What is one car you miss and would like back?
#1
03-09-2010, 11:17 PM
What is one car you miss and would like back?
I know most anybody who has been driving for a significant amount of time has that 1 car that they really miss- and wish they could have back, but they had to sell it (or sold it without realizing how much they liked it)- or wrecked it. Here is the story on mine, but post up the story and pics on yours!
Mine is my 99 GTP. I bought it back the year before my L67 swap in my monte to use as my daily driver. It was literally the 2nd car we actually looked at. The first car was a 95 black Impala SS- they wanted $14k for it- I wanted one of those cars so bad, but the thing had some mechanical problems that made us move on. We came across the GTP at a dealership owned by a big name local dealer to sell their older trade ins (so they could get more money over an auction). It was sitting right on the corner spot, and we decided to go take a look at it.
Test drove it, and I knew that was what I wanted- that way I'd have 3 3800/4t65 cars- and plenty of replacement parts, plus it would be a fun DD. We spent about $5500 on it after talking them down- and it had like 80k miles or so on it.
Drove it as a DD and began modding, by the time I was ready to sell it, this was the mod list:
3.4" SC pulley, 1.9 modded stock rockers, autolite 104 plugs, ZZP 3" catless DP, resonator delete, drilled 180* tstat, K&N filter, custom pcm tune by me, sc inlet/outlet porting by me (a little too conservative on the outlet though- I was afraid to mess it up), projector headlights, 6k HID fogs and lows, debadged, niteshaded tails, remote start/keyless.
I took it to the track one time back when I just had the DP and K&N- it was a pretty hot night. My first run was terrible- the track was super slick by the launch area- I powerbraked a little and got into the gas way too fast, the thing spun so hard it shifted to 2nd (car was physically probably moving 20 mph or less- it had NEVER spun that hard)- then I backed out, and it downshifted back to 1st- then like normal- it was a real mess- ended up running like a 15.4. Only got to run 3 times due to so many breakdowns and so many people- I think my best was like a 14.5 or so.
After a couple years of modding and driving- the little problems started to get to me. Supercharger coupler was bad when we bought it- so I replaced that. The HUD died, and I fixed that (just had to resolder the 1 joint like normal). But then the other problems started ganging up:
-it leaked oil, about 3/4 quart between 3000 mile oil changes from the oil pan gasket (of course it was spotless when we bought it)
-the trunk leaked enough water to make the mat damp, and I never could figure out from where (trunk seal was in perfect shape)
-tons of water leaking on the passenger side floor that I battled on and off (would sometimes get up to 1" of standing water)
-clear coat on both doors were peeling around where the GTP emblems were (obviously had been recleared with the emblems on, but no other real signs of an accident)
-MAF died (stuck my 85mm MAF on it from my monte because Autozone wanted like $250 for a new stock one)
-Passenger side lower door trim kept popping out a bit (the end fastener had somehow broken off- so it would stick out a little)
-Slightly bubbling rear tint on the edges
-Airbag light came on after about a year
-Rattling from right front suspension over bumps
-When the transmission would fully warm up, it would whine and shift all the gears very harshly
-Knock monster (had to add a good bit of fuel and pull a pinch of timing to run the 3.4" safely- more so than most cars do with similar mods)
-Mufflers sagging (fixed with the hose clamp method)
-Temperature center lights would flash like a dance club
There were a few other things too- but I got tired of it for some reason. Ended up trading it in on my new GXP. While I do love my GXP, I do also really miss the blower whine- and my old GTP was obviously just as fast in a straight line. Obviously most all of those problems were easy fixes if I had access to a garage, and some time, and in hindsight I wish I would've kept it and just used it for a beater- it still ran great, and we traded it in at about 120k.
Anyways, some pics:
With my buddy's goat:
After a claybar and wax job:
Just before I started demodding to trade it in:
Notice the 85mm MAF that I stole off the monte as well as some of its intake tubing:
Also I put on my monte's old wheels and bald tires on her because I had just recently put brand new Goodyear Eagle GT tires on it- and didn't want to lose the money. I had these old wheels/tires sitting around after I put the 18"s on my monte, and no longer cared for the look- and had no car to put them on, so I traded them in on the GTP.
When I went back to the dealer to pick up my title paperwork a couple days later and they had just finished cleaning it up for auction:
Oddly enough about a month later I came across the car online for sale- it happened to go about an hour away to auction, and came back to the area about 10 minutes away from where I worked.
