ClassicCar

wkitchens

I know we've got a thread going about what Classic Car we own now, but I'm sure each one of us has the "ONE" car that we wished we'd NEVER have gotten rid of. After seeing what Muscle Cars are bringing on the BJ auctions, here's mine. A '70 Chevelle, SS454. Notice this one has the Factory Vinyl roof,chrome trip around the fenderwells, and the cowl induction hood. I gave $800 for it, in '75, and probably spent that much in gas watching the induction hood open and close when I revved it up. I was "THE FORCE" to be reckoned with at the "Back-Roads" street races, and never got beat. After driving something as powerful as that on the street, nothing even comes close. Now for the really sad part. In '77, gas prices were going through the roof, I had just had a new house built, and a guy that had a '75 Super Beetle, loaded(even with a/c), wanted to trade. At the time, I guess I was taking advantage of him, but looking back......I WANT MY CHEVELLE BACK !

Aaron D. IL

I want back my '51 Pacemaker Coupe with dual spotlights. That got away but I needed to let it go at the time because of too many cars I kept the engine to it though...also my '54 Wasp Club sedan. It was a project I wasn't in a position to take on at the time and it ended up eventually going to Korea. I admit it was a bit rusty though.

jsrail

My Vette powered '38 Dodge 5 window Coupe. You still don't see too many Mopar street rods around and it had such a great stance.

Also, my 1941 Knucklehead, 'cause, you plain just don't see them around! And nothing like 18" apes and upswept fishtails on a rigid!

PAULARGETYPE

I Guess I'm One Of The Lucky Ones My Black 57 Hudson Is The Love Of My Life Next To My Wife, Kids And Grand Kids And I've Been Fortunate Enough To Have Never Sold It There Have Been Times When It Has Sat In A Garage For Years With Out Me Even Looking At It ( 2 Times Both For About 5 Years ) While I Had Other Hudsons To Play With But I Always Go Back To The One That Brung Me In To The Great Hudson Club The Bolt ( Thats What My Mother Called It) Will Be At The National This Year It's In The Nattms In Arburn In The 1957 Display We Took It Out There On Jan 10th So I Guess You Could Say It's The First Hudson To Arive At The 2007 Hudson National Meet

http://hometown.aol.com/hudson1957/57.jpg

hudsondad

Don't have a picture, but my first year in college I had a '50 Olds 88 convertible with a '58 371 engine. Gave it away when I went in the USAF. Previous to that I had a 53 Olds 98 Convertible and a 53 Olds S-88 hardtop. The hardtop was one of my all time favorites, but I now have two, one, a low mileage (38K) original with one repaint and 4 way power including the hydraulic windows and seats. One muscle car that got away was a great '66 maroon GTO, that I traded in for a new orange 350 Nova coupe. Still have the 41K mile Nova coupe, my first new car.

rambos_ride

1964 Impala SS...I didn't own this one...my grandparents did...they bought it new in '64 and sold it shortly after my grandfather passed in '96...I should have pushed to get the car but thought my grandma needed the money so didn't say anything...I'd love to get this car back for the memories and to keep it in the family...

GRANDPA AND THE 64 SS

I'd also like my 68 Chevelle Back - (my first car)

I also had a 1980 CJ-5 Laredo - Black loaded w.all factory options...I don't have a picture on hand right now but it was 100% stock and it was sweet!

jsrail

rambos_ride wrote:

I'd also like my 68 Chevelle Back - (my first car)

Beauty Chevelle Dan! A kid in my high school had similar to you and was a street drag (on the old country Forest Lake Road) winner constantly.

I had a 64 falcon convertible 289 4 speed I wish I had tucked away some where. I miss my 60 impala 2 dr ht.

SuperDave

My 49 Commodore eight Conv. Whine, Sob, Sniffle

BJ__TN

First, My 62 Impala SS, Fire Engine Red with red interior, 327 with turbo 350. Then my 67 Fairlane Convertible with a 390, 2 4bbl holleys and 4 speed trans. Then my 67 Camaro RS with 327, 4 speed.
I sold or traded each.
Now
Impala was totaled about 6 months after trading it on the Fairlane.
Fairlane, Burnt to the ground after an underhood fire.
Camaro was striped and turned into a drag car, Don't know where it is now. Probably still in Ohio somewhere.
Bob

rambos_ride

jsrail wrote:

Beauty Chevelle Dan! A kid in my high school had similar to you and was a street drag (on the old country Forest Lake Road) winner constantly.

Thanks Jay!

That was my first paint job too! Acyrilic Lacquer over Deltron...long story...

