Bringing Youth Into the Hobby

[Kfigel]

I keep hearing the alarms about the lack of young people, boys and girls, becoming interested in our hobby of antique cars.  If so, I'd have to lay it at our own feet and not that of the younger generation.  Here's a picture of my 4-1/2 year old grandson helping me finish my restoration of my '57 Chevy Belair by installing new sill plates on the car.  He loved it!  It's up to us, guys, to instill this interest in our youth.  

[Pancho's ride]

My nephew is 29 now and I’ve tried getting him into older vehicles. He’s into 80’s and 90’s cars for kicks but really just likes modern fast cars. I’ve tried

[plymouthcranbrook]

My 10 year old grandson is always wanting to help me on"His" Old Plymouth. And as much as I can i have him help.

Edited September 21, 2019 by plymouthcranbrook (see edit history)

[nick8086]

Just keep paying for random stuff..

 

I took care of his school and tools and toolbox..

Edited September 21, 2019 by nick8086 (see edit history)

[Walt G]

I have posted here before about the gigantic need to share the love of older cars. If you have yours out and even if it is sitting in the tip of your driveway and some people/kids come along it will make them curious and smile. Engage them in some questions, answer the questions , show them the engine, inside of the car, trunk etc. If they see you treating the car with respect and pride it sets a standard and teaches a lesson without words. I taught art to 5 to 12 year olds for 35-40 years, and know how kids react ; they are very receptive and curious that something "this old" can still function and be so beautiful. You may spark some enthusiasm that ignites in full even decades later. I have seen this as fact. I tape tv shows with a buddy on our village tv station that then eventually wind up on the internet ( go to 4 village studio - the antique road test ) they are all about sharing the love, not about value or inve$tment.

Spread the word everyone and the appreciation will follow.

[greenie]

Not to start a rant, but the antique car insurance companies don’t allow drivers under the age of 25. My kids loved my cars; and if they could drive them at 16, providing the over 25 insured was in he car, the experience would have been better.

For several years, I had a son who was an officer on a nuclear submarine- when he came home he couldn’t drive my antiques.

Now he’s 27 and likes BMW’s. Go figure.

[MCHinson]

I drive my 1937 Buick Century to lunch or dinner quite often. The secret to spreading the hobby is exposure to people of all ages on a regular basis. Talking to people when they show an interest plants seeds. Some of those seeds will mature over time into a new hobbyist. Last night after dinner, one middle school age young man was admiring the car in front of the restaurant when I came out. We made sure that he got a chance to sit in the driver's seat and had a family member get some photos of him in the car on their smartphone. I also give people who show any interest a business card and tell them to call me whenever that want to go for a ride or if  they have any questions about the hobby. This is how we spread the hobby on a regular basis. 

[60FlatTop]

Freshly turned 25 and insured wit J C Taylor.

 

31 and with J C Taylor

 

69-ish, J C Taylor in a couple of years.

 

[Matt Harwood]

31 minutes ago, MCHinson said:

I drive my 1937 Buick Century to lunch or dinner quite often. The secret to spreading the hobby is exposure to people of all ages on a regular basis. Talking to people when they show an interest plants seeds. Some of those seeds will mature over time into a new hobbyist. Last night after dinner, one middle school age young man was admiring the car in front of the restaurant when I came out. We made sure that he got a chance to sit in the driver's seat and had a family member get some photos of him in the car on their smartphone. I also give people who show any interest a business card and tell them to call me whenever that want to go for a ride or if  they have any questions about the hobby. This is how we spread the hobby on a regular basis. 

 

100% agree. The VERY BEST THING you can do to encourage future hobbyists is to simply let them see old cars just being cars, not art objects, not dangerous clap-traps, not unreliable accidents waiting to happen. There's an insanely persistent myth everywhere that anything that doesn't have 12 volts, disc brakes, and a Chevy V8 in it can't be driven with any safety, reliability, or even at all in today's world. We know that's total BS. But we're only a tiny fraction of the hobby and an even tinier fraction of the world at large. Most guys only know what they see on TV and at local shows where late-models and modified cars dominate. If you see an unmodified pre-war car (or pre-1960 car these days) it's an anomaly and a curiosity. That's what feeds the myth of "old cars can't be used today." Why would it be otherwise--nobody's there showing them the truth.

 

Change that.

