What is the car you regret selling the most?

Grumpy

The Grumpy Grease Monkey mechanical engineer.
Staff member
most of us that have been in this hobby very long have deeply regretted selling a project car or some car we built, helped build ,and drove!
(or maybe lusted over that a buddy owned, like my neighbor, whos dad owned a 1969 shelby 500 428 mustang, that was stolen )
his dads was black with gold/copper stripes according to him , but looked like this cars picture
69shelby74846-1.jpg

I have yet to meet a single older, hot rodder that was around during the 1960-1980s that does NOT deeply regret selling at least one former car!
I know two of my buddies regret selling their cars!
(similar to these pictures I found posted on the net)
one was a baby blue ,
( the plymouth dealer called it "Brite Blue") 1970 ,440 six pack / 4 speed road runner,
1970-plymouth-roadrunner-440-six-barrel-1.JPG

and one guy sold an original (also blue) 427 AC cobra back in 1970,
il_570xN.1132398407_ib8j.jpg

when his wife was expecting, his first child, hes deeply regretted that stupid move for decades, and seems to tell me about that dumb choice repeatedly, as he could have purchased a 4 seat car at that time without selling the cobra, but his new wife insisted they did not need to pay insurance on two cars

I most cases there were financial reasons at the time like a new kid, a divorce, moving to a new home that virtually forced the sale, some times it was just a bad choice or the idea you wanted a different car, that resulted in the cars sale... and sellers remorse.
I stopped at a local gas station too, fill up the 1996 corvette's gas tank, and while I was there , a guy pulled in with a super clean 1965 GTO ,
I talked to him for a few minutes, and it brought back a flood of old memories.
his car had a 455 and a TH400 with a set of aftermarket tri power carbs on a sheet metal custom intake, it sounded great, a low throaty rumble and a growl as he drove off!
69camaroblue.jpg

with me personally its the 496 BBC powered 1965 lemans I once owned,
(My old 1965 le-mans could have been nearly the twin of the black,car pictured below)
that looked almost identical too these pictures, I found posted on the internet.
it was not the fastest car or the best handling, my 1968 corvette was noticeably faster,
and handled better than the lemans, but for general fun, and easy access and many pleasant memories that 1965 lemans is the one I miss most!
64g1.jpg

64g2.jpg

64g3.jpg

and there were some less popular cars that I thought had good styling
ford42.png
ford41a.jpg

ford41a2.png

ford43.jpg


amxc2.jpg

amxc1.jpg

related threads
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...-resulting-from-an-engine-swap.898/#post-3239

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...f-your-high-school-buddies-are-missing.13512/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...s-back-you-owned-years-back.12118/#post-58323

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...et-it-and-try-to-buy-it-back.9797/#post-37140

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/back-in-the-day.9768/#post-50644

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...al-resulting-learning-curve.10408/#post-43169

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...n-use-a-car-transport-trailer.845/#post-25577

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...i-miss-the-older-muscle-cars.4211/#post-11077

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/bbc-into-gto-engine-swap.10607/#post-45538

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...can-t-always-tell-by-looking.9950/#post-38333
 
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This 1970 Mercedes Benz SL 280 with less then 45,000 original miles. It's A/C was factory installed, not by the dealerIMG_0602.JPG
 
My 65' Pontiac lemans...It had a 400 stroked to a 455...4-spd. Muncie..
 
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But , I have this now 72' Monte Carlo Custom..It has a 402 BB bored and built by me...TH350 trans... runs great... ! 12 bolt 3.31 posi
 
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I'm not a huge fan of the tri-five 1955-57 chevy cars , similar to these pictures (posted below)
I found posted recently, I vastly prefer the styling on many of the 1965- to about 1975 muscle cars in general.
several of the guys I worked with and my b.i.l have owned tri-five cars and they have a great deal of parts support,
and a good deal more hood clearance, and much less complicated electronic/wiring,
than many of the later cars so that makes them much easier to work on.
(and one major reason many of my friends love them)

but at the local car show I was very impressed,
with the detail work some local guy had put into installing a ford, trucks 300 cid inch strait 6 cylinder, and some ford, over-drive auto transmission, into one of the cars .
now as most of you know I.m not particularly brand loyal, in that I appreciate anything thats well built and executed regardless of manufacturer.
I find it rather interesting when some guy takes the time and effort to think things through and do a clean, nearly factory appearing engine swap.
little details like nearly flawless paint, a clean neat engine compartment,
a really clean and impressive interior upholstery,
seats, door panels, head liner, dash and gauges,
just screams both the owners skills,
and the time and effort it took to achieve.

