what older car do you wish you owned back in the day?

[BPXR6T]

Originally Posted by Focusfan

Tried many years ago to buy what I believed was my dream car but failed
to get finance, was a genuine XB GTHO Panel van. Yes Panel van.
Yes was genuine factory 351, 4 speed with all the GTHO paint and stripes and decals plates etc. Was blue with matching colour blue seat insert trims.
Looked a dream but was not to be. Only van GTHO I have ever seen.
Did have second best, 1975 ZH Fairlane with 351, FMX auto, 9 inch
limited slip diff and 4 barrel holly and closed chamber heads. It hauled.

like to buy some magic beans???

[CyberWasp]

For me it was the................, then it was a .........., (runs off and cries)

[MattSAU2XR8]

A little bit left field but 20 years ago a few of my mates had modified Mazda RX3's which generally involved:
- Early model coupe body, around 1973,
- 13B transplant (sometimes ported) with RX5 gearbox, 48 mm twin webers, long primary extractors,
- Lowered, twin sway bar kit on the front,
- Big wheels and sometimes a parts bin brake kit, although brakes were often the downfall
All this went pretty well with what was probably about 130 kw in a 900 kg car.
I could have bought a perfect example for about $6000 back then where now it'd be $20,000 plus....

[LoudPipes]

Originally Posted by MattSAU2XR8

A little bit left field but 20 years ago a few of my mates had modified Mazda RX3's which generally involved:
- Early model coupe body, around 1973,
- 13B transplant (sometimes ported) with RX5 gearbox, 48 mm twin webers, long primary extractors,
- Lowered, twin sway bar kit on the front,
- Big wheels and sometimes a parts bin brake kit, although brakes were often the downfall
All this went pretty well with what was probably about 130 kw in a 900 kg car.
I could have bought a perfect example for about $6000 back then where now it'd be $20,000 plus....

And it huffed and huffed at 1000dB like a jet engine trying to stay idling.
My nephew had one I think was similar, he didn’t have a friendly neighbour for miles.

[simon varley]

Originally Posted by MAGPIE

Escort RS Turbo

Sierra Sapphire Cosworth

these. Unfortunately as a youngster in England in the 80s and 90s they would have charged me more for the insurance that the cars would have cost.

[burnz]

I've always liked holden's , but offered an AC 429 cobra...
still kick myself 15 large was chicken feed at the time (money wise)
I was too much of a scrooge

same year, same colour, knocked it back

[NAK302]

cars that stick in my mind from back then and would have if i could have

vk ss grp A with white wheels
vs gts-r with blueprint engine
eb gt in pearl black
series 3 ts 50

[MAGPIE]

Originally Posted by simon varley

these. Unfortunately as a youngster in England in the 80s and 90s they would have charged me more for the insurance that the cars would have cost.

I know, damn those joy riders, ram raiders and bank robbers they have a lot to answer for !

[tlub]

I wish id never sold my xd esp 351 manual in 2000 only to go buy a xe esp in 2013

[XR6WGN]

Originally Posted by tlub

I wish id never sold my xd esp 351 manual in 2000 only to go buy a xe esp in 2013

Funny how so many people who owned one of these regret ever selling them - mine was only a 250 4 speed but just so nice to drive.

I think my favourite would have been the Bathurst Cobra. I was in between leaving High School and waiting for my date to join the Navy - in a car yard was a Bathurst Cobra for just over 10 grand. (I left school 1978 - joined the navy in 1980 so I reckon it must have been sometime in 79) The XD had just been introduced then and I remember pricing up a 351 4 spd S Pack and that was just over 13,000 on the road.

[Crazy Dazz]

and on a related note...

Cars I COULD have bought, didn't, and regret.

HG Monaro with a 253 for $1,000. (it had ripped seats.)
XB Coupe with a 250 crossflow for $750. (It had some rust, and a dodgy XC grill.)
2 stripped coupes, one primed and ready for paint, and the other a genuine XA GT, for $1,800.
A licensed, running Landau for $2,000.
A P5 LTD, in beautiful nick, running, licensed, and on LPG for $1,500.

[garcar]

In days gone by, my dream was to own a big V8. The mystique and sound of these 'beasts' were something to behold, but conservative commonsense always got the best of me.


Once I turned 60, I decided enough was enough. I now have three 'beasts', and I enjoy each for different reasons:

• 1977 P6 Silver Monarch (the biggest at 351 ci)
• 1955 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 (324 ci)
• 2004 Merecedes E500 (5l)

Oh to be young again!!!

[Vincenzo]

VG Valiant E34 pacer 4 bbl - track car

De Tomaso Pantera GT5 - Italian styling with a 351 Clevo - Weekender

BMW 635 Alpina B10 - naturally aspirated - interstate visits

Holden FJ / FC ute for the dump run

Ford Sundowner Panel van - with side pipes - daily

and finally

BDA RS1800 Escort for the rallies like Targa etc.


