Ah, the good 'ol days...

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pishta

pishta

I know I'm right....
Joined
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Remember those deals you let slip between your fingers becauue you were a poor high school kid with only a part time job? Saw this on a website (Just a blast from the past site) and remembered a few, like a six pack R/T Challenger for $1800 when I was in high school.....
1964-afx-dodge.jpg
 
I also remember all the cars I would not buy because of a little rust . Now those would be a find or considered almost rust free.
 
Yeah, I remember those days. I was a youngun, didn't quite have the scratch to buy a couple of cars I really wanted.


These aren't the actual cars, I have lost a few pics over the years and some are stored away.

74 Cuda, lady wanted 400 bucks for it..

View attachment cuda.jpg

67 Impala SS 427 400 bucks

View attachment 67.jpg

65 Impala SS 327, which I did buy for 100 bucks.

View attachment 65.jpg
 
Here's one that I'm still kicking my self for . Waaay back when , I bought two 67 GTX's and a pick up truck full of extra parts for both for $1500 off the same guy as a package deal . One was a 440 car and the other one was a Hemi car . I decided to keep the 440 car because the only thing that was wrong with it is that it needed some work on one quarter . The Hemi car needed a lot more body work and such . So I sold the Hemi car for $1500 and then sold off the other parts that I didn't need . After all , who needs three Dana rear ends and such ? After I sold the Hemi car I lost the storage I had for the 440 car so a friend ( at the time ) said I could park it at his house until I found a spot to park it at . He would need me to leave the tittle with him just in case there was any issue's with the town . Well about two weeks after that I get a call from my friend ( at the time ) and he said that I had to get it out of there . I told him to please give me a week or so to find a spot . He called me back about a day later and left me a message that he'd junked it . He had to get it out of there . Every time I tried calling him back he wasn't home and he didn't live that close to me so It wasn't that easy to just go by his house . But whenever I got the chance I did get over there and his wife would tell me he wasn't home . I later found out that he had sold the GTX "not" junked it . I'm "still" looking for that **** !
 
In the summer of 1970 I was working in a gas station. The owner.s brother in law had a car for sale. It was a 1940 Ford Deluxe Coup. The body was in great shape all the trim was there. It has a 389 tri-power engine with a 4 speed.All in all a super car. The guy was asking $350.00. Only one problem. He said it was his late brother's car. He said he was to get the car. His sister in law said the car was her's and she had the title. Oh well!
 
I bought a complete exellent condition all numbers matching 1969 Roadrunner for $1,200 out of a used car lot in the late 70's

Bought a 66 Tbirb like the one Inkjunkie listed for his friend, that had ONE little tiny dent about the size of a marble on the roof, but otherwise in REALLY nice condition for $300

Had to pass on a bunch of cars back then also.
56 Tbird completely drivable with no body damage for 300 bucks.
Running, driving 1968 Belvedere, 600 bucks
1958 Ford pickup (complete and running) for 800 bucks

There were about 10 more not really worth mentioning, but I had 5 or 6 cars and trucks when I was about 15 years old and my Parents got a little annoyed.

One of my favs was my 46 Ford pickup with a flat head V8, but I was too young to drive on the streets when I got that one all together and running.
 
most of us didn't have anymore money then than now. figure cost of inflation.
 
There have been many "shoulduvs" for me but one that stands out is when in 1982 the owner of a local service station wanted to sell his 1970 Hemi Cuda so he could have funding to open a tire shop. The wife and I kicked the purchase around a while and decided I didn't really have a place to keep it protected and out of the elements, and it wouldn't be very practical anyway since it would be difficult to haul two kids.
 
I would have to say passing on a 70 LS6...4 speed Chevelle that needed a windsheild,back window and trunk lid(vandalized) for $ 500.00 from the insurance company in 1976.
 
looking the other way...I sold a S&W Model 29 .44 mag with the 10.5" barrel for $100 to the UPS man. I didnt have any papers on it. looked identical to this, had less than 50 rounds through it with 2 speed loaders, Pachmayer grips and a hard case...I needed the money more than an artillery piece at a buck a bullet to boot. Marine roommate owed me money on his last day in...pay up buddy!
9567792_1.jpg
 
It's not the ones that I could have bought that I have thought about. It's the ones I sold for next to nothing. 70 Mach1, 70 340 Duster, 70 1/2 SS/RS Camaro, 69 GTO Judge, 72 Vette, 78 Z28. I had lots of them.

Jack
 
So many cars that came and went. One car that I wish I would have pursued more was a one owner 70 GTX, silver and black. Tried to buy it once, got told no, and wasn't smart enough to stay in touch with them over the years after I moved.
 
