I have a 18 year old and a lot of his friends like the older cars but old cars are in the unobtainum realm. They buy what they can drive. I hope to live long enough to see the bottom fall out of the vintage car market. Back to the good old days when old cars were cool just because they were different not because some one told you it had a perceived monetary value. P.S. The 65 Ford in the pic is his first car bought by him. He is doing auto body co-op at school now and the owner of the shop is thinking of hiering him.
-- Edited by workin class on Friday 22nd of March 2013 06:00:36 PM
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Regardless of age, gender or nationality, I believe the biggest issue in our hobby is efficiency! The days of the 7mpg car are long gone in my opinion, they are dust collectors to be brought out to special events and shows. No one other than the rich or die hards can afford to put on 5-10,000 klms/year with gas prices these days or they stay in the garage (Garage Queens!). How much is a return trip from Toronto to Stirling for gas alone! Times are tough and we have less and less $$$ to spend on our rides. Kids these days are tempted by high strung exotics, Hondas, etc at half the price. It's not that they don't like our old hot rods because they do. I get mostly younger guys checking out my truck because of the more efficient computer, fuel injection and overdirive transmission. Alot ask what gas mileage I get. They like the idea of a classic that they can drive anywhere but still afford to put gas in it.....like we did when we worked for minimum wage!
By the way, women love old trucks!
-- Edited by Atomsplitter on Friday 22nd of March 2013 01:29:48 PM
While I don't disagree with the premise, I have encountered a LOT of "younger guys" 25 /40 really interested in the hobby. That was no more apparent than when the ELTA boys were in Detroit for the show. The basement had a share of grey beards, but for the most part, the crowd was younger. Their music was playing, they were REALLY interested in Winfield chopping a 38 Chevy coupe and they were showing their cars. The basement cars' qulaity this year was outstanding! Most of them built by 30 somethings. We also see it at the Hartman/ELTA bash. There are a lot of young guys coming down to experience the cars, and some driving some of their own. We may be right in our assumption that as we drop off so will the hobby. But in my humble opinion, we were the same at one time RIGHT! We couldn't afford the car of "our dreams" but when we could we got into it. I think it's happening with these guys. Will it EVER be tha same as it was...cruising the main drag, street racing, I don't think so, society won't let that happen. Will it be taken up by willing hands, I think so, maybe just not as many as before.
Every chance you get to let a young person's curiosty explore what you're driving, don't forget that YOU are an ambassador of the hobby. Pass it on!
-- Edited by Rochie on Friday 22nd of March 2013 01:53:43 PM
The young lads of today are not interested in cars from our era. Oh there are are few around but for the most part, they are into the vipers and the Veyrons, lambos, Mercedes, Audis etc. Just like most of us are no longer into models Ts etc, once we die off, so will the enthusiasm for cars of our era. Only the die hards and the collectors will be left and our beloved classic will become a thing of the past, just like the model Ts are becoming today. We are a dying breed. More and more, our cars will become worthless, unwanted relics of days gone by. It will take a while but once the last of the boomers drive their classics to the pearly gates, we will be snuffed out.
Youth today seem to have a great different interest in other things, not interested in mechanics, nor old cars, rods, etc., they are in a different world than us, heads full of electronics, movies, games, the phone fad, lots of crap like that.
