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THE LOBBY A gathering place. Introductions, sports, showin' off your ride, birthday-anniversary-milestone, achievements, family oriented humor. |
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#1
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Cars I juuuuust missed buying
A thread over on the HAMB got me thinking about this.
Back in 1998 or 99, while living in Racine. I would always drive down a side street to by pass a red light, and would always see a car parked in a back yard fully covered in a tarp. One day driving by after heavy winds In the area, a corner of the tarp had blow up. I could just make out a tail light and quarter panel of a ‘65 Chevelle. Nice. The house it was parked behind was really shabby, and I never saw anybody outside. About a year later I drive by and saw a guy out in the yard. I pulled over and talked to him. I said “Is that a ‘65 Chevelle under that tarp?” He said “Yes, and it’s a convertible!” He pulled the tarp off and it was a nice driver quality car. Red with red interior and black top. Interior was spotless, needed a new top, minor rust holes behind wheel wells. Can’t remember if a 283 or 327, auto transmission. He said the usual story about wanting to fix it up someday. I handed him my phone number anyway and said if he ever wants to sell it, please give me a call. He said if he ever sells it he’ll push it in his front yard with a for sale sign on it. I thanked him and drove away. About 2 years later I’m going through a divorce and can’t make any major purchases according to my lawyer, and I was flat broke anyway raising my 2 young kids on my own, as the ex had disappeared to another state. I’m driving down the side street and low and behold the Chevelle is sitting on the guys front lawn with a for sale sign on it. Damn! I get out and look at the sign and he wrote $2000 obo on it! This was easily a $10,000+ car at the time, in the condition it was in. I called around that night to see if anybody could front me the money. By the time I got there the very next day, it was long gone. Just wasn’t meant to be I guess!
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71' GTO -original 400/4-speed/3.23 posi 13.95 @ 102.1 on street tires @ 4055lbs. ‘63 LeMans- ‘69 400 w/ original transaxle. 2.69 gears. |
#2
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Back in 1989 I found a mint red 283 1964 Impala with less than 60,000 miles. You could eat off the engine. The interior looked new. I test drove it and it drove like it just left the showroom floor. It even had power steering, brakes and air.
I had the $1,500 in the bank and a c-note on me and he said he’d hold it a day or two for that. Unfortunately my high school girlfriend was a major league b***h who threw a fit knowing if I put the money down I couldn’t take her out to the movies. I tried to get him to hold it for $50 and he said 100 only. I gave in to the girlfriend as she was quite a looker thinking nobody would have the money at 7pm on a cold winter night. Early the next day I called telling him I’d be there in a few with the money to find out the car sold last night.
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Two 1975 455 Grandvilles & '79 455 Trans Am ‘69 Camaro SS 396/375 (owned since ‘88) ‘22 Toyota Sequoia V8 ‘23 Lexus LS500 awd ‘95 Ford F-super duty 4wd 7.3 p-stroke & countless Jeeps & off road vehicles. |
#3
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Miss out on the $800. SS454. Was on CL. I have spoken to the old fellow. He parked it in 1984 after a fender bender. Thought he he didn't have enough "0" on the price. Turns out he wasn't much of a car guy and $800 was what he wanted for it. I didn't get his ph# and he told me he had over a hundred emails. I live about 3 miles from him. I loss out, the person that got it did give him $7500 for it but what a deal he got! This is the repaired car after a fender, hood, bumper and grill.
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'68 GTO '69 Corvette '75 Cadillac Coupe Deville TOM |
#4
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Had a chance, in 1989, to buy this 70 RAIV Judge convertible, red/red, 4 speed, 1 of 4 I was told. Sold for $15K and 2 months later sold for $60K to Gary Cave IIRC, I didn't pull the trigger fast enough.
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Practicing social distancing for 65+ years |
#5
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Quote:
In around ‘05 a guy I work with told me about a ‘70 Chevelle SS 4-speed for sale. Mint original interior, no bondo solid metal, all documentation came with car. He used to own the car himself and sold it to another local guy. Turns out the guy took a job out of state and still had it stored locally. He asked my friend to sell it for him word of mouth only. A couple months go by and I finally go and drive it. Great car! I wasn’t really looking for a Chevelle, but this one was so solid, clean, and original I couldn’t pass it up. My friend says someone offered $8500 the day before and the owner was kicking the idea around about that offer! He said if I offered a little more the seller would jump on it. I called the seller and offered $9000. He said to give him a few minutes and he’d think about it and call me back. Well a few hours go by and no call. I call him back a couple times that day, and no answer. The next day at work I asked the guy I work with what’s up with the Chevelle. The owner never called back. He said the guy that had offered $8500 showed up at the door with $9000 last night! I got played! I would have gave $12,000 to 13,000 for that car if he would have counter offered! That’s all the cash I had then. I figured it was worth about $16,000 at the time.
