Thread: Times are changing boys...

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I just came back from 3 days at the SEMA show in Las Vegas and it was a great event but a real eye opener. I haven't been to SEMA for about 6 years and it's grown tremendously...I feel like I must have walked 100 miles. The automotive industry is alive and well but the trends have really changed. From what I saw, it looks like the old hot rod days are finally dying off. Other than some muscle cars, there weren't many hot rods on display. The 4x4 truck culture is huge with monsterous lifted trucks everywhere. The 4x4 truck accessories are endless. Also if you are into the autocross race cars, SEMA is the show to go to if you want to see the latest technology in suspensions and electronics. I also noticed the large number of the exhibitors that were Chinese, Korean, or Vietnamese companies that were promoting their electronic automotive gizmos. They are starting to take over the automotive aftermarket business.
It was a great weekend but on the flight home, it was a little sad thinking that hot rodding, at least as I know it...is starting to fade away.

Originally Posted by 1carguy

, it was a little sad thinking that hot rodding, at least as I know it...is starting to fade away.

it has to .. times change.. yes there are a few horse and buggy folks still around but not many .. i`m even frowned upon more and more when i drive my stang and less and less people ask why i dont drive it as much ..

I say, "So what! I didn't build it for them!" while "we" may be fewer in number, there will always be a 30's hot rod somewhere.

First time i mentioned this over there i got raked over the coals.

This wasn't posted to be negative or anything. SEMA is one of the biggest automotive events of the year and to me it clearly showed where the car hobby is headed in the future. The car culture is very strong and is continuing to grow but is going in a different direction now. And that's okay. There's still a lot of guys out there that love the hot rods and that's where I intend to hang around....but make no mistake, it's changing and fast.

Originally Posted by shine

First time i mentioned this over there i got raked over the coals.

Over where?

Been a mostly steady attendee at Sema for the past 20ish years but missed this year because of being buried in the aftermath of the major move thing. Your report verifies the trend that's been visible to those who wished to see it that has been creeping along for some time. It's a function of demographics. Hot rods, as we know them, are pretty much a "baby boomer" thing with some small exceptions. Our cadre is moving into the dying years...........folks don't like to contemplate that sort of thing usually.

A couple years ago, when still in Wa., I saw something that was as stark a reminder as your trip to Sema. There's an active burger stand in Issaquah that host a wide variety of automotive events most weekends of the year, with December and January being the quietest months. The ricer crowd has their event in February when weather is less than ideal for most hot rod guys tastes. A typical hot rod/muscle car event will draw maybe 200 cars if it's very successful, and a fair bit less in the past couple years. The ricer guys had an estimated 1500............in February!!!!! The cars were backed up onto the freeway for nearly a mile working to the off ramp. Amazing!

3 or 4 years ago I started selling off the collection of "extra parts" that had accumulated over 5 decades, and decided to clear out all the project stuff save the one 32 sedan. I knew we were going to make some changes in our life, though hadn't gotten to specifics. Sales plodded along pretty well for a couple years and most of the stuff went away (though I still have a fair bit.....sheesh). Somewhere last winter it was like someone flipped a light switch...........sales came real close to a complete stop. For fun I track advertising and actual sales for certain kinds of cars in the hobby just because it makes me feel like I have a pulse on the health of this nutty thing we do. With very few exceptions of the most prized examples (e.g. genuine 32 Ford roadsters, though there are others) the market is awash with a variety of hot rods that don't appear to be getting much buyer interest. Part of that is driven by the normal human behavior that causes people to see the marketplace as they wish it was rather than as it is. It appears that a lot of the "sellers" (can they be sellers if there's no sale?) think that they can still get 2006 prices when the hobby was at what was likely it's peak. This is NOT to say the hobby is dead today, and it's NOT to say that no cars are changing hands, but it is to say that we're in decline for participation. Denying that is also human nature, folks don't like to think that way usually. Some of us will ride our rods to our dying day and let the chips fall in our absence. We'll see who those guys are that are really in it for the fun........bucks be damned.