The thing my car has going for it, to me anyway is the style.As for performance costs per dollar ,I could get more HP for way less money out of a minivan.I can't afford to compete with the stuff coming out of new car dealerships or even off late model used car lots.It costs way more to restore and keep our cars going so why other than the styling would any kid be interested unless they grew up in a rodding family.People today don't fix things,they just get a new one when it brakes.I am not really talking about rodders but people in general.If you look at Kijiji you will find almost no market for project cars,as for the good ones ,what kid would spend $10to$15k on a car that they can only use half a year,when he can get twice the performance for a quarter the price and drive it all year.Styles and attitudes change with the economy and generations.Just ask the rodders of the 50s what happened when the muscle cars of the 60s came into fashon.There will always be some who appriceate the style of car that we enjoy,the question is how many.I just scrapped hundreds of vintage rocker panels because after dragging them around for years and advertizing them here, and other places,there was just no interest.People keep posting pictures of vintage tin rusting away and saying someone should buy it.Apperantly there is no interest in it otherwise it would have been snapped up.So I don't really worry about what is going to happen to my car in the future,I just enjoy the view out the windshield and the company of my friends at a cruse,on the highway or on the dragstrip.Its a hobby, have fun,drive the wheels of it,and as Fatstax always says,don't worry about it. Ed
The thing my car has going for it, to me anyway is the style.As for performance costs per dollar ,I could get more HP for way less money out of a minivan.I can't afford to compete with the stuff coming out of new car dealerships or even off late model used car lots.It costs way more to restore and keep our cars going so why other than the styling would any kid be interested unless they grew up in a rodding family.People today don't fix things,they just get a new one when it brakes.I am not really talking about rodders but people in general.If you look at Kijiji you will find almost no market for project cars,as for the good ones ,what kid would spend $10to$15k on a car that they can only use half a year,when he can get twice the performance for a quarter the price and drive it all year.Styles and attitudes change with the economy and generations.Just ask the rodders of the 50s what happened when the muscle cars of the 60s came into fashon.There will always be some who appriceate the style of car that we enjoy,the question is how many.I just scrapped hundreds of vintage rocker panels because after dragging them around for years and advertizing them here, and other places,there was just no interest.People keep posting pictures of vintage tin rusting away and saying someone should buy it.Apperantly there is no interest in it otherwise it would have been snapped up.So I don't really worry about what is going to happen to my car in the future,I just enjoy the view out the windshield and the company of my friends at a cruse,on the highway or on the dragstrip.Its a hobby, have fun,drive the wheels of it,and as Fatstax always says,don't worry about it. Ed
I think the question was directed at the whole hobby Not just one person current view
The question is
It will take a while but once the last of the boomers drive their classics to the pearly gates,
we will be snuffed out. Truth or B.S.
I think TRUE..... as the Baby Boomers retire or die the hobby dies.... Its just the way it is.....
I would have to agree. I have sold a few cars on kijiji and for the most part they have taken a while to sell. My cars have been turn key and go kinda deal. I look at adds for projects and they are not moving. Most of my cars have gone to enthusists in the mid life crisis with the exception of a couple and those ones went to the generation before mine. I will not buy a stock classic any more unless it is something very special. I think the younger generation of gear heads are still there but they are looking for the way Kool factor and it would have to be turn key as well. I know there are some that will still want to get their hands dirty and build but they are few and far between. I am a kustom or muscle car/pro touring now. They still have that Kool factor and will be a much easier sell when the time comes.
JMO
I dont know what it will take to keep the hobby strong and getting the youth of today involved. But perhaps it would be woth taking the time for someone to start a thread.
Before i could even drive i was interested in classic cars, some modern... The same today . Im only 25 now but as previously said above is right. I didnt have the sense or no how to get my hands on my own classic. Sure i helped out alot on others but it simply wasnt possible because i was stupid.... I'm still stupid today but i have a good job and a '51. Now i cant stop thinking of how to get more haha. I think my generation still appreciate classics when they see them but their minds are clouded with too much crap out there. There is 1000 times the amount of distractions now than there was in "your day". Just my two cents... I think you're right for the most part.
I have a couple of nephews that I thought that would want to learn about my hobby/lifestyle I have offered a southern car,engines,trans, the use of my 40x64 shop with hoist and all the help I can give them and they said it isn't cool to build a car it is easier to buy something already done,( to Fu2ki*ng lazy) Even said I would Donate a brand new ZZ4 crate engine so there will not be any hassles with MOE.I am going to do My will over again and I am taking everything with ME,,lol :)
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The young lads of today are not interested in cars from our era. Oh there are are few around but for the most part, they are into the vipers and the Veyrons, lambos, Mercedes, Audis etc. Just like most of us are no longer into models Ts etc, once we die off, so will the enthusiasm for cars of our era. Only the die hards and the collectors will be left and our beloved classic will become a thing of the past, just like the model Ts are becoming today. We are a dying breed. More and more, our cars will become worthless, unwanted relics of days gone by. It will take a while but once the last of the boomers drive their classics to the pearly gates, we will be snuffed out.
Truth or BS?
Truth
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I would hesitate to say the young guns are not interested in our old cars. Take a look around you at the shows, there's plenty of young guns there. The issue they have, is the same one we had, affordability and drive-ability. I always wanted a car that was different than everybody else, with a bit of performance while I was growing up, but I also needed to drive it year round, so I drove LeSabre T-Types, Monte Carlos, mostly anything with a V8. For these younger crowds today, it's Honda's, Acura's, Lexus... Where the hobby is heading? The MOE, and the MP's and MOT will tell, but I'm not convinced it'll be due to lack of interest from the younger generation.
