Todays youth NOT interested

Actions speak louder than words , stay away from computer games . My nephew loves my old buick and helps me work on cars too . I am going to try my hardest to keep the interest there . I also have my two girls into the vintage automobiles too .

 

2 yr old grandson Tommy Sutton working on his '55 Chevy pedal car. He has plastic toy tools, can name each one. I gave him a Craftsman 3/8 socket set, gold plated commemorative set in a wooden box, for his birthday. He "helps" his dad work on his Model A. Has probably 100 or so toy cars & trucks. When he hears a loud car or motorcycle he starts looking around trying to see what it is, been saying "hot rod" since he first started talking. His room, since birth, has been decorated with hot rod stuff, he has a car youth bed. He will be the first third generation Thunderbolt. If his interest continues he will probably inherit a shop full of tools and equipment someday.

 

I had this conversation with my brother-in-law. He was telling me how bad my older car is for the environment. Then I pointed out I get 24mpg. I am not using up new raw materials to build a new car. I am recycling other car parts instead of filling a land fill somewhere. And therefore, the longer I keep it, the smaller it actual "carbon footprint" becomes. He never thought about it that way.
back on o.t. I know quite a few young guns into "our" type
of cars. And my 5yo grand daughter loves my '50 Chrysler. I don't think we have anything to worry about for a while. Check out all the "Kustom Kulture" stuff that's out there and online.

 

I'm 19 and been into the stuff for years. Where I'm from(Irvine, CA)there aren't many kids into the old cars. And if they do like the old stuff it's usually foreign or muscle cars. I finally got my friend into the kustom car culture but it's convincing him to stay period correct that's difficult.


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At some point the laws are gonna be super restrictive and gasoline will be almost unobtainable. At that point the bottom will fall out of the early car market for the driver quality and jalopy quality raw material and only museum pieces will have any value as static objects d'art.

Until then, I say fuck it. Lets cut the crap outta this stuff and drive it. This isn't going to last forever for real.

 

todays youth are not interested in working.local kids are are spoilt.not interested in working or anything traditional.its much easier to be a drug dealer money is better n the chicks are free

 

41 years ago (at 19 yrs old) I had drug in a 32 five window and a 31 Chevy 2dr sedan and was working on both with limited knowledge and money. I tried to engage my Great Uncle in conversation regarding his 4 'antique' cars he had restored and each time, I was met with a scoff and derogatory comment about the "junk" I was working on..........I never forgot and now, every time a kid approaches my car (when I am around) I ask them if they want to sit in it and 'check it out'. Over the years, I have found many people in the car hobby that act similar about their cars as my Great Uncle did to me. I think the interest discussion is a two-way street............

 

And where's the fun factor. What's the difference in sitting at a desk on a computer versus sitting in a lawn chair behind a car? Maybe the problem is US.[/QUOTE]
I would have to agree, its not entirely up to young people to take an interest in this hobby, but for those in this hobby to take interest in young people.

 

I'm 31 years old and I've been into old cars since the day I was born thanks to my dad. I have a 51 Chevy, a 55 Chevy 2 door sedan project car and, a Harley. I'm a blue collar worker and I work hard to pay for everything that I own. My parents made me pay for most of the expensive toys that I wanted. Dad let me use his lawn mower to cut all the yards in my neighborhood to make my money for my bicycles, go carts and, dirt bikes. I didn't exactly like my parents for making me bust my ass for my toys at the time. Now I look back on it and, I'm glad they did what they did. I would never have the things that I have now if it wasn't for them. The car hobby is an expensive hobby and, I think one of the problems is guys my age and younger just can't go out and get a good paying job right of high school or even college for that matter. Those days are long gone. I don't have any kids of my own yet but, a lot of my friends do. I always make it a point to ride my Harley or drive my 51 to kids birthday parties. These kids are anywhere from a year old to 10 years old. If they show interest, which a good bit of them do, I let them look and even climb all over my rides. The parents usually yell and tell the kid to get off or out. If the kids are smiling, I'm smiling and, I let the kids do what they want. Somebody has to carry the torch and keep the hobby from dying. I hope I make a huge impact on these young kids lives!


Dustin

 

I would have to agree, its not entirely up to young people to take an interest in this hobby, but for those in this hobby to take interest in young people.[/QUOTE]

There is no denying that things have changed over the years. We used to do odd jobs around our neighborhood to earn a little cash. Sometimes the old folks payed us with that old batch of parts or maybe even an old car they had sitting around. When I was 16 some guy gave me and two friends a 51 Dodge coupe that we all worked on together.
Today the cost, the peer pressure, the rules and regulations can make it a little difficult for a young kid.
My kids and now my grandkids enjoy the hobby in a variety of ways. Whether it is cruising, going to a car show, building models, playing with toy cars or helping Pop work on his cars. They show an interest.
My son became an automotive engineer for GM. He is currently more into the muscle cars and when we travel to visit there is usually some car event that we end up sharing together.
My daughter and son-in-law have 3 awesome little sons. If it has wheels it has 100 percent of their attention. Mom and dad may not be able to afford a cool car but I have never denied them wheel time in one of mine.
Our kids both got keys to our chopped sedan when they turned 17. Proms, school parades or just a fun cruise out for a burger was normal for them.
Yup, things may have changed but I agree, take an interest in the young people and our sport may be a little different but I think it will be just fine.

 

My older son loves old cars, my younger son could care less about cars at all.

 

the cost of living in todays world is crazy, young people are getting themselves in debt just trying to get by month to month. have seen several young car guys that work with me end up having to sell there cars once their married and start having a family.

