Todays youth NOT interested

If you went to a Import car meet then, no. They are not going to give a shit. I'm 27 and have been working on my 51 for 6 years. I know a bunch of young guys that are Into old rods.

 

wait so are you saying that the kids were most likely laughing at me?!?!?

 

Most of them probably were. In their world, if it doesn't have 24"+ RIMS, low profile tires, a turbo and a 3' wing on the hatchback, it's funny looking. I've been there, man, and it sucks.

When my T bucket was just finished, I took it out to our local "strip", Westheimer. Trying to relive my youth, but now I had a nice ride. Man, I was getting looks and everything. So, I stop for gas and this teen comes over and says, "Bro, that car is SO whack!" Made my night.

Days later, I told my nephew about it. "Uncle Fred. He was saying your car's goofy looking." And I'm sure my nephew didn't mean Disney Goofy.

 

'Bout twelve years back I had a '27 T roadster that I did up to look like the '58-62 era cars. On weekends, when I'd pull it out, the neighborhood kids would all come around and look. I tried to give each of them a ride around the neighborhood 'cause when I was their age a neighborhood hot rodder gave me a ride in a roadster and I was hooked. A few years later one of those kids came into my garage, told me he bought part of a '29 roadster and wanted to build a "rat rod", did I have any parts or suggestions. I gave him some model A rails, front spring and an axle and offered to help with the chassis. In my driveway was his dechromed, lowered, white-walled '53 Chevy 2dr. Very cool. I guess that ride gave at least one of them the bug.
My own 17 year old likes cars, has taken lots of Auto Shop at school, but when left to his own choices he would rather spend all day and night on his X-box. I guess I'm gonna have to build a drag raceable hot rod and see if THAT gets his interest!

 

modern cars are plentiful, cheap and fast.
Old cars are slow, cost money and time to fix, and if you don't know much about cars it's easier to slot into a cheapish modern car and drive its arse off.
see many young people joining car clubs? Nope. why? Because they are full of old people, and that ain't, like, you know, like cool. Plus, I think there is a high level of intimidation, trepidation and angst when joining a club full of experienced elders.
just my 20c worth.
I am a member of four clubs and at 50, am one of the youngest. Quite sad, actually. These clubs could do with more young people.

 

Since I moved up to central California I've noticed that our local kids seem to cover the spectrum of automotive and mechanical stuff. Tall new trucks, old trucks, old cars and a few imports. Boats, dirt bikes, PWC, it's all here. Our high school actually has an Auto Shop and they run a Camaro drag race car that the kids get to work on. Gives you a good feeling about the future of our hobby. I've been to the auto shop class with my stepson when they were prepping for the Hot Rodders of the Future contest where they disassemble and reassemble a SBC for time and accuracy. Great kids and a good teacher.

 

I think this thread can continue for ever , hot rodding the way I see it has just geared into what's newer faster and cheaper . I'm 25 , I'm on my third 50s Chevy . I had a non running 49 at 19 , a running 50' when I was 22 that I never drove cause of a missing windshield and now I'm building my 51' . My 20 YO brother likes the old rivieras but has no interest in buying one cause they cost a fortune compared to driving hooked up little civic which is what catches his interest. For 5k you can have a weekend track car Honda compared to a decent Kustom for 5k. The younger crowd is awed by what's new and also by exotic cars that rappers rap about lol I mean it's a first love type of deal for us , I remember riding around in a 64 impala as a kid and since then I've always had love for old cars


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I'm 18, and have been in to cars since before I can remember. When i was real young ( like 6-7) i started being interested in shiny imports... Until my dad told me I'd need a new place to live if I ever owned one.. Not a good place to be at 7 years old!! So I shifted my interest to classic cars, but mostly older trucks. After awhile I grew bored with them, too. Then this last summer I found this site, and it has really shows me what a cool old car really is! So now I have the knowledge. But my biggest problem now (and most younger people, I'm guessing) is money. I'm trying to put myself through college, and frankly can't afford to build or pay insurance on two vehicles. And since I wouldn't want to ruin a classic by driving it in a salty Ohio winter, the beater truck wins.. Sadly..
There would be anyone with an old ford looking to find it a new caretaker, would there?

