Youth and Membership!!

[ted sweet]

I live in Albany NY area, closet region is 45 minutes away and only has 40-50 active members, i maybe the youngest at 42.

[Guest Moepar]

I live a between an hour & hour & a half drive to some of our meetings. Fortunately they alternate locations so some are a little closer for us. I was the youngest at 42 until recently (now one member at under 25) & we have about 50-60 active members. Some don't live here year round, but are active while in the area. Just gotta keep it fun, & more stay active in it.

[Guest Silverghost]

Sadly I find that very few people younger than me(50y/o) are really interested in our older cars in the Philadelphia area!!! Most car shows do not have very many older cars that attend!!!

A friend of mine and his Dad had 14 pre 1930 cars that they had restored over the years... His dad had a stroke and the cars had to be sold...Sadly there were few takers!!! Several nice older restored cars were sold for little money to "Hotrodders" who just pulled them apart + dropped small block chevys into them... This almost made me cry!!! The best car was a 1926 Lincoln town car that was hotrodded!!!

The big car auctions have very few older cars for sale..."No real market for them!!!"

I don't know what the answer is...

I wish we all could get younger folks interested in these fine old cars!!!

I really think we need more Old Car Only shows !!! No musclecars-no hotrods!!!

There are many great old cars sitting un-used by their older owners...They have lost interest in them...Their children don't seem to care at all about the car!!!

Another friend bought a Model A for his 16 y/o son...The boy stated...I would rather have a Dodge Charger!!!! The car was put on Ebay...No takers!!! Very very sad indeed!!!

[Guest Moepar]

I agree it is sad not to get many younger people into the hobby. I don't beleive that restricting the age limit further on 'old cars' for shows is the way to go. A lot of the prewar cars (age I assume you mean when you refer to Old Car shows with no muscle cars) is that when a lot of younger people go out to actually BUY an older car, they can't afford a prewar car. Most I've seen out there that I like I CAN'T afford either! If we limit it to prewar cars only that would leave me out, as well as close to half the people in our club. Thats going the wrong way. I know the youngsters can't afford muscle cars either, but they can afford the odd '60's & '70's 4 doors, big cars & other 'non-muscle' (therefore 'non-desirable') or as I've heard other aaca members call them "used" cars. Heck, that's ALL that I <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">CAN AFFORD!</span></span> Let the rodders have their own shows, lord knows there's enough rodders clubs & shows to satisfy them, but don't restrict even more people (young & old) out by elimenation of even more vehicles.

[Guest Silverghost]

I must admit that you are right about keeping younger people out !!!

Here is a short story for you about the first time I took a car to an AACA show !

I bought a 1952 MG TD in 1972 after leaving High school. It needed a total restoration,Mechanical,chassis,wiring,body,paint,interior,top,--the works. I was in college at the time and I did not have much money...But I worked on it every chance I had. I did EVERYTHING myself...Mechanical,body+paint,interior,the works. I Could not afford chrome plating!!! In 1977 it was finished (sans plating).I was ready for my first show...I was so proud!!!

The AACA New Hope PA. Show was that summer.I was not an AACA member but I took my car to the show anyway!!! I just wanted to be a part of the show!!! When I arrived at the entrance tent I stopped to pay my entrance fee and sign up. An old cranky guy looked at me and my car and said that I could not show it there!!! "It was foreign,Not old enough,I was not a CLUB member nor an AACA member,and the restoration is amateur and not up to our standards!!!" I was CRUSHED!!! Another Older

Man pulled him aside and after five min. or so it was decided to let mew in...BUT...My car could not be judged!!! I drove my car onto the show field...but I was not at all happy!!! In fact I was insulted !!!

My second attempt was an AACA car show in Ocean City N.J. Another Old Grump at the Entrance tent did not want to let me in to this show . "it's foreign,+++NOT AN ANTIQUE!!!" Since the town sponsored the show I was permitted to attend...BUT...would not be allowed to have my car judged!!!" I enjoyed the show anyway + joined in the boardwalk parade with the other cars... A 1955 T-bird won the "Sports car ' division where my car was shown along with several Corvettes.. The T-bird did not have outside door handles(not back from platers yet!!!) nor did it have inside door pannels or rugs!!! He won none the less!!!

When the local newspaper came out later in the week My car + two other older cars was pictured on the front page!!!

I really got a kick out of this after not being permitted to have my car judged!!!

I never forgot this + never took this car to another AACA show again!!!

Later that summer I had a chance meeting with BILL Miller (Of Carlisle Show Fame) in Ocean City NJ. He was driving his Black 1959 Corvette ! I stopped him to talk about his car as I had just bought a 1960 vette!!! He tod me that he and his brother Chip were starting an all corvette show!!! When asked why he was doing this he responded...Because the AACA club guys won't let us show our vettes at their shows!!! SO...We are going to start our OWN show!!! The rest is History!!!

Today the Carlisle events are some of the largest-well attended events in the country!!!

