Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ellis]

We have all heard of the fisherman's tale "the one that got away" and I suspect the same applies to cars or what are now classic cars the we were all offered in the past.

The ones that "came my way" over the years are not that numerous, really, but I'll list them for interest's sake alone before the two that I really kick myself these days.

In 1979 I was offered a white 1969 Series 2 Jaguar E Type Roadster for £2000. It wasn't really a good one having done nearly 90k miles and was decidedly scruffy - torn hood, split seats and the start of serious rust.

The second was a 1974 Triumph Dolomite Sprint in French Blue that stood on the local BL dealer's forecourt for weeks unsold. It's mileage was only 11k in 1980, one owner and like new. At the time my mother was buying one of the first Mini Metro HLE's in Snapdragon Yellow when the dealer asked me if I'd like to make a clearance bid for the Sprint. I turned it down for £900!

The third was a 1970 Vanden Plas 1300 Automatic in 1982 - 18k miles in Damask Red and one elderly owner, recently deceased. Her Estate was being settled and shared between two nieces and £350 would have bought it.

The last one in this list was a 1970 Austin 1300GT which had been bought new by my uncle on his retirement in March 1970. Sadly he suffered a stroke only twelve months later and the car remained in his garage with only 2k miles for nine years before he passed away in 1980. It was eventually bought by the supplying dealer which is where it still is as far as I know.

But the one I really kick myself about is neither exotic nor particularly valuable now in absolute terms. When the Ford Cortina 1600E was introduced in late 1967 I was hooked. I thought it a superb car, elegant and discreetly sporting and that eye catching wooden veneer dashbord and door trims. A neighbour bought one the first ones in January 1968 in Silver Fox and two years later traded it in for a similar but updated one in that dark purple colour - Aubergine.
There were quite a few in the local area, a pink one - Light Orchid, a green one - Jade Metallic and another in red which was rare.

I became acquainted with a 1600E owner in the early 1980s, he had a stunning white example which he had bought from it's one owner in about 1977. Completely original, a 50k mileage late 1969 example with the straight dash top and extra brightwork on the rear panel. Was I jealous?
I had been looking for one for a year or two but by then most of the survivors were terminally rusted and the metallic coloured ones for some reason were the worst.
The E's owner came to see me in November 1981 and told me that he had been offered a Mark 2 Cortina Lotus by a friend who had in turn been offered a Mark 1. I was offered it for £750, a sizeable sum then, but because I was buying a property I felt I could not really justify it and a friend jumped at the chance.

Thirty one years later he still owns it, it's still immaculate with only 60k on it's odometer. It's one modification has been the fitting of a Sierra 5 speed gearbox.

I still look at it wistfully. Two years ago a classic car dealer from whom I bought my Series One Land Rover showed me a 1968 1600E he had bought in. A Saluki Bronze example and restorable I was so tempted that I was glad when he told me that it had found a new owner in Eire almost straight away.

There was also a Mark 1 Ford Escort RS1600 but that is a story for another time...........

That's my story but I'm sure that there are more interesting ones from you all.
Over to you.
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Starting Handle Expert

1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[alan 869]

Hard to top your post. I never had the money even if the car in question was a real bargain. Always liked the 1600E and managed to get one in the end. Had to sell it to fund moving to London when I came out of the Army. Had a room on the Kentish Town Road. On my way to work (Chalk Farm Garage) I used to walk past a Jag dealer. This was in the spring of 74. They were trying to off load the E-type V12 which no-one wanted due to the petrol crisis. 50% list price on a new convertable. If only I´d had the money. Weekly wage packet was about 32 quid

Whilst in the Army, around 72 we were in NI (again). A lorry bomb had been discovered in Belfast City Centre and the area had been evacuated. I was holding onlookers back at one end of the street. A guy ran up to me panting and puffing. His car was parked behind the lorry and he wanted to go and get it. When I said no he offered me300 pounds if I would get it for him. It was a gold, 1970, 1600E. I wasn´t risking it (they had a tendency to go off). Luckily for him the bomb disposal squad disarmed the bomb and he got his 1600E back

[Roger-hatchy]

Last year I 'erm'ed and arr'ed' once too often.

A Rover P4 85 was being offered on the Thanet grapevine.
It had been stood for 5 years in a garage and the asking price was £300.

I thought about for too long, three days,, £300 seemed too good to be true, OK I thought I'll take the plunge , but too late it had gone.

All he did was Re-line the brakes new fuel pump and a bit of T-cut and polish, one month and it was back on the road.

