CarNucopia

I agree with the point that we need to not only expose younger people to our cars, we need to engage them. One of the greatest joys of being at a show is letting a kid sit in your car. Where I think the problem lies is cultivating that interest once a seed is planted. Is there a next step to get them involved? A 13 year old, if curious about prewar cars, is going to look at their phone and seek out ways to see and experience more. They'll look on Instagram, YouTube or TicTok and likely not connect with any of the traditional clubs (certainly not this one). They'll also come across newer cars, presented in a format that appeals to their tastes and generation. We are competing in a marketplace of interested and ignoring the modern tools to be successful.

I agree with your point completely. But, what Boomers giveth, they can also taketh away. Because they built the foundation of the hobby, they seem very reluctant to accept change. Most of the clubs and businesses that close seem stuck in time, only focusing on Boomer-era cars. There are also very Boomer-centric opinions expressed here, all the time, that are way off and only serve to alienate the next generation. For example: Younger people don't know how to work on cars All they care about is their phone They don't have enough money They lack an appreciation of old things....and so on. As a Gen Xer with both JDM and Full Classics in my garage, I've interacted with the same people and been treated very differently based on what car I show up in. The unveiled contempt for me and my Japanese cars (also seen here on the forum) is really off putting. Many Boomers act like cars that fall outside that 55-72 window are a lesser class. Anyone who thinks that car enthusiasm is dying has simple never spent time at an event that caters the next generation. It's like someone going to an Frankie Valli show and being convinced young people don't like music since none where there. I agree with your second point, but lay the blame on the race to the bottom price, elsewhere. IMO, offshoring parts was an effort to save money at a time when new regulations, and their associated costs, where being ramped up. I have a '16 runabout in the Chicago I'll be selling for considerably less then$15K. The irony is, I replaced it with a '15 runabout that is a Canadian RHD car.

I’m curious, why is 1915 the cutoff? In the last year, I bought a ‘15 and ‘16 Model T Runabouts. The cars are almost the same, except for some trim pieces.

The only conclusion I can offer is that companies in the Live auction business should be thinking about getting into the Online business if they want to attract the next generation of collectors and cars. I also wonder at what point should a car from a particular year be eliminated from that year's total? There is a '63 Corvette at $300K on BaT right now, but a majority of the parts on the car are far newer then the model year.

A TD with an electrical fire. 😁

What’s the earliest a trailer can be parked? While I won’t be showing my car until Saturday, I’d like to arrive earlier to walk the swap meet and see the show field Friday. Thanks

One of my favorite expressions is "The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago". I worked in marketing for most of my career, including doing strategic planning. One of the biggest challenges in creating change was convincing people that the choice before them isn't "Change or Don't Change", it's "Change or Die". There's a reason we all know who Darwin was.

This is an interesting idea you propose and I agree with Steve Mack that it could be a great opportunity. Where I have a concern is I believe that the AACA is being challenged by the same issues that are putting marque-specific clubs out of business. Since the AACA is large, it has a longer runway before it faces obsolescence. Prior to absorbing other organizations, I think the Club needs to create a long term strategic plan for its survival. Adding new, potentially disparate, interests before this happens seems likely to harm an already challenged planning process.

I'm a microcar enthusiast and even I think this is lunacy. If you're microcar-curious, there's a great event called Meet In The Middle which will take place in South Bend IN the first weekend in August. https://www.microcarmeet.com/. What StillOutThere describes is why I love these silly little things. There's something whimsical about driving one that puts a huge smile on your face, along with anyone who sees you. And the people that own them tend to be equally interesting and fun. I describe us as weird car people. Whether "weird" describes the car or the person is open to debate. 🙂

First, thanks you to the guys with triple-digit counts. My 35 cars almost seems rational. 😁 Some of my trends are: Only 4 front-wheel drive cars 6 righthand drive 7 Miatas 31 with manual transmissions 13 convertibles 10 weigh under a ton 4 Prewar Displacement range from 250cc to 8.1L

I’m very happy with the one I bought new in September of 2019.

When I was trailer shopping, the biggest/heaviest car was my Buick (4,600#). I ended up buying an ATC trailer because of the light weight. Since I ordered it new, I did everything I could to keep the heft down. The result is a 1,500# enclosed trailer. With the Buick onboard, I'm just over 6,000#. This gave me more flexibility in choosing a tow vehicle. So as you shop, consider the budget for the entire package, not just the trailer. I preferred to put money in a lighter trailer instead of a heavier tow vehicle. When any other vehicle is in the trailer, it is way below my maximum capacity. After a few years with this setup, I bought a used Triton TC167 snowmobile trailer for my smaller cars. The ATC is like pulling a parachute which bothered me when I didn't need the capacity. The fit in the small trailer is snug, but it's really easy to tow and saves me a ton of time and money in fuel stops. Edit: One point I should make is my pickup is a 3/4 ton. I bought is because it was a great low-mileage vehicle, not for the extra capacity.

