History Fading interest and the future

Not too worried about the hobby. I get to interact with kiddoes frequently. I've got a 13 going on 14 year old daughter who can tell a 41 Chevy truck from a 46 with a glance, loves old rides, and is currently in a full blown campaign to get me to sell the Jeep Wrangler she wanted last year and buy her dream car. It's not hamb friendly in any way shape or form, but she's turned down my attempts to have her inherit her mother's very nice older Lincoln MKX with all the bells and whistles, for a 41 year old bright yellow Corvette. She's sent pics of it to all of her friends, and the universal response is that it is too cool. There's always gonna be gearheads around...the hobby may change a bit, but it'll survive. My daughter has already told me that the 46 and the 52 will be passed down to her kids...
Oh and the vette? She doesn't know it, but I'm about 90 % sure she'll see it with a red bow on top in a couple of months. She's gonna get a lot of experience cleaning it up and helping redo some things in it....

 

It's fantastic how she appreciates the classics and wants to pass them down to future generations.

 

Nostalgia is a bitch. Iroc Z camaros and 80s monte carlos are big money now - my mind is officially blown.

Restored 50s cars are going for much less in comparison to the past. Older restos that need some repair from sitting seems to be the norm.

Reference: I was born in 1976.

 

These threads always make me chuckle. This hobby is small but has a strong core of very passionate enthusiasts. I've been into cars since I was about 6 and that hasn't changed. I keep growing my knowledge and skills, and I'm not yet 40. Interest in cars will never die, but it always has been and always will be a small niche.

 

The sky is definitely not falling, interest may fade but there will always be a core group of die in the wool hot rods and custom builders to keep the hobby alive. HRP

 

I joined a car club this year and the members go cruising on Friday evenings. I am the odd one with the only Hamb type car. 1996 Mustangs with antique collector car plates?

 

Antique Automobile Club of America defines a vehicle over 25 years of age as an antique. Hell, that means that I'm an antique three times over .

 

I personally prefer fender cars. I am not a restorer but I get what you are saying. I grew up with hot rods (and bikes).

I appreciate 30s cars, but I usually build cars newer than that for myself. I just gravitate toward post war cars and 60s era builds. Actually when you build a hot rod or custom and are anal enough to hang with a specific era you are a restorer of sorts. They probably won't let you play Pebble Beach unless you have a rod with provenance but you are still doing a sort of restoration.

 

Enjoy what you have, run what you brung. Don’t sweat things beyond your control. As for the future? No one cares, and if your the age of most cats on here you really shouldn’t care.

One small thing gets me.. the term “Traditional” when talking about hotrods.. years ago there were no standards to create a tradition, you built with what you had, bought or stole..

 

Yep, and now people complain if you don't put the engine they think you should in your car.

 

The ground. HRP

 

My Oldest daughter has spoken for my Fargo, she is 18. My youngest has spoken for the ragtop, she is 5. I’m currently building a ‘65 Barracuda for my middle daughter, she is 16.

 

But, in this day and age without the year cut off we have here then it's just Street Rodding. I use the word to define a difference between styles, I like traditional hot rods (built in a ecstatic of 60s and below). I do like to look at a total period museum piece (100% vintage parts, speed or otherwise), but it's not always practical for everyone. Even as I skate the line or sometimes cross it, popular or not.......I don't care, it's what I want to do.

I'll always be here.....it's the only place for me.

 

I find it funny that anyone thinks that the government will end rods and customs.

Dwindling petroleum fuel demand will work towards it, over time. But that will take a while.

What is going to kill it is safety.

As new vehicles become ever safer, insurance companies will be reluctant to write polices for anything less safe, except at extreme prices.

 

The economy runs on petroleum, they may price it higher but it will still be vital. If it reaches the price of beer I’ll just drink less.

 

The car community will always have a place for gearheads like her, and I'm sure she'll have amazing experiences working on and restoring her dream car. By the way, have you checked out https://flipsimu.com/yes-or-no-tarot/? It's a great website with a "Yes or No Tarot" feature, which could add an interesting element to your hobbies and interests. Wishing you and your daughter many memorable moments in the world of cars and beyond!

 

A topic on this subject from 2019 BC, and where are we today? Record high auction prices, some attendance records shattered at major events (and to be fair some were soft), and parts availability and pricing has soared. Alive and well? Fuckin eh hubba Bubba. Every shop with top creds is full, has a waiting list. Shop rates are nearly all triple digit. Yup, this life, this craft, these cars, they suck. Nobody wants em. What are we gonna do? Excuse me, gotta go, someone's here to buy my...

 

If you're adopting, I'd love a '41 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup

 

Sorry I only build Chrysler products, unless your my wife….she may be getting something else.

