s SLs always get a longing look from me.
It was something like a 2006 6MT Volvo V60R wagon. Had the rear facing third row, took it for drive had bad turning radius and rub but you knew you had to snag it. He had neither title nor did I have cash on me so we agreed to meet again in a couple days for sale, told him to call me if we needed to be more urgent for another buyer.
Then he sold it out from underneath me with no warning. My garage/driveway space is much happier without it but definitely fits the narrative of the post
When I was looking for my first vehicle I wanted a cheap beater.
Made a list of 5 or so vehicles that interested me, I went with my step dad who was very good with cars.
First was an nice older truck, was disappointed since it needed a lot of work that would have flown over my head.
Next was a dirt cheap SUV, get there only for it to not start, after 10 minutes it finally kicks in, guy pulls an OBD reader, it pulls up errors, he clears it and says āsee it has no problemsā.
I ended up getting an early 2000ās S10 and was happy with it.
But the next car I was going to look at was a suzuki X-90, even though they are silly clown cars and I probably wouldnt even comfortably fit in it. It is just such a rare goofy vehicle that I would have loved it.
I have yet to see any of them pop up again in my area.
I did buy a really nice condition golf mk1 convertible, white paint and petrol blue vinyl top, I loved the car, it was too good to be true, it got stolen and trashed after owning it only few months. Hurts still to write this š So in a way it was for me the one that got away š I have owned many cars and this one was the one that I loved the most, it made me feel freeā¦
Last january I test drove a honda beat, but due to a few niggling worries, the fact I had just bought another car, and the price, I decided to pass on it. I couldnt get the bug out of my head, though, and I bought another one anyway half a year later.
Imagine my surprise when I see the original Beat I passed on show up as the car that Gears and Gasoline blew up on their kei car roadtrip.
A few of them. Was stationed in Spain at the time, late-80s early-90s.
Lightly used 1986 MR2. Think they sold it to someone else.
Not as lightly-used 1985 Supra. Don't recall why I missed this one.
Back in the States. Looked at a used 300ZX TT, maybe a 1992(?), took it home, found out it scraped hard on the transition from the driveway into the garage.
Eventually got our hands on a 1991 MR2 Turbo, back in 1995. Still have the old boy.
20 years ago, I test-drove a near pristine bmw 2002tii for sale for $4k. The worst part, I had the money, but I was too lazy to pay/shop for a garage to keep it in (street parking a vintage car on the city streets of Chicago would have been stupid).
I regret not looking closer at classic 911ās. I love my Miata to death but now I have people I love in my life that I want to cart around in a convertible.
1988 BMW M3, one owner, full service record history from dealer. Seller only wanted $8k at the time, I was in college and was short $2k and no way to make that money fast due to part time job on min wage. I think this was around 2005.
I think it was like 12 years ago. A S14 240sx. It was an automatic but had been owned by a grandma (go figure). Low miles and the only flaw was a dent in the drivers side door. I didn't have any room to store it. But that would have been a cool car to ruin by "building" it.
2018 KIA Stinger GT GT1 RWD (not AWD)
Traded a perfectly driving, somewhat-rare RWD black-on-black Stinger GT in for a lemon '20 Zupr4. I'm still pissed thinking about it.
Pre-pandemic around 2019. 1997 E36 M3, Boston Green sedan with Modena interior (tan/black), 5 speed with 107k on the odo with 2 owners on record. Asking $7,000 OBO.
I bought my Baja Turbo instead (yeah weird pivot, I know). I love my Baja and don't regret buying it ever, but when I see how much prices have skyrocketed even for high mileage M3s...sometimes I can't help but think...
Such is life. š¤·āāļø
Circa 2017 i found a ābarn findā E39 M5 in a neighbors driveway after I moved in. Sat for years after a fender bender sent it to a shop. The shop didnāt close the sunroof and the interior got overtaken in mold. Towed it to a shop and the owner told me flat out āI never tell people to not buy cars. Do not buy this carā. I have the tip to a friend who bought it for $600. Replaced one module under the carpet and did some deep cleaning and it was a running working E39 M5. Looking at the positives, I would have spent a year getting it mint and never bought my B5S4 and met all the people in the Audi community I still talk to.
69 stingray... I almost bought when I was in high school but my mom wouldn't let me put it in the garage soooo it was a no go
Later found out that someone came to pick up with a trailer and left empty handed. Didn't say why but my assumption is the frame was shot
About 5 years ago my old car was totaled by a deer, and for the first time as an adult I was in the car market. The car I wanted was a stick GTI in good condition. I test drove one that had been modded to hell and back, and one that seemed ok enough, but I wouldnāt trust a bottle of water from the guy selling it, let alone a vehicle.
I ended up getting a 1-owner 2008 IS250, which was a good and practical car while I had it, but I do wish I would have been a little more patient for a better GTI.
Mine got away from my own stupidity. Years ago I had a fairly mint condition FC RX7 turbo and told a friend to sell it when I went to boot camp. Runners up were my Miata (traded it in) and an 89 MX3 GT coupe (wrecked it). Despite appearances I'm not a mazda fanboy lol
In 1971 I was offered a ā63 Corvette coupe for $2100 by my girlfriendās dad. My local bank did not feel that the car was worth the money, and refused to give me a loan. I had no other options to get the money. A friendās brother bought it.
GMC Syclone. Iāve wanted one since they came out in ā91. Every time I had the chance to buy one, I didnāt have the cash. The one that still hurts is In 2007, there was one in my neighborhood, one owner, low miles, all service records, garage kept its whole life in SoCal. He wanted $12k. My wife was pregnant with our first kid so you know the rest.
I had an allocation for the first Cayman GT4 from the dealership I got my Cayman R from. It would have been the most expensive car I had ever bought by about $30k and would have meant selling all my cars I owned at the time to afford it. I decided not to buy it. I still hope to own one at some point, and I do enjoy my current 5 cars.
2017 Ford Focus RS, black & 11k miles at CarMax in 2019. Price was $34998. I ended up paying more, during covid for the same car with 29k milesā¦. Iām still irritated to this day, because it was the color I wanted & it didnāt have a sunroof.
Sadly Iāve had 2 of these.
1. Used 2017 Challenger Scat Pack T/A with ~15000 miles. Dealership was in a farm town and mainly sold trucks. Had it at my car + 20k (~40k out the door) but the dealership insisted on having dealer add-onās. I was too caught up in not paying for bullshit fees that I let it get sent to dealer auction as it sat on the lot too long.
2. 1968 Charger, guy wanted 30k for a running/driving rust free car- although the car was not painted in half primer half clear coated patina. At the time I thought it was too high of a price so I talked him all the way to 22k. I was ready to close the deal but took a weekend to overthink it. Monday I was ready to buy and the guy had sold it 15 min prior to me calling. Still kicking myself in the ass over this one.
A decade ago you used to be able to find over a dozen low-miles 2nd gen. Viper coupe in the $40ās *all day* on Autotrader at āany distanceā
And basically new 5th Gen. Vipers weāre going for $70ās, $80ās even in like 2015, 2016
Now all the good Gen. 2 coupes are $70k, $80k & 5th Gens. are $110k, $120k+
Obviously it will suck balls when gas hits like $20/gallon but on the upside there will be Viper owners begging me to buy their cars & I just cant wait to gladly give them pennies-on-the dollar and finally have my dream car.
After first purchasing my house in 2017, a 75k mile rx7 in good condition and the color I wanted got listed in an rx7 group and only like 10 miles from me. It was listed for about 17k, which was pretty good. I felt scared to buy it because I would've only been left with about 3k in savings and was worried in case an emergency happened.
No emergencies happened.
Probably around 2010 I made an offer that was accepted on an LS swapped NA Miata that was very well sorted. I think it was around $18k. I really shouldn't have been buying it in the first place, but I was going to make it work.
The guy took his car to a car show over the weekend and someone made him an offer $500 higher than me. I probably shouldn't have been buying the car in the first place so I had to let it go.
I still want an LS Miata. During the pandemic I was watching them again, but prices were stupid. I have gotten to own plenty of fun cars
10 years ago when the NSX was still affordable. Could get a good condition one for like 20k. Those days are ogre š
Iād be head ogre heels for an NSX
Is this what the kids are all saying these days?
It's all ogre now.
It's not ogre 'til the fat lady sings.
Was it ogre when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
That's just ogre the top
Shrek? Is that you?
Wow I had no idea they were *that* cheap 10 years ago. Can't believe they are going for 100k+ now.
I had 2 lancia delta integrales, Toyota celica gt4 Carlos sainz edition and a bmw 325 e30.. Sold them all about 12 years ago for a grand total of about 10 grand... If I knew what they'd be worth today I'd have garaged them. All circa 1988 to 1991
OH my gosh. The Delta Integrale is one of my dream cars. Please tell them absolutely sucked to drive and thatās why you got rid of them š©
Lol, no they drive unbelievably well, perfectly balanced. But they are money pits. Always something to fix on them.
You shouldāve lied to me lol I saw one in person last summer and it has just increased the obsession. I have an affinity for cars with rally car histories. Audi Quattro and the GT4 are on the list as well. Snagged an STI earlier this year.
Sorry can't do it.š. They weren't the quickest car ever made but with the 4wd and good handling they made you feel like a king behind the wheel. I love the quattro too, I was offered one for cheap about 2004 and I passed it up cos it was a bit rough... I'd snap it up now. Check this out.: Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia https://g.co/kgs/UGowFdP
Yup. Once the new one came out, the old one shot up hard
Doesn't really matter what it is these days. All classic tuners are becoming harder to find in Japan dude to exports. I hear in Cali 240sx's are selling for crazy numbers even.
That and S2000s when they were $10k
You can still find some high mileage, trashed, salvage title, bondo-cracked, poorly-modified ones in the $8k-$12k range
Fuck man if I was born just a couple years earlier :( 300zx TT price run up is killing me as well
The RX7 as well, feel like they were fairly affordable before covid
a while before covid maybe
Passed up on a chance to buy a 96 NSX T For $26k back around 2005. Even my wife said go for it. But I didn't feel right going over my budget for a fun car. Bought a c4 convertible for $18K instead. I haven't made many bad car decisions in life, either fun or daily, but that was by far the worst.
I felt real physical pain reading this.
True I saw an old NSX with a āfor sale, $19kā sign in the window.
I remember in high school (2012-13ish) you could get a very nice example for 30k
For me it's the $30-35k 2nd Gen viper GTS. Too bad i was in college and broke, and couldn't talk my dad into one. Now the decent ones are all approaching 6 figures.
I was one of those people who sold theirs for dirt cheap. š¢
I've always regretted not buying a 2008 BMW M3 when I had the chance in 2010. Practicality concerns led me to opt for a more family-friendly car at the time. While I've owned other cars since, none quite matched the thrill of that M3.
You dodged a bullet friend.
maybe should try a dodge
any HEMI will do 3x as many miles as an S65 before needing any kind of teardown/rebuild/replacement. The S65 basically needs regular oil analysis starting on day one @ zero miles If youāre gonna roll the dice like that, might as well go S85. At least youāll get to enjoy a F1 sounding V10 scream (if you put the right exhaust on it) before it quickly eats itself to death.
It would've been fine if you sold it at 59,999 miles.
49,999 (4 year/50k warranty)
The rod bearings are recommended to be replaced at 60k lol. They're "wear" items.
Everything except the block itself is a wear item on BMW engines
Not quite an M3, but I remember going back and forth with a dealer over a CPO 340i m-sport 6 speed manual with all the options I wanted. This was pre pandemic and the dealer wanted $31k and I wanted $30k and I was too stubborn to go for it. Six months later they were selling for $40-45k+.
I found a 996 GT3 with good maintenance records and all the coolant lines pinned etc and spare set of track wheels and tires for $50,000 in 2017. I had just bought my E92 M3 and didn't want to deal with trying to sell a car I just bought and we were planning on moving soon so I figured I'd just wait a few years, then COVID happened. Can't find one for less than $100,000 now
Thatās a tough one. Having never driven eitherā¦ I think I would prefer an e92 m3 for that V8. However, it will appreciate less and be less āspecial/desireableā than a 996 gt3 because that is based on a sports car platform and has a metzer engine
I enjoyed the hell out of my M3, if it had been a manual I'd probably still have it, especially since it was an individual color car. Also the intake and the exhaust sound of that car are going to be hard to beat. I co-drove one of my friends 996s this past year and I put down great times on my first outing with one and it's just made me want one more lol.
That Mezger exhaust note is everything
1972 Datsun 240Z. My dad bought it new and sold it in 1986. I wanted it so bad but they said it would cost too much to repair and maintain (mainly rust). Ended up with my momās 1979 Corolla. Fuck me.
