The sad demise of American car culture

[Gus chiggins]

Born in 82 so depending on whos chart you look at I end up as a millennial. Dad was a mechanic and I followed his footsteps.

But as for current car culture it's alive but in different more affordable cars the tuner guys have their thing going like them or not I can still respect it. (There are some really nicely built and fast tuners out there)
For the older cars its the prices and availability that kill a lot of interest. Starting out in this hobby at 17 I found a LOT of old guys who hoarded parts and wouldn't sell anything or wanted top dollar. Once you got a car together and went to car shows it was more of an old boys club and if you didn't have the perfectly restored nice paint etc no one cared or was interested.

Once I got out of the whole car show trap and just enjoyed my car I had a lot more fun with like minded people.

Haha, I'm one of those older guys, yeah i hate car shows. It seems like some are there to critique your car over goofy **** like " oh look, that's the wrong window washer windshield nozzles". Just a big pissing contest sometimes. Prices for classic cars are way up, but that's the nature of the beast when Detroit stopped making those cars. I do like some of the newer stuff, i have a 2011 Dodge Charger RT. I may put a huffer on it. I hear stuff like those cars are "soulless" etc. You can work on those cars granted minus a carb, and distributor. You can make it your own with cam swaps headers, ported heads, throttle bodies etc. The infinite dumb wisdom of Chrysler killing the Challenger, and Charger for a plug in car. Now that is a car nobody will be able to work on ( talk about "soulless") i still have my 67 Belvedere big block, and I will keep my 11 Charger with it's unlocked ecu. Todays kids ( not all ) look at blue collar work that's something beneath them, good luck with that gender studies degree.

 

[66 Cornpicker]

Hey Dick, My fathers name was Richard but everyone called him Dick with great PRIDE ! You are 100% correct as that is the way the socialist school system has been brainwashing them for 40+ years. They have been following the "Saul Elinski" plan of getting everyone in line. By the way I loved your interview with your HEMI car somewhere with your right wing "T" shirt ! Carry on !

 

[DynaBro]

I think about this sort of thing often. The aspect that really spooks me is that as a kid (born in 79) the oldies station on the radio was playing songs that were fresher to that moment than Metallica is to this one. Cars that were already considered classic, like these MOPARS, already seemed to be relics from bygone, better era. Like Best America had already died. But if you take that same timespan and look at cars produced, for example, 15 years ago, they sure aren't classic! Music form 15 years ago isn't going to end up on ANY oldies station. The degree of the shift in style was so much more drastic between the end of the muscle car and the beginning of the compact car. It's like the USA went from sexy colored awesome cars and architecture meant to jazz you up and live your life to this drab taupe everything meant to lull you into fatigue.

It's easy to judge today's youth for their lack of commitment to ANYTHING but they're reacting to a future that nobody wants yet seems to be coming regardless. Hard to blame them.

 

[DynaBro]

I respectfully and wholeheartedly disagree with this article no matter who wrote it. They are going to the wrong car shows. Yes, the Saturday morning downtown car shows are a bunch of old guys but the Saturday night downtown shows are all young. My son belongs to our local young persons' club called The 719 Wicked (based on our area code like the OG 405 was.) I say persons because there are plenty of girl members. They rent out entire parking garages downtown on Saturday nights. Sometimes they move around to different large shopping mall parking lots in the city, wherever the action is. Races are set up for elsewhere. These things are HUGE and the kids are spending every dime they have on their cars. I also see these clubs show up en mass at sanctioned drag race events. They might not be the cars you choose but there are still tons of Mustangs, Camaros, and Mopars. There's a bit of everything. I've even seen some fairly fast Saturn Redlines. If you ever look there are lots of videos of cops busting up huge parking lot meets with some dumbass (just like we were) doing donuts and trying to arrest everyone present. And they still can't stop it! Some of these cats have no problem running from the police. (Just like you did.) Here is 719Wicked's Instagram page. Wicked C.C's (@719wickedcc) Instagram profile • 500 photos and videos

So I say the article is WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!

You're right, but it's very regional. My last house was located a stone's throw away from the most popular drag in MN. It's the longest stretch of HWY between two exits, so easy for them to copwatch. We would hear the revving all night long on weekends. I liked it. It was a lot of Subarus, BMW, rice burners, that sort of thing. And there are also large car events in MPLS that attract younger crowds but it's all rich kids with Lambos etc. that I have no idea how they afford.

Where I grew up in Indiana people would cruise the strip on Fri and Sat evenings as recently as my high school years. Lots of Monte Carlos, ground effects lighting, that whole gangster rap era influence of the 90s. But even that's long gone now. Just tumbleweeds there these days.

 

[SatNightSpecial]

I’ve read through this and agree with some, and disagree with others.
Ultimately, I feel like I AM the reason kids can’t afford to get into old cars. I’m 40, and before I could drive I was reading auto trader and the classifieds to find ANYTHING old and cool that I could afford. I ended up with an S-10, because I had $1500 and needed to get to school and work.

Now; a kid couldn’t dream of buying a rusty, barely running Dart because some old jerk knows that some other old jerk will pay him $15,000 for it. Not to mention gas and insurance. Hell I’m not even that old and on payday in 2000 I could buy a carton of cigarettes and a full tank of gas for $50.

 

[Kern Dog]

I would love to know some local kid that was interested in these classics. I have years of knowledge and parts that I could share.

Time for you to (*shudder*) procreate?

I have tried. Some things just weren't meant to happen.

Maybe try with a female of your own species next time?

This is an excellent point.

Life has a way of throwing things at you that test your patience and resolve.
Yeah...I've been married twice and had trouble conceiving with both. The first wife had trouble with her second husband so there is plenty of blame to go around on this matter.
I do have a nephew though...

This dude turned 13 in July and has showed interest in cars...

We rolled this turd down the hill on Sunday. He ran the vacuum to clean out all the leaves, rat turds and nut shells from the rats. Then he ran the pressure washer on it.

The plan is to have him along side for the build of the car. He already knows how to spin wrenches and take stuff apart, he gets to learn how to clean, weld, fabricate and assemble things next.
This car is a mess though....Two days before Thanksgiving a big branch fell on the front, crushing the hood. It needs everything. I have enough here to get it running and driving but after that, I'll need to do some parts shopping. The alternative may be to let him have this one:

The white one is a '71, the red one is a '72. If he got the red one, he could start with a car that already runs and drives but needs interior and several minor details to finish.
For his sake, the red one would be a LOT easier. I know that for my first car, I needed it to run and drive so I could use it to get to school and work.
Jaxon is luckier than I was though....I didn't have an uncle that knew about cars.

 

[moparwacko]

It is nice to have a rich eccentric Uncle that has no kids. Kudos to you Kern for guiding the future Mopar hobbyist.