So off I went surfing Portland, Craigslist for privately listed classics. The chase (hazy fantasy shopping) is a big part of the fun. But I added another layer to my criteria: A car that could qualify for casual and/or classic TSD rallies, like the upcoming Brighton Rally that I work with. Never done one and it sounds like fun. So I set my budget constraints appropriately and knowing there could be a couple thousand needed immediately, I set off. What I found surprised me. Take a look:

My top pick is probably this 73 240Z that has been recently refreshed for $9k:

Rehabilitation of a cool classic.

We put in a fresh motor, new seals in the transmission, real wheel bearings, resent paint and interior work.

Mileage says 18,000 on the odometer, but being an old car, we think it's higher than that.

We also have replacement glass if you're not a fan of the unicorn art on the windows (which we didn't do).

Unicorn glass? Are you kidding?! Gotta keep that LOL!

My next pick is this last year 1976 BMW 2002 with fresh paint and engine, from an owner that has had the car since 1980! ($9995)

European Classic - 1976 2002 BMW, 2nd owner - owned since 1980
117,756 miles, new engine installed 11,000 miles ago
Navy blue seats, with Black dash and console
Original owners handbook,

While it doesn't quite sound 100% correct in terms of interior, a single owner for the past 31 years could prove to be a very special find.

My 3rd pick is this 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280S with 30k original miles and a fresh paint job! Not normally a car I'd be seeking out, but would make for a great car for classic rallies, wine tasting Sunday's, and maybe even the occasional show with that kind of mileage.

Not quite clear if it's an auto or manual, and the color isn't my favorite. But a chance to own a well preserved Benz of this era is enticing at $7k.

My wife's pick is this 1965 Ford Thunderbird for $9k. The paint isn't the original color, but it represents pretty damn well and sports only 72k miles.

I'm more of a European minded focus but I have to admit this is a good looking ride and would be a pleasure to pilot or co-pilot for the right events.

In the honorable mentions wrap-up, I like the look and price of the Alfa Romeo GTV6 with records and recent engine work:

and this "restored" MR2 has my attention too. Unfortunately this car and the previous pick are probably not eligible in most classic rallies, but they crossed my path and I couldn't look back while feeling nostalgic.

Like I said, my original intent was to find a car suitable for classic car rallies and a few of these don't meet that criteria. A few of the others do though and it would be fun to try out for a while compared to the rather safe choices I've made in the S2000 and e36 M3 before it.

dc

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That said, there was waaay to many cool happenings this year that normally would've been documented in these pages and I'm going to try and catch up with a few pictures and brief summaries. These are mostly amazing trips I was able to make happen, some updates on the family, and a few of the ones that got away this year.

Note: This post is grossly unfinished and I'll be updating it over the next 6-8 weeks, and hopefully adding some event coverage posts before the new season.

Stay tuned as 2011 is going to be action packed and I'm very excited to start getting back into a regular rhythm on this site. Sorry this is a post in progress, but have a Happy New Year!

dc

Family

We are very proud of our Goddaughter, especially when she invents new cute things to do like this! As Mom becomes more comfortable with seeing her angel on the web, we'll try to post more.

Me and Shana at the Corvallis Knights game sponsored by Calapooia Brewing this past August. It was a perfect evening for baseball, and even though the Knights lost this particular night, we had a really great time with Pooia brew crew -- as we always do!

An image of Shana and Sam on a trip to the beach on a stormy day. Sam loves the beach and we decided to take her by herself for a special trip.

A picture of the little stud, Winston, on a walk in the woods. He's a great addition to our family and is always amusing us with his latest alpha antics!

Another one of the cutest dog ever.

And our little black cat, Abbey. Not a fan of pictures, or so she pretends.

Miller WSBK

By far my best image of the year. This is Max Biaggi taking first place for the first time in a long time since his dominance in 250GP racing on Memorial Day. Pictured here about to enter the final corner at the U.S. leg of the World SuperBike Tour at Miller Motorsports Park with a tribute to the American soldiers in the background. Many thanks to Jay Bernard and Veloce Racing Aprilia Team for making our participation possible.

Sonoma Historics Birthday Trip

Shana took me to Sonoma for the Historics at Sears Point this year. Here's a picture of us outside Mario Andretti's winery. Surprisingly not a single car on display. Good wine though and a lovely tasting area.

