What's one car you wish you never sold?

"cletus44 aka Clayton Seams" (cletus44) 02/05/2015 at 11:07 • Filed to: None

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You just can't keep them all. Sometimes, the lack of time, money or space means that a car has to be sold. I've owned six cars since I started driving, but I always missed my first car. Her name was Suzy and she was wonderful.

Suzy was a 1983 Datsun 280ZX that I bought for $2,000 in high school. I didn't even know what a Datsun was when I bought it. All I knew, was that it was cheap, looked cool and had T-tops.

How that car survived my clueless maintenance habits and typical teenaged male driving style I'll never know. But for the 9,000 kilometres I put on it, the Z never asked for more than fuel, fluids and filters and was flawlessly reliable.

But it was my only car and I needed something I could drive during the winter from my house in Calgary to my college in Spokane, Washington. Rust had also started creeping into the Datsun's rocker panels and I didn't have the metal skills to fix it. I listed it for $2,000 and it was shortly sold. I went on to buy a Firebird Formula in horrible condition, but that's another story.

The new owner did a lot of work on the car and made it a lot nicer than mine ever was. It now has a fresh paint job and a custom interior. I actually see it driving around every now and then when I'm in Calgary, and it makes my heart hurt a little bit each time I see it.

But what about you? What car do you miss? What car do you wish you still had. I also asked this question !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! so feel free to chime in over there and see what cars other people miss.

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Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/05/2015 at 11:12

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There are two cars I wish I never sold; My '86 Mk2 Golf GTi 16v that had a 2.0 block with the standard 1.8 16v KR top and some other goodies (brutal cam and stuff like that). And my Citroλn CX 25 GTi Turbo. But when you're a car nut you tend to go through cars like other people change underwear..

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/05/2015 at 11:13

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In 1995 I had an 85 Honda CRX. Even though it was a color I hated (red), and it had an automatic, that car was still a blast to drive. It was like my own little go-cart. I got phenomenal gas mileage (could normally go a week on maybe 5 bucks), and there wasn't a parking spot it wouldn't fit in.

I foolishly got rid of it because I blew the head gasket.

To this day I still look for another CRX, but the likelihood of finding an unmolested version is almost nill.

MonkeePuzzle > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/05/2015 at 11:15

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easy, my last subaru

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/subaru-summer-…

sounds like the new owner blew up the radiator on a negative bajillion degrees day and then jsut swapped the engine. so completely rebuilt 1.8l engine I installed mere months before selling is likely been trashed or just sitting neglected in the corner

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/05/2015 at 11:15

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lolcar. Should've never sold it. Not for a sentimental reason, but because I'm afraid it might someday kill a man. All who drove it wondered how I could keep it on the road at all, let alone pummel much better cars at autocrosses. And instead of crushing it, I sold it when the transmission blew again and the head gasket started failing.

Carl (@stuffcarlsays) > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/05/2015 at 11:15

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I had a 1993 Saab 900 S convertible back in college (2000-2002), white with a tan roof, tan leather, 5-speed. I had an SPG kit sprayed to match and I installed that at one point. It was a sharp car that I had purchased from the original owner, and it provided a couple of years of great transportation. Ended up selling it when I bought a 1997 900 SE Turbo in a short-sighted moment of frustration with the elder 900's electrical gremlins. The car ended up on Craigslist 5 years later, and back in my possession for a short while. I'll probably do a post about this adventure at some point.

mike > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/05/2015 at 11:15

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2003 s2000. EX wife said we need a family car, sold it for a 2012 tdi jetta sportwagen. 3 month later she says she wants a divorce. i say fine.

jokes on her cause now i have the bmw ive wanted for years.. next stop is nsx or porsche

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/05/2015 at 11:17

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My 97 Accord sedan. Not because it was great, but because it was paid off(in fact it was almost free) and I replaced it with a car that isn't paid off that I don't really like any more than the Accord. I should have been more patients and kept the Accord while I saved up some money to buy something better.

six months after I sold the Accord and bought my 2001 Civic ex an 03 SI showed up at a reasonable price, but I was stuck with my Civic which I was at the time upside down on. I owed 4500 on it but could only get 3500 on trade for it. :(

Oh little black SI we could have been so good together.

gas head > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/05/2015 at 11:18

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1990 E30 M3. Nun said.

