'Cassic' car you wish you bought.

Big Rat · May 29, 2017

2 minutes ago, McRattlehead said:

Along with JDM supra or R33 skyline i`m a big us muscle fan,used to own a 90`s Firebird like Kitt,but always wanted the 455 70`s model.

@McRattlehead Now you are talking years ago having watched the John Wayne movie McQ his car which they totalled 😳 In the end was a Green Hornet like this

I thought then life was incomplete without one, it wasn't to be 🙄

🐀

rayaans · May 29, 2017

4 hours ago, Mark G said:

Were these ever sensible money..................................

Nope but lets just say it was covered in rust and only had a shell when I got my hands on it!

Wish I kept it but really didn't use it much, it was just lying around.

McRattlehead · May 29, 2017

Saw McQ years ago not one of the Dukes finest but the Hornet was nice.

Quite partial to a Hemi as well

mikeyv · May 29, 2017

Must admit, I've never owned an American car, but always lusted after them, since I was a kid.

Would love one of these in my garage, it's like a work of art to me, and the sound I once heard, when two of them were having a play, accelerating off a roundabout, on to a dual carriageway, is something I'll never forget.

Just gorgeous to behold.

emjay82 · May 30, 2017

Always fancied one of these.....1967 Chevrolet Impala.

Malc · May 30, 2017

LANCIA some beautiful cars, and in Italy when i was touring there a couple of years ago. I guess they have now the rust issues BUT I know in the UK the rust was a huge problem, a buddy of mine bought one brand new in about the late 70's and it FAILED it's first MOT on rust, it was scrapped !

They never got over the credibilty problem and just closed down in the UK.

Around Turin, the home of Italian cars, you will notice many road crash barriers are rusty, unlike ours which are pristine galvanised and as are later Italy one's too.

The Italians forgot to galvanise on a big scale.

Malc

Flytvr · May 30, 2017

I'm going to add one to my list -

mikeyv · May 30, 2017

2 hours ago, Malc said:

LANCIA some beautiful cars, and in Italy when i was touring there a couple of years ago. I guess they have now the rust issues BUT I know in the UK the rust was a huge problem, a buddy of mine bought one brand new in about the late 70's and it FAILED it's first MOT on rust, it was scrapped !

They never got over the credibilty problem and just closed down in the UK.

Around Turin, the home of Italian cars, you will notice many road crash barriers are rusty, unlike ours which are pristine galvanised and as are later Italy one's too.

The Italians forgot to galvanise on a big scale.

Malc

I remember the Beta, they sold well, and you couldn't move for the things, then they disappeared quicker than they came, either in a pile of rust, or bought back by Lancia and crushed.

I googled and found this on youtube, a wonderfully posh item on the news.

Pecker · May 30, 2017

3 door Sierra Cossie...

MNMJ · May 30, 2017

The one on the right..

When John Steed's XJC came on the market; I did wonder. But then I looked at renovation costs and calmed down a bit.

Mark G · May 30, 2017

15 hours ago, mikeyv said:

Must admit, I've never owned an American car, but always lusted after them, since I was a kid.

Would love one of these in my garage, it's like a work of art to me, and the sound I once heard, when two of them were having a play, accelerating off a roundabout, on to a dual carriageway, is something I'll never forget.

Just gorgeous to behold.

Loads of American stuff I love but the 427 Cobra, its just THE Daddy.................................

Big Rat · May 30, 2017

2 hours ago, MNMJ said:

The one on the right..

When John Steed's XJC came on the market; I did wonder. But then I looked at renovation costs and calmed down a bit.

@MNMJ I remembered when they raced these, and a journalist overheard a comment from a team member who said words to the effect 'racing these is just as sensible as burning piles of £20.00 notes and shoving the same continually into the fire '

They did sound good though 😏

Big Rat

Big Rat · May 30, 2017

2 minutes ago, Big Rat said:

@MNMJ I remembered when they raced these, and a journalist overheard a comment from a team member who said words to the effect 'racing these is just as sensible as burning piles of £20.00 notes and shoving the same continually into the fire '

They did sound good though 😏

Big Rat

An example of the dirty engine sound 😂

Linas.P · May 30, 2017

Sorry for starting with kind of complaint, but few of above are out of reach yet. I don't know what is wrong with muscle car in UK (probably good business idea), but there are loads of them in US, dirt cheap (as they have always been). Maybe few most iconic ones gone up in price. but they were always rare and expensive, parts still dirt cheap and widely available - just choose what you want to import. I guess it is a misconception that muscle cars are exotic, in fact they are not - they meant to be cheap and basic. It is probably more difficult to find one in perfect shape, but I guess owning a classic car is inevitable without some attention.