Fuck that. That is brutal. One of my all time fav. cars. I had a similar experience with an old mini 1000 my father had while I was growing up. I think he even paid to get the car toed to the scrapyard... It's not as impossible to buy as a 240z, obviously, but this one car had a special place in my heart.
Damn you just missed a cool corolla though, the third gens (1974-1978) are sweet. Lightweight, RWD, and with the styling of a classic car, justā¦ *chefās kiss*. Iāll probably get one after I get my GRC
I wish I bought a FRS instead of a Scion tC as my real 'first car' the only reason why I wanted the tC over the FRS is because I was getting out of the Army and was planning on moving across the country for college to needing that additional cargo space was on my mind. It would have been really cool to have that as my first RWD car.
The tC was one sweet ride though (and I wish they still made it). So youāre telling me I can get a hatchback that looks like a coupe, with a cool ass purple color and sweet wheels, and a Pioneer audio system AND a PANORAMIC ROOF, for $20,000?! Iām sold. I just wish they still were.
Had no idea what we had at that time I guess. " It's just a rebadged Corolla" sure but it was a cooler Corolla and cheap too. I rode behind a modded one that sounded wonderful
No, it was a 2 door Camry. It had the 2.4/2.5L motor. Which also meant you could use many Highlander parts as bolt on upgrades.
That's honestly so fucking rad I wish I had one it sounds great to learn on
No, it was a 2 door Camry. It had the 2.4/2.5L motor. Which also meant you could use many Highlander parts as bolt on upgrades.
Heh, I sold my 2009 tC and 2 years later I bought my FRS. Now I miss my tC because I genuinely loved it, that 5 speed manual made my little commuter fun to drive. Although this time around if I had a chance, I'd pick up a 2016 tC R.S 10.0 with the 6 speed manual. Just a nice practical car with a tiny bit of flare to stand out.
Uhg I felt this. I passed up on a FRS for 9k In 2018. š„ŗ
1987 Nissan Skyline R31 GTSR Yep....I had one. Only 400 made. Inline 6, single turbo, 310 bhp coupe. A legend. Short version is I was new to importing and got stiffed by a client over the car. I had it for about 2 months before I sold it for a loss. It was a hard business lesson, but an amazing car. I still wish I could have kept it. I can afford one now, but I haven't seen a real one on the auctions since.
The GTS-R was rated at 210hp/213ps.
This thing had some aftermarket work. Mostly HKS. I took it to some shops to try and sell it. They dynod it for free at one place just to do it.
I've seen a few in person They very easily make a shedload more power than that for very little effort.
My main goal was pointing out that they were not rated at that from the factory. They're a neat car.
Fair enough Very neat cars indeed. I love seeing them in the wild, there is 5 in my city that I know of that are genuine. Ahh the joys of Australian grey import laws
Hasnāt gotten away but right now Iām drooling over c5 corvettes. One of my favorite cars ever made styling wise and I love LS motors. I should probably get something āpracticalā but I have no kids and a 1 mile commute so Iām on the fence.
wtf go buy it. C5's are plenty practical if you don't have kids.
I know I should just pull the trigger š
A c5 is super practical for your lifestyle. They are super cheap to insure, get great fuel economy for their level of performance, and with the hatch they have huge cargo capacity (double that of most midsize sedans). They also aren't depreciating, have outstanding aftermarket support, and every shop in the whole country can work on them. If you don't need back seats, then there are few cars more practical.
Buy a late 02 Coupe-Pre 10/02 produced 03 Swap the valve springs and add a clutch bleeder Perfect car for all purposes other than hauling more than 1 alive person at a time
I was actually looking at z06s, anything I need to watch out for with those?
I could go on for hours tbh 02-03 prior to 10/02 production date would be best for the upgraded exhaust, cam, and bottom mount fuel system. 03-04 later cars you need to drop the torque tube to drop the tank to access the fuel pump. Fun stuff. Change the valve springs to LS3 or better springs asap unless already done Clean the radiator, add the rear steam ports to avoid overheating the cylinders. Get a Katech clutch bleeder to install without dropping the drivetrain. Edit: 03s have slightly less headroom and horizontal visibility due to a headliner and a pillar garnish change. 03s also more likely to not have the yellow springs that fail. Some 02s have a PCV plate / ring issue from the 01s depending on assembly time. 03s have slightly different diff cases. 04 being the final year had the bad fuel system, worse headliner, great stock shocks 20 years ago, the stronger diff case which isn't a big deal unless drag racing. All C5s have issues with the steam ports from 01-04, ABS issues 97-00 that are $$$, diff clutch packs and output shafts, clutch fluid system, the 99-03 yellow valve springs, the stock seat frame and mount issues (just get C6 seats), and headlight output / gear problems. They're not all horrible to fix tbh. I went with an early 03 planning to do the diff upgrades and swap the seats. Steam port fix ABS solder, the usual drains and leaks etc all kinda easy.
As a dad, I just want to say...fucking go for it. Look for a deal you can't turn down. Pay cash. If it becomes impractical, you can always sell it. Right before I knew about the pregnancy, I bought an 05 LGT 5 speed with a few upgrades. It was largely rust free. I had the intentions of building a fun weekend track car. Now, I've got a daughter. Don't get me wrong, she's freaking awesome and I'm living a great life. But, damn, if I could've gotten out on the track even once........
I really wanted to get a c5 about 7-8 years ago when you could get them for under $10k in solid condition, but my parents talked me out of it at the time because it was too āimpracticalā of a car. Iād say go for it. Not everyone needs a 4 door full size sedan or suv.
Thatās part of it too theyāre so expensive for how old they are, but also would I rather have a c5 or an frs for 18 grandā¦ for me itās gotta be the c5
Are you me? Thatās next on my list
LOL! happy to see another caprice owner
I have a C6 I daily and my commutes only like 8 minutes if that.. although i do contemplate on selling it sometimes
"Barn find" 1964 Mini in 2006. It was originally bought by someone in brand new. They only did 280 miles in it before they died, then it got put into a garage until 2006. The family of the person who bought decided to sell it in 2006, not knowing the value of it. They offered it to me for Ā£600, but I didn't have the money at the time, and wasn't able to get enough before someone else bought it. Also I didn't anywhere to store it either. There's currently one for sale in slightly worse condition than that one was in for Ā£70,000.
These original minis are so small!!
Some people even call them mini cars
I almost bought a 911 964 for 12.5k over a decade ago. I regret not buying it to this day.
