Sometimes I see cars for sale that are selling for astronomical prices that I could have bought for prices that may have been expensive at the time but were still affordable. Some cars I looked at but passed on are:

1970 Plymouth super bird 440-6-could have bought in 1980 for $2500...now sells for $150k
1963 Maserati 3500 - could have bought it for $5500 in 1984. Now sell for $150k+
1969 Lamborghini Islero -could have bought in 1986 for $10k...now $200k
1973 Maserati Bora-could have bought in 1988 for $20k...now $150k+
1969 Porsche 911S -could have bought in 1990 for around $10k...now pushing $100k
1964 Porsche 356-could have bought in 2004 for $15k..now $30k+

These are just some of the actual cars I looked at and passed on...what's your story?

Looked at a real -6 GT in 1980. Passed on it when asking was $25k.....-! And a 356 Twin cam for $15 k in 73....- -
Oh well, at least I have my health!

Cobra Daytona Coupe, rolling chassis, $2700 (maybe less, I can't remember). (Ad in Road and Track.)

Elva Porsche, rolling chassis, $1200, in the late 1970s. (Ad in Autoweek & Competition Press .)

The Cap'n

350Gt Hertz for 3500$
Group44 Jaguar XJS racer for 75,000$
Ferrari Dinos for 30k$
Ferrari 275 GTS for 4400$ in 1973
Ford GT40 (real) for @250K
Several IROC 911's for under 25k

I tell you what is heading up quick right now
Ford Gt's.

I missed on a beautiful 1964 Buick Wildcat with a 425ci motor selling for a grand a few years back. Whoops. Also missed out on a 1974 914 1.8 that I've always kicked myself for not buying. New paint, solid body, rebuilt engine, unbelievable ride. The gentleman wanted $4000, which is a steal. But apparently I like birching myself in the back so I bought a project car instead. Then there was the 1948 Chrysler New Yorker Highlander - now that's a damned fine automobile. Plaid interior, suicide doors, enormous back seat. It's the kind of interior where you might reasonably spend a summer afternoon getting it on with Lauren Bacall and not feel cheap about it. Two grand and it could have been mine. But it didn't include a date with Lauren, so the visuals just wouldn't have worked out the way I wanted them to.

There are also cars I've owned that got away that shouldn't have. For example, I seriously, SERIOUSLY miss my '68 Porsche 912. Silver with chrome, it was easily the most beautiful car I ever owned. Just absolutely perfect condition. I was just leaving college in Spokane in '96 and went to Bellevue, Washington to pick it up for $5000. The rich white guy I bought it from had receipts showing a complete engine rebuild. The car blew up on me on the way back to Spokane. A mechanic told me that whoever built the engine used a mix of ill-sized VW pushrods and it broke some of the valves. Cost to repair? $5000. I held on to the car for the next year learning everything I could about the car and especially the motor, but those were lean years working for slave wages at Amazon.com (Note to self: you can't live in Seattle for $7/hour). I finally got so desperate that I sold the car to another rich white guy for $1000. That money got me to grad school, so it was at least a useful thousand dollars. I had no other takers because at the time nobody seemed to want a 912. These days they command top dollar. I've recently seen 912s sell for more than $20,000 in humble shape.

Oh, and the silver '73 914 2.0 I owned in school met a similar fate. That was my first 914!

Immaculate showroom condition 66 VW Beetle ragtop in dark blue metallic with white leather(rette?) interior.

Around 1992(ish?). I went to look at it and didn't buy it. He was asking $500.

Boss 302. Girl my dad worked with left it behind the garage at her parents house when she went off to school in the late 80's. Wanted 1000.00. I was in high school, dad tried to talk mom into letting him get it, we all know how that went One of the few cars left on my " within reason want " list

1967 Pontiac Lemans in 1979 for $1500.00. Parents made me buy a pinto instead. They thought it would be safer. They were worried when they were told they blow up when rear ended. As far as te chicks, they all got away because I was driving a pinto

Mid '90s looked at a late model 356. Was in decent enough shape but did not run. Very little rust. Only $3500

in 2000, I had just bought a new C5 but should have bought a 70' Plymouth Superbird, 440, six pack, with a pistol grip 4 speed. I thought it was a little pricey at $40k. $125-150k today. it was yellow with a black top.

years earlier I saw a 70 Daytona Charger at a gas station...the guy was on the way to a swap meet. The interior was in bad shape but the rest of the car was nice...this was mid 1990's. He said he wanted $25k. I though he was nuts.

914/6 for $6500 many moons ago.

