Todays youth NOT interested

Right on, brother!

 

"VERY WELL stated; 12gauge"....it is sad, but true !! My opinion: A vast majority of today's youth are like this...but NOT ALL ! There are the FEW,that will carry the tradition on !! There's somewhat; HOPE for the future !!

 

I am 38 and have a 5 year old daughter that loves our hotrods. I have had her in the shop with me since 2 years old. She gets pissed when I dont pick her up from school in one of the cars. I am in hopes that she caries on the love of the cars/hobby as she ages. Whether she does or doesn't she will be exposed as long as I am alive. My only challenge is that she is fond of the 32's and wants me to paint a pink and purple one for her! I think that the hobby will remain strong as long as we continue to educate and expose younger kids to the trade/hobby.

 

Sadly, the thought that sons (or daughters) will automatically be interested in what the parent enjoys is disproved more often that proved. I can testify with regard to both of my sons. The older took up hockey and has played at every level, even minor pro after college. The younger got into computes and now (with a college degree in his field) makes enough to buy all the hot rods he could want...if he wanted any. They are both supportive of my interest, but not themselves interested. My observation is that youngsters are interested in our hobby, but not in the numbers seen in the 50's and 60's because the opportunities for "distractions" are so much more diverse. Yes, some of our older generations can be at times aloof and exclusive about their projects, in my observation, just as many, if not more, are "just waiting" for someone to ask or show interest and their questions are gladly answered. We just need to be sure that more, if not most, of us adopt that attitude. I saw a wonderful example of this attitude at the Vintage Racing weekend at Beech Ridge Speedway in Maine August 2013. Several car owners welcomed kids climbing into their racers. One in particular had a spectacular, well maintained and clean open wheel pinto bodied modified with whom I was chatting. During our brief chat, he welcomed every kid who asked to get into the car and pretend to drive. He even shoved the rear nerf bar once and told the kid that's what you don't want to feel...means someone wants to pass you! Sure this is a microcosm and doesn't answer the issue, but it does shine as an example of how "it should be" to be certain that kids feel they will be welcomed to the hobby. Just my humble opinion, tempered with plenty of age. Tom in Maine

 

Don't look down your nose at a young kid's Honda Civic or other import. It's what's affordable, familiar and plentiful as they're cutting their teeth on cars. Many of us learned about cars by driving and fixing beaters. Nobody likes their car being called crap or a waste of time. Some of their interests will evolve into rods and customs and some won't. Welcome them into the hobby.

 

1. If you think your life was harder than young people today, then come spend a week in my class. You will probably discover both you and them have more in common than you may think.
2. You are correct. young people are not exposed to positive, hard working influences as much as we may were.
3. Solution? Find a place or situation where you can become a positive influence.

 

I'm on a coin collecting site and this topic has never come up. They don't seem worried and they don't give a damn. They seem to be doing nicely, too.

 

A few months back I pulled the cover off my 51 chieftain project. One of the neighbours kids, noticed this and came running to see it. He said he had seen me trailer it home and was so excited to take a look. I was fascinated by his enthusiasm, and desire to go over the car, especially considering I had my garage door open with a DeLorean in it. It always amazes me what turns some people on. It made me happy he appreciated the old pontiac.

 

I do the same----I have a sign I put in the window that says ---you can touch this one but not the others. Get lots of kids that want to sit in the truck hand have their picture taken, even loaned it to an old couple that was renewing their commitment to each other with a wedding(they were in their late 80s) I just had to show the old man how to feather the clutch on a 450hp 1948 Int PU so they could make their getaway with lots of noise.

There were maybe 30 kids of various ages that was real curious about how it was built, so I spent a couple of hours explaining what it took to build a hotrod, I was careful to not get too detailed in the build process so I didn't discourage the later generation of hot rodders

 

I read through a lot of this post and agree the younger generation needs to be inspired to get involved, I have a problem with the Take a Kid to a car show mentally you see in the back of the mags, a guy holding the kids hands walking up to a shinny Hot Rod, (Look but don't touch! these are very expensive collector cars!)so keep your distance, is the message that is sending. They should have a guy leaning under the hood of a old car in a salvage yard wrenching with the kid standing on the bumper looking in! Kids want to touch, feel, mess with & dream of the time they get to work with the tools! "Take a kid to the forgotten Salvage yard!" would be my Add.
Some of them will find there way, I have a small restoration, custom, hot rod shop in Nebraska. I only take in young guys who have an interest in learning the craft and skills of rebuilding classics and custom etc. I have been doing it for decades now and see a falling number of guys that have the exposure to anything mechanical. I think the interest is there it's just harder for them to focus with modern day electronics I-phones and instant gratification of games & the internet, or a place to hang out. That's why I keep my door open and give them an opportunity to get involved. So after each evening I use the internet to bring up something from the old days that interested us as kids, music, Johnny Cash, a movie like American Graffiti, and also stories about the days of friday night cruising strips (safety) racing from light to light, chasing Bonneville's loaded with girls all night long, finally getting the chance to pull up beside them and give your best James Dean! After a while I get these kids pissed off they were born in the wrong decade! I mean they hang on to the stories and just imagine themselves there! that's what captures them and gets them hooked in to wanting more! and working on old classics, be it a Rat Rod or restoration they have a ball learning how to cut fabracate, weld, grind and just get dirty and see the results of their efforts!

