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The One That Got Away

Commando66

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Mount Vernon, WA
Back in 1989ish, I had the opportunity to purchase this 1967 Plymouth GTX. But being the tender age of 19, I didn't have the funds to purchase it myself so I went to my Dad. I asked him if I could borrow the $20,000 to purchase said HEMI powered Plymouth convertible. So I got his answer and I quote " $20,000 for some old Plymouth??? That thing will never be worth that!" So i sit here and tell you guys about the one that got away. P.S. That's my Barracuda in the background.

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I think we all let a good one slip by.

1984 Carlisle show. Alpine white Superbird, complete car but had a 383 in place of the original motor; $4400.

I had a good job and could have got a loan. The reason I passed on it was because it was bench seat column shift.

After that the prices soared and the were always just out of reach.
 
One of how many? Like one of 14. Hood trim and Plymouth letters missing but actually a bargain even in 89. In 92 you could have tripled your money. :(
 
Yeah boy, we all have those stories. My buddy,16 at the time bought a car in 1974. His dad blew his top that he would buy a old Plymouth without a engine for $2500.Said old Plymouth was a 64 Aluminum front end Max Wedge Savoy...
 
Back in 1989ish, I had the opportunity to purchase this 1967 Plymouth GTX. But being the tender age of 19, I didn't have the funds to purchase it myself so I went to my Dad. I asked him if I could borrow the $20,000 to purchase said HEMI powered Plymouth convertible. So I got his answer and I quote " $20,000 for some old Plymouth??? That thing will never be worth that!" So i sit here and tell you guys about the one that got away. P.S. That's my Barracuda in the background.

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Could've bought a Boss 429 Mustang 15k in 2000, open my big mouth to another guy.
The one that didn't get away. Most of us
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have a sad story.
 
When I was looking to buy a Charger in 88 or 89, I looked at a perfect 67 383 car.
But it was yellow and it didn't run right. $6000 probably could have bought it for $5,500.
If only I knew then what I know now...:BangHead:
 
I remember back in about 1991ish there was a 70 FK5 Charger R/T sitting at a gas station for sale. Super clean with buckets and console, magnum 500's and, black tail stripe. Only thing it needed was carpet. We all thought the guy was crazy asking $5,500.....man...if we could send a letter to our younger selves....lol
 
I had the chance to buy a 1958 Corvette convertible, running for $ 2000.00. Couldn't get dad to cough up. Lol
 
In 1984 I was working two jobs. My part time job was driving a delivery truck on my days off. There was a used car lot in Albany OR that I drove past on deliveries that always had a bunch of muscle cars for sale. On one Tuesday trip, I noticed a yellow Superbird and stopped to look. It was a 440 column shift car that had some poor body work on the nose and a $7500 asking price. I had recently sold a '73 Challenger and had some money saved up so I negotiated the price down to $6500 cash (a lot of money for a 21 year old and all I had) but would need to come back on Saturday to pick it. I gave them a $1000 check to hold the car. I went back on Saturday with my future ex-wife to pick the car up. She had such a complete $#!+ fit about me buying an Fing expensive ugly beater that the car lot owner actually handed my deposit check back and apologized to me. Wasn't long after that I was single but without a Superbird.
 
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Back in the 80s, too many chances to buy. One being a Blue 1969 Daytona for 5000 and other a green 1963 Corvette split window for 8000. Would "kill" for the Daytona now, but college had priority.
 
I had two. My first was also a Superbird. 383 column auto. I wanted to trade my 66 Charger even and the guy wanted $250 on top. I was too stupid to make the deal.
The other was a wrecked Charger 500. No drivetrain, but had the offset master and booster leading me to think Hemi car. I had a deal for $500, but when the kid's dad started asking around about what a 69 Charger 500 was, he decided not to sell it. I never got to check the VIN or fender tag, but even a 440 500 would have been worth it.
 
In 68 I ordered a Hardtop Road Runner 4 Speed for $3000. The dealer had a GTX Hemi on the floor and said he would let it go for $3600. Being in the service at the time and commuting every weekend Home, about 400 miles, I said I really didn't need a Hemi for the commute. The other thought at the time was that if you didn't get this year maybe next. Kept saying it till they were gone, and so was the Muscle car era dying at the same time.
 
My foreman bought a 71 440-6 4spd Cuda new. Specially ordered it, put 19k miles on it and parked it since '79. I tried to buy it in '86 when I was 19, until '90 when he finally said I could have it for 15k. I couldn't sell my 68 Charger fast enough to come up with the money to lock it in. He backed out of the deal and still have the same Charger to this day. The shop closed in '95 and he sold it right when I was laid off. The dealer tried to sell him a Hemi car with a shaker but he said he didn't like a "big hole in the hood or the huge decal on the quarter panel, and no warranty". One of 108 built, but he thought there were thousands just like it. Also interesting was that since day 1 it came with a Dodge style 440 "Six Pack" air cleaner decal. Odd stuff.

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I worked at a dealership back then.Many factory screw ups that the line workers did.The mid 70's were the worst.
 
I thought all 6 barrel Cudas had shakers on them? Non raylle dash too...that's odd
 
I thought all 6 barrel Cudas had shakers on them? Non raylle dash too...that's odd
Yea I couldn't understand why he didn't want the rallye dash but he said he wanted it basic. Nothing flashy or loaded with options.
 
There were a few non Mopar. In the early ‘70’s I had a chance to by a black ‘69 Z28, black interior, black vinyl top with white stripes. It has 25,000 miles on it for $2500. I had just totaled a ‘65 SS Chevelle convertible so my mom was dead set against me getting another hot car. About the same time I passed on a ‘59 Chevy panel delivery wagon for $450. It would have been a rocking ride with my old chevelle drivetrain in it. A couple years after that my dad put the brakes on me buying a ‘65 or ‘66 Shelby GT 350 Mustang for $2200. Most of Mopar ones that got away were ones that I bought and later sold. ‘64 Dodge Polara 500 convertible 383 auto with power windows and factory AM/FM. ‘66 Satellite 383 4-speed. ‘66 Hemi Coronet 4-speed, ‘68 Roadrunner, ‘69 GTX, ‘69 Six Barrel 4-speed Roadrunner. ‘69 M-code Dart GTS, ‘69 M-code Barracuda Notchback. ‘71 GTX are just the ones that come to mind.
 
Here's a cool one...
1971 Ford Torino Cobra with a 429 SCJ, shaker, stripes, louvers, and spoiler.
Original Paint and running and driving. Never had an engine rebuild.
I found it on marketplace early last year for the INSANELY low price of 16k, and I immediately called up the seller.
This was an old man with health issues that'd owned the car since the mid '70s and didn't know what it was worth.
We talked back and forth for a few days and planned that I'd go and see in in 3 days because I was busy with work. I got a loan and drove up there with a check. When I got there, somebody else had rushed up there with CASH 30mins before me and bought it. I was crushed for a week after that.
This is the one that got away. :(
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70 RT SE V Code 4 spd gator top and interior at the boneyard $1500 in 1987. Passed bc it was green.
 
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