Our 27 yr old son was into trucks & 4X4's until he decided to save for a house( getting married in June), he does all his own work and once settled will pick up a hobby car. Our daughter (23) has an '89 Mustang convertible. Even though her soon-to-be husband( getting married in Sept.) is a mechanic she likes doing her own work too. It's a 4 banger and will stay that way but I believe there is some "boost" in the works. Our youngest son (19) is going to college (mechanic apprentice and no marriage on the horizon thank Gawd) and has an 89 Dakota for which he just rebuilt the 5.2. He also has a '76 Ventura 2 dr coupe, built 350 & manual which is next up for the shop.
All 3 of them, as well as their partners drive the hell out of our Falcon and Comet.
I'd have to say most of my friends have no interest in anything older, as I'm 24. Most of them like their ricers unfortunately, TOO much gas for a V8 they say. But they can't get enough of rides in my truck. I'd love to have an older vehicle than I have (1984 s10 being rebuilt) but at least its an older drivetrain. As mentioned before money is the biggest problem, but I'd rather be broke and have a cool car/truck than drive a ricer. I think that the hobby won't disappear completely but very few people will be into it.
Truth...to an extent. Sure there'll always be some interest in the old stuff. I'm 42, i've owned old vehicles since i was 16. When i was 16 the prices for parts wasn't 'too bad'. But as the years tore on, holy crap did the prices go up. Especially restoration parts, no wonder why so many are building rat rods and beaters now, i don't blame them. I couldn't fathom getting custom chrome plating done now, i'm glad i'm over that expensive phase, whew. Hopefully we don't lose too many more cruise nights and car shows so we can keep these old girls out in the public eye and help garner more interest from the younger ones.
I wonder if another question would have different results.The old car hobby(50s,60s,70s)may need life support but is the car hobby as a whole still viable.Guys have replied to the thred question saying that there kids and young friends etc aren't really into old cars for various reasons,money,ability and cool factor and some have compared our interests to the intrest of those who liked restored brass era cars and model Ts.The hobby goes on but the interests change.There have been posts about chopping up a PT cruser,and kits to change the appearence of newer cars.Look how many rods now have odd power plants.Things change maybe the hobby will live on only in a different form,with different starting points. Ed
Truth...to an extent. Sure there'll always be some interest in the old stuff. I'm 42, i've owned old vehicles since i was 16. When i was 16 the prices for parts wasn't 'too bad'. But as the years tore on, holy crap did the prices go up. Especially restoration parts, no wonder why so many are building rat rods and beaters now, i don't blame them. I couldn't fathom getting custom chrome plating done now, i'm glad i'm over that expensive phase, whew. Hopefully we don't lose too many more cruise nights and car shows so we can keep these old girls out in the public eye and help garner more interest from the younger ones.
help garner more interest from the younger one.
What younger ones? I have been to dozens and dozens of show and cruise nights
Unless you took someone there no young ones
Just a bunch of old boys talking to their buddies.....
Agreed, it was quite noticable when the stock car track here was still operating, my kids and i were always in the pits, there were no other kids there. In the main grandstands a few, but little kids the parents had brought along with them. Again, it was mostly ALL older people,, very very rare to see guys/girls in their late teens or twenties. A sad situation.
A sad situation? Depends how you look at it !! It would be kinda selfish for us to expect the upcoming generation to be into the same stuff we're into. I'm sure our ancestors are screaming at us from their graves that we're not into lawn bowling or whatever crap they had for hobbies. I'm sure our kids will be into something when they reach our age whatever that may be.
Truth...to an extent. Sure there'll always be some interest in the old stuff. I'm 42, i've owned old vehicles since i was 16. When i was 16 the prices for parts wasn't 'too bad'. But as the years tore on, holy crap did the prices go up. Especially restoration parts, no wonder why so many are building rat rods and beaters now, i don't blame them. I couldn't fathom getting custom chrome plating done now, i'm glad i'm over that expensive phase, whew. Hopefully we don't lose too many more cruise nights and car shows so we can keep these old girls out in the public eye and help garner more interest from the younger ones.
help garner more interest from the younger one.
