Question of the Day: What Car Do You Most Regret Selling?
It’s tough to let go of a beloved car, especially if it has offered years of reliable service. I had to let go of an ’88 Jeep Wrangler (not the one pictured above, but it was that color) while I was in college because the frame was rotting away at an alarming rate and I didn’t have the space to swap in a new frame. I knew I had to sell it, but not a day goes by that I don’t miss the rustbucket. Topless, doorless, and willing to go wherever I pointed it, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with that Jeep.
What about you? Which vehicle from your past would you most like to put back in your garage? Let us know in comments.
Comments
05MustangGT
A '67 Mustang Fastback, it wasn't worth what they are going for now.
Roland M
Too hard to pick just one, 73 Corvette 350 4spd, red with tan leather and limo tinted windows - fun to drive and a true chick magnet! 95 Porsche 928S silver with grey leather - fast, comfortable and would eat up miles like a freight train. Neither one were the "best" of their breed, but I loved them both and have always regretted letting them go...
Roger
1992 Acura Integra. It was my first new car. I traded it for a four wheel drive, thinking I needed it up here in the great white north. Years later I bought a Civic SI-R (SI in the USA), and while it was much more a driver's car, I still miss the Integra.
Ducati Minor
I don't have a car I regret selling. I have some I regret buying. The closest I could say would be passing up on the garage find of my life--a 1950s Alfa roadster from an old woman. I let some enthusiast convince me with a sob story to let him in. I did, he bought it, and shrugged me off as he prepared it for his own sale.
Jeb
I wish I could have afforded to fix my 1997 Contour SE after its A/C went out and then the engine (apparently) locked up, but with another baby on the way, we needed a family hauler Freestyle more than I needed to resuscitate a ten-year-old smallish sedan with a manual transmission that my wife couldn't drive. I actually really like the Freestyle, and I now drive our Mazda 6 2.3L, which just needs upgraded swaybars and better tires to be a real replacement for my Contour. But if I had the money to spare, I'd have replaced the Contour's 2.5L Duratec with a 3.0L, put in a limited-slip diff, fixed up the A/C, and kept it as the best sleeper beater around. I loved that car.
Wes
My first car: 1986 Ford Crown Victoria LTD. Top of the line Ford. Roomy and comfortable. All our friends loved riding in it, and so did I. Awesome. We ended up selling it for the same price we bought it, though we had put quite a bit of money painting it and fixing it up. I might not ever have a V8 car again. I miss "the box."
kyle
my modded 1991 Galant VR-4. 291awhp, 289,000 miles. could thrash it in the snow, plow it sideways through smaller aspen trees, end up in ditches, and then just drive home.
Bob
I've always said that a guys first car is the same as their first love. Mine was a 87 Chevy Celebrity. Not a car that anyone would ever put on a best of list, especially not with only the 4 cylinder in it. But that car always got me home, and had plenty of misadventures in it. While it may not be the prettiest, fastest, best handling or most expensive car I have owned, I always will have a spot in my heart for the old girl.
davido
One I didn't buy. A clean, rust free 1961 Alfa Romeo Guilia Coupe that sat on a used car lot in Cincinnati for months in 1970 priced at $500.00. I actually tried to convince a friend to loan me the money but he pointed out that if I needed to borrow the money to buty it there was no way I could afford to maintain it. I'm sure he was right but...
David J Corcoran
I'm in your boat. Had a 1997 Jeep Wrangler until my Uncle died last May and he gave me his 2002 Jeep Liberty. Given that I drive back and forth from Seattle to McCall ID a lot I decided to make the trade and sold the Jeep.
I miss it horribly, particularly driving a stick. The Liberty is my first automatic and I don't like them at all.
The Jeep was a great car though in Idaho where there's tons of deteriorated dirt logging roads to drive down to camp.
