The new generation of car enthusiasts...

[Falcon Coupe]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

I take it you agree with the other 4 points.

No.

Originally Posted by BENT_8

Wether you own a modern car is irrelevant,

It's not irrelevant, i reiterate, this gives ownership experience of both.

Originally Posted by BENT_8

As for this, i stand by my words, there are a handful of senior members who believe because they 'get it' everyone should or be made to feel less worthy.

I suspect you feel this way due to not sharing the passion and trying to drag down every thread on the topic with a not unexpected result.
The same would happen in any area of the forum no matter which group of enthusiasts, new or old.

Originally Posted by BENT_8

There have been a number of occasions where members have offered PM's of support when i've 'gone against the grain' and called it for what it is in these types of threads.

A number of occasions..... Why is that when you obviously do not share said "passion" in classics. This being the case you spend a disproportionate amount of time in threads on subject, always with a negative opinion.


Why do you want to see an anonymous poll if you care so little and do not share the passion, due to a genuine interest ? (rhetorical)


A simpler solution is do not post, but this is not the way of a troll.
I tried to explain in a civilised manner which i knew would again be picked apart. One cannot simply let an issue go when there is a perfectly good agenda to be followed.


Alas, you seem determined to play the Martyr, so be it. This has been going for years and Frankly i have seen enough, it ends now.

[Wally]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

I totally agree with anyone who believes relevance is the key to this subject.

Looking back over this thread and a number of things stick out.

1, the majority of people who support the classics are from that era and dreamed of owning one.
The young fellas who support the classics have made mention of a father, aunt etc. having one and inspired them.

2, Montyv8 mentioned the thumbs up he gets from passers by as he cruises the strip, but do these people really identify with the classic, or is it simply that the classic sticks out from the norm.
Anyone who would mistake an XA-C Coupe for a Charger clearly has no idea and so you would have to assume the interest is solely a fascination with the unusual, not a passion.

3, The classic supporters use sarcasm directed at anyone who doesn't 'feel the passion'
'So I keep the EA with the stuffed head gasket just in case??'
'awesome. a powerful 6cyl BA.'
'You don't get it do ya?! So why bother explaining?!'

4, being a Ford Forum and moderated by number of classic enthusiasts and their mates i would say there are a large number of members who would refrain from giving an opinion that would see them frowned upon, point 3 would support this situation.

5, I would like to see a poll taken on the subject, however to get a true result i feel the usernames of the voters should be kept hidden to entice members who wouldnt otherwise stick their necks out, to vote without prejudice.

Without getting between you and Falcon Coupe,

1. I'm not sure how many members are actually from the "classic era" and for that matter what the classic era is in this thread. But I would hazzard a guess most, particularly the majority of the moderators, are actually too young to remember the said era except in their imaginations. Of course father and son has a lot to do with bias, it's how our great political voting system works and the reason the Ford/Holden rivalry won't dig a long deserved hole and bury itself.

2. Back when the XA-C Coupe and Chargers were relatively new, there was not shortage of people who weren't all too fussed in noticing the difference either. Us real men types didn't cotton the Charger because it was for nancy boys (this did not translate to the marvellous six). It was hard enough for us neanderthals to distingush between the Holden and the Ford models, let alone
a third brand.

[gtxb67]

Originally Posted by Falcon Coupe

I love the classics but would never consider one as my only means of transport, but as a fun weekender they take some beating.

this line goes a long way to explain why young kids do not have an interest in classics. us children of the 70's were interested in what we call classics because they were affordable. i would have loved a 36 3 window coupe too - but the 30's style car compared to a 70's - there is no comparison. that is what the kids of today are taking into consideration with "our classics" compared to the contemporary models. i am sure many of the younger car enthusiasts would like an xy-xc just like myself and others my age would have liked a 30's-60's car when we were kids. however, when only having one car to get around in, the comfort level and reliability goes along way to dictating what we buy

[auxr]

Another factor to take into consideration are a parents inclination to allow a car to be worked on, the type of car and the room available to the younger generation to actually become involved in mucking around with a car.

