Thoughts on this Hobby

[ford38v8]

Originally Posted by slowforty

On doing things at 77.
I use Clint Eastwoods method at 95.
You just have to force yourself and
Dont Let the OLD MAN IN!

At my age, if an officer of the law required me to walk a straight line, I'd be behind bars before any "forceful thinking" method could take effect.

[Newc]

I toured a multi-generational Ford parts house [business] this month. It would take 10 young guys a month just to move it. No takers so far, probably at least a million dollar project. Future ?? Everyone wants to retire. Newc

[s.e.charles]

good thread. sometimes we choose, sometimes we're chosen.

one common denominator: everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.

Oh Yeah!!!

can i get an Amen?

[slowforty]

Yeah, But some denominations think that they are the only ones up there

[34fordy]

Originally Posted by slowforty

Yeah, up there

What is up? What is down? Is it only "out" in an infinite universe? Is there a center? If you believe you know the answers you are confusing belief with facts to fit your "religion."

[ford38v8]

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I long for the good old days when I'd watch for the new editions of Motor Trend and Road & Track to see the spy pictures of new cars. Always had opinions about the extra chrome strip or the rake of a windshield. Those Dagmars are too small, or the tail lights are snazzy. Today, as comparison, wow, that color really pops, where's the door handles? Is that a Ford or a Honda?
We used to laugh at the VW Bug, but now all cars are stamped out with cookie cutters and look like scarab beetles with clear coats. ...Well, all except that dumb pickup that looks like a stealth bomber.
Ignition keys used to unlock the doors, now you get neither. Smile for the camera, or wave your key fob at it. It used to be fun to drive with two fingers holding the suicide knob, now you play games on your phone and let your self driving car decide where to take you.
When evaluating the worth of a used car, I'd always check the spare tire. Now it's "Where's the donut?" I remember gas stations with display racks of windshield wipers. Now the Parts Stores check your credit rating to buy one wiper that might last through one season.
The American Dream used to be your Father's Oldsmobile and a prefab house. Now it's take a Uber and don't park that motor home on the street overnight.
Virtually everyone used to participate in the car hobby, now it's just those old dudes that buy those clunkers instead of Bitcoin.

[slowforty]

ford38v8
I am from the same era as you.
More time passed than ahead.
On buying used cars an older (Is there such a person anymore)
would check the pre set buttons on the radio.
If it had easy listening or talk shows ,she would buy the car. No Rock and Roll for her.

[ford38v8]

When we were kids, we could easily gauge whether the neighbors liked kids or not by the cars they parked at the curb. An unfriendly neighbor traded in his good old car with running boards for a car without running boards to confound the kids playing kick the can after dark.

[34fordy]

I remember the excitement in the 1950's every September when the new cars for the next year arrived. Each dealer in town had a special day advertised to come and see the new models. No one knew what the new model would look like unless you could sneak in the back door of the dealership where they were hidden and commonly covered. There were always noticeable changes even for example the 55 to 56 Fords. Born in 1945 I was already addicted and what excitement it was. Living in a town of 25,000 people, I was lucky to live within 6 city blocks of every new car dealership. I collected all the sales pamphlets from each dealer to take home and study. Although the Olds 303 had been around a few years 1955 seemed to be the "big bang" year for overhead V8's. What a wonderful time for a kid to fall in love with this HOBBY!
And now being 80 I have "advanced" to the wonderful Ford Flathead V8. LOL

[BlueSunoco]

Originally Posted by 19Fordy

............
As has been mentioned in other comments in other threads about the future of our hobby, auctions show the price of early Fords is dropping.
Younger folks want muscle cars and old cars with modern technology and drivability at highway speeds.

Yeah kinda-sorta. Old Cars had a good report a while back concerning the muscle car era. They said Mustangs and Camaros have shown a bit of a drop in prices, but many were overpriced to begin with. Late 60's Mopars are up, simply because A. There weren't as many sold and B. They had very poor build quality and were trashed early in their life span.

The report said also the trend today is, full sized Ford-Chevy-Pontiac sedans and convertibles. They are really being sought after. 5 years ago nobody paid any attention to them. Today they get body off frame restorations, but parts are hard to source at least for the Fords and Pontiacs.

