No regret after selling a car

Has anyone else ever sold a car they liked and not regretted it afterwards? I figured I'd be overcome with regret after I sold the last RX-7 I had in my stable, a really nice example '87 turbo that I bought in 1999 for $1000 with a blown rear rotor. That wasn't the case, though.

I had always wanted one of those cars since I first saw one when they were new. The car served many roles over those years: main project, daily driver, source of unspeakable frustration and a money sink. The engine in my profile picture was in that car; it was also the first engine I'd ever rebuilt solo.

I figured I'd never sell it, due to the money, sweat and time I'd invested into it and the enjoyment I got driving the car listening to the Wankel howl under boost. However, instead of sadness, I'm feeling energized about the sale. Over the past year I've come to realize a few things. First, there are other cars I'd like to own. Secondly, the time and money I put into the car were sunk costs; they had no real bearing on what was happening right now. Third, I only have so much room in my driveway. Lastly, at a rallycross this year, a guy was driving around with his two kids (around 6-8 years old) in the back of his WRX. The kids looked thrilled, and the dad was having a great time, too, even though I could tell he was only driving the course around 60%.

I want to share the enjoyment of motorsports with my kids, too. Until they are older, I'm going to need a car that they can fit in to do that. The Golf, while not the best car in the world, can handle that role. Some of the cash from the RX-7 is going to be put towards making that car safe, reliable and fun. I'm going to throw the rest of it at the balance of the loan on the Forester XT.

I just sold my 944 last week. I had it for four years, thereby tying my record for longest ownership of a car. I thought it would be a momentous occasion with tears and gnashing of teeth. It wasn't. I didn't even care. If I want another one, I'll have fun searching.

I had no time to mess with it. My hands are full just maintaining my other three cars. A teenage kid got it. He was way more excited about the car than I ever was.

I was a little disappointed when I sold my Corolla. It was a 95, and my first 5 speed car. it was the first car I ever modded, and even though it was on a steep downhill slope - deteriorating fuel lines, some rust that was spreading, and some underhood accessory bits that were eating themselves - the thing was dead nuts reliable and never once left me stranded. The only part that made me happy was that the car was staying in the family, and I was selling it to a Toyota factory tech that promissed to work out the mechanical bits, and would do what he could to fend off tinworm. I stil get to se it every so often and drive it once and a while. I think the real crushing blow was that I was moving into a G20 with an auto slushbox, so that hurt. But it just makes me realize that as soon as I get the coin for a proper project, I will have a lot of motivation.

When I sold my E36 M3... I had spend a lot of blood, sweat and $ making it a dedicated race car. I sold it before I ever got a logbook because I thought I couldn't actually bear to bang it all up after all that work.

When it was gone - I didn't care a bit until this last summer at NJMP when I watched its new owner start from the back of the grid, charge thru the field and slot into 2nd place. I was busy looking for the source of a chronic overheating problem on the E30 of Doom that prematurely ended my weekend. DOH.

Selling the Vette hurt at first, but the money went toward a garage and made me feel prety good. Now I just have to scrounge up enough funds to put something in the garage...

My 99 Passat, I both loved and despised that car.

They are very nice driving cars, solid, quiet and really nice on the highway. They are also an absolute PITA to maintain.

The night it left my driveway was celebrated.

I've sold two 2.5RS in the past two years. Rare, light, and hard to find (especially in Canuckland) a not rusty one.

Still no regrets. Both I bagged to within an inch of their life, rally-x, auto-x, midnight haulings through the mountains. Put a cumulative 50+ thousand km's on the two combined. I'll own another, but they have been the best cars I've ever owned.

I had regret when I sold my 89 9C1, my 93 Fullsize, my Sonoma, my 89 project truck.... but when I sold the swift I felt .... relieved. Can' explain it. I liked the little car. But I was not sad to see it go.

Only regretted selling my first TR4. Got another one. I'm over it. Now that I fixed the regret thing I could let it go without batting an eye (had to sell because of someone else's terms). As long as it's my choice, no regrets.

