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The internet: anti hot rod?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by denis4x4, Nov 28, 2011.

  1. Well I have been to the two highschools here in Raytown. The parking lots are pretty much full. Nothing that I am much interested in with a couple of exceptions but the lots are full.

    I have even been around the kids the grandaughter goes to school with, a pretty good portion of them don't seem to have a lot on the ball. Other than it is a city school they are a lot like the kids I went to school with, not many of them had much on the ball either. Actually the modern young person is a lot like the folks that I worked around most of my life, not many of them had much on the ball either.
     
  2. jcmarz
    Joined: Jan 10, 2010
    Posts: 4,631

    jcmarz
    Member
    from Chino, Ca

    One does not have to be a expert in order to see the changes of the American car culture. All it takes is a pair of eyes and common sense. I remember when I was 16 in 1978, I could not find reproduction parts as easy as I can today. I remember removing the trim on my 57 Chevy (in order to paint it) and trying to be careful not to break the clips because they weren't reproduce like they are today. I remember having a all wool lettermen's jacket made because I couldn't not find one in the stores. Nowdays, they are easy to find. I remember when VW Bugs were all the rage. I could go on and on but point is that the car culture changes all the time and it doesn't take a expert to notice the change.
    This tread is not a waste of time because we are all getting older and the future is in the hands of the young. I wouldn't be surprised if 20 years from today, there will be no H.A.M.B. Who knows, maybe people will be using the horse and buggy again or maybe they will be like the Jetsons, with flying cars. The point to this is that the internet has already changed our live, for better or for worse. Computers have changed the way we listen to music or the way we read a book or magazine. Record shops have closed, book stores are closing. Life always changes. I can't expect my children or grandchildren to like the cars that I like or the music that I like. A generation fades away and a new generation emerges.
     
  3. LOL...true...true.
     
  4. Slick Willy
    Joined: Aug 3, 2008
    Posts: 3,053

    Slick Willy
    Member

    1932 Old School hotrod, needs everything but mostly there $50k or b.o.

    [​IMG]

    1999 Honda low miles, leather, ac, loaded, 28mpg $3400, make offer!

    [​IMG]

    But yet this is still a question? My first car in 1995 that I could put on the road was my '63 Galaxie. I bought it for a song from an older car guy who was exited a young kid wanted his old car. I paid a grand for a 2-door post car with 32k original miles. Being under 25 my MA policy was $2200 a year (with a perfect record).

    Kids do want to be cool, but now they want to be cool just like all the other cool kids, the most friends on facebook and all the best techy stuff. The lack of individualism amongst late teens is clearly visible. They all seem to want to emmulate the latest and greatest MTV celebrity. And frankly Id rather not see any of them jump into the trend of cool cars, weve got enough posers and wannabees already.
    When you love this stuff as a kid, it will most likely stick with you for the rest of life...
     
  5. go-twichy
    Joined: Jul 22, 2010
    Posts: 1,648

    go-twichy
    BANNED

    no more like "dang whippersnapers waiting for a bus staring into the palm of their hand tunning out the world walking into telephone poles, walking against red "do not walk" flashing lites, all while having a superiority complex and a undeserved sense of accomplishment. oh and listening to their sqare wave i-phone and wearing a back pack or if it's a male, carrying a purse. and their pants are usually about to fall off. one more thing, i think the males like to have week old wiskers to prove that there a male.because they are kind of interchangable now that most of the females cuss more than a prisoner. but i love 'em all.
     
  6. Hot Rod Elvis
    Joined: Jan 24, 2011
    Posts: 606

    Hot Rod Elvis
    Member


    You sure are right about that. I'm 15, been wanting any Ford car or truck from 1928-1958 or so, but I can't afford a project (take me forever and parts are pricey) and I can't get a job. I've been volunteering at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame since January of 08, but there are no paid employees there. It has good benefits, but no pay. No one is hiring right now, and honestly, my parents are struggling right now too, so I just can't go beg them for a car. I've got an o/t truck I bought a couple years ago for an investment to resale, so maybe then I could purchase something cool. There are some good deals every once and a while....in October, I saw a 56 Ford (my favorite full-bodied car) Customline Sedan that was mildly restored for $5k obo. it had a recent paint-job and new tires, 292 rebuild, etc. But 5k is alot for a 15 yr old, heck, 1k is alot too. I just have to keep believing!;)

    -Cody
     
  7. erlomd
    Joined: Apr 26, 2008
    Posts: 1,212

    erlomd
    Member

    i see were this is going...im not sure that its necessarily over...i remember about 4 years ago when gas prices sky rocketed close to $5 a gallon and everyone was in panic...then a couple of months went by and gas prices dropped to the low $2...i kept overhearing kids at local shows contemplating were to meet up that night, what drive to take the next day and hearing them say who cares gas is cheap and they would drive all day!
    I'm pretty darn sure its the gas prices...

