Thats disturbing My concern is whats happening to parts availability for motor vehicles regardless of year. I always heart "Supply chain issues" What is causing the "Supply chain issues"? Labor?............ The lack of?
The majority of kids I meet at my three daughter's schools seem pretty motivated and well adjusted. If they don't like to be bullies and tie other kids up or be disruptive miscreants throwing things in class, well, I don't hold that against them. My memories of school feature kids who seem pretty.much the same as today's crop, just with different interests. I know it sucks that many of today's kids are more considerate and taught to actually try to undestand and be tolerant of each other, but what can you do Back to the real topic: Our great grandparents and grandparents had horses as kids and rode horses. So they had a connection to horses and horse racing. That connection has gone, and horse racing isnt that popular now. Our grandparents and parents had cars from the 50s and before. Auto racing started to grow. The connection to 50's and earlier cars is gone, and those cars arent that popular now. Our parents and our generation had muscle cars. Our generations were the first where we may never have ridden a horse as transportation. Car racing almost completely supplanted horse racing. The muscle car connection is still there but wll continue to fade. Our kids and grandkids drive ricers and newer muscle cars and couldn't give a hoot about horse racing. They are interested in newer old cars to which they have a connection. Just watch the auctions. The one thing different about 60's cars is that you can still drive them in comfort and relative safety. A/C, power this and that, etc. Early cars -- no dice -- who wants a car you cannot even use? Daily driver rustang -- sure. Daily driver model T? not so much. Personally, I think the car hobby will continue just fine. But it it will evolve, as it always has. Circle of life.
I have a lot of friends that like the muscle cars and the new ones but can't and won't wrench on their cars they just don't know how or don't want to. So it really is no different in that respect, my dad worked on cars and that is how I learned and became interested in doing so. I have two friends that are brothers one likes the cars but will not work on them and the other one does work on his car and has an older Camaro that he has built up. Different strokes for different folks. Cost is slowing everyone down, have you all taken a look at the Summit Racing catalog lately? Some prices are up a lot and some of the older cars the parts are cheaper but have gone up a lot. The newer car parts prices are thru the roof, headers on some of these cars can be a grand or more, some of the parts are up there where our Buick parts are now/or were. our generation is the last for the muscle cars might as well drive em and enjoy them before we can't
^^^^ steve sorry to hear you have never gotten to use a horse as a form of transportation... Riding horses whether English, western or bare back is great. Enjoyed it for many years. I've also restored many horse carriages, wagons, sleighs, and coaches. It is awsome. The modern ones don't even use much electricity. Its about always learning I even got to restore the Queens Canadian Bayfield Coach
As far as kids or adults not wanting to wrench on today's cars: It's the electronics. Far different than the days of: -- a carb and a dstributor cap -- a pump and a radiator and some hoses -- opening the hood and seeing some space and things that you can identify. I wouldn't mess with a new car either.
I really like the quote Jim Weise has at the bottom of his post, you know, the quote from Abraham Lincoln, "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." Abraham Lincoln 16th president of US (1809 - 1865) I think some of you guys just decide you want to be unhappy Every Spring and Summer here on Long Island, the Muscle car hobby is alive and well, and my favorite Cruise Night at Bellmore train station is "Off the Hook", so much so, that if you don't get there by 5:30-6:00, you may not get in. I see everything there, Old cars, and new stuff, foreign and Domestic. The Sunday morning cars and coffee out at the Oak Beach Inn parking lot would require me getting up at 4:30 in the AM to even have a shot at getting a spot. Are we still having supply chain issues? You bet we are. Do things remain the same forever? No they do not, they change always. My Dad shook his head when I started growing a mustache, and my hair over my ears. He muttered, "younger generation, the world is going to Hell in a hand basket " The more things change, the more they remain the same in some respects.
As to your comment about your father - My Dad sat me down and looked me in the eye and said: "Rock and Roll music and Elvis Presley will be the ruin of America."
As for the lack of parts on the shelves due to the Covid. It wasn’t just manufacturing that caused the diminished part supply. When I went to pick my motor up my machinists close friend that owns a local speed shop said his sales shot up once the shutdown happened. People home with lots of free time and projects waiting to start or finish.
I have 3 sons and all are fortunately good with their hands and also have an addiction to fast vehicles of both the 2 and 4 wheel variety. I knew just by their friends growing up that there was only a handful like them. A few of their friends would bring their cars to them to do simple maintenance. At least I think it is. Lol
Actually, there seems to be no reliable evidence that Lincoln actually said that, other than people in the early 20th century saying he said that and attribution snowballing from there.
