OT: Talking cars Tuesday - The one that got away
Since JeepinBen doesn't seem to be around today, I'm starting the Talking Cars Tuesday thread. Today's topic is "the one that got away". Tell us about the car that you really wanted, but for whatever reason you didn't buy.
About 10 years ago I "bought" a 1975 Mercedes 450SL convertible on eBay. The car was in Indiana and according to the ad it was in pretty good condition mechanically and cosmetically. I had planned on driving down there with a friend to pick it up and drive it home.
After I won the auction the seller contacted me with a laundry list of things wrong with the car. Naturally, I backed out of the sale.
EDIT: I'm a moron. A very similar thread took place just a few weeks ago. So just talk about whatever I guess. Boat show coming up this weekend at Cobo....
February 9th, 2016 at 2:01 PM ^
this was his discussion topic two-three weeks ago.
http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/ot-talking-cars-tuesday-mulligan
February 9th, 2016 at 1:59 PM ^
February 9th, 2016 at 1:59 PM ^
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February 9th, 2016 at 1:59 PM ^
Had one lined up back in the mid 80's and didn't pull the trigger. Have wished I had that decision back a million times. Sigh.....
February 9th, 2016 at 2:01 PM ^
February 9th, 2016 at 2:02 PM ^
There was a 2013 Ford Focus ST on the same lot as the one that I bought. My girlfriend at the time convinced me a manual was a bad idea in case she had to drive me to the hospital. Should've taken the ST.
February 9th, 2016 at 2:07 PM ^
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February 9th, 2016 at 2:16 PM ^
And it's a great way to keep her from ever driving my cars.
February 9th, 2016 at 2:48 PM ^
I've always driven a stick, and now I'm trying to get my son to learn, but you bring up a good point: as long as he doesn't know how, he can't drive my GTI.
February 9th, 2016 at 3:40 PM ^
We should be friends. MK7 GTI owner here. 6 speed manual that the wife has tried to learn on a couple times. She needs more hours and she'll get it.
I always tell her if she doesnt' learn now she's not learning when i get a REAL fun car.
February 9th, 2016 at 5:30 PM ^
This is my mid-life crisis car. I was thinking about getting an R with a stick but honestly, I drive kids around in stop and go traffic. I don't need that kind of power, and it would be a waste right now. Maybe in a few years.
February 9th, 2016 at 3:34 PM ^
sooner rather than later. and you better be working on a good answer to, 'so, why the name "mad hatter"'?
February 9th, 2016 at 2:49 PM ^
She was stuck in her ways. Now I'm stuck with a crappy 6-speed powershift.
February 9th, 2016 at 3:42 PM ^
Should have gotten the powershift to shudder on the test drive and gone "SEE!!"
As an aside, I liked the ST, but it was a bit too "boy racer" for me. Also my ass didn't fit in the recaros. Thus, GTI for me...
February 9th, 2016 at 4:10 PM ^
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February 9th, 2016 at 3:14 PM ^
A boy/girlfriend doesn't trump your car choice. Get the cool car.
A wife/husband does. They got skin in the game. Just my opinion.
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February 9th, 2016 at 3:46 PM ^
A good wife/husband will understand and let you buy the cool car within limits.
4 door GTI? yes! Golf R - I told her not to let me drive it.
Cost and relative practicality were the main 2 drivers.
February 9th, 2016 at 4:08 PM ^
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February 9th, 2016 at 2:08 PM ^
Black with tan top and tan leather...Sold it in the summer of 2009 before having our 1st child. I loved that car after upgrading the hood, exhaust, rotors, brakes, rims/tires etc. At the time, I thought the extra money would be needed and that I could buy a newer / better version in a few years. Almost 7 years later, the $ has been spent and there is no sign of a Camaro in the near future....... Should've listened to my spoiled self rather than dad to be self.
February 9th, 2016 at 2:11 PM ^
Le sigh.
February 9th, 2016 at 2:12 PM ^
Rough morning. Being as we're just post superbowl, what was your favorite car-themed superbowl ad? This year or in years past?
February 9th, 2016 at 2:47 PM ^
For this year, far and away for me it was Audi's commercial, primarily because of the use of David Bowie's "Starman" as well as the matching premise that the older gentleman was a former astronaut and the experience took him back to that time. It was well shot, well edited and well-concieved start to finish, I thought.
February 9th, 2016 at 2:50 PM ^
I was a big fan of the Sobotka reunion for the Prius ad this year.
February 9th, 2016 at 2:22 PM ^
February 9th, 2016 at 2:21 PM ^
February 9th, 2016 at 2:22 PM ^
Sounds stupid, but a 1976 baby blue Cadillac Eldorado convertible with white leather interior, a CB radio and an 8 track player. My dad's buddy owned it and sold it when I was 13.
I was crushed. Not the exact car obviously, but pretty damn close. The thing was a boat.