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71' GTO -original 400/4-speed/3.23 posi 13.95 @ 102.1 on street tires @ 4055lbs. ‘63 LeMans- ‘69 400 w/ original transaxle. 2.69 gears. Last edited by 67drake; 03-09-2020 at 10:51 PM. |
#6
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Some local deals that I missed during the mid 80's, a set of Hurst mags that would have fit my GTO, $400. A complete '73 SD T/A, $800. Also a '71 442 455/auto for $750, needed paint.
Worst pass that I made was around 1977. A guy I knew (gas station mechanic) with a growing family brought them to my house one night to see if I would trade him my '65 Mercury Comet wagon. Because I was as poor as he was and also owned my '67 GTO, I passed on his offer. He wanted $300 and the wagon in trade for his '69 GTO. Convertible. I still kick myself over that one. Last one that is memorable, in early 1979 my wife and I test drove a beautiful silver/black '71 Grand Prix that was on the used car lot at Holloman Pontiac in Hampton Va. If the transmission had not been slipping between 1st and 2nd, I would have traded our '73 Pinto Runabout and $300 for the G.P. Wanting that car is why I bought the '72 G.P. that I have today. Last edited by 400 4spd.; 03-09-2020 at 10:48 PM. |
#7
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I was a senior in HS in '82, guy had a mint original condition 67 camaro rs/ss convertible. Wanted $2500, I had about $1500 saved up and wanted dad to loan me the rest. He said a car that old wasn't worth that much money. Oh well, im sure it would have been sold off by now anyway.
1983- traded a '72 Gran Torino for my first new car, 1982 Firebird. Got $600 credit for the torino as a trade in value. My bro in law was the original owner of the Ford, I bought it from him with about 10k miles on it. I sold a very good condition 1957 190SL for around $10k, 10 years before the prices skyrocketed. Theres a guy down the road from me with a late second gen formula 79-81? Car has been under a tarp or some type of cover for years. I finally saw someone outside and stopped and asked about it. His adult son went and asked if he wanted to sell. He came back with a NO, his father bought it new and was going to restore it one day. The son told me he would sell it to me in a heartbeat if it were his. I respected the fellows rejection though and moved on knowing that the car will sit in that spot until rusts away. Guy lives in a delapidated trailer and imo theres no way that car will ever be finished. |
#8
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Bellbrook Ohio, 1986. Next to a muffler shop. Carousel Red 71 Judge. Engine was out and gone. $500. I had $450 (I was 16) and he said no. Disappeared the next day, never saw it again. I want a 71 still, here I am 34 years later.
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Clutch Guys Matter _______________________________________ 53 Studebaker, 400P/th400/9" 64 F-85 72 4-4-2 Mondello's VO Twister II 84 Hurst/Olds #2449 87 Cutlass Salon 54 Olds 88 sedan |
#9
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It was super nice / restored / detailed He kept it for a long time. Its in Cali now Brought about 250k range about 10 years ago at his big auction. |
#10
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I was at the university, studying Engineering, Behavioral Psychology, and Geology at the time. I had my 64 GTO Convertible, I had a 65 hardtop GTO and a 1966 Florida Tri-Power Convertible stored at two of my Uncle's Pontiac/Cadillac/Olds/GMC dealerships.
So a 1969 Trans Am comes on the market nearby and I go to look at it. Nice rust free Body and basic Ram Air 400 driveline, minus the engine being blown up. 4 speed car. $1500 So I round up the money and go back the next day, and the car is gone. So I did not get that 1969 Trans Am but later bought a 1978 "No T-Roof" Trans Am. Nice handling but a real POS engine and rear axle. Sold the 1966 GTO Convertible to a Soldier returning from Vietnam. Sold the 1965 GTO to a friend. Kept the 1964 GTO Convertible Tri-Power Car as my uncle said it would be worth a lot more money down the road. Sold the 1978 Trans Am and bought my first truck. I could have bought a 1966 Shelby Cobra but did not have the 6K at the time. Sold my Grandfather's 1964 Dodge Max Wedge car when he passed away. The guy really did a nice job restoring it. So I have driven or had a chance at buying a few "money cars" over the years but not like Jim Brady who swapped/sold cars like each was another pair of underware. Tom V.
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"Engineers do stuff for reasons" Tom Vaught Despite small distractions, there are those who will go Forward, Learning, Sharing Knowledge, Doing what they can to help others move forward. |
#11
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Late 80s I could have bought my friends ‘74 SD for $6,500. Instead I convinced another friend to buy it and he still has it. Around the same time I could have bought a ‘70 Superbird for $4,500 but didn’t have the money. Told a mopar friend about it and he made $15,000 on it in one day. Didn’t give me a dime or even let me drive it home, some friend. Lol
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#12
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My dad was gonna buy my brother his first car in 82. My brother found a 65 gto tri power 4 speed for $3500... the car was nice... we went and looked at it. My dad said, " I'll be damn if I will pay that for a car that's 18 years old"... lol he ended up with a 71 mustang 302 for $1200....
