Journal Classic Cars

Several years ago, during a trip to a gas station, I learned that not all people know the small arrow on modern fuel gauges points to the side of the vehicle that the fuel door is on. It felt good to point it out and give the driver a tip that will always help him in the future. I recently received a similar awakening – from myself.

As humans, we’re creatures of habit. We follow the same routines because they’re familiar and functional. Once we get into a certain groove physically, it can be hard to get out of it mentally. You’ve gone down the same path to the same destination so many times that your perspective has narrowed. You hardly even need to look where you’re going, but that also means you’re not moving your head and seeing the potential different routes near you.

Driving away from your house is a great example of this. If you’ve had your vehicle for more than a few days, you probably have your own sequence before you hit the road. Here’s mine: Get in my Hyundai Sonata, put my foot on the brake, press the start button, place my wallet next to the 12-volt outlet and flip its cover to the left to hold my wallet in place, connect the USB-A charging cord to my iPhone to get Apple CarPlay started, put on my seat belt, press the Auto Hold button, then press the R button to shift into reverse.

I usually keep my car’s panoramic sunroof shade closed in the morning because I want as many layers between me and the Arizona sun as possible. But it was gray and cloudy a few mornings ago, a nice change of pace from the blazing heat we’ve had lately, so I decided I’d pull the shade back. Ever since I bought my car in October 2023, I couldn’t understand why every time I pulled back on the switch to open the shade, it not only opened that but the sunroof as well. I would then close the sunroof and get the ceiling full of tinted glass I wanted initially. That gloomy day, I learned what had been causing my frustration: operator error.

Instead of using separate controls for the shade and the sunroof panel, Hyundai combines the controls for both of them. I always pulled back on the switch too hard (two clicks), triggering both to open. A lighter touch (one click) is required to retract the shade only—something I’ve finally developed after nearly two years. It was a humbling lesson, but it taught me something I can enjoy for years to come.

What about you? Is there a feature in your vehicle it took you too long to discover? If so, share it with us in the Comments section below.

Known for its coastal scenery, luxurious homes and world-class golf courses, Pebble Beach, along the central California coast, is a postcard picture waiting to happen. Lexus loved the area so much it decided to market its high-end SC convertible in limited numbers under the Pebble Beach nameplate.

The Pick of the Day is a 2004 Lexus SC430 Pebble Beach Edition convertible listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Medford, Oregon.

“We are the second owners,” the listing says, “the first being the owner of the Lexus dealership in Eugene, Oregon, who put the first 8,000 miles on the car prior to us purchasing it in the fall of 2004. All original documents are available, including the window sticker showing an MSRP of $65,394.”

The Lexus SC, known as the Toyota Soarer in some other markets around the world, hit the United States market in 1992. Throughout its lifespan, the car was sold as a luxury Grand Tourer. Following a successful first generation (dubbed the “Z30”), a new version was shown at the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show, which would be known as the Z40.

The defining characteristic of the second-gen SC was its power-retractable aluminum hardtop, something the earlier cars never received. The 2001-10 SC was marketed in the lineup as the “Jewel of Lexus,” and the Pebble Beach version made it even more exclusive. Finished in Light Blue Mica (Azure Pearl) with an Ecru interior, this car is one of only 400 units produced in Pebble Beach trim for the 2004 model year.

According to an excerpt of the window sticker, the Pebble Beach package included:

• Lip spoiler
• 18-inch Azure Pearl alloy wheels
• Bird’s Eye maple wood trim
• Azure Pearl exterior color
• Blue illuminated scuff plates
• Pebble Beach badging on front fenders, center console, and floor mats

Power comes from a 3UZ-FE 4.3-liter V8 mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. Lexus rated the car at 300 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque. The car shows just 75,384 miles and, according to the listing, maintenance has been kept up: “The timing belt and water pump were replaced at 75,343 miles, the battery is less than a year old, front brakes were serviced at 71,580 miles, and rear brakes have at least 5,000 miles left,” the seller says.

This car is begging for a drive down the California coast—make sure to check out “17-Mile Drive” in Pebble Beach just so you can experience the car’s namesake area.

The asking price is $26,000 or best offer.

Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com

For 1973-77, General Motors redesigned its A-body series and promoted them as Colonnades, marketing’s attempt to describe pillared construction with frameless doors and windows after two-plus decades of touting the pillarless hardtop. Below we have four Colonnades that are currently listed for sale on AutoHunter or ClassicCars.com. Can you tell us the year, make, and model of each?

