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Folks Of Interest The Changing Scene of our hobby

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by rustyironman, Feb 10, 2017.

  1. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    theres actually a thread about this on the HAMB right now, saw it last night. And guess what, the majority are telling him he, wait for it....needs to add a crossmember! I have learned a long time ago, don't buck the trend on the HAMB, so I just went to bed and chuckled myself to sleep...
     
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  2. ^^^^ yes.
    Lots of things that worked in the day are not acceptable today. There were 4,954,644 tri five chevys built plus the pickups that used the same mounting. I wonder how many had the transmission fall out.
     
    falcongeorge likes this.
  3. ShortyLaVen
    Joined: Oct 13, 2008
    Posts: 680

    ShortyLaVen
    Member

    I don't think the scene is changing in a bad way at all. I'm 23 now and have been in the hobby since my first "experience" when I was about 12, and while I have and still do run into grumpy old farts that only want to talk to other grumpy old farts (the cliquey old guys at the local cruise in that were mentioned earlier), for the most parts the "scene" has been pretty welcoming. Maybe us younger guys just don't notice the change because we weren't "there"? Then again I have been fortunate enough to have always lived somewhere with a lot of hot rodders...

    Where I live now there are tons of cruise ins and weekly car meets. I don't go as often as I would like, but every time I do go I make a new friend and usually end up BSing about cars til early the next morning. I think a big part of it is another thing mentioned earlier in the thread: the cars that are accessible aren't the same as they were 50 years ago. I know all of my cars would've been way unkool "back in the day" but thankfully for me times have changed and they are "kool" now (at least to me and most people I meet). Heck, even most of the old timers I meet are more happy to see a young guy driving and working on old cars than anything. The other day I was grabbing a coffee and had a conversation with an old man out front about just that. The way he put it was that its really a blessing that all of these old family sedans were stored away long enough for somebody to appreciate them.

    One thing we have now that didn't exist way back when is the amount of history. I think that plays a major role in how our scene is changing... Someone my age reads about the early days of kustomizing in the same way that we read about the World Wars or industrialization or the Depression. It is literally HISTORY now. If you grew up in the 50s/60s/70s you didn't have that; it was mostly contemporary then. Just think- a car made in 1965 (HAMB cut off year) was not only made before I was born, it was made FIVE YEARS before my DAD was born. "pre-war" cars are from even before my grandparents were born! That depth of automotive history simply wasn't around before now.
     
  4. Well said
     
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  5. indyjps
    Joined: Feb 21, 2007
    Posts: 5,377

    indyjps
    Member

    I'm 42, living in Chicago burbs. The old cars I see are street rod based, owners I talk to generally haven't built their cars, or it was 30 years ago. I get it, no one has any room to do anything up here.

    Found a few pockets of people my age doing musclecars, mostly LS. The restored musclecars are completed and people just drive around.

    Lots of 4x4 people, which makes no sense since everything is paved and these vehicles dont get muddy.

    Met a couple older Guys in the area with cars stashed away, not working on anything and asking crazy prices for anything sitting. I still stop by and say hello occasionally.

    I blame Suburbia ___very few people actually working on cars. Half of hot rodding is working on cars, having parts and equipment to do the job, teaching and learning from others. The car owners I meet all tell me their favorite shop to go to.....yeah, thanks.
     
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  6. theHIGHLANDER
    Joined: Jun 3, 2005
    Posts: 10,245

    theHIGHLANDER
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I guess one could toss in a myriad of cliche's and bemoan things taken for granted during our lives. Fuck that. Change is good and bad. Bad we lose the ones we got to know/knew forever, good that stuff has come out of boxes that date back to our childhoods. Cycle of life. Sometimes the cycle was a little red scooter, sometimes a pissed off straight pipe Harley. What are you? The new ones are "crotch rockets" today, their life cycle driven by TV, movies, social media, and who are we to complain? Somebody was rude to you and your car? Your small group? Do what you always did whether that was to ignore them or tell em to fuck off in a way they never forget. Some things never change for a lot of people, some things change like MI weather. Chin up, shoulders back, keep punchin. It pays to be nice, have fun, enjoy people watching with your 'clan', or just have a quiet cup of coffee with a hot rod buddy. Safari-wagon and I did that Sunday, just some relaxed chin music around some kool shit in my old shop. It'll be 40 years he and I became friends this year, so some things really do not change. I've had the good fortune to make a mark, a niche within this gigantic and really small world of cars. If you fight it, misery, roll with it too much, a push over, keep it real, easy to embrace the big picture. Enthusiasm is contageous and often the glue that bonds. The HAMB/TJJ is a modern example of that and it's up to you/us to make our days the pages we like here live and in real time.



    sent by morse code tapped out on a big chrome bumper...
     
