I'll toss in my .02 since I'm one of the younger generation at 25. I think there's alot of reasons why alot of the younger crowd is going the way they are. Alot has to do with how you were involved with cars as a kid. If you were around Hot Rods and Street Machines all your life you have a totally different outlook than most others. My old man was heavy into it and there wasn't too many swap meets we didn't attend or wrecking yards we didn't pliage. I have several friends at my age, that are building hot rods. I have 10 cars: 3 muscle cars, 1 streetrod and the others are 1978 or older. I have no use for computer controlled junk. A good tuner and maintence keeps those carbed cars running just as clean as the conputer junk.
There's a guy I graduated with that has his own hot rod shop here in town and has had 7 or 8 cars he built in magazines. There's another friend that's building a Model A Roadster Pu and another that's just starting on a Model A 2D Sedan. I know of other guys here in town with '60's Fords that I have sold parts to. So i don't think the hobby is really going away. It will be gettin more expensive and you'll see the hobby shift to the well-to-do folks just because of the expenses. However, I figure that after the next 10-15 years, you'll probably see a major dip in prices after and baby boomers have passed, so that could jolt a little more interest tward the younger crowd.
Other circumstances..... WOMEN. For some odd reason the younger women (or any woman for that matter), but not all, just DON'T appreciate the hobby, at least not the older cars and the ones that do are with the ricer clans. Fortunately I'm married to one that does put up with me and my old cars and I'm thankful of it! It helps that she likes them too. But I see time and time again, WOMEN wrenching down on their husbands and not letting them experience the greatness of the hobby. Be it overbearing or a control freak, I dunno, I never could understand.
The other thing would probably be, the sheep factor. One cool guy does up a rice burner, the other 50 sheep followers want one too.
I do notice that there is an increasingly large number of younger people getting really interested in the cars coined the phrase "Rat Rods" which to me is just a 50's rod. I guess it because they are basic and cheap to build. Makes sense to me.
Just my thoughts on the subject... :toocool: