Which one do you wish you kept?

[Alan Prost]

I’m not sure if this one has been done before or not, but as many of us have time on our hands....

So as many of us tire and tinker and shift thing ons, I’m sure like myself many must have that niggle of regret of letting something go, especially if it was for a silly reason!

I’ll start the ball rolling with my 67 Saab 96 V4 that even had a green estate donor car that would of also now of been worth keeping, this was about 17 years ago and the younger me let it go as I didn’t want to pay for the potential welding that the bulkhead required..... if I had a Delorean I’d go straight back and sort myself out......

tear in the eye....

 

 

[motorpunk]

Volvo 850R TWR spec.

Porsche 968 Sport.

I also have fuzzy feelings for my ‘96 Honda Accord.

[lesapandre]

Jaguar XK140 fixed head 1954. Very quick and fun - I got an indicated 130mph out of it (was young and crazy). £2000 in 1980. Cheapest runners needing work around 30k.

Not mine - this was recently for sale in Los Angeles at 30k.

[DVee8]

A Nissan Bluebird ZX turbo G88NGR red 4 door saloon

A Nissan Primera GT red 4 door saloon can remember the reg

A 1974 M Ford Capri 3.0 Ghia in orange.

A p reg Mini clubman in yellow with Datsun 120Y front seats.

[Three Speed]

1984 CX GTi Turbo series 1

2000 Ford Crown Victoria 

[Supernaut]

Not as interesting as other contributions, but this:

It was a 2.0HDi that I put a cheeky stage 1 remap on. It just did everything well. It drove nicely, was comfy, did mega MPGs and, being an estate, could carry stuff too.

[puddlethumper]

Austin Champ.

Mk1 Capri 3000s.

Ford Canada.

Vauxhall Ventora.

[Out Run]

Couldn’t get it in the garage, and it was ancient to drive, so had it beaver tailed away.

[95 quid Peugeot]

Gilbern Invader

TR4

Bristol 603

Porsche 928

Mustang Mach1

Renault Dauphine 

[Zelandeth]

There's a lot of cars I could say "I wish I'd kept..." However there are only a few I honestly regret.

1. 1980 Austin MiniMetro HLE.

As far as I can tell it was plundered for the engine most likely for a Mini pretty much as soon as I sold it.  Common sense be damned, I'd buy it back in a millisecond if I could.

2. 1996 Lada Niva 1.7i Hussar.

Sold in a fit of common sense.  Though admittedly I was commuting nearly 100 miles a day, and at 26mpg it was bankrupting me!

3. 1988 Renault 25 (Mk I) 2.2 Monaco.

Don't even have a proper photo of it sadly...just a gorgeous car all round and so, so comfy.  Freebie from the garage I worked at.  It needed work on the rear suspension for an MOT.  Never saw it again after my father took it for the MOT.  Stereo was epic...first time I can recall *feeling* as well as hearing music.

These are the only two photos I have of it.

Was a lovely coppery-bronzey colour too.  Definitely wasn't just dull brown, especially in the sun it was a lovely colour and suited the car so well.  Think it was unique to the Monaco badged models.

Edited April 22, 2020 by Zelandeth
Added Photos of the R25

[motorpunk]

2 minutes ago, 95 quid Peugeot said:

Bristol 603

Tell us more!

[bigstraight6]

My first car back in May 1985, I wish I’d kept it as it was a cracker and better than the example I own now. I was only 17 and ran it fault free for about 6 months and had my head turned by a customised Ford Anglia 105E and bought it,  sold the Zodiac to a chap I worked with at the time for slightly more than I’d paid for it, but I could have easily have kept it and the newly purchased Anglia back in those days. RIP 300 YYB....

[Inspiral_Mondays]

VW Golf Mk2 GTi 16V. Same colour as this one.

Sold after 3 years ownership for exactly what I paid for it in the mistaken belief I could find something better to drive. In my opinion this was the best sporty Golf VW ever made. For its time a simply unbeatable combination of performance, handling and space. Was even reasonably economical.

[Billy - Medhurst]

Having had nearly 400 cars since 1987 ( Passed test in 89 mind you - "ahem" ) I need some time to think.

 

[face]

1977 Escort MK2 1300 Sport

1985 Nova Sport

1987 Mazda 323 GT

1999 Puma 1.4

[bramz7]

Loads.

Here we go 

AX TZX. Nice to drive bar occasional stalling, sold for reasons unclear and never taxed since.

Rare Bravo with wooden steering wheel which was an official Fiat accessory. Scrapped by the knuckle head who bought it off of me.

Possibly my perfect car except it didn't have cruise. Still around and since resprayed. 

Best drivers car I've ever owned. Got this mega cheap off of eBay. Even has red leather. Now with six cylinder. 

