Featured Hot Rods Who Said the Future of our Hobby is Dead…

After meeting these young men I can attest that it’s in good hands.

@guthriesmith ‘s youngest and his two buddies just left my house this morning (1:30ish) after picking up some parts for his dad hauling a beautiful Galaxy convertible. The enthusiasm these kids had whenever they were showing me the car was contagious. They really reminded me of myself when I was their age gallivanting all over Gods creation with my buddies getting cars, parts, hitting shows and swap meets. Heck if I wasn’t in my jammies I would’ve hopped in the truck with them and finished the trip!
These kiddos were living the life and enjoying every minute of it!

 

That's awesome.

 

They were 10 hours into the drive and had another 7 to go and was just as chipper as ever! Oh how I miss having that kind of energy

 

The hobby is not dead or dying, its just getting younger, both with the age of the cars, and the age of the owners. Most of the guys here are stuck in an era that is 70 + years old, and they refuse to see anything that doesn't fit into their era.

 

Excellent
Dan

 

Looking back to when I bought my 48 in 1973 I was 26 years old and the 48 was 25 year models old. I drove it to the NSRA street rod nationals in Tulsa that year. One of the highlights if the trip was having a 16 year old who had an AD at home getting his photo taken in front of the 48.

Now a 25 year old car is a 2000 model.
Still I think down through hot rod history most guys build what they can afford or if you are starting out older build what you wanted when you were young. The reason so many guys in their late 50's and 60's show up at cars and coffee or local events with 60's 70's super cars. Many of my former auto shop students from when I taught between 1978 and 1991 have the cars they wanted in high school and one still has the same car he had in high school and another who passed away a couple of years back had the same 70 Chevelle with a big block and 4 speed that he had in high school along with a real nice 55 chev 2 door post with a big block that he built from frame up.

 

Oh how I miss having that kind of energy .
Me too bud,me too,lol!

 

the car hobby is not dead and dying, just the part where all the cool cars hang out.

 

Thanks again for meeting them at such a crazy hour! And, yea, I agree that there are still some that will continue on with this stuff. One of my sons buddies used to see me drive either my 60 Thunderbird or 56 Fairlane to their school regularly. So, hopefully I helped plant a seed with these kids at minimum. Oh, and he still isn’t home. They got to his buddies house about 9:00 or so this morning, but then he went to church and has been hanging out with other friends all day. I also wish I still had that kind of energy.

 

This was Samuel and a group of his buddies headed to paint ball one day before he was 16. We rode in the 56.

 

No of three guys under 30 building cars of there own two of them 55 chevy gassers, there's good number of C-10 and F100 lowriders in town in the 40 and younger club gives me hope for us 40 and older guys that once we are gone your cars and stuff wont just be pushed into a hole some wear.

 

I really enjoyed seeing them! I was wondering when they made it back to the house, and if I didn’t live on a narrow dead end street it would’ve been easy for them to park their rig and camped out with us until the morning. That way they’d be rested and had a full tummy before heading out. But they were ready to get home and backing out of the neighborhood wasn’t on their list of things they wanted to do

 

At one time I was the younger generation! Haha.

Not only has Jeff raised gear head sons, they’re GOOD boys too.

 

I definitely second that!

 

I’m always letting the kids sit in my cars or take them around the block, it makes the cars more accessible as such and most times later in life they are swinging by the house showing off their old cars that they just bought as their first ride. And through the years I’ve helped build motors, do bodywork, paint, anything that I can do to help them out.

 

Im VERY fortunate for my 3 of 4 kids to be gearheads and have their Hotrods...Growing up in my business shop and being around all the different kinds of cars i worked on.... That started with my uncle letting me work in his carshop/machine shop/parts store... he got em coming and going ,..... FULL service... LOL

 

Fine stand-up gentlemen there.
Thanks for sharing the hope.