Have you noticed a trend.

[Bluestar]

I was at Papa Dodge Mopar Expo this past weekend for the first time since 1993.  Little did I know that this was the first show there in a number of years, so the showing was a little weak compared to 1993.  I do have pictures to download when I get some time and the camera back from my wife.

The trend I noticed at this show was that the majority of the "Nice" cars, meaning restored or clean, were owned by people of retirement age.  Back when I was just a snot nosed kid in my mid-20's in the mid-90's, all of these cars were mostly owned by people of my own age (25-35) I'd say.

I don't believe in the "paying your dues" mentality that some people have about people who buy a fully restored car for top dollar.  An enthusiast is an enthusiast regardless of whether he/she did the work themselves, paid someone to restore their car, or had the financial freedom to buy one of these monsters.

I guess the traditional motorhead stereotype does not apply anymore

The show also reminded me of how much fun the local cruise nights were and I decided to find out when and where the good ones are in Southeast Massachusetts.

Last thought as this was the first show like this I brought my boys to.  I was on edge as I tried to keep both my 3 yr old and 7 yr old from touching the cars, especially the hemicudas that were there.

[PocketThunder]

Being married with a mortgage and two small kids sure takes the "car money" out of a guys budget such as myself.  I'm 32 and it took me 10 years to pay off debt from my early 20's (college, cars, cards) and I finally have been able to secure a good job and afford to buy a couple Chargers and get one running to go to shows.  It all takes time that's for sure.

[41husk]

I also think there are more young guns out there than we see at shows.  The typical 18-25 year old has no interest in sitting around a car show, I know I diddn't when I was that age.  You are more likely to see those guys cruizen or at the strip, than sitting around letting people look over their ride.  Many of our towns local gear heads can be found at the car wash looking over each others cars our parked talking at various fast food restauraunts, but they are never in the same spot for more than an hour, but they are out there.

[Charger1973]

 

Find out when the local street races take place and swing by there.  I havent done that since I was a kid, but I remember seeing some nice mopars out,  including a mint 68 Charger. 

[bull]

I never went to car shows until about 5 or 6 years ago when I was shopping for my '68 so I don't know much about trends. All I know is the older guys usually have a lot more money than those of us who have small kids and big mortgages and of course times being the way they are the muscle cars are not cheap to buy or restore. So it makes sense to me that those whose kids are now married and their spouse makes as much as they do (which effectively makes their income at least 2x more than mine) have the time and money to go to car shows and afford the cars they take there.

I'm just glad to have one and to be s-l-o-w-l-y making her new again.

[6pkrunner]

Given the prices of parts and bodywork/paint, it takes a long time for an average Joe working guy to amass the money to do a car nicely. It took me almost 10 years to do the runner I have now. In the interim I have a mortgage, wife and 4 kids. So money for cars was last on the list.
It could be the time and effort to get a car nice eats up time and the guys are older. They may have been younger when they started the car, but......

[jasonfromIKILLYA]

you also have to realize that the "old guys" are only old now, and they collect the cars of their youth.  The "young guys" (mostly) collect the cars of their youth.

I wish it wasn't this way.  Last weekend, I spent an hour on a train to show up half way through the announced running time of the XV event, and everyone was gone!  what the hell?  I looked at the pics and most people seemed to be there BEFORE it was even supposed to start.  Why is this?  because the average age of collectors is considerably older than me and they go to bed early and get up early.  I didn't come home sunday until the sun came up.....  It's just a different mentality.

and I know the money thing has allot to do with it.



no offense.  I haven't met anyone here I don't like yet, but damn guys, 2 o'clock is time to go home??

[FastbackJon]

I also think there are more young guns out there than we see at shows.  The typical 18-25 year old has no interest in sitting around a car show, I know I diddn't when I was that age.  You are more likely to see those guys cruizen or at the strip, than sitting around letting people look over their ride.  Many of our towns local gear heads can be found at the car wash looking over each others cars our parked talking at various fast food restauraunts, but they are never in the same spot for more than an hour, but they are out there.