We have to find the way to get in their heads and realize yesteryear was a cool place to be! sorry they missed out, but why not jump on the 2nd go around! Here are some pictures of a few of them working on this 47 I-H rat rod they we are building and a few others.

 

I've commented on this thread once before, but Ill do it again. I don't believe I shared this last time. Earlier this year I went to a car show here in Burbank that was sponsored by a local, old, an prominent car club. One of the officers of the club chatted me up and seemed interested in me becoming a part of the club, even though I'm building my second car and it wasn't currently running (they allegedly have a rule you have to have a running car :/ ) He tells me I'd be the youngest member of the club by 15 years or so (I'm 34). Fast forward a couple weeks and I email him per our car show converation, wanting to follow up on the membership offer. Fellah just says "Oh yeah, I remember you, hope you enjoyed the show. Maybe I'll see you around sometime." Nothing else....nada. Ernmmmm....ok. Lots of these older guys may huff and puff about the younger guys, but then one comes up and you just give him the brush? Lame.


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Well after reading the posts ,it seems that most of us have a positive feeling on the up an comers (mostly our own kids) my kids are into it I have a 39 ford 1/2 ton , not on the road yet , my kids have grew up with it in my celler,in pieces ,Idon,t have a garage ,so where else could it go ,right?, ,times are tough right now,moneywise ,my wife could care less about my truck ,why don,t you sell it! we need the money !she says , all my kids say NO! ! ! It s a good feeling they love it because they know I love it .my kids are 23.16,14,12 an 8 .. my goal is to have it on the road for my 16 year old daughters senior prom ,for HER to drive, I drove it around the nieghborhood 2 months ago ,no doors ,winshield or grill. .it was a hit all my yuppy niebors were out an about got some good looks (no seatbelts a mother said ! NO DOORS ! I said . my kids /youth are very much interested ! mike p

 

I do the same. I kick outa the kids with their girlfriends in hand and telling them all about the one they're gonna build and never say anything to belittle his remarks or make him look foolish or impolitely correct his errors unless he asks. Now if he starts mean mouthing my or others cars around me I'll correct him and not necessarily in the nicest way.

 

I found that todays youth are interested....lots of questions and interest on the hotrods....the hobby will carry on in the future

 

Hello 3 Pedals,

If you read my post as looking down on tuners...or any other segment of the auto hobby as a whole, you have misinterpretted my post and certainly my intent. I read the original post as chiding those older hobbyists (I am 71) for not making younger enthusiasts welcome or "looking down my nose" at them as being perhaps a reason why kids are not interested. I was around when the culture changed! I remember in high school in the 50's playing football in a large (for Maine) school. 110 guys tried and out we fielded a strong varsity, JV and freshman team. 5-6 years after I graduated, the school could barely field a competitive team. Many of the guys at my school chose jobs after school instead of sports...often to finance auto purchases. Cars became a big deal in the early 60's while, at least at my school, not too many students had a car or access to a car most of the time. Now, my point was that there are so, so many other things to catch one's interest, the population is pulled in many directions. Frankly I am glad many younger people like their tuners, drifting and all the other stuff I don't understand...but I welcome them to the hobby and all of your numbers keep the hobby and industries serving us strong. Also, perhaps some of them will develop an interest in what some people would describe as the more traditional (read older) forms of enjoying the auto hobby. I welcome them and although I don't completely understand it, am glad that our numbers as auto hobbyists are being reinforced. So please, don't count me as anyone who has any disdain for any portion or segment of the hobby, be it customs, rat rods, trucks, show cars, vintage racers...well, you get my point. Thanks! Tom in Maine

 

You know, no matter what generation you are, I can guarantee that your parents/grandparents thought you were a dumb-ass as a young 'un.

 

I totally agree. Can't stand the snob "don't touch" signs. I usually pass on even looking at these cars. Don't want to give any satisfaction to the owner that someone is looking at their car. I also can't stand when you ask questions about their car and they think they're too cool to talk to you because they have a car in the "show". Big deal. I drive my hot rods everywhere in any kind of weather. Hate trailer queens too.

 

This is my grandson Grady, he's four and loves Grandpa's 31 Model A. This hot rod will most likely be his some day. He and I will have a great time this summer.