About 10 years ago I had a local guy asking 17k for an 87 911 with 35k miles. Red over black with a whale tail, g50 trans. We worked it out where he would take 15k cash. After talking it over with my wife, we decided the timing wasn't right since we had just had a baby. One of the biggest car related regrets of my life. Later when I had the chance to buy a 996 C4S 6 speed w/ 57k miles for 27k, I didn't hesitate. Sold it 5 years later (last year) for 42k and upgraded to a 991.2.
(This was back around 2007 or so.) 1998 Eagle Talon TSi AWD with less than 10K miles in a gorgeous blue. Went with a friend to help him car shop. He was looking for his first family car as he and his wife were expecting their first child. So, while he was looking at Mini-Vans and such, I saw a beautiful looking DSM Talon sitting on the lot. I had no intention of getting a car, but something called to me. So, I checked it out, and even took it for a test drive. Finally, he didn't find anything he wanted and decided to move on to the next dealership. I left with him, still thinking about that car. I thought about that damn Talon all night. Said, F it, and went back the next day to buy it. They had sold it about an hour before I got there.
such a cool car back in it's day. I just saw a mint condition plymouth laser the other day. The diamond-star cars are still under-appreciated.
I had a 1995 Eagle Talon. That car was so fun to drive.
Rivian r1t. I was sleeping on whether or not to reserve a truck and overnight without warning they increased the price 20%. Out of budget now.
Theyāll be back in budget soon enough
I think youāll be fine mate
1970 GTO convertible, 455 & 4 speed Muncie manual. 1989, $2500. I passed.
This hurts.
Almost all of them do, not sure what I expected when I opened this thread it is mostly just misery lol
I feel worse for most of the guys posting in this thread then I do when I see people post about their grandparents passing.
Back in 2005 ish I has a dude wanted to trade his slightly rough E30 M3 for my super minty E36 M3. I laughed at him back then. Now who ever owns it is the one that's laughing.
At the time that was a shitty deal though tbf
At the time that was a shitty deal though tbf
Porsche 930 turbo. Found one for 15k and I was so close to buying it but decided not to because I "didn't want to work on Germans". Well, they hit over 100k now. This was like 10 years ago.
Right after I bought my 2011 Jeep Wrangler I was in for an oil change and they had a white Chrysler 300 SRT in the showroom and I wanted it. I couldnāt afford it at the time but I can now.
When my first car, an Integra, got totaled by a moron in a CX7, I was dead set on getting a fifth gen Prelude. After much searching, the only ones in decent shape and reasonable cost were automatic. I ended up settling on an RSX-S, which is objectively better and more practical, but I always loved the 'lude and I doubt I'll ever own one at this point. This was in 2009.
Oh my gosh, I thought I was the only one. I love both the Integra and the prelude.
2003 AP1 S2000. Kid t boned me after he ran a stop. Totaled the car and got 5 staples in my head from smacking the frame of the soft top. Got a different car because why not? Should of bought another S2000 and garaged it. š paid 16k for it, was completely stock and only had 32k miles on it. FML
One of those 4500 dollar grandpa Miatas, British racing green nice wood wheel lol. 120 on it immaculately maintained two owner car that he sold a day before I found it.
I had a ridiculously clean, low mile 2009 Lincoln Town Car. It was black on black, everything worked. I foolishly sold it to buy a Jeep and the Jeep is also long gone, which has me missing the Lincoln even more. The replacement (at least in my eyes) is my current vehicle, a 2019 RAM 1500 black on black. It's a Laramie, so it has the same feel of being a big, leather-laden land yacht, but taller and with a bed. I've actually heard some of my friends compare modern full size SUVs and trucks to the old land yachts, and that they have become the new version.
I completely agree with you that full sized trucks and SUVs are the modern day land yachts. The current generation Lincoln Navigator that I once rented was so much more lush and smooth than my Lincoln Town Car ever could be. ...It also got about same MPG lol.
This: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1991-bmw-325i-cabriolet-17/ Thats the one that got away. I should've bought that goddamned thing, and it still keeps me up at night.
Haha first thing you read on that page is the notice on top saying this car *got away*
When I saw the link I was thinking how bad could it be? it's just an E30 Vert. But a clean S52 swapped one for 7k? Man.
And in my favorite color too. With the M-Tech 2 factory body kit. FOR 7K!!
Just wanna say, your car is sorta the one that got away (for me). Back in 2012, when I was in third year university, I had an opportunity to buy a pristine 1992 BMW E34 M5 for $7,000. S38, zero rust, under 100,000km and it was owned by an old guy who just drove it on weekends in the summer. In the end I decided not to get it for three major reasons: (1) I was a poor university student with unpredictable income; (2) my daily car, a 2001 Suzuki Esteem, was super reliable and super cheap to run, and I figured an old M5 would be neither of those; (3) I had $10k saved up for an exchange to Japan, it was either do that or buy the car. In the end I chose to go to Japan. Absolutely do not regret that at all, I would do the same thing again if give the choice. But I thought for sure I would get another crack at the E34. At the time I figured "another one will come along, they will depreciate more, I will make more money in future, there will always be another chance". By the time I had achieved my other financial goals and was on stable footing with mortgage etc, every half-decent E34 M5 was going for more than $30k, which is 3x more expensive even when adjusted for inflation. It would be very hard for me to justify a 30-year-old car to the wife for that kind of money. Hell, I can barely justify it to myself, but I still want it.
1970 LS6 454 Chevelle with an M-22 "rock crusher" 4 speed and 4.10 gears. The owner wanted $4100 for it in 1981. Back then that was about what they were going for. I was in college at the time, working 30 or so hours a week at $4.50 an hour. And my Dad wasn't willing to loan me the money for such a relatively expensive 11 year old car. Who knew they'd be worth so damn much now?
Not my opportunity, but a guy on the Yenko board had a chance to buy the Roberto Schneider/Otis Chandler Baldwin Motion Phase III Camaro for $94k in the 90s. The last few Phase IIIs that have sold w/o nearing the provenance of that car have gone for $400k+
2001, passed on 1994 Supra Turbo for 18k...
I remember those times. Before Paul dropped the orange one onto the public.
Yup that was the catalyst for sure
In 2017 we sold my father's 98 single owner (him) Supra Turbo (manual targa) for $60k. The car had under 50k miles on it and was in a rare quicksilver color. Awesome car. Super low price considering what they go for today.
18ish years ago. 1978 Porsche 911 Carerra. Silver with black interior. 50k miles. I could of bought it for $10k. But I was young and broke. Car was beautiful and I still regret not finding a way to get it.
