Why is it so hard to get to six cars? Perhaps because each car we are considering speaks in its own distinct language and creates its own excitements and trepidations. Each model also is a key for entry to marque activities. The Jaguar E-type V12 gets us into English car […]
Author: Keith Martin
Keith’s Blog: The Six-Car Collection, Part III
I just put a note in the mailroom of my condo: “Parking space wanted.” I’m having trouble getting down to just six cars. To recap, we are keeping the 1971 Jaguar E-type V12 coupe, the 1991 Alfa Romeo Spider S4 and the 1965 Alfa Giulia Spider Veloce. The C3 Corvette […]
Keith’s Blog: The Six-Car Collection, Part II
Last we discussed finding the perfect mix of garage space, event participation, affinity groups and classic cars. We note that our current “keepers” are the 1971 Jaguar E-type V12 2+2, the 1991 Alfa Romeo Spider S4 and the 1965 Alfa Giulia Spider Veloce. Here are two more contestants. While the […]
A Meditation on Preservation
Some winners are easier to pick than others. At the Kentucky Derby, it’s the nose of the horse that crosses the finish line first. At the Super Bowl, the team with the most points when the clock expires is the champion. The first team to take four games in the […]
Keith’s Blog: Today’s Six-Car Collection
We call it “Car Knitting” or “Car Solitaire.” It’s the never-ending and always entertaining process where we mentally and physically reshuffle the cars in our garage. At SCM, we’re getting closer to the desired combination of cars and garage spaces. At the same time, as our patterns of use evolve, […]
Keith’s Blog: Jurassic Oregon
Over Labor Day Weekend, we attended the 47th annual All British Field Meet. Held at Portland International Raceway, it bills itself as the longest-running and biggest three-day all-British car event in the country. It averages nearly 700 cars a year. Now that Bradley is driving, this has become a family […]
Keith’s Blog: Speedo Calibration Will Be Up To You
After spending three weeks talking to gurus and posting on social media about this issue, I’ve come to the following conclusion: I am going to put our two-owner 1972 Mercedes-Benz 250C onto Bring a Trailer with a speedometer that reads slow. We bought this car specifically to prepare for the […]
Keith’s Blog: Cars and Coffee or Concours?
Twenty years ago, there were really only two places to show off your cars. The first was at a concours, the second was generally a national meeting of a club. In these nascent, pre-internet days, national meets of clubs were a big deal. For we Alfa guys, they were often […]
Keith’s Blog: Should I Rent a Porsche Macan?
It’s a tradition to have an SCM car or two in the local Porsche Club’s Northwest Passage Tour. Its 40-car entry list is made up of mostly late-model Porsches. However, I have driven our Lotus Elise on the tour and one year we entered a trio of Alfa Romeos with […]
Keith’s Blog: Should I Repair the Speedometer?
Now that the SCM Duetto has moved on to a new home, the thinning of the herd continues. The next two cars that will go are the two-owner 1972 Mercedes 250C and the 1982 Corvette C3 Collector’s Edition. That brings up an interesting question. Just how much do you “fix” […]