Sn210 > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/05/2015 at 11:18

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honestly, I still kind of wish I kept my Civic instead of trading it for the TL. I could have drove it into the ground and I ended up getting an mr2 for fun anyway. I might have been able to build a garage too :(

But I'm sure after a week of driving my civic again, I'd miss the TL more!

505Turbeaux > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/05/2015 at 11:19

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there are so many of these I wish I hadn't sold, but I get bored easily. Ill think on this and get back to you

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Carl (@stuffcarlsays) 02/05/2015 at 11:22

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Damn, that's one sweet Saab indeed.

Carl (@stuffcarlsays) > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 02/05/2015 at 11:23

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It was.

T5Killer > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/05/2015 at 11:23

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Both my Volvo 240 DL and 740 turbo Wagon. I loved those cars but had 5 cars at the time and had no room for them. I really kick myself on the wagon since I have kids now and could use the extra room. Plus I was going to swap a 4.6 DOHC Ford Modular into that 740.

Justin Hughes > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/05/2015 at 11:27

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My 1991 Nissan Sentra SE-R. It was absolutely the most fun practical car I've ever had. I'm not a big fan of FWD, but this thing handled beautifully, in part due to its LSD. With studded snow tires it handled Maine winters 95% as well as my AWD Civic wagon. The SR20 is one of the best motors I've ever driven. The suspension was the perfect compromise between sporty without being uncomfortably firm. And it was a ton more practical than my BRZ. It was 20 years old, but everything worked. I even installed a ham radio in the dashboard.

I only got rid of it when I moved from Maine back to Massachusetts, and I didn't think it would pass the much more stringent MA inspection. I really wish I'd kept it and tried to make it pass anyway. It was worth it.

I should write an Oppositelock Review on this car.

Captain of the Enterprise > mike 02/05/2015 at 11:30

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That sounds like she was deliberately trying to screw with you because she knew you liked that car.

mike > Captain of the Enterprise 02/05/2015 at 11:33

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she is a pretty terrible human. i am MUCH better off now. current gf wants a type 3, beetle(aircooled), or a gen 1/2 gti. still winning

SlickMcRick > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/05/2015 at 11:34

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My 1990 Escort GT. It was technically free and also first car. It was given to me by the repair shop I volunteered. They said if you learn how to drive a manual transmission we'll give it to you. Below pictures aren't of my car but look exactly like the one I had.

Also no louvers. Drove that car into the ground. Something about driving a slow car at full tilt is oh so fun. Put 55k on that car in a little of a year.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/05/2015 at 11:45

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My 1990 Nissan Fairlady Z Twin Turbo 5spd. It was mint! perfect leather interior,t-tops, 86000 kms, Tein Coilovers and I sold for next to nothing.

RKYTOP > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/05/2015 at 11:49

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2001 F250 XLT Long-bed, 7.3 Diesel, 6-Speed. "BART" (Big Ass Red Truck)... best hauler I've had. Stump-puller. 600 miles/tank around town.

pauljones > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/05/2015 at 11:53

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Dude, I just want that thing. That is ridiculously cool.

Jonee > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/05/2015 at 12:03

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I found a Citroen Ami6 sitting in a guy's backyard in San Bernadino, CA once. I dragged it home and got it running, but it had a cracked frame, so I sold it and I've been kicking myself ever since. I'll never find another one in the U.S. It was so weird and cool and was really fun to bomb around my neighborhood in.

luvMeSome142 & some Lincoln! > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/05/2015 at 12:08

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I bought a '79 924 Porsche just like this one after my poor Volvo was totaled. For some reason I didn't feel like I would be able to wrench on the car even though I could fix anything on the Volvo. I sold it when I suspected that the transmission was starting to go. I was a teenager living at home with my parents. I should have just dug in and fixed it! Bought for $3k, sold for $3k back in 1992.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Jonee 02/05/2015 at 12:08

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Well in SF I see some French cars because they sold Citroen here and Peugeot, maybe more. I have seen a few rare ones, there are two good mechanics here and a strong French car club. SF has a bunch of Euros that bring cars, I've talked to a few old people that came here, one brought their 505 wagon with them. One guy in Noe Valley has a DS Safari. Ask the car club, they will know.

Tohru > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/05/2015 at 12:09

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You want me to pick just one?

My '89 Bronco. My '96 Bronco. My '76 Delta 88. My '91 Caprice Classic. All I wish I had kept.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/05/2015 at 12:09

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This thing.