Abdul Sachedina
A 1969 Cutlass S Convertible. Absolutely awesome car. Very simple. Gold coloured with a white top. Very few options. It had manual windows and a good heater. 350 cubic inch engine with a two-speed power glide tranny. I loved that car. I would store it in the winter and get around on public transportation in the winter and occasionally rent a car for the holidays (oh to be young and single again without kids). I got tired of renting cars so I bought a secound car. Another absolutely fantastic car. A 1996 Mercury Mystique with the V6 engine, five speed and, get this...Four Wheel VENTED disc brakes all around. What a sleeper that could stop and go really well. I finally got tired owning two cars and sold the Cutlass which I missed for almost two years. To top that off, five years later the Mystique got totalled in a head on. What a shame.
Mike
1st car: 1989 Pontiac 6000 LE Safari: Shagin' Waggon! good engine. My sister has a speeding ticket at 110mph in Kansas... Don't miss it though.
2nd car: 1988 Mazda 929. blew a head gasket and dumped it for $500.... miss that car every day.
3rd car: Dodge Spirit. basic transportation, good riddance.
4th car: 1979 IH Scout. Miss it almost every day.
5th car: 1989 Jeep Comanche. 8 inch lift, 35's. SELLING THIS TRUCK WAS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE I HAVE EVER MADE, HANDS DOWN, NO QUESTION.
6th car: 2004 dodge stratus. did I mention I miss my Manche?
Dejan
My 2000 VW Golf GTI VR6 Turbo :(
andrew
Black 1993 Toyota MR2 Turbo.
I miss this car every day. It made me actually enjoy driving, but now understand why so many think of cars as an appliance to get from point A to point B. Nothing against my 2003 VW Passat wagon, which is a great car in its own right, but it's more utility than driving for the sake of driving. Of course, with a new baby, it was not particularly conducive to family hauling and less practical to have to buy a third car. My one solace (if you can call it that) is that I netted a shade over $10k on it last summer. But, oh, how I miss my MR2. Would that I could go back in time and do it differently...
D.J. Martin
Where do I start:
1967 Nova SS- sold it when I got married.
1970 Malibu Coupe- sold it when 1st child was born.
1969 MGB GT- dash caught on-fire
1975 Cosworth Vega- sold it to help pay for son's college.
1981 Mazda RX7- bought it for my oldest daughter, but she didn't want a stick(wife wouldn't let me have another toy) so I sold it. I got her a Pontiac Sunbird and she loved it(she takes after her mother).
dante
The only cars I sold I was better off without, but I wish I could've kept my 1984 Subaru GL wagon instead of junking it. Right now it would have an EJ22, 4-wheel discs, and a seam welded and reinforced body.
FPF422
my 1976 Alfa Romeo GT Junior 2000... it was more than a car...
Jeff
My 1980 Toyota 4x4. It sucked on the highway, but it was a heck of a lot of fun in town and on mild trails.
Sharky
In 1994 I bought a 1984 Honda Prelude from a friend for $1K. It had 178K miles, the paint was peeling, every inch of the interior had a layer of cigarette smoke film on it, and the driver's seat outer bolster looked like a wild animal had gnawed on it. But that car was so light on its feet and handled like it was on rails. I haven't had a car like it since. It finally kicked the bucket with 215K miles. I can't say that I really miss it -- it was a dog -- but it sure was fun to drive.
Jaymez
70 Chevelle SS 396.
I don't miss my first car. It was a decent 90 Cavalier. It was alright. I want the Chevelle back, though. Sold it on eBay a few years back for $35K.
bmwloco
1959 Willys Overland Wagon. Hurricane 6 engine, manual. It was my first car. Drove it through High School and my first two years of college.
I sold it to buy a Fiat Spyder.
Someone should have hit me in the back of the head with a board.
naif
MB190sl
Larry
Boy, where to start. Probably, in order:
'54 Hudson Hornet with overdrive. Big, comfy, quiet and fast.
'55 Buick Roadmaster Riviera. Ditto.
'49 Olds Rocket club coupe. Strong.
