What was the biggest 'find' you let get away?

Late 1970s, kid down the streets Dad was selling the kids 63 Impala Sport Coupe. Too many tickets. It was a 340 hp 409, 4 speed bench seat car - $750. It was too much for me.

 

It was the summer of '67. A local museum was closing down, downsizing their inventory preparing for a move to a smaller venue. The cars on display had seen better days, maintainance was lacking. They were all the same color...dirt. They were selling at decent prices, hoping for quick sales. I fell in love with a '34 Ford panel truck, had visions of what it could be turned into and put a $40. deposit on it. In return I was given a copy of the downpayment that stated it was to be paid in full and removed in two weeks time. OK, I figured I can come up with the owing $710.00 by then with 2 weeks pay added to what I had saved and I had someone who wanted to buy my Gibson SG and amp.
Good plan up to that point. What I didn't count on was getting talked into making a trip to Montreal for Expo '67. My buddy said he would pay for the food and gas and we would be back in a few days.
To make a long story short, we ended up having to replace the rear chunk in my '52 Ford Customline while there. It took the better part of a day to source one and install it.
Then we were offered a place to sleep in a dining tent that a group of girls had at a campground. We were there for almost 2 months, I got fired for not showing up at work and that '34 was lost forever but still in my dreams.
Still sorry for being so dumb but I've had worse bad dreams over things I sold over the years. I'm sure we all have.

 

In the early 70’s I came across a 54 Corvette in mostly original condition that I could have bought but I couldn’t raise the money as I was in college.

 

2 months??--how many girls were there?

 

2 months??--how many girls were there?[/QUOTE]

Ha! Wasn't like that, we only stayed at that camp a few days. We had the time of our lives that summer and almost as soon as we got home my friend (RIP) left for Florida on his own and stayed there most of the winter until he was found sleeping on a beach, arrested and deported back home on a greyhound bus for being a vagrant. Just 17 year old kids, enjoying each day as it came.

 

WTF. The thread of many tears and gut-wrenching regrets, lol. The best quote though is the one below, I can second that (and a few other chicks, I was always very good at letting them get away)...

Cars? Well I don't know if cars you knew about as a kid with no money and a dad who did not see any sense in dragging in what he considered as a wreck count, but if so, then a 56 Chev sedan delivery, a 57 two door Chev and a 60 Ford station wagon were all in a number of yards in my neighborhood in Israel when I was growing up. I and my dad knew the owners and they could have been bought for very little money but see above... There were also other cars later in life I could have / should have bought but they were all OT.

 

Not a hot rod but in 1969, stopped and looked at a 300 SL Gull Wing Mercedes at a local used car lot in California for $12,500.

 

The little blonde neighbor girl I was dating in my sophomore year of high school. Cute as a ****on sweet as could be. Me on the other hand I was an ***hole!

 

I know there's a lot of mustang haters on here, but I p***ed on a 289 coupe barn find, red. It was clean as can be front to back, but had been sitting for decades and hadn't been gone through at all. Dude offered it to me for 3k, and after thinking about it I p***ed. If I could go back I'd have made a different decision. At the time I was already restoring a C10 and a Chris Craft tho, so...

 

Brenda's uncle had a very nice '55 Chevy convertible, tutone red & ivory that he purchased from another family member, he was the second owner, the car was original with the exception of a set of 5 spoke mags.

This was in 1966 and I was working at Sears, Roebuck & Co. so I didn't have a lot of money coming in, Albert offered me the car for $550 bucks, he was selling the car because he needed the cash.

I didn't have the money but I went to my dad and ask him to loan me the money, my dad was a practial man and told meI already had a car and I need new tires more than another car so the answer was no.

This is the car I regret not figuring out a way to buy it. HRP

 

Thirty four Olds three window, chopped by a “certified “ welder. Drove 5 hours, got there and the car had no rear axle, the welder was working on hydro towers, and they hoped to find the ownership. The kicker was they had frenched the headlights into the fenders and I couldn’t really figure out how to get past that. We were 500 dollars apart when I left. By the time sober second thought caught up to me and called back in the morning it had sold to the first guy that showed up. I could have rescued the fenders and put any type of headlights on the thing, oh well, the closest I have gotten to a three window. Won’t happen again!

