In “Kodachrome”, Paul Simon sings of past loves, “Everything looks better in black and white” (Okeh, sometimes he sings “worse” instead of “better”; he says he forgets which he originally wrote…whatever; for the purposes of this post, the lyric is “better”). And it’s true: the human memory isn’t the camcorder it feels like. We magnify our recollections of the good, and we minify our recall of the bad. That’s probably for the best, for otherwise we’d be dragged under by accumulated strife and sadness. Nevertheless, most of us sometimes hanker for the good(?) ol’ days. Sometimes we get a chance to go back, one way or another. Often this winds up to prove unwise and disappointing; that magical playground is nowhere near so giant and awesome as we remembered it, etc.
But with cars it can go either direction, I suppose. One could come face-to-face with all the nuisances and faults one had forgot, and have one’s nose shoved in a steaming pile of past misdeeds and errors…or one could find oneself happily home again (as in this Chev sketch of a few years back, which tears me up every time on account of my own history with a dad and a car).
That could-go-either-way thing is a guess on my part; I’ve never tried it, though the opportunity came round once: I had a “wanna buy it back?” come in from the guy I’d sold my first fully operable car to. It was a ’65 Valiant Custom 200 (the very one in the pic here—a ’65 Dart badged up thusly and built in Ontario for the Canadian market). I won’t go into much detail here; I swear sooner or later I’ll get round to doing my time in the COAL mine. But I was briefly sorely tempted—boy, was I ever! I ran mind-movies of putting right all my wrongs, fixing all those shortcuts that stemmed from upgrade enthusiasm and feature creep. But I don’t have much more spare money to mess with cars now than I did then, and I have a lot less space, a whole lot less time, and a whole hell of a lot less inclination.
So I thanks-but-no-thanksed it. By and by, the new owner got in touch; I was heartened to learn he had plans (and resources, facilities, tools, and knowledge) to refurbish it although it’s “only” a four-door.
How ’bout you? Did/would you ever buy back your old car? Or did/would you Just Say No™? Howe’er it was, did you come to regret your decision?
I would buy my ’72 Nova (307, 3-speed on the floor, manual everything, rubber floor mats) if I could find it in the exact condition as when I bought it in ’78.
I had a 71 Nova in 1993-4, when I was 17-18. Probably my 6th or 7th car by that point. 307, powerglide, rubber floormats, power nothing. Glorious one leg burnouts 2-3 times weekly in the back roe of the high school parking lot. The trunk had rust in it so tiresmoke would come through the backseat into the cabin. It overheated one time two many on the way to college. I traded it toward a 1978 Cougar XR7. I wish I had the Nova back, maybe a bit of my youth as well.
The one car other that matters most (besides a 535is and a SAAB 900 SPG) is of course the tii. It’s a long story as to how I had to sell it back in 2004 — a few years before prices started skyrocketing. It was mechanically 90% — oversized Mahles, shaved head, no rust to speak of, and had new carpet and redone seats with foam…. ugh…
That’s a $25K car these days rightly or wrongly, sigh.
Very timely question, my old 1962 Triumph is currently available on Kijiji from the guy I sold it to ten years ago.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/coal-1962-triumph-tr4-know-when-to-hold-em/
I admit to being a little intrigued, but looking at the photos made me nauseous to see my teenage workmanship again. I’d like to have another Triumph, but not that one.
Once the ad goes down maybe I’ll update the COAL with it’s current condition and see it PN will run it again.
Nice TR-250 here
http://christopher-king.blogspot.com/2012/06/kingcast-and-larz-anderson-museum.html
Toward the end of my Bonneville’s life, I gave it to my dad as a parts runner for his new business (selling and repairing ATVs/snowmobiles/yard equipment) as he had been lamenting his staff’s treatment of his personal truck. After a year or two, he elected to give it as payment to a friend of mine that had been doing some off-the-books computer work for him as an attempt to help that friend get back on his feet a bit.
Before that transfer, I happened to be in town, so dad gave me the keys for one last drive. I’m certain I could have convinced him to pay out in cash instead if I’d wanted the car back.
It felt as good as it ever had. The seat, even having been adjusted countless times, felt right. The controls felt right. It steered and accelerated and braked as it did before.
But, I don’t know that I would have wanted it back. It was a relationship that ended for specific reasons, and despite a bit of fun after the fact those reasons were still valid. It still was a car that was near the end of its life and wasn’t fit for the sort of duty I needed it for anymore. It was a decent parts-runner or A-B transportation special, but it was no longer up to driving away to job interviews or making a long drive home.
I’m glad I got to do it, and of all the cars I’ve had, that Bonneville is still possibly my favorite of them all. But, some of that is because I knew when it was time to part ways.
What I find with advancing age is my fantasies about old cars are a lot better than actually better than actually driving them, and massively better than owning them.
In the last five years, I have had long drives in a 1978 Cadillac and a 1979 Lincoln Mk V.