Hit the nail on the head. I'm 23 and have a couple nice 440 Chargers and a couple others in progress. I'd rather have the 440 Charger out on the freeway for a few runs at 1:30 in the morning, maybe cruise a bit and stop at a fast food joint than pay $20 to sit in a chair behind my car wasting a whole Saturday for a dash plaque destined for the garbage and a "goodie" bag full of advertisements.

[Brock Samson]

the shows are over by 3:00 usually cause the starting times are at sunrise...
what i mean to say is the local club here cruises out to the shows at 6:30-7:00 am...
awards are handed out at 2:30,.. by 3:30 there's only a few folks left... sometimes that's to beat the heat...
im usually pretty sunburnt by 3:00 even if i get there at 10:00 when they close the show to entries... which is usually the case.
Cars shows arn't Rock Concerts... 

[bull]

you also have to realize that the "old guys" are only old now, and they collect the cars of their youth.  The "young guys" (mostly) collect the cars of their youth.

I wish it wasn't this way.  Last weekend, I spent an hour on a train to show up half way through the announced running time of the XV event, and everyone was gone!  what the hell?  I looked at the pics and most people seemed to be there BEFORE it was even supposed to start.  Why is this?  because the average age of collectors is considerably older than me and they go to bed early and get up early.  I didn't come home sunday until the sun came up.....  It's just a different mentality.

and I know the money thing has allot to do with it.



no offense.  I haven't met anyone here I don't like yet, but damn guys, 2 o'clock is time to go home??

That might be part of it but what I've noticed more than that is how these places turn "ghost town" 3 minutes after the trophies are given out. Once all the announcements are made it's a mass exodus.

[41husk]

the shows are over by 3:00 usually cause the starting times are at sunrise...
what i mean to say is the local club here cruises out to the shows at 6:30-7:00 am...
awards are handed out at 2:30,.. by 3:30 there's only a few folks left... sometimes that's to beat the heat...
im usually pretty sunburnt by 3:00 even if i get there at 10:00 when they close the show to entries... which is usually the case.
Cars shows arn't Rock Concerts... 

But most young people don't want to get up before 10am or spend $5- 35 to show there car, they would rather get a concert ticket!

[Big Lebowski]

  The shows always over by 3 o'clock because us old folks have to get home for the Matlock re-runs.

[71ChallengeHer]

I have a group of friends who all own Mopars. And we all owned them when we were younger, too. We usually go to car shows together and hang out. After the show we meet up later in the evening and go on the local circuit and shake the ricers up. We are out running around til the wee hours.

[hemi-hampton]

I thought the Kids nowadays were Interested in those 4 banger Toyota's & all that other front wheel drive crap  like you see in those Fast & Furious movies. LEON.

[Mike DC]

 
It's a myth that young kids don't like V8s.  Younger kids love V8s but they can't afford them. 

Most 16-year-olds just don't have the knowledge/resources/tools to start off with a car that's 20-40 years old, gets bad mileage, and really hurts them to insure.

 

[THE COLONEL]

I thought the Kids nowadays were Interested in those 4 banger Toyota's & all that other front wheel drive crap  like you see in those Fast & Furious movies. LEON.

Those weedwhackers with wheels??

[Brock Samson]

don't forget if you've owned a ricer or even a benz they take metric,.. a whole nother set of tools anyone?.. 

[Ghoste]

 
It's a myth that young kids don't like V8s.  Younger kids love V8s but they can't afford them. 

Most 16-year-olds just don't have the knowledge/resources/tools to start off with a car that's 20-40 years old, gets bad mileage, and really hurts them to insure.

 

I'm 45 and I can't afford them either. 

[whitehatspecial]

I also think there are more young guns out there than we see at shows.  The typical 18-25 year old has no interest in sitting around a car show, I know I diddn't when I was that age.  You are more likely to see those guys cruizen or at the strip, than sitting around letting people look over their ride.  Many of our towns local gear heads can be found at the car wash looking over each others cars our parked talking at various fast food restauraunts, but they are never in the same spot for more than an hour, but they are out there.

