The One That Got Away: What Car Do You Regret Selling The Most?

A few days back, I was looking for some files on an old hard drive, and I stumbled upon a treasure trove of old pictures. And among them were pictures of cars, because, of course. Among those cars was my old 2002 Subaru WRX Wagon. As soon as I saw the first pic, a wave of nostalgia washed over me. Man, I loved that car! 





I bought it in 2005 (20 years ago, wow!) as a replacement for a leased 2002 Jetta that turned out to be an epic turd. After some shopping around, I found this one: a clean, low mileage example that was 100% bone stock, and cut a deal. For someone who spent days playing the Gran Turismo games, this thing was a dream come true, and I loved it. The pics above were taken a few weeks after I brought it home.

Shortly after, the mod bug bit, and I spent many hours wrenching on the car, eventually bringing it to "Stage 2" specs, with a turbo-back, tune, suspension mods, wheels, and a lot more.



It was such a great car, and being a wagon, it helped me get to my band's gigs with my drum kit. And on top of all that, it was phenomenal to drive in all four seasons, especially winter. It was perfect! 

And then I decided to trade it in on a 2009 WRX. 

My excuse at the time was that I was hearing what I thought was piston slap on startup. It could have been, but who knows. I got wrapped into all the hype surrounding the "new and improved" 265hp 2009 WRX, so I ordered one and traded my beloved bugeye in. I instantly regretted the decision, and less than 3 years later, I was out of the "new" WRX after it started exhibiting real problems way too early and into a more dependable, sensible Mazda3. 

While I've had many cars over my 40+ years on this planet, this is the one I miss the most and wish I had back. Which one was it for you? 

I miss my 1970 Dino Ferrari, that car fit me better than anything else I've owned. Not to mention they are just gorgeous

I don't miss any car I've sold. I was tired of them and ready to move them on. I would take my ACVW back the way I bought it, but not as it was after 16yo me had done stupid things to it.

What I do miss, is having a "cool" car to drive around. The cars I've sold were flashy and fun. Now I have generic stock Jeeps. But one day(maybe soon?) I will get my cool car running again.

I'm not good at selling cars, I still have most of them. But I do miss my 323 GTX. Great little car. I think I sold it to buy an E39 M5 so that isn't so bad.

I may have pictures but I have no idea where.

I eventually had to return the CJ-7  I drove in HS and part of college, to my dad. I would love to have it back. Identical to this.

I've only sold 3 cars ever, a Prius and 2 Oldsmobiles. One was technically my wife's when we got hitched, so that leaves only my first car, a '77 Cutlass. I enjoyed it, but I don't need it back in my life. I still have the red Jeep CJ-7 I got next, 32 years later.

My dad traded cars about every 2 years, I'm the total opposite.

My 65 Buick Riviera. Man, I loved that car. Got ruined in a flood and started to rust out. So I let it go. Had it for almost 30 years. 

None.  I have fond memories of many of them, like my 86 CRX DOHC, Integra GSR, E36 M3/4/5, Z4M coupe, etc.

 I sold them all for a reason, we had our time together but it ended for a reason. 

I have a couple, but the one that I think of regularly and have every intention of replacing was my 1970 Dodge Camper Van. 

(random Google picture, not my van)

An unusual pick for this forum, probably. I got it for $100 around 2000 and gutted it, tiled the floor and carpeted the walls. It's what I used to haul around my drums, as well as the rest of the band/gear. Admittedly, a lot of the nostalgia for the car was how much time we spent hanging out in/around it, but I absolutely loved driving it. Unlikely I'll actively seek out another camper, but wouldn't shy away from one. 

'66 Datsun Roadster 1600.

I loved that car - I loved Mel too. (Wife)

Probably this little sucker:

I've done very well at selling for "all the money" at the time. 

Some have appreciated a ton (Gt350, GT500, Tiger, Pantera), but the funds served quality life purchases (houses, mostly). 

The only one I'd like to get back is my KMiata.  Second running customer car in the country.  New owner never did what he planned with it, so it sits wallowing.  But once again, I got all the money at the time.

The problem is that I remember cars as they were when they were good, not as they were when I sold then.

I still dearly miss my Golf.  It was a 2 door '89 GL that I'd bought from a customer, that we'd upgraded to 8v GTI suspension and front brakes.  (IE bigger front bar and we swapped the 9.4 solid disks for vented - the calipers are the same, vented just uses thinner pads)  The car came to me shod with Mille Miglia 14" wheels and a fresh set of AVS Intermediates, and new Blizzaks on the stock 13" wheels for winter use.

