True car people are becoming a thing of the past

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That sucks, the hobby is alive and well here. All ages, all makes. We got 15 year olds building 70 Darts and 60 year olds building Subarus that run 9’s. Lifted trucks and low riders. Most of my local parts counter guys are building something, and they are all under 30.


Not too many young people into Mopar, can you blame them? The rarity and cost of crucial parts is outrageous. If it wasn’t for the local Mopar guys giving me great deals, I couldn’t afford to be in this hobby. I’m 35.
 
In the 70's 80's and 90's whenever I took a car out they got quite a bit of attention. Stops for gas or at a parking lot seemed to always get someone who wnated to look and/or tell about a relative who had a similar car or just some car story. Now I can take a car out and in a whole day it will get zero attention. The young guys fueling up don't even notice another car. I have noticed that young girls show much more interest than young guys. If I get a comment on one of my cars these days it is usually some young girl says ,"I like your car.", "That's a pretty car.", "Cool car...sounds good too.", etc but that's as far as their interest goes.
I was at the gymn the other night and a young guy walks in and speaks to a friend. He says, "Hey, you know what the coolest thing is?" The friend says,"What?" He repiles,. "The first time I get in my new car every day it says Good morning or Good afternoon Cameron, Would you like me to tell you a joke? Then it has a joke for me. So cool!" Priorities have sure changed.....
 
grimreaper said:
In the 70's 80's and 90's whenever I took a car out they got quite a bit of attention. Stops for gas or at a parking lot seemed to always get someone who wnated to look and/or tell about a relative who had a similar car or just some car story
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maybe thats depends on location.. i constantly get thumbs up, people ask about the car, yell nice car almost every time i take the dart out...

another thing. if i were between 15-20 why would i care about an old 60's or 70's car? i mean they really don't do anything well compared to modern muscle and i'd have no connection to them.. now a modern mustang,challenger camaro,corvette or any number of bad *** imports sll of which do everything better then 60's and 70's cars is where my heart would be. its what i'd have grown up with and what i'd set a goal of owning one day..
 
Princess Valiant said:
I say that because I used to be able to talk car with quite a few guys at work. These days at my current job there is no one. Although I have had two young guys approach me wanting to learn about cars and I even sold a Valiant to one, but they are young and do not carry meaningful car conversations. There really is no where for them to learn. The old auto school I went to is now closed off and most of the equipment is in urban decay mode, the old race track is now closed. All the old machine shops are closed and most of the old timer machinists have moved on to the salvage yards in the sky. All of the old salvage yards are either shut down and torn down or have been converted to a ten year or newer pick a part. I went to insure my valiant the other day (new daily driver) hardly any of the insurance companies want to insure any car before 1981. Only one classic car company will insure it with no miliage or other restrictions. Hagerty has their nerve to tell how us how many miles we can drive and control when and where we drive. Not trying to get political here, in fact please don't, just pointing out how much the world has changed.

Car shows are a complete waste of time these days, they look like dodge dealership parking lots and the old cars that used to be regulars are gone.
It's been a great 20 year run that I have been into old mopars but it's just not the same anymore even though I won't stop driving the valiant or dart any time soon.

Here's to the "good ol days" (pretty much anytime before covid)
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Funny thing is, around here, it seems to be going the opposite. Lots of car shows are putting an age limit on stuff to keep the new stuff out others are still out matched my old iron.
 
dukeboy440 said:
Funny thing is, around here, it seems to be going the opposite. Lots of car shows are putting an age limit on stuff to keep the new stuff out others are still out matched my old iron.
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yea, a few do that here too. what they are finding out though is if they want numbers they will allow modern muscle. its kinda foolish to me to limit it to 72 and older which a few do here.. i mean the 85 fox body mustang which pretty much started thing up again is 39 years old now.. grand national the same., 79 lil red, late 70's f-body kit car and road runners. hell even my 08 mustang is 15 years old... in 1985 people were taking 1970 cars to shows and that was ok. same 15 years old as my mustang right?
 