On the flip side, i bought an original 914-6 with a clear title for $500 some 5 years ago.

Hah, yup, a '70 Boss 302 also. Was 1979, I was a year out of high school, working, had the money, and for whatever reason unknown to this day I didntnbuy it. Guy was asking a whopping 1600 bones for it. I think he'd have taken 15...

'Course Id like to have the 75 911s bought in CA and drove cross country without a hitch...

Oh well

Great topic.

About 2001, my neighbor at a vacation house I had in Loudenville Ohio and I found a Woodill Wildfire in a barn nearby. The guy wanted $1,000 for it and we passed. He was going on and on about how special it was...blah-blah-blah. Instead bought the VW Beetle we went there to look at for $100 to use as a car to run around town in. I have pics of the Wildfire somewhere in the background of the pics I took of the VW.

I honestly didn't think about it again until last year when I saw the Woodill Wildfire on Fast N' Loud go for $100K. I sent him a link to it, and I think he honestly puked. We went a few weeks later to find that the barn was long gone and the guy that lived there had passed. His daughter had sold the rest of the cars in the barn before she had it torn down to build a swimming pool.

One of -6's was $4500 in 2007 with 3 Trailers of Parts
another was $14k
another $17k

My 1st one was $8500 in 1984

In 1984, I bought a 1957 Corvette Racecar (one of 8 in it's configuration) for $7500

I had the choice of it or a 68 Shelby Mustang or 75 Carrera

Wow mine seem pretty weak compared to the rest but....

In the mid 80's when I was turning 16 I looked at:

- a 1957 Chevy Nomad with 35000 miles, v8 283, old lady driven no rust $3500 (that was a LOT at the time)
- a 1969 Nova SS with 22000 miles, no rust, driven by a professor in a small town. $900

Of course I bought a rusty 1972 beetle. It was a POS.

The one I actually want back was a '64 sunroof beetle. You know that one car you had that was like a brother to you? That was it. Sold it when I was young and stupid. I'm not young any more....so I'm half way there

What about Cars that you Owned & let slip away?

1969 911S with every option - Bought it for $9000, Sold it for $9500 a year later & thought I was the Shiznit!

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a Real Cheetah I bought for $14k & flipped for another $1k because my legs were too long to fit in it

This a Replica, but mine was the same Color
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My TWO 1974 Euro Carrera's (one an RS). One was a Rusty Targa that I made a few thousand on & I don't want to even say what I gave away the RS for.

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My 57 Vette - basically sold it for what I had in it as I was going through my Divorce

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my 68 SS396 ElCamino

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The IMSA 914 (6) - but it went to a Good Home with Four Blades

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My Volvo P1800 Sebring PaceCar

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The S2000 I flipped into a Lake

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I figure that's another thread...I'll start one!

1967 ~ 1959 Alfa Romeo Spider, white with black interior...$250.00
He had new cams and they only had to be installed.
My father wouldn't loan me 150 to pick it up. He didn't know
how to work on cars, so therefore, I didn't know how to work
on cars. He would, however, loan me $500 on a old '55 Chevy.

1970 ~ In Germany, found a Carrera 2 Cabr for 900DM ( exchange rate at that
time was 3.64). I could have simply boxed the motor and left it in
storage. I attempted to find a place to store it and work on it on
post, but no one would allow me to use or even rent the space.
They had an entire building that sat EMPTY for four years, but
wouldn't let me store it there.

1973 ~ While stationed at Norton AFB, and officer wanted me to purchase his
Dino for 12K, because he was going overseas. Only had half the money.
wouldn't take payments for the rest.

1976 ~ San Diego, found a freshly painted 356 with a bad clutch and in need
of some TLC in the interior, for 5k.
Gave them a $500 dollar retainer to hold until I could get the rest of the
money together, and two weeks later told me that another salesman sold
it to someone else, even though they had my retainer.
Less than a year later, the car had been massively t-boned while
parked on the street. I still felt badly about its' loss.

1986 ~ Seattle, just after I bought the '73 914, a six was on sale for just 2k more
than I just paid. I tried like hell to sell my '73 and no one would buy it,
even though it was perfect. Damn, missed it by that [ ] much.

1990 ~ Ft. Lauderdale, an '61 356 coupe, blue with a white stripe, for 6k, just
after I purchased the '72 911. I took the 911 back to trade for it, but
they wouldn't go for it. Gave me a line of BS.
They told me that the 911 had no rust. When I cut the entire front
suspension pan out of the car. I drug the 3 x 4 foot rusted pan into
the dealers lobby to show them what rust looked like.

