Got a story of a car you "loved and lost" or sold? Or found ... years later?
 

#96 on my bucket list (yep, I have an official one) is to write a book. But, when I first put it on there, I had no idea where the content would come from. But I am moving forward with it now.

I grew up in WV when coal mining was taking a dive. So, needless to say, we saw some tough economic times.

My dad was a car guy and he was always hauling home some rusty worn out car to build. As I grew up I learned a lot about car restoration and I saw many beautiful transformations in our driveway. However, it never failed, every couple of years, my dads company would close, or lay off. And the dreaded "For Sale" sign would come out in an effort to pay for a trip to Myrtle Beach, or Christmas.

This was something that happened all through my life. I sat down one day and tried to determine what it was that doomed each car. I am starting to put these together and my dad is getting me the exact dates and "stories", but I will share a few here:
Around 1978:
-1957 Chevy 2 door non-post - Sold after Westmoreland Coal shut down leaving my dad unemployed.
Around 1983:
-1956 Chevy 4 door - Sold to get better house near my grandparents after my mom had surgery
Around 1985
-1964 Nova SS - Sold to pay for Christmas
I still hear the stories of how I stood in the driveway and cried when the '56 and the Nova drove off with the new owner.
Around 1989 1972 Chevy Monte Carlo - Sold after my dads company transferred us to Lexington, KY
Around 1991
1956 Chevrolet Nomad - Sold to buy my sister's first car, my truck (a year later) was bought with a small $2,000 inheritance given my a death of a family member. Otherwise, the new project Impala SS would've gone to the chopping block.
Around 1994
1962 Chevrolet Impala SS - Sold to help pay for my sister and I to go to college

The sad thing is... this isn't all. These are just a few of the ones he got on the road. Sometimes, the project never even made it to paint before he would make the decision to sell it. I hate to sound too sarcastic, but it's sad knowing that he sold a collectable car to pay for MY Christmas toys that have been resting in a landfill for 20+ years. But, it made US (my sister and I) happy at the time and my dad was willing to make the sacrifice.

Unfortunately for my dad, we have no clue as to the fate of his old cars. They have disappeared into our memories and the only remaining artifact is a few Polaroid photos.

So... tell me some of your stories. I have put in for an ISBN with a publisher to author a book titled "The Ones That Got Away". The project draft is already registered and my first draft is due by November 1st.

The book will be a compilation of stories from folks who had classic cars that "got away". I am looking for unique twists, and even stories from folks who were able to find them years later.

Share them with me here on the forum or at jeffg1010@yahoo.com. Please send me a description of the story and give as much detail as possible. I will be especially interested in stories with unique twists, or searches to uncover the mystery of "where it is now" These don't have to be Chevy truck stories. And if you know someone with a good story, feel free to refer this to them to follow up.

Re: Got a story of a car you "loved and lost" or sold? Or found ... years later?
 

C'mon... somebody has to have a story to share.

Re: Got a story of a car you "loved and lost" or sold? Or found ... years later?
 

O.K.,here's one of 2 stories!
In 1974,I found this car in a junkyard in Houston,Tx.It was a bare shell on a rolling chassie.
I finally talked the guy out of it for $78.00!With a title!
I had just wrecked my 57 Hardtop,so,all the blue parts are from it.
I spent the next 14 years putting it back together.
Then the divorce and I needed money,so I sold it to my sisters brother-in-law.
Last year,he finished the restoration on it.
Of all the cars and trucks I've owned,I want this one back the most!

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/539...rtable2.th.jpg
http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/591...rtable3.th.jpg
Mike.:chevy:

Re: Got a story of a car you "loved and lost" or sold? Or found ... years later?
 

And,my other story.
In 1965,my parents bought one of these new.
Before my mom passed in 2005,she told me it was her favorite car ever.And wanted to know if I could find one.
Well,I didn't find it until 2008 after she had died.Only 18,000 made.
!965 Chevrolet Caprice-First year it was sold.
http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/666...carpics165.jpg

Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Hers was all white.
Mike.:chevy:

Re: Got a story of a car you "loved and lost" or sold? Or found ... years later?
 

I'd love to have my old 1968 elCamino back if it was still in the shape I sold it.

That thing was ultra reliable for me, and it was comfortable and powerful.
Used it as my dd for years while I worked on my burb.

Then I got a job that required me to drive all over Los Angeles, and I had to get a newer gas mileage friendly car. I sold the elCamino to a father and son, and they were going to restore it together. At least I felt it went to a good home.

Re: Got a story of a car you "loved and lost" or sold? Or found ... years later?
 