1955c.jpg

1955ca.jpg
 
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I don,t know about your areas, but in the smaller towns and some of the local ares there are several restaurants and shopping centers that sponsor frequent small car shows, and the local car clubs seem more than willing to make the rounds , so youll very frequently see at least one and not un-commonly two small local car shows or groups of gys displaying performance cars as groups as you drive around.
I passed a 1965 Pontiac le-mans at one of the local parking lot car shows today,
once I spotted that car, I had to stop and talk with the owner,
he had spent almost 15 years ,since he purchased the car,
IT was robins egg blue with a dark blue interior,
in the process of replacing the interior and he stated it took him several years,
too find a decent core, while finding a 428 Pontiac engine,

he had a local shop, rebuilt with a scat stroker crank kit,
he never mentioned the true displacement after the stroker kit was installed,
but the idle sure sounded impressive and obviously he has high compression.
pontiackscat.jpg

and higher compression pistons,
a th400 trans with a shift kit, and a 2600 rpm stall torque converter.
He had a set of 3.55:1 rear gears,air shocks, a set of aluminum, edelbrock heads
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/edl-61599/overview/make/pontiac
,and high flow water pump.
a crane hydraulic roller, cam,
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/crn-289651/overview/make/pontiac
Duration at 050 inch Lift:238 int./246 exh.
0.548 int./0.558 exh.


( he said he did not remember the number but it had almost .550 lift. and about 240 duration, I think this one fits the descriptions)
and edelbrock dual plane intake like this one pictured below
EDL-7551.jpg

and a Holley 750 cfm carb.
I was rather impressed!
as it was very similar to what I would have built ,
if I had decided to go with a Pontiac engine ,
rather than a BBC ENGINE and
no!
he had no intentions of selling the car...

I had too ask! (SERIOUS NOSTALGIA)

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...s-back-you-owned-years-back.12118/#post-58268

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...-resulting-from-an-engine-swap.898/#post-1450

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...-peanut-port-big-block-combo.2900/#post-36476

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...y-back-in-the-late-1960s-70s.5466/#post-16337

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...i-miss-the-older-muscle-cars.4211/#post-11077



http://www.classiccarcommunity.com/car-club/state/fl/

http://flacarshows.com/events/category/southeast-florida/

http://autopedia.com/html/AutomotiveClubs/FL.html



http://classiccardatabase.com/clubs.php

http://www.cruisenewsonline.com/CarClubs.html
 
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I just stopped at a local gas station, too fill up,
and in pulls a 1965 GTO almost identical to the pictures,
I posted above, Ill re-post here,
I got to talk to the driver for a few seconds,
the cars a 4 speed muncie with a 400 pontiac engine,
but it looked damn similar to my old Pontiac and ,
brought back a flood of nostalgia memories,
I really REALLY regret selling that car,

but being young and dumb at the time....things happen!
and no I was not in the financial position to offer him enough,
to make or seriously tempt him to make, a similar stupid muscle car sale!
(I would have loved too)
no it did not have a dana 60 rear axle or a serious 496 BBC, but even with that Pontiac V8 it sounded good.
today Id build a similar street/strip car with a 4l80e and a 3200 stall speed speed and a 3.73:1 rear gear ratio.
335cc AFR heads,
https://www.airflowresearch.com/335cc-bbc-rectangle-port-cylinder-head/
A dart block,
and if I had the finances a 10.5:1 compression roller cam, 604 BBC with throttle body direct port injection

Id be more concerned with, instantly accessable , massive mid range torque than peak hp,
4.5" bore and 4.75" stroke with a tall deck block and 6.7" rods

https://frsport.com/crower-01406lm-...MI_pzvsKfh3wIVlUsNCh3DVQklEAYYASABEgJRzPD_BwE
https://www.holley.com/products/fue...le_bodies/4_bbl_throttle_bodies/parts/112-577


300_563_1v2.jpg

https://www.holley.com/products/intakes/efi_manifolds/parts/300-563

64g1.jpg

64g2.jpg

64g3.jpg


http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...-resulting-from-an-engine-swap.898/#post-3239

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ket-race-not-transportation.14229/#post-72589

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/dana-60-all-the-same.12306/page-2#post-60637

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ear-axles-and-differentials.11848/#post-56202

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...of-you-smarter-guys-give-me-ideas-here.14736/
 
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I sold a Fawn Beige ‘62 Corvette with matching interior and both tops and my ‘23 T bucket. Miss them both!
 
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