Back in the mid 80s to mid 90s, I passed up:

77 Trans Am 400 4 speed T tops spun bearing $600
67 GTX Hemi auto no engine or trans $550
66 Charger Hemi auto stripped to the bare shell $250
70 Barracuda Gran Coupe 318 auto hit all the way back the driver side $150
67 Mustang coupe 289 auto engine locked up $150
73 Nova SS 350 4 speed rough but driving $250

and many, many more. These are the ones that jump to mind. Also did some rather regretful selling back then:

70 Cuda 340 4 speed red with black painted top, rough, no engine, sold for $600
70 Challenger SE 318 auto, engine seized, no windshield or hood, sold for $400
72 Charger SE 318 auto, inspected, running, driving, sold for $450
72 Charger SE 400 4bbl auto, rough but mostly complete, sold for $400
Again many, many more....
 
In 1977 I passed on a '63 split window Corvette for $8000. I was a broke 17 year old who couldn't even keep $8 in his pocket.
 
pishta said:
Remember those deals you let slip between your fingers becauue you were a poor high school kid with only a part time job? Saw this on a website (Just a blast from the past site) and remembered a few, like a six pack R/T Challenger for $1800 when I was in high school.....
1964-afx-dodge.jpg
Click to expand...

My dad's been friends with the guy who bought THAT car from THAT very ad (Pete Haldiman) since the mid 60's. They worked together.

You could hold that bumper with one finger.

I remember going to Pete's old house when we were kids. An exceptional Hemi car for every year 1964 to 1970. Every year super stock hemi, 66 hemi satellite, 69 hemi Daytona, 70 hemi challenger. He drove the '66 to work (LA City Hall) every once in while.

He got bugged once because he sold a restored 1969 Hemi Charger 500 for $8500 and the new owner flipped it for $11K...In the 80's. That's the one in Automobile Quarterly with the black vinyl top.
 
pishta said:
Remember those deals you let slip between your fingers becauue you were a poor high school kid with only a part time job? Saw this on a website (Just a blast from the past site) and remembered a few, like a six pack R/T Challenger for $1800 when I was in high school.....
1964-afx-dodge.jpg
Click to expand...

Lol , Bruce Caldwell.. Major Hot Rod Mag guy, at the time . Always was a Ford/ Mustang guy.(lol). I'M 16 , just got my D.L ....The old man put a kibosh on : A 396/325 RS Camaro, a 65 Mustang fastback (915 dollars!!!. My favorite was a primer black 4 door Satellite, 68 vintage. High compression, Purple shafted {.484 maybe ?) 600 bones, 1983 price....
 
The ONE that always comes to mind is the "66 altered wheel base Barracuda" in perfect condition for $800. All it needed was an engine and tranny and I had a brand new 426 stage 3 wedge and hemi 4-speed sitting in the garage. The wife said NOOOOO!! :) oh well, would still like to know where it went.
 
stansblue72 said:
Passed up a nice rust free 67 gtx for $1400.00 back in the 80's.
Click to expand...

about that same time there was a bright green one (probably more likely a '68 or '69) in town here in an empty lot for about $1200. I remember driving by and thinking how nice it looked, but not being smart enough to stop and get the phone number lol.
 
Coyote Jack said:
It's not the ones that I could have bought that I have thought about. It's the ones I sold for next to nothing. 70 Mach1, 70 340 Duster, 70 1/2 SS/RS Camaro, 69 GTO Judge, 72 Vette, 78 Z28. I had lots of them.

Jack
Click to expand...

I think most of us older guys have a list similar to this.
69 Coronet R/T
69 Camaro RS/SS
69 Mustang 429 Boss
67 Chevelle SS
70 Chevelle SS 454 4 SPD Convertible

If I kept going, the list would be long. And then there are the ones I didn't buy.
 
us older guys that have been in the hobby since say, the 80's, many times have a long list of cars we've owned and sold only later to see their value go up or way up!?? that's life....
I may well be wrong, but I would bet now is a good time to latch onto some cars.
 
I mowed yards when I was young, and an old lady across the street from one of my yards has a 1960 Thunderbird. It was garage kept and had like 40,000 miles. She offered it to me for $500 when she quit driving, but at the time it might as well have been $50,000. I was broke.
 
In 1985 I was 18 years old, had just wrecked my 65 coronet.
Drove my 1968 A100 van up to look at a 70 Challenger R/T 440 six pac, 4-speed, dana 3.54 car, the car was white with a black interior, really nice ran great.
Made a deal with the owner for $900 and told them I would be back with the cash the next day.
The flood of 85 hit drove 1/2 way there the next day with the cash, could not drive no farther up the road because the interstate was shut down.
Called the owner up on a pay phone (remember them) they said don't bother coming up because the garage the car was in is under water !!!!
 
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