The One That Got Away?

[War_Wagon]

If you are into cars of any sort, you probably have a tale of the "one that got away". A car you really wanted and you showed up to look at it a few minutes too late just to see it get sold to someone else, that sort of thing. So, what is your FE friendly one that got away?

I have two that haunt me, though one is still on the maybe list. The one that is gone was a one owner, black, '87 CRX Si 5 speed with 134,000 kms on it. The guy selling it was clueless, the car was filthy but no rust, anywhere. I figured I could wait him out on the price (I was broke), I had visions of swapping in a non-Si 5 speed and having a super light 1st gen CRX with fuel injection (only on the Si models in '87), and some FE freindly gear ratios. He wanted $1500, I offered him $1200 (that was seriously all I could scrounge up!). He said no, but I figured it wasn't going anywhere and he'd cave in. Nope, a week later he sold it for $1250!! Man that hurt! I always keep a $50 bill stashed away now, just so that never happens again!

The other one is a 1991 Civic Wagon. Last year of the wagon, it is a grey on grey, 5 speed car. It has the "deluxe" interior, and even has cruise control (never see that on Civics up here). Tiny bit of rust in one spot on the original paint. 225k KMs. It has a space saver spare on it, with one window smashed out and a bag half taped over the hole. I went to go look at it last August, the guy wasn't home but told me on the phone I could see it. I saw it and HAD to have it (see my name, I love my Civic wagons!), and was supposed to call him that night after 7pm when he was off work. Well I don't know if anyone here has ever experienced the fun that is a kidney stone, but I got one that day, at about 5:30pm. So while at the hospital waiting to get some painkillers, I missed calling him. I tried the next day, no good. I tried emailing, nothing. I figured someone else must have bought it. Nope, the car is STILL THERE. It will be our one year anniversary soon, I think I will go retape the bag over the smashed out window. It's in a big apartment building parking lot, so I can't just go knock on the front door. The cell number is inactive, and the guy never answers emails. That deal kills me, I want that car so bad and it just sits there rotting away!

So what's your story?

[Frank Lee]

Years ago I called an ad for a Toyota pickup; I was at work and told them I'd go straight there the minute I got off work. I did as promised, only to arrive and see the truck driving away with the new owner. Burn!

Then there is the Honda Super Cub I've been lusting after forever. I actually saw one sitting out- presumably for sale as there was no sign on it. Nobody answered the door at the crummy "business" location it was at either. So I went home and tracked down the name and number of the outfit online. I called and left messages. The next day I went back and guess what- the Cub was gone. Turns out the business was open the next morning and someone bought it that morning for $50. Never did get a callback.

Oh, there's the time me and "my best friend" went out "junking"- hunting collectibles and whatnot. The agreement was, who spotted something first had the dibs. So I was driving and I spotted nothing more than a car's roofline way off in the distance. I hit the brakes and said "There's something cool back there but I don't know what it is. Something '50s." It was on private property and nobody was home. So unbeknownst to me, my friend goes back the next day- somebody was home then- and buys the '57 Lincoln Premiere 2-door hardtop with a/c out from under me for a song. So much for that agreement. I no longer go "junking" with that individual.

[trooper Tdiesel]

was a RS trooper its a Short Wheel Base, 2 door, with gearing seldom found there common every where but the USA

only sold in 89 state side...and truly just a few 1,000 of them in the USA
IT WAS THE FIRST STOCK AUTO TO DRIVE THE jEEP RUBICON TRAIL AND NOT NEED A TOW
was rust free....clean....and road ready


when you add a imported T\D its a 30 mpg ride


another one same type of auto.......was in the Ofarta cars clunker program, i was sick for a few weeks after that one.
it looked very road worthy as wellwell that is before liquid glass was put in the oil system

[slowmover]

The 1968 Shelby Mustang 500KR with 36k miles, loaded & mint, for sale in 1982 for an asking price of $9,500 at Kenray Ford in Dallas. Missed it due to finance paperwork by one day. An easy $110k today.

[Ryland]

A few years back there was a 1981 HMV FreeWay for sale for $1,200, I looked at it a few times and it sat there for almost a month before I had saved up enough that I could think about buying it, by that time it was gone, saw another one recently for sale for about $5,000 that needed a bit of work so I passed on it.

My other car I ended up owning for almost a year, a 1981 Honda Civic hatchback without a speck of rust on it, when I bought it 3rd gear was missing so I swapped in an FE transmission and was getting over 40mpg with it, amazing little car, like driving a CRX with a full back seat! but after owning it for a year I found a house I wanted to buy, I was $1,000 short so I sold the car to a friend of mine with the condition that if she ever wanted to sell it for any reason that she give me first dibs and I would pay her $1,000 for it, 2 months later the car was rear ended while parked and was totaled.

[Frank Lee]

Oh- there's the red 944 I've been lusting after for decades... found one, called the guy but it was many hundreds of miles away so I'd come after work Friday... get there and even waving the cash in front of his nose didn't work as he'd just promised to sell it to some snot nose high school kid... if the kid comes up with the money. Somehow, he did. I said no high school kid deserves a car of that caliber!

[Arragonis]

Slightly the other way, the first car I sold myself as opposed to just trading in was my reshelled MG Midget. A guy rang me and asked some decent questions. Told me he was retired and lived not far away and said he would come round. Didn't show. Repeated this about 3-4 times over the next week or so. Eventually another guy turned up with the money and drove away happy. Of course buyer 1 calls and I have to say the car has gone. So I get loads of abuse and end up hanging up on the guy.

[dcb]

yah, I always make it clear when selling that the first one to show up with the money gets it. I will make allowances if someone calls me and says they are on their way, but otherwise I never turn away an actual buyer for someones BS excuses.

Seems like more often than not those "string you along" buyers don't pan out, so don't ever put yourself in that position as a seller, you are the one taking all the risk until the thing is actually sold. I always cringe when I call and someone has "promised" to hold the vehicle for no reason at all.

[larrybuck]

I was at the selling end w regrets: I found a nice Robin egg blue '57 Chevy 2dr post 210 w tired 6 cyl. and 3 on tree. It was non rusty, and straight. Got it for $60.!

I already had a '55 w 283 that I liked better. I put the '57 in an ad for $110. one week later. A female bought it, drove it too hard, broke something, and called back a month later; mad, wanting her money back. I should have happily paid her, and towed it back home; but no....I went on and on over the phone explaining to her what selling as is in the bill of sale; what it means!!! SIGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Frederick]

I was offered a Nash-Healy for $400.
I was in high school but was tinkering and helping out a buddy with a Model A. No money of course.
A kooky kind of guy who lived in a train wagon spanning a small creek was selling me TWO, yes TWO Amphicars, a friend and I opened the rear hood to examine the condition of the engine, the car had been sitting for a while and the owner had put a blanket over the engine. Wasps had built a huge nest in it. We opened the hood and I think I won some type of race that day. My friend wasn't so lucky as he fell and snapped a finger.
Way back, when Morgan came out with the Plus 8, I ordered one from Metro Motors in Windsor.$2800.00 but before delivery I found the car that I really wanted then for $1800.00....a MG TD and I cancelled and lost my deposit. Guess what that Morgan is worth today?
I won't talk about the aluminum bodied Jaguar XK120...only a few built......I guess I loved the automobile form all my life.
I'll tell you one thing though, even though I'm black and blue from kicking myself I am really enjoying my Freeway:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vAY...eature=related