History Fading interest and the future

Everything changes and sometimes goes full circle. I can remember when a '37 Ford was considered a red haired step child. Not anymore. Also, think about a '31 Model A vs. the same body style '32 Ford. Both generally similar in appearance but all things considered the '32 will bring more $$. Just my take on it.

 

Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em.

 

I'm 68 and went to my first car show at age 10, it had a 1942 cut off date, so I never had any interest in cars made in my lifetime. If you gave me a totally restored "Muscle Car" I couldn't sell it fast enough, and NO I have no interest in driving the POS, give me the market value and get off my lawn. Having the cars I have has taken a while to collect, I enjoy having them, the grandkids will have their pick when I'm gone. Bob

 

I think the hobby is loosing a lot. Very few kids are even interested in automobiles and some even in drivers licenses. I personally have the "old" car I want and have way too much in it to recover if that ever was the idea which is never was.
Born during WWII and living in the 50's-60's showed what I wanted when the time came. I was able to have fun with limited LSR on overtime money and now retired with the driver of my choice....Do I see this in grand children, nieces, nephews.. NO.. It's OK I guess I'll just enjoy it while I can.
As my old friends die off their widows are finding that "Pops" old car, eventho it might be a 32, won't sell at some big buck number because there is no one to buy it because they are pushing up daisy's too.
Enjoy what you can....maybe we might be able to look down and see....here's hopping. JD

 

As long as there are internal combustion engines and fuel to power them there will always be hot rods & customs.

During my youth I witnessed the Muscle cars become so popular the hot rod's & custom's of the 50's & early 60's started disappearing from Main Street America but with the forming of the National Street Rod Association in 1972 there was a resurgence in the vintage cars,but hot rods & customs.

For the last 40 or so years hot rods & customs have been extremely popular, granted us old farts are closer to the finish line than we want to admit but as long as we are around the enthusiasm for the early cars are in safe hands.

I honestly don't seeing this hobby dying off, the numbers may go down but as long as there are people that have a passion for cars the future of the hobby is secure. HRP

 

Hopefully not in my lifetime......... And like the saying with guns..........Pry/Cold hands.......
I'll keep burning dead dinosaurs as long as I can...... Then, I'll still do it......... Ya- Law Breaker here.

 

Jim. You also remember when we had great salt and few entrys. So much so that people were afraid SCTA would just fade away. Now we think the salt and even the lake may be leaving us and we have lots of entrys. Plenty of roadsters doing traditional Hot Rod stuff. Going fast.

 

Probably a good thing. CHP did a survey of fatal accidents in Santa Clara County (Silicon Valley), #1 was excessive speed, #2 was distracted drivers (think cell phones) and #3 was all the 55+ techies buying Harleys.

 

When I got into cars in the '50's, the only thing affordable was '30's and '40's stuff. I grew up with them and loved them. A '55 Chevy was out of the question. As I grew older I was able to buy lots of tri-fives and other such desirable cars. Then I became able to buy into the muscle car scene. I loved them all and would be equally happy with any of them today at age 78. As these were the cars I grew up with, they are the ones I like. Anything newer or older doesn't interest me much.

 

you think about this stuff and you have to wonder? who ever throught don garlits would be trying to set a record in an electric dragster??? harley davidson would ever think about an electric motorcycle??? its happening kids!!!

next time ya get the hotrod out for a cruise, enjoy it!!! ya mite have a kid chasin ya down to put an electric motor in it!!!

 

Having attended a number of events this year I don't think interest in the car hobby has slacked off but that what guys are interested in has changed.
I've said it before but at my first event as a participant the 1973 Street Rod Nationals in Tulsa the 32 Fords were 41 years old. Right now a 41 year old car is a 78 Model and I have run into a few guys who think a 78 is a "classic" because of it's age.
That row of Big block full size Fords that I saw at a show yesterday were all over 55 years old. All really nice and better than when they were on the showroom floor at the dealerships back when too.

Several of my former students from the late 70's and the 70's are into 70's Super cars but that is what they liked and couldn't afford when they were in school.

