I know this is a little OT but I think its relavant to the tradition of hot rodding as we know it. I have often pondered this question now for about 20 years. I first began thinking about it when I read a story about what was going to happen to carbon fuels in the future. It got me to thinking about what happened when the steem powered engine became obsoleat as the internal combustion engine came along. I'm seeing changes in legeslation for more alternative ways of powering our form of transportation in the future. I just wondered what you guy's think will become of the very heart of the Hot Rod as we know it( the internal combustion engine)???????
Another doom and gloom thread Are you building a hot rod? Lets talk about that or something else related to traditional builds
Yes 117harv, Building cars now for over 45 years . I will build cars until i'm dead....I'm sorry Its wasn't ment to be doom and gloom Just wondering what everyone was thinking
I try not to think about the demise of our hobby, I enjoy each and every day of it! Just remember that there are people who want to get rid of everything that does not fit their agenda! It should be something that you think about when you vote or hear of a piece of legislation that might have an adverse affect on our hobby. We do not have to stand idley by and let it happen. Stay informed and be willing to stand up for your hobby!
I wouldn't worry too much about it. In fact with all the alternative fuels coming into play, maybe petroleum will become cheaper for us. There are already so many internal combustion vehicles on the road that it would take a very long time to get rid of them all. As stated above, when we see the legislation come up, we need to vote against it, or maybe for it...depending on how we see it could affect our hobby. In our lifetimes, I doubt very seriously that we will see the demise of our p***ion and pride.
You worry about future transportation. We'll worry about past transportation. It's really about the fuel. Any Mad Max movie will tell you that. Steam engines ran on wood, coal, and later versions on oil. They're still around and you can still get fuel for them. Their replacements were simply more efficient and better for business, and better for everyone, just like modern cars. You don't need government to force something better, the people will be drawn to it. I don't care if it's diesel, alchohol, methanol, propane, CNG, hydrogen, or electric that dominates the roadways of the future. Fuel is energy, and engines convert that energy into motion. The "winning" fuel will be the one that is most efficient from a cost/mile basis. We'll still fuel our antiques, cl***ics, hot rods, etc., even if we have to brew the juice ourselves in our back yards.
Ok, let's say that at midnight your worst fears come to p*** and there's no more Oil, ever.. No gas, no engine oil, no plastics, NADDA, zip ! I really think there's going to be way bigger things on top of the priority list than hotrods. There will be those who understand conversions to alchohol, natural gas, and those that don't. Ahhh then there will be those who understand the flux capacitor.
They can come up with all the hybrid electric cars they want, the IC engine is still going to be around, because they're not just in cars. What about lawnmowers, construction site air compressors, back up generators, ext. Most, but not all transportation uses them. The way I see it is somebody is making money with all the alternative fuel BS. Not to mention the fact that the big oil companies would never let their customers go somewhere else.
i have to somewhat disagree. that would be true IF the market is left by itself. but when have governments picking winners and losers by mandates, subsidies , taxes etc the "winner" will be the one THEY want it to be . ethanol makes no sense , but it is they fuel they want us to use in our cars. i don't want it , don't need it , but i'm forced to pay for it at the pump and with my taxes what they really want us in is electric cars
Which is totally fine with me. I'd love to have an electric hotrod. Or even a reliable electric daily driver, for that matter. I commute 200km round trip daily. Gas is expensive. I might just do an electric ride for my next project. Who knows. Either way, the after market will adjust. With a rolling fleet of about a billion cars globally, however, - the ICE - and fossil fuels - won't be going anywhere any time soon, no matter what "The Man" says. So stop worrying and build something.
We could always run them on the smoke from a smoldering wood fire in the trunk like they did in Europe during WWII.
Electricity is an energy conveyor, not a source. Something has to produce that energy so I don't see much choice but to use heat of some kind either from external or internal combustion. I think a liquid fuel of some sort will be available for a long time.
and exactly where will the electricity to charge the batteries come from? what will the power plant be using to make electricity...coal? nuclear? those are on the "losers" list. wind/solar? they are on the "winners" list but they will NEVER produce enough
I'm sure I'll be gone before the oil runs out. As fas as alternative fuels go, I'd buy an electric car for a daily in a heartbeat if they weren't so expensive.
