loves lost..............

[manbearpig]

I was thinking today about the projects that I have started over the years with full intention to complete, but have been forced to get rid of because of garage, storage space problems or lack of money. I'm talking about cars you wish you never got rid of and have been kicking yourself about ever since. Cars that make you curse out loud when you see one driving about or in a magazine.

put everything through a fine mesh, I have two which really stand out. A 1969 MK 1 viva GT and an A series opel manta.

I spent so much money on the GT. It had loads of redeeming features like for example, the GT was based on HB, but there were a few which was based on the HBH ('the super luxury edition' aparently) which was amongst others, bellied out to take a twin exhaust and had all mounts ready to take a small block chevy at the drop of a hat. I also had the bell housing to fit from a small block to the GT box. The number plate was HBH 69G. If it had a T on the end of it, you couldn't have asked for a more suitable plate. I also had an incerdibly rare overdrive unit for it which had a gear between 3rd and 4th and one after 4th so you can redline it all the way to about 110. The interior was imaculate due it being garaged for about 25 years and it also had original custom made wolfrace slots which were requested by the original buyer when the car was bought from new (I was the second owner). To top it all off, it had about 20 thousand on the clock from new.

Sold for 600 quid..........wa#ker

The a series was an A series manta S with a kind of rare german 1.6 green seal lump (stock original). It was in very good nick, but needed alot of money, time and a garage which I had non of at the time, so off it went.

What were your loves lost and why?

[MightyMork]

Hmmm, intresting topic.

only two stand out for me really,

My first spitfire, spent loads then a house moved forced a sale as i hadn't quite finished it for the road. that was gutting

the other, a mk1 cortian i had which was chopped, jacked up and on big split rims. i ran out of money to do anything with it. that was a shame as when the guy buying it had strapped it down he said it was going to be a parts donor and the scrapped.

[The Doctor]

fantastic car
fantastic engine (4a-ge)
fantastic engine sound

sold because it had a leaking roof and the factory which did the conversion went bust in 1992 ;D

Still miss it on bright, sunny days (every day with temperatures above 5 degrees, i did the roof down).
DON'T miss it on rainy days, it was better to drive with the roof down through rain then with the roof up ;D

[popuptoaster]

I wish i'd finished my Sierra P100, i orginally converted it to run a 2.9 V6 and 4x4 running gear plus the nicer dash and the doors with the leccy windows and mirrors and tinted glass from the Sierra and some recaro seats,






then plans changed and it was gonna be powered by a midmounted 5 litre Mercedes V8,


But splitting with my ex and moving out i lost heart and couldn't be arsed to move everything so sold it all for parts.

[IDY]

My old MK1 XR4x4



Bought it as scrap with a dying engine, serious rust issues and very naff decals all over it.

I had very little budget being close to bankrupt at the time. Removed the decals, fixed the engine, fixed the ABS, fixed the hand brake, found some legal tyres and bodged up the rust. Set fire to it twice, got arc eye twice, got well known at the local breakers yard, picked up lots of minor cuts and burns and got it through an MOT

Ran it for a year during which time it was the most unreliable car I have ever run (mainly due to a fuel pump/relay issue), during the year I had to replace the engine, the gearbox, the rear prop and the rear calipers.

I kept tinkering with it it got a leather granny interior, a sports exhaust, a Cosworth steering wheel, Mondeo wheels, granny window switch gear, electric sunroof, air-con and a few other bits



When the MOT ran out I took it off the road to sort out the rust properly, trace the fuel pump/relay fault and rewire it as I had just hacked in all the extra bits. When I eventually got round to stripping it down the rust was much worse than I had thought it sat stripped outside my front door for over a year before I admitted I didn't have the time or money to sort it properly so I scrapped it years latter I still regret doing that

[scouser]

I have got three, no photos though, sorry.
1 Avenger estate MRN 347P was given to me before I passed my test and had to be shifted so was scrapped.
2 Chevette 4 door VFY 35V was stored in my mum's garage when I was living in a flat. She wanted it shifted so was sold.
3 Datsun Cherry PSC89Y rusted to pieces in front of my eyes and had to be scrapped.
Would love to find the Avenger again, that was a truly great car.

[Deleted]

I wish i'd kept and done more with my old Mazda 323

[whitbytom]

My first proper car, back in '99. I was a student, I ran it for 2 years, it was great fun, used to be able to 4 wheel drift it on greasy roundabouts. It came up MOT time, it needed welding, so I left it at home and bought a Mk2 Golf instead, which turned out to be a pup. A chap down the road offered my dad £50 for the Mk1, I was hard up, so it was sold.

A year later I stumbled across it on Ebay down in Cheshire somewhere. I frantically emailed the seller asking if he would sell it all in one. He replied to say the engine (nice 1300 with a weber carb) had gone in his wife's polo, and the shell was too far gone to save. Gutted to say the least. I loved the reg number too, it was named huggy!

