So what’s the big deal about millennials?

[nick8086]

So what’s the big deal about millennials?

 

 

This is your next car buyer...

 

My wife told me to sell everything....

 

She thinks they will not want my junk..

 

 

Not sold .. But  I hear this from other car collectors...

 

 

Looking 10 years from now....

 

 

Rare stuff will always sale...

 

 

Any one have there two cents... on this...

[John_S_in_Penna]

"Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."

So wrote comedian Samuel Clemens over 100 years ago.

Don't give in to a premature sense of decline!  With so

many fine years ahead, it would be a big mistake to

give up your hobby, your life, your love, for what

might occur in the distant future.  And your wife shouldn't

be selling off all her china, her silverware, her hobbies either! 

 

"Millennials" are simply a concocted marketing term,

attempting to categorize people reaching the age of

adulthood around the year 2000.  They were born,

the definition states, anywhere from the early 1980's

to the early 2000's--a twenty-year window.  Sometimes

the media calls them "Generation Y."

 

Actually, a generation has usually been considered to

last 30 years, since women typically bear children from

around age 20 to around age 40.  So the terms "Generation X,"

"Generation Y," etc. aren't even accurate as defining "generations."

 

Predictions of the future often fail to come true.

So keep up your interests, maybe paring extraneous things

which you'll never get to, to simplify your life.  But life should

consist of continual growth and improvement, always doing more

and going up higher.  If you're well organized and have the means,

maybe you should be ADDING TO your car collection! 

Edited November 17, 2015 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[R Walling]

  "  keep up your interests, maybe paring extraneous things

which you'll never get to, to simplify your life.  But life should

consist of continual growth and improvement, always doing more

and going up higher.  If you're well organized and have the means,

maybe you should be ADDING TO your car collection! "

 

 I think that this is the best advice that I have ever received from this site.

 

i am going to embrace it with gusto!

 

 Thank you John.

[auburnseeker]

You can look at one thing.  The number of car related shows on TV in the last few years.  There are alot of them.  When I was in my younger TV K-12 years you would watch a show to catch the glimpse of a car, there were really no car shows.  The closest was the Dukes of Hazzard.  Now there are several that spotlight the entire car culture on all fronts with a big following.  They only run these shows because the interest is their in the right demographic. Usually the younger generations as they see those as their prime consumers.  Those are our future car collectors.  They may be into rods right now,  much like I was when I was Younger, but tastes change as you mature and so does your appreciation for things the way they were unmodified and original.  Look at the number of younger people that like to see original unrestored cars.

The younger generation in general  is stuck in a financial rutt and have little disposable income.

 As they get older,  things get paid for and they build their net worth they will then be able to buy the cars they have lusted after.  I think numbers are down at car shows of younger people because a large part of the population that will aspire to be collectors are working their butt off to get ahead and can now get some of their old car fix from TV where before it was only the car shows where you could satisfy it.

  I think big organized shows may wain a bit (of course I think Hershey will stay the size it is or grow) but cruise ins will surge where the guy can stop by for a few hours before or after work.  People don't have the conventional 40 hour a week job they used to have with weekends off. 

[Guest AlCapone]

Pay no attention to your wife. Expand your hobby and increase your enjoyment. Have her sell her chattels and give the money to you for your hobby interests! Her suggestion is Hogwash, hogwash and more hogwash! Wayne

[padgett]

The trouble is that the shows either make "like new" (new what is sometimes in question) or perform a quick and dirty "restification" with the goal of flipping. At least one show does nothing if pssible, just flipping. There seems to be a virtue in enough facial foliage to be dangerous around moving machinery.

 

The part that bothers me most is a show that takes cars that have been sitting for years, repairing what is possible in a few days, and the hammering it without changing the tires. I have had treads seperate on me (not this century though) before and is not fun.

 

They make so many mistakes it is laughable. Am I the only one that knows a 67 Camaro SS did not come with a 327 and should not have 327 flags on the fenders ?

