Art & Inspiration Are kids still dreaming on the sidewalks? (must read!)

I've got a buddy at work who brings me his dads copies of the AACA newsletter/magazine when he finishes with them. I scanned this out of the latest issue. It blew me away, give it a read if you've got a minute.

 

Sadly, probably not.

Rich

 

Yes, esp. when in a town the ride does not frequent. Give 'em a wave, or a toot of the horn.

 

Sadly, for many children, the wishing is done playing "Grand Theft Auto IV".

 

Funny that. A few months ago I was at work and having lunch with two "kids". Both are in their early twenties. One has on '07 Toyota (or something very close). The other has the same model but its an '09.

They wre taking about their cars and one guy says "Oh yeah your model has the i-pod terminal". It struck me that when I was in my early twenties I was thinking of four on the floor, dual quads, positraction etc. Times have changed. But not as much as the kids. I'm old and would love to do it all over but not in these times.

 

I think they still are. When I pick my son up from grade school in the 66 Chevy Pickup and watch hundreds of kids get on their bus, at least one or two will stop dead in their tracks and point while the majority run into the back of him/her. I would say 2 out of 25 if I had to pick odds. It's a subject that has always interest me, since I think "the bug" starts as soon as we start forming sentences, and the HAMB is just confirmation that there are others as consumed by cars as ourselves.

 

Most of them are texting. but there's always a few...we wound up here, didn't we?

 

Just yesterday, while leaving work, I saw two younger teens crossing the road when they spotted the hod rod garage on the other corner. They had to be 14 or 15 years old and they just kept staring at a couple of very nice mid late 30's Chev's, a 68 GTO and a 46-ish Ford 'vert. I smiled then I stared at the cars too while I waited for the light to turn green.

 

As a younger guy (31) I can promise you that the majority of young guys till dream about getting 'that car'. What has changed is the complexity of the automobile. Modern electronic and sensor systems have made it very difficult for the younger generation to play with cars like you older guys did. I actually think its really funny how many of you older dudes bag on the 'ricers'. Alot of the guys that are into the import scene know A LOT about engine tuning and suspension building. The stuff some of those kids are doing is FAR more complicated than what was going on in the 60's. So keep in mind, just because some young punk is dying to get behind the wheel of a Supra or an STI, they still have their heart in the right place. If they'd been born 30 years earlier they'd be just like you guys.

 

I was, still am and, always will be the kid dreaming from the sidewalk! Thats the stepping stone to what this forums about!

 

A few years ago, I was driving a 1951 Buick Roadmaster Riviera, (2-door hardtop) On a regular basis. It wasn't super-nice, but not bad. I had painted it flat black, and lowered the rear a bit. The toothy grill and the bumpers and the rest of the trim still shined. I was driving down an unfamiliar side-street one summer day, and approached a half a dozen young kids playing in the yard. Quite a ways before I passed them...still about half a block away...these very young kids started yelling, "Hey look at the cool old car!!!" They were waving and jumping up and down, and just really carrying on. "Wow!", a couple of 'em yelled. I of course beeped the horn, smiled and waved. I got a real kick out of it, and was genuinely surprised that such young kids would take notice. Cracked me up. So...all is not lost. Even some of the youngsters can appreciate the old cars. Not all of 'em...but some of 'em. A small segment of the population. You have to admit, that we are a small segment of the population. And even when I was little, in the early sixties, I was in the minority. Most of my friends wanted Mustangs and Impalas and such, but I liked the early cars. So maybe not much has really changed. I hope not.

 

Im afraid most of it is gone . They have been exposed to the endless sea of bars of soap on wheels . You still see it in some places , Most of us car guys have children that are interested. My 9 year old knows most of the old cars already. And gets excited telling me about all of them. But the ill mannered thump of cammed up big block chevy doesnt seem to even turn a head from the baggy saggy pants video game crew trodding along on the sidewalk.

I got to witness it first hand a year or so ago when i picked up a turqoise and white 57 chevy 2 door post. It sat nice with a set of coke bottles and ya know what .I was taking and picking up my son from school in it almost everyday. Kids of all ages walked past that car and i cant remember a one of them that even threw a second glance , all except for my son and one other little boy in his grade " who just happened to be walking a few cars behind mine to his dads big block 68 chevelle"

When my son was in preschool he went every day , sun , wind , rain or snow in a blacked out lowered 68 chevy swb pick up with a blown small block . Those preschoolers ooed and awed more than the high school kids did.

My uncle has a 62 Nova with a 6-71 topped small block , his first trip to town in it was last summer at about midnight , he pounded it around town a few times and as i was walking into the gas station after fishing that night and overheard kids talking , one of them said " What the hell is that thing" another one said " i think the power steering pump is going out" ha ha ha , he was talking about the blower whine.

Its not totally lost , but it sure seems like its losing ground fast.

 

We need to steer them away from imports.. To tell you the truth, I had it up to here with those things.... That's my .02 cents worth.

 

I feel like that kid somethimes, usually it just gets me into the mood to fix something on one of my own trucks. Sad enough though, being in highschool, ive come to realize that kids dont care about old cars. The only car they want is a rice burning ear bleeder that has to have every bell and damn whistle and they should be able to drive it from day 1. Because god knows what would happen if they logged off of X-box and worked on any type of god damn vehicle.

