Blogs
-
Buying Cars By Accident
I have tried to keep the number of cars in my collection to a reasonable number. I. Really. Have. Tried. But friends and circumstances are conspiring against me. Was it really my fault that the 1972 Citroën Méhari I’ve always wanted was crossing the block at the same instant I arrived at the Silver auction in Fort…
-
Heading to Italy for the Modena Cento Ore Classic
This Sunday I’ll be on a plane to Rome. I’m participating in the 15th running of the Modena Cento Ore Classic. My copilot is Lilly Pray, and it’s her first time driving in an event in Europe. I’ve driven in the MCO several times before, in an Alfa Romeo Giulia TI Super (with SCMer Monte…
-
Jim’s Blog: Four Overlooked Old Car Fixes
If you drive an old car on a regular basis, you’ve likely had to come to terms with the fact that it’s just harder to use than a modern car. Brakes, lights, wipers, and suspension systems just weren’t as good 40 years ago, right? Right. But that’s not the whole story. The age of the…
-
Moment of Truth for SCM’s 1958 Alfa Romeo Sprint Veloce
There comes a moment of truth for any old car that has been restored: the day you put that car on the road. This past weekend, the Alfa Romeo Owners of Oregon and the Northwest Alfa Romeo Club (headquartered in Seattle) put on a joint tour, “Motore Alfisti Avventura NW.” Dennis Torgeson, Forrest Whit and Gordy…
-
The $3,700 Turbo Tune-Up
My rule of thumb is that you can expect to spend about 10% of a car’s purchase price on it within the first few months of ownership. Sometimes the expenditures are necessary, such as for repairs. Tuneups, tires, oil changes, and the like fit into this category. Other times they are just things you do…
-
Jim’s Blog: ACC’s Next Car is a Truck?
Last week, ACC Auctions Editor Tony Piff and I hopped a flight to Detroit. While we were there, we visited with longtime ACCer Ken Lingenfelter and checked up on our old 1964 Nova wagon, which sits prominently in one of the rooms of his massive car collection. We completely restored that car while we…
-
Keels & Wheels – Stutzes, Bugattis and a Pontiac Solstice
I’ve just returned from the 20th annual Keels & Wheels Concours d’Elegance. It’s held in Seabrook, Texas which is about an hour’s drive southeast of Houston. It was a busy weekend in Texas, as just 260 miles north in Fort Worth, RM Sotheby’s sold the 78-lot Andrews Collection for a staggering $54m with 100% of lots hammered…
-
Help SCM Buy a Japanese Car
It’s time for SCM to consider adding a Next Gen Japanese car to its collection. Japanese cars from the ’80s and ’90s have been popping up on my collector-car radar screen for the past couple of years. When I go to an auction and post pictures of the cars on offer to Facebook, the ones…
-
Jim’s Blog: Hubcap Hunting at the Portland Swapmeet
I love swapmeets. All it takes is a little time and a little walking to find just about anything you’re looking for at a bargain-basement price. And even if you don’t know what you’re looking for, chances are you’ll end up buying something anyway. Ever since I bought a set of steel 15×8 wheels for…
-
Perfect Sunday — 291 Miles in a 50-Year-Old Alfa
Sometimes all the pieces just fit together. Each year, the Alfa Romeo Owners of Oregon (AROO) begin the spring touring season with the “The Old Spider Tour.” The event originated as a tribute to club founder and longtime newsletter editor Bob McGill and his wife Margaret, and it always takes place around April 19 —…