 

I've had dozens, if not hundreds of conversations at cruise nights standing next to my 1929 Cadillac or 1941 Buick explaining that I have driven the cars thousands of miles without incident, on today's roads, at modern highway speeds, and at night. Guys who think that 6-volt electrical systems are unreliable and weak have twice forked over $20 to me because my 1929 Cadillac started faster than their 2016 Corvette or Mustang. They are bewildered when my '41 Buick pulls away from them on the highway on-ramp, the driver grinning like an escaped mental patient (that would be me). They can't believe when they see Ohio plates on an old car several states away from home, covered with bugs and gassing up with a family inside with their luggage. Hell, I just took my Buick to ANOTHER COUNTRY and you should have seen the looks I got passing through the border.

 

Even experienced "car guys" are almost completely ignorant of original, unmodified cars. They have no idea that old cars have capabilities that will serve them just fine in today's traffic. Many of them figure that it's either newer than 1965 so it can be driven or it's a Model T. Seriously, go out there and talk to guys at any "local" car show or cruise night. They know NOTHING. Call them out on their BS and prove them wrong. I had an argument with a guy in my shop just this past week where he said, "I convert all my cars to Pertronix--I don't want that unreliable points stuff in there." When I pointed out that points will often keep working even in failure mode while a Pertonix "black box" will completely and permanently stop working in a split-second puff of smoke, he was completely unable to process or even understand my point. Well OF COURSE modern is better than old stuff, right? Upgrades are the only way to be sure you get home. We're so much smarter than those guys 50, 60, 70 years ago, what did they know? That kind of anti-knowledge is a big reason why the part of the hobby we love most is suffering.

 

If you want new car people to be interested in what we're interested in, you need to show them that owning an old car isn't a hardship and doesn't require special skills or a lot of money. Show them that these cars can be driven regularly and reliably and that they still work like regular cars.

 

Everything else is just closing the gate after the horses are gone.

 

If people don't think old cars are cars, they aren't going to be interested. You can let them look all they want, but as long as we let this myth of old cars being fragile, unreliable, dangerous, slow road hazards, they're just not going to get on board. DRIVE THEM EVERYWHERE, not just to shows when the sun is shining. Take them to the grocery store and school meetings like Melanie in her '56 Chrysler. Take them to work every day, like me with my 1941 Buick. Go out to dinner with the family and leave your old car in the parking lot while you go to a movie--don't fuss and fret or do silly things like putting a cover on it. If you're going to visit family someplace within driving distance, take the old car. Stop pretending these aren't machines designed for a purpose. It's just a car like any other; let everyone see that. 

 

I am convinced this is the only thing that will save us because the misinformation is so extremely pervasive. Everything else is just whistling past the graveyard.

[TexRiv_63]

1 hour ago, Matt Harwood said:

The VERY BEST THING you can do to encourage future hobbyists is to simply let them see old cars just being cars, not art objects, not dangerous clap-traps, not unreliable accidents waiting to happen. There's an insanely persistent myth everywhere that anything that doesn't have 12 volts, disc brakes, and a Chevy V8 in it can't be driven with any safety, reliability, or even at all in today's world.

 

Even experienced "car guys" are almost completely ignorant of original, unmodified cars. They have no idea that old cars have capabilities that will serve them just fine in today's traffic. Many of them figure that it's either newer than 1965 so it can be driven or it's a Model T. Seriously, go out there and talk to guys at any "local" car show or cruise night. They know NOTHING. Call them out on their BS and prove them wrong. I had an argument with a guy in my shop just this past week where he said, "I convert all my cars to Pertronix--I don't want that unreliable points stuff in there." When I pointed out that points will often keep working even in failure mode while a Pertonix "black box" will completely and permanently stop working in a split-second puff of smoke, he was completely unable to process or even understand my point. Well OF COURSE modern is better than old stuff, right? Upgrades are the only way to be sure you get home. We're so much smarter than those guys 50, 60, 70 years ago, what did they know? That kind of anti-knowledge is a big reason why the part of the hobby we love most is suffering.

 

If you want new car people to be interested in what we're interested in, you need to show them that owning an old car isn't a hardship and doesn't require special skills or a lot of money. Show them that these cars can be driven regularly and reliably and that they still work like regular cars.

 Stop pretending these aren't machines designed for a purpose. It's just a car like any other; let everyone see that. 

 

I am convinced this is the only thing that will save us because the misinformation is so extremely pervasive. Everything else is just whistling past the graveyard.

Matt, I totally agree. I have tried to do this with most of my cars and intend to maximize it with my 66 Monaco wagon. I have also had countless discussions with younger people at cars and coffee and gas stops, the interest level is very high.