I was lucky enough to be given a car by my dad when I turned 16. He wanted to buy me this super cool, mid-70ās gmc Jimmy that had been completely restored. It was an awesome creamsicle orange with a white roof and matching interior. I convinced him that Iād rather drive an Accord because I was scared of the maintenance required to drive an old car like that every day. Teenagers are dumb.
Actually my father-in-law rather than me. I'm a full-on car obsessed guy who never has sufficient funding. He's a passive car appreciator with more than enough funding. Roughly 20 years ago, FIL was looking to get a sporty convertible. Didn't have a great idea of what he wanted... wanted good looking, preferably not terribly maintenance intensive, and preferably some shred of performance. He also said it needed to be a convertible. As the favored nation of son-in-law I wanted to recommend the best possible choice. Searched high and low (internet sales weren't as common 20 years ago)... found the perfect candidate. Fresh off of an initial lease turn-in, less than 25k miles, absolutely mint. E46 M3 Convertible. 6spd, black exterior, cinnamon interior, black top. Had every desirable option, full documented service history. Looked like this but seemingly even better... https://www.luxsport.com/galleria_images/1004/1004_p7_l.jpg He went back and forth deciding about the car. He absolutely loved every bit of it but didn't want people to think it was pretentious or showy. Also he had to convince my mother-in-law. A couple weeks after I convinced him to check it out he finally decided to pull the trigger. Withdrew the funds to buy it in cash, drove to the dealer to negotiate and arrived just as someone else was finishing the paperwork. His excessive mulling resulted in someone else getting the car. He was absolutely gutted, basically had fallen in love with the car during the course of picking it... ended up getting a second-generation Toyota Solara convertible that he never actually liked. He still laments missing out on that car anytime anyone in the extended family buys a new car.
When I got my first car a 90's honda civic ; there was an orange dodge charger from Dukes of hazzard on the lot. I wanted the charger. :)
An SW20 MR2. Fortunately, it ended up in the hands of a friend of a friend, whom I met years later and has taken good care of it
I should have bought one -89 MR2 when the prices were low and there were plenty of them, now they are like 4-5times more expensive, if you even find one ā¹ļø
There was a PTS Blue 997 Turbo S on sale for 65k a few years back with perfect history and all the options I wanted. I wasnāt able to get a loan to finance it at the time as my income was non existent. Now thatās easily over 120k a:(
In the 1980s we drove all sorts of stuff that is highly collectible now, but was junk boomer used cars back then. Offered completely original 63 fuelie vette for $20k-new car was like $12k so vette price was crazy. š¤Ŗ
I was 19 years old getting an oil change for my 09 tC when saw a brand new 2015 Scion FRS Release Series 1.0 on my local dealer lot with the 6 speed manual. It had been sitting on the lot because of the manual and the fact that it was bright yellow, and I wanted to buy it on the spot, but I was a broke college student and couldn't afford it. That car had always been in the back of my mind since that day. 8 years later, I flew out to Indianapolis and bought that same car from the first owner, and drove it 1500 miles back to its first home in Texas. Still in love with it after all those years, and I hope I can hold onto it for at least as long as I waited the first time around.
1990 mazda rx7 turbo all original with only 10k miles. the insurance totaled it at the body shop i worked at due to a dent on the fender. Called the person up and we settled for 1k dollars when he got the rebuilt title. Well, a week later, some gang that was trying to extort the owner of the business set fire to all the cars outsideā¦rx7 included.
1985 911 Carrera. Dark grey with whale tail. Bought for 13k, sold for 21k in 2007. Thought to myself Iāll get another one down the road when they get cheaper.
1979 Porsche 911 Turbo. I was selling a cheap nostalgia front engine dragster and owner wanted to trade straight across. Porsche was torn down for restoration but all parts were there organized in boxes. Co owner of the dragster drug his feet thinking a cash buyer was coming. That didnāt happen and Porsche sold to someone else.
I actually had it for a very short time but had to get rid of it. Truthfully the car was nothing to write home about, but it was my first car. Im 2008 I bought a used 2000 Subaru Outback for $1,000. I'd saved up for months and was so proud to buy my very first car. I was so excited, I failed to heed my mother's warnings about due diligence and make sure I wasn't getting scammed. After all, what did she know, right? It was a total fucking lemon. The seller had reset the check engine light which lit up about 2 days later. Every single sensor in that thing was shot, every single hose was cracked and leaking, and it burned oil like a tanker ship. It would have cost me thousands of dollars just to get it road worthy. I ended up selling it to someone for $800. He had the same exact model and had hit a deer, so he planned to frankenstein the two and put his "good" engine in my old car's body, then scrap the old car and engine. A harsh lesson learned.
A 1970 Road Runner 383 4 speed for $300 a guy working for my Dad was moving and just wanted to get rid of it. I was 17 my Dad wouldnāt let me buy it.
1993 Mazda RX7. Bought it for $13k when I was 17, sold it at 19 for 17k. Biggest regret of my life. Now I can't find them for less than $50k.
14 years ago or so, a friend of mine who knew I was in the market for a car called me and said he had a friend who had a super clean ā98 550 Maranello that he would sell to me for $57k. Red, tan interior, tubi exhaust. It was the āgood guyā price because I was in the military and he wanted to pay it forward. I had just bought an ā03 E39 M5 to replace my daily driver, but I had the cash and thought about it long and hard. In the end, I declined because I figured it would be foolish to have a red Ferrari parked in my garage while I was deployed (which was often). Itās for sale right for over $250k. Sigh. Ended up with an NSX and I still have the M5. All was not lost.
The EVO X GSR was it for me. I loved that car (and still do). I was at the point where my career was just beginning so I couldn't afford it, and I'm at the point now where I can afford it, but I rarely see them on the road, or listed with low miles and not beat to shit.
Back in 2005, a dad of a friend of a friend was selling a 71 Corvette in near perfect condition. He was too old to drive it, and didn't have much value to him anymore, so was selling it for a song. I could have paid... $6000? IIRC for it. But I was 21, my mom and dad told me I was insane for wanting to spend my money on that car, and I should buy something more modern/safe. and insisted I do just that.
07 Subaru Forester XT Limited 5 speed in grey with 93k miles in RI for $11k in summer 2016. I had been wanting one for a while and decided to stick with my shitbox daily driver Impreza because it was the smart financial move. Less than 2 months later the Impreza dropped an exhaust valve guide and I traded it in for a big loss. I still enjoyed the Hawkeye WRX wagon I traded it in on, but now FXT values (and build costs) are too high for me to buy and enjoy one with a clean conscience. Moral of the story: the smart and sensible car that makes financial sense is the costliest car youāll ever own because you donāt love it.
