Buy What You Like, Pay What You Should
Keith Martin
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Keith’s Blog: Drive and Save
Every mile I drive the SCM Volvo 122S, I save myself money. There are two rules after you acquire a car that never change: First, do what it takes to make the car safe to drive. Second, put 500 miles on it before you do anything else. When you get a car, it’s tempting to…
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Keith’s Blog: Jaguar or Mercedes?
My adventures with the 1965 Volvo 122S continue. I am thoroughly enjoying being back behind the wheel of a vintage vehicle. The joy of driving a classic sports car reminds me of why I started SCM 32 years ago. It also reminds me of how many stories you readers have shared with me. For 90%…
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Two-Pedal Mettle
I broke “The Draneas Rules.” Again. Our “Legal Files” columnist, John Draneas, constantly says that you should never buy a car without an inspection — and you should never send money to someone you don’t know (for a refresher, see this month’s column on p. 48). After willfully and intentionally disregarding both these maxims, I…
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Keith’s Blog: Old Car or New for My Spring Break Road Trip?
I’ve written many times that old cars are not safe in modern traffic. It’s one thing to type that out. It’s another to experience it. Sunday I took the SCM Volvo out for a drive, through Portland, onto the freeway and back. As old cars go, the Volvo is relatively safe. I have installed inertia-reel…
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Keith’s Blog: Upgrading Your Cars
When the SCM 1965 Volvo 122S automatic arrived last week, SCMer Dean Koehler arrived to inspect the car. Dean is the founder and the self-appointed Volvocrat of the PDX Round Fender Volvo Club. He’s also the iron-fisted content arbiter of the PDX Volvos FB page. As he walked around “ELF” (my powder-blue 122S) he immediately…
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Keith’s Blog: Caravan to Concorso Is Back!
Mark your calendars. The third annual Caravan to Concorso will leave Portland on Saturday, August 8. With the addition of the Volvo 122 Automatic to the SCM fleet, I’ve got a ride even if my clutch leg isn’t completely up to snuff. Any pre-1975 car is welcome. Aside from providing a route and cities for…
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Keith’s Blog: Should I Sell the SS?
The 1961 Alfa Sprint Speciale is finally coming back to life. Nasko has built an all-new gearbox for it, using the original small-bushing tailpiece but with updated synchros inside. It’s been road-tested and is ready to go. The gray and red leather upholstery and gray carpets that Matt Jones had made in Bologna is being…
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A New Year’s Day Ritual
On January 1, vintage-car tribes gather in the early morning darkness. From snow-covered Montana to sunny San Diego, old-car lovers prepare to “start the new year right” with a cruise in a classic. For more than two decades, the local “Round-Fender Volvo Club” has hosted a New Year’s Day run. Organized by longtime SCMer Dean…
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Keith’s Blog: Scottsdale — It’s the People, Not the Cars
I’m just back from five days in the Sonoran desert. My time there was a whirlwind of visiting auctions, receptions, participating in seminars and reconnecting with friends old and new. This week reinforced my belief that the primary secret sauce of land auctions is the social opportunities they provide. They are a car-collector magnet, bringing…
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Keith’s Blog: Heading South
I’m looking forward to seeing you in Scottsdale. Last year, I missed the desert action for the first time in three decades. But not this year. I’ll see you first at the SCM Insider’s Seminar on Thursday morning, at 9:30 am in the Gooding & Company Auction Tent. “Priced to Sell, Determining Value in an…