Keith Martin

My good friend and stalwart SCM 1000 supporter, Allen Stephens, has owned his 1972 Mercedes-Benz 250C since 2013. He has been a fastidious and thoughtful caretaker of the car, and it is now listed on Bring a Trailer here. I’ve had my own experience with a 250C and managed to learn slowly and painfully just…

This story is a little complicated, so buckle your seatbelt and get ready for a ride. It’s now easier than ever to look up the history of your car. While the wealth of knowledge makes your life simpler, there are still fraudsters out there. Before I bought my 1991 Alfa S4 Spider, I never did…

As the days begin to lengthen, our thoughts of how to use our classic cars become more inviting. As SCM Contributor Miles Collier as puts it so succinctly, “It’s all about engagement.” We all have cars of varying ages and degrees of performance. What endears them to us is the degree of competence each requires…

It’s now been a month since we purchased our 2005 Porsche 911 C4S. This blog should be a summing up of a month’s worth of Oregon Club Porsche tours, with praise pointed at how easy the car is to use, how much I appreciate the climate controls, and even an explanation of why I decided…

I have been struggling with how to downsize my collection. There are a couple of factors involved. Parking spaces at my condo are limited. At one point I had seven, but not anymore. Further, the Morlocks who run our HOA have decided that trickle chargers are not “safe” (compared to the exploding lithium-ion battery-powered electric…

SCM’s lovely, low-miles original 1971 Jaguar E-type V12 coupe has gone to a new home. On BaT, it sold for $52,763.  I thought this was a good value, especially considering the recent decline in the classic British sports car market. Speaking of… if you ever wanted a Big Healey, now is your chance. I’ve seen…

On Friday, March 6, a digital hammer will drop. Our 32k-mile 1971 Jaguar E-type V12 coupe, listed here on Bring a Trailer, will be going to a new home. It’s with mixed feelings that I will watch the clock count down to the final second. While I’ve owned several six-cylinder Series I and II E-types,…

Last week we talked about our 1991 Alfa Romeo Spider S4. It needs a new top, which will cost around $2,000. Well, that was just the tip of the used-car repair iceberg. About a year ago, my teenage son Bradley acquired a Volvo V70. I had started him out with a 1982 Corvette Collector Edition…

I will always recall the exact moment I bought our Alfa Romeo S4 Spider. I had found this 14k-mile car on eBay and was following it. But that was far from my mind as I enjoyed an afternoon drive in our lovely Citroën DS 21. It was twilight, and I had Bradley and his Scottie…

The newest addition to the SCM Fleet is a 2005 Porsche 911 C4S, VIN WP0AA29935S620075, Engine #M96/0366500527. I paid $32,550 for the car, fully loaded with Tiptronic. The car has 72,000 pampered (or at least what look like pampered) miles. However, there are no records of any maintenance done to the IMS bearing. I’m not…