tires and wheels What things do you regret doing to your car?

[mike472]

1. Undercoating my car and all the cavities with some Ziebart like tarry substance that I am still trying to get rid of. I remember the guys at Foreign Specialties in Manville NJ who painted my car in 1982 cursing me for my folly. They were covered with it whenever they worked on my car. I just did my subframes over and spent more time getting that tar off then anything else. Even the blast cabinet had a tough time getting it off.

2. I will also not expose my car to 35 years worth of NE salty roads again. It was my daily driver then but will just be a fair weather toy now. It will also not live outside as it did for a long time. This does not mean I will not drive the car as often as I can.

3. No molded in metal fender flares to harbor rust this time.

4. No exhaust headers but cast iron for strength and silence. Tii baby

5. No half roll bar which looked cool but messed up the interior. No A/C to clog up the engine compartment and nose.

6. No weird trip computers that use magnets glued to the driveshaft which eventually fly off on the road(this was in the 80's near the dawn of computers). Seemed like a good idea at the time.

I could go on but I think as a general rule I won't do anything that isn't safe, meaning that I won't do anything that might get me hurt when working on the car. I used some less then safe methods of jacking up the car and working on it in my carefree invincible youth. Since I work mostly by myself now, I take extra precautions such as keeping my cell phone within reach and using hefty jackstands.

Mike K

[James Stein]

Summer of 77’ totaled my 76 2002 in an accident. I regret that. 

[gary32]

Not one thing.

[GDI]

I regret driving my ‘73 as my only car in Boone, NC winters.  One more that ended in the scrap heap.  

[jp5Touring]

I can't drive it year round. Otherwise haven't owned it long enough to do anything dumb.

[Conserv]

This. 
 

Chamonix sunroof 1970 (VIN 1668093), with 20-something thousand miles on it. Still wearing the original XAS...

 

R.I.P.

 

 

Edited February 15, 2020 by Conserv

[JerryC]

I regret selling my first '02. It was a '71 1600 in Ohio in the early '90s, a very rusty one as it turned out. I moved (back) to CA, and sold the '02 to keep from having to transport it. It was well stocked  with Miller-Norburn goodies; suspension, steering wheel, Flo-fit seats, a nice 2-liter, well-built engine, and more. I should have parted it out, and brought the good stuff out west with me.

[NYNick]

I had a 73 Tii on order in 1973. I cancelled the order and bought a VW Bug convertible.

What a dope.

[tech71]

I regret handing over Franzi, My 71 sunroof in Chamonix to my ex 20 or so years ago with the promise she would take care of it and turn it back over to me before selling.

What could I do? I was leaving the country for an extended period. (ended up being 15 years)

 She drove it until it developed a coolant leak (head gasket, cylinder head, something) and just parked it for 15 years.

She recently agreed to return it to me but has started stalling. I suspect the years have not been kind and she's afraid now of my reaction if I see it.

It was a solid, nice, well kept 02 with great paint.?

Edited February 15, 2020 by tech71

[Schon '02]

1 hour ago, tech71 said:

I regret handing over Franzi, My 71 sunroof in Chamonix to my ex 20 or so years ago with the promise she would take care of it and turn it back over to me before selling.

What could I do? I was leaving the country for an extended period. (ended up being 15 years)

 She drove it until it developed a coolant leak (head gasket, cylinder head, something) and just parked it for 15 years.

She recently agreed to return it to me but has started stalling. I suspect the years have not been kind and she's afraid now of my reaction if I see it.

It was a solid, nice, well kept 02 with great paint.?

My ex threw rocks at my pristine Alfa Romeo Milano Verde and smashed the rear window and put a few dents in the trunk. I’d rather have the 15 years of neglect.

[Russell74Fjord]

This is a minor one, which was easily remedied, bought solid rear sub frame mounts! Wow, when they say track only - listen. Bone jarring, teeth loosening experience.

 

Installed factory stock replacements, sold the solid mounts.

[coloincaalpine RIP 2021]

Regret selling my favorite daily driver ever. Always got a thumbs up. Sold it to a friend in LasVegas and it got totaled 2 weeks later.  It was hit so hard that the rf shock tower hit the distributor and snapped it off. 

[iinca]

 I thought this thread was> "What do I regret doing to my 2002" not what cars I regret selling right?

 

One thing and only one thing....I regret sending my Kugelfischer to Marty at H&R. After 5 weeks he sent it back without ever touching a single thing on it.

 

Then he tells me on the phone (just before he shipped it back) it had bench tested fine. Ha!! Both 3 and 4 suction valves were frozen in place and it was "47 years filthy" inside.... just like before...

 

Now he claims he never got it lol and tells me to stop bothering him and have a nice day.

Edited February 16, 2020 by iinca