I hated them both. The Cadillac bounded like a cork in a storm and had horrible brakes. The Lincoln had a tiny interior and smelled bad. No, my buddy who owns them is so busy he is actually paying me to take care of these old monsters, neither of which he actually drives, since he has no time. I have so little time I can’t help my buddy for free!
So there’s the rub. I was so close to buying Jason Bagge’s 1970 Pontiac. Then I reasoned to myself that even if I bought it, I could only drive it like once a year.
So I will stay with my fantasies. They are cheaper and a lot less hassle.
Amen. »clink«
A friend, who (like me) is in recovery from car-related elevated collectserall, put it this way: “I still like old cars…in somebody else’s garage.”
For most of my driving life, I bought cheap cars and drove them into the ground, largely due to terminal rust. Nope, I never want to see a rusty car again!
That pretty much sums up the numerous “classics” I have owned. Except for one or 2 that I actually made some money on after I fixed them up.
I had some nostalgia for an old vw van for a while after selling the last one. That feeling passed on my last road trip with my Toyota Previa. After passing a couple old vw vans of various generations I finally flew by one smoking in the ditch with a blown motor or worse.
I feel somewhat liberated driving a van I don’t love and know can be replaced relatively cheaply without to much of a search…
I never bought -back an old car or truck. But I did have an opportunity to drive 2 old trucks long after I sold them.
I built a custom Chevy shortbox G-van, and drove it for several years. I sold it with the intention of buying another van and doing a different and better custom job.
The van went through 2 more owners who were good friends. I ended up working for the 2nd owner and drove my old van as a delivery truck for another 100,000 km.
I also sold him my old stepside long-box 1980 Chevy pick up truck (an unusual combination) and ended up driving that on the job as well.
It’s an odd feeling driving your old truck… and getting paid to do so. It’s like visiting an old friend, but without the financial worries.
In the present tense, I wanted to buy, effectively, my old car. In March, I was involved in an accident that totaled my 2014 Fiesta ST.
I desperately wanted to buy a 2017, which is pretty much identical to the 2014 save for the color choices (I like the 2017 orange better anyway) and Sync3 instead of MyFordTouch (again, an improvement!). The trouble with totaling a three-year-old car is that the payout from insurance is roughly half the purchase price of new, and my situation has changed significantly from when I bought the 2014. Even with the insurance payout, I wasn’t prepared to take on a new payment at this time.
So, it’s with much sadness I had to let it go. Now I have to avoid looking toward Ford dealerships as I ride past in what absolutely warrants a COAL treatment here. I still occasionally scheme on how to make the money work to just go buy the car, even though I’ve now used most of the payout from the other one.
Oh well I guess…
I would. I still regret ever letting my 84 Citation II notchback go. My first “nice” car. Purchased with money I saved from quitting cigarettes.
It led to the purchase of my first brand new car, a 99 Cavalier 2 door, so similar in size and purpose, a Chevrolet, overhead valves, similar FWD setup and options [minus non working cruise control, two toning and “mag” wheels].
First car on my own: 66 Mercury Comet Caliente 2 door hardtop. Good memories, but too big and gas hungry, so no.
Second car ? Still with me, 36 years later.
Wow!
I was always a big fan of the Citation notchback… a late build like that would have been a tad more durable than the original releases, too.
Funny you should ask this question now, because lately I’ve been dreaming of my much loved 1968 Beetle. I owned the little critter for nine years, and stupidly traded it on a ’75 VW Dasher (aka the Beast That Shall Not Be Named). It was cheap to own, durable, beautifully made and never got stuck in snow. Yes, I do miss it.
Sometimes I think about the ’58 Citroen ID19 I part-owned in the early Seventies. That was a dreamworthy car, too. Ah, memories…
I just did!
1967
Congratulations! I hope a COAL ensues!
2015
Very nice car!
Oooooooh!
Do write us a COAL on that one, even if it’s just a one-off rather than the whole series. Big fan of the 58-60 Lincolns here and I’d love to hear the story of how it came back into your possession.
Learned to drive in ’66 on my Dad’s ’61 Envoy. I had a lot of fun in that car. Two years ago I found one with only 17,000 original miles on it! I bought it and I am reliving my misspent youth! (My wife does not understand)
I never got rid of my first car, so yes.
There are several I’d like to see or even take for a spin, but I’m at a point where I don’t really want the trouble and expense of a “toy” car. Top 3 I’d like to find/see/drive would be the 1970 MG Midget(red with black interior), 1982 Cadillac Seville(pale metallic green with olive green leather) and the 1986 BMW 535i(black with pearlbeige leather).
As I’ve told a few friends: there are cars I’ve owned that I would like to own again, just NOT that particular example but a perfectly restored example.
I owned a 68 Mercury Cyclone GT fastback that I loved. I would own it again, but as a non-fastback hardtop, and with power brakes and A/C.
I owned a 914 1.8 that I would like to own again….if it was a 2 liter, and didn’t have a badly damaged chassis under the battery box.