February 9th, 2016 at 2:33 PM ^
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February 9th, 2016 at 2:39 PM ^
I used to have a couple of Porsches, and 86 Carrera and a 97 Carrera for most of the 00s. The 97s were the second to the last year for the air cooled engine. Porsches internal designation for the 95-98 Carreras was "993" so a lot of people refer to the 911s of that era as "993". They are absolutely great sports cars, and while not as raw as the earlier versions (like my 86 which had terrible A/C and shifted horribly but was still an excellent sports car that was like no other in terms of handling and how it responded to the road).
Anyway, so I was looking for a 993 and saw one at the Porsche dealer in Houston (I live in LA). The guy there sent me tons of photos, and I had the car flat bedded to a local Porsche mechanic who had a good reputation, and paid him $400 to do a thorough pre purchase inspection. After the car "passed" all of this, and the sales person agreed on a price with me, the plan was for me to fly to Houston from LA....and drive the car back to LA from Texas, which would have been fun.
Would have been...because as soon as I got there, I could see that the car was a total piece of crap. It ran poorly was beaten up and was the worst handling Porsche ever. I opened up the engine bay and could see mud at the bottom. It didnt take long to figure out that this car was one of Hurricane Katrinas babys...an obvious victim of flood damage.
Having spent all that money and time for travel....naturally I was furious at the Porsche dealer and also at the garage who inspected the car. I knew that they had not done any inspection because if they had, they would have seen the flood damage and how the car was a POS.
I really let the sales manager at Advantage Porsche have it. I was very pissed off and the guy had it coming. They didnt offer to help, so I left there and rented a car, (this was a few years before Uber) then went back to the airport and took a flight home. The whole incident cost me about $1400. The garage refunded the $400 after I got them to admit that they didnt even look at the car, they just took a couple of photos and took my money.
Not one that got away...one that i was glad to get away from.
February 9th, 2016 at 2:50 PM ^
I would have been livid.
I've noticed that Texas seems to have a lot of higher-end cars available on the secondary market for a lot less than they would cost in Michigan (like 20-25% less). I've come close to buying a couple before but never pulled the trigger.
I guess I know why now.
February 9th, 2016 at 2:46 PM ^
I used to have a black 1989 Alfa Romeo spider. I sold it after four years because it was terrible in the snow. But I could really use that car right about now for my mid-life crisis.
February 9th, 2016 at 2:47 PM ^
I used to have a beautiful 79' gold Porche 928.
Lost it off a dock into lake Michigan.
Damn hookers.
February 9th, 2016 at 2:49 PM ^
February 9th, 2016 at 2:58 PM ^
Sold it last year to pay off some med school loans... Terrifying to drive on the highway, but it was the most fun I've ever had in a car.
February 9th, 2016 at 3:10 PM ^
It was available on the Lynch road marshaling center.
Wife sent me to get a new sedan though.
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February 9th, 2016 at 3:25 PM ^
When I was a tween, my dad bought a 68 convertable camaro that he was going to restore. He redid the rear and bought the parts to do the front. Then winter hit, and it sat in the garage.
He didn't do much on it the following summer, life got in the way. Mom bought a kerosene heater for the garage for him as a Christmas gift so he could do some that winter, but again, he didn't work on it.
After it sat for the 3rd year, I was getting closer to permit age. I had the idea in my head to see if he'd let me take it over and finish it (with help, of course, so I didn't screw it up). Before I could ask, he sold it. I found out about it one day when I got off the school bus and he was helping two 20-something guys push it onto a trailer.
I was so mad, I didn't speak to him for 3 months.
February 9th, 2016 at 3:36 PM ^
February 9th, 2016 at 3:36 PM ^
Both died before I turned 16 so my dad thought "they'll never know" and kept it for himself.
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February 9th, 2016 at 4:59 PM ^
February 9th, 2016 at 5:19 PM ^
Black 1979 Porsche 911 (whale-tail).
I was living on Cambridge and there was one for sale on Olivia. I had just taken a small loan to purchase my first Ducati and on the way home from the bank saw the 911 with the for sale sign in the window. Broke my heart, but owning a yellow superbike had always beena dream of mine. Regret missing the Porsche, but now 6 Ducatis later can't say it was a bad decision.
February 9th, 2016 at 5:43 PM ^
Back in about 1983 I had 15k in da bank. This was money I saved for a house.
Door #1 - (I was a part time student) a Prof told me to buy Microsoft stock if I had any cash.
Door #2 - A guy at work had a 59 Vette ragtop for sale. I believe it was 10k'ish.
Door #3 - Buy a house in Royal Oak.
I took door #3 because you need a roof over your head before you buy the hot stock tip or a play toy. I still think about that beauty of a covette and the millionaire MSFT guy I could have been, The story had a happy ending because the Royal Oak 3 bedroom brick ranch was 55k back then near 12.5 & Woodward.