What car have you sold that you regret most?

[AyPapiii]

Re: What car have you sold that you regret most?

My first car was a white 59 chevy impala with a 348 cu in engine. Long before spoilers the previous owner had raised the rear end quite a bit and the huge rear fins seemed to give it great traction. I drove it 128 miles per hour and had to replace many of the seals. My 02 Thunderbird has never had to go that fast. My bird keeps me from missing that chevy.

Did it have that odd automatic (two speed?). My real first car was actually a a 59 El Camino with a 348 and three twos, as I recall. Those 59 Chevys were not easy to confuse with anything else.

[jerrym3]

Re: What car have you sold that you regret most?

Did it have that odd automatic (two speed?). My real first car was actually a a 59 El Camino with a 348 and three twos, as I recall. Those 59 Chevys were not easy to confuse with anything else.

Wasn't an odd transmission. PowerGlides were 2 sp automatics. A bit strange, because GM hydramatics were 4 speed while Buick Dynaflows didn't have any gear changes. Ford and Merc-0-matics were three speed. For a short time, Lincoln used the GM transmissions.

GM transmissions were all over the place. My dad's 55 Olds hydramatic didn't have a "P" setting. Instead, placing the column shift all the way down was Park.

"The first-generation Hydramatic (not the controlled coupling version that succeeded it in 1956) did not have a separate park position as found in modern automatic transmissions. The driver had to shut off the engine and then place the transmission in reverse in order to lock the driveline to prevent the car from moving."

PGlides were a little bit sluggish off the line, but great on highway kickdowns.

[sbernard]

Re: What car have you sold that you regret most?

1973 T-Bird gold with brown leather interior. 4 years and 100,000 miles later the engine had some major issues. Guess it didn't help pulling a 22 ft boat with it. Did put air shocks on the rear axle.

[4LOWBIRDS+7]

Re: What car have you sold that you regret most?

My first car a 1955 Crown Victoria red and white. I even bought another one later just like it. I just ran out of room to keep it, now I have the room but things have changed.

[Rondor]

Re: What car have you sold that you regret most?

[QUOTE=jerrym3;631126]Wasn't an odd transmission. PowerGlides were 2 sp automatics. A bit strange, because GM hydramatics were 4 speed while Buick Dynaflows didn't have any gear changes. Ford and Merc-0-matics were three speed. For a short time, Lincoln used the GM transmissions.

I had a 348 Chevy Impala '59, with what I think was called a turboglide trans. It was worse than the powerglide, but supposedly smoother. Chrysler led the way in performance transmission development. I'll never forget seeing 2 identical MoPars at the strip one 4 speed and other Tourqueflite run each other.
The 4 speed led off the line but lost by over a car length. Everybody was in shock. By '66 Chrysler changed the auto to a slower smoother shif supposedly due to complaints of hard shift. It was a simple fix tho' to get the hard shift back.

[jerrym3]

Re: What car have you sold that you regret most?

[QUOTE=Rondor;631142]

Wasn't an odd transmission. PowerGlides were 2 sp automatics. A bit strange, because GM hydramatics were 4 speed while Buick Dynaflows didn't have any gear changes. Ford and Merc-0-matics were three speed. For a short time, Lincoln used the GM transmissions.
I had a 348 Chevy Impala '59, with what I think was called a turboglide trans. It was worse than the powerglide, but supposedly smoother. Chrysler led the way in performance transmission development. I'll never forget seeing 2 identical MoPars at the strip one 4 speed and other Tourqueflite run each other.
The 4 speed led off the line but lost by over a car length. Everybody was in shock. By '66 Chrysler changed the auto to a slower smoother shif supposedly due to complaints of hard shift. It was a simple fix tho' to get the hard shift back.

Yep, I remember the Turboglide.

I still remember the automatic Mopars beating 4 sp 409's at the strip.

Our local dragstrip set up a race with a Corvair starting at the halfway mark and a Mopar starting at the normal starting point.

At the end of the run, the Mopar had won. Crowd gathered around the car looking at the 413 engine with the two staggered 4 barrels.

[Chuck]

Re: What car have you sold that you regret most?

How about which car I wrecked that I wish I hadn't. 1972 Mercury Monterey Custom - 2 door 400 cubic inch inch beast of a car. Brown with a black vinyl top. Put Lincoln Mark IV springs in the back. Man I loved that car.

