Things you regret

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<50miles

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Hello Everybody

As I mentioned in a previous posting, I have a 1972 BMW 3.0CSA that isn't going anywhere fast. A year after I purchased this car, I was looking through the Canadian Old car Trader (which I still have - September 17, 1997) and on page 91 of this book was the following advertisement posted for a vehicle in the Kitchener Area of Ontario:

1973 BMW 3.0 CSL - Authentic homologation lightweight car, fitted w/aftermarket "Bat Kit". One of 6 in Canada. Mechanically A-1, 50,000 Km, orig. Dubai, 11 yrs. storage in England. Total end to end build in 1992. Asking $18,500. Cam

I called Cam back then and he verifed the story and said that while the original tramission had been lost, the rest was orginal.

I bring this up for two reasons:

1) Did anyone else have a chance for something like this and didn't make the effort to get it?
2) Has anyone on this forum come across this car in their travels and perhaps purchased it? As for the colour I can not be certain since the pictures were in black and white. The colour appeared to be white or some other light colour.

Thanks
 
The Bird that flew

Yeah, in 1977 I had a chance at a pristine '57 T Bird
Red with white porthole top and soft top. Red and white interior
The guy needed the dough for his daughter's wedding
$7500 cash
 
I still remind my dad about this...

I have always been interested in mechanical things, especially cars. I started saving money for a car during elementary school when I worked as a paperboy and in a bike shop. When I was 15, a guy down the street from me was selling his Ferrari Dino. I hung out in his garage once in a while and he knew my deal, so he offered it to me for less than $10k. Keep in mind that this was a few years before the prices on these skyrocketed and they were just ~$20k used cars that Ferrari-types ignored. I did not have the cash for it: I was about $2,000 short. I asked my dad for a loan, trying to convince him of the "investment opportunity". No dice. A couple of years later the prices started climbing, and each time I found an ad in the Autotrader/Recycler/local paper, I made sure my dad saw how much they were going for. I was visiting my parents last year when a tiny red car zoomed past us and I was surprised that my dad actually recognized the Dino and said "hey, isn't that the car you wanted to get?" I nodded. "yeah, you should have bought it." ARRGH!
 
Me too, in 1985 when I bought my first coupe I was looking at 3 cars, all $12.5k - my Malaga coupe, a mint '66 427 Vette convertible, and a Dino Spyder. I chose the coupe because I loved it, but also because I though the Vette was over the top for a daily driver, and finding parts and service for the Dino was a concern. A couple years later the Dino was over 100k. No regrets though, I loved that coupe and is why 25 years later I searched and found another. Now if I had passed on a CSL, well...



kwyjibo said:
I have always been interested in mechanical things, especially cars. I started saving money for a car during elementary school when I worked as a paperboy and in a bike shop. When I was 15, a guy down the street from me was selling his Ferrari Dino. I hung out in his garage once in a while and he knew my deal, so he offered it to me for less than $10k. Keep in mind that this was a few years before the prices on these skyrocketed and they were just ~$20k used cars that Ferrari-types ignored. I did not have the cash for it: I was about $2,000 short. I asked my dad for a loan, trying to convince him of the "investment opportunity". No dice. A couple of years later the prices started climbing, and each time I found an ad in the Autotrader/Recycler/local paper, I made sure my dad saw how much they were going for. I was visiting my parents last year when a tiny red car zoomed past us and I was surprised that my dad actually recognized the Dino and said "hey, isn't that the car you wanted to get?" I nodded. "yeah, you should have bought it." ARRGH!
Click to expand...
 
D'oh

Yes . . . it still does hurt. Especially given the miles and history, which if the owner was to be believed, included ownership by one of the members of the royal family who had this habit of drifting the car all over the place (pun intended):mrgreen:
 
shoots. There was a Dino in the used car lot a block from where I used to work, maybe 8 years ago. It looked in fair to good shape and was advertised for $7500. WotdoIwant wit one of dem furrin cars?

One of my neighbors has a black, and a white, '57 T-bird. Neither run; both are really scaly underneath but look pretty good on top. He had a body shop and both cars were at some time crashed hard and bondo-ed together again. He claims to be embarrassed by the poor job "the boys" did. We once got one running and he took it around the block. Returning to his steep short driveway, he couldn't stop as he went into the garage (trying to force it into reverse and grinding something awful). He crashed into all kinds of stuff and nearly entered the kitchen through the wall. Turns out one of the brake lines had rusted out and - of course - no brakes! He will die with no heirs, no will, two ex-wives and a brother who doesn't speak to him. None of them want the cars except the second ex, who is as mercernary as they come. Nevermind her country of origin. She, poor thing, was given a new white Benz S500 ($92k, cash paid) while she was yet married to my friend - the giver is the gent who became her third hubby. Oh the stories, this doesn't scratch the surface.
 
In the early early 60s I bounced around drag racing, flunking out of college, working in gas stations. A 1954 Corvette, original owner, filled up regularly at a station where I worked, then magically appeared on the used car lot of the local Ford dealer.

I could not understand why my long-suffering father would not buy the 'vette for me. Here we have a scientific example of the under-developed, selfish teenage brain at work.