 

I bought the truck that is in my avatar when I was about 13 at a farm auction. The guy that was bidding against me said - hey kid I was going to put a boss 302 in there you can have it for $200 dollars. I didn’t know what a boss 302 was, I likely had the money, but when you earn it picking tomatoes for 16 cents a hamper, you are pretty careful how you spend it. I am sure if legit, the engine is and was worth way more than the truck…

 

In about 1977 i had a chance to buy a 426 Hemi out of a 1968 R/T that had been wrecked for $500.00 , p***ed , no money . About the same time had a chance to buy a 1970 Challenger R/T with nearly every option with 29,000 miles for $1100.00 , p***ed no money . This was a reoccurring event , was in college at the time

 

300SL Gullwing - $5,000 running driving 1972. Paul Newman's ****** $4,000 apart. Newman donated it to Chaffey College. They raced it until they ran out of spares. My friend bought it for $3,000 and after a year of trying to find Cosworth parts offered it for sale. He ended up selling it for $5,000. We bought 3 cars in that haul from Chaffey. I bought a Pinto (w/trunk) that had been a SCCA racer from day 1. Also engine apart. 13:1 2000 w/DCOE Webers - $400 another guy bought a 37 Chevy they'd put a Camaro subframe in $1,200.

 

53 Ford Victoria custom built somewhere around 1960-1962. Some details are a bit fuzzy as Ive seen a lot of customs since seeing the Ford when I was 13. But it either had a complete Mercury flathead or a Mercury crank, multiple Strombergs, LaSalle trans, lakes pipes, chrome reverse, white naugahyde tuck n roll(poor naughas went extinct for the need for upholstery), white with red scallops, nosed and decked, and I'm sure other things 13 year old me missed. Still trying to find a magazine with it in it because even 13 year old me could tell even in its having sat behind a body shop unmaintained for decades condition that the build quality was insane to have just been a random small Midwest town custom. Ran and drove with a rod knock but came with a good stock 53 Ford flathead. Could have gotten it for $300. 13 year old me thought that was impossible to get and was too stupid to realize that if they were giving me a low price they'd let me work it off sweeping the shop and running errands etc

 

Just like this one, May of 1967, 4.11, 4 speed, Americans, red on red. I was 17 and had $1200 and the Vette was $2200. My dad either didn't have the $1000 to lend or more likely he thought I'd kill myself in the car. Oh well, bought a '64 Nova SS. Nice car, but...

 

14 or 15 years old (late 70's).... Junkyard in the middle of town had a '40 Willys sedan drag car sitting out front. Straight axle, fibergl*** front end and rear fenders, gutted body and no drivetrain. My dad convinced me to p*** on it because I wanted a coupe. $75.00. Found out years later that the guy who would become my best friend (who is two years younger than me) looked at it with his dad before I saw it and p***ed on it as well at $150.

 

Way back when I was living in Central Florida, a guy in our car club (Bob) had a guy who did body work for him on the side, mainly for Bob’s used car lot side gig.
One day I went with him to the “body shop” and in it was a real deal 427 Cobra! It was all in primer, but was complete. The story was the guy that owned it got drunk, and ran it off the road. The body man and Bob had acquired it somehow and ordered the needed front end parts, Halibrand wheel and RF fender direct from Shelby. The body man was a heavy drinker and he and Bob were splitting up, and selling the car, as is, for $8,000!!
Don’t know why Bob didn’t keep it. He just wanted what he had in it and what the body man owed him in back rent! He was a Chevy guy anyway and had a 427 Vette.
This was around 1970 and I was poor as a church mouse. Couldn’t come close to raising the money, had no place to put the Cobra, and was dealing with a new family. Somebody got a deal!