Not mine, but the county's -- '61 Ford Interceptor;
1-2 shift at 50, 2-3 shift at 102 and it would spiin the wheels at the first shift and shove you into the seat on the second one.
Dane
I miss my 1992 Golf GTi 16v..... Future classic that is for sure...
I am happy now though and have moved on with a Focus ST170 (SVT)..... But will I be happy when Ford brings over the Fiesta ST (200hp from the go)
detroit9000
1989 mazda mx-6 turbo aws.
also, what's with everyone posting every car they've ever had? i swear, car guys are meatheads. it's a simple thread.
mo
a 96 impala SS i bought in 1997. that car was a total gangsta car. I really felt like a bad boy every time i push hard on the pedal. although it had some flows I had a great feeling every time I get in it.
Another car I regret selling as well is a 2000 chevy lumina SS when I was in dubai in (holden commodore is sold in the middle east as chevy lumina). The car had everything right, the size (full size sedan), the power (330 hp), rear wheel drive, excellent interior quality, great price ( I bought it for 70k dirhams which at that time was around 20-25 USD), superb handling (to be honest the handling made the previous impala SS look like a joke). The only problem with that car is that in the mid east only a 4 auto tranny available, no 6 manual or 5 auto. That car was a great deal and I had to sell it as I moved to Canada (please guys don’t boo me, Canada is a nice country).
A car that I popped a champagne bottle when I sold was a 1994 explorer. In less than two years I was totally loosing my mind from the stupid daily problems I had. The only reason I bought it was because it was cheap and it looked good on the paper. This is why I never think of ford as a choice whenever I buy a car, although I think ford has some reliable cars such as the fusion.
David
1962 Chevy Impala, 2 dr HT, black, white stripe, 283 with 3 speed manual and overdrive. Would run to 110 in 2nd and od. Put 92,000 on it in one year while I was dating what was to become my wife.
Jim
Dr. Wankel's toy, a 1970 NSU Spider, red convertible. Yes it was an ugly little sports car but that high winding rotary made up lack of looks.
Reilly
Dane, I'm envious -- a 1992 16V is basically my dream car.
Marc Ramsey
My red 1987 Honda CRX Si, fast enough, great handling, dead reliable (three 3000+ mile road trips). As far as I'm concerned, the best car Honda ever made...
Kal
1987 Porsche 944 Turbo. Ahh, how I miss it.
Carson44
1959 Impala Convert, not bad when I sold it, but not as good as the new 1966 VW Bug that replaced it. When I see 59' Chevy's selling in the high 5-figures all I can think is ,"What's the price of nostalgia?" These cars were not very good, and they melted away from rust. Cars today are a marvel in comparison,"These are the good old days."
Peter
Not one of 40 or so.
Closest, a 1990 Miata sold after having hip surgery 7 yrs ago.
Purchased another identical Miata last yr, same colour, yr. and month of manufacture, this one has power steering but no hardtop. Replaced the engine and needs a paint job. The best driving car / cars I have ever owned!
Check out the short video
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=LNgovInvAzM
94 taurus owner
my nova
Eleventeen
89 Jeep Cherokee.
It was my second car after the Suburban that I learned to drive in high school with, and after coming out of that urban assault vehicle, a lightweight, 4.0L straight six powered 2 wheel drive 'mini' SUV (at least in comparison) was still comfy but hauled ass.
I was 18 and had driven it for nearly 2 years when it spun a bearing and did some other (fairly minor as it turned out) engine damage, and my father elected to try to sell it and buy something else rather than spend the money repairing it.
We got an 88 fullsize Bronco that never ran right while we drove it, and an 88 Trooper that was great for a year before it blew a head gasket and cracked a piston. The money we sunk into those would have made that Jeep bulletproof for years to come.
A few years ago I talked to the guy who ended up buying that Jeep from the dealer and he said that he spent about 300 bux in parts and about a weeks worth of labor and hadn't had to do any major maintenance since.
SAAB95JD
I really miss my 1992 Mercedes 190e 2.6 Sportline. It was rare, drove like a dream, was sooooooo solid, and I could drive it all day and all night without even the slightest back pain.