[Walt G]

Matt all you say is totally true my friend. I take it a bit further. Many of us belong to clubs (AACA, BCA etc etc) who have members who own newer cars then some of us do. THEY need the encouragement too , to know what a car with running boards is like. Talk to them as well , they may ( and I think many do)feel  that those people who own pre WWII cars don't want to talk to them because they own newer post war cars, or don't like post war cars or................Ask them if they want to sit in your car, if they may want to go for a ride. When they do , explain some things that may not be obvious to them but in an older car need to be dealt with  - hand signals for letting all the modern car drivers know you want to turn and where you are going ( some modern car drivers may wave at you thinking you are waving and them - I am serious, this happens more then you can believe) tell them that the wipers are vacuum and if it is raining and you are accelerating you have to back off for a second to let the wipers use the vacuum and wipe! Show them the tools if you have a set ( yes I have a crank handle for my 1930 Packard and no I hope I never have to use it to start the car!)  Let them know that the heater does perform well ( I have two in my 40 Buick Roadmaster one on the firewall and one under the front seat - with both going, it seems it will melt the plastic steering wheel as it gets so hot.) Spread the word to everyone, and share the enjoyment with your fellow car people as well.

Some of you may be thinking Geez Gosden must have been in this a long time - I joined AACA in 1965 when I was 15. No I am not a GEEZER 🙄 ( those of you that are my "friends" can stop snickering and laughing now)

Walt

[John_Mereness]

I helped with The Hagerty Youth Judging kids this past weekend at Dayton Concours d'Elegance 

Edited September 21, 2019 by John_Mereness (see edit history)

[CarNucopia]

3 hours ago, 60FlatTop said:

Freshly turned 25 and insured wit J C Taylor.

 

31 and with J C Taylor

 

69-ish, J C Taylor in a couple of years.

 

 

What I must know is, how did you get those jeans to last 44 years? 

[JACK M]

2 hours ago, Matt Harwood said:

I had an argument with a guy in my shop just this past week where he said, "I convert all my cars to Pertronix--I don't want that unreliable points stuff in there."

 

Agree this.

Easier to carry a set of points and a condenser in the jockey box than a mail order module.

[1912Staver]

Please don't shoot the messenger, but did any of you see the coverage of yesterday's around the globe teenage environmental protest . That is the exponentially growing attitude of young people toward fossil fuels in general and everything that uses them. Fossil fuel vehicles ; of any age or type , are rapidly becoming identified as an enemy of life on planet earth.

 No longer a fringe view amongst young people, it is becoming their generational mantra. 

 

 The car hobby will be unrecognisably  different than it is today 20 years from now.

 

 

Greg in Canada

[MCHinson]

19 minutes ago, 1912Staver said:

Please don't shoot the messenger, but did any of you see the coverage of yesterday's around the globe teenage environmental protest . That is the exponentially growing attitude of young people toward fossil fuels in general and everything that uses them. Fossil fuel vehicles ; of any age or type , are rapidly becoming identified as an enemy of life on planet earth.

 No longer a fringe view amongst young people, it is becoming their generational mantra. 

 The car hobby will be unrecognisably  different than it is today 20 years from now.

Greg in Canada

 

Yes, there are lots of young people who have been indoctrinated to that view but don't panic. Our local monthly Cars and Coffee still has lots of young gearheads attending every month. That does not attract the attention of the media as much as environmental protests do, but it is still happening.

 

On another note, I just got back from lunch at my local neighborhood diner. A 40 something year old guy who I had never met came out of the diner as I walked to my car. He came over and wanted to talk. He recently moved to the area and owns a Ford Falcoln. He apparently had never heard of AACA before but I think he might be joining us soon.  I gave him a card and invited to our next AACA Chapter meeting and expect to be talking with him some more in the near future. That makes two men in that age range who own newer antique cars that I have spoken to at a restaurant in the last 24 hours (dinner last night and lunch today) about joining AACA simply because I drove a 1937 Buick out to eat. 

[1912Staver]

I am far from panic. I don't intend to change anything about my old car involvement. But I do realise that when it is time to sell ; say 10 - 20 years from now, there is a very good chance that anything that runs on fossil fuels will be essentially valueless. Some of the truly great cars will no doubt be the exception, but nothing that is within my budget. 

The hobby has been a rocky ride for me at the best of times. Ever increasing costs vs ever decreasing disposable income. But it is what I have lived for since I was a boy. I just don't have any illusions about younger generations carrying on as if it is still the later half of the 20 Th. century in the first half of the 21 St. century. 