That just means when I show up with a 30's era streetrod it will be more unique, have you looked around at the people with those cars? I would suspect most don't have the skill set to build a true frame up build, they don't teach this stuff in school anymore and the tools needed cost a ton (cause they can't borrow there buddies) . I could see this trend many years ago with the NSRA show changes, it's all dictated by what sells with the vendors, if your vendors aren't selling streetrod parts as much and are later model parts they won't advertise on your streetrod magazine, which is where the money is made.

i know some of the younger guys. they are every bit as knowledgeable as we were . they just aren't into old cars . the pre48 thing died years ago . i never cared for that , if it has hp it is a hotrod so the kid with the honda civic pushing 600 hp is just as much a hotrodder as us. we build what we want . i just yern for the days when it didn't have to be a riddler car . just a shiny hotrod .

Originally Posted by 34_40

Over where?

what use to be a really cool site. sr.com was one of the best. but unfortunately it has now become nothing but a car flipping site with little going on in the forum .

I know many young rodders and most will never get a chance to do a frame up build, lets face it wether you like pre 48 cars or not you can take, and many do, muscle cars on up (tuners, mini trucks, 4x4's etc) and add horsepower changes and never touch the emtire car, something that you really don't have the privlidge of doing with a pre 48 car due to brakes, chassis upgrades paint & body and interior needs that are a must to actually put it on the road.
Maybe where you are located they are teaching these skills but here in locally finding that out of the mini truck or tuner crowd is indeed a rarity, maybe not impossible but its needed on early cars. We all have seen or owned the '69 camaro with stock body suspension etc with a larger motor in it, calling that a well rounded builder to me, well it isnt, desire doesn't make you have instant skills, many have the desire when young but only years of work translate to a skill set.
I just helped a young guy who graduated from the local automotive class at the vo-tech tune his carb, you know why? His teacher has only drove 1 car with a carb on it, all of he knows is efi, so its not getting taught here!
I agree the 600 hp honda is some form of a hotrodder, but to say he has a full skill set to actually restore or "build" cars in my book is questionable, there is more to rodding than making it only go fast only, thus the reason this site and everyother rod site has different sections other than "engine", my opinion only, just like buyng a new corvette and adding nitrous in my opinion doesn't make you a true rodder, faster than me, yeah maybe. Its not only old cars its just that old cars need more than engines, something the Honda probably never will need, I applaud some on this site who can take newer cars and rebuild the whole car, yeah your right those are rodders, not rodders who can write a check.

Originally Posted by shine

what use to be a really cool site. sr.com was one of the best. but unfortunately it has now become nothing but a car flipping site with little going on in the forum .

AH.. thanks for the reply. I was actually a member there. Briefly! LOL.. I only remember a "Denise" I think it was.. and I think she was a member here when I first found CHR.

Can somebody refresh my memory please, what does SEMA stand for, Society of Engineering, Manufacturing Association ? I have read somewhere that due to it's membership size, it has clout with the politicians who could or can change the laws to make modifying cars illegal or a darn sight harder.

SEMA has done some great things for hot rodding, driven by the aftermarket pars vendors. They have got whats known as the SEMA law passed in many states on licensing older cars and streetrods. Like anything good there is always a catch, in my home state they adopted the SEMA law (good thing) but cracked down on any of the other ways of licensing a car, after reading the state law you can tell politicians got envolved.
Here is a example, if you license a streetrod here in MO, almost every used part must have a notarized bill of sale, as well as a copy of the title from the vehicle which the part came from. Head around to the local swap meet and try to buy a part and ask for both of those, I purchased some Fiero seats at a swap, had the car all done and seats reupholstered and tried to get a title but had no notarized bill of sale or copy of the title from the Fiero they came from, the DMV said don't show up without it, sooooo I had to head to a junk yard and buy a second pair of seats and use the "legal" business reciept to get my streetrod title, as they accept a legal reciept on new parts or formal reciept from a salvage yard (with VIN number on a notarized original reciept. Can't tell the aftermarket industry lobbiest where involved in that part huh?? Was a interesting experience to say the least!

I agree, if it weren't for SEMA, the state of CA (and others) would have ban most hot rods. They have a relentless team of automotive enthusiasts and lawyers that have fought hard to lobby against some of the anti-classic car legislation and bills served up by the lefty politicians and environmentalists in Sacramento and in other states. I salute them for their efforts!