Todays youth NOT interested

I made it a point to give my nephew (1 year old) a early start. All my old toy hot rods & a power wheel "Lightning McQueen" that he will get to AMP up as he gets older.

And of course Uncle Tommy will help him make whatever econo-box his mom makes him get more fun.

 

Do what I did ... help em along if you can. I have to update my thread with pics from taking them to Bonneville, and add a little to what we have done on the truck. Check my sig ...

 

I agree with you to a point.if people would show some repect for your property there wouldn't be those signs.ive seen adults with buckels and chain wallets all over my cars and others too.not even caring that they are getting ready to do some scratchin on the paint.i like my cars with shiney paint.i don't care if its old or brand new.i like shiney and I dont want it all scratched up.now I do let kids get in them and play like they are drivin. don't care about that but ive had kids just jump up on a hood to get a pic takin and that sends me over the edge.i don't let my grandkids do anything like that let alone someone else kid..

 

hope the kids BRING MONEY

 

I think todays youth don't have a lot of exposure to cars from the Model T's all the way through to the 70's Muscle cars. You see the four cylinder foreign cars all over the place. I was born in the early 70's and thought muscle cars from the late 60's/early70's ruled until I was about 18. I didn't care for anything before 1966 - because I dodn't really have much exposure to them. When I was 18 I saw a '51 Merc custom that changed me. After that, I thought 50's customs were the best thing ever. I still loved muscle cars. At that time, my reference point for Model T's and Model A's were what happened t them in the seventies... huge rear tires, all disco'd out. Those didn't appeal to me. It wasn't until I was in my thirties that I became more familiar with with a traditional hot rod. And now, after my '51 Merc Kustom is on the road in the near future, I already know my next project is a Model A. I still love muscle cars. I can even find plenty of things I like about these tiny engine imports, which are really an evolution of our traditional hot rods for a different generation. The moral of my story is that these kids don't have the exposure to hot rods and customs that are so important to us. They don't know hoe great they are. They don't even know what they are missing. So that means we all have to get out there and drive the hell out of our cars, so we let them have exposure to our cars.


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In my observation, I've found that the closer you are to a city, particularly the East Coast, the less interest there is in owning any old car among the younger crowd. A good number of them don't even drive! What interest there is, tends to lean towards import tuners and Pri-i microcar junk or whatever wind-up green fad is popular this week. Fabricated single gear bicycles are the closest thing you see to a hot rod most days around Boston.

The further out you go, the more you see but with the younger guys it's still mostly lifted trucks and imports with stereos that cost more than blue book. The young guys that DO have an interest in old cars are mostly getting pulled in my the Rat Rod thing, which will hopefully just be a gateway drug.

 

There are a lot of kids out there into cars. But someone said it earlier, our hobby has gotten pretty expensive. Youth haven't changed as much as a lot of people think. They are doing the same things we did...taking the kinds of cars they can get their hands on, customizing them, making them go fast etc. Not much difference in my opinion than the 1960s etc. It just so happens the readily available cars today are imports. Don't count them out just because they don't chop the top or run their Honda Civic with out fenders!

 

There is still a good amount of youth interested in traditional rods. One thing I have noticed is a good portion of them are quick to jump ship and move on to something else

 

Great thread! I grabbed some truth out of just about every post up here, from expensive hobby, to snobby old donut dunker fart clubs (ever been to a RichGuys event or LA Roaster show ?), and Big city no old cars blues? And the profound " it's really a hobby of the few." We've all heard the cliché: Crows fly with Crows and Swans fly with Swans. I have been around for awhile and see the Beautiful rods and Power Parker guys in their little enclave over there and The Primer Cracked window Mex Blanket seat cover Dudes huddled under the only remaining shade tree, over there.....
The point is there is much diversity in this hobby, and it's just a matter of finding what you and your pocket book can enjoy.
I have finely got to a point where I just don't want to bother with car covers and a California Duster ! I rather plug in some Muddy Waters and lean across the hood with a cold one, and watch the cruisers...... Cheers!

 

I understand what you are saying but few guys right out of school have $20k+ to blow on a 32 or a $2k shell and ALL of the tooling and the space to turn it into something.

