So, I just got a call and I might have a buyer for my 1965 Dodge Dart GT. Some guy out of Carson City, NV. I've got mixed feelings about it. I've had the car since I was 15 and spent a lot of time working on it with my Dad. I know that little 273 inside and out and learned everything I know about cars, working on it. The problem is, I just don't have the time or money to complete it, and the car is losing value everyday it's not being restored. I would be VERY happy to see someone fix it up again but at the same time, sad I couldn't be that someone, and really sad to see it go. Has any of you ever experienced seller's remorse after selling a car you really loved or had for a long time?
Yes, big time... I am remorseful about all that I have sold. One in particular, a chevelle I had since I was about 19. Sold it several years ago. It needed paint, and not much else. I sold it, then the guy that bought it painted it, put a new big block and 4 speed in it. Changed alot of the cool things I did with street roddish type stuff and sold it at auction for 24k. He told me that the guy that bought it, was trying to flip it for 30k. I got way less than a third of that when I sold it, and would buy it back if I had the money to afford it.
Rachelle....Let it go & have the guy drive it & enjoy it,,,,gotta be better having it used right? You never know, he may end up on here..like the guy who bought my '63 Wagon
I bought a total piece when I was 17. I paid the tow bill and storage against a 56 Chevy 4 door ($48). Today I am happy I have it. If its paid for, screw it - its not "losing value". Keep it because 20 years is going to go by a hell of a lot faster than you think it is and you will wish you had the car.
DONT SELL IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! look I just had to sell my 57 to cover atterny fees so we could keep our grand son. I cant start to tell you how much it hurt. The reason was right, but the loss ****s . owning a 273 A body is kool anyway. hold on to her and wait. money will come but that car wont be back.
How is it losing value everyday? You live in Ca. so I doubt rust is a problem. If you really dig the car, look for someplace to store it. Pick up the parts needed for restoration as time & money allow. One of these days you'll get it done. I actually had quite a few mopars back in the day including a 1966 Dart GT with a 273 4 barrel. While I don't miss the Dart, I did sell a 440 4-speed 1970 Charger that I built in my late teens/early twenties that I still actually have dreams about from time to time. If you really love that car, don't sell it.
Well, not car but motor.. I curse everyday that I sold my 391 SBC Blower motor... not just that I sold it, but how little I sold it for, and that fact that I never even got a chance to flip the pulleys and race her to potential. It took me 3 years to scrimp and build it, I ran a best of 10.5 (with only 1 trip to the track in her and a couple street races), then sold her to J. West, he ran it in the 8s. I do sometimes regret selling my '29 DeSoto..but then I start to think of all the work it would have taken to make it how I wanted and am happier I am starting from scratch with this new car. I also gave away a 69 Camaro roller when I was 17 I regret, and I'm sure if I ever land back down in socal and start racing on weekly basis again I'll really regret having sold my ch***is car...although hopefully that will leave enough of a void for me to build a front engine nostalgia dragster one day.
I know exactly how you feel. I bought a Model A in 1977 as a basket case and restored it mostly myself. (see pic under my screen name) I sold it in 1991, only because I couldn't afford to keep it (Family Responsibilities). Now that my daughter is pretty much on her own, I bought it back last year. Maybe the same thing will happen in your case. In the meantime, take solace in the fact that it will most likely be taken care of. The same thing happened with my '49 Ford F-1, and my '56 F-100. I wasn't able to buy them back, but, they went to good homes.
My parents live in Hollister and it's been sitting for 4 years. During that time the cover I bought kept falling off in the wind so they tossed it and the car started to rust near the front wind shield and back wind shield in the bottom corners and the bottom of the doors on both sides. It's been sitting in the sun/rain and the clear coat is starting to peel on the hood and trunk. The rearend was rebuilt to a 9" about 4 years ago but the engine and transmission needs to be rebuilt. My dad it tired of looking at it and wants me to either sell it or move it to my house in San Jose. I can't keep it in San Jose because the city will tow it for being non-op in my neighborhood and our '50 Plymouth is in the garage.
Yeah, I could name about 15 or 20 cars that would look real good in the shop... You make the best decision you can based on the information you have at that moment. No more, no less. The 'next' car that you love may or may not happen if you still have the Dart. Go with what feels right and do not kick yourself later, either way. .
After I put my A up for sale I really didn't even think about it, until I got an offer - after I accepted it, I felt like **** for a month until the day I dropped it off with it's new owner Hell, just last night I got all upset when I had to run into the garage in the middle of the night and she just wasn't there....
