Cars you never bought - but wished you had

[Blue 850]

Fiat 127 Sport for £250 in 1996 . I didn't buy because of rust around the windscreen. it was the hens teeth rare silver colour. 

3 dr black Saab 99 Turbo that was left in to a garage I worked, around 1993 for a roadworthiness test for insurance .Turned out the young lad who had just bought it couldn't get it insured and asked if any of us in the garage wanted it. Iirc £200 would have bought it

[GregZX]

One of the last registered K plate Sierra Cosworths back in 1997. It was in a Ford dealer in Glasgow. Moonstone in colour. Only £7k if I remember correctly and the 24 year old me had agreed the finance but not the insurance. The look on the salesman’s face was priceless when I told him that.  Despite both his and my best efforts the insurance was utterly unaffordable, it was more than the car if I remember correctly. I actually wept walking out of that dealer. 
 

AlThe irony is now I could easily afford the insurance on one, just couldn’t afford the bloody car now. 

[Mrcento]

Undoubtedly a Clio Williams with an MOT for £800.

The fact it had rot needing chopped out of a rear wheelarch is what put me off. Was thinking even best case scenario, bodyshop by the time paint etc came into it and the no doubt other things needing addressed, i'd more into it for 3k+.

Yeah.... go look at their values now,  Even within 6 months of that, i'd have turned the easiest 2 grand ever, they rocketed in a way i've never seen a hot hatch rocket, it was a 5k car in under a year, it's now more like a 10k car for even a rougher but sorted one.😂

2nd place, Delta integrale. Was about 5k. Probably a bigger 'miss' than even the Clio on financial terms, but i don't regret it quite as much because there's still a part of me, even to this day that thinks there was something dodgy about it. But still.... can't even get the shell of one for half that now, let alone any of the running gear.

[Six-cylinder]

In 1984 I bought a used engine for my Jaguar E Type, the seller said the rusty roadster shell with log book is there if you want it. My friend helping me collect the engine had a brand new A reg blue Toyota HiLux and I could not ask him to lodge a rusty Jaguar body on it. I could have paid for transport but who would do that for an old rusty Jaguar shell!

[Dan the van]

3 hours ago, Mrcento said:

Undoubtedly a Clio Williams with an MOT for £800.

The fact it had rot needing chopped out of a rear wheelarch is what put me off. Was thinking even best case scenario, bodyshop by the time paint etc came into it and the no doubt other things needing addressed, i'd more into it for 3k+.

Yeah.... go look at their values now,  Even within 6 months of that, i'd have turned the easiest 2 grand ever, they rocketed in a way i've never seen a hot hatch rocket, it was a 5k car in under a year, it's now more like a 10k car for even a rougher but sorted one.😂

2nd place, Delta integrale. Was about 5k. Probably a bigger 'miss' than even the Clio on financial terms, but i don't regret it quite as much because there's still a part of me, even to this day that thinks there was something dodgy about it. But still.... can't even get the shell of one for half that now, let alone any of the running gear.

Ah you've just reminded me of something. Back around 2005 I was tasked by my then boss to pick up a ropey MGB GT from somewhere in Sussex.The car was being stored in a huge commercial polytunnel along with quite a few others one of which was an Integrale 2 on italian plates in a rather nice dark blue.It was mint.I could of had it for 2k.I thought it was too cheap and a bit dodgy so I left it.But I wonder........

[AnnoyingPentium]

I was offered this to buy back into the family in 2021 (for A LOT less than the car sold for on eBay), my Dad's 1991 Nova 1.4 SR. Turned it down because I'd put the money down elsewhere on another car (a "sensible" choice, apparently). I do still regret that now, as in a way the car had followed me around for a large part of my life until it was sold on again. It's still going, down in Northampton I've been told. I don't think I'll get the opportunity to buy it back, unfortunately.

[Metal Guru]

6 hours ago, 1duck said:

Saab 9000 and an Impreza WRX wagon, both of which are now going north price wise.

WRX wagons aren’t worth much. Mines low miles and WBAC offer £3750.