 

So while there are a lot of shows particularly on three cable channels, there is so much that is just wrong or unsafe that I consider them more as comedies.

[39BuickEight]

There were no car shows on TV because there were no channels to put them on.

[John348]

As a father of three "millennials" I can testify that they don't sit around watching TV, these shows are produced for retired viewers, just look at the products being advertised they are geared for the over 50 male crowd. 

My father collected toys, (a lot of them at that) I have been selling them off for a few years now. While there is interest, and items do sell they do not sell for close to what he paid for it 30 years ago. The internet changed many things, and hobbies are one of them

[John_S_in_Penna]

There seems to be a virtue in enough facial foliage to be dangerous around moving machinery.

 

Yes, today's bearded, strong personalities produce "reality" TV that's nothing like reality.

 

Mr. Padgett, your creative writing skills are clearly evident here.

You should be in some profession that uses your writing ability,

if you aren't already.

Edited November 17, 2015 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[Guest]

The trouble is that the shows either make "like new" (new what is sometimes in question) or perform a quick and dirty "restification" with the goal of flipping. At least one show does nothing if pssible, just flipping. There seems to be a virtue in enough facial foliage to be dangerous around moving machinery.

 

The part that bothers me most is a show that takes cars that have been sitting for years, repairing what is possible in a few days, and the hammering it without changing the tires. I have had treads seperate on me (not this century though) before and is not fun.

 

They make so many mistakes it is laughable. Am I the only one that knows a 67 Camaro SS did not come with a 327 and should not have 327 flags on the fenders ?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question; I had a friend growing up who ordered a 67 Camaro. The car was a 327 2bbl with a four speed. I believe it had a white stripe around the nose the car was deep water blue. I don't know remember if it was a RS or a SS. I hope what you are saying is just a SS can't be had with a 327 because this car not only had the fender badging but decals on the valve covers.

Available Engines:

Std. I-6

230ci

1x1bbl 140 hp 220 lb-ft

L22 I-6

250ci

1x1bbl 155 hp 235 lb-ft

Z/28

302ci

1x4bbl 290 hp 290 lb-ft

L30

327ci

1x4bbl 275 hp 355 lb-ft

STD V8

327ci

1x2bbl 210 hp 320 lb-ft

L48

350ci

1x4bbl 295 hp 380 lb-ft

L78

396ci

1x4bbl 375 hp 415 lb-ft

L35

396ci

1x4bbl 325 hp 410 lb-ft

 

Edited November 17, 2015 by helfen (see edit history)

[Guest]

Those kids simply do not have the car culture influence on them like we did. There are exceptions but the average person of this 2000's era don't know and don't want to know. What the majority of them do know in their minds is what they learned from school and the media which is the automobile is destroying the planet. That plus the availability or price of fuel twenty five years from now will kill this hobby.

  If the hobby does survive it will be for the very rich, but that may be a problem as well because the kids today are being taught all about the re-distribution of wealth. Been following the news lately???

[JACK M]

You can look at one thing.  The number of car related shows on TV in the last few years.  There are alot of them.  When I was in my younger TV K-12 years you would watch a show to catch the glimpse of a car, there were really no car shows.

 

How about 'My Mother the Car'.   LOLOLOLOL

[John348]

Don't forget all of the baby boomers are now retiring, 

[oily rag]

My youngen (30 year old) has no real interest in anything that is more than a year old. Everything is has to be disposable or rented.

[auburnseeker]

One thing to remember is that the population is also growing so even if the percentage of people entering the hobby goes down,  the number may very likely stay the same or increase. 

Also remember that there are only certain numbers of many old cars left,  besides a few models they are reproducing almost in their entirety.  Those numbers will continue to go down as Mother nature and world events take more and more out of commission through fires, Floods and other natural disasters.

