OT: Talking Cars Tuesday

Submitted by JeepinBen on

Time for your (least?) favorite off topic thread to make its occasional comeback to help kill time between the Final Four and the Frozen Four.

So, this week, stealing directly from the folks at Jalopnik, what's your biggest automotive regret? Did you sell that thing that's now a classic? Did someone offer you the chance to buy something you should have? Did you let your significant other drive something into the ground? Let's hear about the regrets & heartbreak.

JeepinBen

April 3rd, 2018 at 10:26 AM ^

There are always a few days a year that I miss my Jeep (sold in 2011, pictured in the Avatar). It really doesn't make sense to have 2 cars living in the city of Chicago, and I used the cash well, but... damn. I always miss the Jeep and wish I could have held onto it when we get about 6+ inches of snow. And the other day that I really, really have regrets is the first real top down day of spring. Maybe it's 55 degrees, but sunny and gorgeous. You could turn the heat on and really enjoy being outside. I could always get another Jeep, but they hold their value so well that I'm not sure I'll be able to get one that I'd like... I'll probably just always miss this steel blue one.

Stuck in Ohio

April 3rd, 2018 at 10:47 AM ^

Had an opportunity to sell my Triumph TR6 to a classic car dealer in Lake Bluff, IL and purchase a 1967 Jaguar XKE coupe from the same dealer.. At the time I just couldn't bring myself to part with my TR6 because of all of the work I had done on it and the fact that I would be giving up a convertible. At times, 15 years later, I sometimes regret not making the switch.

Laser Wolf

April 3rd, 2018 at 10:57 AM ^

Not mine but my Dad had bought a 1970 Camaro Z28 in Daytona Yellow... then got drafted to Vietnam and sold it. He regrets not leaving it in the garage while he was gone to this day.

UMgradMSUdad

April 3rd, 2018 at 1:29 PM ^

My wife had a Camaro when we first met that she still gets nostalgic about and remembers it in a much different way than I do.  It looked nice but was really nearly worthless.  It was a 79 base model with six cylinder that had been wrecked and rebuilt before my wife bought it. I think it had as much bondo as metal, and when we tried to trade it in on a new car (first baby was on the way and we wanted something safer), the dealer said there was no way they could ever make the car safe or sound enough to re-sell.  I think I sold it for $500 (in 1989) to a guy who understood exactly what he was getting and didn't care.  There was a 16 year old kid that looked at it with his father who really wanted it.  His father and I both told him he needed to keep looking for something more solid.

Trebor

April 3rd, 2018 at 11:13 AM ^

My biggest regret is selling my 2005 WRX right before I ended up interviewing for and accepting a job across the country. I sold it because I lived in Pennsylvania, and in order to pass the mandatory state inspection I would have had to drop quite a bit of money - none of the issues were truly safety-related, it was basically I needed to replace pretty much everything on the exhaust side except the turbo itself and replace the windshield because of a minor crack that wasn't even in my line of sight. So I bought a really low mileage 2011 Honda CR-Z with the 6-speed, because it was fantastic on gas and in really good shape as a replacement, because at the time my commute was 60-70 miles round trip.

6 months after I made the change, I ended up moving to Oregon, where there is no mandatory state inspection, and my round trip commute is now maybe 5 miles. I want my fun car back. Although now we just purchased a house at the end of December, so it'll take some creative bargaining with my wife to get her to approve bringing a new vehicle into the house.

Trebor

April 3rd, 2018 at 8:22 PM ^

Nah, my "fun" car won't be a WRX (or even an STi, unless I can find a reasonably priced and low-ish miles plasma blue hatchback). Like you said, they hold their value too well for what they are. Since I won't be daily driving it like I did with my '05 (that's what the Honda is for), I'd be more inclined to spend a little bit more for a lot more car - step up a little bit in price and you can get a Cayman S. A little beyond that and you can score a 996 911 Turbo that's far more car than anyone needs on the road.

I'm currently pining for a tiny car I can toss on the mountain roads around me and take up to Portland International Raceway every now and again. I'd love to jump on a Lotus Exige S, but I want to do that soon because I think the prices of those are going to start moving north as a) they're slowly removed from the world via people crashing them at track days, and b) the slow movement towards every manufacturer only selling crossovers and self-driving econoboxes.

Kevin13

April 3rd, 2018 at 11:27 AM ^

selling my '74 Firebird for money to help with college. Wish I would've kept that car as it was a ton of fun to drive and would be a classic today.  Maybe borrowed a little more money to pay for college is the route I should've gone.

