hwcoop

ones that got away

69 427/435, M22, L-88 hood and fender flares, 950 CFM holly, Kustom Side pipes, Aluminum flywheel, lakewood scattershield, solid lifter cam, 11-1 compression 23,000 original miles, no winters ,stored inside, Dark Navy Blue with white/red ZL1 stripe, sold in 79 for $5,500.

70 Nova SS 396, 4spd, 4.11 posi Dark Bridge Hamton blue sold for $1,200 in 76

67 Hemi GTX, 4 spd, Metalflake blue, Keystone mags. Rolling body(mint & complete) sold for $1,700 and motor(radical rebuild) sold for $3,000 in 72

Almost forgot...
70 440 4 spd Superbird B5 Blue for $1,700 in 1975, nobody wanted it because of the wing

Jeff_Keryk

Around 1993 I coulda bought a beautiful stock 67 327 Roadster. It was the lighter blue color. $20K or something like that. Thinking about that car makes me happy and mad at the same time.

Evil Empire

The one that should have got away is at maaco right now. Absolute electrical butchering of the entire car. The first time I tried to have it painted I found out I was missing 6 inches of the birdcage. It has been rough 6 years of ownership.

In 2009 I found an add on craigslist for a 64 vert that ran for $5600. I saw the add at 9 and left work around noon (my boss even let me borrow his trailer). I went to the bank and had a trailer back at the guys house by 4pm and it was gone. I could have gone there with cash and it would be mine.

Jim Martley2

I built the car below by myself in 1976 when I was living in New Jersey. It started as a pretty worn out 71 Vega. I built a 355" small block with 12.5 to 1 pistons, 2.02 early heads that were ported, polished ,CC'd and had screw in studs, guide plates, roller rockers and dual springs. I put in a pretty hot, for it's time, Isky Solid lifter Cam and topped everything off with a 750 double pumper. The trans was a turbo 350 with a full manual B&M valve body, rebuild kit and Super HoleShot converter. I had a 12 Bolt chevy rear narrowed and fitted with Strange Axles, a Morso 12 Bolt HD posi unit and 4:56 gears. I drove this beast on the street alot and ran it at Englishtown a few times to see what it could do. On borrowed small slicks, I ran a best of 11.70@ 117mph. It was a HANDFUL at the top end of the track when I lifted off the gas!!!!
I ended up trading the car to a guy from Staten Island, NY for a 67 Plymouth GTX that had a swapped in 426 Street Hemi in it. That car was fun too! The last I heard a year later was that the guy put a 4 speed in it and had the car back-halfed with a cage and was running 10.5 with my engine still in it. I was 21 when I built the car and I STILL remember what a trip it was to drive this thing on the street.


Jim

Roco71

1979 the seller wanted $5,700 for a 70 LT1 I offered $5,200. No deal that’s my final offer… no car. The same year a neighbor had (has) a 65 convertible small block 4 speed he wanted $3,900 I passed on it he still has it today.
That’s my could of should of.

leadfoot4

In September of '71, I started working full time, and A) I had some money coming in, so I could buy a decent car; and B) I didn't want to screw up the job by not being able to get there every day, on time, so I needed a new car.

A friend of my father was closing out an estate, as his FIL had died, and wanted to sell me a '61 'Vette, 283 w/2 4s, 3 speed tranny, in decent condition, but needing a little TLC....for $1500. I passed on it, thinking that it wouldn't be much more reliable on a daily basis that the car that I already had. (Bought a brand new Chevelle SS instead)

Several years later, a friend wanted to sell me a '67 'Vette coupe. 427/390, 4 speed, side exhausts, nice shape. Usual deal, the family was getting older, a 'Vette was no longer practical to keep, as it was being driven less and less. He offered it to me first, for $3500. The ONLY reason I passed on it was because I didn't have anywhere to keep it, where I was living at the time. It really saddened me to let it pass, but it just wasn't practical for me to buy it, and just let it sit in the back yard.....


(Then there was the brand new '69 COPO 427 Camaro, that a local dealer had, but couldn't unload....)

72ragtop

My biggest gaff. Back in 1980. My neighbor had a 70 LS6 SS. Blue with white stripes, black top. He had just rebuild the motor and was getting a divorce. He wanted 3200.00. We lived in same apt complex and he gave me first option. As we worked on each others cars. I had been out of high school a yr, and starting college. I was trying to sell my 65 GTO to buy it. His brother in law ended up getting it before me. Kicked myself for yrs.

