Jim’s Blog

Values and trends. That’s what ACC is about.  How can we see trends before they really start to take hold? Well, it can be complicated, and it isn’t always an exact science. But there’s one trick to spotting trends I’ve been thinking about lately: Weather. Weather? Really? OK, that may seem a little strange, but…

I’ve been watching the leaves change color in my neighborhood over the past few days, and it’s been prompting me to get out and drive my old cars as much as I can before the weather turns south. Here at ACC, we’ve already started work on our annual Scottsdale insider’s guide for the upcoming January…

The web has been a popular place to buy classic cars since the ’90s. But should you? That can be a hard call to make — especially if you’re new to old cars, or if this is your first online buy. The pessimist in me likes to point out that a lot can be hidden…

Back in the day, SS cars were the hot ticket among the Chevrolet faithful. They were special, limited-run cars with more street cred than the rest — even if their only true differences were in the amount of bright trim outside, some interior upgrades inside, and usually — but not always — a hotter engine.…

It seems like auto registration rates climb more and more every time I look at them. But with more cars on the road each year, that makes sense. After all, somebody has to pay for the wear and tear on roadways caused the daily commuter grind. Here in Oregon, a new 2-year registration for a…

When you’re thinking about a new addition to your collection, what’s the first thing that you look for?  Last week, I talked a little about project cars, and we’re covering that topic in the next issue of ACC as well. But that’s got me thinking about buying project cars that aren’t complete basket cases —…

What do you see when you look at the car pictured above? Do you see a GTO that’s at the end of its lifespan, or do you see a promising project? Is this just scrap value, or is this the beginning of months (or years) of work in a shop and a well-earned finished project?…

When trucks started a march up in value, so too did truck-based off-road rigs. Now, Blazers and Broncos have eclipsed trucks in terms of value, and I’m not just talking about the first-gen rigs, either. I’ve been looking for a first-generation Blazer project for some time now, and with auction sale prices often well above…

What can $10k buy you these days? It may not seem like much, but it’s enough to get you something fun to drive that’s also on the collectible spectrum.  What do I mean by that? Well, unless you’re into a total project, you’re not going to find a ’69 Camaro for $10k. Muscle Mopars are…

The ACC team is back in the office and busy crunching numbers and processing photos from last week’s Monterey auctions and events. We’ll be diving into results in our next issue of the ACC, and in our sister publication, Sports Car Market. In the meantime, here are some of my favorite shots from Car Week…