Deals you regret passing up.
07-27-2012, 12:46 PM
#1
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Deals you regret passing up.
Earlier this year I caught a bug and all I wanted was to buy a late 80s Porsche 911 for a project. So I got the book from amazon, started reading renn list religiously, setup craigslist and ebay feeds to my phone; basically started obsessing. You know how it is.
I checked out a few cars and most were out of my price range because I wanted the 87+ with the G50 trans. However, one day I saw someone listed a 85 literally 20 minutes away. Pictures looked good, in person it needed some work. Tires were flat, lotta dry rotted rubber bits all over, door cards falling off, electrics partially working. Get this. 224k on the body, 70k on the engine, and 25k on the trans and clutch. Supposedly 3rd owner from the mid 90's.
I drove it and to my astonishment it drove amazing for a car with so much wrong with it. Everything about the drive was great, even the goofy cable clutch trans with glass synchros shifted superbly.
Seller wanted 15. I said no, he said 11. I said no, he said 9. I'm still kicking myself in the ***, I could have had it for 6 easy and even at 9 it would have been a steal. I could have easily trashed the interior and made it a track car or fixed up the minor stuff and flipped it.
I hate myself to this day and I think I have minor OCD so every time I think about it I just get more upset.
How about you guys?
I checked out a few cars and most were out of my price range because I wanted the 87+ with the G50 trans. However, one day I saw someone listed a 85 literally 20 minutes away. Pictures looked good, in person it needed some work. Tires were flat, lotta dry rotted rubber bits all over, door cards falling off, electrics partially working. Get this. 224k on the body, 70k on the engine, and 25k on the trans and clutch. Supposedly 3rd owner from the mid 90's.
I drove it and to my astonishment it drove amazing for a car with so much wrong with it. Everything about the drive was great, even the goofy cable clutch trans with glass synchros shifted superbly.
Seller wanted 15. I said no, he said 11. I said no, he said 9. I'm still kicking myself in the ***, I could have had it for 6 easy and even at 9 it would have been a steal. I could have easily trashed the interior and made it a track car or fixed up the minor stuff and flipped it.
I hate myself to this day and I think I have minor OCD so every time I think about it I just get more upset.
How about you guys?
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08-07-2012, 06:50 PM
#2
Slowest Progress Ever
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: The coal ridden hills of Pennsylvania
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I had the opportunity to buy a 1973 corvette stingray numbers matching 454 4 speed car. It was 95% restored and needed some putting back together. The old woman who won it from a divorce wanted to sell it to me for $6500.
I didn't do it...and have regretted it ever since, even though I hate that body style vette, it just would've been worth that money.
I didn't do it...and have regretted it ever since, even though I hate that body style vette, it just would've been worth that money.
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08-07-2012, 07:08 PM
#3
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: TX
Posts: 335
Total Cats: 5
About 10 years ago my buddy's dad decided to sell his long-term project Camaro. It was a 1971 Z28 clone with a built 396, 4-speed, disc brakes all around, and a suspension set up for auto-x or road racing. The body was a little rough, but mechanically it was 99% perfect. I spent a day driving around OKC in it, then told him I wanted to sleep on it. We talked about for the next week, I waffled, then he got an offer from a local guy, so I let it go. Coulda bought the thing for $5K. Dammit.
Three years ago I almost pulled the trigger on a perfect (and I mean PERFECT) '93 FD RX7. It only had 48K miles, it still smelled new, and it had been well cared for by a rotary fanatic. My dumb *** bought a house instead. The FD went to some local jackass ricer kid with daddy's cash who promptly slapped sh!tty rims on it, lowered it, then blew up the motor.
Three years ago I almost pulled the trigger on a perfect (and I mean PERFECT) '93 FD RX7. It only had 48K miles, it still smelled new, and it had been well cared for by a rotary fanatic. My dumb *** bought a house instead. The FD went to some local jackass ricer kid with daddy's cash who promptly slapped sh!tty rims on it, lowered it, then blew up the motor.
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08-08-2012, 04:56 PM
#6
After I got rid of my last S4, I found another B5 S4 6 speed avant for sale locally (very rare) so I decided to take a look at it. It belonged to, now get this, a rabbi who used it to cart around old people to and from temple. 131k miles, recently replaced driveline (everything, apparently there had been a 'clunk') and k03s, a literal Torah of receipts and service records all from Champion Audi. He was asking $10.5 but told me he'd take $8,500.
