Buy What You Love, Pay What You Should
Keith Martin
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Making the SCM Volvo Amazon Better Than New
This saga illustrates how much time and energy an old car can cost you — even when it’s solid when you buy it. My 1967 Volvo 122S came from Volvo P1800 racer and retired academic Jim Perry. He had combined the rebuilt drive train of one car with the very nice body and interior of another. I purchased it…
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Keith’s Blog: La Dolce Vita in Modena
Today, I’d like to share this space with Mark Wigginton, a veteran SCM writer — I’m sure you’ve enjoyed his “Speaking Volumes” column. Wigginton recently traveled to Modena, Italy for a visit with Pierangelo Masselli of Modena Classic Works. Take it away, Mark… So, when the boss says, “Can you go look at some vintage…
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Something Lost, Something Gained
My 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider Veloce, s/n 390290, left the factory in Arese, Italy, on January 28, 1965. It was one of 1,096 Giulia Veloces built. It was painted the unusual and highly attractive color of Grigio Mare, with a lipstick red/orange interior. It was just a nice used car when I bought it…
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Keith’s Blog: Doing Arizona Right
It’s bitterly cold today in Portland, and I’m just finalizing my room arrangements at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. The third annual Arizona Concours d’Elegance takes place on Sunday, January 24, and I’ll be there as co-emcee, along with SCM Editor-at-Large Donald Osborne. I don’t think I have missed the Arizona auctions since SCM began, 28 years ago. It used…
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Keith’s Blog: What is it About Convertibles in Winter?
If I don’t drive my old cars in the winter, I feel like I am losing out on part of the ownership experience. Growing up in San Francisco, with its temperate weather, I recall keeping a down-filled parka behind the seats of my Bugeye Sprite. I never put the top up, and the little bit…
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From Wide-Eyed to Bugeye
Being a part of the collector car world offers a multitude of experiences, from the grand to the familiar. During the past month, I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of the absolute high end of the collector car world, which included watching the car-as-art Maserati Boomerang sell as a part of the Chantilly…
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Desert Concorso 2015: Something For Everyone
I’ve just returned from the second Desert Concorso, which was in Palm Springs, CA, this year. The clear, sunny skies and 75-degree weather provided a perfect setting for more than 100 collector cars. The weekend kicked off with a reception at Landmark Aviation, held at the Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport at Thermal. Palm Springs Stadium…
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Exploding the “Needs-Nothing” Bugeye
It was just two months ago that I bought Bradley his first car, a 1960 Bugeye. I drove the “needs-nothing” car home 65 miles from White Salmon, WA, made a short list of minor items in need of attention and gave Bradley a ride around the block. The car didn’t idle well, so I sent…
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The 911 Makes a $2,500 Visit to the Mechanic
A few issues cropped up on SCM’s 2001 Porsche 911 Turbo after the 1,000-mile Northwest Passage tour this summer. The airbag warning light came on, and a few days later the PSM/ABS light joined it. Then I began to hear a low whirring sound from the engine. And now the car is back from its…
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New Players on the Peninsula
A new set of players ran onto the Monterey Peninsula this August. They were young, cocky, and didn’t give a rip about what we baby boomers thought they should buy or what they should spend. These guys in their 30s and their 40s reminded me of confident baseball players during their first season in the…