I wish I had bought that.........

[MB911]

I thought we might share a few stories of cars we were offered but turned down, only to later regret.

 

Doesn't have to be P cars.

 

I was offered a one owner 40k Brock VK Group A commodore for $26k in 1996. Same car sold for nearly $90k in 2003.

 

The Aussie muscle car boom, who could have predicted it....

[maxy]

Ive got heaps of " if only " stories but the most recent is I sold a Torana SS 308 hatchbank for $15000 to buy my 911 for $18000 in 2004. Now the Torana would get $50000 plus easy. The 911 might get $35000 on a good day. I bought a GTHO in 1986 for $15000.Yes genuine GTHO with race history. In the '80s an ex race car was considered a flogged out shit box. Found out it was a bit dodgy. Long story. I threatened the seller with legal action and got my 15 grand back a week later. I can go on and on.

[maxy]

In around 1991 I sold an immaculate one owner XA GT, I was second owner, for $11000 to buy my first Porsche. A 924 that was a total shit heap for $11000. All I wanted was a Porsche. I've always wanted one. Lucky I sold it for what I payed for it after 6 months. If I still had the XAGT it would be worth over $50000. The 924 would be worth $2000 on a good day

[maxy]

I can go on and on. Ive bought and sold heaps of cars. I was a big fan of GT's. The last GT I owned was a XA GT coupe in 1993. It was the car everyone wants now. A red 2 door, black interior, although a little rough. I sold it for $2800. I couldn't give it away it seemed. That car now restored would be worth 80 to 100K

[oldblade]

What about what you know your going to regret

I am looking at a race car and 996 gt3s are going for cheap right now cause the new 991 gt3 is coming/here you can get them for about 60k

And I am sure in tye future they will be worth way more but my budget wont stretch

[wasserkuhl]

My Father and I looked at a Genuine A9X Torana with Twun Webers back in the early 1980's, it was a HDT back up car.

 

I remembered that it was pretty basic but looked wicked with the GTS rims. We passed on it as , wait for it, it didn't have air conditioning or a stereo.

 

$17k it was. It had done 15k kms.

 

How much would that be worth now? Probably 130k+.

 

Dad wouldn't have kept it though even if he had bought it.

 

The amount of original XU-1's Ive test driven is shocking as well. all for below 20k.

 

Doesn't matter. Retrospect sucks and is only good for ensuring you don't make the same mistake twice.....

[maxy]

In 1980 a mates brother bought a GTR XU1, an ex race car that had raced at Bathurst apparently. It was a fully seam welded shell with roll cage and a motor from hell. I remember it was a worn out heap that he wouldn't of payed more than 2 grand for.

[maxy]

A mate in the mid '80s in the GT falcon club turned up with his recently bought car. It was an XY GT with Race history. He recond it was an ex Bathurst car. I remember him pointing out how under the bonnet was all seam welded and the shock towers were gusseted. It had a rollcage and super hot motor. He payed $8000 for this worn out ex race car. We all thought he got ripped off.

[maxy]

A workmate of mine swapped a genuine 2nd owner A9X hatchback for a '95 commodore V8 worth 30K in '96 because his misses wanted a family car. The A9x would be now worth $150000 maybe. The Commodore maybe $2000

[MB911]

My Father and I looked at a Genuine A9X Torana with Twun Webers back in the early 1980's, it was a HDT back up car.

 

I remembered that it was pretty basic but looked wicked with the GTS rims. We passed on it as , wait for it, it didn't have air conditioning or a stereo.

 

$17k it was. It had done 15k kms.

 

How much would that be worth now? Probably 130k+.

 

Dad wouldn't have kept it though even if he had bought it.

 

The amount of original XU-1's Ive test driven is shocking as well. all for below 20k.

 

Doesn't matter. Retrospect sucks and is only good for ensuring you don't make the same mistake twice.....

 

I painted an A9X hatchback for a bloke in 1991, it was immaculate when I finished it, the motor had webers (Built to Group C spec he said), everything rebuilt, every bolt,  offered it to me for $19k. In 1991  $19k may as well have been $190K, I didn't have it...