Croatian_Blue

April 3rd, 2018 at 11:36 AM ^

Trading in my 1995 Range Rover (classic body style with the long wheelbase) for the more practical 1999 Civic with a manual trans. Values have gone up and it was so fun and unique.



And now I regret getting rid of the Civic when my wife convinced me we only needed one car in Chicago. That was just a fun, reliable, and efficient car.

TESOE

April 3rd, 2018 at 12:23 PM ^

I cannot carry on a conversation with people in the backseat.

I knew about the issue but thought it was not a big deal given the fact that I would be driving most miles by myself and the driveability of the Mazda far outshines any other car in it's class.

I regret that.  I probably should have gone with a Subaru all things being equal... which of course they are not.

k1400

April 3rd, 2018 at 12:34 PM ^

Should have bought this E9 BMW back in 2011.  Really regret that I didn't.  It was located way out west, I had never shipped a car before, blah blah blah.  These cars have shot up in value over the past few years...not that I would have bought it to sell.  I'd be drivin' it!  Summer only, the tin worm eats these real quick.  I really need to delete the photos and forget about it.

JFW

April 3rd, 2018 at 1:18 PM ^

on an interference engine. There was *something* (no idea what) that used oil pressure to keep the timing belt aligned. It jumpt a tooth. 

 

I dodged a bullit though. the engine wasn't destroyed. Just ran like shit. My buddy was able to fix it with a new timing belt kit. 

JC06Z33

April 3rd, 2018 at 1:57 PM ^

of a Subaru.  Had an awesome daily for a few years, an 05 Legacy GT.  Replaced exhaust parts as they failed with age and had it conservatively tuned.  Very quick car, fun to drive, decent interior and could fit the kids in the back. 



Belt jumped timing one day due to a gear bearing failing, and bent a bunch of valves and messed up both heads. I asked around and a few people promised me that it was worth getting the car running agian even if only to sell it.  Well the repairs ended up being more extensive than I thought once they opened it up, but I was already in for a penny, so...

Finished it up.  Drove it for a few weeks, and then the turbo started it's death squeal.  I threw in the towel and sold it as-is for a HUGE loss.  I only got half out of the work I put into it, much less what I could have got just by selling it as-is before the fix.  It still makes my stomach turn.  I vowed never again to mod my daily driver... but we'll see how that goes :)

Hail-Storm

April 3rd, 2018 at 3:59 PM ^

to buy what I want.

You can get a low mileage 2006 Aston Martin Vantage for around $35,000. I think they are one of the prettiest sports cars out there.  They upped the power in them a few years later, but 380 HP and 300 Ft-lbs is still plenty of power. There are plenty of other cars that will out perform it for that price, but the combination of looks, driving, sounds, and luxury interior makes it a dream car within reach.   

Solecismic

April 3rd, 2018 at 7:53 PM ^

A friend in high school, back in the '80s, had a car that would talk.

It repeated "A door is a jar" non-stop until you closed the damned door.

I don't like talking cars. Or jars, not certain why.

Knight Rider was just creepy. Like Stephen King sanitized for prime time.

I'm a big Subaru fan, though. Bought a '92 Legacy when they were still trying to gain market presence. My first new car purchase. With no maintenance other than tuneups, oil changes and a brake job, kept that car on the road almost 20 years. My wife's '13 Impreza looks like it's headed down that same road and it's already nearing 100,000 miles.

rugbypike11

April 4th, 2018 at 7:18 AM ^

I had an early mid-life crisis while I was watching Sons of Anarchy.  As a result, I'm now the owner of a Triumph Speedmaster.  It's a cool bike, and I LIKE riding it, but to risk life and limb riding a motorcycle around a city, I think you need to really love it.

My Mom was pretty upset with me when she found out I bought it.  My uncle on my Dad's side was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident, and apparently he was driving a Triumph when he had his accident.  He still rides with a sidecar.  He trained his German Shepherd to ride in the sidecar.

Anyway, anybody interested in buying a 2007 Triumph Speedmasater?

JFW

April 4th, 2018 at 8:43 AM ^

I've had some who've driven them forever, and some who have had no end of issues. All outbacks. Of course this is all ad hoc evidence. 

bluenoteSA80

April 4th, 2018 at 9:00 AM ^

My dad and I restored this car from trusty but rusty into a sweet looking ride. Power-everything, including moon-roof, great radio, smooth ride and a nice 350 engine with limited slip rear gears, so it would get out and move. I embarrassed many guys in jacked-up Novas which were popular at the time. Loved that car to death, until a crazy biotch ran a red light and nearly destroyed the front end when she hit me. We fixed it again, but it was never right after that and I eventually sold it to someone who wanted to make a racer out of it.