Hit the nail on the head. I'm 23 and have a couple nice 440 Chargers and a couple others in progress. I'd rather have the 440 Charger out on the freeway for a few runs at 1:30 in the morning, maybe cruise a bit and stop at a fast food joint than pay $20 to sit in a chair behind my car wasting a whole Saturday for a dash plaque destined for the garbage and a "goodie" bag full of advertisements.

Count me as one "old guy", I'm 53, that would much rather meet up with other car guys at a Burger King or Dairy Queen cruise night instead of listening to some guy brag on a show field that has a trailer-queen he and his checkbook restored.

Impromptu cruise nights are the way this hobby started and that's the way it should be passed down. The only difference is now local businesses want cruise nights, years ago they used to kick us out if we were there more than a few minutes.

[41husk]

Congrats on your car, but I have to disagree! I think as long as were out there, our cars wil beecognized!

[Ghoste]

The only difference is now local businesses want cruise nights, years ago they used to kick us out if we were there more than a few minutes.

Isn't that the hilarious truth!

[Sendero]

When I was young in my teens ( 1982) I had a beat up 71 Charger and raced it but could not afford to fix it up right to enter any show. $3.00 an hour). The "offical" car shows were nice to Gawk at but I could not see sitting around doin' nothing all day.  When I was in my 20's I certainly had local fun with my 70 but I was more interested in the ladies in So. Cal.I'd pay admission, walk thru once and leave. In my 30's, I would have liked going to car shows but I had 5 kids with a house needing fixing so I had no time or money. I even had left a Mopar club becuase of the general idea was that every weekend was a cruise weekend to a different show. Sorry but I have a life. In my 40's, I just got to the point where I could afford the hobby ( a bit) , and have more time..but I still do not like going to shows and sitting around ( beer helps of course).

But what really killed my visits to local car shows and clubs was the 50's music...It just drove us younger guys away from the shows. I hate Elvis. Sitting there with my car all day  listening to that music had me hittin' my ignition key to ON as soon as the show finsihed. Want to know why the younger crowd left the local shows so fast?...BAD MUSIC blaring loudly.
I'd imagine it would be the same for the younger guys today...listening to Nickleback, 3 doors down, Offspring, etc... and then going to a car show and hearing just 80's hair band music blaring out on bad sounding amps. The older folks certainly could take 90's grunge music for hours on end, why expect the different genrations to put up with Elvis?

If the shows would play some of the best of  music of the various decades it may attract more and keep more longer after the show. Please eep the Elvis impersonator in Vegas.

[mopar-or-no-car]

 
It's a myth that young kids don't like V8s.  Younger kids love V8s but they can't afford them. 

Most 16-year-olds just don't have the knowledge/resources/tools to start off with a car that's 20-40 years old, gets bad mileage, and really hurts them to insure.

 

I agree it is probably the price of gas that is stopping them from wanting one of the bad @ss cars!!
Here is my thoughts on why you don't see young people at these car shows...... when we were in our 20's these cars cost about $400.00 a piece compared to the THOUSANDS they cost now! so anyone who wanted one could afford it! ALSO they were NOT 30-40 years old so they were still in pretty good shape! I purchased a 73 ralley challenger that was TOTALLY complete for $400.00 that was NOT that difficult to come up with and I had to do NOTHING to the car in order to enter it into a show!!
Plus as far as the shows go there was one almost every weekend and it was a fun place to go and hang out with friends! you knew almost everyone there and could expect to see them next weekend!! I traveled almost ALL over northern CA to go to shows in the 80's! and had a BLAST doing it! also made alot of friends!! today you are lucky to find a couple of shows during the year! so you are not in the car show mind!!!! it was also a party atmosphere and you looked forward to picnicing at the show! it is not like that anymore!
There is ONE local show in my area now and as stated by someone else they were there by 7am and almost ALL the cars were gone after the trophies were given out! so if you came late you were SOL!  Plus out here it is HOT so I too got a pretty good sunburn!! So you almost have to NOT doddle in order to see all of the cars! last year I doddled and missed a whole bunch of the cars!! So this year I DIDN'T.
ok I am done ranting! just my