 

Greg in Canada

 

 

[60FlatTop]

I have known a few guys who came home from WWII and chipped in money with one of two friends to jointly buy an old car. It was a much less litigious society then.

 

As far as those kids go, no world leader or person of influence has stood in front of a group of our youth and said "Between 1940 and 1990 the world leaders detonated 540 megatons of nuclear explosions while testing weapons. Those explosions incinerated uncounted billions of cubic meters of atmosphere with all the ozone included. We made a grave mistake." Nope. If you broke it and can't fix it none will admit to it. Maybe I am the only person to add up all the tests. 540 megstons of nuclear weapons tests and not a whisper Point at a tailpipe, call it evil, and encourage a hobby?

 

Could have all the makings for a mixed message.

 

Once I worked where people learn. A group of towhead freshmen were being handed a sacred compact fluorescent bulb for their desk lamp in one building and in another building live steam was blasting into the sewer at a rate of about 3,000 pounds per hour.

 

The world's problems can be fixed but ignorance stands in the way ask the "green" leadership how many BTU's or KW's they used in their home last month. The odds are you will find ignorance. When the dual axle garbage truck rolls by on pick up day next week ask how many families depend on the manufacture of waste to exist. There is no money or creation of jobs in the fix.. < that's a period.

 

BTW, I sit on old papers because it wastes valuable resources to wash the jeans. They are a little stiff but they last if you don't wash them.

 

 

Edited September 21, 2019 by 60FlatTop (see edit history)

[nick8086]

14 hours ago, greenie said:

Not to start a rant, but the antique car insurance companies don’t allow drivers under the age of 25. My kids loved my cars; and if they could drive them at 16, providing the over 25 insured was in he car, the experience would have been better.

For several years, I had a son who was an officer on a nuclear submarine- when he came home he couldn’t drive my antiques.

Now he’s 27 and likes BMW’s. Go figure.

It is 27 for my antique car insurance...

[Mark Shaw]

At some point we must all realize the definition of "youth in our hobby" means we should be targeting those who are 40 to 60 years old.  Most of those much younger are still raising families & working full time with less disposable income to spend on car hobbies.

[1912Staver]

In my mind the actions of individuals are simply their own choice, regardless of age. The problems for the rest of us start when large groups of young people rightly or wrongly arrive at a general consensus.  That is as I am receiving the message " fossil fuels are a serious danger to life on earth" . The question of this being correct or incorrect is far beyond me, but it seems significant numbers of young people are rapidly making their minds up that fossil fuels are a serious problem. 

 Eventually their demands for action has a good chance of resulting in real action. Especially as we oldsters fade from the population majority  and younger generations replace us as the dominant opinion. 

 The " clean Earth " movement has real potential to effect the old car hobby especially in the near to medium future.

One way or another I see real trouble for us older vehicle hobbyists over the next 10 -20 years.

 

Greg in Canada

Edited September 23, 2019 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[keithb7]

This thread is bringing me down. I’m just really getting ramped up in the vintage car hobby. I’d sure like to know that could get fuel and oil for my old flatheads in the year 2040.  Agree though, it’s not looking good. 

 

On a positive note my 22 year old son who’s a business graduate donned coveralls on Saturday. He offered to help pull apart my spare  ‘49 flathead that’s stuck. I just kept handing him tools and got him to do all the work. I walked him through all the parts. Why they were there. What they did. Their part names etc. 

 

I believe that shop hand tools need to be handled. Used and felt. Students need to develop a feel. What they can and cannot do with each tool. How much force to apply or not. In my opinion my son should never just inherit my tool box.  They gotta learn what’s in there and how to use it long before I’m gone. Last Sat was a great learning session. 

 

I was elated that my son was interested in my old cars.  He’s been very busy with his chosen studies for the past 5 years. I got some awesome one-on-one time with him, doing a hobby I love. Old cars.  He made my day. Several days actually. He plans to come back and do more work with me on this coming Sat. I promised to not touch the old flathead untill he’s back.

 

I’ve got a new skip in my step all week. 

[Joe in Canada]

As for my grand kids 11 & 13 the two of them have no interest in old cars. Until last year it was, would there be enough money to buy a wakeboard boat if we sold the old cars. Between wakeboarding with their new boat that dad bought ( I am off the Hook ) and summer snowboard training. Plus they have winter snowboard training 3 days a week as they have every Friday off school. So how can my old cars compete with this.  The 13 year old doing a back flip on a snowboard this summer.

Edited September 24, 2019 by Joe in Canada (see edit history)

[John_S_in_Penna]

Congratulations to us all!

