Blogs
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Keith’s Blog: The Bugeye or the 911 — Which Car for a Road Trip?
SCM’s 30th Anniversary Tour is fast approaching, so it’s time to test and finalize the route. The route master is Neil d’Autremont of Sidedraught City. He’s given me the instructions for the last section of the final day. By freeway, it’s about a 100-mile stretch. I’ve been planning to take the 1960 Bugeye on the…
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Keith’s Blog: The Sprint Speciale – Preserve or Restore?
Now that our 1961 Alfa Romeo Sprint Speciale is coming back to life, we’ve got some questions to address. The car is an unusual mix of a well-aged mediocre paint job, excellent original chrome and a completely incorrect interior. From 20 feet away, the car looks terrific. This is why I was attracted to it…
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Jim’s Blog: Sights From the Portland Transmission Spring Classic
Every year, on the Saturday before Mother’s Day, classic car owners all over the Portland area fire up their cars before the sun and head to the east side of town for an early morning gathering. This is where the Portland Transmission show kicks off the car show season, sprawling across a big chunk of…
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Keith’s Blog: Going to a Swap Meet
There’s been a lot written about the demise of swap meets. We’ve all heard how the Internet is now the quick-and-easy way to find and or sell what you need. However, the human factor is overlooked in all this. Just as I believe land-based auctions are a way for like-minded enthusiasts to come together, so…
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Keith’s Blog: A Concours in A Bunker Dodges the Rain
During the Cold War, a top-secret fallout shelter designed to house 1,100 people (every member of the U.S. Congress and one aide per politician) during a nuclear war was constructed under The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, WV. This past Sunday, for the first time, The Greenbrier’s bunker became the home for a variety of…
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Jim’s Blog: The Promise of a Project
There’s something pretty appealing about a classic car project. For me, there are a lot of possibilities that circle around a rusty remnant of a car — especially when its revival is in my hands. What color was the car and what color will it be when you’re done with it? What engine was in…
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Keith’s Blog: A Bugeye Nose Becomes a Dinner
“Do you want the spare parts that go with it?” It’s a familiar phrase when you make a new acquisition. More often than not, the seller is anxious to get rid of the spare parts that accumulated during their ownership. Sellers waving goodbye to a car are often happy to clear out their garage —…
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Keith’s Blog: 400 Miles in a 1965 Alfa
Just about 100 years ago, Bob McGill, one of the founders of the Alfa Romeo Owners of Oregon, was born. Just about 60 years ago, McGill bought a new 1958 Alfa from Rambo Motors in Portland. A Normale, its serial number was 1495.02609. McGill died at age 92 in 2011. Exactly 40 years ago, Alfa…
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Jim’s Blog: Buy an Offbeat Collectible
Everybody loves Tri-Five Chevrolets, Shoebox Fords, Mustangs, Camaros, Chargers and Challengers. But if your goal is to stand out from the classic car crowd, the best bet is to find something different. Owning an old car is a social thing. You can’t take a classic anywhere without striking up a conversation with people in parking…
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Keith’s Blog: 1,000 miles in a 15-year-old Porsche
When I bought my first car in 1967 — a 1960 Bugeye — it was just 7 years old. I bought my first Alfa in 1968, a 1963 Giulia Spider Veloce. It was 5 years old. By 1975, when it was 15 years old, the Bugeye was hopelessly archaic. The same was true for the…