What was your worst 'let it get away' vehicle?

[Joe in PA]

A Candy Apple Red, 65' CJ5A. Drove it all through my high school years, but the parents thought I needed something a "little more reliable" when I went off to college.

Thing had a flathead 4 in it and struggled to reach 55mph on the interstate, but there wasn't any place in the Poconos that it couldn't legally (or illegally) go. Had a 3-spd on the column, a t-case lever on the floor and a third direct drive/OD shifter. Don't know what the crawl ratio was in 4lo/direct drive (didn't even know the phrase back in those days), but it could crawl over/through anything as long as it had traction. Oh and I'd gladly trade the cd-changer in my XJ, or the wifes WJ, to have that old 8-track player for just one weekend of backwoods romping with Jeanne Ann .................

 

[Speed_racer]

80 cj5.... 18k original miles... ALL new gaskets, all new everything.. SOA lift... 2" springs.... 35's..... $3000.......

 

[Steelerfan]

I had a 1966 Ford Galaxie 7 Litre, it was the first vehicle that used the litre designation. This model came with only two engine choices either the standart for that model 428 cu in engine or the 427 optional engine. Mine was a 428 4 speed red with a very light colored tan interior. The interior color was so light that most people thought that it was a dirty white interior. There were only I believe 7 or 8 thousand of this model made, so I do wish that I had held on to it. Of coarse when I owned it the car was only one year old and it seemed like they would be making cars like this for ever back then.

 

[Tucker]

It wasn't a land vehicle -- it was an airplane. In an otherwise empty hangar on the North side of Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, there sat a 1940 Grumman Goose amphibian airplane. It had been flown there by a movie company and abandoned for unknown reasons. It was all decked out with gorgeous red velvet tuck and roll upholstery, and it looked seaworthy. There were no noticeable leaks in the motors, either. I contacted the base commander and he said I could have it for $10,000 and I had to move it out of the hangar. I could have raised the ten grand, but I couldn't find a place for it on land or water that I could afford. Some other schmuck towed it off a year or so later and I heard that it is flying now with the Confederate Air Force.

Big sigh.

 

[STRYKER]

1982 Scrambler.

I was the original owner, and I put every one of the 2,215, 000 miles on that baby's first engine. I removed the original engine when I blew it, and gave it new life with a 4.0L Ford Windstar and 435 NP tranny feeding thru a 205 NP and fullsized Ford axles front and rear.. ran it like that for another 80,000 miles.

Basically, the thing was finally bullet proof when I sold it. But upon retiring from N.M. , it wouldn't meet Virginia emissions without about $2500 bucks of work. I missed it the day I sold it.

 

[Yucca-Man]

Wish I had kept - my 73 CJ5. After going through and fixing all the crap from the previous owner I was on the verge of having it run right finally when the old adage 'divorce forces sale' came true for me.

Wish I hadn't let slip - a guy who lives near me has (had) a 74 CJ5 with some front end damage. Asked $500, which was out of my budget as I was buying XJ lift at the time. I digress. Was going to take a friend over to look at it the other week and I heard the owner sold it for $150 just to get it out of his garage...I would have given him $200!!

Stryker's last note reminds me of the Scram I saw on the side of the road a few years back in Colorado but let slide because I was living in Arizona.

 

[JeeperJeff]

The "let it get away" was definitely mt 1990 XJ. Got laid off, was in a bind, sold it and three weeks later found a job (which I just got laid off from :doh: )

The should have bought, 1978 Dodge Monaco A38 440 police package for $700.

 

[Brian Felts]

1965 Chevrolet swb big back window fleetside pick up.283 3 on the tree 3.73 gears mint condition.My high school ride traded it for a 5.0 mustang :flame:

 

[Glenn B]

1972 GMC 3/4 Ton pick-up. 402 RAT, turbo 400 tranny. Buucket seats and console. Man, I loved that truck. IMHO, last of the great American heavy duty and sexy trucks.

 

[GSequoia]

My powerwheels police motorcycle

 

[casm]

1987 Citroen 2CV. Had this car for four years, moved here, couldn't find a way to import it to California. Still the most reliable and fun car I've ever owned.