 

An elderly widow had a low-mileage '61 Impala bubbletop with a six and stick. A longtime friend of the family, she asked me whether I wanted to buy it. I didn't have dime one to spare as I had just gone through a divorce and change in career to making 1/3 of what I'd previously earned. I knew the car had been well taken care of, garaged and maintained by her late husband, a local and highly thought of mechanic. It was white with a red interior, not cloth but vinyl, I believe. I had my own stalled project. That was more than 45 years ago. Still yet to complete that stalled project.
This isn't my biggest car regret. Selling my '29 A standard coupe ranks first, followed by selling the clean '64 Barracuda to buy a roached out '64 Jag drophead (Two regrets in one - an economy pack!), and having to return the '37 Ford coupe roller I bought for $50 that my mom said I couldn't keep. That's kinda like letting one get away. I had parts of it for about 30 minutes when Mom asked me what I was carrying and where I got it.

 

My Oh my.
When coming of age, deals,,,, were all over, and good.
Just gonna tell about being gifted, if possible.
While going for dinner at Mom Mom's My absentee father (Model 'A' guy) takes me aside.
"After we eat I wanna take you 'round the corner, bring your GF".
We come to his neighbor's garage, He shows us the former car of the local judge's wife.
Always garaged, regularly serviced and waxed, black convertible, blktop, red leather interior,,,
1959 Caddy.
The deal is,,, for him, income and tax records won't co-exist.
He is unable to posess it, but Its mine to take.
I look at my girl, she has here eye on the back seat. I'm thinking I have to be honest.
It's killing me.
I have the same colors, only a '64 Cutl***. I then think of the last time it rained over night,
The empty beer cans floating on the floor, at least my seats weren't leather.
That Caddy needed a responsible owner!
( the face in the mirror told me often then, that I should straighten up and fly right. )
"Dad you need to find a buyer."
Having that today I could shop for my next house.
I tell people that I took the fun-first plan.

 

1978 I was moving from my hometown to the one I live in now. I am trying to get everything in order including 3 or 4 extra cars (I don't remember now). As I am loading stuff up a friend of mine comes up to me and asks if I wanted to buy a complete 428CJ and 4speed out of a wreck for $250. I was into FEs at the time and really would have liked to have it, but I was too involved with all my other junk to make the deal.

 

I think the point is, none of us could see that these cars would ever be as expensive as they are in 2026. If anyone would have told me in the 70s a car - any car - would be worth more than $1M I'd have told him to lay off the drugs. Later, I lived through the 1st boom & bust in collectors cars prices in the UK in the late 80s early 90s and even though back then I used to restore cars for living and it was bad for business, a part of me was secretly happy because that meant I'd be able to get one of those cars I dreamt about one day. And for a while, prices remained stable. The people who drove the 80s boom were mostly yuppies who bought cars for status, not for love and that crowd got burnt and was not coming back. Or so I thought, because after the 2008 crash big investors looked for something to replace the bonds and other financial instruments which were traditional money makers and, hey presto, discovered cars. So now cars are treated like any other collectors item with experts' appraisals and auctions to drive up prices even more, which reflects on the market as a whole, including the guy selling a rusted out Ford Falcon or Rambler American (and no, I have nothing against those cars). I can see prices falling again because interest in certain types of cars wanes but anyone expecting the recognized cl***ics to fall back to reaonable prices, forget it

Rant off

 

Back in '72 I bought a new Grand Torino, and it had poverty caps. I wanted to change and put on something cool, but hadn't figured out what. I lived in El Granada, near Half Moon Bay in California. By friends, Curly and Red, owned the three A franchise, a gas station, and storage yard in Half Moon Bay, right where hwy 92 runs into 101. Hwy 92 was a fun route over the hill to San Mateo, with turns all the way. Lots of wrecks..... One day I was going past the station when I noticed a GT500 out back. It had been a slow rollover, and actually still was drivable. It had the *****'n waffle wheels, and I figured they'd look pretty cool on my ride. So I asked Red what they were doing with the critter, and he said they were just waiting for the paperwork to crush it. I asked if they'd sell me the wheels, and was told sure, for 75 bucks. Great, I'll take them..... Red says hells, bells, I sell you the whole car for 75 bucks..... Nah, says me, the master dumb ****, I only want the wheels........ Had them on the Torino for a couple years, them put them on the '57 Bird I had at the time....

