How long before no one cares about what we love?

i know so many old peeps that do not have any family interested in the hobby . when the babyboomers die , it will be a heck of a garage sale most everywhere . not saying we are the only ones in the hobby , but i believe we are the majority . so maybe 20-30 yrs you will be able to buy at your desire . my car thankfully is taken when im gone & when my son goes his boy wants it . so im fixed for awhile ! .............. steve

 

The relative ease of maintaining and running the vehicles in the face of the green-movement's protestations of carbon emissions will probably cause more problems for the hobby well before people lose interest in continuing the tradition.

I can see it becoming a rich-man's hobby...folks like Leno being the few who can afford to keep/maintain/build older vehicles, much less afford to run them legally on the streets (legislation requiring untraditional heavy modding to reduce carbon footprint, blah, blah, blah?).

Anyway, I'd like to think these cars wouldn't disappear entirely and wouldn't be out of reach of the average guy or girl to lay hands on, but with the push for alternative fuel sources who's to say how long the combustion engine (in any configuration) will last?

I do agree with others here that the hotrod hooligan will always exist in some form or fashion, we just can't say with any surety what that'll look like 50 years from now or how much of this old steel will be running on the roads then.

 

I'm thinking yes and no. Yeah, it would be nice if prices came down to where I could afford to do all the stuff I wanna do, but how much metal is being saved because of its value? I keep seeing threads about old cars going off to the scrappers for the price of metal. I think this would probably happen even more if the price of the part crashed.

Like it or not, hoarding is probably one thing that keeps the old metal around. And, like an investment, people might be likely to dump it for what they can get quick if the bottom falls out.

Just my two cents .... ymmv ...

 

Do I care if they don't care? Hardly.

It's a hobby.

Nearly every day I go to the garage. Most of the time it's to play with the old jalopy; check something, repair something, with nobody else in the world but me aware of what's going on there. On a personal level it could be working with wood, painting scenery on canvas or poster, etc, etc.

Each week I get into my jalopy and drive to two different meetings with friends, one for breakfast, another for lunch. These are old car guys, at least that's what got us together to start with. Most of the conversation is about cars. But sometimes other topics divert those discussions. Therefore, for whatever the reason, should all of the cars vanish we would still meet. I'm sure of that. What we love, more than the cars, is the fellowship and interaction.

 

My son, one and only, High School football coach with two little kids, and gasserkid on here sez"Dad what are you gonna do with all this S***" Ain't my problem, leaving it all to you! HAHAHAHA

 

Hoarders...at least the ones that don't leave their cars sinking into the ground... may be valuable. They allow some cars to skip a generation and go into the future unencumbered with this year's fads.
Imagine if all the hoarded cars had suddenly come out of hiding in 1990...everything would be badly chopped, covered in wet-look off-tangerine plastic paint, have a crushed plastic velvet interior, and be encrusted with painted-on pseudo realistic broken emblems. Even if fixable, they would be so ugly no one would see the possibility...

 

On hoarding; If it was my goal to preserve, then hoarding would be the obvious choice.

In more ways than not, we are all alike. I have what I have because I like; without thought to whether others approve of it or what others might profit from it. I can't recall ever letting something go that the reason was based on someone else's need for it. I let it go because I no longer saw a need for it.

 

This coupe ( 32 3W ) was hoarded up ... since 1958.
I got it in 2005 That's almost 50 years ...





Hoarders are GOOD for the hobby. IMHO
They save cars/parts and pieces from destruction.

As far as WHO will care ... long term?

Who knows and really cares.
I certainly do not. I will be DEAD, my wife will be DEAD ... SO ...
It will not happen in my ( or my wife's ) lifetime.
I have a written and notarized will ... partly because The wife and I have NO Children
The person who stands to get my stuff ( if I die after my wife goes )
likes cars and hopefully will enjoy my stuff.

After all, we are just CARE TAKERS of this stuff anyway.

Times will change, and folks will adapt.
I believe that the real Iconic type vehicles will last into the 22nd or 23th Century ... at least. Real steel 32/33/34 Fords. 40 Fords/55-57 Chevrolets/67-69 Camaros and such will be around ( maybe in a museum or a display ) for at least another 100/200 years.

Just my nickel

 

I'm 35 and been in it as long as I can remember. There will ALWAYS be gearheads. Part of what we have to do is share the passion, knowledge and enthusiasm with the generations that come after us to keep this part alive.

I have 3 kids. Oldest at 7 loves to ride, but hates going to shows, 4 year old like anything hot rod (both girls BTW) and the boy child at 2 says "Play Hot Rod" everytime he steps into the shop!

 

teach him about it and get him into the hobby, you have an opportunity there, he must like the car, if he doesn't want it give it to me!!