Quite like an example of Honda NSX.... just few years ago it was very affordable - I remember people using ones as a base for fake Ferraris, whereas now it is probably more expensive than those Ferrari's people tried to fake. I wonder if S2000 is another upcomming hit.

I would add, BMW E30 M3 to my list.... which went from relatively cheap to completely out of reach (from £6-8k to now £35-60k), to be honest any E30 coupe is now crazy expensive - there are hardly any 320/325 left, even 318s which were at some point £600 now costs £3500+, cabrio's are slightly better though. E24 is still reasonably affordable (so not for the list of "gone days"), I guess it would be a good idea to get one while you can (sadly I don't have space to keep it), but E31 is getting madly expensive, especially 850s (£25k+) and Alpinas (£40-80k) whilst few year ago all 8-series could fit in £2500-10000 range.

Next big "days gone" topic are almost all 911s... starting from original one to 930, to 968 and even 993 are all now madly expensive. Gone the days when you can enter classic Porsche club for £8000+, now that bar is nowhere in low £40k's. Even good 928 are becoming increasingly rare to find.

Another big lost subject is Jag E-type, still remember the days when project cars were relatively "affordable", now even bare US import shell is 50k, S2 as well out of reach, so only the S3 is remotely on affordability list, but most requires full rebuilt. It is kind of funny to read adds as sellers really count your money and effort on restored car i.e. total rust bucket S1 lists at £70k with the note "restored cars goes for £150k"... but wait a second mate - you selling rust bucket in need of full restoration and count "my time and my resources" into the final price of the car?! If restored ones goes for £150k then restore it and sell it for that money... anyways... My point that Jag E-Type was for a while kind of popular project car, where you can get inexpensive rust bucket and convert it in real classic, but now sellers adds what meant to be your share in the project into their profit.

Even older MB coupes are getting few and expensive i.e. SECs, old SLs were ar some point £1000 cars, now the prices are creeping towards £10k mark, especially R/C107 are now getting over £20k mark, W113 is a complete goner (though for some time already).

For higher stakes classic, Aston Martin DB7 had at some point dipped to the affordable bucket, but now are back into high £20k's..

On my list soon to be gone cars would be, MB C215 CL (especially 55AMG), BMW E24 requires immediate investment, last of affordable 840s E31 will be gone soon, I guess Jag XK X100 (especially V8) has potential to be gone in E-Type league, last remaining XJ S123 coupes as well going to be gone out of affordable list soon.

As always I suspect a conspiracy behind some cars, specifically specialist classic dealers buying out specific rare models. I have seen fields upon fields full of Classic Range Rover when these were going for ~£1000. Sometimes like 100-150 cars packed tight in single spot, then somehow soon you can only buy one in reasonable shape for £5000+. I am certain same applies to BMW E30 coupe, E24, E31 and Porche's 911. Some dealers buying in bulk then artificially limiting supply.

Linas.P · May 30, 2017

Missed few tuners like Toyota Supra and AE86, Datsun (Nissan) 240z and actually newer 180sx becoming increasingly rare. Mazda RX7 as well. Though these are still affordable is nothing like a few years ago in terms of choice and price (gone up 5 fold).

Womble72 · May 30, 2017

Probably opening myself up here....BUT always loved these....pre facelift.....

NemesisUK · May 30, 2017

Loved these

Actually did own one briefly, swapped it for one of these..

Which was morphed into

Fantastic fun, amazing acceleration (for the day) with low ratio diff giving a max speed of only 100mph

Probably not good to revisit one's youth, high disappointment potential ...

Linas.P · May 30, 2017

7 minutes ago, NemesisUK said:

Probably not good to revisit one's youth, high disappointment potential ...

