What car did you miss out buying or the trade not done that you regret most?

[AyPapiii]

Inspired by Rodor's "What car have you sold that you regret most?" is Which car did you miss out on buying that you have regretted ever since?

For me there are many. A couple of my dumbest moves were declining a nice Sunbeam Tiger for a cobbled together Meyer's Manx clone, declining a very, very nice Morgan for a Cadillac Eldorado (one of the few cars I have owned that I hated).

The list of cars I should have bought but failed to is long and includes not buying an Italia convertible offered at a few thousand dollars because I did not have storage, not buying Elvis's custom two door Seville because I did not know all other Sevilles had four and, worse of all, not being able to talk my father into buying me one of those Shelby GT350H's Heartz had brought down to Miami to wholesale out. I can still recall seeing their lot at the airport filled with GT350H's in all colors.

[4LOWBIRDS+7]

Re: What car did you miss out buying or the trade not done that you regret most?

not being able to talk my father into buying me one of those Shelby GT350H's Heartz had brought down to Miami to wholesale out. I can still recall seeing their lot at the airport filled with GT350H's in all colors.

I always thought that the GT350H's were only in the black and gold stripes.

[Sierra977]

Re: What car did you miss out buying or the trade not done that you regret most?

In all, only 1,001 of these fastbacks were built for Hertz in 1966. The makeup consisted of 999 units of the following colors: A majority in Raven Black with Gold (Bronze Powder) side and Le Mans racing stripes, 50 Candy Apple Red with side stripes, 50 Wimbledon White with side stripes (as well as several models with both side and Le Mans stripes), 50 Sapphire Blue models with side stripes, and 50 Ivy Green with side stripes. An additional two were prototype models and I don't remember the colors.

ETA Prototypes MAY have been notchbacks, just don't remember. One notchback GT350H got shipped to Dallas and sold here. It was black/gold.

GT350H cars were dreamed up by Shelby at his Carroll Shelby Sports Cars dealership/shop at 5611 Yale Boulevard in Dallas before he moved his operation to Covina CA. Shelby entered five of the first GT350's in the 1965 Green Valley SCCA road race. "Mustang Creek" got its name when Ken Miles parked the #3 car in the creek off the bridge by the dragstrip start line. Tight right-hand turn after a long straight (drag strip) with a narrow bridge immediately after the turn. I remember it well.

[AyPapiii]

Re: What car did you miss out buying or the trade not done that you regret most?

My recollection from way back then was that Hertz felt the brakes were weak for the power offered and were concerned about law suits. It was my understanding the performance oriented brakes were actually better but did require more effort. Another rumored problem, at least in the Miami market, was that the Shelby performance parts were often missing when the cars were returned.

[AZTB]

Re: What car did you miss out buying or the trade not done that you regret most?

5+ years ago: a Porsche Cayman S with PDK.

[jerrym3]

Re: What car did you miss out buying or the trade not done that you regret most?

I wanted a Jag S, but my wife didn't like the style, and it would have been her car.

So, I bought a Lincoln LS, a good looking car, but not as "classic" as the Jag S.

I especially liked the Jag S dashboard.

[FUN X 3]

Re: What car did you miss out buying or the trade not done that you regret most?

1976 Pontiac Trans Am 455. They wouldn't let me test drive it, so I walked. Probably best though, I probably would have wrapped it around a tree. Got my 1977 280Z instead, that was plenty enough car for me.

[4LOWBIRDS+7]

Re: What car did you miss out buying or the trade not done that you regret most?

I missed three good ones, 1951 Frasier four door convertible, 1953 Buick woody, and a new 1963 Avanti.

[redfire1]

Re: What car did you miss out buying or the trade not done that you regret most?

Way back around 1958 while in the military stationed in northern Italy I had an opportunity to buy a new Karman Ghia at a very low price. I could have shipped it home and sold it for a nice profit. However..............

[Rondor]

Re: What car did you miss out buying or the trade not done that you regret most?

Without a Doubt--- a 67 Shelby GT 350. My then new wife was working at a Ford dealer and the General manager said Ford was about to go on strike and it likely would be long. He offered us the car at cost but the payment was a whopping $28.00 a month more than the '67 Mustang convert we bought instead. My wife regrets selling that car to this day, but not big enough for a new baby on the way. The T Bird is the first car she has been excited about since. The buyer who bout the Shelby still has it.

[RBIRD]

Re: What car did you miss out buying or the trade not done that you regret most?

Another Shelby story: Back in '76 I was dating a girl from Caldwell, Oh and drove past the Ford dealer in that town one day. Low & behold, a White/Blue- striped GT 500, 1968, was sitting on the used car lot. HAD to stop & look. Needed lots of tender loving care with 60K on the clock. Salesman talked me into a test drive, gave me a push start because the battery was dead, and I was OFF! Man, did that car mOOOOVe! Battery was dead, but the 428 dual quad was not!! Wanted it bad, but he would not deal a lick. Would not even put a new battery in it for the asking price of $2800. I thought it was too much!! Dragged myself away and the next time I went by it was gone. Often wonder what became of that diamond in the rough.

Girlfriend didn't like the Mustang. Wanted to save money to get married. She was not my girlfriend much longer!

RBIRD

[JudgeLucid]

Re: What car did you miss out buying or the trade not done that you regret most?

When I was working in New Orleans after Katrina, a black and sand 2005 with 12k on it was for sale. I looked a the car on Saturday, but when I called first thing Sunday AM it had been sold. It took many years before I found and purchased BURRRD (same black/sand). I have no intention to ever let her go, but I do regret the time I could have had with her sister. (wait, did that come out right?)

[RBIRD]

Re: What car did you miss out buying or the trade not done that you regret most?

Better than YOUR sister.