I owned a 80 Ford Fiesta that I would own today if I could turn back time to BEFORE it was rear-ended by a dimwitted driver in a Navy truck.
I am pretty sure I saw my old ’70 C10 a week or so ago, sold it in ’06. Looked a little worse for wear and had a different color fender on it, the body was straight when I sold it. My heart wants it back, but my brain realizes I have no use for it anymore. Would like to see it parked and check on it, however.
Lots of memories from that truck I owned for 30 years and bought from the original owner.
I do miss it when I have to struggle with the high lift height of it’s Titan replacement though, but AC, power steering and brakes that work in all road conditions are all big pluses. And 20 MPG vs 12 MPG highway is nice as well, although around town the Titan’s MPG is about the same as the old Chevy.
Still, if I could buy it for a low enough price….
The short answer is no. But at least once a week, I have a dream (a real, sleeping dream, not a daydream) in which I buy back one of my old cars. It’s almost always the case that it’s been sitting on a back lot at some dealership…I go shopping for a new or used car and I either discover it or they bring it out for me. It’s been sitting there for years untouched.
Does anyone else have this dream? I wonder if it’s because I spend too much time on this site. Or maybe it’s something deeper. Perhaps the armchair psychologists out there have a theory.
I’ve been a long time reader on this site, but not a poster. However, mFred, I had to comment here because I had that same dream many times over the years about my first car – a Helios Blue 1983 Audi 5000S. The last time it was so vivid that I decided I had to make it a reality. Thanks to that providence I now — 20 years later — have a mint Diamond Silver ’83 5000S in my garage with only 38k miles on the odometer.
Thanks for posting that you’ve had the same dream!
Wow, congratulations!
I bought a car similar to my first car, but I am glad I didn’t get that original one back, as it would have been off the road for a long time with rust repairs. It was pretty worn out at 24 years old and 200,000 miles.
My 95 Explorer I kept for most of its life (15 of its 21 years) and put over 350,000 miles on it, if it wasn’t for the slipping transmission, and me not having any money to put into it, I’d have kept it. But if were offered to me again, I’d probably decline it.
After my disastrous ownership experience with my ’87 VW Jetta I sorely wished I could have bought back the ’87 Taurus wagon I ditched for it. The Taurus was so much more reliable and had I known the money I would dump into the VW for repairs, I would have taken those $$ and had the body on the Ford repaired and painted.
Not to rub salt into the would, but that’s what I did with my 1990 wagon. I don’t guess FoMoCo would even recognize it. I always told the wife the projects I could do in our own garage were less expensive than replacing a car I liked. After 27 years, I’ve completely rebuilt/replaced the entire HVAC system for $530 in parts and did the work myself over two weekends in 2012; rebuilt the entire front end – MacPherson struts, thrust rod bushings, both driveshafts, LCArms with balljoints, inner and outer tie rods in 2013; and rebuilt the rear end – sway bar bushings, shocks, coil springs and more in 2015. Exchanged the wimpy base ’90 dash cluster gauges for a 6-digit odo from a mid-’90s Taurus, a correct Vulcan tach from an ’89 donor car mounted into a 1990 Taurus SHO housing. Changed both sides of the basic split-bench seat up front with powered seats on both sides. (Had to create the passenger-side power seat, as Ford didn’t offer one in 1990.) Kept the original upholstery; laundered it and re-installed it with new hog rings.
THIS is the car Ford should have built starting in November of 1989. They could have kept the imports at bay for 20 years. I’m getting on a bit in age, and am starting to take the wagon to the local Ford mega-dealership. First thing is, when I rattle off the VIN from memory I’m told my car doesn’t exist. I just laugh and tell them, “I didn’t walk here!” After some heated discussion about how I know EXACTLY what I’m talking about, the service manager will come out to show me I’m an imbecile. I hand him the registration, my ORIGINAL registration from 1997, and invite him to read the VIN from the left-front of the dash. I’m still working out how to get these people to work with me.
Not me personally, but in the past six (>6) or so months, TWO (2) of my friends bought back cars they previously owned. In both cases, the span was about eight (?) years.
Friend Number One had the opportunity to repurchase his 2001 Z3 3.0 Rdstr (with removable hdtp); this car was the worse for wear, and he sold it in near__or better than__showroom condition. He’s currently enjoying bringing it back to its former glory.
Friend Number Two bought back his ’99 or ’00 M Coupe, and as it had been largely stored in a climate controlled garage with a collection of cars, it had barely accrued any additional miles or wear at all. He too is carrying out some of the things he never got around to before.
I’d call these both happy endings, though probably not the lengthy timespan between ownerships you had in mind.
I’ve had a couple of cars I would like to have back again, but honestly, eighteen-year-old me didn’t leave either the ’64 Plymouth Sport Fury, or the ’73 MGB rdstr (my first “brand new” car) in all that great of condition!
Maybe what I’d rather have is replicas of those cars!
Some of you have read my COAL series… so here goes to answer the question about a few of the cars I’ve let go.
