68 Firebird convertible(Sweet car really but was getting all the signs that the previous resto wasnt done well.) All things considered I did well. Drove it for 4 years and more than doubled all money I ever put in it outside gas/oil and lightbulbs. A 66 Tempest bondo and tin patch special was a ton of fun and pretty quick(11.78/114 best with a 440/t400 combo) despite being way overweight for only having power steering and junkyard Impala bucket seats(3700+). Weak rusty frame got to point of doors not wanting to open after a hard pass thru the gears. Should have kept the motor. Some guy in the Air Force bought it. (cheap) Dont know what became of it. My 59 Cat was a cool car but needed far too much to move it south with me. My 55 Starcheif Custom Catalina (my wife is still mad I sold it) needed body and paint resto but it would have only needed fresh tires to make the trip south. Ran great. 51000 original mile granny car. Leather interior was near perfect. Possibly no one ever sat in rear seats? Front seat had a small puncture only visible with door open. Only idea how it could have got there is maybe a snowbrush? I sold it for what I had into it... someone got themselves a nice project car.
Three other cars I wish I kept or could have kept.
A 56 Plymouth Belvedere 2dr hdtp with a 62 318 in it. Fixed it up sweet, went to register it and turned out to be a stolen vehicle! I was almost 17 and learned a costly lesson.
A 62 Corvair Spyder(factory turbo) (pretty quick when I upgraded the turbo). Newly married and in the mid/late 70's when it looked like muscle cars and racing were going to fade away due to emission regs, insurance, and fuel costs I sold it(cheap). I had all the original pieces too. Fair collector value these days nothing to take a year off work on though.
My 73 Hornet hatchback(Levi package). I ditched the boring pale blue exterior for 73 Lincoln Continental medium blue metallic. Interior looked good but not particularly something you would be comfortable sitting in after a few hours. 258 6 ran good. It had posi 2.78 rear yet still easily spun the tires. Sort of quick(for a factory 6) to about 30 mph then pretty boring from there. Car rode harsh handled awkward and manual steering was slow. Car liked to use up idler arms(3 in two years). But... I just really like the lines to the 73 hatchbacks. (The 74 got the rear "crash" bumper and from that point fwd they just didnt look as good.) I had no plans to sell it at the time but someone else wanted it and offered me way over max bluebook. I called him later that night and said $100 more...cash and its yours. Car was gone an hour later. Never saw it again. Being such a light vehicle I think it would make a neat drag car. Try finding a restorable one these days.
Cars I might want to have... Well besides 64/65 GTO's and 1st gen Firebirds. Another 59 Catalina 2 dr hdtp is high on the list as are 61 Ventura/Catalina 2dr bubble top. I think a 61 or 62 Tempest would be extra neat if modded to use a 60-64 corvair bubble top. The 67 Catalina/Ventura fastbacks are pretty cool too. Always liked the 76/77 Olds Starfire hatchback lines. The Buick equivalent Skyhawk behind that. Try finding one. Pontiac could have done better and didnt offer the hatch till too late. Monza's front styling was just too boring. A 32 Austin Bantam altered could make for a neat impractical street rod.
Meanwhile I like my 84 GP and have a 53 Stude Commander 2dr hdtp that needs lots and lots of love.(Thinking Pontiac power with a mix of Bonneville and modern drag race appearance.)
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