Folks Of Interest Involve Your Kids

All too often there are posts on the HAMB that suggest our hobby is dying because the younger generation is not interested. In my opinion that is not their fault, but rather, it's ours. Please involve your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, neighbors, etc. Show them what hot rodding and customizing is all about.

Please post up pics and stories how you are involving the younger generations.

To kick it off, this is my son, Sam, who road tripped with me in my 32 to attend the Meltdown Drags. He helped my build this 32 and he is only 8.
His mind is all but made up; he wants to build a model A coupe or a 55 Chevy gasser.


My daughter Natalie, just wants a ragtop.

 

You are right. Cute kids by the way.

 

My granddaughters are still small but like to hang around and help me handing tools so I can work on my old cars.Heres Eva. Bruce.

 

Heres Anabell.Bruce.

 

Absolutely. When I'm not working, if an activity doesn't involve my family, I don't do it. (or I wait 'till they are asleep). You only get one chance at that 1st 18 years for each kid, then it's gone forever. It's going by way too fast. (Just my opinion)





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To paraphrase an line, involve your sons, daughters, nephews, nieces and friends. They are the future of our hobby. Take them to a show no matter how big or small, let them experience what rodding and customizing is all about, the sights, sounds etc. Both you and them will be better for it.






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I involve my kids as much as possible.
Neither of them want an old car at this point .
My son is 13. LOVES cars of all kinds. He is helping me put coilovers in my Dads 2017 Golf R today. He is always helping me with my car and loves working on his dirt bike.
But he wants a truck. A lowered S10 so he can haul his Dirtbike around on his own and doesn't have to wait for me.
I am okay with that. I grew up watching my best friends Dad building all sorts of hot rods and going to shows with them. But when it came time for me and my friends to drive, we built old VWs because we couldn't afford to a build hot rod. Eventually we got there and we all have a rod or custom now.
The kids will get there. The hobby isn't going to dye.
I hear the same things from my students as well. They build import cars because that's what is readily available to them. But they all love old cars.
He is a pic of my son when we did the chop a few years ago.


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This was from some of the stuff we do. Hot Rod Reunion and the meltdown drags.
There are more pics and other stories in the thread that is linked in my signature.

 

I love involving my kids.

 

We brought our twin girls home from the hospital 40 years ago in the '54 Ford Ranch Wagon and they occupied the back seat in our 40 ford sedan to many shows and to a couple of N.S.R.A. nationals.





When they were about 15 they both decided staying with their grandparents would be more fun.

To this day nether one of them are interested in old cars.

My oldest granddaughter, 21 year old Hannah has been to a lot of shows over the years,but she is now a paramedic and her time is limited to go to shows although she still loves old cars & she will inherent the wagon when we are gone.

My grandson,Matthew is going to college in Florida and loves cars but he leans toward Mustangs,at least it ain't a toyota!

Our youngest granddaughter, Veda is the one I have high hopes that will be bitten by the hot rod bug,she is named after the hot rod pioneer Veda Orr and she has been around hot rods much like her mother,sister & cousins.

Veda in my old Deuce Roadster.


In my Deuce Fordor sedan.


In Randy's Deuce Roadster.


In my Deuce pickup.





In my Deuce 5 window.



Another in the pickup.


And in my Deuce Tudor grinning after saying that this is her car. HRP



I honestly believe our grandchildren have hot rod DNA but only time will tell. HRP

 

I tried. Both my boys grew up in the garage as little ones and have no interest in cars now.

 

My boy said just yesterday that he wants to buy a race car. I said "why wouldn't you build one?". I could see the gears turning....


I hope that I can get him interested enough to learn the basics of constructing anything, hot rods or not.

 

My late youngest son was a gearhead just like me. If he was still around he'd have something neat. The oldest is exactly the opposite, couldn't change a flat tire with the directions wrote on the tire. More interested in chasing women and getting high. His son, the Grandson we are raising, turned 4 in Feb, and is already showing signs of interest. Loves to get my tools and "work" on things. Loves both Maw Maw's and Paw Paw's hot rods, has went with us to several shows, want to take him to a dragstrip sometime, but he doesn't like loud noises sometimes. Going to wait until he's older and see if he's interested.

 

Please don't force it on them. My dad, who was in the Air Force, shoved model planes and the Air Force in my face every chance he could. For a while, I learned to hate him and the military.

 

That's true. My daughter is really interested in welding, cars and motorcycles, my son not so much. I think we all had the Alex P. Keaton effect to some degree, I did for sure, and I'm expecting it to happen to me.


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Great stories, photos, and memories.

My dad and his friends were into hotrods and restored original cars. My dad tried to keep my interest by letting me "help". But that only meant I could hold the light , get the wrench, and clean. Although, that was enough for me to catch the bug, I'm taking a different approach with my kids. They are actually turning wrenches, even at the age of 4. I love every minute I get to spend with them in the garage and I always give them the option. Most of the time they choose going to the garage.




We even dress alike. He's painting parts for my 32.



My sons project. A Shriners Model T go-kart.

 

My daughter wants to drive a new luxury car, not a hot rod but my grandson I taught him how to ride motorcycles and put my project car on hold so I could get him involved with go kart racing, we have gone to a lot of car shows together and he will inherit my 58 Chevy when I am gone..........and now he and I are working to get my great grandson to love and enjoy them too!

 

Just dear old dad

 

Why is the kid on the right so much better lookin than the big kid on the left?

 

He takes after his mom

 

Found a new more pics of my kids helping in the garage.

 

This is an old picture. But all my kids were a part of my Merc's history.

 

Don't have any pics on the kids when they where younger on the computer but apparently I did good. Here is my 16 year old cleaning out his first car a 65 Valiant. 360 , 727 converting to power steering, adding AC and if budget allows EFI.

 

I think tim is on to something with the option thing. He's not forcing them to mess with old cars, he's not giving them an option to mess with old cars. He's giving them an option to spend some good quality time with dad.

Let's face it most of this bug we've all caught is rooted in nostalgia. They wouldn't be the first kids to grow up and build hotrods almost entirely because it reminds them of fond memories doing the same with dad

 

A bunch of us went the Goodguys show in Puyallup Wa. Yesterday. My banger powered A isn't exactly freeway friendly for a 3.5 hr drive so my buddy offered me to drive his 31 while he took his other car. Asked my son if he wanted to join us. He jumped at the chance and him and I did the drive together. We had a blast. Great drive in fantastic weather in a kick ass car. A little cold at 4:30am and bit warm on the drive home with no top, but he loved every second of it.
Car show was awesome.
That is the kind of day that this hobby is all about. Great cars, the open road, great friends and family spending time together.



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My oldest daughter helping me pull the flatty out of the F1.