I went over there to take a look at it:
The first night it was raining really bad, but I figured I would make a list of what mods it still had left on it (I didn't manage to get them all off since I had to get rid of the car ASAP when the new car came up)- and also a list of what problems it had.
I let the lady think I was interested at first- she gave me the keys and went back inside (it was cold out), so I got to start it up, sit in it, and rev it up a couple times. Definitely was a bad thing- it made me want her back more than ever. I didn't take her for a test drive because I didn't want to do something stupid (ie buy the car back and lose the couple thousand money difference- especially after God knows how many people raped on her). I went back inside to talk to the lady and I told her why I was really there- she said one of the sales guys had driven it home twice and was trying to work out a deal to buy it with the owner of the small lot. I gave her the paper I had typed up with all of the mods/problems (I should've left it in the glove box with my email addy or something for the next owner). I figured they could use the mod list to sell the car easier. The funny thing is, it still didn't have a cat (it was being sold and was registered in a county with emissions)- I couldn't demod the downpipe because the exhaust shop that did the resonator delete screwed me and welded it all straight through- removing the rear flange.
The car was sold about a week later, and I've never seen her again.
The exhaust note with the stock mufflers and everything else deleted was the perfect tone and volume, and the SC whine was pure sex!
I'm sure one day I'll end up picking up another GTP just for a fun daily beater....
So enough about my story- what cars have you had that 'got away'?
Mine is my 99 GTP. I bought it back the year before my L67 swap in my monte to use as my daily driver. It was literally the 2nd car we actually looked at. The first car was a 95 black Impala SS- they wanted $14k for it- I wanted one of those cars so bad, but the thing had some mechanical problems that made us move on. We came across the GTP at a dealership owned by a big name local dealer to sell their older trade ins (so they could get more money over an auction). It was sitting right on the corner spot, and we decided to go take a look at it.
Test drove it, and I knew that was what I wanted- that way I'd have 3 3800/4t65 cars- and plenty of replacement parts, plus it would be a fun DD. We spent about $5500 on it after talking them down- and it had like 80k miles or so on it.
Drove it as a DD and began modding, by the time I was ready to sell it, this was the mod list:
3.4" SC pulley, 1.9 modded stock rockers, autolite 104 plugs, ZZP 3" catless DP, resonator delete, drilled 180* tstat, K&N filter, custom pcm tune by me, sc inlet/outlet porting by me (a little too conservative on the outlet though- I was afraid to mess it up), projector headlights, 6k HID fogs and lows, debadged, niteshaded tails, remote start/keyless.
I took it to the track one time back when I just had the DP and K&N- it was a pretty hot night. My first run was terrible- the track was super slick by the launch area- I powerbraked a little and got into the gas way too fast, the thing spun so hard it shifted to 2nd (car was physically probably moving 20 mph or less- it had NEVER spun that hard)- then I backed out, and it downshifted back to 1st- then like normal- it was a real mess- ended up running like a 15.4. Only got to run 3 times due to so many breakdowns and so many people- I think my best was like a 14.5 or so.
After a couple years of modding and driving- the little problems started to get to me. Supercharger coupler was bad when we bought it- so I replaced that. The HUD died, and I fixed that (just had to resolder the 1 joint like normal). But then the other problems started ganging up:
-it leaked oil, about 3/4 quart between 3000 mile oil changes from the oil pan gasket (of course it was spotless when we bought it)
-the trunk leaked enough water to make the mat damp, and I never could figure out from where (trunk seal was in perfect shape)
-tons of water leaking on the passenger side floor that I battled on and off (would sometimes get up to 1" of standing water)
-clear coat on both doors were peeling around where the GTP emblems were (obviously had been recleared with the emblems on, but no other real signs of an accident)
-MAF died (stuck my 85mm MAF on it from my monte because Autozone wanted like $250 for a new stock one)
-Passenger side lower door trim kept popping out a bit (the end fastener had somehow broken off- so it would stick out a little)
-Slightly bubbling rear tint on the edges
-Airbag light came on after about a year
-Rattling from right front suspension over bumps
-When the transmission would fully warm up, it would whine and shift all the gears very harshly
-Knock monster (had to add a good bit of fuel and pull a pinch of timing to run the 3.4" safely- more so than most cars do with similar mods)
-Mufflers sagging (fixed with the hose clamp method)
-Temperature center lights would flash like a dance club
There were a few other things too- but I got tired of it for some reason. Ended up trading it in on my new GXP. While I do love my GXP, I do also really miss the blower whine- and my old GTP was obviously just as fast in a straight line. Obviously most all of those problems were easy fixes if I had access to a garage, and some time, and in hindsight I wish I would've kept it and just used it for a beater- it still ran great, and we traded it in at about 120k.