Of course if he had purchased it for me I would have immediately dropped in a souped up Chevy 283 engine(Duntov Cam, bored and stroked, balanced, fuel injected, the works) attached to a four-speed and a 411 ratio positraction rear axle.

Immediately destroying any value the 'vette might have down the road.

Eventually I grew up and fell in love with our Coupes and lived happily ever after.

STeve
 
When I bought my restoration project 3.0CS the seller also had a '67 Corvette coupe that also needed restoration. Both were the same price. I really wanted the CS, so I bought that. For investment value the Corvette would now be worth about 5x what the CS is worth.

When I was in high school I had a chance to pick up a '55 Chevy with a 392 CI Hemi installed for $300, but didn't have the cash. The body and interior were perfect, the engine swap was not complete. It doesn't have the current value of the Corvette, but for $300 it would have been a great investment.

I have missed lots of opportunities, but at least I do have a CS and am very happy about that.
 
I should have a bought a house in Toronto in the early 80's. I was offered several from neighbours where I rented the same place for 22 years. Egads!. About 12 years ago I rented a shop n East End Toronto from a guy I worked with for $250 per month. It was in the backyard of a house he owned and rented out. AT one point he suggested I buy the house and shop off him for $115,000. I said I was happy renting. I didn't get a second chance as he then sold it and I was evicted. In Real Estate I have seen land that sold for $70,000 reach 7 million appraised value. Since I was into Corvairs and VW's most of the last 30 years I haven't missed out on too many fast appreciating car deals.
 
Alpina B7 S Turbo

About 3 years ago I bid on an Alpina B7 S Turbo at auction in Japan (I think it was mentioned in this forum). This is the model based on the 635 coupe. I stopped bidding at around Y1,000,000 and it went for Y1,100,000 which is about US$14,000.00. A few months later I went to a Car Show in Auckland NZ and there it was! It was in incredible condition and someone told me it's worth about US$80,000.00 in Europe as only 8 were ever made. If I had paid another US$1200.00 I would have had it! The picture attached is identical to this one.
 

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1972. Poor sophomore college student, sharing with three other guys in an apartment house. Guy downstairs offers me a Lotus S2 notchback, then only a couple years old, for $2500. Might as well have asked for the moon. I figured that since I'm (still) six foot six, the Lotus wouldn't replace my '64 Beetle (white, red interior, with sunroof! for which I'd paid $550).
 
Regrets

I regret every tii I ever sold. Most recently (four years ago) I had an early '72, close-in bumpers, nearly all original. Even the door buzzer still worked. It had one good-sized perforation in the rocker that intruded into the passenger compartment and a hole in the floor. I convinced myself that if it was rust-free (it wasn't) or was a color that I loved (it wasn't) or had a/c (it didn't) I'd keep it, but absent that, I should shepherd it on to the next buyer. I reached the knee in the curve of working on it; it didn't really need anything else. I sold it for $7k. Almost immediately, tii values began to spike. It's probably worth twice that now.

That having been said, when most of us do the "should've bought" or "never should've sold" thing, we forget that these cars need dry space to sit in; let 'em sit outside and there goes most of your value. It's not like we can hold onto every car we ever owned.

I'm a musician, and in that world, there is what is known as "GAS" (Guitar Acquisition Syndrome"). I have nice guitars, but I was in a band for many years with a good friend who has some of the nicest guitars I know, including two vintage Rickenbacker 360s, a Gibson ES347. I was lamenting to Jon that 20 years ago I sold an L-Series Fender Jaguar (old, but not old enough to be pre-CBS), not knowing that Kurt Cobain would play a Jaguar and send values through the ceiling. "Well," I rationalized, "it's not like you can hold onto every guitar you ever owned."

"Why not?" Jon asked rhetorically. "I did!"
 
I've owned 16 BMW's including 2002's, e9s, e3s e23s, e39etc. I currently have 3. But the one that I truely wish I never sold was a Verona 1969 1600 baur Cabriolet.

I was living in the Bay Area in 1989 and I saw it parked at an Insta-Tune franchise in San Farancisco. It was the first one I'd ever seen in person. I talked to the manager, got the owner's number and called him. He was not selling but took my number. He called me back months later and said he was taking a job on Colorado and would sell the car. I bought it on over the phone. It did have some rust issues but the interior was redone and it drove great.

I kept it for 3 years. Then traded it to a guy from Marin County for $4k and a nice 74 tii. I never saw it again. It's the one that got away and the only car I wish I had back.

John M
 
2006, in grad school, had just bought the E9 and have a one-car garage and really can't have another non-new car. Conundrum-- A friend is selling his 1988 M3 for $7500 obo with small needs, but is in great shape otherwise. I know exactly what I'm looking at, go back and forth for a few days...

I pass.

Mistake.
 
Lots

Too many to list, starting back in the college days....AC Cobra $4000 Hemi Barracuda convertible $12500 Shelby GT 500 convertable $7500 Ferrari 308 GTSi $10500 Lambo Muira $10000 BMW M1 $29950 Any CSL that would have been for sale at the time I bought my CS in 2006....
 
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