The ones you've missed out on aka regrets thread

[JaxLax]

So I'm in the process of searching for another project.
I sold my last Bronco about 5 years ago and regretted it ever since [it was the right decision at the time] as I watch the prices climb and stock dwindle.

Maybe this is going to be a bit of a vent thread, but let's hear about the ones you've missed or just miss.

Ones you've sold. Ones you didn't buy. etc

My most recent story is about a week ago one popped up on Craigslist. It was everything I've been looking for. Local; 15 minutes away from my house and I'd never seen out. UNCUT. V8. ok, maybe I wasn't looking for a 3 on the tree, but it's probably the best theft deterrent out there today ;D. Rust was there and it needed a whole going through, but the price was fair to low [nationally] which meant for rust and salt air Florida it was a steal. I emailed AND called AND texted within two hours of it being posted.

I was too late. It had already sold for full asking price.

Absolute gut punch. I was ready to stop by the bank and pull full price in ca$h on my way to look at it ASAP.

I've got two I need to go look at in neighboring cities, but for what they're asking, I highly doubt either is going to even consider my "offer". [One looks nice, but is a Frankenstein drivetrain and one looks to be a cancer patient with 5 digit price tag]

/sigh
//end vent

Let's hear yours and commiserate together! ;D

 

[Attac]

Jax
There is one down here that is not listed but can be bought at a pretty good price. 73 302 ps pb minimal rust
dm me and I will give you my number

 

[lonesouth]

I went to look at one a few years back. Had a trailer and $5k cash with me. It was a solid 10 footer, but on closer inspection, there were just a few too many things that turned me off. Nothing major, but I wasn't looking for another project with a laundry list of small repairs. Spent about an hour looking it over and headed back home with an empty trailer.

Fast forward two years, and I'm talking to another buddy in town. He had ended up buying that same bronco a few months later, and found a significant crack in the frame right at the middle front driver's body mount. Not really one that got away, but one I'm glad I let go.

 

[gotdads68]

I had one where I called the guy the first few hours of the posting, we talked for quite a bit and he agreed to hold it and let me come get it on Saturday (this was Tuesday), $6K uncut beautiful shape within a couple hours of me. I rented a trailer and scraped together the funds and called him Friday night as we arranged to work out final details, he asked who I was and said that he had been overwhelm with calls, didn't remember me, and someone was already on their way to pick it up. He was a kind enough older sounding gentleman on the phone, guess I should have gone with my gut and took the next day off and went and got it. %)

 

[JaxLax]

I had one where I called the guy the first few hours of the posting, we talked for quite a bit and he agreed to hold it and let me come get it on Saturday (this was Tuesday), $6K uncut beautiful shape within a couple hours of me. I rented a trailer and scraped together the funds and called him Friday night as we arranged to work out final details, he asked who I was and said that he had been overwhelm with calls, didn't remember me, and someone was already on their way to pick it up. He was a kind enough older sounding gentleman on the phone, guess I should have gone with my gut and took the next day off and went and got it. %)

That's kind of how I ended up with my green 77.

My mom saw an ad in the paper that was something to the effect of:
77 Bronco. V8. Auto. [price]
That was it. She nudged me to go look at it even though I was a teenager with 3 vehicles already.
Drove out there in my red one. A wonderfully nice gentleman came out and I nearly did the Wylie Coyote dust cloud to run to the bank when he opened the garage. We talked for almost two hours as we went over the Bronco. Memories, things he did, things he'd change, etc etc. It was way undervalued. I couldn't bring myself to haggle. Agreed to his full asking price, shook hands, and told him I'd be back in the morning with cashiers check.

When I got dropped off the next morning, well, I guess this is where I made sure to call him a gentleman earlier. As he said, he'd had multiple messages (I'd heard the phone ring when we were talking, so it's not out of the question) from other people wanting to buy it and some offering over asking price sight unseen. But, I was first to see it, we made a deal; he would honor it.

I guess I was one of the guys on the phone last week for the one I missed out on. The internet has really changed the amount of time it takes to find/sort/purchase and I hadn't really noticed until now.