 

My cousins 1957 T-bird an original two four car, with the carbs in the truck, three speed overdrive, for $1100! But that was a long time ago, not too long ago at Springfield I let a Bench size Logan lathe with tooling go for $200 because I spent money and had a van full! Still haunts me today, not buying that thing!




Bones

 

Around 2006 I had a coworker who was not a car guy ask me if I was interested in an old car. I went to look at it and found a 1954 Chevrolet for $1500. The car was last used around 1977 when the ladies' elderly mother could no longer drive. It sat in a Georgia Barn till 2005 when it was brought to Florida.

It was a great car at the wrong time. I had no storage, limited funds and was pending a move for the job. I tried to arrange a storage plan, but the property was up for sale and most of my friends were in same predicament. Unfortunately, had to let it go.

 

.
A 1956 Ford Sedan with a modified Flathead motor and LaSalle floor shift transmission.


Hello,

It was a different time period after the accident we had with our 1940 Willys Coupe. The rehabilitation was straining and healing was not going as fast as it should. But, there was progress. I was now the legal driver of the 58 Impala and it became my cruising hot rod sedan. Also, it was the doctor’s office taxi service for all appointments.

After a heavy duty doctor’s appointment treatment, we took it for a drive down to the ocean and drove along the cliff top like my brother used to do several months past. Now, he was in the p***enger seat enjoying what he could along the shoreline drive.

Perhaps, the additional road trips to the shoreline and sometimes all the way to watch the surfers in the water as we sat inside the Impala, played an important part of his recovery. From that point on, as he got better in the treatments and just going outside in the backyard allowed him some freedom from being cooped up. The blue ocean and waves with surfers perhaps allowed him to think of a different future.

Our portion of So Cal was close enough to the ocean that, now, it became a regular road trip along with the doctor’s office visit. Soon, we were spending more time at the beach, watching the waves and surfers.

Jnaki

But as surprises go, a friend from Los Angeles asked our dad if he could show us the latest car he had in his own garage. He had it for sale and perhaps, a new direction for the brothers could take place. My brother could not go for a visit, yet, so I drove to Los Angeles to see the latest hot rod sedan.

The sight of the black sedan with Moon Discs was awesome in that neighborhood. It was shiny and had the lowered rake stance of a race car and the Moon Discs made it look fast, just sitting on the driveway. Now, I was interested.

It had just run at Bonneville and the former owner was getting out of hot rods and race cars. So, it was a good deal if we both bought the car. It was a built up Flathead motor with three carbs and a floor shift transmission. As I took it around the block, it had power on the take offs and sounded great with the muffler system and pipes. Was it fast?

It seemed like it could be fast for the street cruising and perhaps some midnight races, but it looked completely stock inside and overall, it was as if it were a brand new car. So, what to do???

 

An Original, totally stock, perfect in every respect, Pierce Arrow convertible!!! Friends dad, bodyman, had it in a shed next to his business, said if I wanted it pull it out-he needed the room. Think he said like $500. or so, which of course i didn't have and had not place for it. That's a memory that will never go away.

 

In Mt mid 80's, 3 3 window 36 ford coupes for 1500. All complete, but couldnt find 1500.

 

'57 T-bird... 1970.

I was at my favorite boneyard, there's a truck/trailer in the parking lot with a cherry '57 bird sitting on it, both tops. Motor was dead, the guy was trying to sell it to the yard but they didn't want it for some reason. How about you kid, you interested? How much I ask? $400, and I'll even deliver it...

 

In 1979 while putting a 327 in my '65 C10 custom cab step side at a friends house we noticed a '40 Willy's g***er in a garage about a half block away with a for sale sign on it. All steel in red oxide primer, no motor and trans for $1500. I had no money. About a year later I pulled the 327 out of that truck, kept the motor and trans and sold the truck for $500. I wish I still had that truck.

Around 1980 or so I was driving down a street and saw a blue '55 chevy for sale. I did not know the significance of the car at the time but it was the Blown Hell car. I stopped, I thought hummm, how can I make this street legal? I think he wanted around $2200. for it. No motor or trans and it was in kind of rough shape. Again no money and it needed too much work so, down the road I went.