Like the early Ford Broncos, they are insane money today, they got real popular for what ever reason.

One last thing. No car built today is expected to be a future 'collector' car outside of the Ford GT series. With the computers and such, software glitches and demons, you can't buy a 2025 you-name-it put it away and expect it to be 'driveable in 12-15 years . Too much plastic. Too many wanky computer/sensor nonsense parts that the mfg. all have said they have NO plans to support that.


I think the pre-computer age cars say pre-1995 stuff will always have a following

[BlueSunoco]

Originally Posted by 34fordy

I remember the excitement in the 1950's every September when the new cars for the next year arrived. Each dealer in town had a special day advertised to come and see the new models. No one knew what the new model would look like unless you could sneak in the back door of the dealership where they were hidden and commonly covered. There were always noticeable changes even for example the 55 to 56 Fords. Born in 1945 I was already addicted and what excitement it was. Living in a town of 25,000 people, I was lucky to live within 6 city blocks of every new car dealership. I collected all the sales pamphlets from each dealer to take home and study. Although the Olds 303 had been around a few years 1955 seemed to be the "big bang" year for overhead V8's. What a wonderful time for a kid to fall in love with this HOBBY!
And now being 80 I have "advanced" to the wonderful Ford Flathead V8. LOL

Absolutely spot-on my friend! I am younger than you, grew up in the 60's, and remember the local Ford dealer covering their new cars with brown wrapping paper and under strict orders from the factory to not let them be seen until the official day!
Those WERE good times to be around cars! I am a bonafide Ford guy , all I have ever owned, but I love and appreciate seeing ALL the cars from the 60's up through about 1972! Pre-big bumper era

[34fordy]

Originally Posted by BlueSunoco

Absolutely spot-on my friend! I am younger than you, grew up in the 60's, and remember the local Ford dealer covering their new cars with brown wrapping paper and under strict orders from the factory to not let them be seen until the official day!
Those WERE good times to be around cars! I am a bonafide Ford guy , all I have ever owned, but I love and appreciate seeing ALL the cars from the 60's up through about 1972! Pre-big bumper era

Yes, and the really fun thing about this thread is that it reminds us and takes us back to those wonderful memories. Everyone that reads this thread will have fond remembrances that will be rekindled to savor. It may even be the opportunity to tell grand and great grandkids about those days and opportunities for them to pass on for other kids someday. Good childhood memories are such a joy! I remember sitting in my 4th grade classroom in September of 1954 and looking out the window at what I remember as my first new car experience. A Fireman was parked outside waiting to pick up his daughter. The car was a 1955 4 door Chevy 2 tone pinkish and grey. Not many 2 tones then and especially those type of colors. The memory is forever etched (hopefully) in my brain. Too bad it wasn't a 55 Ford! LOL

[Scotty's 52 F3]

I was born this way. I was often told to not turn your hobby into a job or you may end up hating your hobby. So I became a Caterpillar mechanic, which at the time paid way more than the car dealerships. I never got tired of working on big machinery or my car, truck or boat projects. I still look forward to tinkering in my garage everyday. I'm 64 and beat to hell so it's harder to do things and I'm slower but I still love it.

My dream car was always a hot rod 32 3 window with either a blown Flathead or early Hemi, manual trans, Quick Change rear, classic hot rod. I'm 6'3" and 250# so not a good fit for me. I sat in a few.

I have NO desire for any vehicles beyond electronic ignition and fuel injection. I actually don't like automatic transmissions but my wife won't drive stick. I have vehicles that are still points and carburetors.

The new vehicles sure "feel" nice. The safety features and amenities are nice too........when they work. When they don't you don't have a vehicle. It's beyond what I can work on or even afford with the ever changing tooling and software for if I could.

I worked at a Cat dealership and even we had trouble keeping up. We had to go out and work on machines that we had no information on yet. We'd be on the phone with factory engineers from the job site.

I'll stick to my old vehicles as long as I can. When I can't work on them anymore, I'll have to make sure whatever I drive has a good warranty. Assuming I can still drive at that point. I'll have a Baddass wheelchair.

