We are a dying breed

[David M 7173]

Re: We are a dying breed

My family all like sporty cars. I gave my 15 year old grandson my 1977 280 Z. My son gets my 1971 LTD convertable. My daughter has the 1989 Chev caprice wagon that looks like it was just driven off the show room. I have promised my son-in-law my PCR. All 6 of my grandchildren are boys andI hope I can teach them to respect and love cars.
David

[E'sBird]

Re: We are a dying breed

I just want to see Earl's 1874 Saab.

Dang I did not realize it was that old. I wondered why it had a wood tender behind it. Never could find the gas cap. Ha, typo....1976.

[Allen P]

Re: We are a dying breed

Retro Car Ads

OOh OOh my first one was just like this one !

[lasuvidaboy]

Re: We are a dying breed

Ron, tell your son he has great taste in cars. The '69 Mercury Marauder X-100 is one of my favorite cars of the '60s. One just missed being my first car by a few minutes years ago. They sure were/are big impressive powerful cars.

I also saw one of those often during my grocery bagging days in high school in the late 1970s in Pasadena, CA. It was a dark red and driven by a man with the worst toupee I had ever seen! I saw it again approx. 15-years later and it was still in great shape and driven by the same man-bad hair piece and all! I would'nt doubt that car is in the hands of a collector or even that very same man who looked like he could have been the original owner.

[Rondor]

Re: We are a dying breed

A few got my point a several didn't. I never said that I couldn't communicate and that no yung person likes cars. It is that they are faced with a different environment and a different set of values. Also we were fortunate that even with out much money we could still scrape up a car and work on it to make it what we wanted. I once bought a car at a junk yard for $50.00 and all it took to drive it home was a new battery I disagree abiut the young people at car shows, I see some but few and far between. Mnay of the younger participants just happen to be in the car bussiness I agree that I am doing things now that I couldn't afford 30 or 40 years ago.

[Rondor]

Re: We are a dying breed

Speaking of remembering and working on our cars, how's this? Rod & Custom fit in you back pocket and the customs were usually made from parts from another make car. '51 Ford / 54 pontiac grill, Buick or olds hubcaps were a must have. How many 49 or '50 fords had Buick sine crome and no chrome. Your local junk yard was a gold mine and only western Auto had new stuff and limited. Today with 3 catalogues and unlimited money you can have any type of car you can dream

[jerrym3]

Re: We are a dying breed

I can still remember in 1960, as a 17 year old kid, working in a body shop, going to a junkyard, and hacksawing out the A pillar on a 1956 Ford to replace a pillar that had been crushed in an accident.

I can also remember a Ford dash (non cushioned) that had the teeth imprints from a passenger that had been a victim of a crash. Ugh.

And, two big Detroit cars (Caddy and Packard), same week, that had hit deer and wound up with crushed front ends.

I also remember driving the first USA bound Datsuns (Nissans) from Newark Seaport to Leonia, NJ. We laughed at the cars Japan was sending us.

4 cylinder, 4 speed on the column, styling kind of like a baby buggy.

Boy, were we wrong.

Anybody remember the Datsun Fairlady?

My co-worker bought one.

[Rocket56]

Re: We are a dying breed

Two Saturdays ago there was a Vetrans Day open car show at the local Chevy dealer. A yearly event hosted by the local Corvette Club and all cars are welcome. It is always a nice car show with lots of different cars there. This year I was torn between taking the '03 BondBird or the 1986 Toyota MR-2. the MR-2 won out and I was parked between a '67 Chevelle and an '93 Mustang. Both exceptional cars. Most of the older car show goers (there were varied ages present) walked past the MR-2 without much notice. I understand this, as the majority of the cars were American made. But the ones who did notice the car, and they did know about the car, were the 20-somethings who were not as old as the car. This generation grew up with Toyotas, Hondas and Kias in their driveways. They can relate more to them then cars I grew up with. I think that is understandable. They probably drive the off-shore makes too. I guess what I'm trying to say is it is a matter of ones own perspective. In ten years I'd hate to see a retro bird on the streets with 24" rims under it, but I'd still be gald to see it still on the road.

