What cars got away?

[Jackffr1846]

3 cars in 1975:

427 4 speed Corvette coupe for $2500. The guy wanted to buy a Corvette racecar.

63 1/2 Ford lightweight. Lotsa chrome...427, glas hood, aluminum and glas panels and fenders....again $2500

Plymouth Super Bird....$2500.

I had just bought a 69 Ford Van for $1900 and owed my parents a good % on that. I was 18 and just out of high school.

Fast forward to 1985. I have my first engineering job. I'm getting rid of my self restored Alfa spider looking for something more practical and cheap as we were looking for a house downpayment. The boss's son has an E type convertible that he'd like to trade, close to even for the Alfa. I pass, instead getting the house closed on and getting a 5 year old BMW 320i, mostly for my soon-to-be wife. I got $2500 for the Alfa.....(that number just haunts me....)

[351-EM]

Hey,

When I was 13 in 1987, I passed by an old mustang sitting on jackstands every day on my bike. I always liked mustangs and my mother told me that she would buy me one for my 16th birthday. I asked the guy how much he would consider for the car and he told me $800 but that the floors were pretty much gone and would need "Major work", Mom never bit on the deal, and I later got my 67 fastback, which required floors, quarter panels and all other frame repairs. These repairs were time consuming but not that hard. Lost out on one of the 562 GT-350's they made in 1965, and boy have those things skyrocketed since. I did get my cobra though so I can complain too bad. You never know when you'll get another chance.

Chris

[anchor2]

70 Challenger RT 440 six pack, pistol grip, conv. $2700

[Steve R]

1968 GT 350 convertable $2,200 Blown engine (broken).. I was 14 years old, Dad would not lend me the money.
One of the Mustangs used in the movie "Bullitt"..... For a machanic's lean....The owner paid the bill just in time.

[G.R.]

Perry
I had the '68 Z-28, factory built the same as the one you passed on---traded it off on a '67 vette roadster---2 cars I wish I still had--Several years ago I saw the price of a '68 Z-28 limited production going for upwards of 25k if all #'s matched--shouda kept it

[Edley Rondinone]

While stationed in England '83-'86, (USAF) came across a left-hand-drive, U.S. spec, late '70s Ferrari 308 or 328 GT, for the sum of $14,000. Those were going in the states at that time for about $60,000. Couldnt find the money from anyone, and not enough time left in the service for a GI loan.....coulda had the service ship it back for free, sold it here in the States, and had a Cobra replica 17 YEARS EARLIER!!!

[ELGEE]

1988-- ASTON MARTIN DB6-GT- on a used car lot in San Mateo, Ca
$16k !!!!--- reason-well, that is ONE reason she's an EX wife !!!!

[RawCobra]

'bout 8 years ago, out in the middle of nowhere, I ran across a blue, all-original 65 'Stang with a 289. 70K miles, as I recall. Near mint condition. Coulda had it for $4900.

Didn't have $4900. Sigh...

[REDSC400]

For me there were two major Get Aways.....

I missed out on a nice very early 1950's Jaguar XK-120 about 1981 or 20 years ago. By the time I got the "go ahead" from my significant better half, the auto had flown the coupe' as it were. Just too late. My fault. Had to learn to act quick and ask forgiveness later.

then ...

To add insult to injury, just a few years later, I had my 63 Corvette Split Window Coupe stolen from me out of a garage in about 1984. It was totally stock and real nice with very low miles.
Never recovered. Insured but a true loss. I cannot stand looking at them now.... A feeling of suspicion is always there...

[Woodz428]

1970.... a bad year,a 1967 GT350, Blue w/white stripes and an Abarth exhaust, and a 1966 427 Cobra street car that had had the the blown 428 replaced with a side oiler (I'm thinking it was a dark grey) both too steep in price...$2500 (GT350) and $5500 (Cobra). Missed out on a 1955 T-bird w/a 390 4spd in about '72 once again too steep for an Airman's pocket ($900). The list is enough to make me puke, so I won't go on...the first ones are the ones that hurt the most. I do now own both a Cobra and a '55 T-bird, so I guess it comes around. I still do have a tinge for that Blue GT350 though, I can still hear that sweet 289 through the headers and Abarths....hmmmm.