I bought my last one through an ad in the paper and got the deal by being local.

 

[dmplatt]

I went and saw the Stroppe, that Jeff (bronco graveyard) ultimately restored, a few weeks before he did. Even posted about it on the old bronco.com forum... I was in college at the time with no real opportunity to grab, store, fix. I'm glad it got the treatment that it did - I wish I could afford that now.

 

[gavindg]

My College Maritime Roommate restored one with his dad back in '97-98, doing a frame off, it was gorgeous all redone with Duff parts. He sold it to one of our buddies brothers for $4500. I have always kicked myself for not buying it back then..

 

[Broncobowsher]

Would loved to have had it, glad I didn't get it.

20+ years ago the local gas station (back when I lived in KC) was selling a '66 half cab. Was used as a plow truck for the station. was worked a hard life. But it was cared for, and very straight. Every part that was missing was in a box upstairs in the shop. It was an early one, second ever sold by the local dealer. Very original. But the rust. Oh the rust. The paint was doing a good job of keeping the rust from falling out of it. Everything was gone. I don't think it could be so rusty if it worked in a salt mine.

 

[Galt72]

Not a bronco but a 65 Shelby Cobra Mustang for $850. It was 1974 and I was 14yrs old. Sat across the street for sale for a year while the guy who owned it was off in the Army. Dad wouldn't buy it for me. Two years later a 63 Vette for $1300. My dad said no! you'll kill yourself and he was right...

 

[thegreatjustino]

1. I've sold four EBs in my nearly 20 years in the hobby. I tend to look for ones I want to keep but would occasionally look for good deals I figured I could flip (not many of those out there anymore). Three of the four I've flipped were rough to begin with. I got them running and managed to sell them for $1,500 or so more than I paid for them. None of the three would be much more valuable today, so no regrets. I had a '74 that I got a pretty good deal on. Did some work to it and put it up for sale about a year after I bought it. I must have gotten 100+ calls and emails about it, but a vast majority of those were tire kickers. I had one serious buyer and he offered me $1,000 less than I was willing to take and wasn't interested in negotiating. I told him no thanks and continued trying to sell. Six months later after more tire kickers, I called the guy back and took his offer. I still made money on the deal but not as much as I would have liked. This was back in 2008. Today, that Bronco would have sold for at least twice what I got for it. It's the only one I regret selling when I did.

2. I bought a bone stock '68 back in 2006. Craigslist ad had no photos, just a '68 Bronco listed for $2,000. Emailed the guy asking for pictures expecting a huge project. Ended up being a beautiful uncut stocker with floor pan rust. Even back then $2,000 was a deal. A friend and I drove out the next morning to look at/buy it. I was wondering if the guy just didn't know what he had which is was priced so low, but he had catalogs from all the vendors, told me where to get parts, and even included around $2,000 worth of brand new parts in the back. I was amazed. Over the years I've sold off a lot of those new parts and after 11 years, I'm into the Bronco for about $700. Best deal I've ever gotten on a vehicle.

3. My just missed it story is about a Mustang, not a Bronco. I found a 1967 Mustang GT S code fastback down in Southern CA on craigslist for $10,000. The ad stated it had been owned by the seller for more than 25 years, several years back he was offered $10,000 for it but wasn't ready to sell. Now he was and that was his asking price. No pictures with the ad, but the implication was the car was in pretty good shape. Called the guy and he said he had agreed to sell it that day and the guy was supposed to be on his way with cash in hand. Sounded like an older guy who didn't know what he had or how valuable it was. I was a day late on that one

 

[1strodeo]

Dad wouldn't buy it for me. Two years later a 63 Vette for $1300. My dad said no! you'll kill yourself and he was right...

Worked for an auto shop in backwoods Alabama every summer age 14, 15 and 16. When I was 16 my boss had a '70 Roadrunner with 383 Magnum, 4 spd slotted discs fat tires in back etc for sale for $1800 (this was 1987) tried to buy it, wanted it more than anything in the world he says "Hell no boy too much power for you" I was pissed but now I know he was right.