 

Same car now, probably $120k

[maxy]

A friend of mine bought a GTHO in the late '80s. It was the perfect barn find although we had never heard of that term in those days. It was owned by a farmer who had bought it new, thrown a rod out the side of the block and parked it in the late '70s. My mate found it in the late '80s and bought it for $8000. We all thought he was mad and payed way too much for a rusty old Falcon with a hole in the block. He had the body restored and painted. He wasn't happy with the paint job so lost interest in it. A bloke offered $30000 for it the early '90s when a perfect GTHO was worth $50000. We coudnt belive someone would pay so much for a GT Falcon. Then in 2010 they were pushing 1 MIL $$$. Who on earth would pay that sort of money for an old GT Falcon. The value of old Aussie Muscle cars still shocks me. The cars I could buy for half what they recon a GTHO is worth.

[Rossnall]

In about 1996 I was about $3K short of buying an original HK GTS Bathurst Special with less than 20K km. for $14K. It had just been put back on the road after being stored for about 15 years and was perfect. Warwick yellow with the black stripe and i think it still had the redwall tyres too. Had full books and even a mint original dealer sticker on the back window.

The guy said he had a HK, a HT and a HG, all Bathursts.

And the XC Cobra that was pretty crap and rusty, but matching numbers for $200.

[maxy]

In the 80's I looked at a Genuine HK 350 Bathurst Monaro for $5000. We thought it was way overpriced. Now there worth over 100K

[maxy]

In the late '90s I looked at a Goss special 2 door Falcon for $6000. Thought it was too much. Heaps of rust. Now I've seen them for sale for 100K. As they say in the movies " tell em their dreamin "

[maxy]

One ill never forget was a De Tomaso Pantera in need of a paint job advertised in the Sydney Morning Herald in the mid '80s for $20000. It may have been 20 mill to me at that time

[maxy]

In the mid '80s I would buy the Saturday edition of the Sydney Morning Herald to check out car prices. I remember late '60s early '70's 911's were around 10-11 grand.

[Harvs11]

I went to a race car auction down in Oakleigh in about 91-92. There were a heap of just superseded VL group A cars going crazy cheap with spare engines, boxes suspension etc.  But the one that sticks in my mind was an ex-P.Brock 05 HDT Torana  hatchback.  Nobody wanted it.  Passed in at $45K.  I found out later that $50K would have owned it.  If only...

 

 

[OZ930]

GTHO Ph 3 $4000 (theft recovery, stripped and packed in boxes, complete)

L34 $6000 new

L34 $3500

Lotus Cortina $2000

A9X GMP&A from the factory $3500 (hatch or sedan) had to be at the factory to pick it up the day it was built

Bonds Racing A9X $10,000 (not Colin Bond) Grice bought it and won Bathurst then wrote it off at next race.

E49 R/T Charger $4000

HQ 2 door Monaro $4000

Dino $20,000

[OzJustin]

My story involves a 944 Turbo S with Garrett GT3071 conversion, Haltech ECU, top end refresh, new clutch, exhaust etc for $19k.  I turned it down at the time because the guards red paint was very poor and in need of a respray.  If I had my time again...

[edgy]

What about what you know your going to regret

I am looking at a race car and 996 gt3s are going for cheap right now cause the new 991 gt3 is coming/here you can get them for about 60k

And I am sure in tye future they will be worth way more but my budget wont stretch

Are you referring to a 996 cup? Because you sure as hell cannot get near a nice 996.1 let alone 996.2 road car for that kind of money.....

[LeeM]

A ridgy didge Mk 1 Lotus Cortina race car (Appendix J is it?) I couldve bought for $5000 10 years ago with minor panel damage

I still kick meself for not buying that

My mates A9X Torana a few years ago for $10k which I thought was way over priced. He recently sold it for $70k and bought a sailboat and continues to remind me how I shouldve bought it. I remind him that he has a sailboat and I have a Porsche, so we've squared up there! 

 

More recently a 67 Camaro RHD and rego'd in Adelaide for $20k a year or so ago. My second favourite car to a 911

Whats worse is that my neighbour has just finished his 800hp 68 Camaro and drives past my joint nearly every day and beeps his horn  just to annoy me. Like I couldnt hear him without the horn!

It sounds like a war has just started when he hits the loud pedal

[Airhead]

1980. Walked past a 356 C Roadster that was $7000. Was looking at a 911T the guy was selling for 12k. Didn't buy either.

Damn damn damn...........

[Guest Harold]

In 1981 I had a 351 manual 4 on the floor ford ute with LSD at work. It went like the clappers but in my wisdom I decided it was too noisy and sold it for $1000. Cest la vie.