Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[ukdave2002]

[Rick]

Well I'm making sure that junior gets to ride in as many old cars as possible At the New Year's Day gathering the other day, he was sat in the Dodge talking to a friend of mine, explaining how some cars are classics, while others are vintage, and the difference between the two.

The way I see it, even if he doesn't go on to become an arch enthusiast, he'll know enough to not simply skip my stuff when I peg it!

Via the site I get lots of requests for this that and the other, some come from people working with kids wanting to use something or other for a school project about transport. Wherever I can I try to help out, so I suppose that might contribute to helping the young 'uns comprehend what us oldies spend our free time messing with.

RJ
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[clan chieftain]

Most of us have an older car because we are wanting to relive what we drove years ago.When I was younger old cars didnt interest me. It will be the same with todays youngsters, but when they get older they will probably want to drive what they are driving now. Interest in older cars wont die off its just that moderns now will be their classics in 30 or 40 years from now when most of us will be long gone. It doesnt follow that they will be interested in the same cars that we are interested in.
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The Clan Chieftain

[gresham flyer]

I am a member of a vintage and classic car club near to where we live.

I took a couple of friends along to an autumn road rally,my friend commented to me after he had seen all the other participants..."You are the youngest here".
I am now a youthful 56 years...where is all the young blood.?

I still live and remember my custom,hot rod and drag racing day`s and the parties and fun we had, although I now own vintage and classic vehicles...these other members in the club knew nothing of these activities, they were driving their parents pre war cars to upmarket events in their early twenties and were too middle class for this type of lifestyle.

I have moved around the vehicle scene as I matured...I do not think youngsters get into the older vehicle scene like I did when I was twenty years old,unless their parents are doing it already.

And before you say youngsters are collecting modern cars as future classics,and that is the way forward, we were into modified 1930`s,1940`s and 1950`s cars at a very young age,ten year old cars at the time did nothing for us.
The only difference now is I leave a vehicle original where as a young lad we would hot rod or custom them.

Gresham Flyer

[peter scott]

[buzzy bee]

Hi

I certainly am an oddity amoung my friends, although I do try to surround myself these days with like minded people more, there are lots of younger people, interested in classics, vintage and old stuff. I am not sure I can class myself as a young enthusiast any more, Not feeling very young at times! But going on Daves 40+ rule I am still int he lower category.

I don't try to relive my youth, else I would be riding around in fiesta's and the like, I prefer things 50 - 100 years old with a few older and a few younger, lots of my friends, and non friends approach me at rallies etc, asking about my vehicles, maybe they think me more approachable being younger, who knows, I normally find it hard to turn them away, and invite them for a ride, again with a few exceptions..

I have had in the last few years however, quite a few people old and young interested in playing on the engine, every time it was in steam, expecting to be welcomed to help, yet if there is maintenance to do, they refuse to come. This is no longer happening. I put stop to it. I think they were taking advantage a bit, there are quite a few people now who like to do both, which is great. I would sooner do things on my own than be taken advantage of.

Cheers

Dave

[troutrunner]

I run a local group for the "Austin A30/A35 Owners Club" and very soon after our 1st meeting, 3 years ago, we were aproached by a young lady of 18, Rosie had just bought an A35 and wanted to join our group and she has been very active within the group and also started a facebook page for young owners of our cars. Now Rosie has started an official club "Register for young members" (cut off is 30) and currently has 65 members on the facebook page and register.

Another member of our club is Richard H on here, Richard also has a large part in the enthusiastic young persons section of the club and has beenaround classic forever.

Now, 2 of my 3 sons are into classics as well, one of which runs a proper 70's mini as his every day car and the elder one has at least 12 mini's in various forms.

So, in conclusion we all should encourage the young to take an interest as they will be the old f*rts of the future.

If every club took the initiative to start a young members section it would be problem solved.
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Paul
.
1937 Ford Model Y.
1939 Austin 10.
1955 Austin A30.
1958 Ford 300E van.
1961 Austin A40.
1964 Wolseley Hornet.
1965 Series2a Land Rover.
1968 Wolseley Hornet.
1994 Peugeot 405 Est. 2of.
Nil illegitimi Carborundum

[gresham flyer]

Look at it this way....try and employ a young person to carry out any of the following jobs with any enthusiasm....

Mechanical work and repairs.
Bodywork repairs,bodywork preparation and paint spraying.
Cleaning and valeting of long term stored vehicles.

I have tried for years to find someone to pass my knowledge of vintage and classic vehicles onto,help with two man jobs and get interested in our hobby.
I still have to call on people my own age who show any interest at all in doing a job correctly.


When I was a young apprentice I always tried to do my job with pride,efficiency and to the very best standard,and always had much work to carry out for people out of normal working hours which paid for my holidays,social life and buying a decent car.