 

look at craigslist in san Francisco and sacramento areas they are full of old cars for sale by our younger generation who have a passion for the classics, most ads will say 'bought this project and just can't afford to finish,

 

Yeah, it is not just the young. I'm 43, well young to some, and I am facing selling everything to cover medical bills. Way too easy to get buried in debt these days.

Life: Live, no net.

 

Kids are more interested in the latest phone or pad. The car hobby doesn't start at 16. I stems from the bicycle and big wheel. You don't see packs of kids riding Diamond Backs and Trickstars anymore. No bunny hoping curbs and riding wheelies with your right pant leg stuffed in your tube sox.


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Yes there is hope. My granddaughter is in love with Willy. Every time she comes over to my show, she asks Pa, can I drive Willy I say dive him wherever you want to go

 

I believe this is the biggest issue. In fact even in the 60's and 70's my old cars sat while we raised a family. Today it's much worse getting by.

 

Kids around here are more interested in their hopped up diesel pickup. No one cares about old cars. That's why they are easy to find. And easy to get.

 

My 3 year old nephew is

Cant keep him out of the shop when he comes to visit


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Lets see,our twin girls came home from the hospital in a hot rod,,they were raised in the back seat of a hot rod and have been all over the country in hot rods,,even used hot rods in their weddings and to be honest they just don't have any desire to own one.

Our oldest granddaughter loves them and will end up with the wagon. HRP

 

To update my previous post about my friend Justins' 63 Fairlane..We got it running today!

 

So they discovered REAL life? For a long time, since the early 80's, the American dream has been shoved in the faces of youth. The thing is, the American dream wasn't meant for kids. It was meant for adults. That means saving and possibly waiting for the American dream.

My dad told me, when I was 16 or so, "The two biggest items you'll ever buy are a new car and a home. Put 20% cash down on both." Young people get sucked into $1.00 down and payments and end up hooked for life. If your young, ask your dad how old he was when he bought his first new car or home. Ask him how he financed it. This "easy credit" bull shit has got young people fooled. The banks found out the hard way.

IMO, if a guy's young and having to sell stuff to finance a marriage, maybe he should have waited until he grew up and got a job that could pay for it.

 

i cant disagree with this...but...if you're selling projects to finance a marriage at least you arent going into debt up to your eyeballs. which is a semi-step in the right direction

now for me...im 30, got married almost 2 years ago, and have a beautiful baby girl...im a mechanic, im not exactly rolling in money but im building a 46 chevy coupe and a 78 harley...i save what i can, side hustle, etc to fund my hobby...luckily i have a a very supportive wife (whos only argument about me getting the 46 coupe was if i should chop it or go with a carson top)

i didnt grow up with with a dad or grandpa who was a hotrodder or builder of sweet customs...its just something your dna is drawn to...

in short our hobby is alive and well...and if theres a small dip im more than ahppy to buy projects on the cheap while they're available

 

You might want to be careful of the context of this phrase!

 

A $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 paint job is not only really stupid but ruins the whole intent of having the car in the first place....to drive it and let others enjoy it.

If I could and did pay that kind of money for paint, I would still let others touch, rub, sit and tinker with it.

It's the same as a woman getting all dressed up and pretty. She wants people to look and most of us really enjoy looking. Now touching or rubbing.........

 

Could be their new wives saw the cash value of an old car, which they had no interest in, and convinced their new husbands to sell it and buy things they want.

 

I think the statement of "it's harder today, or more expensive today or whatever whiny statement, is absolute Bull Shit. I made $2.40 an hour and after a few years was up to $2.80 per hour. Today, that equates to about $20.00 per hour. My wife worked at laundry mat washing other peoples cloths. Times were hard then and they are hard now, but certainly no harder than they were then.

We made it and so can they. If the todays parents would simply jerk them off of their tits and let em figure it out, they would. I promise you they would and later on would be thankful.

 

Average family income has fallen, steadily, inflation corrected, since the 80's, as has individual buying power, and is about $60/yr. more than it was in the late 60's. No speculation, just cold, hard, tested statistics. The reasons for this are NOT an appropriate discussion topic for this board, but suffice to say, they are not individual effort, initiative, or parenting style.

Minimum wage went to $2.30/hr., on January 1, 1976. Corrected for actual observed inflation, to 2012 (last observed increment), $2.30/hr. is the equivalent of $9.55/hr. A far cry from $20. Minimum wage in 2012, for comparison sake, in 2012, was $7.25.

By all accounts, money does not go as far as it used to, and it is not being distributed the same way that it was. The evidence is copious, glaring, and insurmountable, by every angle it can be viewed from.

Since we can't discuss politics here, how about we instead discuss how we are going to, instead of blaming today's youth, we figure out how to reach out to them, get them excited, and involved in this?

 

Someone needs to make a GOOD hot rod movie. American Graffiti got a lot of us into hot rods because it jammed us in the forehead courtesy of a big screen. You wonder how come kids like Hondas, instead of older cars? Remember "The Fast and the Furious"? After that movie came out, fart can mufflers, NOS (gawd I hate those letters together) systems and big goofy rims flew off the shelves. They still are and that seriesis up to what, 6 sequels?

So, where's the NEW "American Graffiti" and what would it be based on? Naturally, it couldn't be based on the 50's. It would have to be a movie, where the main characters have old cars in 2013 and at least a few people die violent deaths and a few cars get totaled. Find that formula and the youth will follow. Contact Tarentino. Oh.... and make some action figures and a video game based on the movie.

 

Not real concerned about what the youth of the world think about my ride. This is the HAMB, Besides , I'm not going to sell my car...