Blogs
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Jim’s Blog: When Newer Isn’t Better
A few Saturdays ago, my dad called me up. “Just bought a brand new Silverado and I need a lift to the dealership to pick it up. Can you help me out?” No problem. My four-year old daughter Katie was pretty excited to see her grandpa’s new truck, so she came, too. We…
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Keith’s Blog: Doing Arizona Right
It’s bitterly cold today in Portland, and I’m just finalizing my room arrangements at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. The third annual Arizona Concours d’Elegance takes place on Sunday, January 24, and I’ll be there as co-emcee, along with SCM Editor-at-Large Donald Osborne. I don’t think I have missed the Arizona auctions since SCM began, 28 years ago. It used…
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Keith’s Blog: What is it About Convertibles in Winter?
If I don’t drive my old cars in the winter, I feel like I am losing out on part of the ownership experience. Growing up in San Francisco, with its temperate weather, I recall keeping a down-filled parka behind the seats of my Bugeye Sprite. I never put the top up, and the little bit…
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Jim’s Blog: What’s Your Winter Project?
It’s easy to imagine a car person sitting wistfully by the window, watching rain or snow falling from the sky and dreaming of sunny two-lane roads. But we all know that’s not exactly how it goes. No, car people in the colder parts of the U.S. use winter to their advantage. This is when…
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Desert Concorso 2015: Something For Everyone
I’ve just returned from the second Desert Concorso, which was in Palm Springs, CA, this year. The clear, sunny skies and 75-degree weather provided a perfect setting for more than 100 collector cars. The weekend kicked off with a reception at Landmark Aviation, held at the Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport at Thermal. Palm Springs Stadium…
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Exploding the “Needs-Nothing” Bugeye
It was just two months ago that I bought Bradley his first car, a 1960 Bugeye. I drove the “needs-nothing” car home 65 miles from White Salmon, WA, made a short list of minor items in need of attention and gave Bradley a ride around the block. The car didn’t idle well, so I sent…
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Jim’s Blog: Tending the Fire
Winter is coming soon, and while most collector cars are getting put away, others are getting put to work. For my 1972 Chevy truck, when the leaves start falling, it’s firewood time. Executive Editor Chester Allen’s lovely wife Heather owns a fruit orchard in Sundale, Washington. For a couple of years now, Chester has been…
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The 911 Makes a $2,500 Visit to the Mechanic
A few issues cropped up on SCM’s 2001 Porsche 911 Turbo after the 1,000-mile Northwest Passage tour this summer. The airbag warning light came on, and a few days later the PSM/ABS light joined it. Then I began to hear a low whirring sound from the engine. And now the car is back from its…
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The Méhari Out-Climbs a Land Rover
We were sitting in the SCM Citroën Méhari, watching a Land Rover Discovery make several attempts to climb a wet, grassy hill. The Rover would get halfway up, its wheels would lose traction and back down it would come. “Watch this!” said Bill Lonseth, caretaker of the Méhari. He revved up the mighty 600-cc twin-cylinder,…
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Jim’s Blog: When is it Time to Sell?
When it comes to your pride and joy, most of us think of the term “sell” as a four-letter word. But it’s a reality many of us face, and while the decision may not always be an easy one, sometimes it’s a necessary one. So how do you decide when it’s the right time? …