As a 70's child I was influenced by what was on the black & white telly - namely the new Charger ad's. Dad was a Valiant man from way back and always was lucky enough to update, fond memories of the safari wagon.

My older brother, by 15 years, was mates with the guy across the road who had just bought a brand new silver fox XW GT - when I eventually obtained my licence I was offered the GT for a princelly sum of $5,000 - my mother vetoe'd the transaction full stop - did not want a loud V8 in the garage and as it was a first car I would more than likely eventually kill myself.

Accordingly, this put play to any V8 action until I had moved out and bought my own place with a shed to tinker in.

A generational change is on foot - though it is good to see that a number of younger members on this forum still have the passion to become involved with the older classics.

[Neeek]

I'll chuck in my 2 bobs worth. Please note that I'm now in my early 30s, but have been behind the wheel of a car at least my age since I was 27 or 28, so that's some context.

I didn't grow up with old cars everywhere - quite the contrary. My folks always had new or late model cars, and none of them were very exciting either. A possible exception was my father who owned a succession of bangers when I was about 5 or 6 and when my folks divorced he started buying craptastic old cars in Abu Dhabi where he worked. So other than that, no real influences in my childhood apart from magazines, Top Trumps and thinking that a car down the road was an Aston Martin (my brother reckons it was a nice 70s Jap coupe of some sort, but never mind..).

I drive my XC wagon every single day - in the rain, in the sun, when it's cold or hot. It's my daily driver. I reckon I've chucked ten grand at it over the time I've had it, and do you know what? It starts first time, every time. Why? Because most of the money I've spent on it has been directed to make it work, not necessarily to make it better. Although they sometimes coincide.

What modern would I get for ten grand? Something anonymous, no doubt. It'd be reliable, have all the mod cons and most importantly be applicance white and boring as hell. Being a car enthusiast, that's not my cup of tea.

Yes, I'd like to have aircon in the wagon when the mercury nudges 30, as it often does. Yes, I'd like power steering but only when I need to park it. But clearly I'm one of the ones who "gets it". Someone else here said something about you driving the car, rather than the car driving you - spot on. I also have a Subaru Forester that's our family car, which I only drive when we're going somewhere as a family, otherwise my wife steers it. It's also very nice and has aircon, a kicking stereo, it's safe, it's reliable... I like it. It even has some character, but it's not the same as my wagon, not by a long shot.

Point is, I ENJOY driving my car every day. People give me the thumbs-up on almost every trip. And if not that, they take a good look as I go past. That doesn't happen in modern cars unless you're driving something rather special.

Can old cars be reliable? Yes
Can old cars have all the toys like aircon/power steering/electric windows? Yes
Can old cars be cheap to run? Yes

One other aspect I think affects things here is not just the affordability (and granted, most older cars will cost you an arm and a leg to buy!) but the safety aspect. When my kids are ready to get behind the wheel, my wife will tell them they need to buy a late-model car with airbags, ABS and all that stuff. I will suggest that we spend some money educating them on how to drive properly, then they can go and buy an older car just like Dad's. We will debate this often, and violently. Of course, my wife will win and I will reluctantly bow to her demands because she's right - I don't want my kids being involved in an accident in a 40 year old car and getting killed or maimed when a 10 year old one would've saved them.

However, I will certainly be taking my little boy Olly out for a spin in my old car, whatever it will be at the time, and just like he does now (at just over 2 years old) he'll sit there and make revving noises, grinning from ear to ear, begging me to take him everywhere in it. One day he might even get one of his own.

It's all up to us, as parents, to instill this "classic car bug" in our kids. Those who don't get it now didn't have that kind of influence, and that's fine. I'm going to try and make sure that my kids at the very least EXPERIENCE something old and fun so they at least get to see both sides of the coin.

Maybe one day they'll get a hand-me-down from me. It probably won't replace their modern, but if the "get it", that'll make me very happy indeed.

