Your biggest automotive regret?

[anglaslt]

I was going to add to the debate by listing a few cars I have sold in the past, like a Capri 280 Brooklands, which are now worth quite a lot of money. But I'm not a collector, I'm a car user and all cars I've ever sold have been for a reason. Admiitedly not always for a sensible reason but one I could just about justify at the time. So no regrets really about selling any of the cars I've owned.

I did once regret buying a car but it was short lived. It was an Austin Princess. In my defence it was a Vanden Plas and it was nearly new and it did look nice in the auction under the bright lights. I had fallen out of love with it by the time I got home and the next day I sold it to local dealer for what I had paid.

 

[LiamMoran]

Not buying a mint sub 50k miles fmbsh 190e 2.5-16 manual for 4,000 because to quote what my father said at the time "that's a lot for an old 190" (having one himself when they were new/current models)

 

[Londonscottish]

I had a whole gamut of Alfas in the 80s and 90s, but the most memorable was a yellow 'Sud 1.2 which was the best handling car I've ever had before or since. Lovely little car and led to a 1.7 Sprint, a 33 and loads of others including an amazing Guilietta with a racing gearbox which gave unbelievable acceleration! Ah, those were the days.....

I had a Sud, a Sprint, a 33 and a Spider. And a Fiat 1283P.

Various mates had Suds, Sprints, 33's, a GT 1.8, GTV 2.0's, a GTV6 and a Guiletta.

Then there were the Lancia's - a Beta, a couple of HPE's and two Volumex Coupe's.

And a couple of twincam Mirafiori's.

The 80's and early 90's were great for Italian cars.

Before all that I had 2 x Mini's and a Mini-based kit car.

After that a few years in Nissan 200SX's.

And since then 2 x V8 C Classes and 2 x V8 E Classes.

I am a creature of habit.

 

[ChrisHGTV]

I did once regret buying a car but it was short lived. It was an Austin Princess. In my defence it was a Vanden Plas and it was nearly new and it did look nice in the auction under the bright lights. I had fallen out of love with it by the time I got home and the next day I sold it to local dealer for what I had paid.[/QUOTE]
I had a Princess as my first car - I was gifted it by my folks when they bought a new Volvo. Mine was a black Special Six Auto. It was great - webasto roof, hydralastic suspension, straight six 2.2 on twin SU's, orangey beige velour. I took it to Uni. In fact I think I actually started the "Stance" style of modding as I lowered it right down by dropping the pressure in the suspension!

 

[Deleted member 149005]

Not wiping the back seat down in my dad’s estate...

 

[SlimJim]

My biggest regret was not buying a VW Camper at an auction, in the early 80’s. Was an E plate and sold for £200, paint work shabby but reasonable in all other respects, wife (girlfriend at the time) had too much influence in the decision.

 

[Teego]

In the '70s I bought a VW split screen Microbus from an Aussie in Earl's Court for £90. Took it all around Spain. Ignition caught fire in Cadaques so couldn't use the key. Had to hot wire it after that. Crankshaft fan / dynamo pulley disintegrated in the Pyrenees. Fixed by a village "garage" which just happened to have a pulley "in stock". Smaller diameter non-VW but WTF. 6 volt electrics. Back in London sold it as was for £95.

 

[Teego]

My biggest regret was not buying a VW Camper at an auction, in the early 80’s. Was an E plate and sold for £200, paint work shabby but reasonable in all other respects, wife (girlfriend at the time) had too much influence in the decision.

I expect she had higher romantic aspirations than bedding down in a smelly old VW.

 

[Deleted member 139143]

Big OOOOPPPSSS, selling my
Ford Capri 3.0 Litre,
1990 Cosworth
1984 XR4i
Ford Granada 3.0 Ghia Coupe
Capri 2.8.
One of the first original red and white Yamaha R1 on a R reg.
BUT my biggest oops was selling my old RD400 to a mate for £40.00 in 1984 ,after I got fed up of hitting it on the back wall every time I put the car in the garage.
Oh Dear Oh Dear.

 

[Teego]

Big OOOOPPPSSS, selling my
Ford Capri 3.0 Litre,
1990 Cosworth
1984 XR4i
Ford Granada 3.0 Ghia Coupe
Capri 2.8.
One of the first original red and white Yamaha R1 on a R reg.
BUT my biggest oops was selling my old RD400 to a mate for £40.00 in 1984 ,after I got fed up of hitting it on the back wall every time I put the car in the garage.
Oh Dear Oh Dear.

Ah, the good ole' RD 400. ting-a-ling cough cough. Great little motor but shame about the chassis.

 

[Deleted member 139143]

I know,but the prices they are asking for them now are into bonkers money.

 

[Lennox]

A few here I'm sure we all wished we had bought or wished we had the cash to buy.....

500E and a Capri for me please.

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[bpsorrel]

I had a Sud, a Sprint, a 33 and a Spider. And a Fiat 1283P.

