Folks Of Interest The Changing Scene of our hobby

Monday was the funeral of a long time car buddy of mine. Owen was the Jeepster man. Between him and myself, we were the local 'orphan car' contingent.

He lived a good full life, and passed at 84, but it got me thinking.

I'm relatively a younger person in the hobby. We all may want to think otherwise, but its a changing scene, well at least in my neck of the woods. Those that we considered 'pillars' of our local hot rod community are aging, more inactive, and in some cases, deceased.

Our local clubs went from having a local cruise-in weekly in the summer, to inactive within a the last year. I should mention I'm in rural Michigan roughly in the middle of nowhere, so I realize this may not be the case everywhere. I've tried to get intrest, but there isn't people to replace those leaving in our rural area.

The few individuals that have avoided the grave, don't even get their cars out, they just post a few pictures on facebook of 'look at my car at this show in 1993'. That is the extent of their activity.

I find it difficult to make new car buddies, as the rolodex of a unique generation is turning over. While hot rods and mechanical wrenching will always continue, its not easy to find common ground with some guy that likes big jacked up diesel trucks with a big exhaust stack in the bed. Within my own generation (under 40), to each their own, but they think my Studebaker is a german made car.....or just give it a passing glance while they play on their smartphone.

So much I long for the days of having Frank Burell (fab32) out to the farm for a BS session, or going car hunting with my my second cousin (thesilentone), those two were HAMB'ers out of my many friends I've lost.

The point here is, don't take the scene for granted. Enjoy every minute. Take every opportunity to try to interest a younger crowd. Don't tell that younger guy at some show, "oh, your car is just a 4dr", or "when are you going to restore it". Do everything possible to draw interest and ensure the continuation of our hobby, its already getting lonely.

 

And that is the truth.

 

One thing to keep in mind.....change is constant!

 

At over 70 years old I see a lot of car stuff going on around Minneapolis/ St. Paul, MN and western Wisconsin, lots to do if you want to get out and be a part of it!!

 

Mel aka the Dragon Man lives not far from my home. His home "museum" is awesome.

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It changed, even when all those old farts were still young turds. The "make love, not war" days of the late 60s, the Muscle car craze, and then the 2 gas crisis of the 70s. Pick up any car mag from that period and see how many H.A.M.B friendly cars you find. All those boomers started getting long in the tooth, so they sold their Toyotas and Datsuns, and went back to the cars and bikes of their youth. Speaking of bikes, I recently read a article that Honda-Davidson has so many unsold 2016 models that there is no room for their new 2017 models. Times always changes and a old generation leaves and new generation arrives.

 

The future is now and it may not be what we had hoped it would be.

 

60's Mustangs are the new model T's.

The original hot rodder's found cheap cars and wanted to make them different. Then the hot rods became everyone's car. Then came the 60's manufactured muscle cars, the import what-evers and now what? I agree with 2935ford's statement above: change = constant. I say be the only one in your neighborhood with a project car in your garage, make it hard to find room for the mower in your garage!

 

Reality I'm 74 find it harder to take care of my cars the way I used to, don't get to many cruises anymore,


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This may make me sound like a prick, but I'm only interested in what I like, I've no interest in how the car scene will change after I'm dead, or who will carry it on.
I don't care if anyone likes my Hot Rod, it's cool to me.
I like that I can find like minded people here though.
Most of the guys in my old club are more street rodders, so I don't hang with many of them.
As a teenager, I was mostly alone in my Hot Rod interest.
Friends would ask, why do you wanna hot rod an old car, why would you?
It was my buzz, and mine, mostly alone. Come to like that, but then it got trendy.
I don't follow trends, least not the current one.
I've also made more car friends as I got older.
This hobby is ever changing, like anything in life.
So I don't care how much it changes, or even dies.
My version of my car interest is all that matters.

 

Where you at in Mich Rusty? I'm not far north of Lapeer, there are cruses within a short drive of me every night of the week during the "bad sledding season" around here.

Bill

 

At 63, I've come to realize that my decade is the last active group in our hobby.
Get ready, your right behind us. We are fast becoming the last "old timer"


In my old age...
Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked.....
the good fortune to run into the ones I do.....
and the eyesight to tell the difference.

 

Just like the width of ties things run in cycles. Keep in mind that the guy who is building that truck today may just be the guy you need to help keep the government from passing legislation that limits
all of us, to paraphrase we all hang together or we hang separately.

 

LIFE DOES NOT = I want to be different like everybody else.

 

I've been thinking the same thing too rustyironman. When we were kids growing up in West Michigan the was a huge car scene. Weekly cruise ins at the ice cream place, there were a couple of car shows a year that would pack the fair grounds with huge swap meets. Now it just seems a shadow of its former glory.
Don't get me wrong I'd love to get in the hobby and get in the scene but hey if it's just me then that's fine

 

I agree with the Kiwi. I have never been part of any scene. I don't know a whole lot of car guys, don't hang out with any. Have never driven in a pack of bikes, always just me. I like working on and driving my old cars and bikes, I don't necessarily need to be part of a group. My wife and two little ones like driving with me in my old car or sidecar rig. I'm giving my daughter welding lessons, she is the one that always wants to take the bike out, and I'm guessing she might end up being a car gal.