That one even hurts me. As a red blooded American, the '57 Convertible is a dream of mine. The cool thing about this one is, you still know where it is. You just cant get your hands on it. haha! This is exactly the kind of story I am talking about. We'll have to talk more. You need a current picture of it. :)

This is cool too. I hate that she didn't get a chance to ride in it again. God rest her soul.

Did you ever think about trying to track it down?

The trouble with my dad's "long lost rides" is, he didn't hang onto any paperwork, so we have no VIN's. Kinda makes it tough.

Re: Got a story of a car you "loved and lost" or sold? Or found ... years later?
 

I had a 1972 Cutlass "S" F85 hard top that I got from the original owners son. I traded my restored 71 Cheyenne for it. It was sweet. Pinehurst green with a black vinyl top. Dark green bucket interior. The original owner even put a whale tail spoiler on it and a W-27 aluminum diff cover on it. I sold it to buy a 69 Super Bee 383 4 speed bucket seat car that was restored in the 80's and parked since finished. Then as fate would have it I met and started dating my wife and instead of buying the Super Bee I held on to my money and we eventualy got a house and rest is history.
The guy who now owns my Cutlass still calls every now and again. Its still in Iowa and I still want it back. As for the Super Bee, it is still sitting in the same garage as it was 8 years ago, and I still very much so want a Super Bee.

Re: Got a story of a car you "loved and lost" or sold? Or found ... years later?
 

My favorite car ever was a 91 Gem Metro 4 door with a 1 liter engine running on 2.5 cylinders. My dad got it for me when I was 16 from the dealer he worked at and I actually understood the brilliance of the car at the time since I could haul cargo in the back hatch with fold down seats or flip them up and haul the crew around. Funniest story about the car ever was my buddy stealing it while I was in class and climbing "the un-climbable" hill no ones trucks could climb with plenty of people watching. The memories in this car are monumental, I could go on and on about how much I loved this car and like any stupid 16 year old I traded it for a jacked up Datsun pickup that needed a clutch.

After 10 years the car actually showed up abandoned outside of my dads shop after changing several owners. He called me as soon as he spotted the flowmaster stickers on it and I freaked out. Sadly he traded it to someone for a Jeep Cherokee before I could get it back.

Re: Got a story of a car you "loved and lost" or sold? Or found ... years later?
 

I actually have the protecto plate some where in my files, and I do have a friend in the Sheriffs department. I have often thought about tracking it down...

I need to sell my 1970 k10 before I even think about tracking it down! :lol:

Re: Got a story of a car you "loved and lost" or sold? Or found ... years later?
 

Here's mine

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=457076

Re: Got a story of a car you "loved and lost" or sold? Or found ... years later?
 

My Dad is on the hunt for his '69 camaro Z28. He sold it in 1980 when I was born, after it left him stranded once and his job on the line...no money and needed something to drive. For all these years he has believed that it was totalled but in the last year we've heard about the car from two different sources (one is a previous owner) and recently that it may be for sale. He's been making calls...let's hope! Red/White 302DZ / 4 speed.

Re: Got a story of a car you "loved and lost" or sold? Or found ... years later?
 

I apologize for not returning your PM.
I would be glad to have my story in your book.
I'll pm you my contact info.
-Robert
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Re: Got a story of a car you "loved and lost" or sold? Or found ... years later?
 

Was in a wrecking yard and found my 66 Barracuda. That was good for a laugh.:lol:
Was heavily into 66 Chevelles years back. Had a Malibu wagon I bought from the original owner. He wanted a SS 396. The Mrs. wanted a wagon.
He ordered the wagon with a 275HP 327, 4 speed 3.08 posi and a knee knocker tach.
I ended up using parts off it and sadly thought it went to the crusher only to find its shell in a friends driveway a few years later.
He offered it to me but was too far gone by then.

Love to find my 67 Dart GT. The other 50+ I can live w/o. :chevy:

Re: Got a story of a car you "loved and lost" or sold? Or found ... years later?
 

I had a 64 Chevy II Nova when I was in high school. I bought it when I was 13 yrs old with money I had earned from picking fruit in the orchards...paid $300 for it. My mom and I would jokingly fight over who got to drive the car...it was the only one we had where she could move the seat up enough to reach the pedals and still see over the steering wheel. I bought it with a nice interior, then I saved up and put a decent paint job on it but didn't do anything to the engine and trans. It was a 194 L6/powerglide 5 lug car. I traded it in on an 89 pontiac grand prix when I was 20....it set the record for most original miles on a trade in at the dealership...somethin like 284K. At the time I was really disenchanted with the car because it had just been in a fender bender (I lost control on ice and messed up the passenger front corner a bit) and I found the lower quarters were rusting thru. To this day I still kick myself for getting rid of that car and am determined to find a replacement here soon.

Re: Got a story of a car you "loved and lost" or sold? Or found ... years later?
 