Cheers Vincenzo

[Tornado_ALIVE]

When I was young I nearly bought an XM ute, 302, C4, 9 inch. Wheel arches were cut out to full arches and it had a 1/2 cedar tray. Could not get the money together at the time and eventually settled on an XC Coupe. 5.8ltr methanol engine, top loader with a hurst shifter, disc break 9 inch, factory sunroof, bug catcher, 335s on the rear and 265s front.

15 years after selling the Coupe and not owning a Ford in about 10 years, the search is on again for another project. XR to XC and hopefully another Coupe.

[BEETLE 55]

Cars that I wish I had bought and kept!!
Mini Cooper 'S'
GTHO Phase 3
GTR XU1 Torana
Original Cobra
XA Falcon GT 4 Door (never really liked the coupe)
now driving a 2009 Falcon XT

[HULK_I6T]

How many of us will be saying in 10-20 years should have bought a Miami fg GT or f6?

[NX74205]

Cars I seriously thought about getting, but didn't:

EA Fairmont Ghia - got talked out of it, the "electrics won't work, will cost an arm and a leg to fix it" kind of bull ...

EL Fairmont Ghia - the year was 2004, my EA was playing up. I wasn't quite ready to part with it, though, and decided instead to spend more than double what the car was worth at the time to have my engine rebuilt ...

BF Fairmont Ghia - now that I could afford a decent car, I looked around for a BF Ghia, but couldn't quite stretch my budget that far. An 11 month old BF Fairmont with 16,000kms was available for $28K and that seemed a deal too good to miss. In hindsight I should've passed on the Fairmont, waited longer and saved up for the Ghia.

[BENT_8]

5.0 VL Calais.

Only car I ever wanted as a youngster, by the time I got my license and could afford one most of them had been molested or flogged hard.

Aussie V8, Sleek body, bob tail, flip up light covers....

88 XF 'S' pack, EFi, 5sp, in red or white.

Another car I would love to have owned new, but was too young.

[LG17]

I wanted to buy an E type Jag when I was 19.
Beautiful red one in the car yard...
Bloody old man said, "No way hose A!"

That was in the 60s.

[galaxy xr8]

Back in 1999 when my wife and I bought our 1'st house I also found a XYGTHO III that was for sale in Unique Car's, was Monza Green with saddle trim for $25 thou, I seriously thought about it as we were going to just add the extra $25k to the mortgage, but back then being young it got the better of me and I thought , no just pay of the house 1st and get one latter...doh.

[whynot]

Holden Statesman WB De Ville
Ford LTD Town Car P6
Ford XE 351 ESP

[MethodX]

Late series HG Monaro with the 350 producing more power, almost as fast as a phase 3.
VH Valiant Pacer - Always liked the big barges, 4 were made with 6 pack motors.
XW or XW Fairmont GS 302.

[zilo]

If I had ooddles of cash

De Lorean
Lamborghini Countach
Lotus Esprit

[castellan]

HG Monaro GTS with a 308 T bar auto air-con. is what i would like the most.

The HT-G 350 GTS was not that good as people think with a hopless 2 sp auto and the 4sp 350 did not go much harder that a 308 and the 350 GTS was only in the GT league.

HT-G 350 GTS 4 sp only had a small std cam it was nothing like a Phase 2 or 3motor at all.

The GT-HO P2 and P3 were a pig to drive due to a bloody big cam 40/80 that's masive for the street and the fact is you would not let your grand dad drive it or your wife, kids or just any fool, it was a total beast to drive but a 350 GTS your grand dad could drive that. if you put a 40/80 cam in a GTS 350your grand dad could not drive it as well. such a big cam is a pain to drive unless you are a ratbag.

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by dead_man00124

My dad has a good one, back when he was with Lot 6 was told he could have the damaged phase3 shell after the car went into a wall,

his reply was what the hell am i going to do with it.. he kicks himself everytime he thinks of it

wow! do you know which car it is???


a few examples of mine, 1996 showroom condition warwick yellow hk327 my mate wanted 5500, i offered 5k he said no so i said don't worry about it.

1999 mint walkinshaw for 19k, i didnt buy because it had a very small whine in the gearbox

sold my xb gt in 2009 and still regretting it!!!!!!!!!!

[XBROO]

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

Declined on a clean lime green & black HQ SS for $6k about 12 years ago

Not this one was it? My mate paid 6k for this about that many years a go.

[Ross 1]

Same as Simon Varley's post, insurance cost in London during late 80s meant I couldn't buy my dads 67 Plymouth Barracuda with Hemi. Ended up with a 73 Vauxhall Viva! Never even got to drive it on the road as he sold it when it was clear I couldn't afford over 3 grand a year in insurance.