I’m the eternal optimist, or try to be. If something goes wrong, I figure “How can this be fixed” But I’m hearing more and more, this is closing, parts aren’t available, this place is in trouble. It’s tough to keep a good thought. Things change and evolve, I’m down to one Buick now, I’m fine with that, it’s actually like a monkey off my back. I still have my GS, won’t sell that one, and I don’t care if “nobody” is into the early A bodies anymore, it gives me something to play with I just feel that us car people are being watched or looked down on for being “Gross polluters” so to speak, and there’s people trying to shut us down.
There are a lot of factors as to why it appears that our hobby is dying; - a lot of "old" or traditional hobbies are. And surprisingly, it's for all the same reasons. The biggest reason is because our generation never made it interactive and never took a step towards allowing younger people to get into it. We are so wrapped up in building some form of perfection, either stock or personalized, and then bubble wrapping it to keep inquiring fingers off of it. We are obsessed with value; - and telling the kids to keep their damn fingers off of it. We were stuck turning garages into "man-caves", - because the wife or family was a PIA and we needed an escape. Sitting at car shows for hours is a severe drag, - for anyone, especially family members who might actually have something better to do, - and then being forced to listen to the egoists regale us about how great their cars are and how crappy yours is because you forgot to replace a pimpled up piece of pot metal before daring to bring it to the show. For family to sit there having to "support" the Old Man while he is either ridiculed, makes an ass out of himself or is deemed one by others, isn't exactly a good team building exercise. The demise of the old car hobby is our own doing; - because we're not sharing and didn't want to. Now we're dying off, and our cars are going with us. Tonight I'm helping a 23 year old kid tune up a POS 65 Catalina; - and this kid knows nothing about old American cars or auto mechanics. He doesn't know which end of a screwdriver is the business end. He did always want an old American car. He bought it on a budget, I helped him buy it, I checked it over for him and showed him what to look for; it checked out Ok then, but I think he's since driven the motor out of it. He's willing to learn but has no one to teach him. So tonight we're going to look at it and I'm going to teach him about tuning and keeping a half-bagged out motor alive. At some point I'll probably help him rebuild it. Then, in the next few weeks, I'm going to start welding up my Wildcat, - learning in the process, and teaching my kid what I'm learning because he's going to go through it with me. I'm going to try to make it fun; - and yeah, we'll probably knock it apart a few times and do it over again. Even if it comes out as chickens--t welding, we'll do it, and he'll prove to me he can learn and I'll prove to him I can teach. (as well as learn) That's how you keep the hobby alive, you don't do it by fondling your cars alone in a garage and telling everyone how valuable they are, you get them involved.
I see how you see this, but it's really how you view it. If you pay attention to the ones the don't like our hobbies that is a recipe to harm what many of up love to do. Life is to short to pay attention to the toxic ones out trying to be destructive! I drive my GS 455 and my 68 Corvette and get great enjoyment and ignore the ones that are destructive to our Hobby and embrace the fellowship with the ones that do.
Every automotive event I’ve attended this year had near record attendance and participation. The hobby is alive and well. Parts availability is still hit or miss depending on the product. I also see plenty of younger folks (male and female) getting into the hobby but they are usually following in the footsteps of their family members or friends. So take your kids, grandkids, friends, etc, with you to shows, races, cruise-ins or invite them into your garage to engage them or introduce them into the hobby. I take my two young sons to every event I attend. The only downside is that the 13-year-old now wants a modified ‘69 Camaro and the 10-year-old wants a ‘71 Duster, a ‘70 AMX and my 4-door ‘72 Skylark.
Generally speaking, if money can be made providing a part or service, someone will provide it. When a profit can no longer be generated, the part or service will no longer be provided. Right now, Ford Model T head gaskets are hard to come by. Supposedly, the die that stamped them wore out, and as of now, there isn't enough demand to make a new die. NOS and even really good used head gaskets are currently in demand. I'm sure that once that there are enough solid orders, a new die will be made, or another company will make them.
There also manufacturing processes these days that would have been unthinkable just a few decades ago. You can now 3D print intricate turn signal switches that in the old days would have required a huge monetary investment to make. I had some disk brake calipers laser cut for my '66 Toronado for peanuts. Some doors close, others open...
Like mentioned horses went out of style for transportation and agriculture 80 - 90 years ago but you can still find fuel and shoes for them, just not as convenient now. The old Ford head gaskets can be made with a steel rule die that cuts them from the gasket material sheet. Only takes a few days to make the die. The gaskets can also be made in a CNC turret punch press that takes a couple of hours to make a machine program. Sounds like a good business start for someone. Horses are still rode and raced, it will be the same for our hobby and sailboats and muzzle loaders and boxing and tax evasion etc.
