What’s Your “One That Got Away” Story?
This week we need you, valued member of the Hagerty Community, to open up a little. But not too much, as we aren’t talking about someone that could have been special to you. No missed connections or broken hearts—we just want to know a story of a car or truck that you coveted and lost.
So please tell us about The One That Got Away (TOTGA), and how it all went down. Did someone buy the vehicle from underneath you? Did they pay more than you could? Did the car quit working and you didn’t have the time/money to repair it?
While I usually get the ball rolling with a personal choice, I am not sure if it truly “got away,” simply because I was too preoccupied to deal with the loss. I was just a kid heading off to college, and my parents selling my car wasn’t necessarily that bad for someone pulled in many directions and given many opportunities.
It’s certainly easier when your car’s next owner is a truly wonderful human being. But he did paint my Galaxie red instead of giving it a fresh coat of black. It doesn’t necessarily feel like the same car anymore, and to be honest, I’ve almost forgotten about my time with this big Ford.
But memories do not fully disappear, especially when you’re asked to write a Hagerty Insider piece about this vintage of Ford Galaxie. Doing so let me get those TOTGA feelings all out as a middle aged adult looking back at his life. In a perfect world, it sure would be nice to get another Galaxie again, but I am a bit busy right now with other projects.
So anyway, back to brass tacks: Hagerty wants to hear your TOTGA story. What vehicle was the one that got away for you?
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72 Karmann Ghia Convertible at the opening of the Iola Old Car weekend in WI about 6 years ago. Just entered the swap area and this very nice car was up for $6500. I had the cash on me. I walked past after inspecting it and went to the loo telling the owner I would return. When I came back he just took the fat stack from the lucky buyer. Car was worth at least double…
Had a tip on a 69 Z28 at a city impound auction back around 1985. It was a mess; heads and intake were missing too. It was winter; cold and muddy but I brought a stack of bills. When the auction came to the car the auctioneer passed on to the next vehicle. I interrupted to ask about the Z and the auctioner said it was already sold. Guess I never really had a chance.
My got away I still think about is a Dino that I was offered in the summer of 1985. The guy came in the gas station I was working at while in Collage. It was perfect and he was asking the sum of $15,000.
You have to remember this was the time when no one really wanted the Dino and it was dirt cheap. I had just bought my Fiero and I had the money but having some back ground with Fiats I knew that rust was a major problem and I was going to have to daily drive it. Also parts were not easy to find. And when they say change a timing belt at 25K miles you do not wait till 26 unless you want bent valves.
So I passed on it and then the big Ferrari price run came and they are now $400K and up now.
The one I should have kept was a 1972 GMC Sprint SP. It was GMC ‘s version of a El Camino SS with a big block and all. I knew they were rare but I found later something 300 plus were made and they are as rare as you can get today.
The advice I passed on was my friend with a Pantera gave me. We met when his carb was bleeding over and I fixe it for him. We have been friends for almost 40 years now.
He had two Panteras and kept telling me to buy one as they were going to double in price. Again Rust was a concern and some parts as the engine was not a worry. Well they more than doubled the $15K price I could have paid for a decent car. It even had the correct Arriva Goodyears on it.
Yet today my buddy still reminds me what he advised me.
One other was a Big Block 68 Corvette 4 speed. I was offered it as an even trade for my Chevelles SS. It was not in bad condition but it had these large fender flairs on it I just could not stomach. I would have had to replace all 4 fenders which was a lot of money back them for me but today not a big deal on what it would have been worth today. Also I always avoided early 68-69 Corvettes for the issues they had. My cousin had one and it was never right.
But overall I am not going to complain. I have has a number of different cars. Turbo, Super charged, Multi carb, All were in great condition. I have had a lot of fun with all of them and many memories.
The would of could of and should of matters little as the experiences I have had more than made up for my mistakes.
I guess mine was a ’69 GTO Judge. It was the 90’s and I owned an ’80 Corvette. I saw the Judge and inquired about a trade. The guy said the car had been there for a while and said it was doable. I thought Okay, I’ll be smart and think it through the weekend…
Sure enough I decided it was a good deal, and a much more collectable car. Drove out ready to make the deal and, (drum roll please), of course, it was sold.
While renting a house and already having too many non-essential vehicles almost 11 years ago, I picked up my still-going commuter car (2005 Civic EX) for $5300. Approximately one week after that purchase, I found in my town a solid blue 1976 K5 Blazer, on the front lawn of the original owner. Asking price was $6500 OBO and it checked every box of desirability for me: original condition (zero visible modifications), single ownership, “never seen snow, always garaged” (this was in Maine), 4×4, 350, 4-speed, white removable top, etc. Everything I could lay eyes on was legitimately near-perfect (…or perfect), down to the USA-1 plate on the front bumper. For many reasons, this truck was not an option for me at the time. Yes, I took pictures and yes, I review them occasionally and of course, I hate myself a little more every time. Still the most ridiculously clean K5 Blazer I’ve seen, for sale or otherwise.