The best I did was a 14.90 (96 mph) in the 1/4 with a stock 350 smogger, TH350, saw blade 1-wheel wonder 3.73 limited slip diff. Not too bad! I bracket raced it every summer at SIR for about 4 years in the late 70.s early 80.s (boy does that show my age!)

Shortly after that picture I put a built 350 and 4:11 posi and never raced it again? It was my driver after that point and I didn't have a backup vehicle if it broke

Then I moved and drifted away from 1/4 mile racing, eventually sold the car and got into 4x4's until buying the Hudson a (sniff, long sigh) couple of years ago...

Geoff C., N.Z.

1936 Graham Crusader, with Continental spare. Dog of a car that I dismantled and dumped in 1963. But it definitely had character, and was certainly different.

Geoff.

52 kahuna

So many cars, so many mistakes (selling them).

1965 Dodge Dart GT. I bought it from a judge here in town, whose son had the engine built on his mothers credit card (Formula S 273 balanced, blueprinted, Edlebrock, big cam, fenderwell headers) 4spd., posi. His son got a ticket for street racing, so he put it up for sale. I could abuse it all week long going back and forth to school and it would run consistant 13.30's at the strip.

Or maybe the 1966 GTO 389, 4spd. comfort and ungodly torque.

Terry

happychris

I miss my 68 AMX 390 4spd! Bought it new and planned to keep it forever. Unfortunately Uncle Sam had an idea that I was going to participate in Viet Nam for a while. Left the car with my dad - he drove it a couple of times and scared himself badly. He sold it ( he said it was as a favor to me ). Turns out I got shot up and sent home for an early separation about one week after he sold my car for me. That is the one car I still dream about - all except the 5 mpg!

BST RGDS

GARY ( happychris )

37 CTS

The one I wish I had back for driving on long trips was my '52 Hornet with "Twin H". Financially would like back the '64 GTO convert, fresh red paint , all the options that I sold for $1800.

For the challenge of driving and operation the 86 GMC/ FMC

Fire Engine, oh yeah the siren and lights were so cool!

29 Vic

Dave53-7C

I miss my Grabber Orange 1970 Mustang Mach I - 428 Cobra Jet - Shaker hood - Sport slats...

bill a

no use crying over spilt milk, but how about my 41 Hudson woody wagon, my 37 Terraplane sedan del. and a 35K mi 52 Hornet conv, OH WELL, BILL ALBRIGHT

4Hud

I did not actually own this, but 20+ years ago a guy wanted to give me a nice cab and box for a 1936 Hudson pick-up and a trailer load of various 36-37 parts. I didn't take the offer as I was doing my '37 Terraplane at the time and the parts he had were not what I needed for my car. I did not know at the time that I would soon become a Hudson fanatic, so these parts went to the scrap yard.

SamJ

My first restoration - '55 Chev PU. Sold it to get the barn-fresh Hudson, though. Also first car after high school...'63 Chev 2 dr post 327 ci 3-on-the tree which I converted to the floor with a Foxcraft kit (if anybody remembers those). Had American mags on the rear, couldn't afford 4 so had black wheels with chrome acorn nuts on front. Rockers and quarter panels had my early (and last) experiments with Bondo and rattle cans...(ah, youth). :rolleyes:

SamJ

Sweat equity!

dermott

a 69 grand prix sj 455 triple black, loaded. 70 swinger 340, 57 chev 210 4 door yellow w/black insert, 3 on tree. learned to drive in that car. the farm tractors went to slow, lol. 60 panhead ridgid , 68 shovelhead, and a 1974 74 c.i. shovel.

i would love them all back. now a 70 year old 37 t-plane coupe, this will be with me till death, i flat out dig this car. dermott.

tombia

I had a 52 Wasp Hollywood, red and white that I sold in 1968. It came back to Iowa and last I heard was that it was in a garage in Osage. Iowa with the engine out. It was a real runner. Nobody seems to know where it went from there.

tristansdaz

'52 Wasp HH I had from 1975 through mid 80's. Cream top with maroon on the bottom. The car was a ground-up with a 308 TwinH in it, headers and the last B&M racing Hydro from the factory. Couldn't keep drive lines in it though!

'67 Fairlane 500 2 door hardtop with 390, C6, 4:56s that ran 13 flat at all the tracks I took it to. Sacramento, Fremont, Sears Point, Firebird in Boise, Las Vegas, Portland, Orodam in Oroville California.