My favorite image taken from this event: Rothmans Porsche 956

Working with Sports Car Shop

I got some brief seat time in this gorgeous Ferrari Testarossa that is available at Sports Car Shop in Eugene, Oregon. I am their webmaster and get to take pictures of their inventory. Yes, this is one of the best jobs (if you can call it that) that I've ever had!

Earlier in the year I had the pleasure of trotting out this stallion for some pictures. I have to say, this was a far better car than I could've expected. For $140k, Ford hit this one out of the park. I know that's a lot of cash, but compared to it's rivals, it's a true bargain.

The Ones That Got Away (or were considered)

This is a bike I should've just acted on immediately. A 748S, less than 13k miles, and $6000. It was gone in less than 5 days and I've been kicking myself ever since. And in a terrible twist of fate, it's for sale again but this time I'm not in a place to purchase it. Yes, I try to talk myself into it daily...

{I've got at least another dozen images and stories to add. I'll try to bump this post every time I do because there are lots more people to thank for an awesome year!}

dc

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Here are the pictures from today. Not as much hands on because we were busy helping setup. But we'll more than make up for after tomorrow, stay tuned!

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Today we went with Shane to pick up their 1972 Ferrari 365GTC/4. It has been getting the once over by their Ferrari specialist to make sure it's ready for the rally on Sunday. It's getting a little special attention because it's being guest driven by none other than two time Indy 500 champion, Arie Luyendyk (wikipedia entry)! Here is a picture when we picked it up:

Then we were on to Brighton Motorsports. I followed Shane in his Tahoe while he gave the 365 it's first drive in some time. It was purchased earlier this year, but he confesses it hasn't been driven as much as he would've liked. Not to worry, he as he made up for lost time and treated us to some wonderful music from that big V12 motor. A short while later, he handed us the keys to give it some more test time. It runs fantastic and is very easy to drive once out of congestion. Here is a picture of me with a huge grin on my face behind the wheel:

And here is a short video of our time behind the wheel:

We got back home just in time for Shana to catch the sunset as I downloaded images. Check this out:

As you can tell, we're having an awesome time! If you'd like to follow our updates on the Brighton Rally, you can become a fan of the Official Brighton Facebook page or follow our Twitter page.

dc

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I'm going to start adding a little extra to this blog: Music that I'm listening to right now. I listen to lots of different music and I hope you'll enjoy my selections!

Tonight I'm wrapping up a very long week and heading into a very special week when I cover the Brighton Rally this weekend. We leave for Scottsdale this Thursday and I can hardly wait!

On iTunes right now is Nouvelle Vague: Friday Night Saturday Morning. Nouvelle Vague playfully covers other artist's songs in a very pleasant Latin Jazz kind of flavor.

Nouvelle Vague Version:

The Specials original version. Unfortunately the original video has been yanked from YouTube, but this will do for now:

dc

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I just sent this out to a handful of car clubs in the Scottsdale area and I'm going to repost here for additional distribution:

Good morning!

I am writing to inform you of the 2nd Annual Brighton Classic Car Rally, which will take place Sunday, November 1st in Scottsdale. All classic cars are invited and entry is only $45; $20 of which is donated to Sojourner Center of Phoenix, Arizona

The event will feature a timed run, or a fun run for those who don’t wish to compete. We’ll be covering the event live on our Facebook and Twitter pages with first hand driver reports, pictures, and video. Afterwards drivers and guests are invited to enjoy live music, food and drinks. The event will be concluded with an awards ceremony.

This year we have 50 entries available, and about 19 entries remain. We are extending the registration deadline and hope your readers can help us fill this event. I would also appreciate any contacts you may suggest for further distribution.

* Official Flyer: http://brightonmotorsports.com/rally/Brighton%20Rally%20Flyer%202.2.pdf
* Official Entry Form: http://brightonmotorsports.com/rally/Brighton%20Classic%20Car%20Rally%20Event%20Application.pdf
* Last Year's Gallery: http://www.brightonmotorsports.com/rally/2008_gallery/index.html

Thank you,

Dan Crouch on behalf of Brighton Motorsports, Scottsdale, Arizona

dan@motoringblogs.com

Please feel free to copy and paste the above if you have a place that will accept it!

This event is going to be well covered on these pages as I'm attending as the new Web Services and Social Media Manager for Brighton Motorsports. This event kicks off their season and I'm really excited to be able to attend, participate, and share this experience with all the classic car enthusiasts. I'll be live blogging here and on the Brighton Motorsports Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, and YouTube accounts. How awesome is that?!

Stay tuned, and if you know of anyone in the Phoenix area that might be interested, please forward along!

dc

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