That is very true, they say you should not meet your childhood heroes (or teenage for this matter).

steveledzep · May 30, 2017

Am I correct ? Vauxhall Firenza (first) and VX Chevette GS230 ??? (second). Some Chevette variant in the middle. Nice in their day

NemesisUK · May 30, 2017

10 minutes ago, steveledzep said:

Am I correct ? Vauxhall Firenza (first) and VX Chevette GS230 ??? (second). Some Chevette variant in the middle. Nice in their day

Vauxhall Firenza HP (aka Droop Snoot), Vauxhall Chevette HS, Vauxhall Chevette HSR

Info .. http://www.droopsnoot.co.uk/cars.htm

steveledzep · May 30, 2017

Thanks.....I was close

Big Rat · May 30, 2017

2 hours ago, NemesisUK said:

Loved these

Actually did own one briefly, swapped it for one of these..

Which was morphed into

Fantastic fun, amazing acceleration (for the day) with low ratio diff giving a max speed of only 100mph

Probably not good to revisit one's youth, high disappointment potential ...

@NemesisUK Very nice I'm impressed, the closest I got to was hiring a Vauxhall Chevanne, what a piece of s... that was.

🐀

Killysprint · May 31, 2017

Ok here's my go at this and you'll see a similar theme....

when I bought my porsche 993 c2 in 98 there was at the garage a 993 RS for 3.5k more and 964 RS for 10k less. They only had 2 seats and "we" needed space for the baby seat. The c2 it was. Both rs cars big money now £200k+ for the 993, £150k+ for the 964

move onto 2004, my brother bought a 924 carrera gt (to use as his daily, still has it now and being restored at porsche leeds) and the same garage had a 924 carrera gts. One of 59. Same guy had owned both, at the time the garage auto classica in knaresborough, were struggling to get shot of it and offered it to me for just over 20k. "We" were looking to extend our house, so the extension took priority. An extremely low mileage example from japan sold late last year for just under $500k.......

Onto late 2008, the economic downturn, car prices took a hammering, started looking for another 911, but because of the market conditions my budget could stretch to a gt3/gt3 rs or a turbo / turbo s. Saw a lovely gt3 rs with blue wheels and decals, for the same money as the turbo s "we" bought - as "we" needed 4 seats for the kids. Think they were used twice in the 4 years I had the car. gt3 rs - now £170k+

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Big Rat · May 31, 2017

6 minutes ago, Killysprint said:

Ok here's my go at this and you'll see a similar theme....

when I bought my porsche 993 c2 in 98 there was at the garage a 993 RS for 3.5k more and 964 RS for 10k less. They only had 2 seats and "we" needed space for the baby seat. The c2 it was. Both rs cars big money now £200k+ for the 993, £150k+ for the 964

move onto 2004, my brother bought a 924 carrera gt (to use as his daily, still has it now and being restored at porsche leeds) and the same garage had a 924 carrera gts. One of 59. Same guy had owned both, at the time the garage auto classica in knaresborough, were struggling to get shot of it and offered it to me for just over 20k. "We" were looking to extend our house, so the extension took priority. An extremely low mileage example from japan sold late last year for just under $500k.......

Onto late 2008, the economic downturn, car prices took a hammering, started looking for another 911, but because of the market conditions my budget could stretch to a gt3/gt3 rs or a turbo / turbo s. Saw a lovely gt3 rs with blue wheels and decals, for the same money as the turbo s "we" bought - as "we" needed 4 seats for the kids. Think they were used twice in the 4 years I had the car. gt3 rs - now £170k+

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

A great list there but you can sleep safe in the knowledge you took the right family priority decisions but still able to indulge with the boys toys we all love so much.

The Porsche world is a very complicated one, we're always one step behind unless finance is no object, I say we as they no longer have appeal for me had a couple of Boxster S 996 GT3 996Turbo and 4S.

Yes you are right hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Big Rat

Malc · May 31, 2017

I mentioned the Sunbeam Tiger a little back on here ... I remember in the late 70's I very nearly bought one, they were then an astonishing high £ 6k and would have really been beyond my economic reach ( my house was then worth max £18k )....... looking now at the USA where they fetch up to $250,000 ( £200,000 ) SO in all those years they possibly wouldn't have been that brilliant an investment compared to UK bricks and mortar I guess.

BUT hey, the fun I could have had, that 4+ litre engine in that tiny body .. so now have to cope with that 4 litre engine in the big body with armchair comfort etc etc etc and old age