    if you add up gas costs, insurance costs, and the problem with todays pansy ass youth in which they have to have a new reliable car to drive...which in turn equals full coverage insurance, car payments, and a numbness in the way all new cars drive...then yes...cruzing and driving in general is pretty dull...

    but i believe that the internet part is temporary...especially the fact that some new cars even have Facebook connectivity while you drive (scary thought)...hell, the hamb has an iPhone and iPad app already...but thats the future...what can I say...soon enough there will be an alternative fuel and that might get todays youth behind the wheel again...

    but since we've all lived through it.... do we even care anymore what todays youth is into? i don't know about you but I always think of what a great time I'm having and I never think about how some one else is missing out...its their loss.
     
  8. Cyclone Kevin
    Joined: Apr 15, 2002
    Posts: 4,223

    Cyclone Kevin
    Alliance Vendor

    The internet and Hot Rods, All cars in generally go hand in hand-Heck, Ask Ryan,
    That's what we're all doing here :).

    We all were kids once, some of us still are ;). We all come from vast/varried financial back grounds and we all have drive and the craving to drive. Mentor a young gun, It's still working for me.It's hard for youth to break into something like this,but with drive they'll do it. The PC/MAC is a tool, just like a set of wrenches or a welder.

    Teach our youth how to use them as they were designed and great things will come from it.
    On the flipside, many kids have taught me and still teach me many tricks of how the electro-tech works so it works both ways.
     
  9. JonF
    Joined: Mar 6, 2010
    Posts: 169

    JonF
    Member

    Well, I can identify and agree with most of the other old farts saying. I especially remember the submarine racing. But like Willie Nelson, I have outlived my dick.
     
  10. Society in general has changed. Nobody wants to put the work in to have something nice, they want it done and nice right now. Good examples - used to be model car kits were everywhere and you built and painted them yourself. Then they came out with prepainted kits - but more and more larger scale die-cast became available and people bought those. Now you have to go to a hobby shop to find a model car kit.

    The same is true of the model railroad hobby. Used to be you bought the freight cars as a shake the box kit that I could build at age 10 blindfolded with one hand tied behind my back in about 10 minutes. Now, one distributor has bought up a couple of the old big names and combined them and does not sell kits - or even parts - everything comes ready to roll, assembled in China, of course for more money. People are buying it just the same - to the point that just about any product you can now buy assembled.

    Since a finished hot rod costs a lot of money, that's why you see less interest. No one wants to be inginuitve - if you do it right you can have a car and be ahead money for having it - but you have to build it yourself a step at a time.
     
  11. jipp
    Joined: Jun 20, 2011
    Posts: 1,112

    jipp
    Member

    jonF - none sense, they have that Viagra for that now... keep on living, you may have to pay the women a little more each year tho.. laughs :D
    chris.
     
  12. jcmarz
    Joined: Jan 10, 2010
    Posts: 4,631

    jcmarz
    Member
    from Chino, Ca

    JonF, you can always use a cherry picker or a floor jack. haha.
     
  13. Deuces
    Joined: Nov 3, 2009
    Posts: 23,753

    Deuces

    Will a couch do??? I'm still stuck in the stone age with web tv..:( It's the closest thing I have to a computer..
     
  14. Greg in Jax
    Joined: Jun 27, 2010
    Posts: 209

    Greg in Jax
    Member

    I have been watching this string grow today and have been avoiding making comments as posters complain. Kids are no different today than 20, 30, 40, 50 years ago. They learn and do what their parents teach them. And, as Cyclone Kevin said,

    Best comment in this string. My 16-year-old granddaughter and her friends work hard in school because they know that they are road kill in the future if they don't, they call adults "Mr." or "sir" and they behave themselves. My granddaughter likes rods because I take the time to answer her questions and let her be involved in the project. And drive them! Give them a chance and they just might keep the hobby from disappearing when all of us do. And, by the way, I remember just how hard it was to find parts for a '39 Olds coupe 45 years ago. Internet? Fine by me.
     

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  15. afaulk
    Joined: Jul 20, 2011
    Posts: 1,194

    afaulk
    Member

    Probably opening up a can of worms-- but here goes. Here in Jasper, Alabama it seems there aren't many activities available, that kids are interested in. They tend to become addicted to the electronic media/games, etc. which weren't available when i was a kid. They don't take a fishing pole and head out to the neighbors pond, or the local garage, like we did growing up. The farm work thing that my generation all did, is non-existent. I am speaking in general terms. I know there are exceptions. Then by the time they are in their late teens, having never learned it's ok to sweat a little, most of them are not interested in work. If you want to piss a teenager off, just offer them minimum wage to help you around your place. An example would be cutting your grass, with your mower and your gas, or maybe getting up on the roof of the shop and giving it a coat of sealer---it ain't happening folks. Then by the time they're 20, a lot of them are addicted to "pain pills" perscription meds. Now, i'm not saying they're all alike --but there is definitely a problem. Now that our all knowing leaders have succeeded in improving our lives, by getting rid of many manufacturing jobs and importing cheap goods from all over, esp. China, what will these kids do to earn a living and support a family? When they need transport, if they have any sense, they buy a Ford Escort that gets 32 mpg instead of an old car that gets maybe 15 mpg. Just sayin' -- WTF! -- Over.
     