[XC4LIFE]

Im 16 turning 17 in april, and i love old school cars prefer them over newer cars, I own a xf ute and b4 i bought that ute i hardly knew anything about cars and engines now i know a far bit simply because somthing goes wrong on my ute dad shows me what to do and i fix it simple. My dad used to have a xc 4 door falcon had a 6cyl changed to 351 clevo all bye him self he taught him self how to fix cars etc. older engines are better to work on unlike the "plastic engines" these days takes an hour just to remove all the plastic so you can change the spark plugs. haha. i want so many old school cars Hr wagon, Hq ute, Xy Gt, but my dream car a 4 door xc Falcon oh yer....

Cheers Fellas

[Stattic]

i think some people might be a bit offended that their ea-fg is being labelled as 'not a real car'

[Auslandau]

Originally Posted by JACK250

I can't help but notice my generation (I'm 17 in about 2 weeks) has very little interest in V8's ... All of my car friends are mid 40's, and they all met their 'car friends' back in the 80's when they were all driving V8's. At the time you didn't have to search a forum to find like-minded enthusiasts ................. *edited

Not only do people my age take no interest in the 8's, most aren't even interested in cars at all. So what has caused this? And more importantly, if in years to come there is still the means to drive V8 cars (fuel for example) will anyone even been interested in them?
*edited

Change the question slightly to be V8's (above) ... The I6 turbo boys vs V8's. There would be bedlam and threats of violence and the spilling of blood. In this case, it wouldn't survive to the point this thread has. Just to dismiss because its old technology, expensive, outdated and not to their liking doesn't mean that everyone agrees. Trying to explain why they like/dislike means, as others will have opposing views, people will not always agree ...... and thats where it stands. Its the same for any "Why do you like that?"

No where did anyone denigrate any one else ..... sure there has been a little bit of justification, as the question was asked why ..... but nothing untoward. To read anything else into it is beyond me and just weird.

Its always been each to their own but if a question is asked and there is going to be opposing views, why not let it ride and just say "Fair enough?" There isn't any justification from me on why I enjoy classics, or anyone else by what I can read ..... just trying to explain ..... and if there are those that still don't understand, so be it. "Sorry ... but you don't get it!"

As far as my post ...... having a bit of a fun dig ...... If anyone thinks that the EA will be a classic in the future, I have an S Manual in great nic with 140k on the clock they can have for around the $500.00 mark. Heres your chance to get into an early classic!

I also would love a P76 ....... why? Well I better not answer that as it might appear disparaging to others who don't like this iconic Australian

Thats all from me on the matter as I am purely biased and have no idea on the subject ..... even after having well over 30 registered fords in my lifetime so far. Apparently having some bias doesn't give you the right of reply or the ability to justify ........



| [/url] |

[onfire]

Originally Posted by gthofan

I think the main reason, is that newer cars are dirt cheap, don't need restoring, and have plenty of power.

I also think for the majority of younger guys, restoring or doing up an older car is not exactly viable due to either earning and average or low income, the financial and mechanical costs and risks restoring an older car are a lot higher than buying and then doing up a potentially much more reliable and safer modern car.

Then once most young men reach their early to mid 20s, with in some cases education is out of the way, the idea of owning a home is becoming more and more real. Financially putting all your money into a restoration would be out of the question if owning a home is in sights. Followed by family and commitments, then finally in your 40s and 50s you'll be ready to build a car.

But as for the guys in their 40s who met all their car friends in the 1980s, and are into older cars.. it would be like me and others, in their mid 20s repainting and restoring our XR6/8s 15-20 years from now after keeping it all that time.

[belvo]

im 17 and i love all types of cars and would rather a xw/y over any modern car. but i wouldent by one toll i had a bit of money in the bank.

im still at school but when i start my apprenticeship cars will be the last thing in my head i just want to work and make some money ill drive a average car until i am qualafied and then i will think about buying a house not spend money restoring a car

[drew`SEVNT5]

I think it comes down to not many youngsters have the ability/finances/whatever to run a modern car for during the week, and a older car for the weekend...

FWIW, I bought a car that was only a year younger than me for my first car(1985 Alfa 33Ti), and then kept around that gap(newest car I owned before the XR6T was a 1990 Alfa 75 3litre)...