[nick8086]

Don't forget all of the baby boomers are now retiring, 

 

 

If the baby boomers is not a car guy... They  Just wanted a 1971  Cuda..  They can not work on it and they freak out on the cost of the parts and the .labor bills.. They sell it two years down the road... 

 

My two cents... I have seen this happen... They have the money but are not a car guy....

 

You have to love collecting... and the money is just the price of enjoyment .... 

[Buffalowed Bill]

Remember we old car people have always been just a small percentage of the general population. If it wasn't for our mutual appreciation of our cars this hobby would be a pretty lonely place. We like minded people stick together for moral support, to protect ourselves against the rest of the world that thinks we are crazy and would just like to see our old junk go away.

As time passes there will inevitably be a reshuffling of the cars which are considered most desirable. Few of the cars that we own and admire today are going to be appreciated by the next generation of car fans. So the sooner we get over worrying about who will fall in love with our old American iron the faster we can enjoy what we have.

There is a group of young people who do love their cars. They work on them, soup them up and even customize them, but I doubt that most here would appreciate them, any more then they would appreciate what we love. These are all imports, mostly Japanese and German, some of which we might have a difficult time recognizing. The culture is there and it is not going away any time soon. We have a popular drive in restaurant "XXX" which is about twenty miles east of Seattle in the town of Issaquah. the drive-in holds a car event every weekend from late spring to early winter. This always popular venue is always well attended, but no weekend is more popular then the weekend featuring the imports! The young people and there cars are everywhere! Invisible at our car shows and cruises, but they are nonetheless part of the car culture that will outlive us.

[padgett]

a) L48 stripe ?
b ) SS Camaros in 67 could be had (RPO) wth either a 350 or one of three 396s. No 327s. Axle tramp was a real problem. Personally never cared for the hood.
c) I had both a 210hp 4 speed (later got a QJ) and 275 hp 4speed. Could tell a lot about an engine from the bumps on the end of the cyl head. 350s in 67 had serious oiling problems - why 327 and 350 for 68 got larger mains.
d) RPO Z-28 was actually four different options depending on whether you got cold air or headers or both (AFAIR) Z/28 (slash) started in 68. 302 engines were just off the shelf SBC parts - 283 crank and 327 pistons/heads. When Hot Rodders did the same thing earlier, they were 301s.
e) Chev didn't want to sell 302s to just anyone - why it was rated at 290 hp and the 350 at 295. L88/ZL1 430 hp, L71 435hp same-same 
f) Pontiac played even sillier games with HP ratings.
 
Trivia anyone ? Best use of a TCS switch ?

ps reason ADDCO rear sway bars for a Camaro went through the muffler was that I had side pipes when they fitted mine.

 

pps autocross trophies were not very big.

 

ppps was also a 396/350 hp in 67 (325 & 350 had hydraulic lifters, 375 was mechanical)

 

(pic from 1968)

 

 

[Guest]

It must have been a RS with the stripe and the 327 then.

[CarFreak]

Excellent post Buffalowed Bill, you hit the response dead on target.  YES there are younger people who are interested in cars just as there are people in their 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s who have absolutely no interest in them.  Generally I work with people obsessed with sports teams or do nothings who don't have a hobby other than cleaning, working & hanging around their home.  There will always be people who appreciate vehicles of all types, young and old. 

 

Sort of along that mindset, I could Insert a face slap emoticon here, from attending a club meeting last week.  The unnamed club's Board still refuses to recognize the ability to save printing & postage costs plus have a means to reach out and connect with younger, more techy potential club members.  They adamantly refuse to do any form of electonic newsletter and stand by their mailed paper copy.   Noted that their paid membership dropped from 375 to 250 in the past several years. 

[John_S_in_Penna]

The unnamed club's Board still refuses to recognize the ability to save printing & postage costs plus have a means to reach out and connect with younger, more techy potential club members.  They adamantly refuse to do any form of electonic newsletter and stand by their mailed paper copy.   