 

Its not the fade of interest of the hobby that I worry about, It's the abusive regulations that local, state and federal government is imposing on the sport that scares the hell out of me. A great example is the article I just read today in Street Rodder magazine about this very topic. There is even a web address to keep you informed on what legislation actions detrimental to hot rodding is being proposed, or voted on. I'll be keeping an eye on it. www.carintiative.com

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=409232

 

you can also join SEMA for free, they fight that stuff, and you will get alerts about proposed laws in your email. Support them, they are one of the biggest friends of the car hobby.

 

I'll take it if he don't want it!

 

Absolutely; Busybodies with control issues, disquised as public servants, pushing their personal agendas, with the results of no value to anybody. It's all about control.

 

Well, I've been co-authoring a book related to this very same idea. One part of me knows certain hot rodding materials are very limited resources. On the other hand many younger guys have reinvented themselves and come up with some pretty incredible builds in affordable ways. Hot rodding swings like a pendulum. It looks to me that a lot of the same kids who built some rough rides are now working their way up to more quality builds. Others quit, that to be expected. Hot rods are not for the mainstream and never will be. During the early 60's was probably as big as it ever will be. The people that seem to hang in there, are having a great influence on its future. As long as the HAMB is around it makes all of us that much better. I can't tell you how much the HAMB has helped me. The more you share the more it grows. It skips generations and is never linear but the kid down the street admires the hell out of your hot rod and is waiting for you to kick off. That's not a bad thing... Joe

 

There was a 14 year old on the HAMB yesterday asking for advice on swapping an engine into a '50 or '51 Ford p/u. There's hope for the future, my friends.

All you young guys stick together after we're gone and keep it going!!

 

I think that interest in cars will continue, but that it will be directed towards newer cars
The really old stuff has been priced out of most guys range. Personally I just don't think that 30's and 40's cars are worth paying 30-50 thousand for. Sixties and seventies cars, 5.0 Mustangs and the like,(even imports) are the new starter cars.

 

One person's junk is another person's treasure and the exact opposite is just as true.
My grandfather who lived his adult life in the house I am now sitting in tended to get rid of things as soon as he thought he was done with them. I don't think he held on to much of anything for nostalgia's sake throwing things out as soon as he bought something new. I tend to become quite attached to various things and have a number of collections that while they aren't valuable dollar wise they are important to me.
If something happened to me my son would most likely keep all of my tools and equipment but the collections of stuff would probably go away along with most of the vehicles and parts. I wouldn't expect them to keep something that they weren't interested in but would hope that it got passed along to someone who appreciated it.

 

When hot rodding becomes unprofitable and uncool (and I can't really see that happening) then it will become real again. Now it's just kinda ridiculous, people seem to be in it more for the money and image than anything else.

Another way of thinking of it is, being a young guy(teens)I simply cannot get into hot rodding because of the huge prices the bodies go for, even second hand glass ones. I just don't have that kind of money. Less determined people would just give up and go and buy a 1970s Holden or a Nissan Skyline like all the other car guys my age do, you can't really blame them can you? Kids my age can't afford hot rodding, the older guys basically just tell us to piss off too. "Just a stupid young kid, they don't know shit about this stuff". So yeah, in my part of the world is gona stop soon, there is only one local hot rod here as it is now, a 37 ford that looks like it was built in the early 90's. I know a few guys that are building them, they haven't really made any progress in the last year or 2 though. So, I guess you could say it's already dead here.

It was bound to happen, us younger guys don't get any help what so ever, parts are really rare here too. It's much easier just to join into the imports, street machine or 4WD groups. Hot rodding is near impossible.

I'l get there eventually though. There has to be a 1920s-30s car in a shed or paddock somewhere around here! It's not like I don't have other cars to play with though, I have a fair collection or 1950s and 1980s Peugeots now Their really nice cars, I love them!

Thanks

Hayden

 

I finally got my 1930 Plymouth on the road a couple of weeks ago, and was concerned that the tremendous attention it would be getting would distract me from concentrating on how all the systems are working.

Turns out, I am ignored as if I wasn't even there - I can listen to engine noises and suspension rattles as much as I want - it's like a time machine just went by and nobody even glances at it. Maybe nobody cares about the past history - anything a few years old is discarded - so forth.

But once in a while somebody sees this thing and they go absolutely fanatic pointing and waving - so I honk them the aoogah horn!

 

<TABLE class=tborder id=post5730713 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD class=alt1 id=td_post_5730713 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e5e5e5 1px solid">Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Originally Posted by Francisco Plumbero
In twenty years the Chinese economy will pass ours, they want all the same things we have, in the year 2030 they will be making reproductions of all the stuff we love and by then they might even be good at it, its here to stay.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
What planet are you living on? The Chinese have already passed us and so have other countries because our Government has made America weak thru its greed. And as far as no one caring about our way of life, well that has already begun with the new enthol Oil companies want to put on the market and city Gov or as I like to call them, Mini Sam, cracking down on "junk" in the driveway, all those old cars are living on borrowed time. Enjoy them while you still can.
<!-- / message --></TD></TR><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e5e5e5 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #e5e5e5 0px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #e5e5e5 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e5e5e5 1px solid">