As far as young folks interest in driving that may be partially due to where you are or where they are. Here if you don't drive it is a long walk to where you can even catch a bus that may or may not take you in the direction you want to go in. A driver's license is a must have for most local kids.

What I have seen is that there are a lot of guys out there who switch their motorized hobby interest every few years. Think of the guys you know/ or have known that at one time had a street rod, then had a Corvette and then showed up with a Harley and a couple of yeas later you saw them at the gas station filling up their wake boat pulled by a tricked out dualie.

 

Man, I swear I heard that some where before.

 

There is another reason "T"'s and "A"'s are going down in value. Have you ever tried to use one as a DD? They (especially "T"'s) are totally impractical for daily use. Even the early V8's are not ideal. I built a '36 3-Window to replace my '51 Ford in the early '90's. It turned out great, but guess what? I sold it after 7 or 8 years and still have the '51. The '51 is a much more practical car. I drive it all the time, weather permitting. The '36 was very cramped and the engine (a 276' Merc) was too much for the drive train. I know I could have turned it into a "Frankenstein" with a 9" Ford, IFS, and various other modern doo-dads, but that wasn't what I wanted.

I also believe electric cars will become the main source of transportation in the future, but because of market forces (you know, capitalism), not government mandate. I suggest anyone who disagrees with this to beg, borrow, or steal a ride in a Tesla. They are the future.

As an example of what I am saying about evolving technology, when was the last time you bought a corded drill for general purpose use?

 

I believe you hit the nail square on the head! Museums, maybe. Crushed/Sold for scrap, probably. Our fathers, uncles, cousins came home from WWll and really gave hot rodding a shot in the arm. They passed a lot off to us baby boomers in the 40’s,50’s,60’s. Most of us are in our 70’s now and do not see the enthusiasm we shared. Yes, some young people are coming in, not as many as we would like. I know we have discussed this many times in the past. Just the rambling of an ole’ man, I guess.

 

What's all of this talk about the "Old Car Culture" going away? Back in the '60's and '70's seeing any car that was out of the ordinary was a rare occasion. Now days, at least where I live, I see antiques, special interest cars, street rods, and hot rods daily during good weather. Back in the good old days, there were NO programs on television about old cars. These days, there are channels dedicated to "Car Shows" and they are sprinkled liberally over the rest of the channels. There are auctions all over the country dedicated to old cars. Every town in this country seems to have an annual car show or even a weekly cruise night that will be populated with a lot of very nice vehicles. I think we are living in the "Golden Age" of car enthusiasm and some just don't see it. Just because your particular niche is not the most popular these days doesn't mean all car culture is dead.

Getting back to electric cars, they may be the best news that we have. With the vast infrastructure that is presently dedicated to refining petroleum products, we will be over capacity in the near future. The Saudi's may be selliing oil for $5 a barrel just to get if of it. Gas prices will probably plummet because of decreased demand..

Don't shut the windows and lock the doors yet guys, the best may be yet to come.

 

The legislation may come as a result of the stupidity of the American voter. We in California cry because we pay $1.30 to $1.50 more for gas than the rest of the US. The whiners don't realize they voted in all kinds of environmental regulations that were sold as improvements to the air quality but raise the cost of production. Everyone wants to save the air. Someday some smart politician will come up with a bill that will create an end date for internal combustion engines in California and the dumb voters will only see the line that says "clean air" and they will put their X in the yes box. Then when they have to junk their gas car and buy an electric they'll be crying because the government screwed them.

 

I don't think the gas motor is going away anytime soon...The oil companies will lower the price of crude just enough to keep selling it...Most of the oil wells have been paid for so the overhead is nothing to them...I don't think Exon is going away very soon...People love to travel and I don't think an electric car will do that has well as a gas one does...Driving with the lights and AC on is quite a drain on batteries and you don't recharge them in 10 minutes like it does to refill a gas tank...Oil companies control the destiny of the electric car by contriving the price of gas..

 

When I grew up every corner had a service station that did repairs as well as sell gas, and all had a teenager or more employed to pump gas, change oil, and do other minor repairs. Today I think there is one station in town that still does repairs, the rest are convenience stores that still sell a gas like product.
Times change, always have, always will. My better half will probably have no problem selling the metric tools I have, might have a hard time selling the sae stuff. Fortunately I will not be here to see it.