Shotgun Rod & Kustoms

 

Logically, the kid of today SHOULD be working on a cheap import. The times and circumstances are a lot different than they were for most of us. And stuffing your kid into a hot rod and calling that involvement, doesn't count.

 

Don't be worried yet lol. I am 18 and am into all sorts of cars. While I am Into the Jap cars and trucks I am also into these old cars. I have 3 vehicles already. A 47 chevy truck a 97 civic and a 49 chevy fastback. Out of these only the Civic runs but the others are on there way. There will always be somebody into them. Also I am in an auto tech class and my teacher just got a 49 Buick roadmaster as a Christmas present for his 13 year old son. We are going to fix it in class.

 

I understand why alot of youth is not in to rods anymore... I believe the biggest reason is a large portion of the current hot rodders or as this class of people I call the "old farts" are just assholes.

Its hard for the younger kids to learn, to get involved since "they are young they dont know what theyre doing."

That kind of mentality is why the younger crowd is going to other things.

I am 24, own my own Restoration/custom/performance shop. I have been running it since 2009, working professionally in the auto body field since I was 13, doing several cars for high end/ famous people, and a few cars that are now in museums. Yet I would say 80% of my customers dont know what I actually look like.
I use to introduce myself to potential customers, and would get frowned upon because of my age and would get very little work. So i started taking my dad with me (who knows very little about cars, enough to be able to carry a conversation, but thats about it.) He talks to them and "we" look over the car and "we" give the customer a time line and an estimate. He just introduces himself as Mr. Summers, and they assume he is the one working on the car...

That is why I believe younger guys are doing something else... IM NOT SAYING ALL OLD CAR GUYS ARE LIKE THIS. Just a large portion, and until we can change this it will continue to worsen.

So talk to that kid, give a kid a ride, share knowledge, and dont be stuck up...

 

There are plenty of young hot rodders. My fellow HAMBer BigFluffy is one of them. Bringing back an F1 on the original frame and drivetrain. He is 17.

 

I heard an interesting observation on one of the TV car shows the other night, and it was the reverse of what some of us might think. They said "The older hot rodders have moved on to hot rods with more modern looks and appointments (Streetrods) and it is the younger guys who are doing the cars we call "traditional" because they are interested in that time in our history."

While I know that isn't true 100% across the board, I do think it is true to a certain degree. I know when I go to any car show most of the guys in their 60's and up are not driving bare bones hot rods. Their cars are built with a little more comfort and more modern motors and drivetrains. Only a few guys, like me, are still putting up with rain, cold, and 100 year old suspension technology. Most of the graybeards I encounter are driving cars I would definitely call Streetrods, not hot rods.

On the other hand, I do see a lot of younger guys who are trying to build cars that we might have seen on the streets in the 50's or 60's. Even the guys who are building cars with that dreaded "RR" label are not putting ac, cruise, etc and are building them somewhat along the lines of what we did see coming out of a lot of home garages in the old days.

It made me think, and maybe it is really the younger guys who are keeping this hobby we love alive.

Don

 

That's a very true observation, Don. When I encounter a hot rodder older than my age, 54, he's usually telling me about his Vintage Air setup and trying to talk me into installing a Mustang ll suspension. Cracks me up. I honestly think some old guys are trying to fit a glass '32 on a Lexus frame, then their life would be complete.

 

I'm 56,I welcome any youngsters into my hot rodding world.I invite any kid who shows interest in my hot rod to sit in it.Exclusive country club, fuck that bullshit!

 

Today's youth are only interested in themselves. They are clueless and disrespectful, save for the kids that have true guidance and solid moral upbringing. We all went thru "that time", when we thought we knew it all etc...but, we grew out of it. We appreciated the elders, if you will, and took their advice and grew a little. We had it tougher, so to speak, no internet, harder lesson books and we had to do things for ourselves more. Work ethic was instilled in us from a generation of parents, and grandparents, that for the most part is non existent. Sad but true, tomorrow leaders, are really just followers.

 

Your last sentence sums it up.Don't be an asshole.

 

Who gives a fuck if the youth are interested? Im doing this for me now. This is it. We are not caretakers for this shit we are builders, consumers, drivers, destroyers. This is about experiences now with friends and family with these machines as the catalyst. If young guys are interested then come on in, if not fine whatever. I don't give a fuck. If you love this shit you fall asleep thinking about it and if its not in you its not and that's ok too. Its gonna be ok.

 

I see the two main reasons for keeping young and old alike out of the hobby is money to buy a project and a garage space big enough to do the work. How many young people just out of high school have a good paying job to buy or rent a house with garage space large enough to do the work, have money for a daily driver, have money to buy tools and the skill and knowledge to use them. Most of the young kids into the hobby have relatives also into the hobby and usually provide working space, tools, knowledge to these kids.

 

Kids are still interested. It is just that A bunch of them don't know what a hot rod is. I have a 70's 4x4 that kids like. To them it is ancient. Hot rods are generations removed

 

Today's youth are interested, but in somewhat different aspects of the automotive hobby. A few months ago, a friend gave me a flyer for a Japanese car show in which he would be serving as one of the judges. This type of show was completely foreign (excuse the pun) to me as I have alwas been interested in the more traditional areas of the hobby ... hot rods, drag racing, 60's era American cars, etc. Long story short, I went to the show and was impressed with what I saw in terms quality and quantity (4-500 cars & bikes) ... lots of quality performance builds and almost no cheesy aftermarket wings and ground effects kits, etc. These folks are building good looking, high quality performance cars, just not quite the style I am familiar with.

What impressed me as much as anything was the large turnout of spectators having fun with no drama. The average age of the group was about 30, compared to typical hot rod events which are beginning to look like AARP conventions.

Don't sell the younger people short ... if we don't act like a bunch of elitist asshats, some of them might become some of us.

 

One recent experience that kind of sums up a couple of the observations already mentioned in this thread.... My Dad had sold his 1932 Model B roadster to a guy on the west coast and the transport truck was parked on the street to pick it up. The driver, a middle-aged guy from Virginia was excited to be hauling it since he'd always loved Deuces and in all his years he had never delivered or even seen a stock 4-banger. As we were loading the pallet of spare parts that went with it, a car full of young kids pulled up and asked if they could check out and take pictures of the cool car. It turned out they were talking about a "ricer" Civic on the upper deck of the carrier. Granted it was a show car with an iridescent pink paintjob and lots of mods (including one of those aftermarket exhausts that sounds like a dildo in a coffee can), but nothing you couldn't find in any McDonalds parking lot on a Friday night. The driver just laughed it off and said "Which one do you think will be worth more in twenty years?"

 

Well said. There are a lot of snobs out there and most of them bought their cars and call anything without high dollar paint, interiors, engines etc a RR. I been messing with cars since the fifties and most "RRs" reflect the cars we drove better than a street/hot rod of today. Primer was the only paint other than stock and most of it was where rust and dents had been repaired. All are neat but no reason to be a snob about it!

 

If it weren't for the "Kar Kulture" crowd today there'd be a lot less interest in our hobby then there is and most of their stuff isn't really traditional but I love it and the fun they all seem to have. This outa fire up some "traditionalists here but it's a fact and I welcome them. Times and availability of A's, T's, 50's and older cars is rare and costly.

 

My son is 24 and has been around my cars all his life but he could careless about them, sometimes I think there was a mix up in the nursery and we got the wrong baby.
When I'm gone what doesn't sell for penny's on the dollar will windup in a dumpster.......watch for the garage sale sign.

 

Im 52 with a 22 year old son that thinks old cars are kool but thats about it. He lives in the city now with out a drivers license and has no intention of getting one. My 19 year old son has a 1965 Galaxy and is building it as a Bell flower Kustom. Hes working on his auto body apprenticeship and wants to be a painter. The biggest draw back way up here is the buy in to the hobby. Most kids dont have the $ to buy a decent "acceptable" driver. Thats were some of the older folks show there prejudice with there "when I was a kid we drove model A and model Ts. They were cheap. Today any decent two door in my area starts at $2500.00 and up even for a basket case and heaven forbid some one shows up in a four door.http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-cars-veh...an-Suicide-Doors-Body-only-W0QQAdIdZ514956222

 

Ha, awesome.

 

Hot Rods are a voluntary hobby. There is no reason to spend so much $$$, so much sacrifice, so much labor of love. Its all about your passion, like any hobby. Its what we do !

 

"Those BASTARDS" !!