When I first started hunting cars in the ’70s, my routine was simple: I would scan the daily classifieds in my hometown paper, the San Francisco Chronicle. That’s where I found my 1959 ID 19 for $400. It was listed under the “Citroën” heading. Yes, such a category in the […]
Author: Keith Martin
Keith’s Blog: Falling in Love With a Slushbox
Bradley and I just completed the Alfa Romeo Owners of Oregon 45th Annual Old Spider Tour. For me, it was a two-day, 400-mile tour. While it celebrates Giulietta and Giulia Spiders specifically, all Alfas are welcome. It was hosted this year by Alfa restoration guru Bill Gillham and his wife […]
Keith’s Blog: Porsche 911 S: Keep It or Kick It?
By the time you read this, I should have test-driven my 1975 Porsche 911 S for the first time. It’s been seven months since I bought it. Bringing old cars back to life takes time. The cars determine the rhythm of restoration, not you. I first learned about this car, […]
Keith’s Blog: Three for the Road!
Like bears waking from their hibernation, our sports cars are poking their snouts out of their caves. In the Pacific Northwest, we have actually seen the golden orb several times in the past few weeks. We expect to see much more. The only reason to own our cranky, expensive and […]
Keith’s Blog: Underwater on my W114
It was a regular day in SCM Old Car Land. It started with a call to Chip Starr, who is bringing our 1972 Mercedes 250C back to life. He has installed the Weber DGVs and the Pertronix ignition. He swapped out the rear end for one from a 300D, along […]
Being “Adventuresome”
It was a humid spring day in 1992. I was standing at a rent-a-car kiosk in Fort-de-France, Martinique. We had decided to take a family vacation to the Caribbean. My daughter Alexandra was less than a year old. We expected terrific French food in addition to the delights of the […]
Keith’s Blog: Father-and-Son Adventures
Bradley and I had two road trips in a week. First, we drove to Astoria, on the Oregon Coast. We took the 1991 Alfa Spider and he drove about 100 miles. This being springtime in Oregon, we drove through a hailstorm. The combination of the scenic, winding Highway 26 and […]
Keith’s Blog: Eleven Cars to Three, Your Choices
Last week I asked for your help in paring down my collection from 11 to 3 cars. While I am not planning on selling anything in the near future, 11 cars means 11 batteries to keep charged, 11 cars to run to the ethanol-free gas station, and 11 cars to […]
Keith’s Blog: From Eleven Cars to Three
It’s getting to be time to prune the collection. At the moment, we have 11 cars in the SCM fleet, including my daily driver Hyundai Elantra. Eight are on the button, and three are in the midst of mild mechanical refurbishments. For sheer ease of management — and perhaps to […]
Wait and Pounce
“If it’s not really the car you are looking for, pass on it and keep looking.” Those were Miles Collier’s words to me as I was engulfed by the red mist. I was at a Silver auction in Portland when I spotted a handsome 1969 Alfa Romeo Spider. I recall […]