Then I got a better paying job, and a car allowance, bought a XR6T... but still had my 16 year old Alfa for weekends..


Now, I have a work car (09 Dmax), the XR6T is weekender status.... and I am not particularily happy about that either... I would rather have another older car again..



Then again, my choice of what I would buy would be poo-pooed by most people on here along the lines of "what the hell do you want that thing for?" (69-73 Alfa 105 Coupe... im sure some of you would *get it* tho..)

[irish2]

I own 2 cars. A POS reliable daily (old enough to be worked on) and a 65 stang. I bought the stang when I was 20. I am 24 now, have a mortgage and 3 cars on full rego on 1 wage, it isn't impossible.

To those who say older cars are unreliable you are wrong. Old cars are very reliable with only very minimal matinence. A can of carby cleaner, a spare set of points and some sockets will keep you going. Old cars also have air con, power windows, and power steering. Just not all were optioned with such items and are usually cheaper to repair or get reconditioned than newer cars due to their simplicity. Old cars are not heavy either. Early pony cars are about 1100 kg's and falcons about 1300kg's. Fuel economy can be good in them also as they don't have much weight. My mustang gets about 12-13l per 100k's with no overdrive and plenty of WOT. My old mans Hilux 2.7 gets worse economy and is babied with no loads ever.

[gocruzin]

[QUOTE=JACK250]

At my school I have 2 mates that are into cars slightly, nowhere near to the extent of myself. And the people I do know that are into cars that are this side of 20 all want VT commodores with 20" rims and a massive stereo. For the record, I have been very lucky, having been able to earn my own money, and at the age of 12 get my first project car, an XY. And since have saved enough after selling my half to dad to own a car outright, my XM Van.
QUOTE]

Originally Posted by cruzzinZH

im 21 and all my mates think im crazy coz i would rather my zh fairlane over some pos rice car or commodore,they are always telling me to do burnouts and put my foot down but i tell them its not what its for,it made for cruising.

ive always like the older cars since my dad had his xw wagon and xp sedan.

First of all hats off to you guys it's refreshing to see young fellers who have values and unique intrests beyond what is considered fashionable.
I am 31 and own a couple of classics as well as two new musclecars that I have been collecting since i was 17.

If i was you I would pitty those who have no intrest in old cars, to me there is nothing more rewarding than working on my car after hours and taking it out of a sunny weekend to a show or just cruise for the hell of it.

Then there is all of the positive feedback you get from other enthusiasts the frienships made and wisdom gained from the "old salts".

Those guys who want the new cars with the stereos and big rims only know how to pay fitters and workshops to do work on their cars and at the end of the day their car is worth less where yours can only grow in value as you add to it over the years.
But as far as the younger generation being into cars, I have plenty of friends who are showing their kids the hobby early on, and I believe that its up to us "old guys" to show and use our classics as much as we can, so the young guys can see them on the road not locked up in sheds and such.

Because if the young guys only see souped up VTs and ELs with planet sized wheels and subbies thats what they will emulate.
So keep flying the classic flag and sooner or later they will catch on.

[BLKWDW]

Originally Posted by gocruzin

First of all hats off to you guys it's refreshing to see young fellers who have values and unique intrests beyond what is considered fashionable.
I am 31 and own a couple of classics as well as two new musclecars that I have been collecting since i was 17.

If i was you I would pitty those who have no intrest in old cars, to me there is nothing more rewarding than working on my car after hours and taking it out of a sunny weekend to a show or just cruise for the hell of it.

Then there is all of the positive feedback you get from other enthusiasts the frienships made and wisdom gained from the "old salts".

Those guys who want the new cars with the stereos and big rims only know how to pay fitters and workshops to do work on their cars and at the end of the day their car is worth less where yours can only grow in value as you add to it over the years.
But as far as the younger generation being into cars, I have plenty of friends who are showing their kids the hobby early on, and I believe that its up to us "old guys" to show and use our classics as much as we can, so the young guys can see them on the road not locked up in sheds and such.

Because if the young guys only see souped up VTs and ELs with planet sized wheels and subbies thats what they will emulate.
So keep flying the classic flag and sooner or later they will catch on.

