What's the Car You Most Regretted Buying?

[floorit426]

I've been reading, with great interest, the posts about the car you most regretted selling. How about your posts regarding the flip side, of the coin?

I have two, The first, was a '74 Dodge stepside truck. It seemed possessed and would break down in the most dangerous situations. It even broke a timing chain tooth, in the bank parking lot, after I walked the final payment in!

The second, was an AAR, that I bought with my heart, not my head. It wasn't until the ride home, that I realized it was burning oil faster than it was burning gas. This, coupled with the fact that I chose to "overlook" the fact that it didn't have one straight body panel, made this a very regrettable experience.

What's yours?

[71vert340]

 Since it didn't specify it had to be a Mopar, my 1971 Vega takes the cake. It would strand me on a dark, cold, rainy, winter's night along the freeway with an intermittent electrical problem. A Mopar I regretted buying  would have to be my 1979 Chrysler LeBaron. Hard starting.
Terry

[anlauto]

Since I was a teenager I've had really good experiences with practically everything I've owned. I can't say that, as far as my daily driver's that I've ever had a "lemon"...I've had some really good cars that lasted a long time. Same thing with all the cars I've bought new...I've loved them all !

If I had to list "one" car, it might be the AAR Cuda project I own now....I really over extended myself financially to purchase the car for another guy that said he really wanted a Red AAR Cuda restored. It was only after I bought the car that he changed his mind and went in a different direction. So I'm "stuck" with an AAR....not that I'm complaining, it's just that I don't know when I'll ever have time/money to restore it....so it sits in storage.  

[RUNCHARGER]

1979 Corvette. I bought it when it was a year old and drove it like I drove my Mopars and it just didn't stand up. Interior had stuff falling off, electric antennae broke, clutch went away, driveline slap after powershifting a few times, syncros were going away in the transmission, engine had zero power, A/C broke and took over $1000 to repair, other problems as well. Only GM I will ever own, only good thing about it was the brakes but even then the E-brake was pretty much ineffective.

[Matt M]

I bought a 71 Cuda without looking at it.
The guy told me it was an original paint car.
I really wanted a survivor so I was pretty excited. I got caught up in the hype and broke my cardinal rule.
Totally my fault.

I had a friend (which I should have had look at it prior to purchase) go pick the car up for me and take it to his shop.
He told me the car had been painted and the transmission had been changed at some point.

I called the guy up and said I wanted to return the car, that didn't work out, so I got some $ back.
I was so mad I didn't have the car shipped to my house. I just sold it and took a slight loss.

It was actually a pretty nice car but not an original paint car which I wanted.

The seller was a retired FBI agent, and a liar.
Sold his integrity for a few thousand dollars.

Matt

[CudaMoparRay]

Just for the record, I have never bought a car I have regretted buying.
However, I was given a 1973 Cadillac Eldorado which I regret accepting.
The first month everything worked on it like clockwork.
Then it became a repair and maintenance nightmare. 
I ended up giving it away free to a friend that was a car mechanic 👨‍🔧

[RzeroB]

I remember that '71 being for sale in the not too distant past and it being advertised as a "survivor" ... I think it was on Cars-On-Line IIRC??

I have seen a lot of cars that looked great online. I traveled as far as Phoenix (from St Louis) to look at a car that I was interested in. I came back home empty handed every time because they were all very underwhelming when seen in person with my own eyes. My rule now is I have to see them in person before I can buy them.

Anyway, the car I most regret buying was a Dodge Neon that high miles but my daughter insisted on me helping her get it because it was "cute"    I made sure she got her hands dirty with me as many times as we had to work on that thing!

[Topcat]

My 1974 International Scout II fought me tooth and nail.

The engine spun a bearing on the way up to Grass Valley at night.
Left it at a truck stop and hitched a ride with a trucker.

I re built the engine and it was always burning oil. Probably the rocker girdle studs needed sealant.
I didn't know if that ever was the problem or not.

The trans went out a year after the engine overhaul while at the same time the diff was howling.
I loved that truck but it surely didn't love me back. 

[392 Cuda]

I won an eBay auction for a 72 cuda last year before I bought my 74. It was priced high for rolling chassis, but promised "no rust".

It was in the Bay Area, and I'm in Chicago, so I had a task rabbit guy take a look at it and send pics. It was clearly full of rust... particularly for the money.

Luckily I still had the option to cancel the purchase.

The next in line would be the 2012 Honda Civic... nice car, but my only non-Mopar, and no matter how much traffic you sit in, it's not a proper option to replace a Hemi Dodge Ram.

[BIGSHCLUNK]

Personally I've been very lucky over the years. But I've had a shitters from the auction over the years at the shop . Sometimes due diligence is not enuff 

[71-440]

1985 Mercury Cougar. Brand new.....Piece of junk.

[CudaA39]

2013 Ram 2500 diesel.  That truck was real nice, real expensive, and way more than I ever needed.  I bought it in anticipation for buying an enclosed trailer which never happened, and although it towed amazing, it was more truck than I ever needed.  Thank God they keep their value, used it for 5 years and sold it almost as much as I paid for it.  I put less than 12k on it.

Ironic thing is I've owned an 89 Lebaron GTC (pulled from a 15 year hibernation in my aunt's garage), a 95 Neon Highline 3spd (from an old lady who never carried a passenger), and a 95 LHS...and it's the $36k diesel I regret.

[dodj]

2004 Ford F250 6.0 litre PowerJoke. Bought it brand new. Never went more than one month without spending a couple days in the shop. In the last year of warranty, it never went more than two weeks without it breaking down. Was afraid to drive any further than I wanted to walk...because I would be walking....
Reminded me of that joke....All new Fords come with a free puppy so you don't have to walk home alone...


Traded it in on a Ram 3500 Cummins 6.7 litre. Couldn't be happier. Though I'm getting fat from not walking as much...lol

[7212Mopar]

1984 Olds Cutlass Ciera bought brand new. First new car in my family. All other cars before were used. Car overheated the next day and I found out it left the factory missing a fuse for the electric fan. American cars built in the 80s are really bad, no QC whatsoever. The car is an auto with an in-line four bangers. Too little engine for such a big car by comparison. Engine knocks every time I go up a steep hill on streets or on highway even I put premium gas in it. Lived with it for two years and one day it got totaled by a hit and run drunk driving a van while it was parked on the street at work. After haggling with insurance for six months and without a car we got half the money back. I used the money to buy a new 86 Mazda 626 base model with 5 speed and kept it for 13 years. Nice dependable little car. I did not buy another American brand car till 2012.

[Daveh]

1988 Mazda B2600 truck.  Bought it new.  It wouldn't go over 55mph.  Took it back to the dealer 5 times and they could find any issues.  But like I said I had to mash that gas pedal to get close to 55.  Tried to get it taken back under the lemon law but that didn't work.  They admitted there was an issue but wouldn't fix it because they had no idea.  Finally sold it to a woman who owned a farm.  I was honest with her that it ran just wasn't fast.  She was good with that saying it's only going to be a farm truck and probably would never go above 20mph.  I lucked out and only lost a little.