What younger ones? I have been to dozens and dozens of show and cruise nights
Unless you took someone there no young ones
Just a bunch of old boys talking to their buddies.....
I've seen alot of changes in the 25 years i have been going to cruise nights and car shows. I see younger people all the time, maybe they have less interest in your area? I don't know. But thing is get the old cars out there and be seen, ignite the flame in some young kid over a cool old car or truck, they can talk and will brag about what cool old car they saw. Remember how we got into this hobby/addiction?
From a young guy whose majority of friends are into cars as well, we would all kill for a classic car but the cost is unreasonable as mentioned above.
Drive what we can afford as you did when you were younger. I hear about my dad buying his cuda/ charger/ dart/ everything else for at most a few grand. Now they are 20-30k, for performance, practicality and reliability why not buy something newer.
I would always prefer to building a car, even if it is only minor fab work and catalog parts its still better than buying something done. I do know a lot of my friends would rather buy a new car with all options and 400hp than put any work into something.
If the bottom fell out of the market id pick something up in a heart beat.
Another way to look at it is, when you were about 20 you would of spent 1k on a solid car 10 years old and that is a classic today. Now I buy a car for 5k thats 22 years old, I wouldn't call it old but it seems like the same situation for my generation that are car guys, not the bodykit fart can crowd.
Most of what I think has already been said here before, but there a couple of others that I can think of:
1.Can't go to the wreaking yard and find old stuff for projects any more. 20 plus years ago when I was building an Olds Cutlass I could still go to a few yards and find pieces, not today. 2.At 45 I am still younger than most the people at cruise night and shows I go to.Over the years had lots of older guys hardly want to talk to me when I ask questions. So what have the older generation done to encourage younger ones?
3.Insurance, no more needs to be said. 4.Way to many other distractions and hobbies to choose from. Easier to find too thanks to the internet. 5.Getting your hands dirty isn't as cool as it used to be. 6.Mom and Dad don't want another car in their pristine yard. Or the garage is for Moms car. Parents think old cars are unsafe, definitely not as safe as new ones.
7. So unless Mom and Dad are car people there is little chance of encouragement from them. 8. What do you do with your car when your done?. Drive it to car show and sit all weekend?
Even I find that boring, kids want stuff to do.
They can talk and text their friends all day so there is no need for them to sit and do it all weekend.
Great Points The car Hobby is dying and as was asked (at the start) As baby boomers die (faster and faster) the cars disappear
The end is coming might be 20 years but its coming
-- Edited by 427CARL on Saturday 23rd of March 2013 08:33:05 AM
Both my son and daughter have been workin in and around the shop and getting dragged to car shows and flea markets/junk yards/farmers fields for parts for years.
My son could take it or leave it right now (he's only 11....... so I have hope but jury is still out).
My daughter just turned 16 and now has her G1. A lot of her pay goes to fuel and parts but I'd rather it go there then booze/drugs or any number of other things not so good.
I definitely see the interest in her.
She also knew from a very young age she wouldn't be driving until she learned at least the basic's of having any type of ride. If she cant at very least, check/change oil, tranny fluid, change a tire if she gets stuck out in the boonies ect. she wasnt allowed to drive. My son gets the same speech.
I think it will keep evolving and I see a lot of newer builds that blow my mind and some that make me shake my head.But at least they are building something and you gotta start somewhere.
I bet the last generation shook there heads at the "younger generation" and wondered what the hell they were doing as well.
More and more women are getting into it as well so its not just "car guys" anymore.
I think it will live on, just in a different way, and I'm still excited to see what direction it will go next.
Just my 2 cents.
Janice
-- Edited by janies dirty 37 on Saturday 23rd of March 2013 08:52:03 AM
I am kind of inclined to beleive that the hobby will die off as we know it, but maybe it will just evolve into something else and I think it will be mixed more with tunners/imports, can't deny the inovation and technology and salt flats of the tunners in the future with turbos, or performance enhancements yet to come, I think it will be more about costs than anything..like was said government interference, enviornmental bull$hit, Insurance, storage, owning, affording, finding a shop to work or store your rod and tools to work on it, hell I think a lot of us that have an on the road car that are retired have a tough time just keeping up with the cost to maintain it..
