Blogs
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Keith’s Blog: Microcar Madness in Oregon
The logistics of major car shows can resemble a military operation. Restorations take years to get accomplished, and hundreds of car transporters converge at one spot to disgorge the finished products. As you thought that you need to showcase one of your car in this event then you might need a car transporter to make…
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Keith’s Blog: Three 50-Year-Old Alfas and 1,000 Miles
We’re on the final leg of the NW Passage, a tour put on by the Oregon Region of the Porsche Club of America and sponsored by SCM. We started in Portland, Oregon, went to Leavenworth, Washington, then Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and spent the final night in Walla Walla, Washington. On Monday we headed home…
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Keith’s Blog: Prepping Three Alfas for the NW Passage
I’m not really a glutton for punishment — even if my actions indicate otherwise. Getting one 49-year-old car ready for a 1,000-mile, high-speed tour is enough of a challenge; getting three ready has been an adventure. The annual Northwest Passage tour begins this Thursday, June 9. The Oregon Region of the Porsche Club of America…
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Keith’s Blog: No Concours Restoration for the Alfa
For those following the saga of our 1965 Alfa Giulia Spider, you’ve seen it go from a slightly disheveled but much-loved daily driver to a completely stripped shell. It was last year that we took it to Bill Gillham, in Jefferson, Oregon, for some minor rust repairs. As he dug into the car, he found…
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Saying Goodbye to the Amazon
It was two years ago that we watched our 1967 Volvo 122S arrive on a car hauler from Madison, WI. And now we’re going to watch it leave. Owning the Amazon has been a delightful and enlightening experience. It was a good car when it arrived (unlike so many of the cars that I acquire),…
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Jim’s Blog: Kicking Tires at the Portland Transmission Show
Oregon is a rainy place, but starting around May, the sun starts to peek out, and the days turn from grim to bright. There are two local events that capitalize on that change and mark the start of the Pacific Northwest’s car season: the pair of Portland Swap Meets in early April, and the Portland…
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Keith’s Blog: Porsche Turbo vs. Alfa Duetto: Size Does Matter
“Old age, experience and treachery will overcome youthful enthusiasm and talent. “ In car speak, that translates to: “A mature driver in a vintage 4-cylinder sports car can easily overtake someone younger and less-experienced — no matter what they are driving.” Two weeks ago, I discovered that saying is simply not true. I asked my…
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The SCM Volvo Could Be Yours!
We’ve spent more than two years and thousands of dollars fully developing and sorting out the SCM 1967 Volvo 122S “Amazon.” It’s now for sale on eBay. We purchased it from noted Volvo racer Jim Perry; it had been his personal car, and he took it on some hot laps at Road America. It came…
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Jim’s Blog: War Jeep in the Barn
My brother-in-law Cameron is a high school teacher here in Oregon, and the school where he works owns some land that includes a run-down house and a big yard. The school uses the house to store stuff — chairs, desks, lawn equipment, etc — but some of the original owners’ things are still around, seemingly…
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Should the Alfa Spider be Restored for Concours or Driving?
Here’s a quick update on the 1965 Giulia Spider Veloce. It went to Alfa guru Bill Gillham for some rust repair in the rockers and trunk a few months ago. As he disassembled the car, he found corrosion in nearly every nook and cranny. While the car looked good at first glance, it actually bent…