I dig this site, it's educational and I like participating, I enjoy joking around and connecting with people here on a human level, but most likely I or my family wouldn't be welcome in person in most members' social groups when the discussion turned to politics or other topics.

There are a few running weds pm parking lot gatherings, but most of the old guys are just bitter and angry people (outside of the hobby), so I just 'aint interested.


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I feel your pain!

Several years ago a friend of mine, who is just a few years younger than myself, had this same discussion. We, too, we're having difficulties finding like minded "car guys"/events and decided we were going to plan annual trips to events that had them (e.g, Road Rocket Rumble, Detroit Autorama - basement).

We look forward to the planned event all year long and truly enjoy sharing the few days with like-minded folks. The rest of the year we work on our projects and interact on the HAMB to fill the void.

What would we do without the HAMB!!!

 

I didn't know it at the time but the high point of the hobby was just around 1975. All the great people were alive, you could still find car projects cheap, and there had to be 8-10 people in town building or restoring things. I go back there in my daydreams. Bob

 

I moved from the big city to a small town, rodding life here is a non event, although there are lots of guys here with cars, just can't get them all in a room together. Either personal squabbles, or the "I heard" thing that makes up their mind before they meet the guy. Myself, in seven years of being here have developed the reputation as the guy to see, but also as someone who is difficult to get along with. Gotta be brave to approach me......all because I have put a couple of users in their place, the kind who don't reciprocate, So, I don't know if it's changing, or just different. I really like the younger set, the rockabilly crowd, they bring new life to our hobby, even the rat rodders do, even if we don't like their approach, they're still there. Just like the mini truck craze, they're still car guys, when the prices of our hobby come down they'll move into hot rods, at least my opinion.

 

Its the people who change,,not the hobby

 

Retired, live in northern Wisconsin and the car activity has/is, peaked/peaking, due to aging group, I'm the kid @69, and have noticed last year things are falling off in participating due to health issues, age, our immediate group I met 7 years ago is shrinking fast and do not see younger guys coming into hobby here. On the other side of coin, HAMB style cars, (Rods, Kustoms) nation wide have been on the upswing, In the hobby, more so than I've ever seen in my 50+ years of car hobby. At the few big shows I still attend (Back to 50's)( CarCraft Nats), 50's show, as big or bigger than ever, don't really notice younger men, BUT I surely notice younger women(not dead yet) just do not see the next generation or two coming into our great hobby. I'm sure they are there, I have not read anywhere the aftermarket business' that supply us are failing, so someone is buying parts, all in all the Hobby seems strong and will survive, most likely with some change's, it's been here since cars inception and will be here till the end of personal transportation IMO !!!

 

I agree it is changing. A couple things I see happening is that young people (here in CA) are starting to restore, what I consider, very new cars. 1970's BMW 2002's, 1980 Ford trucks, Datsun 280's. They are losing interest in even '60s muscle.

The other thing is that I think everyone is going online instead of getting together in person. This is causing all the clubs, not just old car clubs, to struggle.


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I think it is the people who are changing...at least as far as I can see. Most everyone I knew when I was teenager growing up in the late 60's and early 70's ...most still worked on their own cars to some degree, and talked about them ALL THE TIME...literally...it was non-stop, about muscle cars, old hot rods, and ''the scene''...everyone I knew had a car in the driveway every weekend, working on it, and cruising ''as an art form'' was what we yearned for on a daily basis...and I mean ''EVERYONE.''

Now, the guys I hung out with way-back-then are into fishing, or gardening, or going to the park with the grandkids. I look at the kids now, and they are so caught up with ''gadgets'' and screaming ''environmental'' mantra's (not all, but most of them I've seen)............I'm the only guy I know around these parts that I know who still tinkers on cars on a pretty regular basis, and drives them for the sheer enjoyment of it...not to get to a rally, work, or grocery store. It's mind-numbing to me how much it has changed in the 'general outlook' about cars as I look about me on a daily basis.

The one saving factor around this part of Colorado, is that many are still interested in jeeps and 4x4's, which has lots of fabrications, driving skills, and enjoying the vehicle as it is created. Mountain roads or trails will always ''spark'' the driving mentality I believe....unless they start ruling one can't drive into the mountains anymore!....at least, it's keeping the ''vehicles'' in the public spotlight for the sheer enjoyment factor.

Times are indeed changing...and rather quickly! With self-driving cars on the horizon, and fossil fuels so much in contention...or exhaust pipe releasing it's necessary charges into the air, etc...etc......who knows what is in the future year by year. It's so quick how things change from the ''way it was'' to ''this is the new law''....within a blink of an eye it seems like anymore.

I don't know how much longer we will have and enjoy our cars, and building them ''to drive'' for no purpose other than to drive for the absolute fun of it all...it's questionable, and still catches me off-guard, when I'm not moving with the same speed as society around me! I say, ''enjoy your cars to the fullest''....the way things are going, .....it may not be around at some point in the not to distant future. I'm not being a pessimist...just really hoping we can enjoy our freedoms and our cars as ''individuals'' and not as a mass mob of regulation and ''end of the road'' markers which only leaves the cars in the garage, locked up, and going nowhere!

