As someone who has owned dozens of cars, I’ve had to make some really tough choices. You see, I don’t just buy cars for the content, I buy cars because I think they’re awesome. I never buy a car solely with the plan to sell it; every car gets a fair shake, and many cars end up causing me to fall in love. The problem is: I can’t own every car. There are practical considerations that force me to part ways with vehicles that have left lasting impressions on my soul, and this thread article here is the place for you to tell us about the automotive loves you’ve had to let go of. It’s a therapy session, and there’s no judgement.
My biggest automotive love that I ever had to let go of was my Postal Jeep. It wasn’t because the vehicle met an untimely demise only hours after I sold it (in many ways that just made the tale of the DJ even more legendary), it was that the Postal Jeep represented me in the most authentic, unfiltered way.
It was the very pinnacle of my time at my old work, Jalopnik — an insanely challenging project requiring to weld, do engine work, rig up a distributor, install new floors, fix a steering box, replace a bunch of suspension bits, and on and on and on.
It was a ridiculous project — madness on full display. A rusted-out $500 POStal Jeep has no business going on a 4,000 mile road trip from Michigan to Utah and back, and it has no business off-roading. But I didn’t give a damn. It sounded fun, it sounded difficult, and I was the singlest man on the face of the planet and just wanted to live the dream. And so I did:
I miss Project POStal. It captured my spirit better than any car I’ve ever owned, and it’s a vehicle that I’ll remember for as long as I live.
In truth, holding onto that POStal Jeep — and thus holding onto the past — is maybe not the right move if progress is the goal. I knew that, which is why I let go. I couldn’t use it as a daily-driver, I couldn’t really off-road it (since it was two-wheel drive), and I couldn’t use it as a truck (though it does fit more than you’d think behind the front seat). Keeping the DJ didn’t make sense, and I’m not upset that I let go of it, I’m just feeling a bit nostalgic that I had to part ways with my automotive best friend.
Let me know if you can relate.
Topshot: Alex Neville
Had a 1995 Mazda 626 with both a KL-ZE V6, a manual transmission and some bolt ons. Unfortunately, after 17 years, rust had it’s say and it was sent to the crusher… still miss it for the absolute sleeper that it was… that thing absolutely ripped!! 🙁
I’m absolutely dreading the day where i will sent the Si to the yard. That Honda is litterally the 1st fun brand new car i bought that i actually wanted and not some much needed appliance. My son was also conceived in that very car and it helped me battle depression when i divorced… between 2018 and 2021, about 250k km were added to that odometer..
My 1999 Oldsmobile Eighty Eight. It was my twin brother and I’s first car and we had it until just the end of 2023 when it failed PA inspection due to major rust in the chassis where it had cracked at critical locations. I really wanted to continue to drive that car until the day I retired. However I needed a car to drive in winter quickly as I refuse to drive out Jeep MJ in the salt. We sold the Oldsmobile to my brother’s coworker who lives in NY where their inspection wouldn’t care and he continues to drive it today. It was bad timing, right in the middle of building a house, not wanting to spend any money. We had to replace it and ended up in an 09 Civic Si that has been mechanically sound, but has terrible electronics and just isn’t as nice of a car to drive.
If I had the time, I’d of done major structural rust repair on that Oldsmobile. My grandparents purchased it new and gave it to my twin brother and I when we were 15. Couldn’t ask for better as a first car.
Igor, my beloved manual Plum Crazy SRT392 Challenger. I LOVED that car but I moved to a dense city and that was that.
I loved my 2019 Honda Passport. It was a beautiful dark green, just the right size, and just the right amount of features for a weekend car. I extended the lease until the company said “no more”. Unfortunately the buyout was high and I balked at the $600+ monthly payment if I chose financing. I miss that car. It’s been 2 years and I still haven’t replaced the Passport but I have my eyes on a 2013 Tacoma.
Had to sell my Focus ST. Broke my heart. Until I realized all my leg pain was because of those awful seats. Fuck that car and fuck the nerds at Ford who thought those torture thrones were even remotely acceptable
I mean you do know that you could get the non-Recaro seats right?
i sold my Focus ST for the same reasons. It was all hardened up for track use, way too stiff for streets. Also loud.. all the racer boy mods were in place. But when i turned 40 I went and swapped it for a Jag XFS – i am loving the comfort and speed of the Jag so much.