Gresham Flyer

[British heritage cars]

Now here's a story from a so called : "youngster".....

I'm 19 now So for the moste of you I'm still I baby :p

How did I get into classics..

once.. I long time ago we had a VW transporter T4 (modern one) but we had an accident, someone took us from the side.. so.. we had to buy a new car..
It was either a new VW transporter or a Landrover Defender (my fathers childhood dream was I series III)
We also went to mercedes to ask about a "vito" and the boss asked me.. what car do you want and I said LANDROVER.. aah he said we have something similar so he went with me to a G-type and said, here that's something like a Landrover... I started to laugh.. I said no.. that's a toy :p (I was about 8-9 years old)
So Back to the transporter and Defender...
It was almost the same price.. so it was luxury or character..
We went for Character and bought the Defender...
My father bought me all the books.. the first jobs I had to do where changing nuts and bolts in to stainless steel ones..

And while I was getting older I restored everything what I found whit an engine and stopt working... lawn mower, forage harvester, brush cutter, pocked quad from a friend...I built my own toy-landrover whit and engine from a cart..



But then I became 15... so I went to my father and said.. I'm 15 now.. I want I car!! :p so I've bought my Landrover Series III in England..

and I also started do collect all the haynes manuals, vintage magazines (from '30 til '70) vintage tools, books, .... just everything that's vintage and car relaited..

and I sarted to work at Angloparts (shop for british car pars) in weekends and holidays.. that's when it all became worse and worse...
..I've bought my Austin devon that I'm restoring...
...got my Austin 10/4 Cambridge..
..Jaguar MK II...
And Also building a kitcar at the moment..

I know where it all started, but I cant tell you where it ends!

But yeaa.. yongsters aren't intrested anymore... I'm in my last year of carmechanics... and it's realy to cry!!! If I say something about Classic/Vintage British cars they replay.. you and your wrecks.. etc etc..

and the other guys from my class.. well they just there caus they have to do "something"...

But I think were endangered specy of people? :p

Regards!

[BigJohn]

There is another way the younger enthusiasts start. I have 2 sons, when they were 17 and 19, back in the 1988, Ben, who was 19 had the Pug 205 style, whereas Jonathan was 17 and had restored a Modena (kermit) Green 1973 Mk1 escort at 16, it was an 1100 and Ben thought this was very funny. That was until he came home one day and said "My brother's not stupid, that car's a babe magnet" What Ben hadn't realised was girls like to be noticed, every lad had a 205, but cruising in a bright green mk1 Escort stuck out like the bob weights on a greyhound....

We still have the Escort, it's ready for another rebuild

[Richard H]

Haven't really got much to add apart from that I am 21 and love classic cars, there are certainly a few of us. The MMOC have a young members group as well which has over 300 members, which goes to show the popularity of classic cars with young folk.

Unfortunately a lot of clubs (particularly for pre-war cars) have an ageing membership. When I went to the VSCC meet in Suffolk I was the youngest driver there by a good 30 years, and about 95% of them were 60+. However, I think one of the reasons young classic folk don't generally have pre-war cars is down to the fact that most of us run classics as our only cars, we can't afford (or want, in my case!) a modern car. Pre-war cars are quite difficult to use daily, and something like an A30 or a Minor is much more useable. The other reason is a lack of funds. If you were saving up for your first house, would you splash out £20k on a vintage Humber? Probably not. In the future, once I have finished Uni and got a decent job and a place of my own, then I would love a proper vintage car.

As Paul says, I jointly run the A30/35 club Young Members' Register with Rosie and it's going pretty well. Some of us like modified and some standard cars, and although we cater for members up to the age of about 30, most of us are about 18-22. Here's a picture of our linup at the Lichfield National last year (nicked from Rosie's Facebook).



(From left to right: Matt, Dave, Myself, Tim, John, Rosie, Josh).

There is also a forum specifically for younger classic car enthusiasts. There are some really interesting cars on there, quite a variety.

http://younggunsclassics.forumcircle.com/index.php
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Richard Hughes

[colwyn500]

Well said Larry, you nailed the situation exactly. Many of our cars will become either family heirlooms or be traded much like antiques.

I always think that whilst you can encourage interests in other people; real enthusiasm usually comes from within.

[Richard H]

We all had a pretty good time at the rally, despite the rain


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Richard Hughes

[colwyn500]

That should shut everyone up Richard H!

[Roger-hatchy]

Nice one RH

Another club that has a lot of members of all ages, and run by another 21 year old, 21 last week, is Thanetclassics.

Also whole families are involved with classics, some of the cars pre war.

Have a look at their website and you will see enthusiast even at school age, and some of us a lot older, OK I'm the oldest at 69 next week, but the enthusiasm of all ages make for a club that is more of a family.