Anyways, some pics:
With my buddy's goat:
After a claybar and wax job:
Just before I started demodding to trade it in:
Notice the 85mm MAF that I stole off the monte as well as some of its intake tubing:
Also I put on my monte's old wheels and bald tires on her because I had just recently put brand new Goodyear Eagle GT tires on it- and didn't want to lose the money. I had these old wheels/tires sitting around after I put the 18"s on my monte, and no longer cared for the look- and had no car to put them on, so I traded them in on the GTP.
When I went back to the dealer to pick up my title paperwork a couple days later and they had just finished cleaning it up for auction:
Oddly enough about a month later I came across the car online for sale- it happened to go about an hour away to auction, and came back to the area about 10 minutes away from where I worked.
I went over there to take a look at it:
The first night it was raining really bad, but I figured I would make a list of what mods it still had left on it (I didn't manage to get them all off since I had to get rid of the car ASAP when the new car came up)- and also a list of what problems it had.
I let the lady think I was interested at first- she gave me the keys and went back inside (it was cold out), so I got to start it up, sit in it, and rev it up a couple times. Definitely was a bad thing- it made me want her back more than ever. I didn't take her for a test drive because I didn't want to do something stupid (ie buy the car back and lose the couple thousand money difference- especially after God knows how many people raped on her). I went back inside to talk to the lady and I told her why I was really there- she said one of the sales guys had driven it home twice and was trying to work out a deal to buy it with the owner of the small lot. I gave her the paper I had typed up with all of the mods/problems (I should've left it in the glove box with my email addy or something for the next owner). I figured they could use the mod list to sell the car easier. The funny thing is, it still didn't have a cat (it was being sold and was registered in a county with emissions)- I couldn't demod the downpipe because the exhaust shop that did the resonator delete screwed me and welded it all straight through- removing the rear flange.
The car was sold about a week later, and I've never seen her again.
The exhaust note with the stock mufflers and everything else deleted was the perfect tone and volume, and the SC whine was pure sex!
I'm sure one day I'll end up picking up another GTP just for a fun daily beater....
So enough about my story- what cars have you had that 'got away'?
Last edited by bumpin96monte; 03-09-2010 at 11:25 PM.
#2
03-10-2010, 10:19 AM
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Southeast PA
Posts: 25,136
I miss my 95 Lumina. It had the 3.1, and when I got rid of it, had a bad head-gasket and 186,000 miles. It was my first car, and it was SPOTLESS.
I don't miss much about it, mechanically it was a nightmare (damn 3.1 engine), but it taught me a lot about cars. I just kind of wish I still had something to beat on so the Monte could be parked and not driven all the time.
No pictures though
My dad on the other hand, would GO TO TOWN on this topic. He used to work at a car wash / mechanic shop with my late Uncle in the 70s, he used to purchase people's cars for nothing and then fix them up and sell them for profit. Having a different car every other week. He's told me the list of some of them, and I wanted to smack him for getting rid of the cars... numerous camaros, firebirds, nova, vega, etc. His favorite was a jet-black and shaved 68 firebird. He kept it for a long time building it up, and wrecked it on the first drive out because of a ball-joint (I believe) wound up taking out a long fence and bending the frame a good 6 inches.
I don't miss much about it, mechanically it was a nightmare (damn 3.1 engine), but it taught me a lot about cars. I just kind of wish I still had something to beat on so the Monte could be parked and not driven all the time.
No pictures though
My dad on the other hand, would GO TO TOWN on this topic. He used to work at a car wash / mechanic shop with my late Uncle in the 70s, he used to purchase people's cars for nothing and then fix them up and sell them for profit. Having a different car every other week. He's told me the list of some of them, and I wanted to smack him for getting rid of the cars... numerous camaros, firebirds, nova, vega, etc. His favorite was a jet-black and shaved 68 firebird. He kept it for a long time building it up, and wrecked it on the first drive out because of a ball-joint (I believe) wound up taking out a long fence and bending the frame a good 6 inches.
Last edited by ChibiBlackSheep; 03-10-2010 at 10:22 AM.