Post your answers in the Comments section below. Hints are available by simply clicking on an image.

Click on a photo to reveal each car

Every Tuesday, you’ll find a new puzzle at The Classic Cars.com Journal. Play previous games for even more enjoyment!

Jay Leno has had several Porsches in his garage over the years. Many of them were his, but a lot of them were brought in by companies such as Singer and Lab Eleven. For a variety of reasons, none were quite like this bb-Auto 1986 Porsche 911.

In the 1970s and ’80s, German tuner BB was known for its customized cars. One of the company’s most famous builds was the “Rainbow Car,” a 1976 Porsche 911 that combined the Targa body style with Turbo power and Polaroid’s color scheme as part of a display at the 1976 Photokina trade show in Cologne, Germany. These days, Galpin Motors has the rights to bb-Auto in North America. To honor BB’s colorful creation, the company has developed a prototype of a 1986 Porsche 911 with a similar color scheme (with painted stripes!), but a very different engine.

As Galpin Motors president Beau Boeckmann explains, under the rear engine cover is a fuel-injected Ed Pink 4.0-liter flat-six. Between the 4.0 and the upgraded G50 five-speed manual gearbox is a lightweight electric motor that instantly adds 150 horsepower, raising the grand total to 550. An Elephant Racing 997 GT3-style adjustable suspension and custom Fuchs-style wheels made by Titan 7 for bb-Auto help all that reach the road or track. When the Brembo discs aren’t needed, a regenerative braking system puts juice back into the lithium-ion battery pack.

The cockpit is colorful in its own way: both Recaro buckets, the rear seats, and the door panel inserts are covered in a vibrant blue upholstery.

Like the Targa, the roof panel is removable, but now it’s transparent glass. Air conditioning keeps things cool while a TV in the dash keeps the shotgun passenger entertained.

What does Leno think of bb-Auto’s retro-inspired 911 build? Are all of the changes too much? Watch the video below to find out.

Right now on AutoHunter, you can find this restored, two-wheel-drive 1987 Chevrolet R10. It is equipped with features such as air conditioning and cruise control. Under the hood is a fuel-injected 5.0-liter V8 connected to a 700R4 four-speed automatic transmission. Finished in red and gray two-tone paint over an updated gray cloth interior, this Chevy R/V-series (formerly C/K) pickup is now offered by the Florida selling dealer with the original owner’s manual, CARFAX report, and clear title.

As part of its 2024 body-on restoration, this “Square Body” was refinished in a combination of red and gray paint. Exterior features include chrome bumpers, front bumper guards, fog lights, tonneau cover, hitch receiver, and single exhaust system with dual pipes.

The tires have also been updated to new 235/75 Mesa (front) and Corsa (rear) radials, which surround a set of 15-inch Rally wheels.

The refreshed interior features a gray cloth bench seat plus the convenience of power windows and locks, cruise control, tilt steering column, power steering, air conditioning, and new AM/FM/Bluetooth retro-look stereo with new speakers.

Instrumentation consists of an 85-mph speedometer and gauges for the fuel level, voltage, oil pressure, and temperature. The odometer shows 60,164 miles, though a mileage inconsistency was logged in the CARFAX report in January 2023, the same month a mileage figure of 57,689 was recorded. The title for this truck indicates it’s mileage-exempt.

A fuel-injected 5.0-liter V8 that was factory-rated at 170 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque gets this Chevy down the road. The L03 small-block draws fuel from two gas tanks and delivers its output to the rear wheels through a 700R4 four-speed automatic transmission. Power front disc and rear drum brakes help this R10 stop so that it can keep on truckin’.

If you want this updated 1987 Chevrolet R10 pickup for cruising, hauling, or a little of both, bid on it now. The auction for it ends on Friday, July 25 at 11:00 a.m. (PDT).

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery

In 1999, GMC introduced Denali, its new top trim level, on the Yukon. It wasn’t long before GMC started offering Denali versions of its other vehicles. Now you can get every model in the GMC lineup (except the Hummer EVs) in Denali trim. But starting in 2022, Denali got one-upped by Denali Ultimate, which is currently available on the Sierra 1500, Sierra HD, Yukon, and Yukon XL. The newest GMC to get that super-luxury treatment is the 2026 Acadia.