  7. Well, I can be a grumpy old fart at 76, but I'd love the chance to talk to young guys and tell them how it was back in the day. Unfortunately, none of the younger generation in my family care about it. I wish there was a kid across the street that wanted help or advise or tools to do a build but it ain't gonna happen where I live. I just have to watch for the occasional rod in the Safeway parking lot and try to strike up a conversation with the owner.
     
  8. Hot Rod Grampa
    Joined: Apr 25, 2011
    Posts: 83

    Hot Rod Grampa
    Member

    If I may, some of these old timers have developed relationships with each other over many years. There is a trust factor in their friends and a "what do you want?" Position when a newbie shows up. Friendships develop in stages and eventually I will allow you into my inner circle but it will not happen overnight. Need advice? No problem. Borrow tools? Not until I trust you to return them. Need help? Yes but there is a limit. we will find that boundary as we move along.
    Being semi retired allows me the luxury of time. I drive my '53 all over while here in Florida and always take time to visit with interested people or kids. Yes one has to be approachable.
     
  9. Nailhead A-V8
    Joined: Jun 11, 2012
    Posts: 1,343

    Nailhead A-V8
    Member

    When I was a little kid I played with nothing but hot wheels, matchboxes, and bikes, when a loud truck or an old car drove by I watched with fascination, I figure I was born that way, never had a Dad or any other outside "car" influences. Once in the mid '70's I got to watch a stock car race they used predominantly '55-'57 cars then, I was intoxicated by the sights and sounds and became a "car guy".The mill town I grew up in had a fair amount of privileged kids who had nice muscle cars in the '80's and a good percentage of their fathers had at one time been hot rodders of '30's -'50's cars in the '60's -'70's but of course had sold their cars and moved on to raising families, then there were other car hobbyists: 4x4's, rally racers, formula 1/grand prix fans, touring, can am, baja, etc. etc. etc. even your average joe who had little interest in "the scene" or "hobby" knew alot about cars and was a do-it-your-selfer or HAD a car once, in other words you could have an automotive or mechanical based conversation with almost ANYONE at any time. By highschool I had my dreams and desires set on "nostalgia" (now called traditional) rods. I could talk muscle cars with lots of people, general car talk with most but no one else knew or cared what a "flathead" was and would only laugh in my face if I talked about 50 yr old (then) cars with only 100-150 hp so I thought why don't I talk to the guys who actually own and build these cars? Sadly the only bigger bunch of Dicks I've ever met rode 2 wheelers and wore leather jackets withlittle pictures/ names etc. If these guys even gave you the time of day it would be only to scoff and laugh that the hubcaps on their car cost more than I could make in a year and to come back when I had some real money. God forbid if I showed any interest in a rusted out crumpled piece of tin stacked by the garbage cans... it suddenly became a rare gold and jewel encrusted unobtainium.... so I gave up for almost 25 yrs....
    I'm not jumping on the negativity bandwagon I'm just saying alot of people my age got scared off by negative old farts whose insecurity and pettiness kept them from fostering the next generation.Truth is we jacked our prices up out of this world and turned a cold shoulder on people who were "automotively inclined" just because they couldnt afford or didnt like the same cars we do so people eventually stopped talking shop/cars.....I know only one other guy who works on automotive stuff a 4x4 guy and the ONLY time I talk about cars is here.... period.

    P.S. Hence if a teenager so much as even said "nice car" to me I would give him an old set of T panels I hoard for free and all the advice and time I could for nothing
     
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  10. Gas Giant
    Joined: May 14, 2008
    Posts: 402

    Gas Giant
    Member

    I haven't read through every post, but I think another thing that is changing is that the old iron is getting pricey. I've seen rusted out basket cases going for quite a few grand - when I was a teenager (in the mid 90's) I could have bought a '69 Camaro for 2 grand and driven it away. I remember because I almost did. But its not that way anymore, even rusty 4 door 60's cars seem to be fetching more and more. How is a young person, just starting out, supposed to shell out 4-5k for a car that still needs 3k to hit the road safely? The days of being able to buy an $800 '55 Chevy and drive it home ended a long time ago.

    So yeah, although I don't like it, I don't blame the younger crowd from shying away from old iron.
     
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  11. butchcoat1969
    Joined: Apr 1, 2017
    Posts: 165

    butchcoat1969

    Love the pic of the guy working on the car with the cigarette hanging out his mouth, that pic says it all, lol


    Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
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  12. WORD. This has basically been my experience too, down to the T, except I bought a 57 Ranchero for $600 and drove it home. The only hot rod folks that I've ever felt welcomed by are right here on the Hamb.
     