I wonder how long it may be or how many of our kids/grandkids will afford to even own a house in the future ..I mean a house with more than 2 ft of property on either side of them and will it have a garage big enough to keep a lawn-mower in..will the municipal bylaws even let them have a old car ? ..way to many hoops to jump through these days..to many stupid laws, a$$hole nosey nieghbours and bullchit..Life has become incredibly complicated and expensive...
I wonder if I didn't already have a car and all the chit I have from collecting the last 40 years would I even be able to afford to get into the hobby to-day..This is not a cheap hobby and our kids are now living in a totaly different social and economical enviornment than most of us baby boomers grew up in..I think we had the best of life,yes we had many challenges, but our generation had the best of life we had it all..Now I look for the last couple years at Kijijij and boy it seems like a lot of stuff not selling at all, same on E-bay..lots of cars,rods,special interest cars, you name it there is a ton of stuff for sale but only a 1/2 ton of buyers, me thinks my car will never sell..25 years after I croak my car will probably be a barn find that is worthless as I am sure it will not be able to be converted to run on Camel urine.. But you know ..there is not a lot of Roman Chariot show and slay shows anymore either ..
I beleive the one thing that might keep the hobby alive in the short term anyway is the guys who are creative, probaly grew up in a hot-rodder home where dad has a shop and they are exposed to the shop so they will in a way be grandfathered into the hobby.. Friggen insurance is going to be a big problem in the future, too many Lwyers going after insurance companys and hot -rods and teen-agers are just to big a liability anymore .. Hell look what house insurance companys are doing to us with oil-tanks, for an example and Look at ins rates for our kids I can't imagine what it will cost in a couple more years with all the chit that is going on with laws and regulations..I know I have a couple kids who have an interest but can no way afford to own a rod, but they do have some fun with their Mazda club..and fart-cans and lots of wheels, thumping stereos, and bolt on power, hell my kid has a mazda that will blow the doors off my car and he drives it all winter ,for groceries, uses it for his kids, basket-ball games, hocky games, etc, doesn't have to store it, it has so much plastic on it he doesn't have to worry about rust , and it makes total sense for him to have it .. It exactly what all his friends have, it's what he can afford barely.. He loves and admires my car but we have had this conversation, Dad don't bother to think about giving me your car I love it but if you were to give it to me it would be a financial hardship for me to keep it..Life moves on..
Most of us won't be here to see the future anyway so why worry about what you can't change..enjoy the hobby for what it is to-day ..to-morrow will take care of it's self..Lets enjoy what we got for as long as we can. try as hard as we can to pass on and share what we can to the those that are interested in hot-rods as we know them but we should keep an open mind and try to some how include and welcome change, it's hard I kow I really don't like thes little fart-can ricers but I remeber when the restorers hated us rodders and wouldn't sell us anything..now many of us have a restored car and a rod ..
I remember being 13,15, 17, 21, and growing up getting married, raising a family, and having many toys, most them were $50.00 to $500.00 to $1000.00 and they were plentiful, gas was cheap, you could work in your laneway and most likely your neighbour would be over in your laneway helping you swap a motor or sand your car in the laneway, how many of us painted our car in the laneway and just sprayed the laneway down with the water hose..to keep the dust down...never mind the odd bug ..seems to me that we had Fun,fun,fun,,
When I was either 17 or 18 my next door neighbour was a guy who raced alcohol funny cars he and his wife Elaine gave me goose bumps when he fired that sucker up his name was Herb Rogers, from London Ont ..I don't hear much about him he is gone now but he was a great neighbour and I sure learned a lot about cars hanging out in Herbs shop just about every day, He was always playing with engines and made me do much learning, his wife was a super mechanic , I get goose bumps just remembering how the windows in the house used to rattle on Saturdays when they were getting set up for Sparta on Sundays.. The noise, the smell, Boy what memories I have of those times..Sorry my grandkids will never never have that experience .. but I am sure they will make memories and stories to pass on to their grand-kids too.they will just be different ..hell they may have flying solar street-rods,rat-rods, and stories to pass on..
-- Edited by fatchuk on Saturday 23rd of March 2013 09:31:09 AM
I do my best to encourage anyone I can to join the car hobby. I promote 4 doors as the only reasonable way to buy anything driavable at a reasonable cost. I get flack from the righteous investment majority car guys at every car show and cruise night I go to. Most wont say any thing to your face but the snide comments are heard. I have also been told by other car guys that if you cant build an acceptable car stay out of the hobby and leave it to the REAL men. So we as the car hobby can be our own worst enemies.