 

Went to Good Guys at Columbus, very good crowd, and not just white hair and walkers, lots of 30ish folks and kids, that age has interest, brings cars , and VOTE'S, we hope. When you open the venue to include later than '48 , exposure to the hobby increase's. Or you can limit it to old stuff and "think" it's dying.

 

There was a good article in the GoodGuys magazine a few years ago where they talked about why they opened up their vehicle age restriction to a 25 year-old rolling limit (from pre-1972 and then pre-1987). They said that they were seeing a shift of average age of cars at their shows to newer and newer, so they chose to adapt to better serve their audience.

I understand here why they don't want photos posted of newer cars or cars that don't fit what this site is about. Interestingly though, I have recently noticed that it kind of misrepresents certain shows and their atmosphere when photosets are posted of only the HAMB-friendly stuff. Then you see full coverage of the show elsewhere and you realize the overall vibe was much different than what was shown on the HAMB. I find this gives a funny difference in expectations of those shows to me. Just my personal observation and worth absolutely nothing.

 

There will continue to be interest in specific car venues, hot rods, Amelia Island, etc., and the people that only care about that type of gathering, adding shows that encompass a broader array of automobiles attracts vendors and attention, meaning media and politician's. That's voters and money that can mean influence these bums.

 

I'd bet my 39 that if we were at a meet, my car and the totally O/T but kool car I built for my pal (a Speed33) all eyes would be on the 39 vs his. Old. Original paint. Yet all new interior and detailed flathead. His is electronic injection, 18" wheels, all new stuff, Heidts front n rear suspension, one of the last Lobeck chassis. But it just isn't. "Isn't what?" If you gotta ask...

 

Hello,

We have given our son relatively free reign while growing up. The philosophy of interest in a topic is the base for expansion. When he wanted to read about dinosaurs, we had little money, but our supply of books on topics was there. So, when he was ready for more, we headed for the public library and checked out 10 more books to tide him over for a couple of weeks.

He had an interest in drawing old cars and draw his own creations with wheels. So, with no push from us, he developed his own style and his future as a graphic artist by the time he was a senior in high school was outstanding. His room was covered with art, including posters of sporty cars and cruisers.

He saw me out in the garage working on our cars and helped in his own way. We had steering wheels he liked, attached to the cabinet next to my workbench. He also liked being right in on the action, too.

So, as far as intended influence, we did not push him in anything, we just created an environment for him to develop his own likes and dislikes. But, he did like Hot Wheels, Matchbox and Corgi Cars for his toy city streets. We even made wooden tracks for down hill drag races during indoor play. He created his own worlds, delved into comic books and loved searches at antique stores for some older Hot Wheels/Matchbox/Corgi models we did not have. His first collection of sorts…

Jnaki

Now, for our granddaughter...we treaded lightly when she was little, but now that she is older (an individual... 18 going on 30) she, too, has no interest in cars, but has a great attitude towards life, family, friends and her future. Although, she and her friends that we picked up everyday after school, always told each other that our cars always sounded powerful and cool. It was the rumble of the motors and the nice ride home. There is hope, yet...

Every time her neighbor started his powerful old Mercury Comet Convertible, she stopped doing what we were all doing and ran out to the driveway to wave at the convertible driving by. Of course, someone could say she was a girl and they have a way about convertibles… But, when she got her license and first car, it was freedom for further explorations with friends and activities, as much as the pandemic allowed.

She surprised us with the best thing I have seen in quite some time. Perhaps, being a recent high school graduate sparks some good old memories of Hot Wheels, a powerful sounding neighbor’s cool red Comet Convertible rumbling down the street and waving to it, as if to say hello to a hot rod. The countless flames she saw me drawing on restaurant table tops and in our scrapbook journals we all created.
similar in looks and styling

But, realizing the economics of today’s world, the cost of teenage insurance and the liability/hazards of convertibles, she and her family opted for a newer sedan for comfort and reliability. After all, it is something to drive to get to college, job interviews and just have a freedom that we all enjoyed with our first car experience.

Will wonders ever cease? She surprised us with a gift out of the blue. It was her way to say thanks for everything from 6 months on, to taking care of her when she needed it, and our daily activities that allowed her to expand her knowledge about anything. She was now a post high school graduate planning for her last summer, before going off to college. All of her friends are off on their own adventures and it is a happy/sad time of saying goodbye for the school year. But, happy to be off on her own direction she has selected.

We think that teenagers are all caught up in their small screen world, with fast thumbs texts and search parameters. My wife and I are always amazed at ideas and the ways she has presented herself to the world, especially during the pandemic high school years. Now, it is a new horizon and possibilities with our continued support. Confidence and with a memory like no other, she should do well in the college environment.

Old memories last and present themselves when one least expects them… We were definitely, "In Loco Parentis."

 

People tend to want the cars what they wanted in high school