 

I was cruising one of the local small towns when I drove past a pair of young siblings. They were about 5 and 7, brother and sister, and they were both riding their bikes. When I passed I waved as the sister stopped to look at the '40. I glanced in my rearview mirror to see the little brother crash into his sister's bike. Both children were fine, and it still makes me laugh. I've been that little boy riding my bike before. I didn't hit my sister though, I hit a parked car.

 

I literally watched a kid walking down the sidewalk texting. He walked right into a telephone pole. It was so funny.

 

My son is gonna be 4 in a couple weeks,He is growing up a hot rod kid thats for sure,when he sees old cars driving down the road he will talk about them for hours.And he will bring them up days later as if it just happened.You can imagine the enjoyment and how proud and lucky I feel everytime this happens.I am blessed.It reminds me that they do indeed still dream from the sidewalks but it helps to show them the dream and how much fun it truly is.
It really makes me wish sometimes I was his age to remember how much fun it was too see those cars and do the same thing with my dad.But Then I think about the fact that IAM still doing it just in reverse order.The dream will always be with us.Thats for sure!!!!

 

Now imagine that kid at the wheel of a car. ....... I hope they pass that law in Michigan about no driving and texting at the same time.... First ticket $100.00

 

im 26 but i grew up with my dad telling me stories about his 57 F100 that had a 530 mel in it and he would race unsuspecting guys in there suped up T's and he'd romp on them every time ive been in the import seine since i was 16 and those are the new hot rods of the times. i understand that they all sound loud and alike but didnt any of you have parents or older people when growing up say that your 30's40's50's60's cars were a nucence and those dam hot rods always causing troubles? its just a guess but i think they did.

 

Reminds me of an event in 1968. The London to Sydney car rally came through our town (Ringwood, Vic, Australia ) Me and a few school mates just stood at the pedestrian crossing and pushed the button every time a rally car came over the hill . We stood there for hours that day just looking and looking at these cars that had raced half way around the world.

 

Yes. Maybe not the same dream that we did but their still dreaming. I see it in my grandsons when their watching "Cars" for the fourth time that day, or when they sit in the '26 in the garage, or when their climbing all over the newest project I've drug in. I see it at the local car shows or in the crowd of kids that gather around my car when I park. Yes, thankfully, their still dreaming...

 

Thats funny, I was out for a walk tonight (Dont laugh, old Army habbit that dies hard) and found myself watching a very tough blown EH Ute go by that I had never seen before. For 5 minutes I was in tha thing laying rubber through my town.

See, do kids still dream? I duno but us older guys sure still do, Ive lost count of the number of times Ive done 200+ at Bonneville and have neve stood on the US salt.
Won top eliminator at Lions but was bourn after it closed.

Its all good, some of them are still dreaming and will be our replacements. some.

Doc.

 

My pops had a 54 bel air and would pick me and my brother up from school. There was no feeling like being the "hood" kids at school, then having the "cool" kids the next day telling me about how badass my old mans car was. And its funny when i go to see him and we get old blue out and still get the looks.

 

Every time I get the coupe out for a drive kids wave when I drive by. I always toot the horn and wave back. I think teens don't notice the coupe. They are busy with the phone or some import. Most older guys remember 40's and 50's cars they had and are long gone when we drive by.

 

Time marches forward. You can't go backward. Why does every older generation think the younger generation has it wrong? I want my kids to like the stuff I like, but I also realize they might not. ANd I will never try to force them too.

Also, When I was in my teens (late 80's) Cool old cars to me were 60's muscle cars. Basically 20 year old cars. Take today's kids and look at what's 20 years old for them to look at as cool old cars of the same relative vintage as I was into. We're talking early 90's cars. Besides Mustangs, Camaro and Firebirds, what was any good really?

 

I'm glad you guys liked the piece!

I for one was always dreaming about what it would be like to own "that" ride and call it my own. Seems like I still dream about owning other cars aside from what I already have.


That's an interesting point about wanting 20yr old cars when you were in school. I graduated from school in 89, and at that point there were plenty of 20yr old cars I would have loved to own....Now, there aren't really any 20yr old cars which I crave. Not saying I wouldn't own one, I just don't sit around lusting about anything built in 1990.

 

Just this weekend my young fella (7yr old) and his mate ran from the backyard out to the street because they heard the throaty rumble of a tuff V8 coming up the street. Unfortunately a lot of stuff in the story posted just isn't around anymore, ie chrome hubcaps etc which is a real shame.

 

I think instead of trying to bash all the ricers, we should at least appreciate what they are trying to do. Taking what they have and customizing it. Take away the make and model and they are essentially doing the same thing we do. Modifying their cars to make them their own. Lowered, custom wheels, exhaust, body mods. Sound familiar. It's a different time and times change. I know that preserving the hot rod is important, but kids now often don't have the opportunity to buy an original 29 ford and start cutting it up. 40 years from now these Honda guys might have a forum bashing all the kids who don't have 4 cylinder Vtecs in their hover cars. As long as kids are into cars period, their tastes will change over time and with age and wisdom, they will learn to appreciate the older hot rods. And hell, at least they only butchered hondas learning the skills they needed to build real hot rods.

 

The small town i live in i go to my buds shop and have to pass the schools on the way...I get yells from the kids in my coupe all the time to get on it. I think they just see more ricer's then 31 coupes but they like mine

 

My daughter on my Dads Buick-------She's now 58 years old!!!!