#3
03-10-2010, 10:34 AM
i still wish that i had that 98 cavilier with the 2.2 ecotech turbo charged 5 dpeed. i had so much fun with that car. when i seen that mustang i wished that i didnt trad in the cavilier for the mustang. it was at times when getting like a oil filter the auto parts stores keep saying that the 98 2.2 werent over head camed which the original motors wernt. but man i miss that little fast thing
#4
03-10-2010, 10:47 AM
I miss my 92 Dodge Spirit.... 
Meth is a horrible drug, stay clear of it kids!
Seriously I haven't had that many and three of the ones I bought I still own but I really miss my 95 Z34. Got rid of it because I got nervous about all the bad things a friend was telling me about the 3.4 DOHC engine. Sold it to a co-worker who was moving out of state. She came back for a visit about 6 months later and I hated seeing the car in the shape it was in. Last time I talked to her a little more then a year ago it was still running strong and no problems. Live and learn I guess!
Not great pictures but...
Meth is a horrible drug, stay clear of it kids! Seriously I haven't had that many and three of the ones I bought I still own but I really miss my 95 Z34. Got rid of it because I got nervous about all the bad things a friend was telling me about the 3.4 DOHC engine. Sold it to a co-worker who was moving out of state. She came back for a visit about 6 months later and I hated seeing the car in the shape it was in. Last time I talked to her a little more then a year ago it was still running strong and no problems. Live and learn I guess!
Not great pictures but...
#6
03-10-2010, 11:47 AM
I've got two entries.
1. '57 Chevy Belair 2-door Sedan. (a real one. not a clone)
I sold it to a high school friend. He in turn sold it to his cousin who junked it. This was after the cousin pulled the original 235 6 cylinder engine out and spray canned the entire blue from the original color of black.
2. 1968 Plymouth Sport Satillite convertible.
THIS CAR WOULD FLY. (not that I would know from experiece mind you)
original 383 Magnum engine, 4 bbl carb, true duel exhaust, 727 Torgueflite trans.
Came original with black interior, bucket seats and center console. Even had the added feature of the light package which was more of less blinker indicators on the tops of the front fenders. Mopar used this feature for many years.
My parents made me sell this car in 1985 for the whole sum of $300 to a guy who happened to stop by one day wanting to buy it.
PS. I still remind them of this blunder today.
1. '57 Chevy Belair 2-door Sedan. (a real one. not a clone)
I sold it to a high school friend. He in turn sold it to his cousin who junked it. This was after the cousin pulled the original 235 6 cylinder engine out and spray canned the entire blue from the original color of black.
2. 1968 Plymouth Sport Satillite convertible.
THIS CAR WOULD FLY. (not that I would know from experiece mind you)
original 383 Magnum engine, 4 bbl carb, true duel exhaust, 727 Torgueflite trans.
Came original with black interior, bucket seats and center console. Even had the added feature of the light package which was more of less blinker indicators on the tops of the front fenders. Mopar used this feature for many years.
My parents made me sell this car in 1985 for the whole sum of $300 to a guy who happened to stop by one day wanting to buy it.
PS. I still remind them of this blunder today.
#7
03-10-2010, 12:07 PM
- Great Thread Topic 4-Sure -
Great Write `Up & Pic's
I miss my HondaDel Sol VTEC `Turbo 5speed 
Put lots of $'s/Time in2 my 1st ride.
Caught 4 Street Rac'in & it had 2 `go...
*Like above
Good news
Traded for a MonteCarlo
Great Write `Up & Pic's
I miss my HondaDel Sol VTEC `Turbo 5speed Put lots of $'s/Time in2 my 1st ride.
Caught 4 Street Rac'in & it had 2 `go...
*Like above
Good news
Traded for a MonteCarlo
#8
03-10-2010, 12:14 PM
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Wauconda, IL
Posts: 13,335
I kinda miss my 2000 GTP Daytona edition:
I have no idea what happened to is as I gave it back when I bought my 03 Monte. (I had done a "Smart Buy" through GM financing and I guess you would call it kinda a lease).
I have no idea what happened to is as I gave it back when I bought my 03 Monte. (I had done a "Smart Buy" through GM financing and I guess you would call it kinda a lease).
Last edited by AwesomeSS; 03-10-2010 at 12:17 PM.
#9
03-10-2010, 01:56 PM
I love that Daytona! I actually looked at one about 6 months back, looked very similar to the one above. It was at a little used car lot, but their price was a little high, and they refused to move on the price at all. When I realized they wouldn't move a dime off sticker (who does that, especially at a little private lot)- I said forget it and gave up.