-- Edited by workin class on Saturday 23rd of March 2013 10:22:54 AM
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Here's another angle on this topic !! Things are no more expensive today than they were 40-50 years ago !!Actually, things are cheaper. Gasoline, cars, insurance etc relative to wages is basically the same. Only the numbers have changed. What is really killing us is our greed. Today, we want everything and we have 10 times the amount of products to choose from than the previous generation. Think about what you paid for your first car,the cost of fuel,insurance, and how much you were making per hour. I think you'll find that most things were more expensive. Some things that come to mind that have increased higher than inflation is houses, schooling and taxes.
A KID making minium wage working at a gas station will never be able to build a basic hot rod today. They were the builders of this hobby FROM THE BIGGINING. The neighbour hood gas station was the hot spot for hot rods. When was the last time you saw a hot rod built by a neighbour hood gas station. MY 1967 Dart GT 273 COMANDO cost me $60.00 it needed a new front end (sheet metal) the two fenders cost 75 bucks the grille was 25bucks. I jacked the inner fenders out in the drive way and tradded for a hood. The total cast was under 200.00 that was back in 1980 try that today. MOST of my oldest sons friends are 21 and are eather in school or working for 10.25 an hour if they can find any work at all. Back in the early 80s 5 bucks you could cruise all night in a v8 car. I used to put $15.00 in my beater Omni and drive hundreads of klicks hunting $50.00 vintage tin and find more than I could bring home. Things are way more expensive than thay were when I was 19-20 I was making 3.20 an hour. Good money at that time was $7.00 an hour we dreamed of making $14.00 buck an hour.
-- Edited by workin class on Saturday 23rd of March 2013 11:11:12 AM
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When I was 20 (1972), I bought a 70 SS Chevelle for $2800.....However, I was making $4-$5/hr at the car plant...That was a high paying job at that time, most people were making $3/hr. So, today when you consider most are making $20+/hr, 15-20 grand for something isnt that big a stretch, even though it seems like it.
Not too many of the posts said anything about insurance. I'm in my mid forties now and when I was 16yrs old my first car was a 67 Nova SS (bondo buggy) bought for $2500 (by my parents) and the insurance was approx 1200/yr. Now days My one step son at 18yrs old in a 92 buick centry pays $300/month. He works part time at Wallymark and most all his money is for gas and insurance. When I was 18ish I could look in the "Tri-ad" and find muscle cars anywhere for less than $1500 that were projects but completely fixable. My 15yr old son is building a 88 Camaro right now and will do his part in keeping the hobby alive and my 4yr old in the biggest car crazy kid I've ever seen. B oth of them have been out with us Older Guys at waterdown checking out the "junk".
I agree with the statement that the hobby will live on just in a different form! Hot rodding is about cars, fixing em, modifing them, customizing them, and burning the tires off of them! Now days ... it just might not be the rear tires!! I said it in another post a while back...if my kid wants to build a "ricer" ... so be it ...as long as we are building it together in the shop, and he's staying out of trouble, learning how to use his hands and his head for something other than "electronics", what's the difference. just my 2 cents
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When I was 20 (1972), I bought a 70 SS Chevelle for $2800.....However, I was making $4-$5/hr at the car plant...That was a high paying job at that time, most people were making $3/hr. So, today when you consider most are making $20+/hr, 15-20 grand for something isnt that big a stretch, even though it seems like it.
Brantford seems to be all warehouse jobs right now. All the good jobs are gone to China and finding a $20/hr jobs isn't the norm here. more like $12-15. if you can find a job at all. For young people anyway.
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slab----67 chevy II 2dr post and 66 chevy II hardtop
When I was 20 (1972), I bought a 70 SS Chevelle for $2800.....However, I was making $4-$5/hr at the car plant...That was a high paying job at that time, most people were making $3/hr. So, today when you consider most are making $20+/hr, 15-20 grand for something isnt that big a stretch, even though it seems like it.
Brantford seems to be all warehouse jobs right now. All the good jobs are gone to China and finding a $20/hr jobs isn't the norm here. more like $12-15. if you can find a job at all. For young people anyway.
I hear ya on that...I am making just over $12/hr now...Of course, its only part time and its just to suppliment my pensions....and something to do. Things are not what they were in the boom days of the 70s.....But, we also did suffer in the early 80s.....Had just bought a house, lost my job.....Interest rates were 18-20%......tough times...I worked under the table for a moving company for $5/hr to suppliment EI......We all go through it.