2001 Mustang Shaker GT convertible: After a couple of years I missed it. I sold it to my friend back in Albuquerque. I even inquired about buying it back. She wasn’t having it. She came out to visit soon after, and drove out. I got to drive my old Mustang a few times. It just wasn’t the same car anymore. I wouldn’t buy it back.
2001 Mustang Bullitt GT: This one has been sold to my dad, and now my brother owns it. If he ever decides to get rid of it, I have first rights to it. Right now, this one is in a solid maybe.
1977 Dodge Aspen station wagon: If the opportunity ever came to buy this car back, I would in a heartbeat. I struggle sometimes when I think about the car. Should I run the VIN through CarFax or some other VIN check to see if the car is still around and running? Where is it? Who owns it? I ultimately never do, because I’m afraid of the answer I may get. If I find out that it hasn’t ever been registered again, then I can assume that the car has gone to heaven. I would rather have that be open ended… maybe it’s out there, maybe it isn’t. But I can’t find out.
Brian, I share your feelings for doing a CarFax search. I was so curious, but also dreaded the finality of the results. I have checked on some of my cars, like my first new car (1988 Prelude) and sadly I did learn that the Honda had been scrapped in 2003 with 200k+ miles (long life I guess). But I was still bummed to learn its fate.
I can ease the dilemma for you a bit regarding the ’77 Aspen: CarFax only goes back to 1981. There are other vin checkers that go back farther, but they are typically less reliable. So you can keep the dream alive!
In ’82 I’d had my dream car, a ’70 ‘cuda, when I had my first child and needed a more practical car. I put an ad in the paper and a guy from Vegas came over and offered me a grand for the car. I reluctantly let it go. My wife cried as she saw it driving away. The fellow told me that every weekend he came to Southern California to scour the area for as many Barracudas and Challengers he could find to scoop up and take back to Nevada. I wonder what I could buy it back for now?
Yes, if I could find my ’68 Camaro (stolen in 1980) I would love to have it back. Or I would love to have my ’86 Mustang convertible back. (A project, sold when I was desperate for cash.)
I tried to buy mine back after I saw it looking abandoned in a car park out side an apartment block in the early 80’s. I left note on the window with my number on it and got a call from the buyer to say no go, he just had not the time yet to get the work done it needed. Next time I saw it was on a local TV news show being auctioned for Live Aid ! Maybe some of you will remember that? 1985 ! I still have a VHS recording of it happening, eventually sold for £6,666 I think, way over my budget with 2 small kids and a mortgage. The guy I sold it to was an aspiring actor who went on to become Hagrid in the Harry Potter films, many famous bums,sat in that car, inc mine, lol… oh, it was a 1962 Ford Consul, 2 tone Burgundy and Cream…. same as pic
Fascinating! I can’t tell the size from the picture accurately but it looks a little small to picture Robbie Coltrane puttering around in.
Indeed, he was a big boy then too ! and nuts for old cars, the last one he had before buying mine was an old Citroen Avant with the suicide doors I think, memory a bit vague now…
Might be a good main post, famous folks cars you have bought or sold one to ?
In 1997 I sold my 68 Newport Custom to a friend whose son was looking for a “classic car”. Maybe 4 or 5 years later I got a call from my friend. His kids were done with high school and the Chrysler had to go. The bad news was that the transmission was shot, but it was priced accordingly. The trade off had been that the gas tank had been leaking when they bought it and they had fixed that.
I thought long and hard about buying it back and getting the Torqueflite rebuilt, going so far as to call a shop and get an estimate. But in the end I decided that it did not fit in with my life. As I fought pangs of regret, I passed. I hope it went to a good home.
I did buy my first car again, but in an indirect and subconscious way.
My 2013 Hyundai Sonata is dimensionally virtually identical to my first car, a 1963 four-door Dodge Dart. I realized the Hyundai was a psychological replacement when I noticed the accelerator was hinged at the floor just like the Dart’s.
The Dart transported me from Kansas City to K-State in Manhattan to attend school for two years. Guess which first drive I made with the Sonata.
My question would be which one! I have had way too many cars over the years and there are several which I wish I could go back in time and rescue. Funnily enough though, my very first “on the road” car, a 1968 Ford Custom 500 would not be one of them. It was an ok car but there were so many others that meant more. Like the second and the third and maybe the fourth..?
Easy answer…
A 1973 Chevrolet Impala estate with many firsts for us: first ever American car, first ever estate, first ever V8 motor, first ever car with air-conditioning and power steering, first ever bench seats, first ever seat-belt interlocking alarm, first ever car accident albeit minor, and so forth. It was definitely the biggest car we had along with biggest engine (454 Turbo-Jet).
My father’s company took it back after four years and gave us the shittiest of shitty Chevrolet Malibu estate for two more years. My father later regretted not buying it from his company fleet. We still have the strong yearning for that car to this day…
This photo was taken in Dallas, Texas about 1975 or 1976.