So why did I walk away? A few reasons. Firstly, the back cargo area was beat to shiet from the constant loading/unloading of wheelchairs and walkers, secondly, it needed a new hood and lastly, what proved to be the deal breaker: it smelled like old people.
I still find it rather humorous that a rabbi cruised around in an Audi.
So why did I walk away? A few reasons. Firstly, the back cargo area was beat to shiet from the constant loading/unloading of wheelchairs and walkers, secondly, it needed a new hood and lastly, what proved to be the deal breaker: it smelled like old people.
I still find it rather humorous that a rabbi cruised around in an Audi.
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08-08-2012, 05:56 PM
#10
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Location: Maryville TN
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08-10-2012, 03:32 AM
#11
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Norrahammar, Sweden
Posts: 611
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My first apartment was a second hand lease. After 6months, the owner offered to sell me the apartment cheap, since he needed cash. He offered it to me for 25Ksek. I had the money, but didn't buy it since I didn't like the locations and already had plans for moving again.
When I left, the apartment was rented out again for ~150% of the owners montly fee. Today, 12 years later, it would have been worth about 350Ksek.
When I left, the apartment was rented out again for ~150% of the owners montly fee. Today, 12 years later, it would have been worth about 350Ksek.
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08-10-2012, 08:01 AM
#12
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Location: Birmingham Alabama
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I regret passing up a chance to move the Germany and train/work for BMW. The other hundreds or thousands of regrets that make up my life are too sad to talk about... 
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08-10-2012, 08:22 AM
#13
Year ago I worked at the BBS USA HQ in the warehouse. Great job and worked for really cool people. I noticed al lthe employee cars has BBS wheels on them. I asked about this and it seems the "old" president there, who had left 2 months prior to my hiring, outfitted each employee car with whatever set of wheels they wanted after a given amount of time working there...because he wanted people coming there and driving by there to see all the cars fitted with BBS wheels. Well it sucks I missed out being hired 2 months earlier, but whatever. So I asked about buying a set of 17" LMs in 4x100. It owuld have cost me $1050 to get a set shipped over from Japanland. I passed.
4x100 17" LMs sell for $780 each.
Back in 2008 I passed up buying a pristine 1995 240SX SE for $2,000 from a guy in my GF's apartment building. I could have flipped it and made $5-$6k on it.
I regret selling a 1987 Corolla GT-S slick top for $2k when I could have made a few thousand more. The damn thing have 417k on it and the LSD still worked, no rust and interior looked pretty damn good..
Does that look like 417k miles?
4x100 17" LMs sell for $780 each.
Back in 2008 I passed up buying a pristine 1995 240SX SE for $2,000 from a guy in my GF's apartment building. I could have flipped it and made $5-$6k on it.
I regret selling a 1987 Corolla GT-S slick top for $2k when I could have made a few thousand more. The damn thing have 417k on it and the LSD still worked, no rust and interior looked pretty damn good..
Does that look like 417k miles?
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08-10-2012, 10:57 AM
#18
SCCA winning ford escort GT
I was going to use it as my DD and leave the green miata for more serious pursuits. Was selling for 2500. Needed some paint and the A/C reinstalled and charged but was mechanically sound. My friend's car had just had a seized engine (wal-mart oil change) and need a new car. I told him about it and He bought it. He Never raced and i'm not even sure what happened to the car when he moved.
wish I would have snagged it.
I was going to use it as my DD and leave the green miata for more serious pursuits. Was selling for 2500. Needed some paint and the A/C reinstalled and charged but was mechanically sound. My friend's car had just had a seized engine (wal-mart oil change) and need a new car. I told him about it and He bought it. He Never raced and i'm not even sure what happened to the car when he moved.
wish I would have snagged it.
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08-10-2012, 11:34 AM
#19
2 Props,3 Dildos,& 1 Cat
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Location: Fake Virginia
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I'm not sure I regret it but I applied to work at Apple back in '05 and ended up moving to the east coast for love instead. They kept calling me and calling me and I had to turn them down a few times. I think the job was Senior Design Engineer, one position was for the iPod team. And probably there were openings for as-yet-unreleased-products that are now some apple phone thing.
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