So... do you have any idea of the fate of the high mileage nova? Did they wholesale it? Any chance of locating it?

Keep me updated. This is exactly what I am looking for.

Awesome! What a great story! The odds of that happening are astronomical!!! :metal: Have you guys spoke lately? I'd love to see you get it back.

Keep me updated. Very cool.

It is stories like yours that inspires me to put this book together. One of the best. We will have to talk more, and I am going to read through your whole thread.

Re: Got a story of a car you "loved and lost" or sold? Or found ... years later?
 

Cool story! I am a Super Bee fan as well


Haha, small world. Good story, but I am trying to keep this focused on old classics.

Re: Got a story of a car you "loved and lost" or sold? Or found ... years later?
 

I had a 1988 Ford Festiva. I drove the you know what out of that car. One day a Datsun pickup make a left hand turn right in front of me. That Datsun looked like a Mac Truck coming at me and we narrowly avoided a head on collision. I sold it within a couple weeks. Boy did I love that.......... Oh no I didn't, nevermind.

Re: Got a story of a car you "loved and lost" or sold? Or found ... years later?
 

I walked into the office/lobby of a small car lot in Bentonville, AR about 4 years ago and there was a '69 GTO Judge in near junkyard condition on the floor. I asked about the car...and whoa! The owner of the lot and his wife had bought one new right after they got married, let it go years later. They looked high and low for one to restore and found this car in a junkyard. They had it for something like a year before running across some paperwork and guess what...it was the SAME EXACT car. They were getting ready for a full professional restoration. I wish it was still there I'd give you their info!

Re: Got a story of a car you "loved and lost" or sold? Or found ... years later?
 

I was living in Idaho Falls at the time, so I don't think I will be able to get it back. A couple weeks after I traded it in I saw it on a used car lot and shortly after that I saw it driving around town. Frustrating part was I got rid of it just as those cars were getting popular too. I'm hoping to find a 2 door 5 lug car some time in the future....even when I had the car I wanted to find a 2 door shell and transfer everything over. I almost had one but was talked out of it. My friend and I saw it in a wrecking yard and it had been hit hard on the driver side corner. The dash was bent from the hit and I wouldn't have enough time and $$$ to fix it properly....was going off to boot camp a few months later.

I kinda got a replacement for it...more like it's big brother. My friend had a 63 chevy truck that we would cruise around in...had a hard time keeping up with him in my nova. I bought that from him a couple months ago and have been working on that. I have some great memories from both vehicles and was really stoked to be able to buy that truck from him. I think he was glad I bought it too.

Re: Got a story of a car you "loved and lost" or sold? Or found ... years later?
 

Haven't been in contact with him in a few months, but I just emailed him today. If I'm ever in the right situation financially, I will most certainly make an offer :D

Re: Got a story of a car you "loved and lost" or sold? Or found ... years later?
 

I was to young to remember it but when I was 2 years old right after my parents found out
My brother was on his way my dad sold his 1960 impala 2door hardtop he bought the car when he was 14 for $200 in 1972 him and his dad restored the car with a 327 built to 1963 corvette specs he sold the car in August of 1986. He has had a few other classic cars over the years to include a tiger gold 66 gto and a 1962 Pontiac Catalina super duty with the 421 big block and funky 8 lug wheels but go to a car show with him and nothing gets his blood boiling like a 60 Chevy me and my brother have been looking to buy one for him to restore for his retirement gift in about 4 years because he wants one really bad but won't ever buy one on his own because of his kids. My parents both have some connection with the car as they dated in it and in 1980 it was at their wedding.
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Re: Got a story of a car you "loved and lost" or sold? Or found ... years later?
 

My biggest car regrets in order are getting rid of my 73 dodge charger, my 70 chevelle and my 69 el camino. I think about that charger almost as much as sex.

Re: Got a story of a car you "loved and lost" or sold? Or found ... years later?
 

Got any idea of the name of the car lot. Maybe I can Google the info. That sounds like a great story.

Re: Got a story of a car you "loved and lost" or sold? Or found ... years later?
 

any interest in stories about either a 77 Impala 2dr or an 84 Grand Prix? how about the 66 Impala I had my senior year?
the 77 I decided to sell before I wound up dead or in jail. the 66 I traded for a 66 C10 after some old lady wiped out the front end on a fresh frame-off resto. the GP I sold to my sister so she could have a safe reliable car for her and my 2 young nephews.
these are the 3 most memorable for me (except for my current truck). there is some long stories involved. too long to post here right now.

come to think of it, I should write my own book so my boys will understand where I come from

Re: Got a story of a car you "loved and lost" or sold? Or found ... years later?
 

I have come across a few VERY cool stories, but I am still looking for a couple more, so TTT!!!
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