RobRace10

'58 Corvette for $1,500 from a friend, and late 50's 190SL Mercedes for $50.

mobjack68

Hilborn fuel injection setup complete....for sbc...mid 60's vintage.
Changed careers in 1984 and gave the whole thing ( yes, GAVE) to the guy that I worked for part time that taught me to do body work...including corvettes... Got quite an education from him and a ton of real experience. No regrets giving it to him....just wonder what my 72 would look like with that piece of hardware under the hood....

SanDiegoPaul

I sure had a couple, too. Way back when, I let my '56 Bel Air go for $600. It was all straight, very quick, and had nice two-tone paint. But I had just gotten married and my mind wasn't on racing or hot rodding any more.

10 years ago I was driving a cherry '70 Nova. Another very pretty and very fast car. I loved that thing and after I built it drove around a dozen states with it. But then the CA real estate prices dropped to nuttin' and I wanted to get my own house. I sold the Nova to pay the 10 percent DP on a 58,000 dollar condo.

Can't really compain on that deal though ... pd 58K for the unit and lived in it for 4 years. Prices came back up and I sold for $225K in 2003. Still miss the Nova though but my Vette sure is fun to drive.

roy69

The one that comes to mind for me was in 72 with a 69 Charger RT 426. It was on the lot of a high performance/muscle car dealer - they wanted $2100 for it. I could afford the car, but not the insurance - which may have been a good thing.

myoriginal77

1969 BOSS 429 Mustang, dark green, factory headers in the trunk, $2500 (this was in 1973)

1969 Camaro Yenko -with extra 427 Yenko crate motor, $3500 (this was in 75 or 76)

Frank

leadfoot4

Sounds like you did a good job on this one. Your comments about being a handful on the top end, reminded me of a big block equipped Vega one of my co-workers had back in the 80s. He had it at Empire Dragway one Sunday afternoon, and it got a bit squirrely on the top end, and he brushed the wall with it....

3JsVette

In the early '70s I could have bought my cousin's husband's 2 owner '66 white with red interior 2 top 427/390 (CE replacement block done under warranty) 4 speed (Hurst shifter) with A/C side exhaust and knock off wheels with these "funny looking" tires (called Michelin radials) that he was asking $1600 for $1200. Yeah I know NOM motor but what are the knock offs alone worth today?

beige79

I have the exact same story. In 1974 a friend of my parents wanted to sell me their 58 for $1,500. They were still driving it and it wasn't in bad shape. I was only 19 at the time and already had a car. My dad told me that was too much money for a 16 year old car, so I passed.

Ret.Horsecop13

Not me but my dad, he had a 68 Mustang GT fastback back in the mid 70's. He was having transmission problems so he sold it to my cousins boyfriend for 200 bucks! It wasn't Bullitt green it was tahoe turquoise, but i'm sure it would be quite valuable today!! God rest his soul he made a lot of bad car decisions in his life!

Paul Borowski

...I had from 1977 to 1984 a very rare original 1967 Chevelle SS 396/375hp L-78 car, one of only 612 built. Not many original motored L-78 '66/'67 Chevelles exist today. Bought with 42,000mi, sold with 52,000 orignal miles on it.




....my biggest ONE that got away????

I was reading the Akron Beacon Journal Sunday paper in 1977 or 1978 when I was 17 or 18yrs old one early morning and I see an ad in the Antiques/Classics auto section that read...

For Sale
1969 Camaro, White with Blue interior, aluminum engine. $3500

...$3500 might as well been $100,000 to me back then at that time. It was a decade or two later when all 69 of the original 1969 ZL-1 Camaro VIN#s and selling dealership info came out and a White/Blue interiored 1969 ZL-1 Camaro was sold brand new at Lyle Chevrolet in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio(a town just north of Akron, Ohio).

Ret.Horsecop13

My friend had a 67 396 Chevelle the same color! It had a vinyl roof and cragars on it. It was not all original but it was a real SS.

dtamustang

in 1975 i was young and broke,begged and pleaded with everyone i knew, i needed 7500.00 for a small block cobra. at the time i had a 69 grand prix sj, i still get sick to to my stomach when i think that those 2 got away.

loflite

In 1990 I moved from Miami back to MN. My friends at Quality Corvettes had a black '67 roadster with the correct 427 in it. the car needed paint and interior but it was good driver quality. Sold for $9900.00. Still sorry I didn't pull the trigger. At the same time I had a deal done on a '71 base convertible for $8k that I chickened out on because I was moving. Ugh.