Someone on GMC’s design team must be a Star Wars fan because two of the flagship Acadia’s most distinguishing exterior characteristics are the Vader Chrome grille and GMC logo, which are flanked by LED daytime running lamps with an animated lighting sequence (perhaps one resembling a lightsaber battle?).

The 20-inch wheels get a similar makeover, going from the regular Denali’s Pearl Nickel finish to After Midnight Metallic (does GMC have an Eric Clapton fan on its design team too?). If those clues aren’t enough, GMC also identifies the top Acadia model with exclusive badging.

Inside, GMC sets the Acadia Denali Ultimate apart in two major ways. As you might expect, it comes equipped with more standard features than lesser models. Those make up a long list that includes an eight-inch head-up display, Bose 16-Speaker Performance Series sound system, panoramic sunroof, HD Surround Vision, Super Cruise hands-free driver assistance tech, and performance suspension. A Rear Camera Mirror is also on the list, but it’s now standard on all 2026 Acadias.

The Denali Ultimate’s materials are the second half of the interior upgrades. The Woodland Mahogany massaging front seats are heated and ventilated, and accented with plaited contrast stitching. All three rows get Denali Ultimate badges on their seatbacks along with embossed topographical maps, which extend to the door trim and map pockets. Laser-etched accents give the Paldao wood trim its own texture.

Look for the 2026 Acadia in GMC dealerships in Q3 of this year. Denali Ultimate models should arrive later; expect final pricing and additional info at around that time.

The wedge-shaped cars of the 1960s-1980s are so dramatic and angular that it seems as if there were no compromises made in the transition from initial sketch to production. Unfortunately, they’re so old now that you rarely see any of them out on the street unless you count the C4 Chevrolet Corvette. The good news is that the Petersen Automotive Museum in LA will be opening an exhibit called “The Wedge Revolution: Cars on the Cutting Edge” on August 2.

According to the museum, the display, “co-curated with Tesla Chief Designer and wedge design aficionado Franz von Holzhausen, will showcase a wide range of vehicles embodying the bold, angular styling that defined this unique era in automotive design. It will highlight the transitional period when designers moved from decorative curves and chrome to clean lines, flat surfaces and geometric forms.”

Work from designers such as Marcello Gandini, Sergio Coggiola, William Towns, and Jerry Palmer will be showcased there. Some of the concept and production cars include the 1966 Cannara I, 1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero, 1974 Lamborghini Countach LP400 “Periscopio,” 1979 Aston Martin Bulldog, and 1976 Chevrolet Aerovette. Although not from the era, the Tesla Cybertruck and the Lo Res Car from the footwear brand United Nude will also be on-site to check out. Given the designers mentioned, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if the exhibit also includes the Maserati Boomerang or an Aston Martin Lagonda sedan.

For more information about the “The Wedge Revolution: Cars on the Cutting Edge” exhibit at the Petersen Automotive Museum, click here. If you can’t get to Los Angeles anytime soon, don’t worry—the exhibit runs through September 2026.

The Beach Boys have a success story worth sharing. They have sold over 100 million records worldwide, and over the course of their career—which dates back to 1961—they’ve achieved 36 “Top 40” hits. Some of the anthems the Beach Boys perform have specific ties to the automotive world, including the songs “Little Deuce Coupe” and “409.”

The carefree spirit of the 1960s was a big factor in the use of cars as prominent symbols back when those songs were written. Building on the band’s success, the “Surfer Girl” album came out in September 1963 as the third studio album from the group. Surfer Girl also happens to be the name of a car once owned by the Beach Boys’ manager. “She” is a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air two-door hardtop, and she was one of many unique collector cars sold at no reserve during a recent Barrett-Jackson auction held in Scottsdale.

The description from Barrett-Jackson says, “This example was recently refreshed with a new paint job, contrasted by all-new chrome. It also features a full interior update with gauges replaced along with bezels in the dash.”

The color combination is a striking one indeed, bringing white and orange together for two-tone paint treatment, which continues to the bench-seat interior. Special touches include Bel Air-embroidered floor mats, custom center console with cup holders, and Bowtie-branded aluminum trim extending across the face of the dashboard. While some Bel Air buyers in 1955 opted for the new 265ci small-block V8, this car was optioned with the smaller 235ci inline-six paired with a three-speed manual transmission.

The car—or should we call her Surfer Girl?—was adopted by a new owner earlier this year who is no doubt spending the summer racking up miles. Hopefully, some of those miles involve trips to the beach to catch some gnarly waves. Hang ten!