[jerrym3]

Re: What car have you sold that you regret most?

How about which car I wrecked that I wish I hadn't. 1972 Mercury Monterey Custom - 2 door 400 cubic inch inch beast of a car. Brown with a black vinyl top. Put Lincoln Mark IV springs in the back. Man I loved that car.

Ford called that color "ginger glo". Metallic brown.

I had that color on my 72 LTD Brougham, but I had a dealer installed tan vinyl roof. Nice combo. 400 2v.

I wanted the big 72 Merc, but I couldn't afford the extra $700.

[EllisonCal]

Re: What car have you sold that you regret most?

AyPapiii, I too had a '59 Impala 2 Dr. Ht., it was my first new car, though co-owned with my Mother. I had to get out from under with my '54 Chrysler Convertible so I talked her into trading her '55 Chevy Bel-Air 4 Dr. sedan (Poopy Brown and Ivory) with my car on a new 1959 Alpine White w/Red Interior Impala Hardtop. Wow, was it sexy in '59. But, the Powerglide and the 348 cu.in. 4 barrel, dual exhaust was anything but thrilling. I think I got it up to about 79 mph in a little less than 19 seconds in the 1/4 mile. At 17 years of age, my race preparation was take the spare out of the trunk and remove the Air Cleaner. Ha, Ha. It sure made a nice sucking sound though!

[FUN X 3]

Re: What car have you sold that you regret most?

There's only one car I'd have back, 1977 Datsun 280Z with 5-speed manual tranny. It was light silver-blue with black interior. Very fun car to drive.

[jerrym3]

Re: What car have you sold that you regret most?

AyPapiii, I too had a '59 Impala 2 Dr. Ht., it was my first new car, though co-owned with my Mother. I had to get out from under with my '54 Chrysler Convertible so I talked her into trading her '55 Chevy Bel-Air 4 Dr. sedan (Poopy Brown and Ivory) with my car on a new 1959 Alpine White w/Red Interior Impala Hardtop. Wow, was it sexy in '59. But, the Powerglide and the 348 cu.in. 4 barrel, dual exhaust was anything but thrilling. I think I got it up to about 79 mph in a little less than 19 seconds in the 1/4 mile. At 17 years of age, my race preparation was take the spare out of the trunk and remove the Air Cleaner. Ha, Ha. It sure made a nice sucking sound though!

I did 15.6 with my 57 BelAir, but I had a manual shift and a 4:11 rear.

I had the exhaust modified so that I could by-pass the mufflers, and I had to strap a bumper jack in the grille opening. I had removed the grille, and, by the rules, the car had to have a grille. So, I wired my jack into the grille opening. I passed "inspection".

Talk about crazy!!

There were rumors that, due to the rear tail fin design, 59 Impalas could start to lift at high speeds.

[jerrym3]

Re: What car have you sold that you regret most?

Not my biggest regret, but I sold a beautiful 57 Olds 98 convertible that I had repainted from white to 62 Chevy Honduras maroon. Not a J-2, but pretty quick.

I just really wanted that 57 BelAir so that I could race street and strip.

[4LOWBIRDS+7]

Re: What car have you sold that you regret most?

I did 15.6 with my 57 BelAir, but I had a manual shift and a 4:11 rear.
I had the exhaust modified so that I could by-pass the mufflers, and I had to strap a bumper jack in the grille opening. I had removed the grille, and, by the rules, the car had to have a grille. So, I wired my jack into the grille opening. I passed "inspection".
Talk about crazy!!
There were rumors that, due to the rear tail fin design, 59 Impalas could start to lift at high speeds.

I had a 1959 Impala convertible with the 283 powerglide, at 105 many times I never noticed any lifting.

[11TH GEN]

Re: What car have you sold that you regret most?

I've heard that rumor but never believed it. 3 of the top 10 finishers at the 1959 Fire Cracker 250 and 4 of the top 10 1959 Daytona 500 finishers were in 59 Chevys. Both races over 140 mph avg.

[4LOWBIRDS+7]

Re: What car have you sold that you regret most?

I had a 1959 Impala convertible with the 283 powerglide, at 105 many times I never noticed any lifting.

I've heard that rumor but never believed it. 3 of the top 10 finishers at the 1959 Fire Cracker 250 and 4 of the top 10 1959 Daytona 500 finishers were in 59 Chevys. Both races over 140 mph avg.

I rest my case.