***By the way.....remember when tv commericals advertised in the early 80's that:,..... " over 65 % of all Chevy pickups built between 1960 & 1975 were STILL ON THE ROAD"???....haven't seen an advertisement like that for over 3 decades now!

 

I hope Owen is driving his Jeep through the gates of Heaven right now.

 

Yes, change is constant, yet I've seen some fellows that think it can go on like it has forever. To ensure survival for the future, one has to realize its changed and not 1980 anymore.

I am in Rural Osceola County, out on the farm 6 miles from a town of 1,500 which is the county seat. For those that don't know the area, Osceola county that that "space" between Big Rapids and Cadillac.

Concur. Even growing up in a rural decaying farming area, the local dairy depot had a weekly cruise in, it sputtered along until the crowd consisted of the same three guys that would show up. 2016 last the first year there wasn't one.

True. However, the HAMB is a pretty constructive place for hang out with fellow car nuts. Aside for Ryan adding a "like" button, there is still real interaction. From what I've seen, most those that take their hobby online end up on facebook and it becomes a scene with interaction that no longer parallels the type of socialization one would get from a club or such.

 

As my first post on HAMB this is the thread I came across. All I can say is A-MEN to the OP but I may not agree.

In 1994 I found two F-1s, a 49-1/2 and a 50. I kept the halfer, took parts off the 50 and sold it. I took pictures as I disassembled it (Chubby) to the frame. Folks at work were like "cool truck, when do you think you'll be done?" I was 30 and 40 something then...now I'm 'old' and I show pics at work (2 jobs later) and only 1 guy on a floor of 70 people even know it's a Ford. So he and I talk alot.
OP is right though, my son is now a 'member' of the 'ricer gen/Bemmer', little cars that beep at you and sound 'different' and instead of pounding the ground, they want to count to 3 and race from 30 mph. The cubes in my truck motor add up to 3 of their motors but Chubby can't keep up. Point is, this hobby thing changes, we used to meet in fields (yes we still do) but now we meet in parking lots of abandoned Wal-Marts. We buy spark plugs but now we need to make sure the plugs come with a the titanium insert and a geiger counter; and we dispose of them on Funk and Wagenals front porch in a hermedically sealed pouch.
While the OP is an Xer, I'm a 'tweener. I punched cards in college, I worked on CRTs, now if we're not using solid state drives the youngers turn their noses up.
The hobby will continue to change. I've never pulled my engines from the limb of the elm tree out back, nowadays I couldn't find a chain that big or that long that I could actually afford anymore anyways. I drive 10 minutes to the rent-a store and drive home with an engine hoist.
I don't read the plugs anymore...I replace them and let the garage pull codes. In my Elko, I replace my ABCs with NGKs...because the plug reach is the same but the 'Jap' version (get over it) seems better.
I have a problem watching my language...I have a problem with dropping the sub-frame...and anything FWD (get over it)...I don't think less of things, I just don't wanna do a front end alignment when I replace a mount. I like my things. Yeah a KIA 4D crammed with 5 20-somethings that kicks my truck's tail-end is interesting and good for them that they're in their niche.
My niche is somewhere between 1987 and Y2K...I like cubes, not add-ons to make a car go quick...but my MB has a turbo so....yeah, maybe I'm a little hypocritical.

So for my first post I'm sorry if it conflicts with the OP "and can't we all just get along and make our language inclusive"...but aren't we on something that includes the word Jalopy? Does that even translate to German or Japanese?

My point is...imho, OP it's up to you to find those folks that you can interact with and share light-to-light stories or from 35 on the 70 interchange between 470 and the Broadway Overpass. But my experience is if you don't get on-board the train leaves without you, trains might wait but they aren't inclusive they're on a schedule. sometimes it can be lonely standing on the platform alone waiting for someone to hear you.

Today, put in my single pane window glass in the driver-side door, in modern terms...I'm excluding the vent window.

 

I love the older hot rodders. I am 67 and have found them to be great customers for my nitch business.
I repair and update existing hot rods. I do complete builds , but repairing them and adding stuff like A/C and power steering and redoing crappy work that was done in the 80's. It pays better and don't tie me up for so long on one car.
I dropped out of 2 car clubs because people looked at me strange when I suggested that we actually drive the cars on a hot rod run. I know people who drive their car from the airconditioned garage it sets in all week to the local cruise in and hurry up to get home before dark because they can't see good enough to drive at night or don't want dew to get on their babys.
The stock Model A crowd is getting smaller. Check the ads for stock or restored Model A's. Sold by family members because Pops passed away or got put in a home.
CMC Hot Rods.

 

So much negativity here.. I'm 70.. Be happy and move along...

 

Guys-----NOTHING remains the same---NOTHING. The ONLY thing YOU can change, is your ATTITUDE. From time to time, it's a little attitude adjustment goes a long way.