I regret selling almost every car I have had... after I sold my first ****ty shoebox to my ex-wife's dad (she wasn't an ex at the time just the first wife lol) I had to mess about for years to get another one... I miss them all....
i'd say, if your not sure, keep it. i wish i still had most of the cars and bikes that ive had..... skull
If ya love it, don't sell it. I sold a near perfect 65 Merc. Cyclone years ago to pay closing costs on my house . It was either the car or my Harley and I chose the car to let go. 6 months later the new owner called me to say he a totaled it. I'm still kinda sick over it
If you didn't have special feelings for the car you wouldn't be on this board. I sold the 48 in 1974 because I didn't want to put any more money in it an wanted a 56 big window. I ended up with a 57 panel with a monster of a 327 in it that I ended up trading straight across back for the 48 in 1975 or 76. The three mpg on the 327 may have had something to do with it. I sold the 51 Merc I had bought as a sophomore in high school about the time I was a senior and ended up buying it back a couple of years later. I ended up selling it again under cir***stances quite similar to yours now. Catching hell because the car was in the way where it was sitting and not being able to move it where I was living. The car ended up pretty lucky as it now has a nice warm garage to stay in, has a 455 Olds under the hood and slick paint on it. And it gets to go out and play at a few shows every summer. My only complaint about what he did is the ugly painted bumpers and the mag wheels and black walls. But it's his car and he has spent buckets of money and hundreds of hours of time on it. The other option I see for you is to get it running and driving to the point where you can drive it to the corner store or at least around the block every couple of weeks. Tag and insure it and throw some "I'm too cheap for real paint" flat black on it and manage to drive it enough that the neighbors all know that it runs and drives and gets driven. If you can't see your way to that it's probably best to sell it and move on. <input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden">
Yep....what he said. If you can hang on to it. I wished I had kept the car I had when I was 16, mostly for the memories. I miss my 64 GTO, out of all my cars the most.
Years ago I was in a similar situation and had to sell my '55 Chevy g***er. No place to keep it and going to school. Sold it to a nice guy who enjoyed the car and he sold it and we all lost track of where it ended up. But since then I've owned and built many other cars and imo each one is in it's own way better. Do what you have to but don't stress yourself. The FOGGER
Wanna hear something wierd? When I was in high school in the fifties, I had a real nice '36 Ford 2 Dr touring sedan. I mean 39,000 actual miles nice. Things happened, and it went away. Ever since then, I had wanted a '36 3 window with a 3/4 race Merc, a '39 top loader, 4.11 gears, and hydraulic brakes. About 18 years ago, I got a line on a decent restored 3 window in Texas. It was a "put together" car but it looked and ran good. I flew one-way to Texas, bought it and DROVE it back to Minnesota. It was no where near EF-V8 standards, but it was a real nice lookin' car (Vineyard Green. wide whites, a runmbe seat, and a Greyhound). I drove it the way it was for a year, and then proceded to build my dream. '50 Merc, 1/8" overbore (276"), Isky cam, MSD ignition, and a 390 Holley 4bbl adapted to an Offenhauser manifold. I built the car to be an every day summer driver. After I had it a couple of years, I started getting real sick of it. First thing, it was real cramped inside (I'm 6' and 220, so I'm not real big), and I couldn't drive it for any length of time comfortably. In addition to that, the engine was a real success and made adequate power. When ever I tried to get on it even a little, it was a broken axle here, a sheared key there, and a busted ******. I bought new axles, gears, and syncronizers, etc., etc., etc., but I was always busting something. Finally, I got sick and tired of my hands and legs cramping up and replacing drive train parts, so when a local guy made me a reasonable offer, away it went (it has subsequently ended up in New Zealand, I hear). Anyway, I don't miss that car at all. I had my dream and I built it, drove it for 5 years and sold it. I still have pictures, and all my buddies know it was "my car". It really didn't fill the role I wanted it to, and I ended up not liking it very well. The final ****ysis? It's more important to have something that meets your needs, rather than your dream, something cool, or something to impress your friends. Right now I have a stock '51 Ford Coupe that is comfortable and dead on reliable; I wouldn't hesitate to drive it any where. I had a bucket-T in the '60's, and that was cramped too, so now I'm building the same type of car, only with a touring body so I have room for me and my stuff. I'll bet I'm the only guy on he HAMB that doesn't regret selling a '36 3 window.
Last year I sold my 71 gmc sprint .I owned the car for 10 years after 8 I repainted it again color sanded + buffed .Finished my 69 firebird So i had to get rid of one .My heart and soul was in that car.Parts and stuff I collected since I was 15 are built in that car.I miss it. But think of what you can buy with the money .Buy another car.
If you like the car , it's not losing value everyday.....It's always going to be worth more to you than others....It's personal....It's memories, it's not costing you anything....sit it in the corner and one day you'll finish it the way you want too.....Don't sell it and then ten years down the road try to find it , it will be long gone....!
Sold this in 74 for 500 bucks and regret it to this day, when the guy left with it I told my bride that this is the biggest mistake we will have ever made......had I kept it it would have been complete by now oh well I got a dishwasher for it damn pic is 1970
If you have special feelings for the car because of it's history, try to hang on to it. Once the cars gone and the money you recieved for it will soon be gone as well. You will have remorse as time goes on, explain what it means to you to your dad and go from there. Heard this same story, different car, many times as you will note by some of the responses.
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