1993 ~ Same guys, there was a 2.5 Porsche six that was used at Daytona, on
their car, and was for sale for $2,500 bucks (complete).
Nothing was wrong with it, they wanted to upgrade to a 3.2. I told them
that I was more than interested and was on travel and will be there to
buy it at the end of the month for my 6 conversion.
When I showed up, as I said, with the money in-hand, they said that
they sold it, because I didn't answer my phone.

I'm pissed off, again, just writing about it

in 1980. Concours level 1969 Fiat Dino Spider for $10k...at that was at a Rolls Royce Dealer in Beverly Hills.

Just 4 months ago...I am the second guy to the "barn". All original Lotus Europa JPS goes for $1100

1983 ~ neighbor had been working on his 69 Charger RT since 1979. Lost the car in the divorce to the wife. I was offered the car for $1K by the ex-wife. Father wouldn't let me buy it since I was only 16yr old.

1988 ~ Mint and I mean mint 1978 Dodge Little Red Express for $5k, again a divorce sale. I was young and dumb. I was living in an apartment and had no place to store it.

1995 ~ Passed up a deal on a 66 911 complete running project car for $2500. I was in the middle of wedding plans and the (now ex) future Mrs didn't want that in "her" garage.

2008 ~ Was offered a 71 914/6 for $13K. Complete running one owner. Need battery tray & jack post repair, but nothing major. This is right when things were starting to go south for Motorola and I wasn't sure if I would have a job. I had to pass.

1994 I was 16 and my parents neighbor was selling his 65 Mustang fastback for a whopping $9000.

1996 I was at a SCCA race and there was a mint looking 73 911S for sale in the parking lot for a whopping $17,500.

2003 at a vintage race and there was a really nice 356 super 90 for sale in the parking lot for $12,000.

No money when I was a kid!

Dang I can't believe I forgot the most incredible car miss of my life....Garold's story reminded me of it....listen to how stupid I am...

edit...not sure why I wrote a dang novel the first time...bottom line is I could have had a near-concours quality sixer for about $17,500 a mere 11 years ago with records back to day 1. The mechanic on some of the early paperwork's name was "Bruce Anderson". It was that guy.

Forgot to add that while in college my roommate had a Triumph Spitfire. Back in the early 1980's (for the kids on the forum that was before internet and cell phones) you bought parts through Hemmings, car clubs, specialty parts catalogs and junkyards. There was a junkyard in Columbia, SC (it's still operating) that was loaded with wrecked import cars and my roommate and I spent several Saturdays exploring every inch of that place. In the front he sold the more restorable cars. I remember he had several Jaguar XK120's, 140's, etc. for $4 and $5K. I thought that was outrageous.

Two XKE stories I forgot to mention:
1. The father of my high school girlfriend had a beautiful early Series 1 OTS XKE that was in mint condition. I could have bought that car for $5K

2. One Sunday morning in 1988 I came across an ad for a low mileage one owner series II XKE. The seller wanted $17K. I told the seller I would be there the next day (Monday) with the money after I went by the bank. I thought we had a deal. I showed up the next day at the guys house and he acted like he had never talked to me. He had sold the car. I saw that car in Hemmings a few months later for $45K.

1968 Camaro SS, all original, needed some minor restoration $5k in 1985. Then Ex wife was against it.

Bill,

I bought a series II (1970) in 85 for 6500.. Original owner gal had bought it in early 72 and subsequently got married, had kids, new job,etc...when I looked at it, it was covered with kids toys and whatnot..mices schnibbling on da rubber....cleaned it up and drove the heck out of it. When I got the 911 in 1990, it made that E-type feel completely antiquated..

Sold it in 1990 for 24k. After Enzo passed all collectibles shot up. I just happened to be on the wave....

It was a bit of a rust bouquet..... but chicks dug it

OMG...you know what that's worth today!!!

Way back in 1968, when I was dating Linda (who is now my wife), we looked at a 1963 Corvette split-window for....$2000. We passed on it....too old

Around 1983, I had the opportunity to dip my toes into Ferrari waters for $8000. The car in question was a mid-'50s Ferrari 250 Boano. It was blue with a red leather interior

The attached photos are not that car but a pretty good indication of the condition of the car. In today's context, having bought that car for 8K would have been a very good investment, even though it might have been re-bodied as a 250 GT SWB Berlinetta or 250 GTO clone or tribute. Hell, people are even restoring Ferrari Boanos today I didn't buy it because I thought it was damn ugly, and opinion I still hold today

That Ferrari would be a nice part of a retirement plan! :-)