Partially due to some pack-rat tendencies, I guess, I find myself in the situation where of all my previous cars, I still own the ones I want, save for one: 1998 Nissan Maxima 5MT. All around solid, fun to drive, 3.0 VQ not too thirsty, etc.
Still in the garage:
’66 Chrysler New Yorker (grandparent’s originally)
’91 MR2 Turbo
’05 Legacy GT Wagon
My first car was a ’73 Austin Marina. Enough said! (However occasionally I think about how a resto-mod would be incredibly unique).
Others on which I would take a pass:
’74 Toyota Corona coupe, nothing special there.
’84 Toyota Tercel, fantastically reliable but gutless and no A/C, so pass.
’83 Toyota Celica, this once comes close, but no A/C and that’s a requirement nowadays.
’03 MINI Cooper S – fun to drive but too much time in the shop
I’d have back any of the BMWs we had in the 1990s/early 2000s. Particular favorites were the 1995 Mauritius Blue 325is, the 2002 Steel Blue 330iC with the Sport Package, the 1998 Arctic Silver 540i and the 2003 Arctic Silver 540i Sport. These were great cars from a great era for BMWs.
I’d also have my first new car back in a heartbeat: loved my 1988 Phoenix Red Honda Prelude Si.
If I Could find my old 1964 Chevy Impala SS convertible I owned when in the service (if it still exists) – you better believe I’d buy it back – in a heartbeat!
Ditto for my 1972 Nova.
All others – nope. Not a one.
There are three cars I’d seriously consider buying back if the circumstances were right.
1965 Buick Riviera – good bones, very desirable options and color; midnight blue. My time with it was too short.
1967 Ford Galaxie 500 two door hardtop – if someone was able to replace the biodegradable frame.
1976 Olds Cutlass Supreme Brougham coupe – my first long term car. It was as competent and comfortable as any Lincoln Town Car built right up until 2011. I know this because I drove a succession of (somewhat related) GM B bodies and then Panthers for years after selling it, including its immediate successor, a 1982 Olds Delta 88 Royale Brougham. The 1973 GM A body really did establish the standard for the large American car for almost the next 40 years.
The Cutlass was the only car that I had some tabs on after selling it. I sold it because after eight or so rust belt winters, it was getting difficult to keep the body looking decent. Watching it rust for the next 3-4 years was kinda painful.
A couple years after I sold my ’69 F100 (in the family for 42 years), the kid called me up and offered to sell it back as he didn’t have the funds to do the needed rust repairs.
It was tempting, just for a moment, but I said no.
I’d kinda like to have my ’71 Vega back, but only for a couple weeks to get it out of my system.
Ditto with my ’73 Vega.
I would want my ’70 Karmann Ghia back
Of every car I’ve bought and sold over the years I can think of only two I’d buy back… my ’59 Edsel Ranger four door hardtop and my ’64 Studebaker Commander two door sedan. I wish I’d have never sold my ’70 El Camino and I know where it currently is but there’s no way I’d ever buy it back… it’s been sitting under a tree for over thirty years after the buyer of it crashed it and pretty much destroyed it.
I used to own a top trim 1981 Mercury Zephyr Z7 in a two-tone beige & gold type color scheme. This car had a full console (the only F/Z I have ever seen without a column shift), sunroof, full gauge package, AC, power windows, etc, etc, etc… it had everything, including the original 255 V8 swapped for a 302 V8 (just the standard 2 bbl unit of that era).
It was in AMAZING shape, only had one old lady owner. I just could not keep it, living in an apartment building with no extra parking and needing a car to commute with. Sadly, it was donated to the Kidney Foundation and certainly it would have been parted out and crushed.
I have always wanted it back and I have always wished it wouldn’t have suffered that end (I still feel guilty about it)… but no one take it, not even for free. This was back in 2002 when a 1981-built car could still be found easily and of course, for very cheap regardless of condition.
I don’t know about “no one”. In 2002, having just graduated college and low on funds, I bought an ’82 Malibu with the 229 V6, inoperative A/C and radio, and minor surface rust for $800. I would have *jumped* at the chance to buy a V8 Zephyr Z7 with working AC and a sunroof within my budget of $1k.
Even as I am closing out my sixth decade of life, I’ve only had 7 cars during this time, and one was a lease and another was “lent” to me for almost 2 1/2 years.
’73 VW Type III squareback (1982-84) – good local car, but not great for interstate travel. I miss the sucking sound of the Holley 2-barrel I put in it, but that’s it. It was towed away with burnt valves after (yet another) blown oil cooler.
1982 Toyota SR5 longbed (1982-98) – had it 14 years until it rusted away. It was reliable and good on the highway. Couldn’t kill that R20 engine. I occasionally miss it because of all things I did with it and in it. It’s now a memory.
1997 Honda Accord I4 with 5 sp manual (1997-1999). It was a 2 year lease deal. A super reliable car but not very memorable. Pass.