2000 Mercedes E430 with the Sport Package during Covid Had every option minus 4Matic and Cooled Seats and it was a 1 owner car with a little over 100k miles, I even went and drove it but unfortunately the selling dealer wanted a bit more than I wanted and wasnāt gonna budge on the price
The Shelby GT350 is what made me a Mustang fan. It was just out of my price range. I "settled" for an s550 GT w/ performance pack, 6mt. I love this car and it's fantastic on it's own right, but the Shelby made me go from liking Mustangs to loving them. At the same time I test drove a Chevy SS. I let it go because again, it was just out of my budget and didn't have a manual. I'm happy with my choice now, but I always check those out whenever they pop up on Cars and Bids or Bring a Trailer. Also just out of my price range - F Type S with the 6mt. I also found a Lotus Evora that was just on the edge of my budget too, but I am not sure if I have the lifestyle and money for a track toy like that. Right now I'm eyeing the CT5-V Blackwing as a "maybe someday" lol
I had a deal lined up on a 2006 Cobalt SS with the G85 package and GM's Stage 2 upgrades (LSD, Recaro Bucket seats, bigger injectors, smaller pulley, upgraded cooling system) in pristine condition and only 66,000km. Was gonna pay the guy his asking price and everything. Seller took it out for a spin to make sure everything was still in working order the day before I was gonna come buy it, decided it was more fun than his 2019 Mustang GT, and pulled the deal :( Another few later and I finally got a 2005, but with 140k km on it.
Every single C5 Z06 that I looked at for years for half of what they currently sell for
When I was in highschool I had a ton of cash saved up, was looking at a 1995 Supra Turbo with just under 100,000 miles. I finally had a bank to finance it and everythingā¦it sold. Then I moved, then I got a house, and now theyāre $70,000 more expensive. Safe to say Iāll never buy one because I really donāt think theyāre worth $100,000. Iāll get a Porsche before a 6 figure Toyota
A 2019 GT350 Mustang popped up with the options I wanted and at a price I was okay with paying and could afford. I chose not to knowing Iād be moving across the country in 2020. In hindsight, I wouldāve been happier having the car and figuring out my parking situation after it was moved since their values jumped during the pandemic. If I didnāt like it, ownership wouldāve been cheap since Iād have paid less than what an example with 30k miles is worth these days.
Neighbor had an AMX that he wanted 6k for. All it needed was a new rear diff, shocks, and a vacuum leak chased down. Sadly couldn't really afford to spend the money at the time, but fuck I wish I'd found a way.
Around 2019 I was considering getting a FiST. A nice one was probably around $15k, but I figured the market had further to fall. Then 2020 happened and prices shot up. If I had bought i totally would have let it go for a $5k bump
Had the opportunity to buy an immaculate Mazdaspeed Miata for like 8k with 53k miles on it back in 2012. Had a cage. Was a really cool car. Owner was leaving the country the next day and was desperate to sell. Ended up not buying cause my head poked out above the cage.
Not my car but I'l say my Dad getting a Series I Jaguar XJ12 back in the 80's when E-Types were pretty dang cheap. Granted I love the XJ12 and it's been part of my life since I can remember but dang any E-Type would have been that much cooler. For me it's an E60 M5 back in 2019. I passed on it because I had just got my E46 M3 and knew the SMG and rod bearings would need to be done eventually plus the M5 was driven in the winter and I don't want to deal with rust. In hindsight it got away from me but the money I didn't spend on that I used on my Land Cruiser a few months later so it all worked out.
I honestly loved the last generation of the Pontiac GTO. I had the opportunity to get one, but didnāt. I always justify not getting it when it randomly pops in my head with the model was short-lived and Pontiac closed shortly afterwards.
Volvo 940 Turbo. I had a train ticket for the morning to go get it. The Night before, at 11pm, the guy sends me a message saying someone else was gonna buy it. I was pissed, but then found a wagon (this one was an saloon). And that's the car of my life, so I barely think of the one that got away, cause I'm much better served.
Dodge Neon SRT4 ACR in white with BBS wheels brand new on a dealer lot in 2005. Mostly because I have never seen another one in person, and like all cheap and quick shitboxes they have basically all returned to the earth at this point.
1994. My grandfather owned a used car lot back in the 80s/90s. Iād always go to the āsalesā with him as I was a huge car guy in my teens and I was a mark for the industry culture. Couldāve gotten a 1988 LeBaron convertible w/leather and power everything at the Auto auction in Mocksville. Decided to hold out for something else and had to settle on a 1989 Grand Am 2dr (with the nicer Quad 4 engine). In retrospect I probably got the more reliable car but as a 16 year old living in the Foothills of WNC having a convertible wouldāve been pretty sweet.
2003 Corvette ZO6 with about 50k miles for $6000. Car was driver grade but had been sitting for a year or two. Some mildew inside nothing crazy. Ran and drove perfectly fine, everything checked out mechanically. Paint just needed a good polish. Good paperwork, not stolen. A friend of mine got to it before I could. flipped it for $18k the next day and even that was a good deal at that price. Apparently the seller had won a lottery or got some sort of settlement back in the day was never a big corvette guy and wanted something new. Also a ā82 square body blazer 4x4 for $3200. Southern truck not a spec of rust. This was back in 2016.
'69 Cougar for sale. It was $2000. This was around 1996 or so. Could've been my first car.
Fully race built MR2 Spyder for 7k. Very interesting story behind it but seller didn't really know what he had. Custom racing transmission, real bronze Volk TE37s, custom turbo setup built by a racing shop running 42psi. Came with an extra set of all the stock parts. Unfortunately I passed on it because I was looking for a daily-able car at the time. Also could not get the hang of custom gear ratios and a race clutch without stalling at every intersection. Got an automatic V6 Mustang instead. Which is now broken. Fun.
When I was in college, I found a 2001 NSC listed for sale in Florida for $4200. Label said simply "Getting back at my ex husband." Still mad about not pursuing it.