[Carrerajon]

Grew up in the land of Bobcor Automitive in Beautiful Buffalo NY. Had a very nice AC Ace Bristol, Silver/red. Drove by their showroom one day and had a silver blue 330 GTC for $6000 and a long nose 275 2cam for $1500 more.

They obviously had a buyer for the AC and beat me to death to make a deal. Took the 330 GTC which was a great car with the plan to upgrade to a 275 someday later since I did not have the extra $1500.

Drove it for 5 years and sold it to go to Grad school in 79 and was all excited to get $14,500 for it. Ran into the same car at an Auction at Watkins Glen during the F1 weekend. Car went for $225,000! Still looked great! New owner wanted to see if it really did 155MPH on his way home and encountered a non-moblie bridge abutment. There was not enough of the car or him to even save the shift knob! What a shame!!

Also had a small Ford dealer in the rural areas who was a Shelby Mustang guy. Had about 5 of them and was attemting to downsize and did not like the green/white striped 66 GT 350 Wanted $1800 for it and of course I was cash short!!

How come we are so wise in hindsight??

[trularin]

The toyoda dealer on Woodward ave. by 13 mile had a Ferrari, red, mid engine. The engine had webber carbs.

Could have got the car for $1000, if I would get it off their lot.

The other was a 1970 superbird with a hemi for $1200.

I was just a kid, what did I know.

Those days are gone.

[Wild Thing]

1970's, an iso rivolta for 2k DM. I was afraid that I couldn't get a new windscreen, the old one had bullet holes from a fight between the police and members of terrorist group, called the Baader Meinhof gang, which used this car. Should have left it in anyway.

[Zoom This]

1971. I was shopping for a Sunbeam Tiger when I came across an add in the paper for a 427 Cobra in Pacheco CA for $10k. Hell, it might as well have been $1M since I did not have the cash resources then. My first brand new car was a 1970 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda with a 426 Hemi. A real fire breather back then. I sold it to a guy in SF for $3400 1 year later! This was after no less than 6 guys turned me down. Kinda wish I never sold it.

[Greg Kulp]

In 1976 I just missed a cherry 1970 Boss 302 Mustang. It was the burnt orange color with all the options (magnum wheels, rear wing and louvers, shaker hood, etc.) It was on a Ford dealer's used car lot in the next town. I went in to put down money on it and was told someone else had put money down on it an hour earlier. It had 19k miles and was on the lot for $2200.

[bly]

1970 CUDA 440 6-pack 4 sp. 40,000 miles. 5,000.00 I just turned 16.

[Mark IV]

.....so you bought the 330? I xconsidered the 275 but it too was out of my league at the time (funny, but it still is). I was around Bobcor a lot as I was a crew member on the Alfa Trans-Am team they fielded, a you may recall they were the "semi-factory" team, Wetson's was the "full-factory" outfit.

Ah, yes....Bob Cozza, scam artist extrodinare! Last i heard he and Bert everett were running a home improvement out fit in Miami....I can see ithem hustling widows for aluminum siding and chimney repairs on homes that do not have chimneys!

Saw a bunch of "exotics" go through that little place on Eggert Road, most were on consignment or on the way to other dealers, they would stay for a couple weeks and if Bob couldn't sell it, it would go on usually to NYC area.

Still have my "BOBCOR" race team jacket hanging in the closet....


Rick

[Loadmaster]

It was 1978 and I was a Sr in HS. Driving around in a Maverick Grabber. Thought I was real cool. Come across a 1970 Chevelle with the 454/450HP 4-speed. Sold the Grabber for $1,200 and went to the bank and got another $800. Paid the guy $2,000 for one of the best all time "Muscle Cars". Drove it for about 6 months and it drained my small pockets with all the gas it could slurp up. Sold the car for $1,800 and picked up my first 65 Stang. To date, that was close to the fastest car that I have ever driven. My Cobra is a blast to drive but that 454 really screamed. Have owned several muscle cars but that was the one that "got-away".