redfirepearlgt
07-07-2009, 01:16 AM
Yeah, that was the consensus on an evening radio talk show I came across while traveling through Saganaw, MI about four weeks ago while out on a field service trip up near UP Michigan. This bone head on this talk show was discussing with callers about the lack of passion the "younger generations" have for hot-rodding and cars in general these days. Every one of the callers I heard were from men and women who were driving legally in the early to mid 60's or earlier on. I'll come out and say it, YES THEY WERE MOSTLY BABY BOOMERS!!!!!!
These people went on and on about the lack of passion we (the younger gen's) have for cars today because we don't do this or we don't do that, or because cars aren't what they were in the 50's and 60's (like this is our fault?) and so forth. Now correct me if I am wrong, but which generation would have been in their prime during the 70's when cars went to Shit???? Does Boomer ring a bell? No one my age (born 65) or younger was designing cars for the big three automakers during those times. We were all in grade school or Jr, High duringthat time. I don't recall as a kid in 70's and early 80's being asked if I perferred cars to have lower horse power, look like compact boxes and last 30,000 miles before being sent to the scrap heap.
There is as much passion today from the "younger generations" for cars as there ever was. Have cars changed? Yep they have. Some changes are better (fuel injection, 200+ HP four cylinders, super chargers) and some changes have been crap to say the least (lIke catalytic converters and 87 octane gas). While I am not a big Ricer fan or a big fan of the European auto industry, I still respect the passion that these people have for their cars and trucks. These kids have done some amazing things with todays technology. At the same time people of today have IMO, the utmost respect for the craft of hotrodding the way it was done in the days of yore.
If the passion for cars is gone, then explain to me the massive growth of interest in NASCAR, INDY, NHRA, IHRA, FORMULA ONE, etc. We love our cars. We pamper them, express our personalities through them, build them (or have them built), but all the same we love our cars. I know that I love my car. I have dreamed of owning a mustang for better than 35 years! I finally get my first one when I turned 40.
I am sorry this has ragged on to some degree, and I hope that this has stayed on the track of automotive passion and not turned political. Maximus is right with regard to what he was saying in his rant recently that I read. What I understood him to say was, "Hey let's keep the passion here focused on our love for our cars!!!!!".
I hope all of you 45-50 and younger can understand where this is coming from, especially those of you who have showed up at car shows or cruise ins and been turned away because your car is "too new" (like that has anything to do with passion?). Show people you love your mustang! or whatever you are driving. Thanks.
These people went on and on about the lack of passion we (the younger gen's) have for cars today because we don't do this or we don't do that, or because cars aren't what they were in the 50's and 60's (like this is our fault?) and so forth. Now correct me if I am wrong, but which generation would have been in their prime during the 70's when cars went to Shit???? Does Boomer ring a bell? No one my age (born 65) or younger was designing cars for the big three automakers during those times. We were all in grade school or Jr, High duringthat time. I don't recall as a kid in 70's and early 80's being asked if I perferred cars to have lower horse power, look like compact boxes and last 30,000 miles before being sent to the scrap heap.
There is as much passion today from the "younger generations" for cars as there ever was. Have cars changed? Yep they have. Some changes are better (fuel injection, 200+ HP four cylinders, super chargers) and some changes have been crap to say the least (lIke catalytic converters and 87 octane gas). While I am not a big Ricer fan or a big fan of the European auto industry, I still respect the passion that these people have for their cars and trucks. These kids have done some amazing things with todays technology. At the same time people of today have IMO, the utmost respect for the craft of hotrodding the way it was done in the days of yore.
If the passion for cars is gone, then explain to me the massive growth of interest in NASCAR, INDY, NHRA, IHRA, FORMULA ONE, etc. We love our cars. We pamper them, express our personalities through them, build them (or have them built), but all the same we love our cars. I know that I love my car. I have dreamed of owning a mustang for better than 35 years! I finally get my first one when I turned 40.
I am sorry this has ragged on to some degree, and I hope that this has stayed on the track of automotive passion and not turned political. Maximus is right with regard to what he was saying in his rant recently that I read. What I understood him to say was, "Hey let's keep the passion here focused on our love for our cars!!!!!".
I hope all of you 45-50 and younger can understand where this is coming from, especially those of you who have showed up at car shows or cruise ins and been turned away because your car is "too new" (like that has anything to do with passion?). Show people you love your mustang! or whatever you are driving. Thanks.