Name the car you wished you had bought but didn't

[01rangerxl]

About 4-5 years ago I saw a '94 Explorer Sport 5-speed for sale with something like 65K miles on it. Not a single stain on the carpet, perfect original paint, bone stock, no RV tow bar, literally like new and nicely equipped, but 2WD. It was listed for a little over $6K. I really liked it, but wanted a 4WD. Looking back, it probably would have made a really good daily driver and it will be hard to find one that clean again.

 

[UG_Passat]

Sometimes I think, my path with cars I own would change, if I bought a 2002 Subie WRX wagon instead of a 2002 VW Golf TDI.... which would have meant I would have become a Subaru loyalist instead of VW.

 

[RooflessVW]

Originally Posted By: UG_Passat
Sometimes I think, my path with cars I own would change, if I bought a 2002 Subie WRX wagon instead of a 2002 VW Golf TDI.... which would have meant I would have become a Subaru loyalist instead of VW.

My first car was almost a Ford Ranger... My dad's truck, that was unfortunately totaled before I got my learners.

My first car ended up being a 200SX Turbo.

How different things might have been if my first car was a pickup instead of a turbo charged Nissan.

 

[MCompact]

1969 Plymouth Roadrunner(383 manual with factory A/C)
1969 Ford Torino Talladega
1969 Lamborghini Espada
1970 Mercury Cyclone 429 SCJ
1972 Citroen SM
1973 Jensen Interceptor
1988 BMW M3

 

[Kuato]

1987 Jeep Wrangler. Had them talked down from 16k to 12000. Would probably still have it.

 

[wings&wheels]

Originally Posted By: MCompact
1969 Plymouth Roadrunner(383 manual with factory A/C)
1969 Ford Torino Talladega
1969 Lamborghini Espada
1970 Mercury Cyclone 429 SCJ
1972 Citroen SM
1973 Jensen Interceptor
1988 BMW M3



you had me until the SM...a man has to know his limits

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted By: wings&wheels
Originally Posted By: MCompact
1969 Plymouth Roadrunner(383 manual with factory A/C)
1969 Ford Torino Talladega
1969 Lamborghini Espada
1970 Mercury Cyclone 429 SCJ
1972 Citroen SM
1973 Jensen Interceptor
1988 BMW M3



you had me until the SM...a man has to know his limits

One of the foremost Citroen mechanics in the US is located about 90 minutes away from my home. If I didn't have that kind of support I wouldn't have considered an SM.

 

[Nederlander75]

I had the opportunity to purchase an 88 M3 in 2000 for $8,000, but passed. Dumb, dumb, dumb!

 

[97prizm]

Not me per se, but a nice older guy who always came down to eat at the retirement home that i worked for years ago. He told me he had the chance to buy a real Ford gt40 for $40,000 his wife said no, now he's kicking himself with a 4 million plus price.

 

[Tim_S]

A fully restored, numbers matching 1971 Dodge Challenger R/T 440-Six Pack, 4 -speed, in 1997 offered at $21K. Could have sold it anytime in the past 10 years for at least 4 to 5 times that.

A fully restored, numbers matching 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A 340-Six Pack, 4-speed, in 2004 being offered at $20K.

A fully restored, 1968 Chevy Corvette coupe, non-numbers matching 427, 4-speed being auctioned at $20K in 2003. Would have been a great bomb around car.

Regret not pulling the trigger on any of those.

 

[Tim_S]

And the worst vehicle not buying mistake I've ever made was not buying an extremely rare ( didn't really know just how rare at the time) 1965, numbers matching, 427 4-speed Corvette Convertible. Year was 1996. Car was completely restored, body, interior and drivetrain. It's suspension was just not assembled, and not on the car. The owner screwed the shop doing the work and left him with it in it's unfinished condition. Was asking $8K, just take it off his hands.
Thought about it too long, only to find out that Roger Penske personally sent a truck/trailer and a crew to get it. No doubt he completed it and sold it for a very handsome profit.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted By: Tim_S
And the worst vehicle not buying mistake I've ever made was not buying an extremely rare ( didn't really know just how rare at the time) 1965, numbers matching, 427 4-speed Corvette Convertible. Year was 1996. Car was completely restored, body, interior and drivetrain. It's suspension was just not assembled, and not on the car. The owner screwed the shop doing the work and left him with it in it's unfinished condition. Was asking $8K, just take it off his hands.
Thought about it too long, only to find out that Roger Penske personally sent a truck/trailer and a crew to get it. No doubt he completed it and sold it for a very handsome profit.


A few years ago a 1963 Falcon Sprint popped up on Bring a Trailer- it was a track ready replica of the Monte Carlo factory team cars that Ford campaigned during that era. My son urged me to buy it but I waited one day too long- it was snapped up by Jay Leno.

 

[Mr Nice]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
About 4-5 years ago I saw a '94 Explorer Sport 5-speed for sale with something like 65K miles on it. Not a single stain on the carpet, perfect original paint, bone stock, no RV tow bar, literally like new and nicely equipped, but 2WD. It was listed for a little over $6K. I really liked it, but wanted a 4WD. Looking back, it probably would have made a really good daily driver and it will be hard to find one that clean again.


I thought these had problems with their manual transmission?