<VV> Food for thought - New Generations

Sat Jan 11 11:54:12 EST 2014

The author lost me on all the alphabet soup in the middle of the piece. I guess I'm not enough of a car geek. 
The author has a point, though some of what he laments is also generational. When I was a kid in the '70s, I was a complete car-crazed car geek. The cars I loved were not necessarily fast cars, but any "ordinary" old car was cool to me. I did develop a list of favorites. But if your only automotive love is fast cars, you will pay a price today because everybody loves fast cars. But if one loves Corvairs, Ford Falcons, or Plymouth Valiants, or if someone is amenable to cars from the '70s or the '80s, especially one that needs a little work, any of these can be had for short money. However, I don't know how best to interest younger people in "ordinary" old cars. 

Another thing that's difficult nowadays is the relative difficulty of DIY performance enhancements. For example, in my younger days, one could buy a random Chevy with a straight six, say a Nova, for next to nothing. Back in the '60s, Chevies were so interchangeable, that dropping a small block V8 into a car that had a six in it was not difficult. Because of this, cars that are easily upgraded in this fashion are also expensive if they are in reasonable condition today. 

Cars and their powertrains are much less interchangeable since the '70s/80s and especially in the computer-controlled era. Not so simple to drop a SBC into a car from the '80s, or even to upgrade to a powertrain that was available at the time, say putting a 2.8 V6 into a car that came with the iron duke 4 cylinder because of the PCM... but still, those cars with the higher performance drivetrains from the '80s are still pretty inexpensive. And there were some cool cars from this era, like the GM G-body cars such as the Buick Regal or Chevy Monte Carlo. The Grand Nationals can be pricey, but the run-of-the-mill Regals can be had for next to nothing as can Monte Carlos with the 3.8 V6, both of which would make really cool daily drivers. 

Yet, highly sought-after muscle cars, sports cars and luxury cars from highly desirable vintages will always be expensive because of the high demand for these cars and the limited supply. So, one needs to either look wider into other types and vintages of old cars, or be willing to do a lot more work on one that goes for big bucks in mint condition. 

Karl in Boston 
CORSA Eastern Director 
Stock Corvair Group 
Corvanatics 
1966 Monza Convertible project car 
. 
----- Original Message -----

From: Sethracer at aol.com 
To: virtualvairs at corvair.org 
Sent: Thursday, January 9, 2014 2:11:36 PM 
Subject: <VV> Food for thought - New Generations 

I thought that Corvair folks might find this  interesting and provoking. 
>From a source called "Sports Car Digest" 
The Next Generation of Car Enthusiasts 

By Bill Bounds 
 (http://www.sportscardigest.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_0175.jpg) I’m just 
going to put it out there, as a younger person  this hobby/sport is 
frustrating. The issue at hand is access. The internet is  great for contributing 
knowledge to the equation, but it can’t compare to  standing by as a Ferrari 
340 roars off into the distance. The former helps  reinforce passion, the 
latter creates it. The problem is, with the classic car  market on a 
rocket-propelled incline, the amount of times anyone can stand next  to something like 
that is approaching zero. Even the mid and lower grade levels  of classics 
are becoming hard to attain or encounter in normal life. Have you  priced 
out a ’50s pickup lately? 
I am personally sandwiched right in between GenX and GenY. As I like to put 
 it; I have no interest in fighting the system, but the system sure seems 
intent  on fighting me. I had the good fortune to have a racing enthusiast 
for a father,  and a British-car-owning tinkerer for a grandfather. Every 
blessing is a curse,  though, and the things I used to have access to are there 
no longer, leaving  only the desire to forge my own memories, to create my 
own stories with  automobiles. 
Here are some contemporary models that I can talk about with a decent 
amount  of depth through my own experiences. I would expect someone of my 
generation  could keep up with the conversation. EC1, EF, EG, EK, EM1, DC2, DC5; 
GC8, GD,  GE; NA, NB, NC; YJ, TJ, XJ; W10 (AW11), W20, W30; ST-165, ST-185; 
AE86; R32-35.  I tossed the Jeeps in for fun. 
To counter that, here are some models I can again talk about with depth 
that  I would expect Sports Car Digest readership to identify with. Tipo 750, 
101,  105, 115; Type 35, 35A, 35B, 37, 39; TdF, SWB, PF, GTE, GTO, LM; TR2-6; 
XKC,  XKD, XKSS, XKE; 901, 911, 904, 906, 910, 917, 956/962. And on and on. 
Both generations have the same alphabet soup. Both generations have the 
same  passion. The gap between the first group and the second group seems 
obvious to  me, it’s about access. I have friends that can tell the difference 
between a D16  and B16 Honda motor blindfolded, but they couldn’t tell you the 
difference  between a Type 35 and a T-26. An XK120, 140, and 150 are all 
the same to them  just like a third, fourth, and fifth generation Honda Civic 
would look the same  to others. I know the differences because I’m 
passionate enough to seek them out  on both sides. I don’t think, however, that the 
average contemporary “car guy”  has anywhere near the access necessary to 
know that Bentleys, Voisins,  Delahayes, Abarths, and Lancias are worth 
appreciating. Without access to cars  like that, I’m not sure it’s realistic to 
expect them to. 
As the subject of this hobby gets more and more expensive, cars will be   
driven less and less. Not many Lusso owners will let that kid in the parking 
lot  sit in the driver’s seat for a minute. A Gullwing won’t be seen 
anywhere but a  concours. All Cisitalias will end up in warehouse collections where 
only the  caretakers walk in and out. Such a climate does not create that 
passionate spark  that draws people into the hobby. So if any Sports Car 
Digest readers do have an  interest in broadening that horizon, I would ask one 
thing. Drive your cars.  Drive them in public. When you see a kid smiling, 
or someone smiling like a kid,  stop and talk to them. Silver Ghosts to MG TC 
s to split-window coupes to  Ghiblis. Automobiles are inherently engaging, 
so give yours the space and time  to engage others as they have engaged you. 
I know I am grateful for those who  took the time with me, and I will pay 
that forward as soon as I am able. 
Creating my own stories with automobiles is exactly what I intend to tackle 
 in this space. How does someone with a huge pile of enthusiasm and average 
means  find ways to maximize his access? My answers include things like 
habitually  attending the Amelia Island Concours, autocrossing, buying a Jeep, 
working on  one of my grandfather’s cars, road tripping, LeMons/ChumpCar 
racing, attending  The Mitty and the ARRC at Road Atlanta, rallycrossing, and 
on and on. 
If it burns dinosaurs, I think it’s awesome. From ’30s French grand 
touring  cars and ’50s European sports cars to British Touring Cars and Baja 
trucks, it  doesn’t matter. I like all of it. 
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