I remember it when it was good, I don't remember it when the floor was so soft that it wouldn't three-wheel anymore and instead would pop a door open.  Also, I was buying a five cylinder AWD Volkswagen and it needed to go.

Likewise, I really miss the S40 that I sold to EvanB.  At least I knew it went to a good home and probably wasn't going straight to VW partout hell.  The handling was superb, and the brakes were phenomenally set up, and it had the best automatic programming that I'd ever experienced, and it got great fuel economy, and it had a rear wing that I realized too late was actually pretty rare.  It was also a force to be reckoned with at rallycrosses, and towed a trailer very sweetly. 

But, it didn't have rockers anymore and the core support area was so soft that the hood sat high because the longitudinal motor mount bracket was shoving the front up.  Also, I was buying a five cylinder turbo AWD Volvo and it needed to go.

'86 Corvette with the Z51 suspension package. Only car I've ever owned where, other than some better tires, I'd be hard pressed to find a way to make an improvement in the handling. I had a long commute and it was pretty worn out at around 180,000 miles, but it was a fun car.

Doesn't help that the clean, low mileage Civic that replaced it had much worse reliability.

1986 SVO. Bought new, sold a little more than a year later because I was being stationed overseas for almost 2 years. Nowhere to store it. Photo is not that actual car, because I don't have any (they all got destroyed due to a leaking roof). Mine didn't have the sunroof.

Two - the one without any photo proof - 1986 Honda CRX Si.  Best commuter car ever.  Small, zippy, so fun to drive and could fit/park anywhere.

1997 M3/4/5 in Dakar yellow with Mulberry (grey with a hint of purple) interior.

TE72 SR5 Corolla.

A fun, fizzy little car.

Ironically the one I regret selling is the one I am best known for.

In 1999 I sold the Datsun; thankfully I got it back in 2002.

Crazy to think I first drove it 41 years ago.

My old C5. Then I bought another one 17 years later.

Man, that's a tough one, but it's gotta be my red '99 Miata that I bought from Dan0 on here.  I LOVED that car, and will own another someday.  Unfortunately divorce forced the sale.  

I have a couple that I would like but with changes.  My '88 Mazda 626 Turbo sedan was probably the best all-around car I've owned.  But I wouldn't want another sedan; I wish we got the actual wagons here in the US, with the turbo engine, and I don't know what transmission to make the thing whole.  And then it's just, like, some dream sequence and not the car I owned.

Then there's my first car, a '64 Plymouth Savoy.  I really like that year, that general package, but if I had another I'd want the hardtop.  Which means it couldn't be a Savoy, it'd have to be a Belvedere or Fury.  And then a whole pile of comprehensive changes, like no more slant six, and a transmission with at least one more gear so the pushbuttons would probably go away.  Different car.

So I guess the answer is a resigned "no, not really, but if something similar came along...."

'91 318is. I'd love to have another, but the one as clean as I had would be way more than I'm willing to spend. 

Ground Control coilovers, SSR wheels, MarkD chip in the ECU, euro bumper pad things (covered up the side markers), black leather and houndstooth sport interior. 

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

The problem is that I remember cars as they were when they were good, not as they were when I sold then.

This right here is a GREAT point. 

Maybe I'm just remembering when the WRX was good. There were a few times were it definitely was NOT good, like the time the engine bay fuel lines puked raw fuel everywhere because it got too cold outside (look it up, it was a whole thing on the 2002-03's, that was a fun fix) and that the rear diff would make an annoying whining sound at exactly 63mph. It also got about 22mpg at best on the highway on 93 octane. But no car is perfect, right?

Still... the way that WRX drove once I had everything dialed in was sublime. It was quick, looked great, handled great, shifted great, and stopped great, all with lots of room for activities in the back because Wagon. Been chasing that ever since. When it was good, it was REAL good. 

And no, I'm not buying another one. Because reasons. 

Probably my very first, because it was my first, and because they're all but impossible to find now.  It was a 1973 Mazda RX-2.  Just a slightly rusty 4-door with that glorious Mazda 12A rotary with a little Zenith 4-barrel on it.  Drove it all through my lengthy college career, then sold it once I landed a real job.  All the sadder, since the car was T-boned into totality a week after I sold it. 

In the early 80's I built a 55 Chev 2dr post that was very much a tribute to the Two lane blacktop car. I drove it for a number of years, then pulled it in the shop for a very aggressive upgrade. I probably got a little too aggressive, and then meeting PW, had other priorities at the time and decided to sell it and move on. I've bought and sold a lot of cars and rarely regret it, but I wish I still had that one.

1974 v6 Capri. Bought new.