February 2024
-
Keith’s Blog: Winking and Wiping
The Alfa Romeo Club of Oregon (AROO) held its annual Valentine’s Day Tour last week. For my 16-year-old son Bradley, it was his first time driving a manual-shift classic sports car on a tour. My driver-training philosophy has been to have him become competent driving automatics in a variety of situations, from commuter traffic to…
-
Unknown Numbers
1972 Nissan Skyline 2000GT-X S/N KGC10042480. 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles) shown. “2.0-liter L20 inline-6, 4-speed manual transmission, white paint, black upholstery, 15-inch Watanabe wheels, aftermarket front big-brake kit, triple Mikuni carburetors, Koyorad aluminum radiator, front and rear spoilers, black fender flares.” Condition: 2+. SOLD AT $73,500. Bring a Trailer, 1/18/24. We recently noted a Skyline…
-
A Messenger from Germany
“Why don’t we get the great cars that the Europeans get?” has been a constant complaint of American enthusiasts, regularly falling on deaf ears at the car companies. Well, except for one pair of ears — those belonging to the legendary Bob Lutz. Before he had GM importing Opels to sell here as Saturns (and…
-
Understanding Resto-Mods
Resto-mods have become prevalent, particularly at sales conducted by Barrett-Jackson and Mecum Auctions. At the annual giant Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas last November, every crate-engine variant or upgraded component possible for resto-mod conversions was on display, even drop-in electric powerplants. There are many websites and car-oriented TV shows that feature…
-
Consignments Become Lawsuits
Let’s say you want to become a collector-car dealer. First, you need a building large enough to hold a sufficient number of cars for sale, in an appropriate location. That requires significant capital. Next, you need an inventory of marketable collector cars. That requires even more significant capital. Stephen Phelps thought he had the first…
-
Keith’s Blog: Which Alfa Goes? Giulia Veloce vs. Duetto
I’m writing this as we prepare for the Alfa Romeo Owners of Oregon (AROO) annual Valentine’s Day tour. There are three Alfa Spiders in the SCM garage. Our plans are to take the 1991 S4 and the 1967 Duetto. Although my son Bradley has been driving his mother’s manual Porsche Boxster, he has not yet…
-
Keith’s Blog: More On Tire Replacement
Our 2006 Lotus Elise needs new tires. We’ve covered some of this ground before, but here it is two-and-a-half years later and we have yet to deal with the issue. The SCM Elise now has about 22,000 miles showing. It has been driven less than 1,000 miles since I suffered my stroke in 2019. Editor-in-Chief…
-
Keith’s Blog: How Many Cars Do You Need?
It’s the eternal recurring question for gearheads. How many cars to you really need? Usually, the answer is determined by how many parking spaces you have. But for the moment let’s assume you have unlimited space. I have found that when you get beyond five or six cars, you are not driving any of them…