I bought it off of a family friend who was moving to Vancouver back in July/August. Although it was slowly rotting up underneath, engine gaskets were swelling up, the subwoofer rattled every time the bass kicked in, the right tie rod was loose, the broken flexpipe made it roar like no tomorrow, brakes tried to kill me various times, I LOVED IT!

If I had a larger budget, I would have fixed it up, but since I was cash-strapped, I had to sell it. I also recently sold the wheels and tires that were immaculate, despite having a bit of brake dust.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/05/2015 at 12:12

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Well I guess I'm lucky because the cars I have now I probably will never sell, but I did have a metallic green )Medium Olive, Chevy truck. My dad gave it to me, it would be a cheap truck to have around and it was pretty cool. It was kind of like this:

Roundbadge > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/05/2015 at 12:20

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My '86 Civic SI. I only drove it for around 30K miles in 3 years or so. Ended up trading it for a '92 Chevy S-10 4.3L.

Jonee > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 02/05/2015 at 12:22

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That's good to know. Sounds like my kind of people. I'll have to look them up and see if anyone's got an Ami. They were sold here, but in limited numbers.

justAnother G6 > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/05/2015 at 12:47

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'84 BMW 318i. Bought it in '98 for $300, never mind the lack of 2nd gear nor the rear brakes that didn't work, the busted drivers seat, the fan that only worked on low, the headlights that only turned on when the high beams were on or the slight front end damage and the steering linkage that all but the slightest bit of rubber disappeared. It was a damn fun car to tear around mid-Iowa in with a non-functioning muffler.

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/05/2015 at 13:02

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With the exception of my first car i still have every one i have owned.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Jonee 02/05/2015 at 13:05

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Every car club has a hoarder! This guy is the citroen club dude:

chapron67@yahoo.com

http://www.citroensanfrancisco.com/Home.html

Jonee > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 02/05/2015 at 13:22

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Awesome. Thanks. I do see a blue Ami on there. I'll have to put in an inquiry. Fortunately, I don't have the room to hoard cars. I'd have my own oddball car lot if I did. My garage is still stuffed full, though.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/05/2015 at 13:42

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96 Range Rover P38 in Niagara Grey with black steelies and nice knobby A/T tires. Sold it at 200k after putting two engines in it, among countless other things. Just couldn't trust it anymore. It was very much a love/hate relationship.

RallyWrench > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/05/2015 at 13:55

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There are many, many cars I wish I still had, but this one stands above them all:

Sold in 2011 to help finance my house. Of course, as soon as I sold it, their value went up.

evil2win > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/05/2015 at 14:32

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I hydroplaned and bounced off a highway concrete center devider. I sold it afterwards for about half what I paid fo it. I really wish I had kept it, and taken the time to repair the damage.

6cyl > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 02/05/2015 at 15:50

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I had a Civic Si like the one pictured. It is certainly the car I most regret selling. bullet proof reliable and fun and still good on gas. I moved to NYC for school and didn't think I would ever move back out of the city so I sold it dirt cheap. I have never been able to find one that was that clean with those miles for that price since :(

JasonStern911 > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/06/2015 at 00:35

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Interestingly enough (or not interesting at all... I don't know the level at which an anonymous person on the internet becomes interesting), my mom's uncle owned a 280ZX that he purchased new. He never was ready to sell it to me, but he always promised me that if he did sell it, I'd be the first person he talked to. He'd also tell me how it's the most perfect car for me and how I'd love it forever before saying that I couldn't buy it. Sadly, he passed away not too long ago. And I'm now in that middle aged about to have a kid part of my life, so even if I knew what happened to it and could buy it, I don't know what I'd do with it. But I look back at some of the cars I owned when I was younger, and how much work I put into them - whether it was a "free" Starion or my "reliable" low mileage RX-8 that I planned on keeping for a decade, and I know that had I been able to purchase that car, my 18-28 year old point in life likely would have spent much less time dealing with the negative aspects of car ownership. So while it's not the car that I never wish I would have sold, that 280ZX is probably on the top of my list of cars that I regret never being able to own.

Old-Busted-Hotness > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams 02/06/2015 at 06:32

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So many. '71 Cad-Superior hearse, '59 Mini, '78 Town Coupe, Healey Sprite, Yugo Cabrio, 128 wagon, Scout Traveler...