I disagree with your 4th paragraph. Not everyone who buys a newer car pays people to work on them. I have just bought myself a vn ss rolling shell(less motor and box) so far have stripped it bare replaced the vn dash with a vs dash. rewired the whole car with the vs loom by myself and have had all the wiring hidden by myself. I've also just started prepping the car and doing a few mods to the body(smoothing in the bay etc) before painting it. This is all done by myself again. The rest of the car will be done by me or with the help of some mates and what i don't know i will look it up read it and find out how to do it. Bar maybe having a professional paint the car it will be all built in my garage. See where not all chequebook builders.

[The Yeti]

Originally Posted by gocruzin

First of all hats off to you guys it's refreshing to see young fellers who have values and unique intrests beyond what is considered fashionable.

I am 31 and own a couple of classics as well as two new musclecars that I have been collecting since i was 17.

If i was you I would pitty those who have no intrest in old cars, to me there is nothing more rewarding than working on my car after hours and taking it out of a sunny weekend to a show or just cruise for the hell of it.

Then there is all of the positive feedback you get from other enthusiasts the frienships made and wisdom gained from the "old salts".

Those guys who want the new cars with the stereos and big rims only know how to pay fitters and workshops to do work on their cars and at the end of the day their car is worth less where yours can only grow in value as you add to it over the years..

Typicaly yes but I know some guys in to rods and classics that do all there work on their cars with a Visa spanna :(

Originally Posted by gocruzin

But as far as the younger generation being into cars, I have plenty of friends who are showing their kids the hobby early on, and I believe that its up to us "old guys" to show and use our classics as much as we can, so the young guys can see them on the road not locked up in sheds and such.

Because if the young guys only see souped up VTs and ELs with planet sized wheels and subbies thats what they will emulate.
So keep flying the classic flag and sooner or later they will catch on.

My kids 8 & 6 Love old cars my son wants us to build a 28 RPU (Roadster pick up) when the Chev is done so he will have one to take ot runs when he's got his licence (at the I'm going the time line might be tight)

My dad (an old school mechanic) tried to talk me out of cars and in to horses like my sisters, but it didnt stick, the way I see it you either are in to them or your not and you cant change that. My 6yo Daughter loves nothing more than helping me in the garage on the Chev and going to the drags so I guess she was born with it

[gocruzin]

Yeah fair point I know a few cheque book mechanics they miss the point IMO

Good to hear your young'uns are into it, thats pretty much how i think the hobby will kick on, but we still have to use our classics when we can so less fortunate kids can see them where they look best, out on the road rumbling out sweet tunes from the exhausts not the Ipod dock.

[XR_Strider_GuY]

I think its fair to say that Ford and GM enthusiasts even amongst the younger generation will appreciate the older cars as that was the grass roots of the brand back in the day.

I actually think with the introduction of fuel injection older cars actually stay newer for longer if that makes sense. Take a look at the 1986-1993 Fox body Mustangs, these things are getting on 20 years old yet people are still not recognising them as classics just yet. Also with new technology cars are built better with better anti rust and perforation materials.

Simple reason why, is because these cars are happy to perform as daily drivers (ofcourse with regular maintenance and common sense by owners).

[ZDI-970]

Originally Posted by The Yeti

My dad (an old school mechanic) tried to talk me out of cars and in to horses like my sisters, but it didnt stick, the way I see it you either are in to them or your not and you cant change that. My 6yo Daughter loves nothing more than helping me in the garage on the Chev and going to the drags so I guess she was born with it

thats true...

