Hot Rods Is there any 25 and under guys building cool hot rods?

I'm 18 and proudly have the oldest car in the high school parking lot. Drive her every day!

 

I just turned 24 a few days ago. I was raised with hot rods and anything to do with them ( car shows, swap meets, making the rounds to family friends garages). My dad has taught me everything I know. My dad and I built my 51 Chevy pickup when I was 14, it was where I learned how to weld, set up a chassis, do metal and bodywork and how to follow through and complete something you started. I kept honing those skills on other small projects and then started the build on my 32 sedan my senior year in high school. After the 32, I built a 30 model a roadster on 32 rails with mostly junk and parts that no one wanted to use.

Building cars kept me busy from getting in trouble with stuff typical kids get into (drugs, alcohol, smoking, being on the phone/computer all day, children), mostly because I had no money to spare. But I use all these skills my dad taught me everyday and will have them for the rest of my life. Enough with my story here's some pictures.

 

I can say I grew up around them... cut my teeth on restoring vintage motorcycles. Many awards and miles later. At 25 I got my first 56 dodge pickup(wrecked before I got it)... then my second and built the second one.. Now 10 yrs later I still own her and a hotrod 31 Tudor sedan. Next is either a touring sedan, or a A coupe very traditional style. I don't fit the ages that were said but I started then and have worked my way up. Got a stepson a few years back, he has helped me some here and there, but were building a 54 dodge pickup for his first truck. Its up to us to keep this alive, pass on knowledge, and not be stubborn asses.

 

Yeah my wife says I act like I am 12.

 

I'm 24 and been into old cars since high school. I've had a lot of help from my shops teacher. My current car is the 47 Pontiac(avatar). Sbc, 4 speed, 9 inch. Lately progress has come to a stop due to moving to a new town and losing my shop that I worked in. Until I find a shop to work in it, it will stay half finished. I just drive it in the summer waiting for the day to start thrashing on it again

 

i am working hard on getting my 8 year old infected with the disease. had him in the shop a few nights ago and was doing some cutting on the band saw and some grinding and welding and he said "this fab stuff is kinda fun" i just about peed my pants! i was a natural even though my Dad and uncles were big into it, i think i would have gotten into it no matter what. This was a few years ago when he was a lot younger. We will see what happens. I agree on the cost thing, not a cheap hobby and if the younger generation isnt exposed to it as much as we perhaps were who knows where it will go. Look at the decline in Drag racing due to cost! For us guys north of the border it's even a little more challenging.

 

Holy shit! Pick up the pace, will ya?
Just joking- good for you ( I think you've got what I've got! Feed your disease.)
My friend's son (5) gettin' down and dirty in the garage.

 

I helped a young guy a couple of years ago build a pretty sweet 53 chevy custom. It was his first attempt. it is now apart for a full blown build with shiny paint and such.
he was 24 when we did this

 

proud of my son Nick who is a much better wrench at 21 than I was and is fearless which is a large part as well as creative and skills... This 49 3100 is his, sitting on a bagged S10 frame and will get a motor transplant soon....he loves the 30/40's

 

I am 20, check out my build in my signature. No one in my family is into it, but I am getting some guidance from some local hambers.
I blame cost. When people are willing to pay 100 bucks for a backing plate with no hardware, and pay 1k for a smoking flathead, it is hard. I have also had a couple people try to oversell me and take advantage of me at swap meets. They don't understand that I work for every dollar and tool I got, and I am not getting any handouts. They think I am some kid who got the car passed down, or is having some help building it. It kills me sometimes...

EDIT: Just like to say that I got shafted on my purchase as well. The car was supposed to have a running banger, which I found to have basically exploded. Look at my thread and tell me why I paid 3k, but I have not seen a similar model for sale at all since. (Live and learn, I ain't afraid to say it) All of the build able projects up in New England are expensive, picked up by Craigslist watchers who flip, or are traded in inside loops. It boggles my mind when people ask themselves 'why'.

And just wanted to also say (because this topic kills me) that this shit doesn't help you get hired anywhere. I am going to college to be an engineer, and my real only desire is to go into automobiles and such. The companies who hire want kids who are up to date, relevant, and forward thinking-- in with the times. Sadly, even though I learn a lot of fundamentals, I do not know anything about turbos, egr, obd II, emissions, ecu, etc. not only that, but learning all of the old stuff has taken my attention, so now I am further out of the loop. I would hate to say it, but working on my A has kinda handicapped me behind the kid in the city working on his tuner.

Just my 2 cents.

 

I totally disagree. I've built many cars since I was 19 for very little money. Be resourceful and work hard. Kudos to all the young guys getting it done.

 

I know where you are coming from. I caught a couple of brakes in my build, but I had to step up for new pads, wheel cylinders, master, now I am modding my A pedals to save some cash, but it is expensive.
I guess my issue is that there are a lot of people who say you 'have' to box the frame. You 'have' to convert to juice. You 'have' to use an f1 box. It is inexperience that gets you I guess, but how else would I learn about this stuff; Tardel ain't perfect, and I just started this hobby.
But you are right, you gotta build smart.