1978 Datsun 810 sedan w 4 sp manual (1999-2001). My dad’s car “lent” to me under duress on both parties, else it was being donated. This is worthy of a COAL (drafted, but need to find pictures). Best highway car, and zero rust. I would buy this one though I know it needs work, if it is still around. Part of the reason to buy it is not the car but what it represented. This was easily the most unique car I ever drove for any length of time.
2001 Nissan Frontier XE I4/5 sp (2000- ). Still have it. 282,000 miles. Can always find use for a truck as a homeowner. I hope to replace it with something similar after the wheels fall off this one.
2002 Chrysler T&C 3.8L LX (2011-13) – bought this from my dad (who just got a Honda Odyssey) when my Nissan truck had U-Haul trailer-related transmission problems again. The least reliable of all my cars, including the VW, and even the Datsun. Electrical gremlins kept draining the battery. The vehicle I miss least.
2010 Toyota Venza V6 AWD (2014- ). Everything I want in a car except excitement. Can pull a loaded trailer without breaking a sweat.
The car I would get (nod to mFred) is my mom’s ’65 Dodge Dart sedan /6 225 TorqueFlite – my brother totaled the car in 1979 after I left for college, but it periodically appears in my dreams that I somehow inherited it intact and running. The car I learned to drive in. The car used to go to my grandparents. After school stuff. Little league. Everything with my adolescent years.
The only one I’ve owned that I’d like to have back is my 1974 Capri V6 manual. I was too young to appreciate it at the time and its fairly minor electrical issues scared me out of it in a year and a day.
I loved my 1984 Honda Civic sedan, but there are a lot of cars today that can give me that kind of reliability and fuel mileage plus a lot more comfort and convenience.
My uncle’s 1963 Ford Thunderbird Sports Roadster, his 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7 convertible? Yes. In a heartbeat.
If I could buy my old car back, there is one of the following three I would choose from:
1. 1957 Chevy Bel Air four door hardtop with a 283, 4 barrel,dual exhaust with automatic in bronze & beige. My first car.
2. 1968 Plymouth Sport Satellite Convertible with a 318, automatic, bucket seats,
console in light green with dark green/light green interior & a white top. My second
car.
3. 1969 Corvette Coupe with a 427 390HP ,4 speed in silver with red interior. My fifth
car.
Of those three,it would have to be the Plymouth. I had a lot of good times in that car.
Ten years ago I found & bought a late seventies muscle? car. A 1979 Buick Century Turbo Coupe.
Love the Buick. With all the polarizing reactions to the aeroback A-bodies here, very cool to find someone that actually owns one! And arguably the most desirable one at that.
Thanks for the interest. Nice to find someone that appreciates it for what it is. The Buick guys in my area went crazy when they first saw it. I purchased from the original owner in 2007 with 12,000 actual miles on it. Had to replace the original tires in 2008 but it’s still riding on the factory spiral shocks. It’s a highly optioned car with almost all of the factory options available. The sticker was almost 9K. Here’s a pic of the interior.
This could be topic for debate, I think the Century wore the aeroback much better than the Cutlass.
I agree. I think the rear spoiler makes a big difference.
’71 Datsun 510 SSS coupe…..in my dreams I never traded it and a ’70 Maverick in on an ’80 Mazda GLC…Well I was okay with dumping the Maverick.
Yep. 1966 Jaguar 420G manual with overdrive. By now it would have been golden sand with a red leather interior. But back then there were other cars to own. Still are.
I still occasionally dream about two of my favorites – the ’61 Ponton Mercedes 180 I got in high-school, and the ’71 Audi Super 90 wagon I drove throughout the ’80s. I actually still have them both, but I wish I had them back – back in the condition they were in when I was regularly driving them. Today, sadly, they’re rusted parts-cars in my side-yard!
Happy Motoring, Mark
Of all the cars I’ve owned through the years, if I could buy only one back it would be my ’78 Toronado XS; truly a car I should have kept because of their comparative rarity I doubt I shall ever have that opportunity. Another I’d happily buy back (and still could now) would be my ’66 Toronado. Both were marvelous road eaters and a joy to drive. I foolishly traded the ’78 for a downsized ’82 that was nowhere near the car the old one was and the ’66 was lost to an engine fire.
I’ve owned everything from Lincolns, Cadillacs, and Chryslers to Suburbans and a Grand Wagoneer. Nothing comes close to the Toros!
While not the same identical truck, I did buy back a GMT-400 Chevy pickup, white, regular cab, work trim. I’m happy I found it.