[onfire]

2001. A little movie called ' The Fast and the Furious ' changed every thing.

[KeithTheBricklayer]

Originally Posted by onfire

2001. A little movie called ' The Fast and the Furious ' changed every thing.

thats actualy true haha

made me pay more attention to cars learn about them an so on..

well being 10 when it came out... an then the few other movies.. and now being 19.. i just love cars so much more.. but i guess as you grow up it grows on you a bit more because you get a licence an you can drive an have a car..

dont think any thing i said makes sence but oh well

[kezzer]

This is stupid...

if we were all "old car enthusiasts" im sure Ford and Holden Australia wouldn't be in business. I bought my FG xr6 brand new from Ford, I dont regret it one bit, i made an effort to support the local car industry at my age of 19. Love it, safe, comfortable, brilliant performance and looks bloody fantastic. Sure I could have bought a car someone else sat there ***** in and did god knows what to the engine, trans etc, my other car Ba I made this mistake with, poured several thousand into fixing the pos.

I love old cars, but no way do I have the time or commitment to doing one up right now considering im overloaded with work and uni, and I want something with reliability, good fuel economy and won't cost me a fortune to repair.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by onfire

2001. A little movie called ' The Fast and the Furious ' changed every thing.

You mean like a little move called "Running on Empty" changed everything?

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by onfire

2001. A little movie called ' The Fast and the Furious ' changed every thing.

Funnily enough I remember going to see that with my mate in his sister's boyfriend's Evo at the time. Fitting.

[djjase]

A lot of younger people ask me why I still drive what they call "Old Junk", they all tell me to buy WRX or a VE commodore and put big wheels on it.

Like most have already said, its a shame that such a classic range of cars will be forgotten, just like us older ones who prefer 70/80's don't really care about cars from the 60's - 40's - again a dieing breed of people who love thoses

As time goes on the cars from the 70's and 80's will just be like the cars from the 30's - it also doesn't help that the governments of the world wants to get rid of anything pre 90's

Good on you younger blokes for wanting to keep the fire burning - if I have no kids by the time I die I will leave you my XY GT HO to you

[FPV+fteT3]

Originally Posted by kezzer

This is stupid...

if we were all "old car enthusiasts" im sure Ford and Holden Australia wouldn't be in business. I bought my FG xr6 brand new from Ford, I dont regret it one bit, i made an effort to support the local car industry at my age of 19. Love it, safe, comfortable, brilliant performance and looks bloody fantastic. Sure I could have bought a car someone else sat there ***** in and did god knows what to the engine, trans etc, my other car Ba I made this mistake with, poured several thousand into fixing the pos.

I love old cars, but no way do I have the time or commitment to doing one up right now considering im overloaded with work and uni, and I want something with reliability, good fuel economy and won't cost me a fortune to repair.

I am glad your happy with your new FG but buying a new car doesnt make you an enthousiast. When its out of warranty it will be as expensive as anything else to repair.

I would bet that most old car enthousiasts would also own a 2nd car not all but most because part of being an enthousiast is how you look after the thing an example that comes to mind is where would you park your car? Most enthousiasts with older collectable or newer future collectables wont leave them on a car park at coles etc or let them fall into disrepair.....

You dont have to own an XYGT to be a car enthousiast but if your any sort of petrol head you would understand that it all costs and is it worth the cost? Most people say NO but to an enthousiast cost is irrevelant they just want the car going and looking good even a BA if thats what they love.

[djjase]

Originally Posted by FPV+fteT3

.

I would bet that most old car enthousiasts would also own a 2nd car not all but most because part of being an enthousiast is how you look after the thing an example that comes to mind is where would you park your car? Most enthousiasts with older collectable or newer future collectables wont leave them on a car park at coles etc or let them fall into disrepair.....

You dont have to own an XYGT to be a car enthousiast but if your any sort of petrol head you would understand that it all costs and is it worth the cost? Most people say NO but to an enthousiast cost is irrevelant they just want the car going and looking good even a BA if thats what they love.

You got that right - never took any of the older cars, had the XG ute for that and boy did it pay with trolley dings to the rear quarters - after fixing that one up it never went that often too - if it did it was always parked where no one else did

[FPV+fteT3]

Originally Posted by djjase

if it did it was always parked where no one else did

My daughters hate shopping with me even my drive car gets that treatment

[djjase]

Originally Posted by FPV+fteT3

My daughters hate shopping with me even my drive car gets that treatment

True, I have seen heaps of awesome FPV GT's and a FPV Cobra go into a mates panel shop to get the rear quarters fixed due to run-away trolleys

I guess there are some who love their cars and some who just treat them as though a thing to get them from A to B

[russellw]

Some interesting discussion here.