Here's the best example I can give. I have been a step-dad to a kid raised without a father since he was 11 (now 19) I have had a 70 Challenger , 65 Barracuda, 2 - 68 Barracuda's and now a Dodge A-100 truck (I bought for him) He acts interested in cars UNTIL THERE'S WORK TO BE DONE. He says "You know what you can buy me for Christmas ??" And when I replied "No what?" He says "Mechanic simulator for my computer" I about lost my cool. I said "Mechanic simulator is going on EVERY NIGHT out there in the garage WHERE ARE YOU?" the answer is in the house staring at the computer or video game. MECHANIC SIMULATOR MY *** LOL this is what the world is coming to......
 
abodyjoe said:
another thing. if i were between 15-20 why would i care about an old 60's or 70's car? i mean they really don't do anything well compared to modern muscle and i'd have no connection to them.. now a modern mustang,challenger camaro,corvette or any number of bad *** imports sll of which do everything better then 60's and 70's cars is where my heart would be. its what i'd have grown up with and what i'd set a goal of owning one day..
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Maybe if those 60s or 70s cars told you a joke.........If I see a young person looking at a car these days they're checking out a Tesla.
 
What I see is a lack of worthwhile project cars priced for what they are actually worth. The supply get smaller every year. High priced parts cars. I am talking cars of the 60s 70s and not hemi Cudas either. Such should discourage anyone younger or older. Price of resto parts is nuts as is most of what you buy at O Reillys etc.

I got my DL in '64. Back then, and beyond a decade or so, most people wanted a cool car to drive NOT build. Day 2 stuff was the extent of most guys "working" on their rides. Be it a new car or just a "used" purchase. Add some cool mags and maybe under dash gauges, a tack and be cool! A real gear head was not common in rural America where I lived. But way more plentiful than today.

Then here comes the mid to later 80s and the old musclecar of the sixities are HOT! Find a complete old RoadRunner or 340 Duster an make it run and get the local young apprentice at the body shop to do the body/paint orlearn to do it yourself..cheap..or fill the pasture full of non running project cars!! Then the prices of these cars fall and rise and a fall and......

Around here the majority of low end shoppers want a running, driving, solid, decent paint and interior "classic" (old car) that everythg is new or rebuilt and they want it for nothing. Or maybe trade their POS rice motor cycle for it since winter (S E Texas! ha) is on. The lookers for a "real" classic like a common 69 3838 RoadRunner want a perfect car for less than costs of part and materials. I guess the spenders go to Mcum for their rides!!?? :thumbsup: :poke: :steering:
 
abodyjoe said:
yea, a few do that here too. what they are finding out though is if they want numbers they will allow modern muscle. its kinda foolish to me to limit it to 72 and older which a few do here.. i mean the 85 fox body mustang which pretty much started thing up again is 39 years old now.. grand national the same., 79 lil red, late 70's f-body kit car and road runners. hell even my 08 mustang is 15 years old... in 1985 people were taking 1970 cars to shows and that was ok. same 15 years old as my mustang right?
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Couple of them are that restrictive but several just restrict to vehicles older than 10 years from current model years and exotics.
 
And others separate from old vs new too. So all the new stuff will be together and you can skip it if you wish.

But to be honest, the car hobby has never just been about having old stuff. The whole hot rodding culture started with run what you brung and taking what you had and making it cool to you.
 
You are right. We older car guys share some of the blame.
We engaged in too much gatekeeping and snobbery.
The amount of gigh dollar car guys who looked down their noses at the young kids with less "desireable" cars has always been a problem in this hobby.
I much prefer a young guy with something he is trying to build himself to the curmudgeon who cashed in his retirement to buy something all he ever does is polish.

But the culture has changed so drastically in every way imaginable the outcome would likely be the same even without the gatekeepers.
 
barbee6043 said:
Back then, and beyond a decade or so, most people wanted a cool car to drive NOT build. Day 2 stuff was the extent of most guys "working" on their rides. Be it a new car or just a "used" purchase. Add some cool mags and maybe under dash gauges, a tack and be cool! A real gear head was not common in rural America where I lived. But way more plentiful than today.
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thats still alive and well look no further then the mustang (S197 Cars) comunity. lots of younger people in to them, tuning them, day twoing them,daily driving them and racing them. prices on them are going up now too.. the nice ones many young folks can't afford so they are getting clapped out ones and doing what they have to in order to get them back on the road and drive the hell out of them.... difference is what we used to do with a set of dist springs and carb jets they do with a hand held computer...
 
