Key to survival - Hot Rod Economy

Not OT. The Hot Rod Economy is vital to the survival of our hobby and businesses. Is the Hot Rod Economy still rolling along or is it slowing down? From attendance numbers at car shows looks like it is still rockin' in a positive direction.
If we are to save our hobby, we need to look beyond all the federal BS. What we do on the business side will decide it's mortality rate more than everything else.

What's your opinion?

Mikey

 

What happens in home garages will decide the future of the hobby. Collectively the business owners do not have the tax clout or voting clout to change large scale things on their own. Just an opinion.

 

You're right. What happens in the backyard garages is crucial to the hot rodding industry living a long life. When you a product or service for your ride, it adds fuel to the fire.

 

We have been slower than in the past, but steady, so at least the steady work pays the bills. It seems like whenever work is just about to run out, we get a pile more, so it evens out.
Thanks for keeping it alive

Mark

 

I've been painting/pinstriping hotrods and related stuff more than ever this year....however, that extra $$$ I make goes to help pay bills as the day job is slow, so I'm not buying parts to build my own hotrod.

 

we are staying nice and busy in the shop in fact we hired another guy a few months ago, thanks to my great customers I think were going to do just fine in this economic downturn. My girlfriends clothing store that has been open for 9 years is not doing so great however, still keeping above water, but sales are the lowest they've ever been.

 

Seems like people are still buying things at swap meets etc.

I'm just wondering how this cash for clunkers is going to impact good salvageable parts for future hot rodders.

 

not to many good parts on '84 & newer????

 

The Classic car/Muscle Car, Hot Rod prices have dropped, but that's not all bad either.It give alot of people a chance to be able to buy a car.Not so good if you paid top dollar a few years back and now you need to sell.Its a strong buyers market for sure.

 

The customer base, as well as the providers of hot rod parts, are getting grayer every year. I know I will have rocks thrown at me, but we need to embrace the "ratrodders" just top bring in new blood. Besides, like everything else, they will look to traditional rods sometime in the future.

 

not here we don't, this is not a generic car site, it's pretty focused. IF you want to at your shop or on your site, rock on. I for one will not do them at my shop...

 

it's 84 and up, and SEMA also got the other thing passed about you had to own it and have it registered and insured for a full year before it was elligible, they saved a lot of cars,thank them for it. I'm into eighties cars, but the ones i like aren't elligible due to them not being gas guzzlers.

 

In the car show and Rod Run game I see a couple of things going on.
Short events (one day) seem to be doing OK retail sales of impulse
items are a little slower people are thinking "do I need that "
Travel runs are all down .NSRA GOODGUYS etc.If you have to travel
more tran a couple of hundred miles and stay in motels people are
picking and choosing .I am on the road most weekends this time of year
and I see car trailers on busy show weekends like when NSRA or GOODGUYS
but very seldom do I see an old car of any type traveling the way they used
to.I went to the 39th Yellowstone Rod Run last weekend ans saw lots of
bikes coming home from Sturgis and only 2 old cars on the road in a 1000 mile
road trip one 30's coupe on a trailer that didn't sell at HAN and a 20's era
touring stocker being driven.
Thats my spin on it and I've been at this a long time .

 

The economy has definitly effected both myself and my fathers Hot Rodding.
I started to build a 1939 Hudson Coupe about a year ago. I had huge plans for this summer and have basically put them on hold due to economic instability. I am still employed at the moment, but cant take the risk of spending thousands on a hobby. We have done little things to get the body ready, but have been waiting on the purchases.
Im riding the economic wave, problem is, I dont know how to surf.....

 

I for one have been affected pretty badly. I was going to find an old Harley and cut it up and make it a bobber. But because of the economy I will just have to stick with what I have. But I will never stop pounding the metal and gas pedal.

 

As long as there are cars, there will be good parts to use for future hot rodding. Any small block chevy can be retrofitted into a car with little or no modifications. Chevy was still running carbs and individual belts in 84. Not to mention the odds and ends like transmissions, frames, electrical components, etc.

 

i completely agree

any chance i get at a bone yard pick-a -part..i strip as much as i can get my hands on..
brackets, cables, harnesses, bellcranks, pedals, latches, mechanisums..you name it..
its a hell of a lot cheaper and easier to have GM-Ford-or Chrysler make those parts than it is for me to do it.(not to mention the R&D).and a dam bit cheaper at a bone yard to scavenge these parts.

there aint no such thing as a car that i cant find something worthy of my time to fire up the smoke wrench or sawzall to take home with me for just pennies..easy pickins in my book

 

we are steady too seems we were just doggy paddling there over the winter and then we got busy as long as all my cars in house stick to the program we should be fine keep building guys we all need more.

 

I am only talking about one aspect of the future economy of hot rodding. The shops that build these "new hot rods" and shade tree mechanics will all be hindered because of the cash for clunkers. This however MAY stimulate the aftermarket companies to make things that were once plentiful. When you remove 250,000 + cars with the program, there is no doubt that there will be shock waves to follow years to come.

I can only speculate how shops today will react to this economy and the program. It will be interesting to see what others in the industry will have to say.

 

Von Rigg Fink, are you still looking for 56 F100 horn guts? I have acess to a few columns.

 

yep..i'll pm ya

 

Hobbies like this don't ever seem to crash too hard. There will always be people who buy projects and pump a few bucks a month into them as their jobs or overtime allow. Whether they SHOULD pump money in or have a project given their situation is another issue, but they always will.

 

true

I'd rather have this as a bad habit , than some of the other choices

 

So far, from what I hear, the hot rod economy sounds fairly positive. So my question is - what can we do to keep the industry staying healthy, no matter what your business does- hot rods, rat rods, muscle, traditional, resto-mod, exotics, SUV, whatever?

Mikey
www.mikeyspinstriping.com
www.autopsycho.com
"does good things to bad businesses"

 

Revolution?

just a thought..who's with me?

 

I try to enlighten them, and I have enlightened a few. But I am not embracing them, they're all greasy and they smell...

 

Live within your means.

 

Yes, and thanks to the cash for clunkers deal those almighty sbc engines will most likely become quite pricey at the boneyard. Supply and demand...

 

The only way that will work is in the voting booth. I'm trying to keep up with, and write down what my congressmen vote for that will hurt this country. Already trying to organize folks against our representative because of his voting record. He also looked me in the eye and lied to me about what he was going to do for a youth baseball program, when he was Mayor here. I do not forget. vote 'em out if you feel they need to go!