Stovebolt.com Forums The Back Office The Greasy Spoon End of our era? Car shows and a way of life.

Charlie, I agree! The historic vehicles will be latter model years in the future.
It's called the aging process and it's part of life.
And there will be a day when 90's cars and trucks will also be garage finds.

I guess I have a few barn finds in my barn/shop right now.
But I put them there 20++ years ago.
Newest year is 1976.
Oldest is 1946.

I really think the hobby is not dying, just changing!
Don

It's only natural that each generation is interested in the vehicles that they grew up with and can relate to. The Model T and Model A generation is about gone. Our generation is the '50's and '60's group, etc.
You see the same thing in tractor circles. Not too many of the steam engine crowd left. Our generation grew up with John Deere A's and Farmall M's. The next generation is into 4020's and 806's. And so it goes. That's how the world works.

Rich, I agree. I was going to post the same response. It is the same with everything. Music, cars, toys. There are some exceptions but the largest majority gravitate to what they grew up with. I am 61 and have always loved the thought of a classic vehicle but did not make the decision until I was 58 that I need to set my priorities and do it now or it would be too late. So, I also agree with the time and money explanation.

I agree with what everyone above are saying. My situation is a little different in that my vehicles were father-son projects! My 35 year old son will get all three of our restored vehicles! But as was stated many of our car cruise friends are selling vehicles or no longer drive them very much! At times it seems like 10 to 15 percent of the vehicles at the cruises have for sale signs on them! My next door neighbor let two 62's chevies literally fall apart after his health problems kept him from driving them anymore! He was holding on to them and wouldn't sell to anyone! Last week a flatbed showed up to haul them away, wife won out and said they had to go! Charlie, my neighbor is still heartbroken and can barely speak about losing his vehicles! But he is no longer capable of driving any vehicle!! It's a sad thing to watch happen, but I suspect we will all need to face the facts of growing old,but I will keep enjoying the hobby as long as possible! Just my 2 cents!! Coach Frank

You know guys at 69 I am watching this all happen. Dad all ways talked about walking behind plowing horses and thru the old farm tractors until he finally got to drive the big 4 wheel drive tractors. He loved the old stuff but he liked to work on that stuff also as I do. My son has taken over some of our habits but my grandson nope! It's either plug and play or computer! You can not force them! We never heard of a throw away society! Today it's junk get rid of it!

Rich's Toys around here besides old vehicles it's old tractor's the older generation loves to restore them and tractor pull them. A fun Sat. afternoon for me to watch and tell the stories of "back in the day"!

Pops

When I lived in Lincolnville, 57-60 PopcornBen, I would go to Lagro for horse pulls and mule pulls.

It's Good to hear the car/truck culture is doing reasonably well in many locations. As mentioned, my circle of first hand observations is pretty small. Rural small town America. In these parts those of us who grew up on the farm or in the rural working community's are disappearing and today's kids are much more inclined to tinker with a computer or software and Virtual Reality, VR games than swap engines and get an old clunker going.

It was mentioned above and I agree it's a sad day when one's no longer able to enjoy those mechanical things from our past and sometimes have to see them go. Either due to falling into disrepair or due to a sale and seeing someone else drive em off. With that reality knocking on my door, I recently let 45 years worth of LA engines (small block Mopar stuff for the Chevy crowd), carbs, intakes, transmissions, shifters, 340 X heads, blocks and a couple of complete steel crank 10.5 engines go for a song to a friend. About that same time I sold a 90k mile original 68 Barracuda Convertible along with 4 early 70's Dusters. Even though the Dusters were all 6 cylinder cars I was truly amazed at the interest they generated. Two went out of State and the buyers were glad to get em. And now that I think about it all the buyers excepting one were sub 50 years old.

As BobD said, "the times they are a changin" and that's as it should be.

RonR

I just hope I don't manage to stick around long enough to see a Prius or some other hybrid become a restorable "classic"!
LOL!
Jerry

I've often wondered how one WOULD restore a modern vehicle 50 years from now. With all the electronics in them which goes obsolete in 3 years I would imagine that finding that stuff in the future would be next to impossible.

If we did not live in a provincial world the shows now feature rat rides and drift cars and wrapped Prius.