  16. farmergal
    Joined: Nov 28, 2010
    Posts: 2,074

    farmergal
    Member
    from somewhere

    Im 23 years old and came from a family who were strict but encouraged us to follow our own dreams. I grew up riding horses and decided to go to ag school. lol.Not exactly what my parents were hoping for but i hve 2 degrees from a really great university. I can tell you that most kids are not into cars anymore. Society is setting them up to aspire to be billionairs (the unrealistic picture). They paint this picture that says go toschool and get your education, good grades, and aspire to be a millionaire pencil pushed in a cubicle while working for some big firm...in the city. Working with your hands and doin the blue collar-man's work is no longer considered acceptable. This goes right back to why America is the way it is right now.

    I went to a high school that offered the FFA/AG program. You had that class just about everyday. Best classes i ever took in high school and the best group of kids and teachers. Low key, family-like atmosphere. It was "our place" to hang out. The program offered livestock classes, environmental/wildlife classes, floriculture classes, and a full time mechanics class that wasnt strictly tractors and ag related: a lot of it was trucks, cars, smal engines, etc. It gave kids a chance to learn and a fun environment to do so. On top of that it gave them great leadership skills and a great program to add to their resume in the future...no matter their job choice

    If anyone has teenage kids who want to learn more but dont want to go to technical schools; the ffa/ag program in schools isreally a great program; especially for kids who want to work in the shop for an hour or two during school hours andmore after school.

    Today abuout 95% of kids cant tell you where their food comes from, they think dirt is a disease and abercrombie polo shirts and store-bought dirtied jeans are the cats ass. Its alsoa regular requirement to get regular manicures or look like a complete low life grunge dirtbag. Youre either the biggest prissy dirt-phobia idiot or youre the stoner, grunge, chains, piercings, never showered kid that drops out of school. This is a society where kids are given whatever they want and are taught to notdo the simplest things. In return; the kids think they are entitled to everything. They are entitled to be idiots, tell you how its going to be, drink like a fish, do their drug of choice, screw off in class, and be a genuine punk.....because their entitled to do so.

    i've lost all hope
     
  17. farmergal
    Joined: Nov 28, 2010
    Posts: 2,074

    farmergal
    Member
    from somewhere

    and as it stands; the majority of kids today could never afford the hot rod hobby. Its a hobby now;for those with full time jobs that can pave the way for building such a creation. back in the day; kids paid 100.00 for their model A coupe or what have you and they built it for relatively cheap. Much like kids building up trucks or Honda civics of today. They buy a car that is cheap but easy to make "cool" and can STILL be a daily driver in today's world. Kids still build cars and trucks to go fast. It happens everywhere....its just not your coupe, roadster, etc. No teenage kid can afford a hot rod today unless he has some help along the way. this isnt 1950 anymore.

    I see plenty of the younger generations at the car shows drooling over the cars they dream about...but could any of them afford to build onefor themself? very likely not.
     
  18. :eek::eek::eek:!!!!! Bite yer tongue!!!!
     
  19. KustomCars
    Joined: Jul 31, 2011
    Posts: 3,465

    KustomCars
    Member
    from Minnesota

    My Dad and Uncle started me young bringing me to carshow let me help them with their cars .. Im only 14 and I love cars more then my phone,xbox and watching tv! Im starting my own project soon been looking for a car !!! There is only a few kids that I know that are in to cars ! When my Dad is out in the garage there is a good chance Im out there to changing oil , wipers etc or helping getting dirty! Just thought I should say something from a 14 year old kid. Thanks
     
  20. These punks need to buy a good car, American steel, like we had in the old days. :p

    I teach high school Auto Tech. Some get the old cars, some don't. Hey, that's the way it was when I was in school. :eek:

    Two big problems I see is .
    1, Alot of no-dad familys. Yep, more than 50% of my students do not have a dad to watch/hang around with. Sorry if I hit a nerve but true.

    2. Moms mini van aint too cool, not every ones mom or dad has a tuner car to give the kid. A Tarus is a 4 door.

    I got my licence in 72, a 55 chevy was only 17 years old. Today a 92 is 20 years old. I do have kids driving 80's models.

