Maxwell Smart used to tell Chief "I missed it by that much" when ever explaining his screw up dealing with a chaos agent. We don't chase chaos agents, but have you almost bought a car and lost it by that much and realized that you screwed up by letting it get thru your fingers. This could be one that you almost bought or you did buy and still let it get away. Let's reminisce about the almost was or could have been. I will start. My list of cars that I had the opportunity to own and blew off for either stupidity or tight finances. The first on the list was a 1965 Chevy Impala SS hardtop. I could have owned it for 300.00 and passed because I didn't like Chevy's. 1987 Chevy Monte Carlo Aerocoupe because finances were tight. 1986 Pontiac Grand Prix 2+2 Aerocoupe because finances were tight. Cars I did own and let slip away. I had a 1968 Ford Torino GT convertible that got vandalized. I let it go because I didn't know how to straighten the windshield pillar. I had a 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner that I had someone trade for my 1974 Honda Civic. He came back three days later wanting his Roadrunner back and I was a nice guy and said yes. The Roadrunner was a big block car with a four speed pistol grip. I had a 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury that I sold after putting an engine in because I didn't like sliding across the vinyl bucket seat. I was too dumb to put on the seat belt. I had a 68 Dodge Charger that I sold when I came to Florida because I thought I could easily replace it one I got to Florida. Needless to say I was wrong. Same thing on my 1974 Plymouth Satellite Sebring Plus.

 

Haha, my Torino has a bench seat and I love it... but I grew up in the "Buckle up or ticket" ads by the North Carolina Highway Patrol... feel naked in car without one.

Before we had the '07 Honda Odyssey minivan that my parents own now, they had a '95 Suburban. They looekd for a year for the right used car. One turned up, but the dealer wanted too much for it really It was nice though... new paint, new tires, new brakes, fully loaded, really low miles for its age... was like a '97 in 2000 and had like 20,000 miles on it or something. The thing that scared my dad was that it was just solid red.. honestly looked like a fire engine. Well they kept coming down on the price... and in those days we went to Raleigh eveyr weekend ($1 a gallon gas, it was sort of a family thing)... every week, we'd ride by and they kept coming down by $500 or so every time. It came down to like $9,000 I thin kit was... went down one day with the intentions to buy that car... and they had taken it to auction the day before. Dad had decided he would two tone the car with a big silver patch down the isde like those Subrubans/pick ups had.

I've been lucky thus far in my few endeavors... searched for Monte Carlos for awhile, everyone I saw just didn't feel right, or the price was too far off to even worry about. Then this one turned up with a private seller in Raleigh... price was right, car was right, drove it and it just had that "right feel" to it this time... and there she be. The Torino... same way. there was a 302 3 speed car in Greensboro that I really wanted... but then the one I have now turned up and I don't regret missing out on the one in Greensboro anymore... now I have a 390 and an automatic...

 

1968 camaro convertible for $600 hard hit on the left front,I talked him down to $300 then I passed .., 1955 nomad $900 the wheel wells where cut up bad so I passed..1950 merc $800 had a cadillac engine not running I passed ..

 

Passed on a mustang gt over $1 cuz i had a set price id pay & wasnt gonna go over it but it wasnt all bad i got the gto lol

 

Duane I was fortunate enough that I grew up at the tail end of an era when gas was still relatively cheap, seat belts use was still a personal decision, insurance wasn't mandatory, and when the cops pulled you over for being a stupid kid, they just read you the riot act and told you not to do it again and sent you on your way. Dam I miss those days.

 

1964 elCamino for $1700 because I just took out a loan to buy a blazer 1 month before.
1974 firebird with a 455 ,4speed that was in really good shape for $1200 because I seen it late at night and it was sold the next morning.
and a 1964 MG for 75 bucks. I looked at it and told the woman I would take it and she said she couldn't find the keys. It needed a total resto but had a ton of new parts including anew soft top and interior parts. it was her EX's car and he wouldnt come get it but she had the title. She ended up selling it to someone else and he cleaned it up a bit and put it back up for sale for a grand.