Various mates had Suds, Sprints, 33's, a GT 1.8, GTV 2.0's, a GTV6 and a Guiletta.

Then there were the Lancia's - a Beta, a couple of HPE's and two Volumex Coupe's.

And a couple of twincam Mirafiori's.

The 80's and early 90's were great for Italian cars.

Before all that I had 2 x Mini's and a Mini-based kit car.

After that a few years in Nissan 200SX's.

And since then 2 x V8 C Classes and 2 x V8 E Classes.

I am a creature of habit.

Ahhhh!! So many of the cars I had back then! A Lancia Dedra Turbo which led to me forming the Dedra club within the LOC (long story..), Supermirafiori, Strada Abarth etc... As you say, that period was terrific for Italian cars, despite their dodgy reliability, they were so much fun back then
After the Italians I drifted into Saabs, a Jag and then MBs......

 

[Londonscottish]

Ahhhh!! So many of the cars I had back then! A Lancia Dedra Turbo which led to me forming the Dedra club within the LOC (long story..), Supermirafiori, Strada Abarth etc... As you say, that period was terrific for Italian cars, despite their dodgy reliability, they were so much fun back then
After the Italians I drifted into Saabs, a Jag and then MBs......

Bank for buck they were terrific and they came with some pretty exotic engineering compared to some of the regular stodge available at the time - beautiful aluminium castings, sodium cooled valves, in board discs, tubular manifolds, transaxles, twin cam heads (of course), flat fours etc etc etc.

It also meant I could hang out in some cool places; Fishers in Edinburgh and Lomarba and Ramponi in London. Listening to jazz and admiring some beautiful 50's or 60's Italian metal whilst picking up some parts (again).

We also really used them properly. When I was in Scotland that meant Fife, Stirling, Perth & Kinross, the Highlands the Borders and Dumfries & Galloway. When I moved to London it was the B Roads and lanes in Bucks, Oxfordshire, Kent & Sussex.

And numerous blasts down to the Cote d'Azur and a couple to Italy.

So many great memories but if I had to pick just one it might have to be the orchestral howl of the Busso in my mate's GTV6 heading north through Glencoe on the way to Mull.

 

[ChrisHGTV]

There’s a lot of love for Italians here! You could probably write a paper on the emotional attachment some folks have to Italian metal! saying that I persuaded my dad to get a 33 P4 (which I then took over). He loved it, but couldn’t put up with its foibles and bits falling off. I would say character, he would say shoddy build!

best trip I’ve done was for my 40th, we took the GTV V6 through Europe, via the Alfa factory. About 1800 miles. 9 countries in as many days! With my straight through exhaust and CDA induction some of the tunnels with the windows open were epic. We even got some thumbs up from other drivers!

If anyone gets the chance I would heartily recommend the Alfa museum. Words cannot describe it.

I’m sure the history of marques has a lot to do with my interest, and Mercedes for sure is the same.

 

[Londonscottish]

Ahhhh!! So many of the cars I had back then! A Lancia Dedra Turbo which led to me forming the Dedra club within the LOC (long story..), Supermirafiori, Strada Abarth etc...

Wow - a Dedra Turbo. Surely they were like hen's teeth? Did yours have that amazing Swiss Cheese dashboard?

My mate had a 1.6 Miriafiori (which was soon twin-cammed) followed by a Supermirafiori.

But one itch I never scratched was the Strada Abarth. To me, mechanically, it was the swansong for analogue Italian engineering. Small car, great interior, upgraded brakes and suspension, big engine, huge carbs. Road testers used to drool over them. After that the Golf GTI started taking over.

FWIW I thought the early GTI's were shit compared to the Italians. Appalling brakes, bouncy castle damping, drab interiors. Even the Mk2's, though much better, hardly set my pulse racing.

FWIW the two cars that turned my head at the time were the 205 1.9GTI and the Mk 1 MR2. They had the fizz and character of the Italians and moved the game on.

 

[mbzclk]

Much more recent for me...

Regret selling my 330Ci E46 - late facelift with no rust, no issues, completely unmolested. Just a smooth nice car. Replaced by my CLS 55

Regret selling the CLS 55, however the car always wanted something, compared to the BMW it was a pain.

HOWEVER, that supercharged M113K was an animal.

 

[Londonscottish]

Much more recent for me...

Regret selling my 330Ci E46 - late facelift with no rust, no issues, completely unmolested. Just a smooth nice car. Replaced by my CLS 55

Regret selling the CLS 55, however the car always wanted something, compared to the BMW it was a pain.

HOWEVER, that supercharged M113K was an animal.

Which ones the E36? A mate of mine in Edinburgh has an immaculate 333ci with a super charger sitting in the garage waiting to go on it.....

 

[mbzclk]

E36 is around 93-94 till around 98

 

[del320]

So many great memories but if I had to pick just one it might have to be the orchestral howl of the Busso in my mate's GTV6 heading north through Glencoe on the way to Mull.

...so intoxicating that you took the long way...