 

AACA encourages all of its regions to have good websites,

and even has awards for various levels of achievement.

You're right that they are a window to the world, and can

encourage interested car fans to look further into the club.

 

As a regional newsletter editor, and one a generation or more younger

than many of our older AACA members, I must say, however,

that a printed newsletter is a superb adjunct to the internet.  

The largest and most active regions have excellent newsletters--

a couple even of magazine size--which are NOT electronic.

 

There is a place for excellence in writing and printing:  

Well researched articles, color printing, paper of excellent quality.

We've interviewed Jay Leno, Bob Lutz, and others with interesting stories.

Getting such a newsletter electronically, and then printing it out

on your home printer on bond paper, would cheapen what 

we work so hard to achieve.  The newsletter is a benefit which

only members receive!

 

And printed newsletters can be saved for decades, whereas

electronic formats change over the years and tend to be

ephemerally read and deleted.

 

So:  Both a successful internet presence for the world,

and a newsletter giving excellent automotive insights to members,

can co-exist and enhance a club. 

Edited November 20, 2015 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[padgett]

Good point. Where/when you grew up has a definite influence. I grew up in South Florida which in the 60s was dominated by imports - Jag, Trumph, MG, Rolls with a gaggle of Gullwings that used to drive around with their doors open (before AC), plus a few oddballs (Borgward, Facel, DKW, Isetta, Masserschmidt (smith's knife ?), Minis (only car I ever hit all three pedals at once with one foot - and I have a narrow foot).). Nothing from the Orient. Few American cars, mostly rentals (small 8, ps, automatic, clock).

The big divider was the energy crisis and the 55 mph speed limit. Suddenly tiny engines/slow top ends were in and even the 4 cyl American engines were big and unpopular. The Vega disaster didn't help.

Today's kids are growing up with Hondas, Toyotas, Scions, Mitsubishis, & Kia-Hyundai. Computer casrs that require a tuner to change anything. An insurance company that monitors driving habits (I'm already using the OBD-II socket thank you).

Not al bad if you have the right equiment, is very handy for me to have all my service manuals as .pdfs on a microSD card. OBD-II just takes a $12 dongle. Lots easier than carrying around an OTC 2000 or Tech-1.

These are the good old days.

[TG57Roadmaster]

I've known this young man since he was a boy of about 12; he's about 24 now, with a wife and young son. He currently works for the automotive section of the local Geek Squad. Last night this popped up on his Facebook page...

 

 

"My grandfather owned a car identical to this 1968 buick electra 225. I always had a fascination with this car as a child because the key was inserted low on the dashboard rather than at the steering column and it had a bench seat in the front rather than bucket seats. One day I would love to buy a car like this".

 

I remember when he and and his dad would occasionally pop in to visit the old garage, a subterranean lair that was very cool, and his noted his quiet admiration for what went on there. Always respectful of the fact that our cars were original (no mods whatsoever), he reminded me of myself at that age. I see him occasionally, and though he works on rice-rockets and jacked-up Camaros all day long, he wants a car, just as many of do, that reminds him of pleasant, past experiences. What a thrill that he wants a 4-door hardtop luxo-barge, just like his grandfather's! I'm quite sure he won't go the 20-inch rim route when he finally acquires his dream car.

 

I responded to his post with a couple of opinions on big Electras of the era and provided a link to more info on them, as I'm prone to do here and on other forums.

 

These are the kinds of young folks we need to nurture and encourage, and I can't wait to see him again in person to welcome him to "our world". 

 

He's off to a great start, and I'll be there for him whenever he needs me.

 

TG

[auburnseeker]

When I had my 48 Plymouth convertible for sale last year I had a young kid,  Probably 16. stop and drool all over it.  He didn't even glance at the Fuel injected 1960 Corvette that was glistening in the  sun a few hundred feet from it in front of my shop.  As I mentioned before.  I think they are lurking in the masses waiting for the day they finally have a good job and can afford to follow that dream.