 

To be fair there's a few people at car shows who let their kids run wild and touch everything and crawl all over stuff and they themselves will lean on fenders and stand on running boards etc. and saying Please don't touch the car gets you nothing but a dirty look. Best thing is to stay close to the car or have somebody watch it for you.

 

Where I live, this is ALL that happens. When I show up in the ONLY real trad rod in town, people walk right by it to look at the 55 chevy, easter egg paint job and billet wheel disaster next to it.

As a young guy in the hobby today, I had to adapt. I do work or a lot of the street rod guys in town because they like the craftsmanship and I appreciate the opportunities. But its like a lot of the older guys that can afford the hobby are stuck in some kind of time warp from the 80's and so are the spectators. They see a real traditional hot rod that shakes your cage when its running and they just don't understand. The nostalgia is what drives the trad rodder, not the geegaws and bullshit. Today's youth is used to seeing the high dollar, way out of reach, cookie cutter, bolt together stuff. They have no idea that you can build something out of nothing. That's why its going away.

I am lucky to have been given the opportunity to use my talents in this hobby and to be able to pass it on is something I hold close. Mostly because it means so much to me.

Hack

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Now that's a hilarious statement to read on a site dedicated to vintage hot rods.

 

At least you are stuck in the right one! You know what I meant.

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The mass majority of youth today are not as obsessed to the extent us greybeards were when we were in our teens.

If we went any where it was on a bicycle,,we didn't have malls or instant gratification around every corner.

Getting a car was the most important thing in this teenagers life,,with that came dating,we needed a car for that.

I'm not saying all kids today don't care but it doesn't seem that important to the young guys I know. HRP

 

I have a 30 model A ex 60s drag car. Most of the young guys are fascinated with it. Some go out of there minds over the old hotrod. while others wont even look at it, or just try not to. Depends where you are I suppose. I still have high hopes for the future of these pieces of history, and our hobby. Some guys WILL carry the torch. You never really OWN these great cars....YOU ARE THE CARETAKER!

 

I think it depends on where you live...alot of youths around here love Hot Rods and there are those that still follow the import scene(yuk!). My daughter (19 at the time) sent me a photo of a bagged 50s truck that was awesome....but,she thought the neon lights under it were really cool(dont worry...we got that straightened out,lol!).

 

My Son, now nine has a 27 roadster that is slowly getting worked on, he even asked for car parts for Christmas this year so he is getting a pedal set up and a master cylinder. When we go out to the local Road Knights show here in Loveland for the last few years one rodder gives out these small wooden hot rods that he makes to the younger kids, I think that it is small tokens like that help the hobby continue on.

I let the neighbor kids in the shop and ask all the questions they want, and some days are spent just playing with the bead roller or what ever other tool has there interest. Those days you don't get much done in the garage but it helps keep them active and interested in the old tin.
Here is a little belly tank car that i made for my kid yesterday, just something to keep him excited about hot rods and the history or racing.

 

Good work Rex.

Loveland is some pretty country.

 

It's all about the time period that you grow up in. I am 20 years old. My dad and I started this 1931 model a project before I was 16 and I finished it up my senior year of high school.

What we are facing today, trust me I see it too, is that kids are not growing up where hot rods are readily available at a cheap price. You see here in the 2000's it's hard to find a hot rod that isn't a rust bucket for less than $7000. Sure their are those rare occasions, but it is the older guy buying those cars up. That's why the younger crowd has had to switch to the more modern stuff to work on. When most of you guys were growing up, it was probably when the first mustangs were coming off the production line.

All I can say is, today is a different time, people are going to have different interests. I hate it when my group gets bashed for not liking hot rods, it's not there fault. I love hot rods and someday would like to build up a business for it. The more you bash us, the less of us that are going to have an interest.

My car is running all old drivetrain. 52 flathead, 39 trans, 48 rear, 32 front axle, 40 brakes, 35 wire wheels. Me, the youngster, is probably running a more traditional style setup than the most of the older folks out there.

I'm also thankful that I have a dad that showed me from an early age how to do things in the garage and helped me in more ways than that are countable.

On a final note, this year, I raised money to host a car show at my college. Huge project for a 20 year old. Had an excellent turn out, and raised hundreds of dollars that helped American veterans in need.

 

And then, there is me, 18 years old from norway, i HATE the smallblocks, i do like the Y'blocks and the nailheads tho, but you never see them.. i LOVE the sidevale or the early outdated shit that dont really look like anything, that is where the fun is! what is the deal with an old car if its all new? that just boring.. i love my banger, and i will probably scare more horses out of that block than it can handle.. but who cares? if it goes.. then i have to build me a new one? thats whats fun? right? now, the hobby will not die, but it would help if more ppl would lett yungsters inn.. i was really welcomed and im so happy for it!

 

You can't buy or raise passion, but you can nurture and encourage it. Then, step away.