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#13
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1963 Split Window Corvette
in 2006 ....about a week after buying a 2000 Vette convertible (mint ...23 K miles from my neighbor..original owner)...a long time friend called me and said if I wanted a Split Window I needed to act fast. Went and looked at it the next morning.
7 year restoration no expense spared perfect Red Split Window with a 327 4 speed dynoed at 450 HP (original block with lots of mods). A ton of paperwork including all the details of the restoration and matching numbers. I knew he had an offer of $42 K so I offered $44.5 K and thought I had it bought......about an hour later the St. Louis Car Museum offered $48 K and the owner said if I would match the $48 K he would rather sell it to me. Wife gave me the OK and I went and looked at it again but to be honest.....the car was too nice to drive...right down to the chalk marks copied from the production line. I really did not miss the deal.....I passed. Now kick myself every time I see a mid-year corvette. Still have the 2000 Vette. |
#14
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87-88 i missed buying a Black 4sp 70 RA4 judge. Had a 71 455HO in it at the time. Original engine came with it. He was asking $1500. It was in nice shape it was just another car back then being used daily. I was 18 living with dad and he said no more cars. I had 3. I shouldn't have listened to him.
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#15
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I just remember in the 70's all the 60's Vettes for sale locally. Most in this price range were hot rodded up w/ mods and were roadsters. But I know I could have bought an almost endless supply of $3500 running 60's Vette's.
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72 Bird |
#16
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When I was a senior in high school I went to a vocational school every afternoon and took an auto body class. All the county high schools went there. One of the students in my class went to Lake Forest HS. IOW his family had money. He was working on his ‘70 340 Cuda in class, and had just put 2 new quarter panels on it. Body was ready for paint. Engine was just rebuilt, interior all there. Anyway he said in class he was tired of working on this car and wanted to paint his Porsche before the end of the year. He said if anybody wants to buy the Cuda, bring $200 to class tomorrow! When I got home my dad said “No way, you already have the GTO sitting in the driveway”. Screw it! I went to the bank and got the $200. I get to school the next day and the car was sold! Apparently one of my classmates figured out where he lived and drove to his house that night to buy it. Oh well.
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71' GTO -original 400/4-speed/3.23 posi 13.95 @ 102.1 on street tires @ 4055lbs. ‘63 LeMans- ‘69 400 w/ original transaxle. 2.69 gears. |
The Following User Says Thank You to 67drake For This Useful Post: | ||
#17
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Lamborghini Miura. Was working at a bodyshop in Edmonton about 1979. Guy brought it in damaged, but not that damaged. It sat around for a while, nobody knew what to do with it. The owner had gotten it through a distant relative inheritance and it was damaged when he got it. The guy came in one day and said I could practically have it for free because he knew I was infatuated with the car. Nobody, including him, thought that it was worth anything. I had to pass because I was 15 and didn't know what to do with it either.
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#18
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Early 80's, a friends cousin had a 69 Chevelle SS396/4 speed, wanted $500.00 for it. Had the cash, he told me he would sell me the car. Then he got the flu. Called several times, his dad said he was sick, but told me "but if he said he would sell you the car, he will". Finally reached him about a week later, he sold it 2 days earlier, because he hadn't heard from me!
A neighbor had a 72 Dodge Demon, 340 Torqueflite, bright orange, black bucket seat interior. Told me $600.00. Said I'm interested. He said he was working a lot, would let me know. Saw him a week or so later, still had the car, "yeah, I'll sell it, $700.00". I'm still interested. Didn't hear from him for a while. Then one day I saw him. "Still interested in the Demon"? he says? Sure I say. "well, I need $ 850.00 out of it." Never mind.
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be a simple...kinda man. |
#19
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Not a car but a Kenworth truck.
I went to a clearing sale about 20 years ago. BIG Kenworth was sitting in the corner of the yard. It had started life as a road train, 8VGM, 15 speed road ranger box, twin diffs on Hendrikson suspension etc. It looked like it had had a hard life. Because it was an air start and the tanks were empty, it could not be started. Auctioneer could not get any bids on it but I threw in a $5k bid. They laughed but took the bid. Another guy pushed it it to $8K and I pulled out. Got home that night and my mate called me to say the winning bidder had walked away and I should call the auctioneer. Chewed on it for a day, called him and he said he had just sold it to a truck dealer. In those days it was a $40k truck painted and running. But still worth $10k if it was a non runner. I still think about it.....
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To laugh at men of sense is the privilege of fools. |
#20
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1965 Pontiac LeMans. M21, 3.73 in a 12 bolt, Kauffman 461. |
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