    Last edited: Apr 13, 2017
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  13. gene-koning
    Joined: Oct 28, 2016
    Posts: 4,041

    gene-koning
    Member

    The hobby/life style, or what ever you want to call it is alive and doing well. As us old hoarders die off and the stuff we have been collecting for years comes up for sale at reasonable prices (because the wife/kids have no idea what its "worth"), the young guys that have always wanted them will be able to afford them. Between now and then, they are honing their experience on things most old farts look down on.

    Most here will probably roll over in their grave when these no respect kids steal our pristine traditional cars from our families and bring them up to the levels they understand how to fix, and news flash, it probably won't be 1965 technology.

    If you really are concerned about the future of the old car hobby, find a rat rodder, and help him fix up his car instead of bitching about everything you see is wrong. Gene
     
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  14. I am the Original Poster of this thread.

    The following is somewhat in the vein of some of the discussions that have taken place n this thread.
    Few days ago I inquire about a pickup in a national club newsletter I belong to. I call the guy and ask him about the truck.

    We talk awhile and then he hits me with a question I've never been asked while inquiring about something . He asks me "so how old are you", After being taken back I tell him I'm in my 30's. By no means do I talk like somebody young, vocabulary or knowledge.

    I thought, well, maybe he wants somebody who is young enough to finish out his project. He immediately starts talking 'down' to me when I asked questions - for example he did n;t know if the truck was a 61 or 62, and I asked him if the trim on the front fenders were a certian way (which is 61 only) to try to narrow down what year it was, he says to me "well, I don't know what you mean maybe one has to be born in the 80's to think the way you do".

    It took all I could do to not hang up on him.
     
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  15. The last time I tried to make a car buddy went like most of the rest of the times;

    There's an older dude that lives in my hood, and I see him all of the time at 2 or 3 Dunkin Doughnuts that I'm always going to, to load up on caffeine, sugar and fat. He will talk on and on about the"old days", and his 49 Dodge. He put the sbc in himself, created a transmission tunnel from a street sign, did a lot of work. It's raw and unpolished, (just like I like them). I have heard these stories 20 times, and am always glad to hear them again.

    My car had been broken for awhile, so I hadn't driven it in a long time. He had never seen it. But I told him about how I pulled the engine and rebuilt it myself, taking just the block and the heads to the shop. How I rebuilt the Jetaway myself, installed a dual master and the entire braking system myself, removed the entire interior, replaced the rotten foam then put the original fabric back on and reinstalled it myself, replaced the entire front end myself, rebuilt the steering pump myself, rebuilt the wiper motor myself, how I had brought a 55 Eldo dual quad back from the dead, got the original Rochesters working, installed on my 390 and got the car going myself, and all sorts of other things.

    I finally caught him one morning when I was in my whip. Literally all he had to say was "too bad it's a four door."

    I don't mind listening to old guys' stories. We all want to have our stories heard, and when the end is creeping around the corner, I suppose that it's even more important. But I find this is basically how 95% of car guys I meet in person are, they just don't seem to care about anyone else besides themselves and their own. I just don't have the patience or empathy to spend a lot of time on a one way street, so I'm happy to be a lone wolf.
     
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  16. Well, I can't apologize for all the crusty old curmudgeons in my age group, but we're not all that way. I find that the guys who built their own for decades are usually more friendly and understanding than the gold chain group who came to the party later in life and had their rides pro built.
     
  17. Many valid point of views posted here,I really can't add anything that hasn't been posted,good read. HRP
     
  18. trollst
    Joined: Jan 27, 2012
    Posts: 2,108

    trollst
    Member

    Yes clunker, we're not all like that, I love the younger crowd, happy to teach and learn from them. LeRoy.
     
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  19. You drive a four door! I was willing to overlook the Boston connection (O's fan here) but I don't know now.;) I had a similar experience. Spent way to much time pin striping my OT truck and was impressed with the results. Nothing special but it looked much better than the plain jane white work truck. Old dude is checking it out at work and I walk over to hear, "ya got the door stripe crooked" and walked away. I had to laugh because it was pretty funny and then thanked him for noticing.
     
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  20. That is funny. Love those moments. I get a lot of "when are you going to paint it?" "What the hell is that thing?"

    My family is in ball-more right now on vaca. I'm holding down the fort here, trying to earn some $$$$, actually working on a tv commercial right now transforming Fenway Park to look "via the 30's".
     
    Last edited: Apr 15, 2017
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  21. When I was younger I had flames striped on my coupe. An ole geezer asked me why I had worm tracks on my car.
     
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  22. denis4x4
    Joined: Apr 23, 2005
    Posts: 4,198

    denis4x4
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Colorado

    While there a lot of interesting responses here, the question is asked on a forum that pretty much guarantees positive responses.
     