'40 Packard limousine with factory A/C that I sold to Bill Harrah in 1973. The car got a full restoration and still is in the collection...

faustmb

I had a clean '84 AMC Eagle Wagon Sport, I thrashed it pretty hard and it just wouldn't quit. I think it was a pretty rare package, I've never seen another like it. Sold it for $400 bucks:( Also, my '84 VW Vanagon weekender. We did a lot of camping in that van, and took a few awesome road trips. I sold it for a newer one. The newer one just didn't have the same feel.

Matt

super651

In the 1960s I had a 1949 Commador 6 and a 1954 Hornet and both were Rust-free CONVERTABLES. Sold both of them Because i wanted to go Racing and at that time with a Steel top hudson. What a BIG MISTAKE,MISTAKE,MISTAKE. Dummy me. (gave 49 away for 400.00 and the 54 to Spencer Blake in Amarillo Texas for 1900.00,did I say sell, NO I GAVE THEM AWAY.

Ken U-Tx

Ok, my turn.....wished I still had my white '71 Citroen DS21 with the red jersey interior, BVM (manual shift, not Citromatic), A/C that worked (custom installation). Was really too young to be owning such a car at 17 years......Nowadays I would have been able to care for it properly. Next I wish I still had my Surf green/ Jefferson green '53 Hornet sedan with the '56 308, stick OD, and 4.10 axle, with mint checkerboard interior, and the '52 Hornet Coupe I practically gave away to Barry Hydo in 1996. Wish I kept my 1949 Tatra T-600 Tatraplan with the fin on the back, but sold it since I had purchased the 1957 Tatra T603-1 out of Holland. Out of the 20+ cars,trucks and buses I've owned, those are the ones I wish I had kept. Ken U

Uncle Josh

The 35 Olds straight eight sedan I had in high school from 1951-1953. You just don't see em any more.

Come to think of it, also my 52 Hornet coupe that my mechanic used to haul his Hudson stock car to the track with, with over 200K miles and a noisy rear main. I quit driving it in Feb 'cause it wouldn't start when it was cold and we had a baby coming any minute. The replacement Chevy 6 would start but wasn't good for anything else. Wish I'd kept the Hudson and fixed it up. Didn't know about the HET club.

I sold it to a guy in the spring for $50. He put some Chrysler skins on it and drove it out the driveway with wheels spinning. I heard he took it to the dirt track that Sat and came in 2nd with it.

Heavymetal350

i would say the 1972 chevelle i owned which was never on the road and the 1972 Cutlas(first car) but the brakes kept going on it which forced me to sell, really wish i still had that because it had a great heater good for pennsylvania winters and my car now takes forever to heat up

hudsonguy

I was 15, and working at the neighbor's dairy farm when one of the owners tragically drowned in Lake Monona. He had a '57 Cadillac convertible. Black with white top, black and white leather, loaded with all the options, and low miles. I was able to buy it for $200.

Unfortunately, when I started to drive regularly (about a week after I turned 16!) I couldn't really do the car justice, or afford it, so I traded it to my Dad for his '63 Nova station wagon. Sure wish I had that Caddy today.

SuperDave

bill a wrote:

no use crying over spilt milk, but how about my 41 Hudson woody wagon, my 37 Terraplane sedan del. and a 35K mi 52 Hornet conv, OH WELL, BILL ALBRIGHT

Bill,

I recall reading in the WTN many years ago about a woody that was rescued from a mountain in (I think) Colorado.. Was this the same car? What a story that made.. can't recall all the details though.

Dave w.

oldhudsons

In the late '60s, and I won't regale you with how I came upon it, I bought a 30 K mile '50 C8 conv. with a factory 7X engine in it from the original owner. Jack Miller told me it was "the best original convertible I've ever seen". I pulled the 7X engine & put it into a stick o.d. '51 HH which I restored (which I wish I had back too), putting an 8 back into the conv.

I drove the '50 C8 conv. back to a National in Ind. but later sold it to an HET member & collector after he begged to buy it. He resold it & I believe it's back in So. Calif. now. Saw it a few years ago at a Regional & unfortunately had declined in condition due to neglect.

rambos_ride

I noticed very few of us have only "One" pick as the post title suggested...that makes a lot of us...

1) Really old...
2) Really dumb for getting rid of all these cars!