 

[sidriptide]

how about a "i hope it doesnt get away from me" story? i found a perfect replacement for my trail rig.. i have agreed to buy it and i am now waiting on an insurance company to cut a check from the fire we had (IN MAY!!!!).... waiting..... waiting... the seller has agreed to give me a few days to get it together.... hard to find such an awesome california XJ here in new england... if it dioesnt happen i'll just have to die...

 

[jeepguy97]

'89 MJ. Local car lot, mint condition and only had 76,000 miles on it! I thought about it and thought about it and someone else bought it.

 

[bocaj]

i had a 69 ford pickup 390 edelbrock carb k/n air filter, newer paint orange but it was ok. sold it for 2 xj's sold one xj kept one. wish i wouldve never sold the other xj

 

[bjoehandley]

My '85 Lebaron GTS, but it rotted out badly in the 8 years I had it.

Wish I'd bought it, Found a nice Ram Indy Pace Truck in Blair, Nebraska at a little Dodge dealership. The only thing I didn't like about it was the conversion vanb running boards. It had belonged to one of the salesmen at the lot and was his baby, that unfortunetly he had to trade on a Quad Cab since he had a family and needed the larger cab when he took his boat to the river (Blair is pretty much right on the Mo. river, not too far away from Desoto Bend). Dad and I decided it would look too much like my Lebaron did before too long.

 

[Bent]

1970 Triumph GT6+ , The POS was a blast when it was running. But Lucas electric still SUCKS!

 

[Fred]

1969 Datsun 1600 Fairlady. They copied the sidedraft carbs, and the Lucas Electronics, and the electronics still sucked. Nice little 4 cylinder overhead valve that would rev to 6500 rpm all day long. Perfect weight distribution, you could drive that thing sideways anytime you wanted. I sold it when the alternator shorted out between Highway 89 and Green River, Utah on I-70: No Services for the next 100 miles.

Fred

 

[crystalship1]

'65 Mustang Convertable. Arcadian Blue (baby blue) w/white top and dark blue interior. My 1st car. ........... ahhhhhhh

 

[MountainGoat]

I have a few to add to the list...

1) 1967 Camaro RS/SS Convertible

This one I had the money for but the guy was out of town. It was around 1989 near Alameda California. Guy was asking 2500 USD for the car and it was complete with no rust but needed a full restro. By the time I talked with him he had already sold the car.

2) 1957 Chevy Nomad:

Wasnt all there and needed a full restro. Was in OKC Oklahoma. Guy sold it for 5600 USD. I didnt have the money and the car slipped from my grasp.

3) 1987 HJ60 Land Cruiser:
I forget the price... was something like 2600 USD. Was out of Wyoming. These have an L6 diesel engine with rare H55F 5speed transmission worth about 2000 on its own. Rig had cancer and some other issues but was mechanically sound. I missed out on this rig and was second in line to get it. Turned out a friend of mine in WA bought the rig. So I still get to see it.

4) 1967 VW Type II Doublecab with factory Safariwindows, zero rust, all original minus an engine. 1800 USD. My wife would not let me buy this truck... to this day I am still bummed out... for those that know nothing about these rigs... 1967 was a one year only, and factory safari windows are rare and sale in this shape for just under 3K... It was all there minus engine.... original paint...... put back together... polished out and another engine could easily get 9500 USD for it.

5) 1956 TypeII 23 Window Samba bus with safariwagons and original paint. I owned this rig.... had to sale her... some dude from the south bought her. Today the bus would catch about 18K.

6) 1975 Land Rover 109 Series Safariwagon with diesel engine. I bought this rig but then had to let her go before completing ownership. My wife was against the purchase after learning the cost of repairs.

 

[junkxj]

I have a couple:
84 corvette with 52k miles. After the second time I tore the 700R4 out of it I got mad and sold it.
80 Fiat spyder, sold it when I was in high school because my mom bitched all the time about it not being safe.
60 cj 5, sold it after working on it for 6 weeks, then taking it out the first time I drove it and blew the head gasket.

My dad has way beter ones, like the 289 Cobra he could of bought for $1500 with a rod hanging out of the motor. That car would be worth a good amount now. Also a 67 , 427 convertble vette that he could of bought for $2900 in 1971. Also the Hertz rent a racer mustang he could of bought for $300 with the rearend out of it. (He worked for Hertz for a short time in the early 70's)