I called the land line number scrawled on the cardboard in the window a little over a year later while in a better position but ignoring the impossibility of this thing not having sold in 2013. It was gone, naturally, and I’ve never seen it around.
During my first year of community college, strolling across the parking lot at the end of the day I saw a beautiful red NSX parked crooked all by itself in the back of the lot. I’d never seen one in person before and man that thong was awesome. I went home and started searching for one of my own. Decent shape they were running $10-12k, 15 fo4 a really nice one. I could have made it work, but it would have been my daily driver. I decided it would be irresponsible and I’d probably crash it anyway (definitely true). I said to myself “wait a few years so you can more comfortably afford one.” Yeah…
In 1977 another member of our local Tri-Five Chevy club wanted to trade his 57 Nomad for our 57 convertible.
Both in nice condition (other than a hideous hood scoop on the Nomad, but we had a good stock hood on hand) and about equal value at that time. I don’t recall now why he changed his mind about trading, but it would have been a keeper for sure.
A Jensen Interceptor III. My local fairgrounds holds an annual swap meet, and I saw it there – running but not perfect – for 10K. I had never seen one or heard of them before, but I loved it… the ultimate sleeper car. Unfortunately I did not have 10K in discretionary capital at the time and had to pass. I have seen very few since, and none in running condition anywhere close to that price
Mid 1996, I was a poor college kid in Phx. Desert Valley Auto Parts was clearing out their less popular inventory and had them in line for the crusher. I spotted a 63 Wildcat coupe with right quarter damage behind the door. I asked about it, the counter guy said it ran and drove, but no one wanted it so they were going to crush it. I asked the price, $2,200. All the cash I had to my name was $1,900. I offered $1,800. They said no. I offered $1,900 cash, they said no. I said I’ll go apply for a credit card and pay $2,200. Nope. Cash, or it was crushed. I watched them crush that car and swore I would tell everyone I could about that day. Desert Valley Auto Parts in Phoenix.
That was a terrible thing to do. I can’t imagine turning down that much cash just to crush a classic. How in the world does that math work out? In the words of the Bonehead Trucker guy, “Shame on the mess!”
I have two: one old, one new. First the old. There was a classic car dealer near downtown San Antonio in the early 1990s. They had a 1966 Mustang fastback in Wimbledon white, A code 289 with a 4 speed for $5k. I couldn’t couldn’t beg, borrow or steal that kind of cash then and unless I divest myself of a few cars, I will probably never afford a fastback first generation Mustang.
The second was a Datsun 510 on Bring A Trailer. I have a BMW 2002 already and I thought having a 510 to join it would be fun. So I was bidding when I noticed a certain Mike Finnegan of Roadkill fame enter the bidding. I then started to realize that I wasn’t going to win this particular auction. Anyway, he has talked about selling it already. If he does, I’ll try again.
At least it’s got fresh wiring now. You might consider yourself lucky that you didn’t buy it the first time and have the meltdown that he did. Frankly, I hope that if he puts it up, YOU are the successful bidder this time! 👌
Thank you! And yeah, for sure. I’m not sure I’m as equipped to deal with that situation as well as he did.
It was 1987 i was coming home from a golf tournament through Pine Hurst N.C. Saw a sign 1966 Cobra for sale $5000.00,stopped looked and it was an AC Cobra.The man would not take a deposit.I was an hour away from home had to get a trailer and come back to get it,and he said that would be ok.When i pulled back into his driveway another person was loading it up on another trailer.He had offered him $100.00 more.I was mad and dissapointed but what can you do.He showed me another car he had beside his garage he said he would take $500 for it. It had a rusty floor board and i had no desire for that rust bucket.Would love to have it now,it was a 1955 Porsche 356. Live and learn.
The common thread here is ‘timing issues’….
68 AMX 390, 4 speed, sold it in 80 to finance wedding, still have her, AMX gone. Still have pictures…of the AMX.
Maserati Ghibli, black, excellent body and interior, running. Parked in front of an arts supplies store on an arterial road in Edmonton, AB, around 2003 or so. CDN$20,000. But it had an automatic transmission and I could not imagine that I would enjoy driving it. My loss, my very great loss… The 1990 911 C4 I did go for (a mere CDN$14,000) in around 2010, having regretted the Ghibli ever since, turned out to need an engine rebuild… which I could not afford. So I lost by letting the Ghibli grt away, and lost by not letting the Porsche get away. I drove only family cars for a long time after that…
Depends on your definition of “got away.” right?
Could it be the ‘64 Corvette roadster I sold after a year and a half, in 1980?
The ‘72 Monte Carlo SS 454 in ‘77?
Or the MB 280 SL that I passed on for $6,500 in ‘80?
The BMW 2600 CS that sat for a month in my neighborhood and then disappeared?
Now I think back fondly on my ‘87 Jetta GLI, so what do I know?