But if you're not a collector with unlimited $$ and space you ususally have to "sell one to get another one"

MikeWA

Summer of 1967, I believe, I had finished my freshman year in college and couldn't find a job. Was going to go to work in the woods (setting chokers- very dangerous job), and Dad hired me to build fences to keep me from taking the logging job. I built fences in the mornings, and worked on my hotrod in the afternoons. '36 Chev pickup- I put a 283 Chev into it, '57 Olds rearend, VW bucket seats, etc. It was done "on the cheap", but would fit well into the "rat rod" category today. Sold it to my cousin for $250- he never did anything with it, and now its pretty much gone. But I still have the memory of that great summer. Hudson tie-in- I had a local machinist/ welder fab the motor mounts, and he was a Hudson guy. Tried to sell me my choice of two good running '37 Terraplane coupes for 200 bucks- but I didn't bite.

hudsonguy

SuperDave wrote:

Bill,

I recall reading in the WTN many years ago about a woody that was rescued from a mountain in (I think) Colorado.. Was this the same car? What a story that made.. can't recall all the details though.

Dave w.

Dave,

You must be thinking of Eldon Hostetlers '42 woody wagon, that was initially discovered on a mountain top in Death Valley, where it had been used as a wagon or hauler of some sort.

After restoration, Eldon calls it his 'favorite', which is saying something if you have the incredible collection he's got. I'm not sure if this is one of those that's headed for the new Hudson museum this year.

wkitchens

Guess it's sometimes hard to limit yourself to the "ONE" that got away, when we've all had so many! (ha) I had a little time to kill the other day, and I looked through the albums I have, of every car,boat, and motorcycle I've owned. That's what made me start this thread. Notice I said albums.......with an "S". 2nd car on my list, would be my '78 Cougar XR7. But if the truth be known, what I'd really like to have back, is the hair I used to have! (ha) (ha)

oldhudsons

The '42 S6 station wagon was up a canyon north of the ghost town of Ballarat on the w. side of the Panamint Range in Death Valley Nat'l. Park. I wrote an article about it, with pics, for the WTN mucho anos ago. After reading the article a now deceased HET member from San Jose "liberated" it from the privately owned mining property it was on. Eldon got it from his estate and mounted it onto a C8 chassis (ALL '42 wagons were Super Sixes, NONE of any year were put on 8 cyl. chassis).

SuperDave

oldhudsons wrote:

The '42 S6 station wagon was up a canyon north of the ghost town of Ballarat on the w. side of the Panamint Range in Death Valley Nat'l. Park. I wrote an article about it, with pics, for the WTN mucho anos ago. After reading the article a now deceased HET member from San Jose "liberated" it from the privately owned mining property it was on. Eldon got it from his estate and mounted it onto a C8 chassis (ALL '42 wagons were Super Sixes, NONE of any year were put on 8 cyl. chassis).

Thanks to everyone that has responded and has a better memory.

Yes that was mucho anos ago! A very interesting story non the less. Perhaps a remake of the story should appear in the WTN under the heading of"what ever became of.."

Thanks again.

Dave

Martin200

Once upon a time my Mom and Dad had a beautiful, ice-blue metallic 1962 Cadillac Town Sedan. This was a short-deck four-window version of the Sedan de Ville hardtop. It was our family car from the late 1960's until sometime in the late 1970's. The entire front end rusted out (typical early '60's Caddy) and the front-end bushings were shot. I mean the Oops-I-stuck-my-thumb-through-the-fender kind of rust. It sat in our driveway until we sold it as a demolition car about 1986. I went to see that car in the derby; it wone one of the heats and would've won the entire derby had its driver not been "tag-teamed" by a couple of guys who pushed it against one of the dirt berms and pushed a dead car in behind him so he couldn't go anywhere. That was the only way they could stop it-- a testimony to the durability of that car, even as deteriorated from neglect as it was. It still ran and drove after it was all over. The owner re-sold us for a stipend (the fool!) the front and rear windshields, steering wheel, and other parts (which we still have) that he stripped off the car to prepare it for the derby, and then junked the car.

The upshot of this is that very soon afterward I found out that Cadillac only made a little over 3000 Town Sedans in 1962. AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

Well, at least we still have the front and rear windshields... the rear one ought to be a rare bird, anyway.

RL Chilton

rambos_ride wrote:

I noticed very few of us have only "One" pick as the post title suggested...that makes a lot of us...

1) Really old...

2) Really dumb for getting rid of all these cars!

But if you're not a collector with unlimited $$ and space you ususally have to "sell one to get another one"

Ain't it the truth Dan!! That's why I'm gonna sell the '32 Ford convertible so that I can have the '52 Hornet 'vert. Then I can regale about another one that got away.

One I'd like to have back: '71 Olds 4-4-2 convertible, with the pearl white exterior and my first complete ground up. And my '55 Crown Vic, all stock.