[Riley Blue]

Can't think of any really. If I've ever seen a car I've really wanted to buy, I've bought it provided I've been able to afford it, garage it etc. There have been hundreds of cars I've liked, some I've liked a great deal but as for wanting to own them - not really.

[peppiB]

1965 and a Riley 1 1/2 litre RME £150 Father was going to buy it but changed his mind so it was down to me if I wanted it. Bought a 2 year old Riley Elf instead and have pined for an RME ever since

[peter scott]

[MikeEdwards]

[Ellis]

[Riley Blue]

[roverdriver]

Late 1961. I had left school and was working, receiving 5 shillings an hour. I had arranged the purchase of a 1918 TT Ford for £5.

Hearing that I was interested in old cars, an acquaintance offered me a Stutz Blackhawk, in running order for £45.

Not only was it beyond my finances at the time, I also considered it rather too modern for my tastes.
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Dane- roverdriver but not a Viking.

[Rusty]

I have three instances where I have kicked myself for not taking the plunge.
First was an MG TF with a dud motor but licenced and still running (roughly)
Second was an MGA licenced and in good order and I didn't get it because I wanted a four door !
Third and the one I regret most was two XK 120 Jaguars, one running but unlicenced and the other one a rusty parts donor.

[stuchamp]

I think it was 1979 and I was still wrenching at the Chevy garage, they took in a 1963 Chevy Corvette on a new car trade-in. It had the 327 with 4-speed, factory side exhaust, knockoff wheels, was silver with black interior. The car was low mileage and near perfect. The price was $10k and no discount for employees. After thinking it over for days, I finally passed on it thinking it was priced $2k too much. Been kicking myself ever since as we now know that it would have been a great deal!

[Richard H]

Two. Both are unloved 1980's cars from the BL stable so feel free to read on if they're not old enough!

The first one was a gold Austin Metro 1.0L on an E plate that had been traded in at the Ford garage at the bottom of my road. One elderly owner (a WW2 fighter pilot, apparently), 53,000 miles and a FSH. Immaculate condition apart from a small amount of rust on both front wings, the brown interior was like new. Unfortunately the MOT was out and the garage just wanted shot of it. This was back in 2001-2ish when the scrap metal price was extremely low and there were abandoned cars in every layby and ditch because yards were actually charging to take cars away. The price started at £50, then went to £30, then £20. I went along with my dad to have a look, but as I was only 10 at the time there wasn't a lot I could do, plus he wasn't that keen. Not sure what happened to it in the end.

The second car is a 1984 Austin Ambassador 1.7L in the same shade of gold. This has been parked under a carport near my house for as long as I can remember. Occasionally I'd see it parked in town, but it hadn't moved from under the carport for a few months and was getting rather dirty.

Last week I drove past and was surprised to see the car had gone, and an 09 plate Focus under the carport. Didn't think any more of it until today, when driving past a local scrapyard I saw it parked inside. I went in to have a chat and it turned out the elderly owner had had a stroke and his daughter had called the yard and asked them to take it away. Fortunately the yard owner is willing to sell it complete and has even offered to put a new MOT on it. £1000 was mentioned, but he's open to offers including cars in PX or whatever.

Why am I mentioning it in this thread? I've been keeping an eye on this car for years and when it comes up for sale, I have no money and am trying to cut the fleet down to four. Also the thought of paying road tax is not a pleasant one!

If anyone's interested it's at Imperial Metal Recyclers, Shoeburyness. The registration number is A105 NVX, it's had one previous owner and is in very good condition with the exception of a scrape and dent on one rear wheelarch. It's a local car, supplied new by SMAC Group. It's also an extremely rare base model, and the same spec as the one my dad owned in 1997.
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Richard Hughes

[V8 Nutter]

Back in 1961/62 I was offered a 1937 Ford V8 Club Cabriolet for £9, it was generally good except for a broken half shaft. I shopped around for a couple of weeks to find another axle, by the time I found one the car had been sold.

The yard where I found the axle had a 1953 Cadillac Eldorado convertible for sale (only about 400 of these were made). It was knocked about, almost every panel was dented the top and the interior were both ripped. The asking price was £150, more than I could afford! How such a rare expensive car came to be in the U.K. in such a terrible condition is mystery

[P3steve]

The only real regret was back in the late 1970 I was offered a 1938 Daimler sports saloon in two tone dark apple green and black for £1000 and I went away and thought about it when I went back the chap said he would take £800 this was on the road with an MOT as well. I was only young at the time and had just sold a 1600E and brought a Dolly Sprint so to my regret I walked away and a friend I worked with brought it and rallied it for a year befor selling it for £1200 Oh well!
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If the world didn't suck we'd all fall off