Nearly 26 years ago I sold my Bonneville convertible that I’d driven since I was a teenager. I don’t mind not owning it again, especially because we have no garage or even a carport – although I do wish rental companies offered big old convertibles on a regular basis; I didn’t meet my wife until a year after I finally sold the car (along with undamaged fenders, etc., from a parts car). The frame had a bit of rust by then; I don’t know whether the buyer ever succeeded in restoring the car. Obviously I was once going to do that myself, having gotten the parts car in the early ’80s, but came to realize that (i) a body-off-frame restoration of a 222-inch car was going to be a costly project that would take forever, and (ii) afterward it would be too nice for regular use. But having driven the thing for 17 years, I can reimagine at will what it felt like, top up or down. (Photo: May 1975, Ohio or Indiana turnpike rest stop)
I would buy my ’74 Roadrunner back again. If I had the cash, in a second. I know the owner’s address and phone number. Instead of the 360 it came with, it has a stroked 440 now, displacing 487 CI, a Dana 60 rear instead of the Mopar 8+1/2 one that the 360 broke, and a built Torqueflite, with an overdrive box added on, allowing 3.9x gears in the rear. The interior has been upgraded to leather and it has power windows now. If I can get to Vegas, the present owner says I can drive it.
Looks like the silver one here, with the same red stripes:
Not really, there are several cars from my past that I would like to drive again for an hour or so, just to see if my memories from 40 plus years live up to the realities. My 1963 Belvedere with the 361 CID V8 would certainly be entertaining for 30 minutes or so, as would my 1973 Nova SS with the 350/four speed combo. And yes, as others have said, I wouldn’t mind a little seat time in a Vega GT, just to get it out of my system.
Actually there is one car from my past (1988 Mustang GT convertible) that I wish that I had kept. Of the cars that I’ve owned that was my favorite; of course when I traded it away in 1995 it had over 95k miles and needed several thousand dollars in repairs to keep it roadworthy. All in all I think one has to just say “what happened, happened” and move on.
My Father sold his 1970 Ford Falcon about a decade ago and then brought it back last year when the person he sold it to wanted to sell it.
I had, in High School, a 1988 BMW 735i. First year of the e32s. One of the earliest production ones too. I sold it in functional condition. It was ugly, but the electrical accessories were all functional. When I saw it again a few months ago, the a/c was non-operational, as were the interior lights, the horn, and seat warmers. Additionally, the driver’s seat had developed the twists, and the car shook violently over 40. It was tragic and overwhelming. But I bought it anyway. Shake was caused by missing centering rings on the wheels, the twist was a worn out cable I scavenged from some old parts I had lying around, and the electrical issues were solved mostly through replacement fuses. The only outliers were the interior lights, which was both a fuse and a bolt lying across two contacts (damned near causing a fire), and the A/C, which was caused by cracked solder joints in the IHKA control unit. The damned thing runs great now. So yes, buy your old car. I did.
Congrats on buying your old ride and putting it right! That has to be a great feeling.
While I’ve had quite a few cars and motorcycles over the years, I don’t think that I want to buy any of them back. I’m not nostalgic about most things, as in physical objects. I may feel a little nostalgic about the experiences and memories that went along with those objects. Sometimes. I don’t think that I will relive those experiences by driving those cars or riding those motorcycles. I’m ready to move on, and I have developed new automotive interests. As Carly Simon sung in “Anticipation” “And stay right here, ’cause these are the good old days. These are the good old days.”
My long gone 69 VW Beetle – wish I’d never sold it. Bought it cheap when I just needed a set of wheels due to getting a job – sold it for roughly what I paid for it and thought I was being clever. Co-worker bought it for his twin daughters to learn to drive in. It wasn’t perfect but it was sound, ran great, and had all the positive attributes of that era Bug – good build quality, easy to work on, 12V electrics, true rear IRS rather than swing axles, yeah, it was a “big window” bug with the simpler style blade bumpers, but it still had some of the vintage VW look. I later bought a 73 Super Beetle that wasn’t nearly as much fun to own or drive. I occasionally rummage around the interwebs thinking I’ll buy another 69 – but I’d rather have mine back. I’m sure it long ago returned to the earth from which it came…
If I had the opportunity to buy my ’03 Marauder back, I’d do it. Sold it in ’11 when I needed the money I had into the car for other things, and because I wanted something that got better mileage for my daily commute. I’ve missed it ever since though–big, fast, comfortable, and just enough swagger. It had 115k miles at the time, so I’m sure the miles would be up towards 200k now, but assuming it’s still around and hasn’t degenerated into a clapped-out heap, I’d make it happen. Never saw it again after selling though so I don’t think it stayed local. Need to run a carfax at some point and see if it’s still with us…those cars do have an enthusiast following so hopefully it’s in a good home.
I’d also buy back my ’96 Mark VIII, small problem with that being that it was totaled in an accident. I’d like to have another though, preferably with a sunroof this time.
I never got rid of my first car, the ’79 Malibu, but it hasn’t run in 15+ years. I’d really love to drive it again…someday, someday. I’m glad it’s still around though (and thankful to my folks for letting me store it at their house all this time).
I actually did buy an almost exact copy of my ’86 Jetta GL (have owned this one for 26 years) about a year and a half ago. I saw on Craigslist an ’87 Jetta GL, same original paint color (polar silver, looks beige to me) that appeared to still be in excellent original condition. $950 was the asking price, settled on $700. The brown and tan interior is the same as the ’86 as well. I can drive either one and garage the other and the neighbors think I actually only have one car. The only difference between the 2 1.8 gas engine 5 speed cars is that the ’86 has a sunroof, the ’87 does not, the ’87 has rear headrests, the ’86 does not, and the ’87 has cruise control which the ’86 lacks.