[joda]

my 1976 reliant robin supar, new chasis, body re mounted, then along came another project, 4 years in the corner of the garage later i was offered £100 so away it went,

should have kept it

[mrtomcat]

Late 60's early 70's Triumph 2000, needed a part for the steering
which for some reason I didn't get, got fed up looking at it in the garage and towed it to the breakers.

Andy.

[Lex]

My 91 Mazda 626.

[simonrs7]

ive had a few

2 capri 2.8i both when got into them where far to rotten but have good 1 now

jag xjs v12 again rotten and got offerd alot cash for it so sold it on

viva hc gls needed a engine for the cadillac and got offerd a swap for the viva on the engine so gave the viva away asap lol

mk2 escort van again rotten snaped in 1/2 lol

austin princess 2.2 hls again nackerd far to much was free though so didn't mind and got set cailpers for the capri lol

[reanimation]

No regrets here, glad the rusty dented XR2 went and glad the Capri Customonstrosity went!
miss the early Micra the most but even that was rusted to death almost.

However I'm finding it hard to let the current fleet go so trying not to, Opel first if owt...

[trigger]

Sorry not very retro but I brought this Audi A4 1.8 SE 3 years ago after seeing it up for sale near the in-laws for £2200, and even managed to haggle it down to £2000!, Had only done 80k, Full Audi History, Years MOT and even had 6 months road tax!.




I loved that car but after a year of faultless driving I tradered it in for £2750 as it needed a Cambelt and Service and was i after a diesel, and so i brought the Focus TDCi from hell.

Really wish I kept it now and just paid to get the bits done, It was the best car i've had.

[purplevanman]

I had a rover P6 2000, 1966, I bought it partially stripped then continued to strip it to a bare frame. the frame was completely rust free as were all outer panels. Interior was ok but not mint.
While painting the outer panels at work I lost storage on the base frame and was given a week to shift it.. couldnt so it was weighed in
just sold the rest bit by bit..

that was the worst one, few others just never got finished

[dennismo]

Sold it because it should be the daily driver, but it couldnt drive daily. no money for a 3th project so it got sold. found out later that all the problems were solved with a 5euro repair..

[paulw]

no pics, but a very original, mechanically excellent RHD citroen DS familiale - took it in lieu of wages from my boss, did all the structural welding, ran out of money and storage and flogged it for £500

[piperfish]

Feb 11, 2009 23:50:40 GMT paulw said:

no pics, but a very original, mechanically excellent RHD citroen DS familiale - took it in lieu of wages from my boss, did all the structural welding, ran out of money and storage and flogged it for £500

Are you the same Paul Wakely who used to write for Practical Classics, with the Dodge Dart that was in a fire...?
Re loves lost...all of the MK1 Escorts I had in my youth..CXF 534G being one might still be around.my FSO 1.5 that broke down one night on Salisbury plain,had to kip in it... kin freezing and damn spooky too! leaky rocker cover meant that oil was dribbling onto the alternator. scrapped it for a tenner My Mk1 Fiesta 1100s with opening quater lights, needed some welding for an MOT but got stitched up.Couldnt afford to carry on with it as I was skint...YLN 59S where are you now?
Got to stop there as I'm getting all dewy eyed... started to remember all the cars my old man had and then sold, like Lotus Cortinas, Three litre Capris, Scimitars,,,,,gawd
Brilliant topic though Its amazing what you forget....

[Odin]

Two stand out for me:

My first ever car, a '74 beetle I had when I was 16. It had nice paint but once I started some light recommissioning to get it through the next MOT it turned out to be horribly bodged up and rotten. It sat outside for a bit and then over the next few years the parts got sold off. I later realised it was originally a red Jeans Beetle (yes, RED!) which I didn't even know existed.

A Datsun 910 Bluebird (just like the one in Denismo's sig actually) that was an OAP special. It flipped over 40k on the clock in the brief time I had it. It had unused rear seats (without fitted belts as well!) and the usual OAP drivers log in wobbly writing. Turned out to be a bit rotten and I couldn't find the front shocks it needed anywhere. In a spate of poverty I sold it for £150 to an 'enthusiast' who knocked on my door. Later found out it got bangered.

[Deleted]

my one true love (in a car sense) morris oxford suntor caravanette RTA 718H (shows on a sorn on dvla) swapped for a carlton 2.2 cdi when I needed a car to do ambulance driving, even to this day the first thing I do when I get online is type suntor into ebay ... just in case... if you see her let me know.. white with red dots believed to be in london with a chap called Jeremy

other one was a gold Hillman hunter estate (think seth mobile but with wood door cappings and trimmings) written off by hit and run driver, came out to find her bent like a banana. nearly cried when I took her to the dismantlers