[Emily_Sedai]

Re: We are a dying breed

I guess my two cents is that if we're dying, it's our own fault. Up until 5 years ago, I never knew anything about a 59 Corvette, 56 T-Bird (*drool*, love my retrobird, but still *drool* over the 56... and sadly, someone down in town drives one around to taunt me *laugh*), or a 32 Deuce Coup. I never knew anything about the hobby... then I met my hubby, who took my hand, and gently pulled me in. Granted, I kinda love him, and was always willing to spend time with him and his hobby (yay for being able to wire up a 35 Ford from front to back, *laugh*)

Anyways, I just feel like the information isn't out there any where... Maybe now and then, you'd see a flyer on a telephone pole stating 'Car Show, Bald Hill, this weekend!,' but that would be about it... Maybe some more self promotion is in order *laugh*

Also, I think the kids today are looking for different things than what the older hobbiests like... oh well, things will work out, have faith :)

Sorry for the rambling post ;)

[Lindy]

Re: We are a dying breed

Agree with the first post to some extent. The automobile is still thE status symbol for the American, however, these days it must be a SUV or pick-me-up. Moreover, the upcoming generation, is more-or-less becoming accustomed to the "through-away" design in technology things. When they are done with it, it goes to the shredder for recycling. Vehicles are not the hand-me-down heirlooms that perhaps they were once peceived to be. Composition includes more and more plastics and probably viewed as with less a sence of permancy than metal objects. Albeit even metal doth rust away. The test of time may prove history otherwise...on the other hand, preservation does take effort, which is half the joy of classic car owners expierence!

[Peterfurlan]

Re: We are a dying breed

Two Saturdays ago there was a Vetrans Day open car show at the local Chevy dealer. A yearly event hosted by the local Corvette Club and all cars are welcome. It is always a nice car show with lots of different cars there. This year I was torn between taking the '03 BondBird or the 1986 Toyota MR-2. the MR-2 won out and I was parked between a '67 Chevelle and an '93 Mustang. Both exceptional cars. Most of the older car show goers (there were varied ages present) walked past the MR-2 without much notice. I understand this, as the majority of the cars were American made. But the ones who did notice the car, and they did know about the car, were the 20-somethings who were not as old as the car. This generation grew up with Toyotas, Hondas and Kias in their driveways. They can relate more to them then cars I grew up with. I think that is understandable. They probably drive the off-shore makes too. I guess what I'm trying to say is it is a matter of ones own perspective. In ten years I'd hate to see a retro bird on the streets with 24" rims under it, but I'd still be gald to see it still on the road.

I might be a little out of line here but you don't take a "Japanese" car to a
veterans day car show at a Chevy dealer.

[JAB02LHS]

Re: We are a dying breed

I might be a little out of line here but you don't take a "JAP" car to a
veterans day car show at a Chevy dealer.

Isn't that what we fight for!
Their right to do that in a FREE COUNTRY?
I'm a Vietnam Veteran that flys an American Flag on my Yamaha Venture, I fought for that right and have had several red light arguements about it!

[sfbaypaladin]

Re: We are a dying breed

"JAP"? Really?. You used "JAP" and wondered if you were out of line?

That said, it does seem a little odd to display one's non-U.S. make car at a Veteran's Day show.

Also, what is "U.S.-made" anymore? Regardless of badge, most cars sold in the U.S. have been amalgams of U.S. and non-U.S. parts, design, and labor for the last two or three decades at least, haven't they?

[jerrym3]

Re: We are a dying breed

While working in a Ford Parts depot in the early 60's, you'd be surprised how many parts were stamped "made in Canada" even back then.

Curious, does today's youth (those too young to hit the bars) cruise at all anymore?

Cruising was a big factor in our love of cars. But, I don't remember any old car shows back then.

Guess our dads weren't really into cars as we were, and, at least in North Jersey, we weren't really attached to cars of the 30's/40's/early 50's.

Maybe it was different on the west coast.

[2LOW03BIRDS]

Re: We are a dying breed

May not know much about cars, but I am my 5 year old granddaughter's favorite Grandma because she loves "Grams pretty blue car". (03 desert sky blue tbird) Works for me!