Like most questions like this the answer is not about replacement of something but how the whole world we live in will be different.
The biggest and most certain "threat" to the hot rod hobby is simply time. While I agree the internal combustion engine will be with us for a long time to come, the Traditional Hot Rodders won't. While there are younger people active in this hobby, I suggest if an accurate census could be made, I would be willing to bet a substantial sum that the "replacements" are less than those of us who most certainly will be departing this world (again, talking about "traditional" hot rods). Just look at what the majority of younger HAMBers are building......50's and early 60's cars, more often customs than hot rods. I'm not critcizing that..just noting the facts of life. Will be be ANY Traditional Hot Rodders? Sure.......some........just not the numbers as now. Of course, I could be wrong in this point of view. But look at any of the hobby pursuits of machinery or traditions or warfare of our past, things that were part of American life prior to hot rods. Small numbers of dedicated hoobyists still practice those......but probably a dwindling number as time p***es. Ray
I think someone will come up with a man made fuel that can be used instead of petrol in a standard engine.
a good number of the late model performance guys have switched to E85 where it is plentiful. Burns cleaner and has higher octane. I suspect we will see more efficient ways of getting alcohol based fuels. I have seen prototype efficient gas powered engines in the press over the years. One was in Hot Rod about 15 years ago and John ****era was one of the developers. It was a circular shaped deal with pistons that stayed stationary while the cylinders rotated. Well that is what I remember of it. Hot rodders are ingenuous. You can bet they will adapt to what the future brings their way.
Gas and oil will never disappear, it will just get scarcer and more expensive. This is already happening, world oil production peaked in 2005. US production peaked in the early 1970s. If it wasn't for the recession or depression cutting consumption gas would be over $5 a gallon. What will take its place I do not know but the electric car looks like a contender. Electric power was always superior but until now there were no batteries that could store enough power in a small enough and light enough package. Batteries are still not compe***ive with gas but they are a lot closer than they were in the last gas crisis in the seventies.
Remember that the railroads were granted m***ive government subsidies, ie huge tracts of land all across the country to develop a new mode of transportation in the 1800s. Ports, rivers, and airports likewise get subsidies to this day. Electronics that enabled modern fuel injection control, gasoline direct injection and more were all developed withe advanced research funded by the DOE, DARPA, etc. That was no different than incentivizing electric hybrids or alternative fuels now. i've only got 20 or 30 years left, and fully expect to still be driving my gasoline powered hotrods till the day i'mplanted. Don't fear the future. Change is inevitable
I'm gratfull that there are as many young traditional builders out there as there are. I'm one of those old fellows who actually lived the triditional life and wan't its days of glory to live on. I try to p*** on all I know to the young ones coming along in hopes they will experiance what it was all about like i did. I'm thinking though that if you didn't live it as we old folks did It won't be the same for them. I'm just glad the younger croud liked our style enough to copy it. That alone say's alot. I just don't think there is anything that will ever take the place of living the real thing. I truly hope the Internal combustion engine stays around for a long time and brings the new generation as much pleasure as it has for us old farts
I worry about the same thing as the op does...but the reality is that its not a warranted fear. There are MILLIONS of cars, trucks, buses, lawnmowers, ..you get the picture....that run on fossil fuels. It would be worth worrying about if there was a shortage of oil...but there isnt. There is simply a move by environmentalists and a certain political party to move people to a so called "green" form of energy and m*** transit. Since neither is really viable right now...and gas prices rising..people will get sick and tired of it. All a president has to do is simply announce that we are going to explore/drill for oil in Alaska and any place we find resources and the price of oil/gas will plummet overnight. That likelihood proves there isnt a shortage. Gas should be about $2.50 a gallon and adjusted for inflation that's about what it has always cost.
There are over 280 MILLION I/C vehicles on the road in the US. Over 1 BILLION in the world. They ain't going away ever.
Electric cars are NOT the answer. I think of all the changes that may occur, it'll be along the lines of ride-sharing, neighbours coordinating shopping trips, etc.... stuff like that. More telecommuting as well. I ain't worried about it.
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