This all depends on how you measure their economy, Volume? , Per Capita ?, Standard of Living?
There are many ways to "lie with statistics".
I've been living in China for the last 6 months [I'm home next wednesday ]

The Place is a corrupt, filthy, poverty stricken shithole! China will never catch up to American [ or western ] standards

China is a very weak society that resembles the old feudal system of europe during the middle ages.
The privileged keep "Taking" and continually downtrodding the unprivileged. The corruption is unbelievable.
I mixed with some very affluential people over here [ nice people that call me friend ] but they were just a bunch of theiving "fat cats" with slimey "shit eating grins" [ look at any pics of communist party officials and you know what I mean ]

America [and in my case a British Colony ] are the envy of the world.
Our histories are a good example, our countries were settled by people wanting a better life [ opportunists escaping suppression ]
Along the way we build up a strong society from the bottom up [ not the top down ] with human rights, consumer rights etc.
Not China, they are trying to pad themselves from the top
The most dangerous people in society are not those trying to get power, but those trying to "hang-on" to power.
Don't forget that. WE are China's customer, they need US

I have tried to keep this politically neutral, but to look at ourselves and society as a whole.

As long as we have freedom as individuals our car hobby should never die, even O/T cars will belong in a few years as they become traditional.
The kids these days are modifying cars more than ever [ they're just different thats all ]

The perils of time will always heal [ especially with crap I've selectively forgotten ]
When I was younger, for every nice car we had,there was at least 50x POS that all the hangers-on owned, the same goes for now.

Time makes us hardcore when we pay our dues [ the hardcore are the select few ]
</TD><TD class=alt1 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e5e5e5 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #e5e5e5 0px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #e5e5e5 0px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e5e5e5 1px solid" align=right><!-- controls --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

I hear about stuff like that all the time too, and it's a damn shame people don't care about the past. We live in a throw away generation. Throwaway cars, throwaway appliances, throwaway food, it seems everything now has a shelf life of some sort and expires in a timely manner. Unlike the old rust and iron that WE all have and love. As long as all of us are still breathing and turning wrenches, we are somewhat safe. As soon as laws get so bad that we can't afford to run our machines or build them the way they were supposed to be built, then we have a problem. You see some shades of that today, but at least we are still free to pursue our passion and keep the torch lit for the goneby things of the past, old cars, old signs, old lights, old resturants, old music....keep the fires of the past lit people!!

 

This is a bit of a "Double Edged Sword" here, the throw away society creates desirability in the future through rarity.
Its shame people don't care about the present would be more like it.

Have you checked out "hot wheels" toy, the prices are unbelievable. I threw them out when I was bored with them as a kid [ this is a classic example ]

To any younger people reading this, the real value is the talent and skills [ try and get some old timers to mentor you , generally all you need to return to them is your time. The talent and skills you'll pick up will be priceless ]

You don't need a formal education to be educated

 

quote; .........................................our Government has made America weak thru its greed. ..........................................quote;


Our PEOPLE have made America weak............

...... there, fixed it for you.

 

Randy is absolutely correct. We just preserve it for the next generation, whether it's cars, guitars, art or other collectibles.

There may be but there are less and less of them. I try to hire gearheads for my company and it's pitiful how little practical mechanical knowledge and hands on experience you see even in Mechanical Engineers. All the kids play video and computer games rather than work on lawn mowers, go karts, cars, etc.

 

So true for our current hobby form, interest will be good to go for a long time, but to actually be a old fashion rodder, well that may be changing right now. I have heard about how our hot rod friends in California are finding it harder to put an old custom car + old hot rod engine back on the road. We probably have 10 years across the entire USA before they are regulated to the point that you can't restore on old car to on road status legally unless you win some sort of registration lottery, know the right high up official, or have some hidden loophole.

Even China was in the news recently saying they may start to limit all vehicle registrations to every other year, meaning you only get to drive one out of two years. This is because of the emissions problem they are facing.

I hate to say this, but converting to low or zero emissions power plants may be the only rod industry savior long term, but even that may be to late considering the legislation that has taken off in the last few years. Maybe some state will hold out and become the "Hot Rod" safe haven. I hope it doesn't come down to customizing a Prius with Cadillac fins.

SEMA has been "helping" shape the laws to be better for the car guy, but the laws also put limits the use of the cars. Here is a map from the SEMA website of whats going on:

 

Right On !!! Proud to have you as a part of this culture.

 

After reading about the passing of Lee Roy Hartung I thought I would bring this back to the top....

If you haven't seen Lee's collection go to the link below and see the videos. Thanks for keeping the stuff for the next guy Lee......

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=624580&highlight=hoarding

 

Sometimes it may be better to pass it on to someone who will really care for it than let whatever happen to it when you are gone.

The 48 has been part of the family since before the kids were born and my daughter has already laid claim to it. My wife doesn't care one way or another about the rods or customs I have but she preserves the memories of the places we have gone and the people we have met with the vehicles and that is just as important.