While this is an important topic, this is the 

1000th thread on "bringing youth into the hobby!"

 

Thread #957 had some good insights too.

Edited September 24, 2019 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[Pfeil]

On 9/21/2019 at 11:04 AM, MCHinson said:

 

Yes, there are lots of young people who have been indoctrinated to that view but don't panic. Our local monthly Cars and Coffee still has lots of young gearheads attending every month. That does not attract the attention of the media as much as environmental protests do, but it is still happening.

 

 

   Problem is the kids are indoctrinated by the media and the schools and are hit every day with it. How do I know? I talk to our grandkids and great grandkids.

   20-30 years from now the only old cars left will be the museum pieces and possibly cars for the very rich if they can find fuel or have not been legislated off the road. Thousands of our cars will have gone to the shredder.

 It's not easy to say this. I have two cars from H/S, one of which I bought new, sill a few years later another car I bought new. I have six in total along with my daily drivers makes eight. Of course I don't want to see it happen but reality is reality. AND it's not just the CARS! 

[1912Staver]

Please don't take this the wrong way. If a 1991 Chrysler appeals to you then cherish it, preserve it  and enjoy using it.  But around here at least there is still a good chance that a decent sized mall or supermarket parking lot will have one that is still in service as a daily driver.

 I know the boundary between collector car and used car is very blurry , but at a larger , car hobby specific show ; rather than an informal " cars and coffee " type event,  it's probably best to error on the side of caution and enter cars that are roundly recognised as collector cars. 

 We have a local , reasonably large yearly " cruze - in ". When I see cars in the general age group as your Chrysler I myself sometimes wonder why they are there. They are probably nicely preserved , low mileage examples. But as a old car guy of little if any interest to me personally. I would never complain to an owner , to enter or not is his or her choice. But I inwardly hope they gravitate to something a bit more " old car " at an old car event.

 

Greg in Canada

[1912Staver]

Understood, but that very fact is part of why I let my AACA membership slide . And continue to maintain my HCCA , and local pre - war group membership.

Where I live the AACA has 0 activity . So the only benefit to membership is the magazine, a relatively expensive magazine at that, I live in Canada so membership is quite a bit more expensive. But over time the magazine content became much more oriented toward newer cars and I could no longer justify the cost.

 I have been in your shoes and it really didn't change a thing with my personal activity. In the mid 1970's I was very attracted to MGA's. They were just used cars. But they were fun and affordable. I still own a couple to this day. 40 + years of owning and enjoying cars I like.

 British car shows at the time were largely T series MG's , Morgan's and perhaps a MGA Twin Cam or XK 120 or two.  I went to the shows and enjoyed them , but my driver MGA was always in the general parking lot. One show I did park with the entered cars but it was at the organisers request, fun but a one off. The show area was in my mind for  exceptional British cars. 

It's all personal choice. If you think your 1991 Chrysler is show worthy then why not. Just don't expect everyone to see it the way you see it. Many AACA members would walk right past a MGA without a moments glance. It does not upset me. MGA's have become blasted expensive over the years as it is, last thing I want is even more people wanting to buy them.

As I said , I would never complain about someone's choice to enter a newish car at a show, it's their choice. I just walk on and spend my time looking at cars I am interested in. Hard to see how that is a problem to anyone.

 

Greg in Canada

Edited September 24, 2019 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[philip roitman]

My Grandson has two sets of Grandparent car guys. His Mom (my daughter) is a car person since she was born, following me to SCCA races all across the Atlantic coast. His father is also a car guy. My grandson David (almost 12) has been going to events since he was born. He made me purchase him a AACA Jr. membership for 2020 and I did that last week. He was in the AACA Kids magazine a few months ago when I sent his picture when asked on this forum for kids into AACA, etc. Last month we were at the Lime Rock Concours "Sunday in the Park" at the Fall Vintage Festival showing my '73 Buick Sun Coupe where he joined some of my friends judging cars to learn and listen, he was made an official Judge by the head Judge Murray Smith. He even judged Lime Rock owner Skip Barber's car. He just joined us last Sunday at the Turtle Invitational Concours in Bedford NY where he once again joined the Judges and became an official Judge by Melanie Pray. (The late collector Malcom Pray's daughter) We even met our illustrious leader Steve Moskowitz's cousin this past Sunday at the event. (he was judging)  We all agree with the premise of starting them young! He is well on his way to a life of playing with classic cars and judging them too. I am lucky to have the opportunity to see him grow up and appreciate/love the hobby as much as I do. 😎

 

Edited September 24, 2019 by philip roitman (see edit history)

[1912Staver]

Looks like you are a true Buick guy . My wife's daily driver in the late 1980's  / early 90's  was a 1969 GS 400 HT. We still have it out in one of my sheds. Possibly a restoration project some day, but with the price of gas locally these days not very high on the priority list. The demise of leaded gas led to it being parked in the first place, then the decades took their toll.

