Jim’s Blog

Jim’s Blog: Sights from the Portland Swap Meet

  With thousands of parts spread out over what seems like sprawling square miles of space, the dueling Portland-area swap meets — the Portland Swap Meet and the PIR Swap Meet, both taking place the same weekend every April — have literally everything you’ll ever need for your project. This […]

Courtesy of Barrett-Jackson

Jim’s Blog: The Best Muscle Car of All Time

Any time a couple of ACC staffers get together, we tend to start talking cars. And this topic is one that seems to never die at ACC HQ. Just what is the absolute best muscle car of all time? The question really revolves around what you consider a muscle car […]

Jim’s Blog: Be in ACC

The ACC team is putting together our 27th issue this month — May/June 2016 — and in this issue, we’re adding a few new interactive features.   The first is a brand-new ACC Reader’s Forum, where we’ll consult with both our readership and industry experts to answer your burning car […]

Jim’s Blog: Time to Sell My K10?

Yesterday, on my way into work at ACC HQ, I saw a near-accident.    The car in the lane next to me — a Chevy Tahoe hybrid — was tooling along at about 45 mph. I was more-or-less keeping up in my Charger and watching the road in front of […]

Jim’s Blog: Five Steps to Wake Your Classic

February is here, and that means spring isn’t far away. If you put your car away for the winter months, it’s time to start thinking about getting it ready for the road again. That sunny Saturday will come sooner than you think — and when you’re out driving your old […]

Jim’s Blog: On to Arizona

Every January, nearly 3,000 collector cars ship out to sunny Arizona, where they cross high-profile auction blocks in six different locations in the Scottsdale area. The cars draw in thousands of bidders and spectators, and they typically bring in some hefty sales totals.    These sales have become a great […]

Jim’s Blog: Save Your VINs

Classic cars come and go. Buying and selling is just a part of gearhead life. But what do you do when regret sets in, maybe years after signing that bill of sale, and a little voice in your head convinces you that you’ve got to have that old car back? […]

Jim’s Blog: The Best Buys of 2015

The new year is just a few days away, and 2016’s Scottsdale auctions aren’t far behind. But before we move into reporting on the new year’s market, it’s time to take a look at some of what I think were the best buys at auction in 2015. ACC includes a […]

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, […]

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 […]