For a long time I've been dickering with a guy over a 55 324 # 8 heads engine and a Jet a Way transmission. I know it should be a Slant Pan but this appeared to be a Frankenstein engine and transmission combo The yard has been in the town of Chico for years and it's been a hit or miss trying to find them open. . It was laying in the back of this 70 era van so it was dry but it also was stuck tight. I have been trying to get him down to something like $300 bucks because of the stuckness of the engine and the hassle of getting the transmission separated from the engine when stuck. This has been going on for a couple of years and we were close to a deal. Seemed more of a dickering deal competition than the dollars involved or so I thought.

Well yesterday I was passing through the area and the yard was gone, notta a car left, didn't look as though there ever was a yard ever there. You snooze you lose. I should have ponied up a extra $50 bucks and started another project. After all $50 is really nothing in the total scheme of things when you start a new project. Have you had any lost opportunities.... Tedd

 

Back in 92 I was trying to buy a 62 Corvette. It had the original 327 in a crate and installed was a pretty stout 350 with NOS and the original 4 speed. The body was straight with no cracks, paint was lacking, but the interior was brand new including the dash and all the IP parts. Power train and suspension all upgraded and restored. Got him down to $17,500 and I wanted to be at $17k and walked over $500. I still kick myself in the a$$ to this day.

 

A friend called me one day around 1975 and said he knew of a 65 Z16 for sale for $1750. I said why don't you jump on it so we went to look at it. Lo and behold it was a true 65 Z16, completely original and a running driver. It did need some work, but at time they were none existant for sale at most any price. We couldn't believe the story we were told by the guy selling the car. It was owned by a dentists son and his dad took it away from him because he was on drugs. The dads friend was the one finding a buyer. My friend, very skeptical, wouldn't front the money and I didn't have a pot or a window. Missed on a one of 200 65 Z16 Chevells.

 

A friend had a '68 W30 convert. Blue, White interior. He didn't have a lot of money and rented his home. Some time later he was moving and asked if he could park the car at my place until he found a new home. Eventually he decided to sell and offered it to me and only me because he didn't trust anyone else. At the time I was not working and did not have the money. He was only looking for $600. He took the car to the scrap yard and told them to crush it! At the time I did not really like blue cars and I am still kicking myself. My daughter loves blue cars. Go figure.

 

Ugh, where do I begin....

When I was a teenager I worked with a guy that had a 1977 black Cultass Salon with a factory 403, Moon roof, black buckets, Power everything, red painted pinstripe and silver rallys... 40k on the clock. He was in the market for a new '88 fox body mustang gt. He told me he was gonna sell me the Cutlass for 1000 bucks, but got talked into trading it in for 900! I was so mad at him.

Then a few years back I looked at a rust free 1966 Starfire that had a mint interior, but just needed a starter, fresh paint and tires/suspension. What made it cool was it was factory Gold with Burgundy interior, A/C with the Strato-bench and column shift! He wanted $2500 but it had no title or keys, so I offered him 2K...he said no, I walked. I never saw that color combo before or since... I should've grabbed it.