One day I'll have something to drive on the street that is period and "HAMB" worthy but its more important to set my family up financially right now than have a bunch of toys I can barely afford in a house that barely holds my daily driver, my wife's, and my dragster.

Besides, I work 7am-4pm M-F and till 9pm on tuesdays and thursdays. I don't think you want my schedule . . .

 

plus one

 

I honestly believe America is about to come full circle.... lets face it, Detroit is putting out some of the best Automobiles yet, and the Japanese still cant even contain water at their nuclear power facility...

Realizing this is a Global forums promoting Hotrodding across the globe....

This message board impacts more youth then we will ever know. Thanks to Ryan for this incredible message board....

I hate loud bangin rap music. I don't like the youth wearing pants that leaves their asses hangin out, and Japanese cars aren't for me. I think, that back in the day, mom stayed home, Dad worked at the hardware store, and families ate dinner together.

Today, Dad cant make a living at the hardware store, mom works, and most families don't eat dinner together. This sucks. Kids have to go to college in order to make a living. So I think everything is pushed back. A kid will be 28 to 30 before their careers are in line, houses bought, now hobbys started.

SO this hotrod hobby will still be here, and trips like many folks who are retired take across the great US of A will still take place.


Hey Tyler, I will take your schedule.... I am Midnights to 10 am or noon sunday through, every 6 to 8 weeks my shift changes.... Never a body clock adjustment. I have 25 yrs on the job.... I wish I had a day shift????

 

Heck, there are many older men who cast off the old cars in middle age to go with Mustang GTs and Corvette/Camaro whatevers.
There are plenty of young folks who are interested and while the 50s/60s cars are still affordable are jumping right in. Also a good group of young gun T bucket builders, still an affordable for all entry car. Just have to educate them about the foolishness of the RR fad, my brain hurts when I see anyone over 30 driving or building or thinking about building one of those atrocities and total wastes of good parts.

 

Maybe if more people dropped their elitist old goat attitudes, you'd see more people enjoying the hobby...

Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Really sad that this past week ends car show posted pix threads do NOT get the comment/view that these rehashed beach-fest's do. Every week, the male soap opera w/the same cast of characters. Sept. 1st/2nd may be the change and turning point the joint need's so very badly.

 

I'm 27 and obsessed with old steel but im sure i'm not a youth anymore lol.. I'v got pics somewhere of my cousins children all over my 51 chevy wrecker, 64 c10, 66 f100 4x4, and a few of my other old rides having the time of their lives.. maybe its the fascination for something unique instead of an old car or maybe the fact that my 51 looks like mater off the movie cars.?

I have a few old carburetors I let them take apart and they seem to have as much fun as me tinkering with that stuff. anyways, I think its what they are around growing up that catches their eye.. weather it be a fancy cellphone and video games or our classic rides.. in my opinion there is ALWAYS time to chat it up with them and explain what the float in a carburetor is!

 

Take your kids (or someone else's kids) to a car show. I do - and my daughter takes her own pictures of the cars she thinks are "cool" - and guess what - it's usually a HAMBish Hot Rod or a 50's custom.

 

amen brother!!!

 

Ain't that the truth.

I think that over the last 20 years the prices of these collector cars have made them unatainable for some of us that are passionate about the hobby and live it everyday. When the chainers die off hopefully their car collections will only fetch a fraction of the cost that they put out int he first place to own them and just let them sit in the garage as show pieces. I can't wait to own a steel body 41 Willys.
Jay

 

Not long ago, I believe during an episode of "Overhaulin", Jay Leno said that if you are restoring old cars, and making money selling them, you are doing something wrong! You have to be doing it for the love of the hobby or the car; it usually costs more to build/ restore a car than it is worth (In other words, they are not always a "good investment"!).

 

On one hand the old car interest may be on the decline or not in the U.S of A. However, this hobby has sparked great interest overseas. In the 50's and 60's I could not remember this much foreign interest in "American Iron"

 

You sorta nailed it there bud. I'm going to run off at the mou...uh, fingers from where you left off. 1st, when you're sayin things about kids n youth, you're probably officially getting old. I'm 56. My dear departed Dad wasn't much into muscle cars but they excited me almost as much as a nice ass on gorgeous blonde. I've owned a who's who list of em too. 500KR, Boss 302, LS5 Chevelle, and more. Guess what I have now? Model A, 61 Belair, 65 GTO thanks to another fellow member here, and a 54 AD PU. And what I do? Old cars. Packards and hot rods, teens stuff, spent the last 6yrs 'returning' to Hershey and will be there again this year. Don't see a buncha yunguns there either, but then again it's a weekday meet, not a Sat Sun gig so you're either retired or dug in enough to make the time.