I miss more than a couple of my cars. I don't think I'll ever get over selling my Festiva

The Protege should be faster though

no, i always regret getting rid of the ones i like.

so far on the regret list: 1971 caprice coupe 1980 camaro 1978 sedan deville 1990 turbo grand prix 1990 c1500 5 speed lowered 4/6 1993 z34

Potential regret is keeping a car in my garage that I haven't driven in 4 years but have known for more than 40 years. I think that future regret may wear off in the spring, however. It needs to get loved and driven.

I rarely have regrets selling a car, the majority of them can be bought again (or similar) if I feel the itch.

Lately I've entertained thoughts of selling the Wartburg, but I'm pretty sure that one would teach me regret so I keep waffling (much to the annoyance of potential buyers)

I don't anticipate ever selling my Miata -- too much blood,sweat and tears in it, and far too many happy times. It's not worth enough to sell, and it is priceless to me and my family. Dorky, eh?

After selling the first two cars I said I'd never sell, I take a practical look at every car I buy. I know I'll enjoy it, but I know that most likely there will be a day when I part with it. Keeping that in mind, I do a much better job of not getting too attached.

I've also come to realize that I think I enjoy the search even more than ownership. I love looking for another car, owning them tends to be a letdown

I have owned approx 85 cars in my lifetime. Everything eventually is for sale. No regrets.

I never regretted getting rid of my 93 Mustang 2.3L. I believe it had a factory 0-60 time of about 17 seconds... And a horrible case of snap oversteer.

ZOO wrote: I don't anticipate ever selling my Miata -- too much blood,sweat and tears in it, and far too many happy times. It's not worth enough to sell, and it is priceless to me and my family. Dorky, eh?

This is why I will drive the R/T till it is dead beyond all hope.

I loved my Sentra SE-R, it took me through college into my first real job, with a whole bunch of autocrosses, 1/4 mile runs, and other fun along the way. I sold it to a guy who was building a replacement for the Sentra he had recently wrecked in a stage rally. I loved that car, but seeing it get built into a serious rally car was probably the best send-off I could have had for it.

Right now the Miata that I sold the Sentra to buy is sitting in my garage waiting for a new owner, but I haven't really tried very hard to sell it beyond friends and fellow local club members. I suspect I really don't want to see it go, despite the fact that it has no place in my life now.

It's always interesting hearing about others thoughts on their cars. I think as I've grown older I've gotten less attached to cars. I'm not sure exactly why this is. It might be because owning a car isn't quite as novel as it once was.

Aside from my daily driver (which is a tool), I also view cars as a hobby now. Like dj06482 said, half of the fun is in searching down the next project.

It was a great car, but I don't regret selling my old AE86 (and its parts car) at all, especially considering how much ahead I ended up. Thanks Initial-D craze!

Only car I ever TRULY regretted selling was the wifes' old Chevy Prizm, as it was an excellent winter beater. And I bought it back about 3 weeks ago, so we're good.

jlm_photo wrote: And a horrible case of snap oversteer.

You know, I hear people say that all the time, but in four fox-chassis cars, all driven hard, the only time any of mine came around on me was in a slalom section in an autocross that I came in too hot and sawed at the wheel a bit too much.

My 2.3L wouldn't oversteer at all, much less snap oversteer. Even on snow, you had to work at it to get that thing to bring the ass end around.

Yes, the stock 4-link is sloppy, but either "snap oversteer" is a much more benign thing than I think it is or people overuse that term. Either that, or it's not due to the car, but tires and/or driving. Sumpin' don't add up.

I'm one of those idiots that gets sentimental about the ones I like. Still, except for my 83 Prelude (which I sold to buy my grey market BMW E21), I really don't miss the ones which were never daily drivers. After I've spend a bunch of hours in a car, I start think of it as more of a pet. Yeah, that sounds weird, but I figure if my friends without kids can call their pets their "children", it's not so strange to call my keepers my "pets".

Brett said: No regret after selling a car

Always, even the ones I hated. No child is hopeless, no child cannot be retrained to function in a civilized society; but at some point you just want to push the little bugger off a cliff.

Yes, I regret all, good & bad. I stare at the ceiling at night wondering what else I could have done.

Am I nuts or the only one admitting to it?

Dan