I am mindful that, in some ways, we have made a full circle in the tastes that appeal to car enthusiasts - suburban Australia in the late 60's and early 70's was full of young enthusiasts who were actually very focused on their clothing, hairstlyes and general appearance and a part of that counter culture was the hotted up car. Typically an FJ-EH vintage Holden (apart from the brave minority with their AP5/6 or XL-XM Falcon) these cars included such tasteful decoration as leopard print seat covers, foxtails for the antenna, wide fablon strips across the windscreen, triple Smiths gauge pods, chrome wide wheels and big exhausts. Translate that into this era and some of the things that are regularly criticised here start to make sense.

The point, however, is that the cars were a part of the culture and not the reason for it - they were largely another (albeit important) accessory that assisted with the primary aim of young men since the beginning of time. I'm sure somewhere in the annals of history a caveman added something to his cart shortly after the wheel was invented to make it stand out from the crowd in order to attract a member of the opposite sex!

As we migrated from the 60's into the 70's, performance became the key word with the Ford and Holden battles at Bathurst starting to enter the consciousness of the general public and the manufacturers building cars to meet that demand. These became what we now consider the classics, although in their day they were daily transport for the financially able.

There is little reason to doubt that this migration will continue so that the 80's and eventually 90's cars will be the classics for some people. Indeed, by most generally accepted definitions, anything over 25 years old qualifies so that currently means 1985-6 or older. In the Ford world it may just be a quiet period between XC and whatever is next considered worthy of being called classic.

The emergence of the more electronically focused generation served to change the landscape - people could now gather in virtual environments rather than at the local milk bar and for some, modern electronic convenience items are taken for granted as an essential feature in their daily transport. We know that manufacturers don't spend money on bluetooth and iPod integration for the sake of it - these features are designed to appeal to a segment of the target audience which includes the latter generations.

There is, of course, nothing wrong with that - it is very much a case of personal choice and taste but I suspect that all of the above plus the rather high prices being fetched by accepted "Classics" would all serve as something of a disincentive.

I know when I grew up, I spent a lot of time under the bonnet of cars with various relatives (and later) mates - partly through necessity as cars were less reliable in that era. This has been less the case during the last 25 years or so and based on what I read in this forum a lot of the current generation didn't have that sort of exposure - and it was that exposure that created both the interest but more importantly the basic skills that I have used in my motoring journey. I suspect, without that rudimentary introduction, the thought of taking on an old school restoration project would be massively daunting.

Cheers
Russ

[Ohio XB]

Originally Posted by 4VCLEVO

I here you. When I was in high school in the mid 90's, I was the only one in my year level that was passionet about cars. I found it hard as no one shared my interest. They were all to busy playing video games or football.

This is my concern for the younger generations. Whether if it were old cars or modern cars, it doesn't matter if Halo or Guitar Hero is considered more fun.

I honestly believe that the incredible technology of video games and the cyber world are the causes of many young people not engaging in real life and real world interests. Hey, on EBAY you can buy gaming accounts with high points and advanced ranks that you can play with at online gaming sites!!!!! People pay lots of money so that they can have a high ranking character in a video game..........a VIDEO GAME.

They could have bought some extractors instead.

When I was in high school in the late 70's and early 80's there were all kinds of guys into cars. You could not turn around in the hall without bumping into at least one knuckle buster, but then again our video game was "Pong" (tennis) that you played on your TV. You might have known a geek or two that had a Texas Instruments TI-99 or a Commodore64 computer.


I knew a kid who's father told me about when they went camping. He wanted to rent jetskis and his father told him it would be too dangerous for them to ride them without taking lessons first, that they didn't have time for. His son told him that he already knew how to ride a jetski and could even do stunts on them. His father asked him how that was and he told him about his video game that he did all this stuff on.

He really thought the video game gave him the knowledge and skill to do the same things in the real world.


Like I said, I am really concerned about the younger generations.


Steve