Blogs
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Jim’s Blog: Are Engine Swaps OK?
Small block, big block, and LS Chevrolet V8s tend to find their way into all kinds of classic cars. Should they? I’m all about making a vintage car more drivable — from steering and brake upgrades all the way through the addition of modern fuel injection. All of these things can make a classic car more usable…
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Keith’s Blog: My Favorite Alfa is a 4-door Sedan
I had a chance to go for a drive in the SCM Giulia Super last weekend. We took a scenic, winding route, starting on Portland’s curvy Skyline Boulevard and passing through the tony Pearl District downtown. From there we headed out through an industrial area on Highway 30 and then crossed the cathedral-like St.…
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Keith’s Blog: A Car I Wouldn’t Collect
I’ve recently been asked about the sale of a 500-mile 1987 Buick GNX on Bring A Trailer for $130,000 on March 25 of this year. On March 18, a 1986 Grand National (a very different car, I was reminded by Colin Comer) with 5,700 miles bid to $38,750 and did not meet reserve. The buyer of…
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Jim’s Blog: 1957 Chevrolet — Buy, Sell, or Hold?
The 1957 Chevrolet is probably the most iconic American classic car of all time. But with interest in 1950s cars cooling thanks to a changing demographic in the classic car world, is it still the collector car it once was? The Chevrolet fin may not have been the biggest or boldest design of the rocket…
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Keith’s Blog: My Resto-Mod Zagato
The Alfa Romeo Junior Zagato is now back from Nasko’s Imports. To afford cars like this, you can try your luck on sites such as https://159.65.23.250/. I decided to ignore the factory specs that concours judges adhere to and make it a better for my style of driving. Nasko installed a 4.1 rear end in…
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Keith’s Blog: The Rite of Spring
Editor’s note: Jeff Zurschmeide, frequent contributor to SCM, is taking over Keith’s Blog with week with his report on last weekend’s Portland Swap Meet and PIR Auto Swap Meet: By Jeff Zurschmeide April in Portland means two things: rain and the Portland Swap Meet. Both are as inevitable as the sunrise, but you have…
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Jim’s Blog: ACC Question of the Month — What Car Should You Have Bought?
Jim’s Blog: ACC Question of the Month — What Car Should You Have Bought? We’ve all been there: A great car comes up at a great price, but you just aren’t in a spot to do anything about it. Maybe it’s a lack of funds, maybe it’s a lack of parking places. Either way, the…
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Keith’s Blog: Why Bradley Won’t Drive a Bugeye After All
For his 10th birthday, I bought my son Bradley a 1960 Austin-Healey Bugeye Sprite. My first car was a Bugeye, and I was indulging in a romantic recreation of my own past. I paid $15,000 for it because it needed nothing. Another $15,000 later, specialist Chip Starr had built and installed a 1,275-cc engine and…
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Keith’s Blog: Are Restomods and Youngtimers the future of collecting?
I once asked Craig Jackson why he thought that Restomods were so popular. He said that buyers got the looks of a classic car with the comfort, convenience and performance of a modern one. Sometimes people new to collecting would buy a restored old car — say a 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible. Then how…
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Jim’s Blog: Check Those Rivets
Spring is here, and for a lot of us, that means it’s time to either wake up our classic cars — or to go to auction and buy something new to use through the summer. Say you’re buying something new. You know to check for rust, and to look for previous damage, and to run…