[ThirstyThirty]

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

I like this thread. < > Thanks for starting this thread Slowforty.

yeah - it's a good one! I have a file in Saved where I put certain FB thread titles so I don't have to go and try to find them, hunt them down...

This thread is one of them!

[ThirstyThirty]

Originally Posted by ford38v8

I long for the good old days when I'd watch for the new editions of Motor Trend and Road & Track to see the spy pictures of new cars. Always had opinions about the extra chrome strip or the rake of a windshield. Those Dagmars are too small, or the tail lights are snazzy. Today, as comparison, wow, that color really pops, where's the door handles? Is that a Ford or a Honda?
We used to laugh at the VW Bug, but now all cars are stamped out with cookie cutters and look like scarab beetles with clear coats. ...Well, all except that dumb pickup that looks like a stealth bomber.
Ignition keys used to unlock the doors, now you get neither. Smile for the camera, or wave your key fob at it. It used to be fun to drive with two fingers holding the suicide knob, now you play games on your phone and let your self driving car decide where to take you.
When evaluating the worth of a used car, I'd always check the spare tire. Now it's "Where's the donut?" I remember gas stations with display racks of windshield wipers. Now the Parts Stores check your credit rating to buy one wiper that might last through one season.
The American Dream used to be your Father's Oldsmobile and a prefab house. Now it's take a Uber and don't park that motor home on the street overnight.
Virtually everyone used to participate in the car hobby, now it's just those old dudes that buy those clunkers instead of Bitcoin.

How true! but I am fighting it!

SIL took his family out to dinner Saturday evening. Upon arrival, in they went in to restaurant for dinner. After, came out... waited while Dad said into his fone: "Come get us!" car solo started, backed out, maneuvered in parking lot, drove itself over to lanes to front door area, pulled up and parked, engine idling. In they all got, and he said to car: "Take us home!"

...and it did!

[slowforty]

I grew up near Blue Island Ill.
Around 1957 it was the place to shop in the area.
There were three major food stores on the same intersection.
A Jewel,a Kroger,and and A&P, with a Bank on the other corner.
It had a Sears and a Montgomery Wards and a Western Tire Auto store on the same Block and Two Movie houses.
The Lyric is still in operation.
The point of all this is that there were six car dealers and a couple of used up cars lots on Western Avenue.
On a saturday afternoon you could walk down the alley and have your own new car auto show and stop at the Price Castle for a Milk Shake(One in a Million)

Old Blue Island Joke "Did you go to the A&P? No I went to the Jewel and Pooped!"

[Darrell S]

It was exciting to go out and see when the new models were displayed. All the searchlights, balloons and seeing the new ones was quite a time for some of us. We also had all the dealerships in close proximity, so we could make the rounds in pretty good time. A totally different era.

[SoCalCoupe]

Originally Posted by 19Fordy

It's all relative to the cost of earning a living. Labor rates are through the roof.
As has been mentioned in other comments in other threads about the future of our hobby, auctions show the price of early Fords is dropping.
Younger folks want muscle cars and old cars with modern technology and drivability at highway speeds.

One way to look at the hobby is that it was started by young people without much money who couldn't afford new cars hopping up used cars. I've run into a young woman a couple of times at local cruise ins who has a 4-door Saturn in good condition but not worth much. Apparently a reliable daily driver though. She wears a pink fur jacket, pink tights, pink boots and pink sunglasses. Her Saturn has a pink wrap and she obviously hasn't invested a fortune in her ride or restored it to concourrs condition. She does the cruises with her boyfriend and it's fun to chat them up.

In my opinion, she's got the hobby right as much as I do with my pre-war flathead. She's doing her thing on a budget she can afford.

[BlueSunoco]

Some guy I see driving around town, has a mint condition Saturn I have no idea what year the thing is. He takes really good care of it it is always show ready. Two door kinda semi fastback looking thing.
AND, that little thing really stands out in a crowd. People walk right past the new Mustangs, Vettes, forever seemingly endless Challengers, whatever, paying little to no attention to them, and always motate over to see that little car. He just grins from ear to ear

[34fordy]

Originally Posted by slowforty

Some days I fix cars.
Other days I stare at them wondering what life choices brought me here.

Probably not choices slowforty. It came in your DNA and runs through your veins, just like the rest of us! LOL