Most of what I think has already been said here before, but there a couple of others that I can think of: Can't go to the wreaking yard and find old stuff for projects any more. 20 plus years ago when I was building an Olds Cutlass I could still go to a few yards and find pieces, not today. At 45 I am still younger than most the people at cruise night and shows I go to. Over the years had lots of older guys hardly want to talk to me when I ask questions. So what have the older generation done to encourage younger ones? Insurance, no more needs to be said. Way to many other distractions and hobbies to choose from. Easier to find too thanks to the internet. Getting your hands dirty isn't as cool as it used to be. Mom and Dad don't want another car in their pristine yard. Or the garage is for Moms car. Parents think old cars are unsafe, definitely not as safe as new ones. So unless Mom and Dad are car people there is little chance of encouragement from them. What do you do with your car when your done. Drive it to car show and sit all weekend? Even I find that boring, kids want stuff to do. They can talk and text their friends all day so there is no need for them to sit and do it all weekend.
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I feel that there will be the gear wrenchers and creative guys gals but the reality as mentioned $$$$$ the good paying blue collar jobs are few.We have seen the ontario job vacuum. I talk to some guys out west where the money is flowing and the hobby is well because when your making the 40$ per hour plus overtime then the toys are easy to buy . The young guys like my two boys(18/16) are just shaking there head saying how the heck can i afford it. I would rather them concentrate on a career and school right now to get the means later. Rather them buy a house with the garage so they can get a project later. They do want to get in but it will take time.
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That is a very interesting totally correct posting ! I agree Chuck, the times are changing, and as you state, the COST now is just probibitive to many young guys.
Here's another angle on this topic !! Things are no more expensive today than they were 40-50 years ago !!Actually, things are cheaper. Gasoline, cars, insurance etc relative to wages is basically the same. Only the numbers have changed. What is really killing us is our greed. Today, we want everything and we have 10 times the amount of products to choose from than the previous generation. Think about what you paid for your first car,the cost of fuel,insurance, and how much you were making per hour. I think you'll find that most things were more expensive. Some things that come to mind that have increased higher than inflation is houses, schooling and taxes.
If cost wasnt prohibitive wonder what upgrades we would do to our current rides???
I didnt have a lot of money back in the day just starting out....... hell I still dont, But there is always a way. I cant afford to drink, had to quit smoking......thank god hubby doesnt charge for sex cause I need more parts
Dont you remember your first rides??? it was what we could afford and we upgraded and decked it out as best we could with what we had.Then when we were able, we moved on to something better. So has that changed? Maybe the cars and peaple have, but that spirit is alive and well up here in the north.(maybe our brains are frozen) Thats what we can help carry on to new generations.
There have been a lot of good and valid point brought up and as a group we have done little to include the younger generation. Many of the car shows and cruise nights exclude cars that are less than 30 and 40 years old from participating, this is what the younger crowd are driving because it's what they can afford, like and drive. Maybe we don't appreciate the "tuner cars" but this is the now generation of hot rods. Oldest son has a factory twin turbo,V6,AWD drive that's a rocket ship, gets nearly 40 mpg on the highway but it's only 21 years old so he's turned away from most shows and cruise nights. This is his hot rod!! Last summer when he was home he entered Automotion car show in Brockville, the show gets 500 of the best cars from Eastern Ontario, Quebec and up state NY. His class was full of 5.0 Mustangs, Grand Nationals and Camaro's, I was blown away by the number of people from "our generation" looking at the car in amazement, he's proud of his car and it was just icing on the cake for him to get a second in his class. This was the first car show he ever entered a car and now he's hooked, but what other shows will he be welcomed to participate??
But in spite of the nasty comments (being a female gearhead........and blonde......I've heard sh*t like that my whole life.)
Sorry, doesn't slow me down a bit.I Cant help it. I'm not looking for approval from anyone else on my rides. I do it for me. Because I love it.
If they cant find some type of inspiration in what you like, they are the dinasours.It will carry on in spite/without them.
Janice
It hasnt kept me away just furmed my resolve to keep introducing more into the car hobby. That was the geneses of THE LOSERS car club. We build for our own fun and aceptance of others is a must.
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and take the job away from a younger person.... He has 6 young under 30 guys there.....