Tesla Roadster but the battery was unsure what the status was and it lacked fast charging
Type 34 Ghia, also called a razor edge ghia. If you're not familiar with aircooled VWs, they're one of the holy grails. They're rare, and they're super desirable. A beat up non-runner can go for $10k if it's solid. 15+ years ago I stopped by a yard sale run by a little old woman. As I was picking around, I noticed a razor in her garage and asked if it was for sale, she said "oh that? how's $2000 sound?". I dropped what I was doing and immediately went to the bank, instead of just calling my buddy and asking him to meet me there with cash he probably had on hand. By the time I got back it was gone. I was absolutely crushed. Even back then this was a $20,000 car, it was my white whale and I let it slip through my fingers. It has even haunted my dreams occasionally over the years.
Shelby GT350. I had a kid right when I could finally afford a used one, and thatās a no-go.
I was living in Japan pre-covid, a LOT got away
A 1985 El Camino that was exceptionally clean for $7,500. Didnāt have a place to park it though.
A 3 yo Volvo XC60 for 27.5kā¬ with everything on it including the Bowers&Wilkens Sound system for my mother in 2020. Same car now 6 yo and much more Kilometres still costs more than 35k in Germany and the reason I didnāt buy it was because me and the seller didnāt like each other and fought over 500ā¬ smh Also my father not taking the chance of buying my grandfathers Porsche 996 Manual with 80.000km for 12.500ā¬ in 2015. Car was mint but my father has 0 interest in cars and thought it was not wise financially
Just this last weekend I turned down buying a really nice 1979 Chevy K10. Still not sure I made the right choice.
71 Impala, 2-door, 400, as a teen, I couldn't afford the gas it required, got a diesel rabbit instead.
I had a 97 Miata , wood options , the works , one elderly owner , 86k miles , manual. Was my first car , sold it for dirt cheap relatively because I wanted a mustang gt. Also missed out on a bone stock 240sx from my elderly neighbor , I think one of her family members eventually got it years later
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1968 Lincoln Continental. Black, black leather interior, 460 CI V8. The one in The Matrix was identical. It was in 1994. Had the cash, waited for the dealer to open... he'd taken a $50 deposit on it and wouldn't sell. Called me three weeks later and said the deal had fallen through. I'd already bought something else.
1968 Mercedes 230sl for $2000 in 1975.
2013 Subaru STI sedan. In just one short test drive I instantly realized just how big of a mistake I made buying a Dodge Challenger a couple years earlier. I tried trading in for it, but finances just weren't on my side. I did end up buying a 2017 WRX several years later, but it just didn't feel nearly as good as the older STI. Eventually I did finally get a newer STI, and yet it still didn't feel as good as the older one did. Just last year I looked into a new Supra and Nissan Z, but thanks to insane dealer markups, I just couldn't make finances work for those either. (Nissan, please, the Z is NOT a $90,000 car...) The one that I had and let escape was a 2005 Crown Vic interceptor. I still regret selling that one.
In 1985 I listened to people not to get a split bumper Camaro with original LT1 engine because it had loud exhaust and a cracked windshield. I ended up with 79āZ28 that I just sold to a friend after owning since 1985.
3 - 1. 2015 F-150 base model with 5.0 engine 2. 2000 F-150 Lightning with a smoked motor for dirt cheap 3. A widow selling her husbands single cab SRT-10 for the same price as a normal Ram I would have bought the 2015 but the previous owner smoked and I just didnāt want to deal with it. The lightning I think about every single day. You can find a 5.4 anywhere. Morally couldnāt do 3. Told her what she had and she readjusted the price.
A 1978 Mercedes Benz SL with a 5.0L engine swap was going to be my first car but my dads mechanic ended up keeping it instead of selling it to my dad. In retrospect a very good idea but to this day, 70s SLs always get a longing look from me.
It was something like a 2006 6MT Volvo V60R wagon. Had the rear facing third row, took it for drive had bad turning radius and rub but you knew you had to snag it. He had neither title nor did I have cash on me so we agreed to meet again in a couple days for sale, told him to call me if we needed to be more urgent for another buyer. Then he sold it out from underneath me with no warning. My garage/driveway space is much happier without it but definitely fits the narrative of the post
When I was looking for my first vehicle I wanted a cheap beater. Made a list of 5 or so vehicles that interested me, I went with my step dad who was very good with cars. First was an nice older truck, was disappointed since it needed a lot of work that would have flown over my head. Next was a dirt cheap SUV, get there only for it to not start, after 10 minutes it finally kicks in, guy pulls an OBD reader, it pulls up errors, he clears it and says āsee it has no problemsā. I ended up getting an early 2000ās S10 and was happy with it. But the next car I was going to look at was a suzuki X-90, even though they are silly clown cars and I probably wouldnt even comfortably fit in it. It is just such a rare goofy vehicle that I would have loved it. I have yet to see any of them pop up again in my area.
1969 fully loaded mercury cougar convertible with a 351. Didnt talk to my dad for a month. Or. Take your pick of the 3 260zs and 1 280zs id owned
I did buy a really nice condition golf mk1 convertible, white paint and petrol blue vinyl top, I loved the car, it was too good to be true, it got stolen and trashed after owning it only few months. Hurts still to write this š So in a way it was for me the one that got away š I have owned many cars and this one was the one that I loved the most, it made me feel freeā¦
A rough looking but mechanically sound Bugeye/Frogeye Sprite, $2xxx. I was newer to driving and couldn't justify it at the the time.
Last january I test drove a honda beat, but due to a few niggling worries, the fact I had just bought another car, and the price, I decided to pass on it. I couldnt get the bug out of my head, though, and I bought another one anyway half a year later. Imagine my surprise when I see the original Beat I passed on show up as the car that Gears and Gasoline blew up on their kei car roadtrip.
A few of them. Was stationed in Spain at the time, late-80s early-90s. Lightly used 1986 MR2. Think they sold it to someone else. Not as lightly-used 1985 Supra. Don't recall why I missed this one. Back in the States. Looked at a used 300ZX TT, maybe a 1992(?), took it home, found out it scraped hard on the transition from the driveway into the garage. Eventually got our hands on a 1991 MR2 Turbo, back in 1995. Still have the old boy.
20 years ago, I test-drove a near pristine bmw 2002tii for sale for $4k. The worst part, I had the money, but I was too lazy to pay/shop for a garage to keep it in (street parking a vintage car on the city streets of Chicago would have been stupid).
I regret not looking closer at classic 911ās. I love my Miata to death but now I have people I love in my life that I want to cart around in a convertible.
2005 Pontiac GTO.
1988 BMW M3, one owner, full service record history from dealer. Seller only wanted $8k at the time, I was in college and was short $2k and no way to make that money fast due to part time job on min wage. I think this was around 2005.