Sadly now I am seeing the musclecars dominating the AACA shows in my area...and the Hotrodders are fast breathing down the AACA's neck. Several Hotrods attnded a large Antique car show in my area this summer. Very few old Antique +Classics attend these events anymore!!! Pebble Beach now has a Hotrod division!!! (Bruce Meyer's idea!!!).

I really like the old old cars...The TRUE Antiques...Brass cars, Horseless Carriages, and the Great Classics!!! You just don't see these cars at many shows anymore!!! What happened to all the older cars??? I have several ideas about this...Here they are!!!

The guys who own them are getting up in age!!!

Many can't drive them anymore...

They have lost many of their old car friends..

They feel out of place among the newer musclecars+++Hotrods+++younger people!!!

They feel left out!!! Like I once did !!!

As any collector knows you buy an old car to try to recapture your youth...

The car you always wanted...but could not afford as a youth in High School...

The car your Dad once had...

Or the "Rich Kid" down the block...

Or your grandfather...

Now that you have the money...Why not finally get that "Dream Car!!!"

Few of todays younger generation always dreamed of a brass Model "T" or Model "A"...

The older men are selling their old cars now...not buying as a rule!!!

Time marches on I guess...

Now don't get me wrong...I like musclecars and some Hotrods...(as long as they don't ruin a restored Antique doing it!!!)

But I really LOVE the OLDIES!!!

I feel the Hotrodders + Muscle car guys are taking over all the old shows +auctions!!!

Just look at the Barrett-Jackson Auction!!!

The great Classics once brought top $$$

NOT today!!! There are few true Classics+Antiques there anymore!!!

I would just like to see more of the cars that I and my 87y/o Dad like...The Oldies!!!

This is why I woud like to see more AACA shows...with OLDER CARS!!!

Let the 60s-70s-80s cars attend...

NOT the Hotrods!!! They will soon take over...It just in the sheer numbers!!!

They are now in the majoriety!!!

Let them have their own Hotrod shows...!!!

We need more AACA "Antique,Brass,Classic",events for US!!

[R W Burgess]

Brad, I really appreciate your response and views about our hobby. I was really sorry to hear about your "abuse" at the AACA show registration tent you attended. Unfortunately, there are many car show "workers" that have a bad attitude and should never be handling public relations at registration tents. This is something any AACA Region should be well aware of. Our Region just had our annual show last month, and the chief judge didn't like a Chevelle that was entered because it had the battery in the trunk, and so many other modified "options". Someone else in charge told him to let his car be judged and anyone else in that wants to be in our show. The car owners just have to realize they are judged per the rules of the class they are entered into. We already had a modified class, but he didn't like the compertition in that class as his car wasn't anything special.

One other thing about the Pebble Beach "Hot Rod" class. These cars were in fact historical hot rods, not put together last year just for the show. They all had a background of history with them. The AACA thought about having a class like this (class 37, at the time)a few years ago, but very little support could be mustered up. It wasn't the right time, I guess.

Perserving history in very important, in my mind, whether it's old car, homes, or typewriters. So, I'm proud to see you agree with me on some of those issues. Keep looking for the right AACA region, and you'll find the old car friends you are looking for.

Wayne Burgess

[Guest Moepar]

Hey Brad-

I hate to hear you had some experience with the same crumudgeon crowd that I have. One fella judging our car complained about our chrome bumpers & grill on our '61 Newport & told us just how 'cheap' it would be to get them rechomed. I invited him to buy the car & do it himself if it were so cheap (I still have the car). I had priced it, & the cost is more than I bought the car for with the upholstrey already done & an older paint job on it & in good running order. The next time I put it on a show field in Charlotte in it's class, I was asked why we put that piece of c#*p on the field, taking up space that someone going for a first junior could have had. Not a problem-we haven't entered that car in ANY competetive class since, & now that we have DPC, that's the ONLY class we put it in. Mind you, this car does usually take third place at other smaller open shows, so its not THAT bad. It doesn't matter to me that we win something, just being there supporting the club, having a presentable, running car & fellowship with other like-minded folks is good enough.

Point being: Don't discourage people from entering. Even if the car is not perfect, that's what DPC is for. And for the folks who have rods - there are other clubs for that, and far fewer clubs for the non-modified vehcile. If we don't <span style="font-weight: bold">encourage</span> folks, young & old, to keep their vehicle original & bring it out (even if it isn't an award winning car), and NOT complain that it isn't good enough, then we only encourage them to either take the easy way out & modify it or scrap it.

If you'd like to see a few more shows with just prewar era stuff, make the suggestion to the folks in Hershey. Who knows - maybe they'll come up with something.

[ted sweet]

i think this all ties in to lact of public awareness of the AACA, the announcers at Barett Jackson dont even know that the AACA is.

[Guest ZondaC12]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i think this all ties in to lact of public awareness of the AACA, the announcers at Barett Jackson dont even know that the AACA is. </div></div>

HAHA American Automobile Club of America or whatever it was.

seriously though thats SAD, and unacceptable.