SCM Contributor
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That Original Shine
Shiny, deep paint has always been the go-to for car people looking to turn heads with their classic cars. But for car purists — especially those concerned with originality over everything else — there’s nothing better than having that OE paint on your classic. For years, original paint wasn’t a priority for many car restorers,…
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Impala Hunting
This month’s Readers’ Forum question is all about our best car buys — those cars that were steals, deals, or just turned out to be a lot better than we ever dreamed they would. For some of you, it was a brush with an icon, like a 427 Cobra or Ram Air Firebird for a…
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Jim’s Blog: What Was Your Best Car Buy?
We’re working on the May/June issue of ACC this week, and for this issue’s Reader’s Forum, we’re looking for your comments on your best-ever car buys. There’s still time to be included! I tend to think of my best car buy as the next one I’m going to buy, but it doesn’t usually work out…
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Jim’s Blog: Diamond in the Junk?
This past weekend, I was out taking pictures of a friend’s 1969 GTO project in the weeds and came across this engine sitting in the dirt. What would you do with it? The notion of one man’s trash being another’s treasure is alive and well here. Yep, this is a vintage Chevrolet 409 V8. Or…
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Jim’s Blog: Missing Bullitt Found
This past Friday, I got word that someone in Mexico claimed to have found the missing 1968 Ford Mustang fastback used in the Steve McQueen movie Bullitt. True or not, as Colin Comer pointed out, this is probably the biggest news to hit the collector car world in 2017 — at least so far. And…
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Jim’s Blog: Neat Car Tricks
Ever gone to tune up your classic car when it’s still semi-warm from being driven? Did you burn your hand on the exhaust manifold or header? Here’s a neat trick I’ve used for years to eliminate that problem: The first thing you’ll need is an old pushrod. The one I used is a 3/8-inch unit from…
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Judging the Market
A few Septembers back, a friend of mine called me to ask if I’d be a judge at his church’s car show. It was a small show — about 50 or so cars — and he was hunting for car people to team up with members of the church’s youth group to teach them about…
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A Fresh Look
So you just bought a car or a truck at an auction. You take it home, get it in your garage, and after owning it for a while, you decide it’s time to personalize it. The best way to change its look? Well for starters, how about new tires? There are thousands of wheel and…
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Jim’s Blog: Best Modern Muscle Buy?
From the new 5.0 Mustang GT to the new Camaro SS, there are plenty of options out there for a buyer looking to burn rubber in a modern muscle car. But what’s the best buy in today’s market? Let’s focus only on modern muscle craze. I’d suggest it started with the debut of the retro-styled…
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Jim’s Blog: Arizona in Images
I spent my week in Arizona bouncing from sale to sale, documenting as much as I could with my camera between making assignments for the next issue of ACC and meeting with our writers, contributors, and readers. Here are some of my favorite shots from this year’s Arizona auctions. …