It would have to be my ’68 Porsche 914. I bought the car (well, two cars) in 1978 in a basket; both had been hit but in different areas. A little welding, a little extra steel to remove some sag, paint it all white to hide some flaws, and I had a car. I built up one engine with dual Weber carbs, 2L high-compression pistons and an extractor exhaust, stuffed that in and off I went.
After a few tuning and suspension/tire tweaks, it was surprisingly quick and fun to drive. I went to one PCNA event where I was the turd in the punchbowl; being quicker than the then-new 924 a dealer brought to the event pretty much made me PNG there.
The biggest problem was rust; this was my everyday driver and I live in a salty winter state. I welded more pieces on to that car, so it was becoming the Porsche of Theseus. A final separation of the left rear control arm called it a day.
I sold it for almost what I’d put into it because the guy wanted the motor. I still miss that silly thing.
Two of them actually. Very different stories though.
I sold back my Jetta SportWagon as part of Dieselgate. I miss that car every day.
I also had to recently part ways with my 1990 Ford Ranger. It was my wife’s grandfathers work truck that he bought new. It was a thing we bonded over. When he passed, I inherited it. It didn’t get driven much, but it had a lot of sentimental value! I took good care of it and it was a lot of fun. I had it for over 7 years. Eventually, the transmission started slipping though. It had 245k miles on it. I really really wanted to save it, but it just wasn’t practical to repair. Donated to Pull-a-Part. I hope its bits helped keep some other Rangers on the road. Sniffle.
We had to sell my ’88 K2500 because it needed a long list of work and I either had the time or money to do it but never both at the same time. It needed a new transmission (still drove though), cab corners, a new fender, new bed, and paint. We had new doors as well. I’d have dropped a flatbed on it, painted it OD green, and airbrushed the Kelly’s Cobras insignia on the doors. It had been my grandfather’s truck and the 494th was his unit in WWII.
It had a crate engine and new transmission dropped in it and was fully restored after it was sold, and sold again. Current owner’s asking price is way too high for me to even think of buying it back.
Before it was sold:
https://imgur.com/a/uMKB20S
I had to let my Giulia go because our old Liberty (which I mentioned in the comments of an earlier post) wanted another transmission rebuild and we occasionally need to haul stuff and/or dogs. My wife had just gotten a new Mini Clubman and I promised her she wouldn’t have to drive the dog car – the Jeep had been her daily for years. So I sucked it up and gave up my Alfa for something more practical. Did it have weird electrical gremlins? yes. Was it the best thing I’ve ever driven in my life? Also yes. I miss that car every damn day.
Range Rover Sport Supercharged. I miss that one.
I wasn’t planning to replace it, but life happened and I needed a vehicle more suited to frequent road trips. It was really comfortable but also really thirsty. 🙁
Gave up my 2003 LeSabre because I didn’t have parking for it. Big ol comfy cruiser. Gave it to a friend who was in a bad spot and needed wheels. Still rolling along in smooth air conditioned near-luxury.
Short-ish version: my ’97 Econoline-150 conversion van had a pristine interior, but was mechanically cursed and the oddest things would break.
After graduating college and starting an office job, I no longer had the desire to DJ and didn’t live near friends to be able to use it for van things.
I might still have kept it, but the final nail in the coffin was one of the catalytic converters needing to be replaced…the same one I had replaced 3 years earlier…with a 2-year warranty.
Wasn’t about to drop another $900 on a van costing me ~$100-200 in gas every month, so I bought my Prius v and sold the van.
I’m in a better place today so I’m still looking to get another one…but this time I’m hoping it’s something newer and high-roof.
1981 Mars Red Scirocco with a 2.0 16V, four wheel discs, BBS wheels. California car with original paint. Wife got a job in Alaska. This thing was in northern Minnesota (as in on the border with Canada). We had four weeks to move. I practically gave the car away. due to time and location.
In the middle of it now as I’m getting ready to part with my Holden/SS.
In related news, does anyone want to buy an SS?
I know lots of first owners that still own theirs. Think carefully before you do it!
I’ve already bought its replacement and there’s no room/need for it anymore.
So it has to go, sad as it is.
Probably not at a price you are willing to sell it for, too many other things competing for my money. It is however the car I wish I would’ve bought instead of my vsport.
Tempting since I’ve always wanted one… If only I had the room for another car, it’d be hard to not consider it
’89 Mitsubishi Montero, 2-door, 4×4, 5 speed, v6 with AC (and that’s about it).