  23. trollst
    Joined: Jan 27, 2012
    Posts: 2,108

    trollst
    Member

    Hey....watch that old geezer talk....
     
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  24. corndog
    Joined: Nov 27, 2007
    Posts: 4,700

    corndog
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Indiana

    Excellent advice for all of us grey-haired rodders!
     
  25. raven
    Joined: Aug 19, 2002
    Posts: 4,698

    raven
    Member

    Yeah, we talk about the worry we have about the younger crowd not getting into 'the scene' alot when we start getting long in the tooth. It's a bummer for most of us that don't see anyone following in our foot steps. There will be a lot of knowledge gone when we finally take that last pass. When I was younger, I couldn't afford what I wanted. Only when I was older and made the decision to make it happen did it finally happen. Now I would love to help a kid get started with an old car, hec, I even have a couple good starts for sale. The thing is, if some kid really wanted to show some interest I'd cut him a good deal regardless of the price I have listed, just to help him get started. But no one is showing interest because the tech gadgets are just too easy to play with, become addicted to, or become distractions for the younger set.
    Sad indeed.
    r
     
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  26. Schwanke Engines
    Joined: Jun 12, 2014
    Posts: 781

    Schwanke Engines
    Member

    That's why I incorporate the gadgets into the old cars. We either build vintage engines or LS engines hardly do 10 350's a year now. I am a wiz at tuning engine computers, but utterly lost when it comes to a carb. I can setup a hillborn fuel injection with ease, but a tri power hell no. I love the old stuff though and have been fortunate to have my Father along on this ride with me while we move deeper and deeper into this hobby.

    Sent from my XT1585 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  27. Mooseman
    Joined: Apr 4, 2007
    Posts: 310

    Mooseman
    Member

    I don't know what's wrong with young people these days. None of them are interested in raising horses, how are they supposed to tow the carriage loaded full of supplies from the local store back to the farm. They are all riding around on their horseless carriages. That won't catch on.

    I bet not one of them knows how to fit a horseshoe. Complete lunacy. What is the world coming too.
     
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  28. I know. They're nuts. The lazy millennial video game addict bank manager was giving me a hard time last week about a second mortgage I was trying to take out on my house to open a VHS repair storefront business.

    "Bank manager?" Try to retire on something like that. I would rather count on a trade that's real. That you can touch with your hands. Do you know how many copies of "Big" and "Driving Miss Daisy" are still out there? People aren't just going to throw out a 4 head stereophonic VCR . Stupid kids.
     
  29. ken bogren
    Joined: Jul 6, 2010
    Posts: 1,056

    ken bogren
    Member

    How much of the seeming lack of interest is the result of a lack of need to understand and work on your own car?

    Most of us older guys needed to kow how to do at least basic stuff, change tires, install a new inner tube, change spark plugs, time the engine or change a clutch just to keep the old heaps that we could afford to buy as a first or second car running and reasonably reliable and safe.

    The days of needing dual spare tires are long gone, for the most part.
    The days of a new car being pretty much worn out at 50,000 miles are pretty much gone too.
    Today's youth can buy a decade old car with 100,000 miles on the odometer and drive it all the way through college without ever needing to turn a wrench themselves or probably even need major repairs from a pro.

    The saying is that need is the mother of invention, I wonder if it might also be the mother of interest.
     
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  30. NplainsmenN
    Joined: Aug 22, 2016
    Posts: 1

    NplainsmenN

    I for one would disagree. The hobby is changing and the younger generations are lacking an overall basic mechanical knowledge in the "college is the only way" plug and play world. But it still thrives. You just have to open your eyes and check in your snobbery at the door. That includes you resto muscle and "built not bought" guys.
    I belong to a club that started 5 years ago that now has 2 satellite groups within the club. Our car shows grow each year. 50 cars the first year to almost 200 (some from outside the state) 4 years later. One member has won best engineered at Detroit autorama. One won best of show at rat city ruckus in Vegas. Others have won awards at other smaller shows.
    We have guys and gals from 25-60. Some of the older generations would look at us as "troublemakers", you were that troublemaker at that age as well.
    As you age your position in life and your perceptions change. Your commitments change your amount of participation. If you're judging the hobby by what the "regulars" are still doing, you'll be left in the dirt. Get out, go to shows out of your comfort zone and meet like minded new friends. Just remember one thing. Even if it is a rust bucket, has airbags, injection, carberation, airbags, flames, ECM, hydraulics, or whatever you don't like, don't snub them. They all go squish bang and create tire smoke and go fast and look cool.Which is why we got into this hobby in the first place!
    #Highwaycreepers


    Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
     
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