I’m sure you didn’t wake up this morning thinking about the fuel lines on your classic car. Maybe you should have.

Most American cars utilize sections of rubber fuel line in several locations to allow engine and chassis movement — typically between the fuel tank and the carburetor supply line, from the hard line on the frame to the fuel pump, and sometimes between the pump and the carburetor as well. That’s fine in most cases — but what isn’t Read More

I used to think that all interesting cars stopped in 1972. The gas crunch and impact bumpers really did a number on American cars by the mid-1970s, and with the introduction of the 1973 Chevelle and the 1974 Mustang II, the death of interesting cars seemed, well, permanent. 

It’s funny how perceptions can change, though. Lately I’ve been looking at more cars from the later 1970s all the way up through the mid-1980s. For years I more or less Read More

This month’s reader’s question is all about Corvettes. Specifically, what’s going to happen to late-model Corvette values now that the mid-engine C8 has arrived on the scene. There’s still time to submit your answers, too — is it time to buy, sell, or hold C6 and C7 Corvettes with their traditional front/rear powertrain setup? Will the C8 make them all obsolete overnight, or will buyers still see value in the basic layout Corvette has had since 1953? Comment below, or Read More

Buying and selling is the core of American Car Collector magazine — but we’re also very much interested in things people can do to their own cars to make them more usable. Modern traffic isn’t always friendly to classic cars, and why own a classic if you don’t drive it? There is a time and a place for originality, and there are things you can do to your old car that make it a better driver without throwing away its Read More

The 4th of July is prime car time. If you own an old car, chances are you’ll be adorning it with a flag or two and taking it out this Thursday. But will it be ready for slow-speed cruising in the heat of summer? Here are a couple of things to check before you hit the road for your local hometown parade.

1. Coolant level/leaks

This is probably a no-brainer for most of you, but let’s cover it just in Read More

I hear a lot of car people lament that the last classic car was built in 1973. I don’t agree.

“Classic” is technically defined as “Serving as a standard of excellence: of recognized value.” There’s nothing there to limit production years on cars. I think that comes from the definition of “antique” as it relates to state DMV definitions, which vary depending on where you live. But to me, sticking a year cutoff on the term misses the point completely. Read More

Most of us know that gas has an expiration date. We typically say that oil should be changed at least twice a year. But when’s the last time you considered the age of your tires?

If you’re lucky, you might put a couple thousand miles per year on your classic. Unless you’re doing burnouts the whole time, it’s unlikely you’ll end up putting much wear on those tires, and that brings us to a situation that you maybe haven’t thought Read More

Here in Portland, car season kicks off with a pair of huge swap meets in early April. About a month later, on the Saturday before Mothers’ Day, the city’s car people wake up all their classics and head out for the inner east side of town, where all gather for the annual Portland Transmission show.

This is a free event that tends to sprawl out from its epicenter at the Portland Transmission Warehouse, taking over blocks and blocks of street Read More