    Do what I do, accept the ricers and take the kids in your life to a car show, rod run or anyother car event. That way they can learn from someone who loves the sport like you.:)
     
  21. duke182
    Joined: Nov 27, 2005
    Posts: 562

    duke182
    Member


    lol!!!!!
    kinda like a bunch of housewives in 1950 on the telephone partyline in the kitchen. complaining that many women were expected to get jobs and act like men. lol!!!!

    i heard somewhere that the more things change the more they stay the same.

    could be???
     
  22. It's called EVOLUTION people,like it or not.
    Look at all the magazines going the way of the dinasour. Everythings on the internet nowadays. We may not like it but it's just the way it goes.
    You don't need a brain in your head anymore. All you need is to talk to your "smartphone" and ask it to make a decision for you. It's the dumbing down of America.Technology gets smarter while people get dumber.
    I also think a lot has to do with the astronomical prices of things today. Years ago cars/parts were cheaper to come by then the last 10yrs or so.
    Shows like American Chopper and the like just made the mainstream dude wanna be an oulaw biker,which in turn drove the prices of everything up.
    I don't really see this as a bad thing,actually. I see hot rodding getting back to it's roots. When hot rodders used to be the "rebels" like the greasers or whatever. It's getting back to the "real" car guys as opposed to the the guy with the big Wall Street bonus money wanting to buy a new toy.This is what,IMO, made it unobtainable for a kid to get into cars.Not to mention that fuel costs have risen dramatically. Crusing around town showing off your ride could set you back $60+ a night.
    My 2yo loves daddys "hot rod" and his motorcycle so I know i'm doing my part making sure our favorite past time continues in my family.
     
  23. tfeverfred
    Joined: Nov 11, 2006
    Posts: 15,791

    tfeverfred
    Member Emeritus

    There's an old film (1970's?) called "Future Shock". It deals with technology moving faster than humans. It's worth a look if you can find it. Technology is a very useful tool, but when a person becomes dependant on it, they be come the slave.

    I heard a girl on the news yesturday say she couldn't believe there were people who didn't have a smart phone. It's the youth that think like her that you need to worry about.

    When Houston lost power during the last big hurricane, I was the only person for two streets who still had a rotary phone to use. Everyone else had wireless shit that was worthless without electricity and was wanting to use mine. Slaves. Some kids don't know how loook up something in a library. They have Google. Slaves. I'd dare say the average kid doesn't REALLY know how the car they drive works. Slaves.
     
  24. MISCONSTUDE
    Joined: Oct 2, 2011
    Posts: 135

    MISCONSTUDE
    Member

    My oldest son, 20, drives a 70 skylark cloned (or whatever you want to call it) into a stage one. That kid absolutely loves that car! Cruises everywhere, with everybody! He also loves to drive my 55 stude at the drags. But what really blew my mind is my 13 year old goes begrudgingly with me to Day of the Drags at Temple this year, I was out after 2 rounds, figure it's time to load up because he's gonna be bored. I could not get him to leave, he had a blast! He gets bored at the car shows and cruise nights just sitting, but he loves the drag racing. I love my boys, and can only hope they grow up to enjoy this car hobby as much as I have.
     
  25. carcrazyjohn
    Joined: Apr 16, 2008
    Posts: 4,843

    carcrazyjohn
    Member
    from trevose pa

    Think about it ,They have tuner cars ,NOTHING GOOD BUILT SINCE 72
     
  26. Deuces
    Joined: Nov 3, 2009
    Posts: 23,753

    Deuces

    Yo got that right... :(
     
  27. 55Hydramatic
    Joined: Apr 24, 2011
    Posts: 459

    55Hydramatic
    Member


    You're totally right about that....seems like no one in my generation wants to do anything besides text and be on facebook or whatever. But like stated before its their choice to do that. Sometimes I just wish there were more people into this so I could have more people my age to hangout with. I got my brother into it though so when he turns 15 or so I'll help him build his truck and what not.
     
  28. im glad they are not into it,more scrap for me
     
  29. Our parents said the same thing about us, and their parents said the same thing about them. My grandfather hated that my Dad bought an electric circular saw. All that granddad ever knew in all of his years of carpentry for the railroad (another lost civilization) was using a hand saw.

    "My gosh! You kids are getting married and buying a house AND a TV!?!?!?" I heard it back in 1984 when I got married!

    Times change, and whether we like it or not, the kids of today think that putting wheels and a chrome exhaust tip on a Honda makes them a "car guy". I'm on the fence about it though... At least they're tinkering with cars. They could be off doing dope or something. I try to encourage the kids that show up at Hardees with their tuners and check out their stuff even though it is FAR from what I'd like to own. They'll usually come over and check out my stuff too though, so it works out in the end.
     
  30. erlomd
    Joined: Apr 26, 2008
    Posts: 1,212

    erlomd
    Member

    very very true
     

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