SCM Contributor
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See and Be Seen
Face it: Your original muscle car’s headlights and taillights are old. Maybe they’re still as good as they ever were, but the world has changed around them. Drivers today are more distracted than ever, and even the most bland, blob-shaped commuter junk has better lighting than your prized stock GTO, Charger or Mustang. Do you…
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Jim’s Blog: Time to Sell My K10?
Yesterday, on my way into work at ACC HQ, I saw a near-accident. The car in the lane next to me — a Chevy Tahoe hybrid — was tooling along at about 45 mph. I was more-or-less keeping up in my Charger and watching the road in front of me. The Tahoe driver didn’t…
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Jim’s Blog: Five Steps to Wake Your Classic
February is here, and that means spring isn’t far away. If you put your car away for the winter months, it’s time to start thinking about getting it ready for the road again. That sunny Saturday will come sooner than you think — and when you’re out driving your old car in the crisp, early…
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Jim’s Blog: On to Arizona
Every January, nearly 3,000 collector cars ship out to sunny Arizona, where they cross high-profile auction blocks in six different locations in the Scottsdale area. The cars draw in thousands of bidders and spectators, and they typically bring in some hefty sales totals. These sales have become a great barometer of the new year’s…
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Jim’s Blog: Save Your VINs
Classic cars come and go. Buying and selling is just a part of gearhead life. But what do you do when regret sets in, maybe years after signing that bill of sale, and a little voice in your head convinces you that you’ve got to have that old car back? We’ve all been through…
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Be Cool
Water-based coolants have been the standard since the beginning of the car industry. But those traditional coolants have limitations that car people have simply learned to accept. Coolant turns acidic over time, so we swap it often to eliminate electrolysis from eating our engine’s metals from the inside out. We replace plugged heater cores and…
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Jim’s Blog: The Best Buys of 2015
The new year is just a few days away, and 2016’s Scottsdale auctions aren’t far behind. But before we move into reporting on the new year’s market, it’s time to take a look at some of what I think were the best buys at auction in 2015. ACC includes a list of our five Best…
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Jim’s Blog: When Newer Isn’t Better
A few Saturdays ago, my dad called me up. “Just bought a brand new Silverado and I need a lift to the dealership to pick it up. Can you help me out?” No problem. My four-year old daughter Katie was pretty excited to see her grandpa’s new truck, so she came, too. We…
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Jim’s Blog: What’s Your Winter Project?
It’s easy to imagine a car person sitting wistfully by the window, watching rain or snow falling from the sky and dreaming of sunny two-lane roads. But we all know that’s not exactly how it goes. No, car people in the colder parts of the U.S. use winter to their advantage. This is when…
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Jim’s Blog: Tending the Fire
Winter is coming soon, and while most collector cars are getting put away, others are getting put to work. For my 1972 Chevy truck, when the leaves start falling, it’s firewood time. Executive Editor Chester Allen’s lovely wife Heather owns a fruit orchard in Sundale, Washington. For a couple of years now, Chester has been…