"The Hobby Is Dying"
- Thread starter seabee
- Start date
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People have been claiming that "hot rodding" is dying for decades. A particular type of building of cars comes on the scene & runs it's course. Sometimes it lives a long life, other times not. Just research back to the beginning of the scene to shortly after WW II & see how & where it went from there.
Steve welder
Well-Known Member
The car hobby is like a bridge that can bring folks together to enjoy these vehicles.
The fact that you engaged this young man in conversation about his car , which is a vehicle most of us are not into, builds bridges rather than tearing them down.
I see these low riders and these cars with the hydraulics that raise and lower them, not my thing, but I can appreciate the work that goes into them.
Some of the paint jobs I seen on them are flawless.
Some years ago at a car show there was this lone hispanic guy with a late eighties early nineties Honda accord, the car was immaculate, had a custom paint job and hand drawn graphics, a sound system which you thought you were at a live concert
Under the hood was all chrome.
Not my taste but this guy put a lot of effort unto his car. I talked with him and his wife at length, nice man
As member Harrison has stated the hobby is evolving and to him, kudos for showing interest in that young mans car.....Job well done sir!
dustertogo
Well-Known Member
And many times it is!
Go to any Good Guys event. You’ll see a lot of late 20s through 30 something’s driving old steel. The hobby is far from dying. Look at some of the rat rod events. Lots of young people embracing that culture which is very family friendly.
seabee
Well-Known Member
There's a local cars and coffee I go to and it has everything from low riders, rat rods, supercars, European and Japanese classics, muscle cars, 4x4's, import tuners, anything and everything and the crowd is very diverse. Seems like interest in car culture is gaining momentum instead of the other way around.
If 1/3 of the guys would get their junk out of their shops the sport would be flooding over. Lots of “shop art” sitting around.
Well back in the day you use to work on your own stuff. No more for most young people or people that buy them and they get tired real quick about some slapped together **** someone just want to make a profit on. MOST old Mopars have a nightmare front steering/suspension just wore out and just wait till they hit those drum brakes that were not properly maintained. If you were born with ac power windows heated seats, 4 wheel discs and anti locks etc. etc. why don't they and how could you ever want it. My kids don't want them and my grandkids don't want them. Let alone some wore out piece of **** $15,000 318 duster.
goldduster318
Overzealous Car Modifier
You just absolutely showed why people like myself put 4 wheel disk brakes, 18" wheels, EFI, 6-speeds, and Air Conditioning in the cars. I haven't done the AC yet but maybe this year.
I do know a lot of people my age (mid 30's) that own cars from 68-74 though. Muscle cars will do a lot better than most other ones so long as gas stays in the affordable range.
68383GTS
Well-Known Member
The only thing I have to say is between the price of everything in every day life and the prices of collector cars it is near impossible for the average Joe to afford a hobby car. I told my buddy years ago the " Patina look" started because the average Joe could not afford paint and body work anymore...a few years later he finally agreed with me.
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The cost of everyday life and survival will dictate the future.
There is a reason some cars sit for 20 years before the dream is pursued.
There is a reason some cars sit for 20 years before the dream is pursued.
pishta
I know I'm right....
Old friend restored packards and V12 Lincolns. Could not make any money on them, no more interest. People still building flat heads? So goes the Chevy 350. LS just kicked them off the end of the pier. GEN 3 coming on hard against the LA and the B/RB seems to already be in the rear view mirror. Meh, just start building Gen 3s. Its just evolving. Even tuners are graduating from older Hondas and Acuras. Seen an old Supra lately? Me neither....
I’ll never travel with the Gen 3 crowd or road. Most of those guys are worse than the vaccinated. Bla bla bla. Lol
there are some that have strong dislike for gen3's, but I don't find them annoying at all. Actually, if you have the room under the hood, it makes sense in a lot of ways.
Jim Lusk
Well-Known Member
A friend of mine (has a machine shop) bought a barn full of flat heads several years ago. He rebuilds them one at a time and sells them all around the world. There is obviously still a market. They don't go for hemi money, but he makes a profit on every one of them.
Jim Lusk
Well-Known Member
Oh, yeah, those flat heads have all been stock rebuilds to my knowledge.
The hobby is not lost on the younger generation at my house. They love the old cars, and motorcycles too. I’ll bet in most kids minds in my communities school, I’m the coolest Dad around. I communicate well with the friends of my kids, I get involved in the community, and I live my own life through the cars and bikes I love. When I picked up Ian from football practice in the Roadrunner, every kid on the team was in love. A buddy had a nice Harley Sportster for sale for $2500, I bought it for my son, Nella loves to take her car in the homecoming parade and fill it with people, and the people love her and her car. Even a few Moms have been able to drive it, one Mom took the girls through the big cruise, and 1/2 way through the cruise we stopped and she asked why everybody was stopping and spinning their tires. When I explained that it was a burnout, she wanted to learn to do one. I created a monster, she was stopping in front of every bodies house and doing one.
It’s the love of the cars for what they are that’s the important thing. Value and collect ability are a distant last in my mind, does it do a good burnout is my #1 priority!
It’s the love of the cars for what they are that’s the important thing. Value and collect ability are a distant last in my mind, does it do a good burnout is my #1 priority!
pishta
I know I'm right....
vid of her doing a burnout....or it never happened! 
My boys both have duster but they are sitting right now. My youngest runs a paint shop, has two side businesses, and is having a house built in Colorado right now. He has a 1974 duster and bought a 340 for it and I’m doing him a set of Speedmaster heads. My other son lost two jobs since the last election and is now a mechanic In Ohio. His car has been sitting three years but is actually come home this weekend to work on his 1970 duster. He bought a very nice wiring kit for it and almost has it finished. I have a nice shortblock on a stand and he had a very nice powerglide built for it. Hopefully it hits the track again this year.
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