Hot Rods Damn kids and their rain sensing windshield wipers

When I was leaving the bank today the pastor of a local church stopped me asked if I ever rented out my truck for photo shoots. Apparently the church has a family event on Mother's Day and provide various props for families to use for picture taking. Long story short I'm taking Rusty to the church on Sunday and parking him there for 3 hours. No charge of course. The pastor asked if it would be OK for people to lean on the truck or other wise touch it while posing for photos. I told her no problem and to let the kids sit in the driver seat and pretend to drive or climb on it to their hearts content. I have a battery disconnect so no worries. You never know if one the kids or their parents will become hot rodders as a result. The only problem I see is that I'm going to have to wash the windows and blow out the dust from the cab before delivering the truck.

 

Yeah the thing where people are standoffish or just too cool to answer questions sucks no matter what hobby, lifestyle or profession. If someone is feeling their way, help em out. When they show real promise you can decide how much to help them then. I have to be honest ive really never experienced the older guys not helping me thing in this hobby but I'm lucky I guess. New England has alot of hot rod royalty that are generous with both time and knowledge.

 

...............Well that, and you might want to take that pack of Trojans out of the glove box.

 

yeah I remember that model t when we would go visit family

 

A person a lot wiser than me once said "every person you'll ever meet knows something you don't". To me, that says humility and respect will go a long way.

 

“The fact is young people want to love old cars, but they seem like the domain of old men. To young people, they seem to be expensive, arcane, and unobtainable - and a pointless expense to a generation that has ever less money, less time and less space. But that's what passion is all about - if you're passionate about cars, you will shed such sensibilities and do what your heart demands.”
@trevorsworth



Hello,

Young people have an interest in old cars if the dads and moms are insistent on pushing things that way. Sometimes, it is just introducing the kids to cars in general. Seeing you work on them, modify/adapt to family finances and other roadblocks to owning a cool hot rod.

Other times, the cars are there, but the interest is just not there. It isn’t anyone’s fault or lack of trying. It just is one of those things that did not happen or will happen with the generation starting with the Gen X kids and their kids, the Gen Z group.

The Post War Group and the 1st Gen Boomers were the ones that got influenced, even if they did not have hot rod moms and dads. The inkling was there, the interest was there and grew to what it became, despite what stares they got from most parents of their friends.

Jnaki

These days, things like rain sensing wipers are a great comfort for driving. The cars are such that not much is done to modify them as they are daily drivers to school or work. Reliability is the key. Hot rodders are such a small group of people, it always has been and always will be. Don’t get in a tissy fit. It is just the way it always has been.

We grew up in a hot rod, cruising, custom car influenced world. That was not the general consensus of the stares and questions like “What do your parent do?” “What are you going to do after high school?” “Where are you going to school, next, etc?” And my favorite: “What is that red thing parked in the driveway?”


We lived through that cool time period for us, but the majority of kids were just not into hot rods, custom cars or drag racing. Only a special few that just happen to be our friends, that always hung out at the local drive-in restaurant parking lots, Lion’s Dragstrip and cruising the hot spots, like Belmont Shore or Bixby Knolls.

Sorry to say that with this new generation getting into their lives as teenagers, the hot rod group is getting smaller. There is no specific way to have them join the hot rod world. If it wasn’t for the times, it was just growing up with their own interests. Those interests are what they want to do and not what we see in the future, for the most part.

Didn’t we always hear: “Be an individual and do things your way…”

Well, the pandemic isn’t helping, but the new Generation Z kids have their own ways to do things and do their own creative things of interest, whatever they may be. For most, the trend going back to the late 50s is still a part of growing up. That small portion of the hot rod scene may not be a part of their current pandemic affected lives.

 

I'm one of the younger ones here (37). I've become more or less inactive the old car world now for 4 years after I was T-boned by a drunk driver. To add insult to injury, shortly thereafter the county cited junk ordnance about my pile of parts cars on the farm.

A few points to consider:
Most people my age don't have the resources to make a hobby out of HAMB-friendly type stuff. Try pricing a 1930's Ford. I have the farm and grew up wrenching on everything and have decent fabrication skills - theres no way it ever could of been a hobby if I didn't have the tools and knowledge to do it all myself.

No offense, but so many old guys like to "haze" anybody younger in the hobby. I've seen it many times.

I was in a orphan independent car club. It once was very nice with helpful kind people. As the primary generation aged out, the only ones still left standing seemed to just be odd, greedy, and mercenary. For example, it was a club member who gave the tip to the county ordnance enforcement about my parts cars. He actually happily stated to others in the club that he planned to "get everything for scrap price".

I got out, between my baby being totaled and loosing my parts cars. That and also just the social scene, why fight to be in something that nobody wants you to be in? I was in it for about 15 years, the scene changed so much in those years. I never would of got into it in the beginning had it been like it ended up at that time.

I still work on old engines, and tractors, and such, but I have not been involved in old cars now for 3 1/2 years. I suspect at some point the old car hobby will follow what happened to the Antique tractor hobby (especially 1930's stuff); once the primary generation died off that used the stuff in its heyday, market tanked. Once prices were affordable again and it could be a cheap hobby pastime, some younger people got in it. Will it ever be like it was? No, but there is some glowing embers of hope in the Antique Tractor world. I see it being longer before that happens to old cars as there is SO MANY speculators, dealers, and investors trying to hold the price up. But it will happen eventually, when it does I'll be there waiting looking for my next project.

 

How about this approach. Lend old cars to young people

The Pre-war Austin Seven Club has a Classic Car Loan Project. Mike

 

I purchased this car last week for the sole purpose of taking my grand kids out for ice cream. Gonna make some memories and kindle a passion for old cars.

 

I think the passion is the same throughout the generations, just with modern cars.

 

I wonder if they had chariot shows back in the day?

 

I think a lot of it is people not thinking about what they are saying and to the audience they are saying it to. Therefore, they wind up stereotyping and lumping everyone with that characteristic or commonality into one bunch. I know a couple of guys who think if your car isn't all finished and pretty like theirs it's not worth anything. So you just have to ignore those attitudes, do your own thing and realize there far more others that are supportive of your situation than theirs.

 

.......Word.

 

I'm 47, so in the middle of 25 and the average crowd.

I had guys refuse to sell me parts when I was 17-21. Race heads - big carbs, I couldn't possibly know what to do with them - right.

Only reason I'd be saying "damn kids" is cause they're getting more done on builds than I am.
More energy - less responsibility - doing it their own way - great recipe to build a lotta hot rods.