 

Greg in Canada

Edited September 24, 2019 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[Bloo]

im seriously considering not going to hershey this year even being prerigistered because of people like greg

 

Does it really need to be like this? I have no patience with car snobbery, and those guys who insulted your car need to be slapped. I would never do that. Still, I understand quite a bit of what 1912Staver is saying.

 

A little understanding goes a long way. It is about perspective, and age definitely colors that. I am not one of those old guys who think young people don't know anything. They just know different things than I do. Also, I have been blurring the line between antique and daily driver for most of my life.

 

Now I am gonna put my flame suit on and say some things I would never say to someone at a show, and try to stay away from any specific models or years, in the hope of not insulting anyone's favorite car. I bought my first car, 53 Bel-Air, in 1976. I wasn't old enough to drive. 1950s cars were having a renaissance at that time, and people old enough to have bought them new were restoring them. 

 

Why? It was no mystery to me at the time. By 1976 quality of new cars had slipped badly, and due to the low compression and unleaded fuel required for the new emissions rules, were also really slow compared to their predecessors. People HATED them. I shouldn't really paint with quite that broad of a stroke, because they weren't all crap, but a lot of them were. Quite a few of them buzzed at you, jumped into gear with a huge clang, ran away when you took your food off the brake, had steering locks that jammed up and wouldn't let you turn the key, doors sagged, door pulls came loose at one end, and they broke down a lot, wore out and started burning oil quicker than their predecessors. Your heard a lot of "I never should have traded the <<insert your favorite 50s or 60s car here>> on this P.O.S.!", "It's in the shop more than I'm driving it", etc. from owners of new cars. One of the driver's ed cars at school was a midsize thing powered by an inline six. On a trip up a steep hill we know as "Tunnel Hill" around here, it would slow down to 45mph when it crested the top. I have crested that same hill in my babbitt-pounder Chevrolet at 70mph. By the time I was a senior in HS literally NOBODY at school wanted a new car. They all wanted pre-1973 stuff, typically musclecars. I was no exception.

 

My parents, however, were baffled. The 53 was just a modern car to them. Their daily driver at the time was a mid 60s model.

 

My dad was a brass car enthusiast, and the local antique car club here held its first meeting in my living room in 1959. I still have his 1913 Studebaker. That club never had a huge number of brass cars. there were probably 6 at the peak, also some 20s cars, model A's and even a 1930 Rolls Royce (CCCA material?), and a 1933 Franklin. The newer ones were not really considered "antiques", but I don't think anyone looked down on them for that.

 

By the late 70s when I was getting really interested in cars, my dad had completely lost interest. The 13 Studebaker had been sidelined with a relatively small problem and hadn't moved since the mid 60s. I asked him why. He said that taking it to shows was sort of boring, because it was a parade-quality restoration, not really show quality anyway, and you had to sit there all day so that no one would steal the brass, and the tours were so dominated by newer cars that it couldn't keep up. There were no national HCCA (pre-1915) tours anywhere close then.

 

As soon as I had a driver's license, I took the Studebaker on a tour with the local club. At that time, there were a lot of 50s (and other postwar) cars in the club. There were Edsels, Kaisers (even one Darrin!), Frazers, Thunderbirds, Square birds, a 57 ford, a 53 Olds, some Chevys (including mine), and so on. Quite a few of the prewars were still around too, A's, T's, the Franklin, etc.

 

Anyway, back to the tour. My dad was right. It was mostly postwar cars. There were 3 model T's in the group, but by the 70s those had aluminum pistons in them, and even they were faster than the Studebaker. The tour leader held back, and those guys in the T's REALLY held back, but I finally lost the last T at a long winded stoplight and got separated from the group. Yeah, not much fun.

 

Last summer I took a tour with that same club in my 1936 Pontiac. It is fairly slow, but was not the slowest thing in the group. The cars were mostly prewar. This tour went up a very steep long grade, in 106F weather. At one point, on the way home (second time pulling that hill), I got caught behind a couple of particularly slow cars and had to separate myself from the group to get some air through the radiator, because I was afraid it was going to boil. I then went back and got in the group. I remember thinking "This tour is slow enough the 13 Studebaker would have been just fine!".

