TheYellaBrick

While at the awards presentation, this past weekend, at the Mopars Unlimited of Idaho charity car show, I made the following observation.

A good 90%+ of the car show participants were way over 60 years of age. Many had physical issues and not as spry as they once were. But their enthusiasm for their hobby was very strong. There was just a very few younger bunch 20's-30's, and only a small handfull of teens and only a couple of them doing it without a parent or grandparent involved.

Once this 'elderly' bunch of Domestic Iron gearheads are gone, who and what will take their place to carry on the torch ? Personally, I think that this is a slowly dieing segment of our truely AMERICAN history. It made me a tad melancholy but very thankful that I am a part of this 'last generation' of true American Iron gearheads.

Harbone

I notied that at a small town car show about 2 weeks ago. About 80 cars and the majority were owned by 60+ plus year old guys. I am mid fourty's and didnt see anybody really in my age group.

outlaw256

alot of post about this very subject on the hamb.yes its dying. but have you priced even junk bodies. old iron is expensive. there no way a teen can get invovled in our way of life, which it is to me.thats why ricers are takin over, because they can get them cheap, fixem cheap and still go fast. they just dont look as cool as i do!!

TheYellaBrick

NO one can look as KOOL as YOU, OUTLAW !
( even though none of us even know what you look like !) :wink:

fast75vega

i blame the car companies we grew up with parents/grandparents that work on their own cars and have us kids help now these car are all built and designed that you have to bring it to a dealer.... so parents and kids arent getting to share in that bonding time that mad us love cars. i mean really think about it.... we only do what we do cause our fathers and grandfathers did it..... we grew up around it..... we were shown how to put cranks/pistons/rods/heads/ect in a motor and put the motor in the car.... these kids now only get shown how to put gas in them and how to find the nearest dealer very sad

bigray

THIS IS KINDA LIKE WHAT ME AND A FEW BUDDIES WERE TALKING ABOUT, I WAS SAYING . REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE YOUNG AND THEM OLD GUYS HAD ALL THE REALLY COOL STUFF, WELL, FATHER TIME HAS CAUGHT ME, I AM 47 AND I HAVE THAT COOL STUFF THAT TEENAGERS LOOK AT NOW. I JUST LUV MY 11 FT LONG 330MM CHOPPER, AND OUR 8SEC STREET CAR,, BUT GETTING OLD STILL SUKS, LOL

Scooterz

sad but true. I am honored to be among fellow car guys till the bitter end.

outlaw256

fastvega its not the car co. its the government and it started in the 70s with the c. converter. when they mandated that, that was the beginning of the end.as soon as you can get the government out of the car biz then they will give us what we want. but that aint gonna happen.

TheYellaBrick

July issue of Hot Rod magazine has an editorial by David Freiburger on a topic similar to this. Good read.
ALSO in that issue is a GREAT bunch of articles on 60's GASSERS ! Also GREAT reading !

outlaw256

been wanting to build a 60s style gasser for a long time. nose up in the air, straight axle. yeah baby!!!ive got a glass 41 willys i might do it to that one.