He also had a '69 Z28 he wanted $3500 for it...it "needed a transmission"...%)

 

[FRANKO289]

don't remember now 2 or 3 years ago at SC ..... guy came w. this at the time perfect 77 . Now its got dif. wheels and some Oem bolt one parts that can be easily removed to the original look the we fancy.
My girls told me " do whatever it takes" card blanche deal that he didn't know .... so when I ask for the stupid / not for sale prize the number he told me I immediately agreed to .
Well .... long story short ... Don't let the seller in a middle of a deal go to lunch to talk things over w. his Wife !

fast forward ... last year at SC when I ask a dif. guy about the not for sale on his 77 .... well the prize he told me was a good not for sale prize ....
the wife and looked at each other for 10 min but declined on the deal !
The funny thing about that was that 5 min after we said no cant do ... he told me we was sweating it and hoping I would say no bc he would have also backed out of the deal !

 

[sprdv1]

71 way clean, chrome front bumper, Regret selling it all the time. Would be worth a MINT today...

bought $5,500, sold $6,900 would be a $13k one these days w/prices

 

[luke]

had a 1970 U14. fenders, hood and rear floor were toast, but front floors, door post, striker posts and quarters were good. got some really nice nos front fenders, rear floor section and a nice hood for it. got it running and driving, just needed paint and a guy wanted to buy it. so..... i sold it. but, i kept the fenders. ha ha. would have been an easy project body wise. only paid $800 for it too! just before the prices blew up. (still hangin on to those nos fenders though). sold it for $4500. guess i didn't do too bad. still wish i had it now though. hard to find any kind of solid original unmolested bodies now a days.

 

[okie4570]

The only one so far that just killed me because I missed it by a few hours, I was able to buy about a month later! Full spectrum of emotions within a just a few weeks lol.

 

[DirtDonk]

All the Stroppes I passed up because they were just a little bit too expensive (back then they didn't even need restoring because they were almost new!).
The last remaining choices of '77's on the local dealer's lot. Four Rangers no less.
Doug's first one (I got his most recent!)
And, to show my age... All the '66 and '67 427 Cobras (wasn't interested in a 289 at all) that used to be advertised in the local newspaper. Actually went and looked at a beautiful one nearby the guy wanted $7500 for. Not long after they were going for $10,000 and were even farther out of my league.
And while I'm on that kick, all the LS6 Chevelles, L88 Corvettes, and Hemi Cudas and Challengers that were listing for $2000-$3500.

Ok, another rant over. For now...

Paul

 

[sprdv1]

The only one so far that just killed me because I missed it by a few hours, I was able to buy about a month later! Full spectrum of emotions within a just a few weeks lol.

Good luck right there

 

[half cab]

In '88 I bought a plane ole stock 3 speed manual 302 '77 uncut. Paint was horrible and inside was ratty. I gave $800 for it n drove it home. Clutch was slipping bad but I made it with my ole pappy following with his hook.

Motor was good and it did jave front disc.I got it because parts for my '76 were hard to find. Few in the junkyard back then were all picked over.

I sold the doors,the top and the motor. Dude went to the pen n never came back for the motor. I sold the rest of it along with two others that I didn't have nothing in after I had sold a few parts off them.

Wish I had that '77 it really didn't need a whole lot to have been made a pretty decent wheeler.

OReasons for selling at the time was family troubles

 

[TNcoupe]

I know where a one owner 1977 Bronco Ranger is sitting in a barn 15min from me that the old man wont sale. Tried like hell over the years to buy it. I've finally given up now that I have 2 other projects in front of my 1970 Bronco.

 

[EB70]

I remember when my buddy bought a rust free 71 EB for $1800 and we made fun of him with the dorky 3 on the tree etc. We were smart with our CJ's.........right.

I bought my Bronco's just before things got really crazy just a few years ago. More of the regrets for me are the muscle cars. I had a buddy with more money than me and I found him 3-4 440 4-speed mopars just before they went through the roof. $1800 for a big block 4-speed Super Bee. This wasn't in the 70's, it was in the 90's.

I enjoy looking for EB's now, but $5000 for something without an engine that needs a total resto just does not sit well with me. So I am content with what I have.