 

Sometimes it just boils down to either finding an appropriate group for the car, or an appropriate car for the group. I sort of suspect thats all 1912Staver was getting at, thus the HCCA over the AACA. I get it. In the 70s and 80s, in my local club, the Studebaker was just too slow to have any fun. Now it isn't.

 

Out in my side yard is a 1970 model that was my dad's daily driver until 2002. It is 49 years old. I have a 1991 model that was my primary winter car and daily driver when the "projects" weren't running until fairly recently. It is 28 years old. I don't look at either one of them and think "antique", but then that Chevy was only 23 years old when I bought it.

 

You are registered for Hershey? I say go! I wish I could. Ignore the jerks. There are some in every crowd and every age group. But please cut some of us older guys a little slack for not automatically thinking of a 1991 as an antique at first glance, without a moment or two to think about it. We don't mean you any harm, really.

 

Edited September 24, 2019 by Bloo (see edit history)

[Matt Harwood]

3 hours ago, ted sweet said:

im seriously considering not going to hershey this year even being prerigistered because of people like greg

 

Don't let others dictate how you have fun.

[CarNucopia]

5 hours ago, ted sweet said:

i find the aaca  members are not very welcoming of cars in the 25 to 40 year old range. i was asked several times at hershey last year why i was degrading the show with my 91 chrysler

 

4 hours ago, 1912Staver said:

Please don't take this the wrong way. If a 1991 Chrysler appeals to you then cherish it, preserve it  and enjoy using it.  But around here at least there is still a good chance that a decent sized mall or supermarket parking lot will have one that is still in service as a daily driver.

 

If you want to know what attracts young people to car events, it's 80's and 90's cars. There is an event called Radwood that just took place in Detroit which is a great illustration of what is happening at the other end of the age spectrum. The event "is a celebration of '80s and '90s automotive lifestyle" and is very well attended. Sharing a show field at an AACA event with cars from this era is a great way to interact with younger enthusiasts. 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 24, 2019 by Car-Nicopia (see edit history)

[1912Staver]

I have an 1980's { borderline collectible }  car myself. It is AACA eligible but that's not it's native territory. 1983 Royale RP 33. One of those odd little British cars. And only 105 HP, it probably can't get out of its own way.

Still a work in progress after a shunt and a couple decades gathering dust prior to my ownership. I tried to buy it in 1992 but came up short, finally bought it a couple of years ago.

 There is an AACA class for it but that's not where you will find it. 

The white  01 is my car with its original owner when it was only a year or so old. 42 now lives just South in Washington State.

 

Greg

 

Edited September 24, 2019 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[1912Staver]

I was young when I first laid eyes on 01 { 1984 } , it just took a lot longer than I expected to buy it. But patience is at times a virtue. Another 4 or 5 years and it should be back to the condition I first saw it in. Just time and money but my big need is a proper shop. Lots of tools , experience, machine tools etc. But buildings are a lot more expensive than cars. You can only do so much in a Quonset without a concrete floor. And the smallish double garage attached to the house is the machine shop, no room for cars. And not safe for welding . Just try explaining to the wife you burnt the house down.  

 

Greg

 

 

Edited September 24, 2019 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[Mark Shaw]

3 hours ago, Matt Harwood said:

Don't let others dictate how you have fun.

I agree fully! 

This reminds me of another car club that dictates only their version of how to enjoy club events.

[BucketofBolts]

My plan is to entice my two kids (age 8 and 13) to assist dear old Dad with his collection of old cars.  My p[problem is as follows:  "How to entice them away from that damn i-Phone and i-Pad?".  When I was a kid my family had a black Bell Telephone  (circular dial)  in the Kitchen back in the 1970s. We all had zero privacy on our phone calls and for cheap entertainment we had an old black & white TV which was no competition to helping my Dad with his 1933 Buick. Due to my Dad's love of his one 1933 Buick I now own four Buick vehicles, all 1933 models, plus I own some other vehicles from the 1930s and 1940s. Yet, I feel that unless I stuff cash or a new i-phone in the seat of my old cars I doubt my kids would rush to help their old man with maintenance of his old cars. Sometimes I wish technology did not materialize so fast. 

[keithb7]

Kids grow up. Eventually. The hardest part about having kids these days is the first 40 years. We all grew up being rebellious in different times. I seem to recall people were shocked at Elvis' hip twisting on TV. My how we have evolved. Today its iphones and ipads that seem to be ruing our kids. Not dancing. My 2 sons never experienced life before the smart phone. They were working a computer mouse before they could push a pop-corn lawn mower around the living room. Never without internet access or You Tube, or social media. They grew up. They got real jobs. They figured out life was grand when looking up from an iphone screen. Their screen time is diminishing. I can see it.

