Don’t try to solve the wrong problem. That’s the moral of this story.

I keep most of my various car keys and condo garage fobs on separate lanyards. It makes it easier to grab a set when I am headed out the door.

Last week while re-organizing and decluttering, I put the keys to the Volvo 122 and the Jaguar S3 on the same lanyard, thinking I would never be driving both of them at once.

Thursday, I wanted to Read More

Monterey Car Week is cancelled. The SCM 1000 is postponed to 2021, along with nearly all other car activities at least through July.

That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be looking forward to using our cars again — perhaps as early as this August — in controlled, thoughtful circumstances.

Before the virus took hold, I had planned a week’s adventure with Bradley that included Oregon’s Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Crane Hot Springs and the Alvord Desert Scenic Highway.

Assuming that the Read More

In just over two years, Bradley will be turning 15. In Oregon, that’s the when you can get a learner permit. You can drive a car, but you have to have a licensed adult with you.

I’ve been through this rite of passage five times now — four times with now-grown stepsons. It was 13 years ago that I took Alexandra to the local DMV to get her permit.

I enjoy teaching kids to drive. It requires an inner zen Read More

It’s like Christmas morning when a new car arrives at SCM.

We get the call from the driver a few hours in advance.

I start watching N.E. Sandy Boulevard from the conference room windows of SCM World Headquarters in Portland, Oregon.

Soon enough, the truck comes into view, and the intricate choreography of unloading begins.

Perhaps the most satisfying moment is when the car is on the ground, I get in, start it and pull it into our underground garage. Read More

It’s an odd time to be talking about classic cars.

Our whole world has been turned upside down in a matter of weeks.

We are holding our collective breath, waiting to find out what is going to happen next.

But, in fact, many service and restoration shops are open. People are buying and selling cars online (I’ve bought one myself). Private sales are still happening (I sold the GTV and the Sprint Speciale to SCMers).

Since I decided to buy Read More

I question the wisdom of my own decision to leave quarantine, even if briefly.

Last weekend, Bradley and I piled into the SCM Volvo 122S and drove to the Oregon coast and back.

Our destination was the fabled Bowpicker Fish and Chips in Astoria. The establishment is housed in a free-standing boat on a trailer.

At 69, I am in a high-risk group if I contract the Coronavirus. So we exercised what I thought were proper precautions. We went directly Read More

Our world is changing daily.

Five years from now, we will look back on this as an extraordinary time in our lives.

But for the moment, we don’t know from one moment to the next how much — or how little — freedom we will have.

I suggest that you to take this moment to codify your experiences with the cars you own.

I’ve always wanted to keep a journal of my experiences with my cars. One where I notated Read More

We are in uncharted waters. No one can predict what the next weeks or month will bring. It’s a time of uncertainty for all of us.

I suggest we all use this quiet time to chart out the next decade with our cars.

Look at all the activities you are interested in — and decide which ones you want to attend.

Also, think about which events would be fun to attend with your children and/or grandchildren. You’ve got plenty of Read More

There was a first-gen Mazda RX-7 on Bring A Trailer recently. It had only 16,000 miles, a rare automatic transmission — and was located fewer than 15 miles from SCM World Headquarters in Portland, OR.

I’ve always been attracted to these cars. Their lines are period-interesting, and the rotary engine is intriguing.

It sold for $9,500.

As much as I wanted to bid, buy and drive it home, voices of reason in the SCM offices prevailed.

First of all, it Read More

Every mile I drive the SCM Volvo 122S, I save myself money.

There are two rules after you acquire a car that never change:

First, do what it takes to make the car safe to drive.

Second, put 500 miles on it before you do anything else.

When you get a car, it’s tempting to “start doing stuff” to it. Whether it’s getting WeatherTech floor mats or a new outside mirror, you can’t help yourself. You want the world to Read More