 

i'm 24.
I bought my 66 gmc when I was 13 and fixed it up with my dad when I was in high school (dad worked on it and I got in the way haha). Still own it and am still driving it.
Started building my 1929 rpu when I was 19. I was making 2 dollars above minimum wage at the time so there was a lot of scrounging involved and trial and error. 3 years later I had a running and driving car. Its a piece of crap but I did everything myself except shortening the drive-shaft and building the rad.
I am now working as a fabricator at a hot rod shop, the model A is currently apart for bodywork and paint. I just picked up a 35 chevy master I will build next, and I am also collecting parts to build a 29 roadster.
Yup I love doing this shit.
Its still possible for people my age to build a fun hot rod, I disagree that it has gotten too expensive. The problem is that my generation is completely lazy and horrible with money. You would not believe the money that my peer group throws away every month. With the money they spend on liquor, drugs, video games, the latest idiot phones and new car payments they could easily be fixing up an old car.

 

Great to read what the young-guns are saying. I still Love my Hot Rod.

 

I guess that I can just say that money has been hard on me, as I don't know about everyone. The issue with my build is that I am rebuilding legitimately everything and modifying a lot. I worked on a co op (cause I am in college now) 10+ hours a day getting money to build for a half of a year (because that is how long they last).

I work under a carport, buy all the tools, paint, consumables, etc., and it is runnin me dry. I spend every dollar I made on gas for the daily, and parts or raw metal and consumables on my project. Tbh, a lot of it was tools and consumables.

But you also have to consider the style of build. I don't want to run a sbc, because it would kinda ruin the driving experience. I am not trying to keep up at the drags here. That means I want a flathead, which costs at least 2k to rebuild.

But I would also like to mention that I asked a local shop if they needed some help, so now I am helping out around their shop for some parts and guidance. That surely helps, but it is not easy. The one good thing is that there are a lot of people in the hobby willing to help out.

 

There are absolutely plenty of young guys building cool stuff, but there are also plenty of people who don't get "it" regardless of age. Also, maybe it's just me, but I don't really care whether lots of kids get into this thing of ours. Sure, I want to see the tradition carried on and the knowledge passed down. It's important that it is. But I'd rather see it in the hands of a dedicated few than a mass of sissy trust-fund hipsters.

 

Spot on. Well said. 100% agree.

 

Too late.... The hobby has already migrated to the hipster crowd. It started with bikes and is shifting to cars.

The prices have def gone up in the past 10 years BUT finding those parts is still fairly easy.

Motor on!

 

This is my 18 year old nephew’s 53’ Chevy 210, he is taking Mechanical Engineering classes in collage specializing in automotive design, can’t wait to see what he does with it.

 

I'm 23 years old, currently working on a '29 Model A. The plan is to be driving her next summer.





I also own a '28 Model A Special Coupe, another '29 Tudor (just a body and frame), a '28 roadster (missing all the body panels from behind the cowl) and a '41 Ford 4 door.

 

I'm not 24, I'm sixty, wanted to comment on the complaints about cost, young guys aren't alone here, I finally have the money to build, have two cars, but most of my life was going to swap meets with little cash and high hopes. It teaches you to make what you can't buy, saving is also part of the build process, and for most of us, it's still difficult to find the money to build. It's great to see what you young guys can build, I urge you not to give up, if you keep on keepin on, you'll have the car you want, just takes perseverance.

 

I am 28 and have been born and raised in hot rods! There aren't a lot of you kids but seems like there's a few! I went to a save the salt meeting the other night and I wish there were more young guys there.

 

I will add to that I don't have a lot of money in fact I have no money to throw at my projects so I build something for trade or side work on somebody's car then roll that money to my project. So in the end it takes me two cars to build one! Where there is a will there is a way.

 

I would like to see a pic of the Special coupe if you don't mind. I am currently working on one also

 

Here you go @Binger

 

I was 22 when I started on my coupster.. I'm 27 now and the coupster body has since then been replaced with a roadster body.

I really should just finish the damn thing already.

 

Im 18 now but have been involved since I was about 5. My dad has had his 57 since he was in high school and I was always helping him.

It was always my job to bring the Blown, Hilborn 4 Port Injected, Small block chevy to life by turning the key and hitting the mag switch. Boy was that a thrill. That feeling that ran through your body when that car lit off was like no other, and your eyes burning because of the alky, boy did that have me hooked.

The summer I was 16 I ended up with a 54 Chevy Sports Coupe / Hardtop, had it and really did nothing but change the cam in the car. Then about 4 months ago I traded my 54 for a 56 Chevy 210 Hardtop that I'm building into a gasser. I have a build thread going also. I got lucky getting one because I've wanted a tri five ever since I was about 5.

Personally, I believe that the hobby is expensive only if you choose for it to be. I'm building my car with the equivalent of some people's "pocket change." Ive got $240 in my small block chevy and it should end up making 425 hp. Trading is what really moves my build along. Some stuff you aquire through trades you then sell and use that money very, very carefully, using every last dollar to accomplish as much as you can.

However, by me being involved with these cars, I managed to interest my friend and cousin enough to where they both now have cars as well. My cousin just bought a 58 Chevy Biscane about 2 months ago and my friend has now had his 66 Thunderbird for a little over a year.

 

Bens project is coming along nicely. Great to see a kid building a hot rod instead of playing video games. Don't let the setbacks set you back Ben. Every step forward is a huge boost of confidence. Most of us are on a tight budget- we MUST fabricate. That is the fun part- you have to engineer what you have to fab up, enjoy

 

Thanks man. Been realizing that the further I get, the more time I spend. Btw, fabricating is the best part.

 

I'm 25 I'm building my first car for me I've helped my dad fix a few up