[JJ0063]

About 13/14 years ago I was at my exes house, they were an RAF family and lived on the base in RAF Marham.  Her sisters friend popped round, said her car had broken so she’d bought a car from a guy on the base who was leaving to move to Cyprus and wanted a quick sale. I asked what it was and she says in a half embarrassed tone that it’s a Clio and has gold wheels. You can see where this is going… This is someone who has no interest in cars. Went out for a look round it and under the bonnet. She’s bought a genuine Williams Clio for £450. 
 

Begged for first refusal when she was ready to let it go. The ex and I broke up about 3 months later and I never saw any of them again. 
 

[Bren]

I remember when you could get a pretty nice monaro for around £7k - some even less. You need £10k now as a start.

£10k is nothing for a car these days - but to me ( and most on here) it's a lot of dough to be spending on a whip.

[lisbon_road]

My son wants a car.  Vaguely looked in Autotrader and there was a Corsa, three cylinder - ideal for insurance - 65K miles, 09 plate, and no compression due to recent timing chain change - so they got the timing wrong.  £550.  For a £2K car, I could fix that for a few hundred.

He wasn't so interested - I should have just bought it, sorted it and sold it if he didn't want it.

There's plenty of them so I can find another, but just two miles away was kinda convenient!

[83C]

Sold my running, MoT'd, perfectly ok 88" Series III in 2012 for a grand. 

Bellend.

[Dead_E23]

In the late '80s I watched an Alfa 6 go through Shoreham car auction and make £50.    I was a skint student and didn't have a spare £50.   

I haven't seen another before or since.

[ChinaTom]

Around the same time I passed over a Renault 18 TX from a garage in Market Deepinh. Insurance too much. Basic trim 2.0 was perfect. But 1.3 Base Escort was what HillHouseHammond would let me have at that age. Those TX spec cars are mythical now. 

[1duck]

7 hours ago, Metal Guru said:

WRX wagons aren’t worth much. Mines low miles and WBAC offer £3750.

It was 1500 which is sort of my cieling for what would be a toy tbh, I do recon they'll keep going up as everything else rots/gets scrapped.

[Kevin-TIB]

Not a specific one but in 1993 I was looking for a car and had £2k to spend. A friend told me to "buy a Land Rover because in 10 years time it will still be worth £2k"

Instead of that, I bought a MK3 Escort which cost me £90 to scrap 8 years later...

Seems to be the way my car buying has always been 🫡

[warch]

8 hours ago, 83C said:

Sold my running, MoT'd, perfectly ok 88" Series III in 2012 for a grand. 

Bellend.

I can’t actually remember when they segued from crap old car to desirable classic. My Landy still had an agreed valuation of 1200 quid up until quite recently. 

[EyesWeldedShut]

13 minutes ago, warch said:

I can’t actually remember when they segued from crap old car to desirable classic. My Landy still had an agreed valuation of 1200 quid up until quite recently. 

I regret selling my late Ser 2a 88" in 2011 but it was a rather undesirable classic - can't see that segued anywhere. It was mechanically ace though - it's been sorn ever since so I fear it's mouldering away some place in South Devon.
I would buy that back if I could find it (probably a bit like going out with an ex though?)

[High Jetter]

Way  back when I was about 20, living & working it Worthing, I answered an ad in a paper that offered 2 cars for sale at £200 each. I walked away as I didn't know much about either but regretted it after. They were an Audi 75 and a Citroen DS! Funny what you remember after 40-odd years! #feelingoldnow

[warch]

This is cheating really, because its a car I did buy and owned for seven happy years, but when my old Calibra Turbo reappeared on ebay for about a grand years after I'd sold it for 200 quid, it was like a knife through the heart. I absolutely adored that car, it looked absolutely brilliant, it was the best colour* 😒, it had that super Cosworth redtop engine, then quite unusual 6 speed box and all wheel drive. I'd sold it because it was the credit crunch, I'd just been laid off and my MoT man had suggested it wouldn't be economical to get through another MoT.