 

You know I remember when I read that the Salt would be gone in a few years.
That was when I was a young teenager,,,,and I am a hell of a long way from that now.

I have heard about the demise of high performance cars for over 40 years.
Now it has come around and there are some of the highest horsepower cars that have ever existed!
They will scare the hell out of you ,and can go at such a high speed,,that if you contact anything solid,,,you will definitely not survive.

It all comes back around,,,don’t worry.
The young people will eventually turn to what interests them,,,whatever that might be.
At the end of the day,,,it is all about the money,,,,,,and that is what drives the manufacturer.
If the public wants classy,,,grandpa Cadillacs,,,that is what will be built.
If the demand is for electric,,that is what will be built.
And just wait until the autonomous driverless cars cause multi vehicle car wrecks and the fatalities,,,,,and the litigation,,,millions of dollars!
Then ,,the manufacturers will flee from them.

But,,,don’t think for a minute that the oil will go away until it is no longer needed.
For some of the countries ,,,that is all they have,,,,to barter with.
They trade it for money,,,,the world uses it,,,,,and it takes a lot of it to keep things going.
The oil nations already have it on tap,,,,it costs almost nothing to turn on the valve and let more flow,,,,it alll goes back to the money.

And sadly to say,,,someday,,,there will be another Great War.
Planes can’t run on batteries,,,not at the rate that fighters and bombers run.
It will require the power that is contained in petroleum.

Also,,,,the work has not been done enough on batteries and all electric cars yet.
What about being in a cold climate ,,,and being stuck in traffic behind and accident for several hours,,,you would freeze to death.
No heat from an internal combustion engine,,,,,,you don’t last long in the cold.

Don’t worry,,,someday it will all change,,,it always has.
The price of cars go up,,and back down,,,,who knows what the future will hold.

Just don’t roll over dead yet!!!

Like the old Chief on Josey Wales,,,,,Endeaver to Persevere!

Tommy

 

If old cars are outlawed.....Only outlaws will have old cars... Enough said.

 

Just another reason to support organizations that fight unfair legislation, like SEMA. HRP

 

The Over the Hill Gang rides again.

 

Walking Hershey yesterday, I could see and hear lots of people trying to unload their, or their husbands stash, etc. I hardly saw anyone in their 20's, 30's much less teens. It is a dying hobby in a way. Yes, there are newbies like me, but overall it is a dimishing crowd. I will say that I heard Swedes, and Dutch people, and saw some from Australia in the crowds, and I believe many overseas are picking up on the hobby.

 

It's almost 6am here in the East. In 2 hours, my 17 year old son, a senior in school, will start his day.
Driving his 25 year old pride & joy jacked up 250 with 35's, tinted windows, boomin' stereo and loud exhaust. Saturday, he'll ask to take the big block El out for a ride. Ok, neither is HAMB era, I know.
His continuing education will be a business/tech college, he wants to own a metal fabrication shop.
The hobby is changing as it always has and always will. Enjoy the part we're living now. There's a younger generation who WILL pick it up. Just not as our narrow focus may want. But it won't die. Look at all the tv shows on these days with automotive content. Reality tv isn't my thing, except Ian.
The sky truly is not falling.

 

We don’t have to go too far to see them- Even seen this Camper Buggy a few months back...ready for long distance transcontinental travel
I am just waiting for one of these young fellas to stick an old banger motor in one then look out- the whole cycle of the hot rod will start over again

 

Amish buggy is a normal thing in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

 

Possible.
I’m already looking into electric or a hybrid swap for one of mine.

 

Yep. Young folks can’t relate to old cars people keep hidden in a garage.

 

Quill and parchment -- pen and paper -- printing press -- typewriter -- word processor -- computer -- handheld device....
Do people still use and/or collect typewriters? Sure.
Will they still in 20 years???
I think the vintage car hobby is way ahead of the curve compared to most things.....
Chappy

 

The hamb needs an obituary and doom and gloom section.