Today I went to a cruise in at our local diner. They put on a show every year for the past few and the show gets bigger every time. Looks like they had 70 -80 cars this time. So I am standing next to my car and a guy comes up to me and starts talking. I know him from the local parts house. He asks me " So what do you think the average age of the people here is?" I looked around. All graybeards. WOW. Next question was "what going to become of all these cars in the next 20 years?" So for me, I have 2 sons-in-law around 40 that understand. What about the other guys? What do you think?
No pix! Lets buy a camera. And to the question, some will be ruined with BIG modern mags/pro pick/tourized (just check out national events posted on the HAMB) others will be 'faux patina'd' to the point of fugly. A few will be preserved. Lets hope there is an awakening to more restraint in modifications. Long term, bleak.
When I'm gone it won't matter,,but having lost several hot rod friends in the last few years the cars end up where they should. 2 years ago I was able to buy my old sedan back from my friend Rogers wife after he passed away,,he had instructed her to give me first shot at it. Deuce Roadster passed away recently and his wife will enjoy his roadster. We have lost 2 members of our car club in the last year,,a sister got a car and a son got one,,their will always be someone to carry the torch after we have all are gone. HRP
I'm hoping my sons, and daughters will enjoy mine when I'm gone. I'll come back and haunt my wife if she sells them, and doesn't give them to the kids who might want them!
Well... I'm 38 and around here (North Jersey) I'm far from one of the youngest guys around. Most guys with old cars though are a lot older than me and there's a reason for that... Money. I have a lot of friends who are in their 50s-70s... My one friend is in his early 70s, has an awesome J2 57 Olds Super 88... it was the car he always wanted. Finally after the kids were done with school and the house was paid off..etc... The usual story. I'll say this. If I had a wife and 2 kids, there's no way I'd have the time or spare cash for my cars.
I feel your pain in wondering how so far removed from "getting it" some people can be, but on the other hand, he came, he looked and he asked questions. There may be hope for humanity yet. My 6 year old granddaughter wants my deuce.
You know what? This same "issue" has been discussed ad nauseum since the early '70s! One of the first Street Rodder magazine editorials by Tex Smith was lamenting the "excessive grey beards" at the events of the day. I think that time has shown there will always be people who "get it."
I don't really know about the Deuces but I do know that my eldest Granddaughter (Hannah) will inherit the "Ranch Wagon" that for more than half her life watched as it was lowly rebuilt. Hannah's Great,great,grandmother bought the wagon new and passed it on to my wife,her oldest granddaughter and Hannah being our granddaughter. The plus is she understands what this car means to us and she loves to go with us and often ask to go in the wagon. we are pretty sure the car will remain in the family for years to come. HRP
I have two that I would like to see stay in the family,my 55 Ford convertible that was bought new by my dad and will be no problem to keep in the family but I am concerned with my 37 Chevy p/u. My family probably wont care about it since it came from the side of the family most on my side do not know,we had a reunion on that side last weekend and I was talking with some about it and how I wanted someone on that side to have it if no one on my side wants it.
I'm 33 and know a bunch of guys in their 30's & 40's with the passion and reasonable taste. They won't all be ruined. Please tell your kids that just because your stuff is old doesn't mean it's worth a million bucks. I encounter some really nice cars being sold by the kids or grandkids of car guys & the asking prices are WAAAY out of this world. TV probably doesn't help. We are just caretakers until the next guy takes over...
I don't have kids or a wife. I'll take it apart and sell it before I go and leave those instructions in my will.
back to the show - no pics to post? the what will happen topic has been covered before. the Model T group is much older and little market for their mint stock cars. but, things go in cycles, the world will be OK.
It seems more and more stuff is coming up for sale as the WWII generation is passing away. Sad but a lot of "barn finds" are seeing the light of day. Also being younger (35) you guys did some ugly stuff in the 70s and 80s to cars, so don't be too hard on the the next generation (meaning younger than me). Enough time on the HAMB and they will come around to tradition!
Our cars will go to younger guys that appreciate them. There's a 16 year old kid in another thread trying to get his Pontiac running. He's learning about it right now just like I did at his age. These cars will end up with guys like him, just like the cars ended up with us from the previous generation. All is as it should be. I hope my cars end up with some young guy (or gal) that has the passion to keep them alive. That would suit me fine.
What will be missing in the future is the passion [in most cases] that we developed from years of intense desire to own and drive a particular vehicle. I know lots of young guys who will want our cars. Some of them have the passion for them, but most do not. They just think of them as something they "like", not something they have a burning desire for. At least at some point in the future they will have a chance to own them for a lot less than we want for them today. I hope that at least my two boys will appreciate mine as much as they say they will. It won't matter because I won't know. I am just having the best time enjoying them now. That is what really matters, isn't it?
Just finished a week of Hot August Nights in Reno. Over 6000 cars entered and I swear the average age of the participants dropped a couple of years from the last event. Not all of the younger guys are building what would be considered Trad cars, but they are building cars, which is what the hobby needs. Also noticed the Low Riders seem to have a LOT of younger guys building traditional Low Riders.
My truck is going on 22 years since it's been completed with only a few changes. I'm not one of those who puts the "Please don't touch" sign on mine. If I see a parent with a small child, I'll usually put the kid on the seat and let the folks take a picture. Same goes with kids in their teens.....and the occasional good looking woman. I was born and raised in Germany. Not much in the way of car shows. I do remember the first time someone put me in the drivers seat of a vehicle at a show. Hopefully it will give the kids something to remember and possibly get another generation interested.
I regrettably believe that our cars will be both fazed out from technology and as well, legislated off the highways. A fact that one would hate to admit, it could very well be spurned on by the auto industry itself, as it wants and NEEDS reoccurring customers for their products. And, our local and state governments' voracious need for tax revenues.
I would hope my cars go to my grandkids. If they are not into cars, oh well I won't be around to worry about it!
In 20 years as we graybeards phase out, there will probably be a new generation of "barn finds". Hopefully people like my grandsons will find the joy of moving to the front seat and cruising behind the wheel.
As was pointed out, it's a never ending debate. As for the cars---chances are there will be a story and a conclusion on each one, I doubt if any, with any value, will go to the crusher. The club I belong to is 45 years old, with the majority of member pretty much gray beards. Like most long standing clubs, we've lost a few older guys but their cars have all (with one current exception) been settled with logical conclusion. BILL RINALDI
I like small parking lot cruses, where was this one? I consider Vancouver part of my Local aria. Would like to have been there. I see there is a down town cruse event next Sat the 17th I believe. Then your event on 78th street the 24th. The Wizzard
This same debate goes on in the Harley Davidson World - "They only build bikes for old guys and they are going to be in trouble when the old guys die" Well guess what Sparky - "New" Old Guys come along EVERY Day. We all get older and our desires, passions, and interests change with age. Hot Rodding, just like Harley Davidson, Will Survive
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