We go to two or three different cruise nights each week. I have four friends who usually show up, we walk around and then sit and bullshit, while people walk past to see the cars. The lookers who are mostly 30/40 year old's who look and nod, very little conversation. The conversations come from the baby boomers (old goats like me ) who get into the past when they had (fill in the blank) and we enjoy those people the most. Let's face it a lot of boomer generation is leaving the planet daily. I've been to three funerals in the past six weeks. Not saying the people who follow us in age aren't interested, it's that there aren't as many interested. We were growing up with them. Not knocking the younger guys here, just says there is not as many out there.

Maybe the hobby in my area, being about a six month thing, is slowly dying because of the limited time to attend the shows. Maybe it's a generational thing. I bought a '83 Camaro this summer and the boomer glance, but the younger guys look more interested in it. So I guess the next generation will pass on the muscle car era and look to 80's and up cars. Too bad for them :) :)
 
George Jets said:
Here in Florida the Mopars of Brevard yearly Car Show/Super Swap is no more.

Most of the Mopars of Brevard members putting it on are 70 years old and just don't want to do it any more.

Always enjoyed the Super Swap and the fact there was a Mopar Show to go to in the middle of the Winter, going to miss that.

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That's a shame. I made it there the year before the virus hit. One less thing to do when I am on vacation.

Jack
 
RON REAGLE said:
Here's the best example I can give. I have been a step-dad to a kid raised without a father since he was 11 (now 19) I have had a 70 Challenger , 65 Barracuda, 2 - 68 Barracuda's and now a Dodge A-100 truck (I bought for him) He acts interested in cars UNTIL THERE'S WORK TO BE DONE. He says "You know what you can buy me for Christmas ??" And when I replied "No what?" He says "Mechanic simulator for my computer" I about lost my cool. I said "Mechanic simulator is going on EVERY NIGHT out there in the garage WHERE ARE YOU?" the answer is in the house staring at the computer or video game. MECHANIC SIMULATOR MY *** LOL this is what the world is coming to......
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My son is the same way even still and he will be 34 years old this year. They think the video game world is real and tangible. That's frightening.
 
When I retired I put an ad in the local media offering help to folks with a "stuck" project car .
I was stunned by the number of cars stuck on an electrical issue, suspension, whatever.
The issue had stalled the owner, they had lost interest yada yada.
Id go look at the car, kick some tires, see what was needed, gave them some direction to prep for me to come back and get over the "hump".
I got near 10 cars, all breeds going, most made it back on the road.

My point is,

Is it possibly some of you could find similar projects in your area, help the younger generation, get more vehicles on the road, share your knowledge .
It's a wonderful feeling seeing someone's face light up when the "hurdle" is cleared.
It'll be good for YOU.
Share your knowledge, don't just talk about it.
jmo
 
RustyRatRod said:
My son is the same way even still and he will be 34 years old this year. They think the video game world is real and tangible. That's frightening.
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I agree with you, till my daughter 30ish came up to me and asked me to build a roundy-round car for her man,
He had been I-racing for a number of years on the internet against true racer like Hamlin and Jr. He won a lotta $$ and the pros told him to get a real car, he did.
Took him a coupla yrs driving, me, a coupla years re-building/tuning the oldest car there .
2 Championships in 6 yrs racing iirc.

So I have changed my opinion on video games .
 
I see large numbers of 60s 70s cars at cruise spots around me. A lot of tri five chevies too. Nice mopars are common. Yes tons of late model challengers and mustangs but the old car turn out is strong at some of the cruise spots around me. I get young guys gawking at my car taking videos and pictures all the time. But the older guys wanna yap about "I used to have so and so and sold it" type stories.
 
RustyRatRod said:
My son is the same way even still and he will be 34 years old this year. They think the video game world is real and tangible. That's frightening.
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My stepson is 37 now, he was always kind of interested in my 70 Dart, but far more interested in computers and video games. He's a programmer/analyst for Amazon now, lives in Virginia. We haven't seen him in about 6 years now, won't even call his mother anymore. He always wanted a Tesla, and now he has one, all he cares about is that it has a self driving feature so he doesn't have to.
 
inertia said:
When I retired I put an ad in the local media offering help to folks with a "stuck" project car .
I was stunned by the number of cars stuck on an electrical issue, suspension, whatever.
The issue had stalled the owner, they had lost interest yada yada.
Id go look at the car, kick some tires, see what was needed, gave them some direction to prep for me to come back and get over the "hump".
I got near 10 cars, all breeds going, most made it back on the road.