It needed some upgrades at the 100K mile mark, and I determined that it was too costly to continue to maintain it 100%. Now I realize that I should have kept it up and drove it until it died.
Nothing else I have owned has made an impression like it did.
ZeGerman
Fortunately, I don't actually miss any of the cars I've sold. I kept all the cars I've ever loved.
mg5904
Sad to see them all go . . .
'73 2002tii
'87 Scirocco
'78 fj40 Landcruiser - with lift, 33s and a winch
'98 VW GTi VR6
All were great and had lots of personality. I'm driving an '06 Cooper S JCW now and I am sure I will be sad when that leaves, too.
Dennis Currington
Without a doubt it would be my
1966 327/350 Corvette with both tops. I would trade them all to have this one again. Seems like only yesterday, but it was 1980.
Anthony
My beloved Mazda RX-2.
I could barely afford to keep the thing in gas, keeping up with the rust was completely beyond my budget or technical expertise.
Hays
1994 Nissan Sentra SE-R. With the original SR20DE engine (before the redline was lowered in latter versions). What a strong, free-revving, wonderful engine. I'd still like to buy an Infiniti G-20 just to own that engine again.
Donovan Rieger
1969 Alfa Romeo GT jr. Only 1300cc engine, but it could still run in the mountains. Used it for many ski trips, without snow tires. Kids were turning 16 so I sold it and bought a Honda Civic. Should have kept the Alfa and still bought the Honda, something I realized later. I did buy a 1974 Alfa Romeo GTV 2000 a few years later, but I still liked the Junior better even though the GTV had much more torque.
manvessel
1974 Red DeTomaso Pantera (even remember part of the VIN THPNNE*****). A real babe magnet. Was always mistaken for a Ferrari. Had a chance to add a purple GTS version. They had sequencial VIN's, but didn't have the $$$. I met, dated, married and taught my wife to drive a stick with that car (still married after 26 yrs). Sold it to fund my first company.
Robert Anderson
A 1937 HORSCH Cabriolet. Bought for $400 in Germany 1948. Sold for $400 in Germany 1949. Should have brought that one home.
Brad
1962 Austin Healey 3000 Mk. 2. My father was in the used car business and then a new car dealer for over 35 years and he traded for that car back in the late 70's. He basically kept it for me since I was too young to drive. We restored it over the next few years but we really had no place to keep it. We enclosed the garage at home and it stayed outside under a tarp for a few years. It was just in the way at the dealership so we sold it for $4000 to a guy traveling through from Boston. That was about 1984. It's probably worth over $30,000 today. Every time I see one on Barrett-Jackson I cringe.
bookman
86' MR2. At the height of Miami Vice, had the white exterior with aftermarket airdam and double white wipers. I thought I was Don Johnson Jr. God I loved that car. I beat the tar out of it and it got me home every time.
Like someone in this thread stated, it's like the first girfriend. I've had faster, prettier ans easier but still not the same....
Palmer M
Believe it or not, an '85 Renault/AMC Alliance, built in Wisconsin. 1.7l engine, and 5 speed. The car was really lightweight and a bit flimsy, but you could throw it through curves and it still rode comfortably like a Buick or Cadillac. And great MPG.
Bob Martel
My Alpine White 2001 BMW 530is, sigh....
DieRobotDie
1969 Mini - imported into New Zeland privately in 1973 by the owner, it was a step up from the normal Mini of the day. It had wind-up windows, oil and temperature gauges and an 1100cc head on a 1000cc block. It also had the same suspension found in a Cooper, not the standard hydrolastics! It would have been the perfect starting block for a cooper replica, but I sold it for a late 70's Toyota Corolla wagon, which I never loved.
The Mini did become a Cooper replica.
Cal Montanez
1985 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. Just before it became bloated, an awesome commentary on performace cars of the time. Trim, aerodynamic and fleet of foot. I just wish I could find one now....
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