What car do you regret not purchasing?
 

I was curious as to what cars others here have passed on purchasing that they really, really, really regret now? I'll start things off...advancing up my list would have been in '85 I passed on a '73 911 Targa, followed in '86 by a '67 MG, but my number one had to be an '66 Austin-Healey 3000 mk3 that I could have picked up (in 1987) for under $4000. Guess I could also say that when looking for a Boxster, I could have picked up the SE, but it was a manual, so I passed. I had also almost purchased (new) the last model year of the RX7, but ended up backing out because I feared the maintenance cost of a rotary engine...ironically a decade later I bought a Boxster. :)

This year I looked at and passed on a '02 Ferrarri... guess I am working on future regrets. LOL.

I had a chance to buy a low mile 1986 mustang SVO in 1990 for $3,500.it was super clean.i was only 18 at the time and could not get the money in time before it sold.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1512504957.jpg

But I did eventually get a 1988 Mustang convertible GT.LoL.

a red 959 for sale for about $425k. recently sold for more than twice that.

regret
 

I'm a motorcycle guy and missed out on a 1971 Moto Guzzi Ambassador with a sidecar rig. It was local, priced very reasonable, and looked great in the pictures. The timing was bad. I really didn't have room for it and was going through a divorce. Looking back I really should have had a friend of mine store it for me until I had my new garage finished. I did find two BMW project bikes instead since then so it all worked out. :)

I was 20 years old with a baby and wife and was shopping for our first house. I came across a chiropractic student selling his home after graduating. He bought the home complete with a 1974 AMC Javelin AMX all original with less than 30k on the odometer from the previous owner. He was an Italian gentleman and had zero interest in the bulky American car and never drove it. He said it was free with a respectable offer on the house. I wasn't interested in the house but realized this car could be bought for pennies before this guy left the area. I know it was only an old Javelin but I probably could've made a nice profit had I not been 20 YEARS OLD WITH A BABY AND A WIFE HOUSE HUNTING. Especially now that I see what these guys can do with one... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RmNdhmjSqk

Its been a few years ago but 1970 Boss 302 for $10000. and 1971 Boss 351 for $11000 plus others. Both were decent and needed little work. Had too many projects at the time. 😠

For me it was a pistol grip 4 speed Drag Pak 383 ‘70 Super Bee... for $1000 back in 1988.
It needed a full restoration, and included all the sheet metal, NOS decals, the entire interior and a rebuilt engine and transmission needed to put it right again.
I shoulda bought it and stored it until I was ready to spend the time needed to restore it.

In 2012 I was offered a one owner 1997 993 Turbo that was in Concours condition with 40K miles for $73K. Bought my one owner 996TT for a lot less instead.

Superbird
 

I was offered one for 3 grand in 1975....and it was not in too bad condition. Also passed up a 1957 Chevy for $350 when I got my license in 1972...but it had been butchered

I passed on two different 912's over the last 25 years. Still want one.

"What car do you regret not purchasing?"
None really come to mind. My regrets are for the cars left behind when I returned to the USA from military tours in Germany. My first tour ended in '89 I had a BMW 1802.
Not mine, but like this:
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1512533943.jpg

Second tour in the late 90s I had a VW delivery truck, Beer Wagon (and a variety of cars). It's diesel engine really labored going uphill, but it was a fun versatile ride, complete with a canopy for the bed.
Actual car:
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1512534170.jpg

I'd love to have either one of those again.

1987 Toyota 4Runner, blue with black top, 5 spd, and the bullet proof 4 cylinder engine. You know the first generation version with only 2 doors and the plastic top.

A car I always wanted to own but never did was a FI Scirocco (78-81). By the time I could afford one, my tastes had gone elsewhere.

I'd also always wanted a '90 300ZX. My sister had a few of this version and I'm glad I never bought one. Nice car, just not what I thought it would be but sexy none the less.

When I had just turned 16, I was looking for a wrecked 70 Mach 1 to fix up. My dad and I found a nice yellow 351 3spd that needed the front sheet metal put on. Unfortunately it had a tiny dent just above the windshield post and dad thought we wouldn't be able to get to the dent because of inner construction. Sadly, we passed on it, but it was in very nice condition. We ended up buying this one at the start of my JR yr in HS. We worked for months on it, partly fixing the damage, partly changing the color (factory color was ivy). It turned out nice but it had been thru the wringer by several of the previous owners. I think about that yellow Mach 1 often...

Here's what it looked like when we bought it in Sep '75.
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1512537672.jpg

Here's what it looked like hrs before I left for prom in Apr 76 (we barely got it done). We later put the trunk stripe and Mach 1 script on the trunk.
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1512537752.jpg

Later that summer:
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1512537844.jpg

Short hood early 911.

Ferrari 308.

Ferrari 360.

The short hood is probably permanently out of reach but the 360 will happen when I stop racing.

A low mileage and super clean all black 1989 930. I bought 89 Carrera 4 instead. Looking back the 930 appreciated a lot more then the $6kl less in the price I paid for the C4.

..........

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.

I had a 70 SuperBee 383 magnum. Plain as Plain could be with 3 speed auto.
Man could that thing move. Chirped the tires on the 1-2 shift

Never really had the opportunity to buy anything great after getting married, house, school.
After college my wife and I bought a new 1987 6 cylinder camaro with 5 speed manual. She talked me out of the Z-28 - I regret that.
Never go into a dealership and make that kinda decision on the spot. I paid way to much for the car I bought

Most fun car I have ever owned - my current 02 Boxster S. It took me 30+ years to finally put a Porsche in my garage

A clean unrestored 1955 Chevy Nomad for $500 in 1994.

Low mileage 74 AMC Javelin AMX, needed tires and brakes, practically free. Still couldn't afford it at 20 years old with a wife and kid

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.

http://germancarsforsaleblog.com/wp-...a0_600x450.jpg

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

http://www.cantweightclassics.com/fi...McLaren/06.jpg

I had a '69 (I think?) bmw 1600 as a project car that never got off the ground. Finally traded it for an actually running '72 2002. That was a great car!

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!

While shopping for my first car in 1978 I looked at (and drove) both a 1972 911s and a 1967 Austin Healey 3000. Both were, unfortunately, outside my budget at around $AUD11,000 and $AUD4,000 respectively. I ended up with a $AUD700 1964 VW Beetle!

Then in 1994 my then GF's grandfather passed away and I had the choice of either (or both) a 1973 Mach 1 Mustang or a 1973 Ford Landau - both with the Cleveland 351 V8 in immaculate condition and VERY low mileage. He loved polishing them, looking at them and driving them JUST enough to keep them healthy. Oh, and he had owned them from new!

His wife (not grandmother) was asking $AUD5,000 each for them but for some bizarre reason I thought my Toyota Camry was a much more sensible option - idiot!

For those of you that may not be familiar with the Aussie version of this muscle car, here is an image of a good example of a Landau...

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1512611467.jpg

Here is my 1970 T/A I did buy in 1990 for $5,500 best deal I ever made, had 73,K miles when I bought it. I had previously bought one for $500 that needed the engine rebuilt. I parted it out because it had a little rust in the floor panel. I should have restored it.



http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1512613113.jpg

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.

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!

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

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...

1967 Alfa Giulia Sprint later called a GTV
 

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....

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.

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!

1959 Porsche 356 Convertible D in 1974. I think the asking price was $1400. Like BFeller, my Dad wouldn't let me buy it. (Actually he said I couldn't keep it at the house while I worked on it.) His concern was that I would get involved with car and not go to college. He was right. I think I lacked impulse control at the time.

Not my car (obviously) but it looked like this - only a lot rougher.