Where is the new blood?

[Gozer442]

Yesterday, I participated in my first cruise night in almost 10 years! I saw some great cars, met some nice people and walked away with a $25 gift card and a free auto appraisal! There was about 40-50 pristine cars and trucks. I had a great time!

The one thing I was disappointed about was the lack of the younger generation involved. Everyone participating and helping out last night was 65+ in age! What's going on? There was a complete lack of the (cough) younger (cough) generation...30s and 40 year olds! Back in the day, that's all my buddies and I did... eat/sleep/breathe cruise nights, car shows, and the occasional evening drag race in the country. What's happened? I saw only 2 families with kids walk by...the rest were seniors! Maybe this is just where I now live...about 1.5 hours away from a major city. I hope that's not the case! A majority of these people working the cruise night won't be around in 15 years. That will hit the hobby hard when there isn't new blood to pick up the slack.

What are you experiencing in your part of the world?

 

[Qdub24]

Most of the older crowd isn't too fond of the modifications a lot of the younger generation makes.

 

[lilbowtie]

Kinda the way it is - you can put some of the blame on the older people for not accepting the younger crowd with their ideas and cars wanting to keep it the way it was.

 

[ssn696]

Remember - when these cars were new, we were 17-20. Also depends upon the venue.

 

[85442/86buick]

I agree with both lilbowtie & Qdub , I have been to more cruise nights this season than in years, at least 4 different areas of Toronto . The common thread to all of them is music from the 50's and 60's. Now I love all music BUT none of what is play again and again is NOT in my personal collection...............but as you point out the people running these shows grew up on this stuff.
The tuner scene is alive and doing well in Toronto , Montreal and I am sure in other parts of North America . But the North American muscle crowd has a hard time accepting that a modern 4 cylinder or 6 can put more horsepower to the pavement than say a 427 from 1968.

the tuner crowd has their own shows and check one out , they put as much time , money and skill into their cars as we do . and they play music they grew up on.

my 2 cents

Dave

 

[Bonnewagon]

It's not just cars. No one wants to get their hands dirty anymore. I do run across some younger folk fixing up cars now and then, but that's rare. The majority of people have their noses glued to their phones and don't even know what motor is under the hood. In a way, I can understand. I grew up with fire breathing muscle cars everywhere. Me and my friends would hang around and watch the older guys build and swap motors, overhaul transmissions, all kinds of stuff. We couldn't wait to do that too but we were poor. Only old people could afford a new car anyway. So we borrowed tools and scrounged parts. Now imagine what it's like to grow up surrounded by POS Hondas, Hyundais, and Kias. Not much inspiration there. The car manufacturers and advertisers have done a great job brainwashing people that they need a shiny new car every few years and that they should be embarrassed to be seen in something old. Cheap leasing makes that easy- and no sense of loyalty at all. I see kids in the local Community College driving high end luxury cars and they just stand there yelling on the phone when it won't start. Ironically it's still poor people that are willing to get under the hood and do things. I'm glad I grew up in a time when it was taken for granted that if something broke- you fixed it.

 

[olds307 and 403]

For car shows, especially classic cars, that aren't daily driver's, tough for people with families to sink $10,000 and up on a car. I figure by the time my 70 is a nice driver, it will be 10 grand easy. There are plenty of younger guys at our track, driving everything from AMC Ramblers to fast 4 cylinder cars. You are an Olds V8 guy, with the newer LS powerplants cheap to swap, some loyal Olds guys, have gone to the dark side as well. There may be Oldsmobile's owned by young guys, almost none will be Olds powered. I would rather own something brand new if it isn't Olds powered.

 

[jeremyandthemonte]

I am 18 Been building things from go karts to dirt bikes to cars. The two cars pictured are the only two I have ever got finished mind you the cutlass is still in paint. I find that a lot of young people are not into cars bikes ect just due to they cost a lot of money and a part time job can't really pay for parts insurance gas ect. Lucky for me i started working when I was younger and had a savings to do what I wanted.

 

[axisg]

like others have said, its the car club that sets up the shows. "birds of a feather" comes to mind when joining a car club. Technically everyone can join but would I take my gbody to a car club that primarily has owners with lowriders ? I see the "fast and furious", jeep, bikes, pre and post war crowd all holding their own events at different places and times. Might be a coffee shop with 6 tuner cars on Friday night at Tims or the Toronto Mustang Club with hundreds of cars doing a 5 hour cruise on a sunday morning. Some are just better organized than others. And some .ttract the youth whereas others dont

In Toronto there is a show on the Queensway Sat nights. Up until a few years ago everything pre-70 was on the premium paved side of the lot and everything post 70 was moved to the side lot. No lowriders, few bikes, no jeeps. Nowadays the lot has been paved and much smaller area to park for show and shine. I notice now there is more of a mix but all the pre 70's guys are running the show. They also take up the first 3 rows for their car club. They guys in their exotics, hydros, and post 70's take up a mix of the rest of the lot. Its the same tired 50's soundtrack playing every week. Not that I mind but I am sure others do.

I find the younger generation that are my kids age ( 15-21 ) are interested. Just not interested in the same kind of car that I am. My kids have brought their friends to some of the shows and they cant figure out the whats and whys of the whole thing. Sure they love to go for a ride, get some ice cream and put down some 11's but they have no idea what is going on when I open the hood or stop to chat with an owner for 20 mins. My son ( 15 ) has told me for years he wants the monte but would likely need help changing anything but the oil. By the time I was 15 we were swinging motors and dismantling scrap cars to build our own heaps.

 

[Gozer442]

I can agree with all of you. The "culture" of the individual cruise/car shows vary from style to style...and everyone, from all generations, need to be more accepting and tolerant of an individual's tastes and passions. What I've also noticed is that many classic car shows are shooting themselves in the foot by only accepting cars in the show up to 1979... and just because "that's the way they've always have done it." If they want the numbers for both cars and spectators, change the rules of the show, play music that appeals to a broader demographic, and encourage the passion that person has for their ride! You may not like that 1 foot high spoiler, or the Hemi in the Mustang, or the 26" rims on the Grand National, or the bone stock Chevette... but you can certainly appreciate the mountain of passion and pride the owner has for their car! Respect your fellow car nut!