Also, ANY FORM OF HOT RODDING SERVES ALL OTHER FORMS. Someone mentioned diesels, lots mentioned tuners, even rap was thrown in the mix, but at 56 I was just listening to my latest Beastie Boys CD that the lil woman shagged for me from the $5 bin. Yeah, 56 and there some of it I really like. Maybe not as much as I like the Rat Pack or Rosemary Clooney, maybe just as much. It's a mood thing. I like those 2 examples better than the same 3 dozen doo wop songs played at every fuckin cruise night. So there's a bit of WTF for the topic. Converted by upbringing, still diggin some of the old and the new, plenty of respect for all of it. And that's it right there. RESPECT. No not that scratched up fuckin CD with Aretha singin it, the real thing. It's earned not entitled. Be repectful and respectable to the youth of today (when they deserve it) and what sort of influence will you make? While I might say to myself "...I coulda had a V8..." when I see a tuner, I still see a few that are indeed works of mechanical art. And at the same time, I could care fuckin less for some billet-new bodied-fuel injected-20" wheel-winged fuckin steering wheel-IFS-IRS street rod. No kids doing that is there? Of course not, mostly old guys. Who's behind the wheel of that $80K worth of parts and 4000+man hours? Unless he's hit the lottery or has his dad's/grampa's car, he's probably at least 55-60, no? Anybody wanna start a topic of how those old guys aren't into old cars?

If there was a devil thumbin his nose emoticon it would be here...

 

theres still a few around.My 14year old grt nephew is learning on my 55 chev and cant get enough -----shure hope he dosent loose interest

 

I am 27 years old and am building the most Hamb friendliest car, as if it were built in the 50's. Not even using a mustang 2 front end like most of the cars like mine have. For those of you with a collection of cars who are scared of them ending up in the wrong hands, you can give them to me and I will gladly take care of them for you

 

The 16 year old kid that lives down the street from me shows up every time my shop door is open, digs in and has a voracious appetite for learning. He can tell a Nailhead from a Rocket from a Y block by the bare block, and can finish your sentences on the most arcane hot rod/muscle car subjects. At 16. Don't paint 'em all with the same broad brush.

-KK

 

Were still out there man just not a ton of us. Im not into the traditional hot rod my self i like them on the ground with big wheels but still appreciate all the old stuff just build mine the way i like instead of what everyone considers a traditional hot rod To look like

 

My favorite car show is the Pavillions in Scottsdale.I've been going there for over 20 years and our hobby is alive and well.I've witnessed tweedy Rolls Royce owners discussing hydraulics with the kid in a lowrider and the guy with shoebox Ford.There are some fark stains,like the aging body builder with his 59 Caddy Conv. that he swears is original paint and thinks it's worth 80 grand and the goofs in their "Mine too" Mustangs and Corvettes.Overall,I've met tons of cool people in the hobby and lots of young people,so I think our investments are safe and sound.

 

Here is an opinion: When I was a teenager in the 60's a car was probably the only way to explore the world outside of your front yard....it was the way to learn, to socialize, to get ahead, and to get away. Now, kids have many more opportunities and more avenues to discover....the internet and social media being the latest. Kids find that they dont need to go to the drive in to meet their peers....the keyboard takes them there.....the HAMB is an example....30 years ago we could never communicated with other rodders outside of our radius of travel with the exception of magazines.

I think that there are still kids interested in cars....perhaps fewer than in the 80's or 90's but there are still hot rodders.

When the price of 32 three window coupes or Deuce roadsters start FALLING, then we know our hobby is dying.....

 

By me cash and space is a factor. You can't find anything but rust buckets for a decent price here and unless you have a garage you have no place to work on them. I think the hobby is fine, I get lots of folks asking question and smiles when I go by.

 

....I know you're not talking about me.