So many adventures in that thing, so many. Rebuilt the transmission and the top end, but eventually the bottom end gave out and by that time I was ready to move on to something more reliable…. but damn I wish I had that thing back. So many adventures.
’96 Trans Am WS6. Silver, 6 speed, t-tops.
For some reason, I thought the way to make it faster was not engine mods, but changing the rear gear from 3.42 to 3.73. Not aware that setting up rear gears wasn’t something any old rando can do, I had a friend of a friend do the install on the cheap.
After tearing through two ring and pinion sets, I finally took the car to a reputable mechanic to have it put right. I sold it after that because, between that and a recurring power steering issue that was eventually traced to a return hose that kept collapsing and starving the pump, the car had taken literally every penny I had and caused me to max out my credit card.
I still miss it.
‘88 Prelude Si – the most pure, joyously fun car I’ve ever owned. At the time my commute was 23 miles of twisty country roads. Every day was a treat. Started a family and had to get something more child friendly.
Damn kids ruin everything.
Yes they do lol!
‘89 S10 in 2015. Was a daily, chicken feed hauler, and honestly was entirely too nice for how hard I worked it. I think it only had 70k original miles when I sold it. I had to let it go because I needed an ext. cab truck when my eldest was born. However, as much as I miss that truck, the truck I bought was my ‘96 K1500, and that thing has been awesome for the last 9 years. So, getting rid of my S10 did have a happy ending.
You know every single user can all relate! You could make a subscriber directory and every username would have at least a paragraph on the subject.
I’ve told the tale elsewhere but the short version is that the 2005 Wrangler my wife won in a raffle was totaled and we didn’t want to be on the hook to rehab it. Very sad.
The folding Z-bed in the back of a Vanagon camper is not a safe place to install child car seats. It was the right decision, but damn…
Sold what remains my favorite car that I’ve owned, a 1998 Honda Prelude. Eucalyptus Green Pearl (partially R-G colorblind me thought it was grey when I saw it at an autoshow) with the two tone interior (the only color to get it). Loved the sound when VTEC kicked in (and it kicked it often). I managed to get it to oversteer on a spiral onramp, the only FWD car that did that. Met some good people in the local Prelude club.
Sold it to a co-worker after putting ~30k miles in eight years, as I wasn’t using it much. Sadly he had to move back to his home country, so I don’t know what happened to the car. I would love to buy one again if I had a garage.
I smile when I see that generation of Prelude. The only Honda 4cyl of the 90’s that sounded good. The styling has really held up over the years too.
I have not experienced such heartache yet, but my dad has.
– He had to sell his AE86 Coupe when he lived off base during his time with the Marines, since his landlord kept complaining about him taking up a parking space with it. (Late 90s)
– He had to sell a RX-7 from the early 80s he partially restored and mechanically modded. It was in perfect condition, beautiful, and partially restored with zero rust. My mom wanted more space in the driveway I suppose, so my dad sold the car to a new teen driver for 7,000 dollars. Yea, he regrets selling that one the most. (Early 2000s.)
Thankfully, he has been able to keep his 91’ 300zx.
Your dad sounds like a badass.
I had a ’90 BMW 318is that was great. It was the car that got me back into cars after an extended intrusion by reality (university/student loans/starting a career). Had to sell it to build a house down-payment and it was a sad day when it left with the new owner.
On the other hand, I got a house, and a deal with my wife that after we caught our breath with the whole mortgage thing I could go back to playing with cars, which I have fully taken advantage of.
Nice! Now she wonders why you never leave the garage lol.
I was very sad to sell my 09 Pontiac G8 GXP, my working situation changed and I was making less, even though it was paid off I couldn’t afford full coverage insurance, it got caught in a hail storm and I couldn’t have it fixed. I realized had to bite the bullet that that particular car was beyond my means at the time, and now that I could maybe afford what it takes to keep one, values are double what they were when I bought mine originally. But it allowed me to pay down debt and eventually be where I am today, which is good enough I guess.
My buddy and I were just talking about that car today. Absolute monster Pontiac snuck in before their demise.
Selling my ’94 SHO 5 speed hurt. It had already suffered a deer strike and had some body damage, and an unfortunately cracked dash…but ran like a top. It just would not comfortably fit a 2006 vintage rear facing baby seat with room for front passengers. Bought a used ’00 Chrysler 300M to replace it with. Already had a WJ Grand Cherokee in the stable.