A lot depends on what you plan to tow. Looking at you club affiliations, it appears you have some American cars and smaller Euro cars. I'm in a similar situation with regards to size/weight range of vehicles. If you're only towing an MG or SAAB, a 3/4-ton is more then you need. Tell us a little more about how you plan to use the setup.

When someone grinds me, I simply say "This probably isn't the right car for you". Bottom feeders go away and seriously interested parties, now considering the real possibility of no deal, get a new-found sense of fairness.

The device only updates it's location when it connects with an iPhone, any iPhone. If the person who has stolen the trailer has an android, it won't update via them or let them know it's there unless they add an ap for that purpose. The range is probably 20 feet or so. I have one in a truck parked in a garage an hour and a half from me. It updates me when someone with an iPhone is in the area. Battery life is a year or more.

The old boats the grab my attention are aluminum speedboats, like a Feathercraft. So far, I’ve managed to avoid adding one to my project list.

My dad had one ages ago. He never had a problem with the engine. And wow, it was silky smooth. It seemed as though just about everything else on the car failed. We didn't get the early V12 manual cars, only later straight 6 with stick. I'd guess maybe only a few hundred made it to the US.

There’s a reason the words “British” and “reliable” rarely appear in the same sentence. 😁 An XJ-S with a manual is a bucket list car for me. The scarcity pretty much assures it’s a box left unchecked.

That’s what I’ve used as the delineation for Pre War.

I'm not sure how I missed this thread until know, but I'm simply blown away by your craftsmanship Roger. Thanks for sharing your work.

Thanks for all the replies. With regards to buying and shipping, that would be ideal, but very difficult. One thing I probably should have explained better is the scarcity of the parts in Japan. The cars I'm interested in, and which are becoming popular over here, are known as "Bubble Era" cars. At the height of the Japanese economic bubble in the late '80s, manufacturers developed cars which can best be described as excesses from the era. They tended to have unusual designs and were limited production. Nearly all of them went on sale as the bubble was bursting and were sales flops. As such, total unit sales were between 5,000 and 33,000. And most were sold exclusively in Japan. I thinks it's an interesting chapter in auto history because it was a time where enthusiasts at the companies were able to create cars that made little rational sense. Inmates running the asylum, you might say. There were three micro sports cars: With quirky kei cars, it’s easy as A-B-C Nissan's "Pike Factory" cars: Nissan’s 4 Pike microcars are tiny Nintendo-like ’80s delights And cars like the Toyota Sera: 1990 Toyota Sera Leaves Us Begging for More These cars are actually well know among young enthusiasts because they were in popular driving video games developed in Japan. The survival rate with these cars is pretty high because of how unique they are. With their growing popularity in the US, someone will need to repop windshields because there just aren't enough old ones around to satisfy demand.

A telescoping magnet, because I've dropped something somewhere bad.

I'm not claiming there isn't liability, I'm saying there are companies in the business of doing this right now. Somehow, they mitigate the liability to the extent they are willing to produce and sell the windshield.

Thanks for the replies everyone. Fortunately, I don't need one right now. I'm curious what others have done and want to be prepared if the inevitable happens to me. I also think if there is a viable solution, at least a dozen other people would buy one as a backup, bring the cost down to something reasonable. If need be, Larry's option is the one I'd try first. Still, finding one is a challenge. There's no NOS parts in stock. I don't think DOT certification is an issue. There are a few companies that claim to do what I'm looking for. I'm watching one owner, via a Facebook group, attempt to make a replacement. The company scanned someone else's pristine glass and built a new one based on the shape they captured. It wasn't even close to fitting. The cost was $4,000 with subsequent glass being considerable less. A second company requires a mold be made by the customer. Maybe they would make the mold if the car was brought to them. I plan to contact them to see what the options are. TTR: I understand this isn't something you can help with, but can you elaborate on the process you went through?

I was wondering if anyone has experiences or recommendations with custom windshield fabrication. I own a few Japanese Market cars, like the Honda Beat, and the one part that keeps me awake at night worrying it might someday need to be replaced is the windshield. I've seen others with similar cars have trouble finding a replacement since the cost, availability and shipping from Japan make it nearly impossible. Thanks