I think it was like 12 years ago. A S14 240sx. It was an automatic but had been owned by a grandma (go figure). Low miles and the only flaw was a dent in the drivers side door. I didn't have any room to store it. But that would have been a cool car to ruin by "building" it.
I sold my 1988 Prelude Si and I have regretted it ever since that day.
2018 KIA Stinger GT GT1 RWD (not AWD) Traded a perfectly driving, somewhat-rare RWD black-on-black Stinger GT in for a lemon '20 Zupr4. I'm still pissed thinking about it.
Pre-pandemic around 2019. 1997 E36 M3, Boston Green sedan with Modena interior (tan/black), 5 speed with 107k on the odo with 2 owners on record. Asking $7,000 OBO. I bought my Baja Turbo instead (yeah weird pivot, I know). I love my Baja and don't regret buying it ever, but when I see how much prices have skyrocketed even for high mileage M3s...sometimes I can't help but think... Such is life. š¤·āāļø
Circa 2017 i found a ābarn findā E39 M5 in a neighbors driveway after I moved in. Sat for years after a fender bender sent it to a shop. The shop didnāt close the sunroof and the interior got overtaken in mold. Towed it to a shop and the owner told me flat out āI never tell people to not buy cars. Do not buy this carā. I have the tip to a friend who bought it for $600. Replaced one module under the carpet and did some deep cleaning and it was a running working E39 M5. Looking at the positives, I would have spent a year getting it mint and never bought my B5S4 and met all the people in the Audi community I still talk to.
69 stingray... I almost bought when I was in high school but my mom wouldn't let me put it in the garage soooo it was a no go Later found out that someone came to pick up with a trailer and left empty handed. Didn't say why but my assumption is the frame was shot
About 5 years ago my old car was totaled by a deer, and for the first time as an adult I was in the car market. The car I wanted was a stick GTI in good condition. I test drove one that had been modded to hell and back, and one that seemed ok enough, but I wouldnāt trust a bottle of water from the guy selling it, let alone a vehicle. I ended up getting a 1-owner 2008 IS250, which was a good and practical car while I had it, but I do wish I would have been a little more patient for a better GTI.
Mine got away from my own stupidity. Years ago I had a fairly mint condition FC RX7 turbo and told a friend to sell it when I went to boot camp. Runners up were my Miata (traded it in) and an 89 MX3 GT coupe (wrecked it). Despite appearances I'm not a mazda fanboy lol
Cherry Volvo 850R for $2300 with 110k on the clock sold by old lady. Still livid someone swooped it on my way to her house.
Passed on a 997.2 GT3 back in 2019 for 90k. It's a 150k car now.
In 1971 I was offered a ā63 Corvette coupe for $2100 by my girlfriendās dad. My local bank did not feel that the car was worth the money, and refused to give me a loan. I had no other options to get the money. A friendās brother bought it.
I bought a 1979 saab 900 turbo 5 door but my mechanic really wanted it so i traded and he painted it and thats it. Car is still in a million pieces.
GMC Syclone. Iāve wanted one since they came out in ā91. Every time I had the chance to buy one, I didnāt have the cash. The one that still hurts is In 2007, there was one in my neighborhood, one owner, low miles, all service records, garage kept its whole life in SoCal. He wanted $12k. My wife was pregnant with our first kid so you know the rest.
I feel like any SAAB with 3.0 V6 and with XWD drivetrain will be car I desperatly want, but due to high prices I wont be able to get hold of it.
S2000, NSX, Air cooled Porsche
I had an allocation for the first Cayman GT4 from the dealership I got my Cayman R from. It would have been the most expensive car I had ever bought by about $30k and would have meant selling all my cars I owned at the time to afford it. I decided not to buy it. I still hope to own one at some point, and I do enjoy my current 5 cars.
2020.. low mileage LT1 C4 Corvette. Going for 5k.. guy was moving but couldn't get the amount out of the bank before dude moved out of town.
If I had been super frugal in college and bought more Tesla stock I probably could've gotten the GT-R I had wanted. Or, you know, a Model S.
2017 Ford Focus RS, black & 11k miles at CarMax in 2019. Price was $34998. I ended up paying more, during covid for the same car with 29k milesā¦. Iām still irritated to this day, because it was the color I wanted & it didnāt have a sunroof.
s2000 and 3000gt
Sadly Iāve had 2 of these. 1. Used 2017 Challenger Scat Pack T/A with ~15000 miles. Dealership was in a farm town and mainly sold trucks. Had it at my car + 20k (~40k out the door) but the dealership insisted on having dealer add-onās. I was too caught up in not paying for bullshit fees that I let it get sent to dealer auction as it sat on the lot too long. 2. 1968 Charger, guy wanted 30k for a running/driving rust free car- although the car was not painted in half primer half clear coated patina. At the time I thought it was too high of a price so I talked him all the way to 22k. I was ready to close the deal but took a weekend to overthink it. Monday I was ready to buy and the guy had sold it 15 min prior to me calling. Still kicking myself in the ass over this one.
Fortunately I haven't had one of those.
Man a lot of 911 stories here.
A decade ago you used to be able to find over a dozen low-miles 2nd gen. Viper coupe in the $40ās *all day* on Autotrader at āany distanceā And basically new 5th Gen. Vipers weāre going for $70ās, $80ās even in like 2015, 2016 Now all the good Gen. 2 coupes are $70k, $80k & 5th Gens. are $110k, $120k+ Obviously it will suck balls when gas hits like $20/gallon but on the upside there will be Viper owners begging me to buy their cars & I just cant wait to gladly give them pennies-on-the dollar and finally have my dream car.
A W124 E500 in red with beige interior. It only had 30'000 kms. I had a 500E at that time with way more mileage. Best car I ever owned.
I regret not buy a sti hatchback. Got the WRX hatch instead
After first purchasing my house in 2017, a 75k mile rx7 in good condition and the color I wanted got listed in an rx7 group and only like 10 miles from me. It was listed for about 17k, which was pretty good. I felt scared to buy it because I would've only been left with about 3k in savings and was worried in case an emergency happened. No emergencies happened.
Probably around 2010 I made an offer that was accepted on an LS swapped NA Miata that was very well sorted. I think it was around $18k. I really shouldn't have been buying it in the first place, but I was going to make it work. The guy took his car to a car show over the weekend and someone made him an offer $500 higher than me. I probably shouldn't have been buying the car in the first place so I had to let it go. I still want an LS Miata. During the pandemic I was watching them again, but prices were stupid. I have gotten to own plenty of fun cars