[DeTomaso] Car that got away

[Garth Rodericks]

Not a story of a cheap car now worth a mint, but fun none the less...
 
I was in my early 20's living in Santa Barbara and had been lusting after a maroon 73 DeTomaso Pantera at local specialty dealer's lot. I had stopped to look at it a few times, but couldn't quite afford it - remember, I was in my early 20's (and saving to buy my first house).  It turned out that a business associate/customer of mine was a fellow gearhead, and a partner in the dealership. He told me all about the car, what they'd done to it, how long they'd had it, etc, and finally after another couple months of it languishing on their lot made me a lowball offer to sell it to me.  I almost pulled the trigger, but decided I needed to buy a house with a garage first!  13 years later, I got my Pantera!  And I like the one I have now better than the one I passed on.
 
 
Now, here are a few of the one's I wish didn't get away...
 
68 Vette (L88) - $5000
T-tops, 427, 4 speed, silver, beautiful car. Shopping for my first car and didn't have quite enough money; and my dad refused to help me "buy a car that I'd kill myself in."
 
67 Austin Healey Mk. III - $5500
Beautifully restored and ran perfectly. Agreed to purchase terms, then seller stalled me each time I tried to arrange pickup, and sold it out from under me to another buyer for a few dollars more. Ironically, a few years later I'm going to a new GF's house for the 4th of July and as we pull in to the neighborhood where her parents lived I tell her about this a$$hole who sold this car out from under me; turns out to be her dad.
 
1960 Austin Healey Bugeye Sprite - $1500
Beautifully restored and correct, but just not enough driving excitement. Almost bought it because it was so cheap. Unfortunately, I bought a Porsche 924 instead. D'oh!
 
1964 Ferrari 330 GT - $12000
Wish I had this one.  The twin headlights are a polarizing feature and it's admittedly not the best looking of the vintage, but still a cool car!
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   Not a story of a cheap car now worth a mint, but fun none the less...

   I was in my early 20's living in Santa Barbara and had been lusting
   after a maroon 73 DeTomaso Pantera at local specialty dealer's lot. I
   had stopped to look at it a few times, but couldn't quite afford it -
   remember, I was in my early 20's (and saving to buy my first house).
   It turned out that a business associate/customer of mine was a fellow
   gearhead, and a partner in the dealership. He told me all about the
   car, what they'd done to it, how long they'd had it, etc, and finally
   after another couple months of it languishing on their lot made me a
   lowball offer to sell it to me.  I almost pulled the trigger, but
   decided I needed to buy a house with a garage first!  13 years later, I
   got my Pantera!  And I like the one I have now better than the one I
   passed on.


   Now, here are a few of the one's I wish didn't get away...

   68 Vette (L88) - $5000
   T-tops, 427, 4 speed, silver, beautiful car. Shopping for my first car
   and didn't have quite enough money; and my dad refused to help me "buy
   a car that I'd kill myself in."

   67 Austin Healey Mk. III - $5500
   Beautifully restored and ran perfectly. Agreed to purchase terms, then
   seller stalled me each time I tried to arrange pickup, and sold it out
   from under me to another buyer for a few dollars more. Ironically, a
   few years later I'm going to a new GF's house for the 4th of July and
   as we pull in to the neighborhood where her parents lived I tell her
   about this a$$hole who sold this car out from under me; turns out to be
   her dad.

   1960 Austin Healey Bugeye Sprite - $1500
   Beautifully restored and correct, but just not enough driving
   excitement. Almost bought it because it was so cheap. Unfortunately, I
   bought a Porsche 924 instead. D'oh!

   1964 Ferrari 330 GT - $12000
   Wish I had this one.  The twin headlights are a polarizing feature and
   it's admittedly not the best looking of the vintage, but still a cool
   car!