One that STILL galls me more is one that I didn't buy, but coulda'. 1966 Shelby GT350 project car (EASY PROJECT!) and an identical '66 Mustang Fastback. Both for $5000. Heard about one the other day that went for 225K. They regularly go for over 100K, currently. That wouldn't help much, as I'm sure I would still have the Shelby.

Russell

half baked

hell im still young and stupid and have more than one on the list i want back, we had a 50 ford and a 55 beetle both projects but my stepdad unloaded the ford for a 6 pack of beer and we moved house and the beetle stayed on the property. odds are its still there... no idea what happened to the ford tho

hudsonkid

hudsondad wrote:

Don't have a picture, but my first year in college I had a '50 Olds 88 convertible with a '58 371 engine. Gave it away when I went in the USAF. Previous to that I had a 53 Olds 98 Convertible and a 53 Olds S-88 hardtop. The hardtop was one of my all time favorites, but I now have two, one, a low mileage (38K) original with one repaint and 4 way power including the hydraulic windows and seats. One muscle car that got away was a great '66 maroon GTO, that I traded in for a new orange 350 Nova coupe. Still have the 41K mile Nova coupe, my first new car.

surprised there is a single car you wish you had back. Didn't you think your success rate was better than that?

Oh, as far as me???

I think I'm happy with getting rid of all of my prior cars.

if nothing else, perhaps my purple 98 plymouth neon, i bought new, first new car, with a body kit, it looked great, ran well, trouble free, but I don't miss it that much.

had 2 78 grand prix's they were fun, but both were not super reliable.

maybe I'm too young to participate. :eek:

Oldcar_Mechanic

It would be my first new car.

1966 Dodge Coronet 440 with a 383, 4 bbl, 4 speed on the floor and a bench seat and posi. Silver with a black vinyl top. Sold it for $600.00 in 71.

Still have my other love

davegnh1

The ones I wish I had back are a 48 Buick Roadmaster Convert, what a nice car and come to think of it I also would like back the 33 Buick Victoria Coupe I had, I sold both cars to buy my house. That was a better investment but I miss those cars!

50Commodore

I haven't really had one that I wish I had back...........but the car my dad had in 1963 was a 1950 Commodore 6 Coupe. He gave it away because of rear main seal leak. Both my mom and dad always regretted giving the car away.

They knew where the car went but the guy who had it never would let it go.

I was fortunate to be in the right place & time about 4 years ago and I actually was able to get the car back and it is in progress now to be brought back to life.

Needless to say my dad was very happy. I just wish my mom was still with us so she could see it again.

I envy those of you who were there during the time period when muscle cars were plentiful amd not nearly as expensive as they can be today.

jamcoats

First my 1976 Olds 442. Yes, it's a late 442, but the last year of the 455 V8, and mine had it. One of 143 built. They made them two ways, a Cutlass "S" with a 442 package, and Cutlass Supreme with 442 package. Mine was the Supreme, top of the line, 8" wide Rallys, pistol grip TH400, buckets that turned sideways like the old Buicks, Air, the whole nine yards. Even in '76, the 455 made nearly 400 ft-lbs of torque. 58,000 original miles and I was doing a cosmetic resto on it, and while out of town it was stolen. I didn't carry comprehensive insurance in those days as I was a dealer and ran dealer tags. Didn't have but about $1500 in the car, but still.

Second, and totally different, my 1983 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce, roadster. A lot more substantial than some of the other Euro roadsters I had fooled with prior to that. At 6' 4", I had to slouch to keep my head under the windshield top, but what a blast to drive, and the little DOHC aluminum 2-litre (first year of FI) was sewing-machine smooth.

wkitchens

James, funny you should mention a '76 Cutlass "S". That was my first new car. I ordered it from the dealer. I sat down with him, with a list of what I could get, and "BUILT" my car. Complete with swivel bucket seats, and an 8-track! I read somewhere that there were only 1800 of the S's built. I guess I wouldn't mind having that one back either.

jamcoats

Seeing that picture makes me want to wring some thief's neck! Mine was black with a white two-tone and white vinyl top, black "442" painted inside the white, black interior. Love the white interior on yours. I love the little bullet remote mirrors, and the fact that the shifter says LSD on it. (Low, Second, Drive) Mine used to terrorize the neighborhood quietly with its factory single exhaust (on a big block!) with the tunes of Skynyrd issuing forth from the interior. I remember each time you'd open the secondaries on that big block Quadrajet it would use about 1/8th tank of gas. And I'm not kidding.

dermott

oh yea, smokin the skins, going sideways in a big block ! oh that smell, can you smell that smell..... oak tree your in my way. love skynard. dermott.

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