 

I doubt we'll ever see such a mass interest in cars like we've seen over the past 80 years. North Americans took the car and really made a life around it. Sunday drives. Drive in movies. Drive thru fast food. Long Commutes. Crusing. Racing. Mobile living quarters. An entire culture originated right here, around the automobile. I doubt that will happen again. Can we say that the automobile culture reached its apex? I think so.  Today younger people are into other things. It's just the ending of an era. Times changing.The changing of the guard, sort of.

 

It is unfortunate that dumping cash into a vintage or classic car is generally seen as a poor cash investment today. Was it ever really a good cash investment choice? It was fun. It was personal. It was rewarding. It was good for our souls. Aside from getting all our money back, we sure had a ton of other great things happen in and around our vintage cars. Kids? Every one that I see, as soon as they can walk, enjoy a ride in an old car. I hope someday if I have grandkids I can take 'em for rides in my old cars. Ice creme. Burgers. Whatever. Spoil 'em rotten while I can. Fingers crossed one of them may see my old car in the garage someday and recall all the great memories. Might not be for a long time.....But they grow up. They come around. Just gotta get past the 40 years.

Edited September 25, 2019 by keithb7 (see edit history)

[Restorer32]

19 hours ago, ted sweet said:

i find the aaca  members are not very welcoming of cars in the 25 to 40 year old range. i was asked several times at hershey last year why i was degrading the show with my 91 chrysler

 

Personally I find it a bit hard to believe that "several" persons asked you at Hershey why you were degrading the show with your '91 Chrysler.  I have attended many Awards Ceremonies and have yet to hear any booing when awards are given to cars from the 1990's.

[Pfeil]

11 hours ago, keithb7 said:

Kids grow up. Eventually. The hardest part about having kids these days is the first 40 years. We all grew up being rebellious in different times. I seem to recall people were shocked at Elvis' hip twisting on TV. My how we have evolved. Today its iphones and ipads that seem to be ruing our kids. Not dancing. My 2 sons never experienced life before the smart phone. They were working a computer mouse before they could push a pop-corn lawn mower around the living room. Never without internet access or You Tube, or social media. They grew up. They got real jobs. They figured out life was grand when looking up from an iphone screen. Their screen time is diminishing. I can see it.

 

I doubt we'll ever see such a mass interest in cars like we've seen over the past 80 years. North Americans took the car and really made a life around it. Sunday drives. Drive in movies. Drive thru fast food. Long Commutes. Crusing. Racing. Mobile living quarters. An entire culture originated right here, around the automobile. I doubt that will happen again. Can we say that the automobile culture reached its apex? I think so.  Today younger people are into other things. It's just the ending of an era. Times changing.The changing of the guard, sort of.

 

It is unfortunate that dumping cash into a vintage or classic car is generally seen as a poor cash investment today. Was it ever really a good cash investment choice? It was fun. It was personal. It was rewarding. It was good for our souls. Aside from getting all our money back, we sure had a ton of other great things happen in and around our vintage cars. Kids? Every one that I see, as soon as they can walk, enjoy a ride in an old car. I hope someday if I have grandkids I can take 'em for rides in my old cars. Ice creme. Burgers. Whatever. Spoil 'em rotten while I can. Fingers crossed one of them may see my old car in the garage someday and recall all the great memories. Might not be for a long time.....But they grow up. They come around. Just gotta get past the 40 years.

 

"The hardest part about having kids these days is the first 40 years". 

 

I don't get that at all. By the time they are at least 21 they are adults and on their own if prepared right.

[60FlatTop]

I got interested in the hobby when I was 11 years old, the summer of 1959. Four of us were cousins and took a turn to interest in the older brother's cars. Two of that original group are left. We learned about cars and the hobby on our own and still enjoy it most doing the things we learned on our own. We were friends at equal levels and skills. We evolved together.

 

My experience with the car hobby and many other interests has not fared so well. I find that older men cannot tell the difference between a nurturing mentor-ship and imposing their values on a younger person.It is a level of awareness that takes a little skill to recognize and employ.

 

On Sunday there is a birthday party planned for me. Five of my mechanic, car interest nephews will be there. If they are driving home and think "Gee, Uncle Bernie asks intelligent questions." I will be pretty happy.

I am sure the topics will range from OBD2 scanners to welding.

Edited September 25, 2019 by 60FlatTop (see edit history)