There are hundreds of unique stories like this one to be told about the cars that are sold each year at Barrett-Jackson. We look forward to seeing what the upcoming auctions will bring. Who knows—maybe there will be some other music industry tie-ins to discuss.

Today’s AutoHunter Spotlight is on this restored 1958 Chevrolet Delray two-door sedan with a very nice vintage look. Originally a special sub-model for the 1954-57 210, Delray officially became a stand-alone model for the 1958 model year, replacing the bottom-of-the-line 150. This one is powered by a 327ci small-block V8 paired with a four-speed automatic with overdrive. Other features include air conditioning, floor-mounted B&M shifter, Bluetooth-compatible AM/FM stereo, US Mags wheels, and more. Painted in two-tone Anniversary Gold and White with a matching white vinyl and tan cloth interior, this vintage performance cruiser comes from the private seller with a clear title.

The Anniversary Gold and White two-tone paint scheme is complemented by tasteful use of chrome. Other exterior features include a wraparound windshield and backlite, dual chrome side mirrors, rocker panel trim, Blue Dot lenses, and twin exhaust pipes poking out from under the bumper. A set of gold-painted US Mags wheels is wrapped in 215/70 whitewall Diamond radials.

The white and tan vinyl and cloth interior features a split bench seat up front. Interior features include under-dash air conditioning, power steering with three-spoke steering wheel, floor-mounted B&M automatic shifter, clock, and Bluetooth-compatible AM/FM retro-look stereo.

The instrument panel features a 120-mph speedometer and gauges for the temperature and fuel. Additional gauges include a column-mounted 10,000-rpm tachometer and a Sunpro cluster that includes oil pressure, temperature, and voltage. The odometer shows 37,461 miles but the title reads mileage-exempt.

The engine currently residing under the hood is a 327 V8 topped by a four-barrel carburetor and Edelbrock air cleaner. It is backed by a four-speed 700R4 transmission with overdrive, which was rebuilt 10 months ago. The undercarriage features power front disc brakes and a dual exhaust system.

There’s plenty of vintage appeal with this classic Chevy. The paint scheme looks great, the presentation allows me to channel myself back to the mid-1960s, and the small-block V8 will always put out (and you can easily make it put out more). All that’s missing is your name on the title, so bid high and bid soon because the AutoHunter auction for this 1958 Chevrolet Delray two-door sedan ends on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at 11:45 a.m. (PDT).

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery

When it comes to modern trucks, some of the things that get the most attention are the stats, such as the size of their infotainment screens or how much torque they have and how many tons they can pull. But things can be much simpler with vintage pickups: you don’t think about how many camera angles they provide while you’re towing—you can just appreciate them simply for their design. Our Pick of the Day, a 1967 Ford F-100 4X4, has great lines, plus plenty more to love. You can find it on ClassicCars.com listed by a dealer in Manhattan Beach, California.

The 1967 model year marked the introduction of the fifth-generation Ford F-Series line of trucks. Exterior updates included moving the FORD lettering to the hood, simplifying the grille, and relocating the parking lights under the headlamps.

Inside, 1967 four-wheel-drive F-100 and F-250 trucks received a wider instrument cluster, redesigned instrument panel, padded dash, three-inch-wider seat, and body-color trim, all of which made their cabins “attractive, roomier and more carlike in appearance than ever!”

“Carlike” comfort is great and all, but from the outside, an F-Series should look like a truck. This F-100 certainly does. It doesn’t need a massive lift or giant wheels and tires to do that—just a single cab, a short bed, and all-terrain rubber. A fresh coat of Boxwood Green and Wimbledon White paint, and new bumpers add to its vintage charm.

Inside the cabin, the seat belts were upgraded to three-point units, the bench seat was reupholstered in black leather, and the radio was replaced with a RetroSound stereo with Bluetooth, but nothing is jarringly anachronistic.

The engine matches the rest of this truck’s tasteful, low-key personality. It hasn’t been swapped out for a Godzilla 7.3-liter gasser; it’s a good old-fashioned 300ci inline-six, which draws fuel from a new gas tank. A four-speed manual gearbox and four-wheel drive help it get this truck down the road and over nature’s obstacles.

Whether this 1967 Ford F-100 4X4‘s handsome looks or thoughtful updates are the first thing that you notice about it, we have good news: You can buy this truck for $37,999 (OBO) and look at it—or drive it—anytime you want.

Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com