Again, loads of fun. Now with Bickle

Utterly grim spec wise but fun. 

Sold this as the key fob issue made me worried. Dumb. Drove so nicely. So solid too

Wish I'd actually got the issues sorted before selling for another AX. With wuvvum now. 

Again more or less a perfect daily albeit quite good at understeer and slower than hoped, but it was the best lazy mile eater ever. 

I'd buy another of any of the above without hesitation but sadly none appear and I'm not as financially irresponsible anymore.

 

[Alan Prost]

11 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

There's a lot of cars I could say "I wish I'd kept..." However there are only a few I honestly regret.

1. 1980 Austin MiniMetro HLE.

As far as I can tell it was plundered for the engine most likely for a Mini pretty much as soon as I sold it.  Common sense be damned, I'd buy it back in a millisecond if I could.

2. 1996 Lada Niva 1.7i Hussar.

Sold in a fit of common sense.  Though admittedly I was commuting nearly 100 miles a day, and at 26mpg it was bankrupting me!

3. 1988 Renault 25 (Mk I) 2.2 Monaco.

Don't even have a proper photo of it sadly...just a gorgeous car all round and so, so comfy.  Freebie from the garage I worked at.  It needed work on the rear suspension for an MOT.  Never saw it again after my father took it for the MOT.  Stereo was epic...first time I can recall *feeling* as well as hearing music.

Was a lovely coppery-bronzey colour too.  Definitely wasn't just dull brown, especially in the sun it was a lovely colour and suited the car so well.  Think it was unique to the Monaco badged models.

No 1 the Metro gave me a flash back to being 17, my mate Michael had one that he wanted to pimp from a base to a S model (if it even existed), so I remember going to the scrappy and getting a set of those pepper pots off a dead metro for him.

[Alan Prost]

1 minute ago, bramz7 said:

Loads.

Here we go 

AX TZX. Nice to drive bar occasional stalling, sold for reasons unclear and never taxed since.

Rare Bravo with wooden steering wheel which was an official Fiat accessory. Scrapped by the knuckle head who bought it off of me.

Possibly my perfect car except it didn't have cruise. Still around and since resprayed. 

Best drivers car I've ever owned. Got this mega cheap off of eBay. Even has red leather. Now with six cylinder. 

Again, loads of fun. Now with Bickle

Utterly grim spec wise but fun. 

Sold this as the key fob issue made me worried. Dumb. Drove so nicely. So solid too

Wish I'd actually got the issues sorted before selling for another AX. With wuvvum now. 

Again more or less a perfect daily albeit quite good at understeer and slower than hoped, but it was the best lazy mile eater ever. 

I'd buy another of any of the above without hesitation but sadly none appear and I'm not as financially irresponsible anymore.

 

Was that a factory option on the Marea or a dodgy aftermarket spoiler as it looked all fitted nicely?

[ProgRocker]

None of my previous cars, to be honest. All have been a bit dull or unsuitable in one way or another.

[Zelandeth]

2 minutes ago, Alan Prost said:

...scrappy and getting a set of those pepper pots off a dead metro for him.

Those came from my first one...which was plainly a "Friday afternoon car" made with whatever was laying around the factory.

Half the rear brakes were metric, half were imperial.  Had MG Metro calipers on the front...despite the low compression version of the 998cc engine really not needing them!

It was an utter shed, but it was my first road legal car so I have fond memories.  Despite it frequently trying to asphyxiate us and the diff making some *really* interesting noises.  What did you expect for £120?

The yellow one was from the peak of Metros being worth nothing.

Subframes were still shiny.  Year's test, six months tax, 17K miles, drove like a brand new car.  Heck, even the lock on the choke knob worked properly.

£2 at the auction.  £26 after fees.  I got £450 for it when I sold it...still wish I'd kept her.

[bramz7]

10 minutes ago, Alan Prost said:

Was that a factory option on the Marea or a dodgy aftermarket spoiler as it looked all fitted nicely?

I believe it was off of a Renault 19 16v. It did have factory leather though. 

[lesapandre]

29 minutes ago, Out Run said:

Couldn’t get it in the garage, and it was ancient to drive, so had it beaver tailed away.

Beauford? You could have made a lot doing weddings...

[lesapandre]

14 minutes ago, bramz7 said:

Loads.

Here we go 

AX TZX. Nice to drive bar occasional stalling, sold for reasons unclear and never taxed since.

Rare Bravo with wooden steering wheel which was an official Fiat accessory. Scrapped by the knuckle head who bought it off of me.

Possibly my perfect car except it didn't have cruise. Still around and since resprayed. 

Best drivers car I've ever owned. Got this mega cheap off of eBay. Even has red leather. Now with six cylinder. 

Again, loads of fun. Now with Bickle

Utterly grim spec wise but fun. 