My point is,

Is it possibly some of you could find similar projects in your area, help the younger generation, get more vehicles on the road, share your knowledge .
It's a wonderful feeling seeing someone's face light up when the "hurdle" is cleared.
It'll be good for YOU.
Share your knowledge, don't just talk about it.
jmo
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That's not a bad idea. Not bad at all.
 
inertia said:
I agree with you, till my daughter 30ish came up to me and asked me to build a roundy-round car for her man,
He had been I-racing for a number of years on the internet against true racer like Hamlin and Jr. He won a lotta $$ and the pros told him to get a real car, he did.
Took him a coupla yrs driving, me, a coupla years re-building/tuning the oldest car there .
2 Championships in 6 yrs racing iirc.

So I have changed my opinion on video games .
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Oh they can be real as snot....but when that's ALL they want to do, therein is the problem.
 
missing linc said:
My stepson is 37 now, he was always kind of interested in my 70 Dart, but far more interested in computers and video games. He's a programmer/analyst for Amazon now, lives in Virginia. We haven't seen him in about 6 years now, won't even call his mother anymore. He always wanted a Tesla, and now he has one, all he cares about is that it has a self driving feature so he doesn't have to.
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Some just aren't car folk, - find someone building a Mopar, ask your parts guy, they know a guy, that knows a guy, - offer your help, itll come back to you x10 .
 
I think what @Princess Valiant is seeing is limited to her location and I can say that because I moved from CO to GA last year. Big cultural shift in CO over the past 5-10 years with all of the transplants, most of them coming from more expensive parts of the country so demand for everything went up and cost followed. That drove a lot of the folks with more modest means to give up unnecessary expensive hobbies or just leave the state entirely (like I did). Car culture in CO as it was when I was in my 20s (2010-2020) is all but dead; now it's either rich (or trying to look rich) people with high-dollar late model cars, boomers with restored numbers-matching muscle cars that never leave the garage, and farm kids rolling coal in their dad's old diesel pickup. It's almost impossible to find a project car of ANY year/make/model out there for a reasonable price and the demand from the younger generation is all oddball import stuff because they have an irritating hipster mentality ("old American cars are for bOoMeRs durr").

Since moving here I've been to multiple Cars & Coffee events, 2 at Carolina Dragway just 35 minutes from my house and the attendees were from the full spectrum of age and background. In this part of the country I think it's safe to say the hobby is alive and well. I was also thrilled to see how many more awesome project cars are available around here for sale at relatively decent prices and that's just online; I've also heard that around here there are older guys with projects they're willing to let go but don't bother with the internet and I can't really blame them.

Culture changes and being a gearhead isn't the norm anymore for younger people like it was 30-50 years ago but they definitely still exist, many of them not buying into the EV craze or wanting to devote all their time and energy to a virtual world on social media and video games. Apparently a significant portion of Gen Z (born after 2000) has a fondness for "outdated" tech of all kinds so I have hope. Surveys have shown that the kids who have grown up with the internet and digitized everything have seen the limitations as they are getting older, are realizing how much they've missed out on and are causing a resurgence of interest in "old-school" hobbies.
 
MoparMike1974 said:
Car shows are a joke. It angers me to watch a new challenger off the showroom getting a trophy. I mean, wtf did they do other than buy a new car? But hey, I got a second place for a car I spent 10 years building.
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I agree. I used to be into Corvettes. I did a cosmetic restoration on a 66 vert and a frame off on a 65 Factory AC vert (why did I sell that one"). I will never forget going to an all Corvette show and watching the Best of Show award going to an 85 (I think) Vette. Yes, he did do an amazing job detailing it, but come on. He literally drove it home, detailed it and brought it to the show. People were really pissed when that was announced. You should have heard the groans and booing.
A related story. After a 3 year frame off on the 65, it looked AMAZING. I took it to a car show sponsored by the Arkansas Street Rodders club. I was stationed at Little Rock AFB at the time. There was a Corvette category and only 3 cars. Mine (which looked like a brand new car), a 66 vert that was just a nice driver, and a 66 coupe that was fairly rough. The other two cars belonged to club members, and they got first and second place. I walked off and told them to keep their third place trophy. I realize that we should go to car shows for the fun of it and not worry about trophies, but that was SO in my face I just walked away. Interestingly, a reporter from the Arkansas Gazette was there. He liked my car and was so impressed that I did all my own work that he scheduled a photo shoot with me and gave it a whole page in an upcoming Sunday paper.
 
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