Contrary to expectations it sailed on for another five years which is around the time it reappeared on Ebay with all the faults fixed but sans working 4wd. It's been sorned for the past 10 years or so, so god know where it went. Sadly I'd didn't have the money to rebuy my old car, as I'd just bought a house and we'd just found out we were going to have a second child.

[Markeh]

When looking to replace my Corsa B in 2014 I'd seen a nice Megane II. 3dr 1.6 Dynamique, in the grey-green they came in, with the optional 17" alloys and a glass roof. 95k, was well looked after, but I turned it down as the air con condenser needed replacing. The 5dr 1.6 Dynamique in black I eventually bought was a good car but had teething troubles, was higher mileage, worse condition, didn't have the alloys or the roof and cost more, but the air con worked.

What I should've done was buy the 3dr and get the condenser replaced. Carbaba seemed to show that BT05CGO went to Ireland a few years back.

[Asimo]

This.  10 years ago it was advertised for £6 - 7k, seemingly as good as it gets. I had the money but I ummed and arred for weeks and then it was gone...

 

[brownnova]

Can I add @Stinkwheel’s Ami as an advance one here. I’ll probably always regret not buying it, but no one is buying my MG, and I can’t bring myself to sell the Nova or the Pontiac to fund it…  so I can’t have it!

[Stinkwheel]

12 hours ago, brownnova said:

Can I add @Stinkwheel’s Ami as an advance one here. I’ll probably always regret not buying it, but no one is buying my MG, and I can’t bring myself to sell the Nova or the Pontiac to fund it…  so I can’t have it!

hope it doesnt haunt you too much mate, its only a car 

[Metal Guru]

On 20/04/2023 at 05:47, 1duck said:

It was 1500 which is sort of my cieling for what would be a toy tbh, I do recon they'll keep going up as everything else rots/gets scrapped.

There are anything from £2k to £9k on autotrader , depending on conditions and miles obviously. Most of the expensive ones seem to have had an engine rebuild. Impreza special editions make the money and I can’t remember any special wagons. 

Trouble is keeping it on the road costs more than any increase in value.

[timolloyd]

Not very Autoshite, but an immaculate Ferrari 550 Maranello belonging to a friend. £45k in 2013. Bought the freehold to my flat instead, which wasn’t such a bad investment but the Ferrari is worth more now I think.

[chadders]

Ferrari Daytona for 5k in 1975 ish, the garage had 3 of them for sale and the oil crisis had destroyed the demand for them. Where the hell I would have kept it or afforded to keep it maintained is a completely different issue. Europas, Elans etc.etc. were also available for peanuts around then.

[barefoot]

I wish I'd coughed up and bought that Buick Park Avenue that was raffled off on here. If anyone knows where it is now, I'm still interested. 

[Metal Guru]

Can’t decide if the last version of the Focus RS is going to a good buy. They're around the original new price at 6 years old ( but many are very miles ) , so not going to lose money but are they going to be silly money in 10 years?

[GagaStan]

Not even yet for sale, but I know I'll regret buying it.

Peugeot 306 cabrio, navy metallic with tan leather upholstery.

My coworker is selling it for buttons on behalf of his FiL, and its been so well looked after. The owner is a serial Pug licker who's too old to get in and out now. I know I'll never see another in such good condition.

BUT i have nowhere to put it, new house so plenty of projects to do, already have a 'fun car' in my BX... please tell me I shouldn't do it... please...

[skoda_fan]

Back in the 70's I was into the custom scene a la good old Hot Car mag. I nearly bought a customised Escort van (1600, Wolfies, side pipes...you get the picture) but chickened out at the last minute. Similarly a Minor pick up with a wooden rear. I guess they'd just look silly nowadays (ok they did even then to be fair) but I really wanted both and would've had so many lols. To make myself feel better I now own a mildly customised Wolseley 1500.

Biggest sale regret is my Skoda Rapid convertible. I thought I'd done well to get £4k for it but they're now hen's teeth plus I kinda miss it.