Sold this as the key fob issue made me worried. Dumb. Drove so nicely. So solid too

Wish I'd actually got the issues sorted before selling for another AX. With wuvvum now. 

Again more or less a perfect daily albeit quite good at understeer and slower than hoped, but it was the best lazy mile eater ever. 

I'd buy another of any of the above without hesitation but sadly none appear and I'm not as financially irresponsible anymore.

 

Is the Renault still alive somewhere? I remember when you had it for sale. I regret not buying it!

[95 quid Peugeot]

26 minutes ago, motorpunk said:

Tell us more!

Big pointless gas guzzling monolith..

Loved it

[Alan Prost]

26 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

Not as interesting as other contributions, but this:

It was a 2.0HDi that I put a cheeky stage 1 remap on. It just did everything well. It drove nicely, was comfy, did mega MPGs and, being an estate, could carry stuff too.

Always liked the 306 estate, but never owned one, had no idea you could tinker with them and make them have a bit of shock and awe.. I recently had a mk 4 golf gti, the much slated variety but it was a factory 180bhp model fitted with an Audi S3 turbo, alot of fun and great for upsetting people in their newer cars that never expected an old golf to spank them!

Not even a rear spoiler to give it away, rockin about 215/220 bhp, doesn't sound alot but plenty enough!

[bramz7]

@lesapandre yes it is, but the current owner put it up for sale, they seemingly wanted near £2k and I don't think it currently has MOT. 

Nice enough car for the oddity but not £2k worth personally. 

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Ok , I’m assuming that wishing I’d kept all the old Fords I’ve ever had , just because they’re worth a fortune, doesn’t count , likewise Citroen’s, Renaults and Easten Bloc oddballs, just because it might make me cool ( on here, not real life obvs) 

No, what I really wish I’d kept were all  the 5 series BMWs I’ve owned from 528 carb e12 through 518 and 528i e28 , 530d Sport and 525d SE e39  to the 530d e61:that snapped its camchain. And the old e34 520 auto I got a couple of years ago. All of them were just bloody good cars, I know it’s a cliche trotted out by journos on a regular basis , but a 5 , any 5 is all the car you need.

I have no idea why I’ve not got one at the moment apart from the stupid chocolate cam chains on 2.0F10s.

[Alan Prost]

33 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

There's a lot of cars I could say "I wish I'd kept..." However there are only a few I honestly regret.

1. 1980 Austin MiniMetro HLE.

As far as I can tell it was plundered for the engine most likely for a Mini pretty much as soon as I sold it.  Common sense be damned, I'd buy it back in a millisecond if I could.

2. 1996 Lada Niva 1.7i Hussar.

Sold in a fit of common sense.  Though admittedly I was commuting nearly 100 miles a day, and at 26mpg it was bankrupting me!

3. 1988 Renault 25 (Mk I) 2.2 Monaco.

Don't even have a proper photo of it sadly...just a gorgeous car all round and so, so comfy.  Freebie from the garage I worked at.  It needed work on the rear suspension for an MOT.  Never saw it again after my father took it for the MOT.  Stereo was epic...first time I can recall *feeling* as well as hearing music.

Was a lovely coppery-bronzey colour too.  Definitely wasn't just dull brown, especially in the sun it was a lovely colour and suited the car so well.  Think it was unique to the Monaco badged models.

I also had a 25 V6 automatic, I was about 25 and paid 550 notes for it, phase 2 model on a G plate I think, odd spec as had cloth seats, crap talking computer, my first automatic that I recall taking a girl to France for a daytrip and ended up having a bite to eat, once finished got back in the said car and found it would not start. Huge sinking heart as of course no breakdown cover, 5 mins later worked out I had left it in D........... what a knobhead!!

[AndyW201]

I had a few Merc 190Es, this was my favourite, in practically my holy grail spec and colour scheme,

Bornite metallic paint, with the 2.6 6-cylinder engine and factory Sportline chassis pack. Immaculate cream leather inside.

Apologies for another 190. This was just an ordinary 2.0 manual, but I loved the colour and with the Lorinser rims I fitted and the slight lowering job, I was happy with how it turned out. (The German plates, clear corners and Hella smoked tail lights were quite in vogue at the time...)

[spartacus]

I had a BMW e28 5 series that had been fitted with a Chevy 350cu (5.7L) V8. It had a Toyota Supra manual box and the factory LSD. The conversion had been well done and the engine was undoubtedly the most characterful and lusty I've owned, it would embarrass big bikes, Porsches, TVRs etc.

Only in the dry though. Tyre tech wasn't quite there in the mid-late '90's and it was almost undriveable if the road was remotely damp. There are many cars I've owned that I'm sure are best kept as fond memories but if I could have this again I know it would be all the car I need.