What car do you regret not purchasing?

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[mikesz]

68 Shelby GT500, red with white stripes, 68 Mustang GT with Factory 428, Stewart-Warner gauges and a Hurst shifter, it was a TASCA car. 74 914, silver with black interior.

[alm001]

I test drove a couple Mercedes 190e 2.3-16 back in mid 2000s. could have had one for $4500. Value is now about triple. If I sell the box I might try to find a benz... or buy back my old S4.

[PaulE]

A Series I E-Type Jaguar coupe in 1981 when I bought a brand new 1981 Mazda RX-7.

Any old Ferrari that was available for $5,000-$6,000 in the early 1970's that now sell for big bucks. But $5,000-$6,000 in the early 1970's was big bucks for me that I didn't have!

[Bald Eagle]

In the early '60's there was a real C Type Jaguar parked on the street in Cleveland with a "4 Sale" sign taped on it @ $3500.
In the late '60's there was a Vignalle Ferrari 250 Mexico @ $6000
Both were old, tired, non-competitive race cars, both achingly beautiful, both worth well over 1mm today.
In the mid-70's I passed on an original series Shelby GT 350 for $10k which I felt was over priced.
So, in 2014 I didn't let the 2000 Boxster slip away and I love it. Have put many more happy miles on it in 3+ years than I ever would have with any of the above dream cars, though I would have made lots of $$ on any of those.
Larry the Bald Eagle

[Larrymal2]

A real 1970 Chevelle SS LS6 4 speed back in 1996 for $10K. I didn't buy it because it was a faded gold color. I probably could of buffed it out and flipped it for $15k at the time.

[The Radium King]

1986 930 for $24k, just a few years ago. owner was desperate to sell but i'd just bought something else and didn't have the $. appreciated 4x in the past five years. fyi, didn't enjoy the test drive; sit bolt upright, windshield in your face, pedals felt odd compared to the boxster.

funny this thread came up, as i am anguishing over buying a 1969 triumph gt6 that has been a race car since birth but is still road legal. fully built engine, no rust, turn-key vintage racer for $10k. i shouldn't but i know i will regret it if i don't.

[pidj]

Originally Posted by The Radium King

1986 930 for $24k, just a few years ago. owner was desperate to sell but i'd just bought something else and didn't have the $. appreciated 4x in the past five years. fyi, didn't enjoy the test drive; sit bolt upright, windshield in your face, pedals felt odd compared to the boxster.

funny this thread came up, as i am anguishing over buying a 1969 triumph gt6 that has been a race car since birth but is still road legal. fully built engine, no rust, turn-key vintage racer for $10k. i shouldn't but i know i will regret it if i don't.

That is very rare car (the GT6). It's also an excellent price if the condition is as good as you say. A friend of mine had one that he restored; a fun beast!

[The Radium King]

Originally Posted by pidj

That is very rare car (the GT6). It's also an excellent price if the condition is as good as you say. A friend of mine had one that he restored; a fun beast!

your sir are correct. i just bought it. how much work could it be, a vintage british race car?

[RedBluff]

Originally Posted by The Radium King

funny this thread came up, as i am anguishing over buying a 1969 triumph gt6 that has been a race car since birth but is still road legal. fully built engine, no rust, turn-key vintage racer for $10k. i shouldn't but i know i will regret it if i don't.

Buy it...even though I know I'll get a Boxster in the next few years my TR4 lust will never cease.

[KRAM36]

Back in 1986 I had all the paper work and loan done for a new ACS McLaren Capri and decided at the last minute not to buy it. Ended up buying a Mustang SVO that turned out to be a pile of junk.

[Anker]

BMW 316 in 1975. We were worried that car sales taxes would go up and BMW didn't have any inventory, so we bought the worst car we have ever owned instead, Austin Princess. And the taxes did not go up!

[deathsled986]

A clean no-rust all original 240z from California for $2k in 2013. I bought a 2000 Dinan supercharged BMW E38 740il instead and regretted it ever since haha.

[BFeller]

A GTO Judge for 2 grand in 1978. Actually, my dad would not let me buy it. I was 16.

[Qmulus]

In 1990 I had a '57 Triumph TR-3 that was rough and I wanted something a bit nicer. I found a nice red '62 or so Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider that the owner wanted $6k for. That would have been a big stretch for me, so I passed. I bought a freshly painted '74 Spitfire that I drove for year or so, found that the frame was rusting from the inside out and dumped for a bit less than I paid for it. The Alfa would have been a keeper. I got a nice Alfa Spider (Euro'd out '80 S2 that had a built engine and suspension) about ten years ago. Yes, every car guy should have an Alfa at some point. They are definitely special. I sold mine when I got my Boxster S. The Boxster is a better car in every way except I still find myself missing the Alfa for some reason...

[sfkjeld]

A few weeks after I got my first professionl job in 1976. 60k, White on tan interior. New Michelins. Perfect condition. $2000. Had to borrow some $$ from my dad. Came back 4hours later.... sold. Was so crushed that I lost it, I bought the very next one to hit the market in the Bay Area. A ratty example that I bought for $1600, without test driving on the freeway. Howling differential I discovered driving home after purchasing....

[p3230]

The car that I regret not buying the most is a brand new 1969 Beaumont SS 396 4 speed convertible. I still think about it today.

[WhiteyII]

In 1972 had the chance to buy a 1961 Austin Healey bigeye for $600.00. My Dad
Talked me out of buying it cuz $600 for an old used car was crazy....

[PaulE]

Originally Posted by WhiteyII

In 1972 had the chance to buy a 1961 Austin Healey bigeye for $600.00. My Dad
Talked me out of buying it cuz $600 for an old used car was crazy....

A 1960 Bugeye Sprite was my first car in 1973. I paid $800 for mine and more or less broke even when I sold it, replacing the rear axle twice, rebuilding the engine and some other repairs over the two years I owned it!

[Brian in Tucson]

Originally Posted by WhiteyII

In 1972 had the chance to buy a 1961 Austin Healey bigeye for $600.00. My Dad
Talked me out of buying it cuz $600 for an old used car was crazy....

Yeah, I passed on a pair of them in about '75. $500 for a fixer and a parts car, as I remember, both ran. I ended up with a '69 Nova straight 6 and moved from W. Va. to Eastern WA with it. Had to stop about every 500 miles and reset the points using my old match book cover for a gap gauge.