Put about $300 into it (brakes, tires, fuel pump relay, drive axle, wishbone) and it runs and drives very well. Had a couple of family members in mind to sell them as a first car cheap, turns out almost no one knows or cares to learn to drive stick, so now I have 2 twins until I finally decide to sell the ’87.
So actually I bought a second identical car while still owning the first. For now every month I flip the insurance from the ’86 to the ’87 and drive the insured car so I still only pay insurance on one so it basically costs nothing to own and use the second Jetta.
I had a 1980 Jetta and a 1980 GTI which I used to swap plates on. One would run great for a while then something minor would break and I would swap the good parts on the other one and drive it until it broke. Rinse and repeat. This worked well for a couple of years until the Jetta got too rusty. I towed it to the wrecker and almost got enough money to cover the uhaul trailer rental. Apparently steel was cheap that year as I only got $40 Canadian for it…
This post could go on all night, but I’ll try to keep it simple:
I had a ’91 Miata for years and years, I LOVED that car, and would have kept it long enough to get buried in it… I totally rebuilt everything on it except the engine (didn’t need it!) so by the time I did get rid of it, it looked pristine and drove like the sports car it was. I met my current wife while I had it, and suffice to say, we had a difference of opinion about it. (read: constant arguments and fighting about it.) She just isn’t a “car person”, and wouldn’t be seen in it. Anyway once Child #1 arrived, the arguments about it got so bad that I took the first offer I got for it (of course, way less than I thought it was worth, 16-year-old Mazdas don’t have good “blue book” values) I still see it regularly, one of my wife’s relatives owns it now. I’ve told them I want it back when they’re done with it, and The Mrs has told them not to sell it to me, so we’ll see what happens…
Now that I think of it, I HAVE bought one of my cars again. My first car was a ’80 Pontiac Sunbird, I had it for a couple years but had to let it go (didn’t want to, actually) because I just couldn’t afford to fix what was wrong with it (clutch, brakes, plugged catalytic converter) and was in college anyway. A few years later, I was living with a bunch of people at a different college, one of my roommates stiffed us on a bunch of the bills and offered me his car instead-another 1980 Sunbird, but this one had 1/3 the mileage of my old one. I learned the hard way about old cars that didn’t get used much-pretty much all the rubber and seals needed to be replaced on it, but I did it because I liked having it. I let a friend borrow it, and a city snow plow pretty much tore it in half when he illegally parked it one night, and the insurance payoff was less than the repairs I had done on it… OOps. Actually I’d probably get another “H-body”, if I could find one that hasn’t been turned into a drag racer-buying my first car TWICE!
I’d really like to have my 89 CRX Si back. Er, maybe not MY CRX, but one just like it but not driven the way that one was.
I wouldn’t mind having the Mazda back, if it came with the same girl/same age in the passenger seat.
The one car I’m nostalgic about is the 1970 Torino Brougham I had for about five years. It was the first decent car I ever had–no rust, paint in good shape, body in good shape, mechanically excellent. The 302 V-8 never gave me a bit of trouble, and the only trouble I ever had with the transmission was when the vacuum modulator went bad. It had power steering and brakes, too; I had never had those before. It had the spiffy Brougham interior; definitely a cut above the standard Torino. Best of all, it had factory A/C that always cooled well and never cause the engine to overheat.
It had its downside, though. The front seat back was too erect, pushing against my shoulders. The power steering could get a bit sluggish after a long stretch of driving. The power brakes were incredibly oversensitive. I could never get 20 gallons of gas into the allegedly 20-gallon tank–not even if the tank started out empty. The car’s handling was adequate, by standards of the time. When I got to test-drive a Honda Accord, it was a revelation.
Yes, I’m nostalgic for my first decent car, but there’s no going back.
One car I would like back…my 1965 Rambler Ambassador 990 convertible. I sold it because finding replacement front-end bushings was impossible and it was driveable if you could stand the jackhammer feeling every time you hit a bump. It’s been over 20 years now, but I still miss it. If VIN H306205 is still out there, I want to hear about it!
I learned my lesson with my other favorite car, 15 years ago. After owning my 1990 Taurus wagon for five years the transmission needed a $1400 transmission overhaul.
I fixed it and still have it. 🙂
Don’t have to since I still own it.
Wow, so many good stories here, I spent a long time thinking about my first, a rusted out 1959 Ford F100 pickup that I did buy a close copy of in 1988, it was O.K. but I sold it on after a few years .
The next one was a 1060 VW 3114 Deluxe beetle, I thrashed that poor thing like a rented mule even though I loved it .
I bought another identical one and drove it for a few decades, my son has it now .
? Maybe a COAL thread about the first vehicles you :
Crashed
Had sex in
Took a long road trip in
Etc..
-Nate