VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION General Discussions Get the young'uns interested in the hobby

I remember building models was a big part of my 'mechanical joy' as a kid. Munster Mobile, Beatnik Bandit, Wright Brothers plane, etcetera.

It occurred to me that if we involve our kids or grandkids in such model building, the experience might suck them into the collector car hobby. For example, if we help them a 4 cylinder engine model, they might get excited about the 4 cylinder era Chevys.

To that end, check out these links:

• DIY engine kits - https://www.enginediy.com/collections/diy-engine-kit
• 4 cylinder engine model - https://www.enginediy.com/collectio...it-assembled-engine-model-gift-for-adult

Pass on this information to those who might be interested.

Cheers, Dean

Nah! you need a video game where you restore cars. The older and more accurate the more points or rewards..

Great site. The hell with the kids I just might get one of those for myself.

One of the things we always was take our kids with us. We never sent our kids to the kids banquet for Pizza. They sat between Mom and Me. How else are they going to learn how to act at such gatherings, One joined VCCA when he turned 16. The other one did not. 50% isn't bad.

My son has an engine model strewn about and abandoned in my office. My plan was to get him to build it and then continue along to help assemble my 216. Might still happen but I ended up involved with bodywork before mechanicals...

Hope you can get your son to help with the 216, because if you can do a good job on them (or older) it makes putting together a 350 V8 or bigger a breeze. I used to race and put together 406 long rods etc. no shimming of bearings etc. everything just fit! ;-) OOPs, did have to file off some rod bolts so they didn't hit the high lift cam. LOL

Went to a car show on Saturday with my Chevy. Why is this important? One of the trophies given was for the youngest driver. The 18 year old drove his Model T titled in his name. So maybe there is some glimmer of hope.

There has been a surge in car shows and cruises here in my area. One or more every weekend in an effort to recruit more interest in the hobby. Fact is older folks are the attendees and participants most of the time. Younger folks seem convinced the earth is doomed because of vehicle emissions. They totally miss the historical value of our past and the beauty of it. Presenting this hobby with more emphasis on it being "fine art" (which it is) may change the negative perception and awaken a "hands on skill intense" interest rather than a "sit on your but virtual reality".
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Note: This is my thoughts on the hobby as intended by those who formed the VCCA club. Please don't read and then tell me I'm nuts. I already know that.

"...if we involve our kids or grandkids in such model building, the experience might suck them into the collector car hobby. For example, if we help them a 4 cylinder engine model, they might get excited about the 4 cylinder era Chevys."


Dean,

Nice try and I hate to throw a bucket of water all over your attempt to start a fire just when a whisk of smoke begins to appear, but it ain't gonna happen. I hope I'm wrong.


As the years go by, interest in preservation and restoration (P & R) on which this club is founded will wan to the point that in just a few years it will be welcoming street rods, modifiers. rat-rods and cruisers into the club. Those of us who are purists will be chided for a lack of support and welcome attitudes like we are the ones out of line instead of those who can't let a good body and mechanical vehicle stay true to the faith, so to speak.

The only way to attract the youngsters of today is to pay them for showing some interest in the base hobby of R & P and hope our pockets are deep enough that they may catch a compelling interest bug before they're persuaded that power and modification is the key to enjoyment of old cars.

I have four sons. None gives a crap about the old cars. If I ask any of them to help me do something on one of the old cars, you can detect the wheels spinning in their heads as to what monetary consideration I have in mind.

In a few more years, I'll be gone and the cars will be sold to those who do not appreciate the awesome power of a basic 216 and the outstanding beauty of a 1941. There is nothing to be gained by modification to any part of it or any other old car..

Just my opinion. You get my drift.

Best,

Charlie

Unfortunately, that is not hard to find:

Junkyard Simulator

Car Mechanic Simulator

Younger people need more of an interest in history in general, maybe then they will appreciate things from the past. There are many exceptions though, as mentioned above.

Terry

Food for thought....and we must be able to find room for others to grow with us or we'll be like the dodo bird.

Growing up in my day most vehicles required maintenance...maintenance....maintenance. Since most folks, at least the ones i knew, could not afford a regular mechanic so they did all the work themselves. As I grew up I remember well helping my dad and older brothers work on the ton and half truck, the 40 Ford, the 49 Chevy, the 52 Chevy and even an International truck.
Thus we grew up not worrying about getting our hands greasy and we learned, and enjoyed, fixing something and watching it run again.....a sense of self worth, self esteem and accomplishment. I still enjoy it and I"ll be 72 next month.

....moving forward the Auto's of today run for hundreds of thousands of miles (my 2000 Silverado went 326K and still running when I sold it). Kids of today also have more "expendable" money and just pay someone else to fix things with the mentality of "just get it running, I need to go blah blah blah.

Not to brag but my children "hung with me as they grew up". One of my daughters learned pretty dang good and can fix things her hubby won't even try! I told her to start buying him model cars to put together!

Not sure many of you get what I'm trying to say but there is a difference here we have to recognize. The car club I joined over 20 years ago was dying. Then we included "tuners", motorcycles, and told folks to drive it, drag it or push it to our gatherings. Suddenly the parking lot of full. T-models both car and truck, pre-war and post war coming out of the carports and garages where they were hidden away. A little recognition went a long way and surprise, quite a few young'uns decided they like the old iron better.
*** I am not suggesting VCCA does this but we have to find a way. There is not a helluva lot more members now than there were when I left back around '99....there is truth in what Charlie, and the others have said, so lets sift it out and see what we can do. This hobby is worth saving!!

May I add....I have a "resto-mod 37pickup", (just sold my resto-mod 52panel) that I certainly would get hollered at by most purist, (which I was back in late 90's, so I left the VCCA) but no one saw what I started with...Example- a rusted cab, half a hood, one door.....and the panel should have been crushed. Most don't see that. I did the best I could, with the funds available, but there is no doubt, when you look at them, you know what they are. Most folks never don't see the "mod" part. Question: so should I have just scrapped them? NO!

However, I always said if I could find one WORTHY of keeping "pure" I'd certainly do it. I finally found one I could afford, 5 years ago and its solid and going to be "pure" as I can make it. Almost ready for paint!

We have to find a way, but we have to earnestly look for it, to co-mingle in this hobby or it, and VCCA, will be gone as we know it, and are talking about,... and the question will be why/how.

The I phone has taken over from classic cars !

Yes, that is what we see, but I suspect it is deeper than that.

We get immense satisfaction from the problem-solving aspects of the hobby, the pride of a job well done, and the adulation that comes from showing the world the results of our efforts. Let's face it, owning a collector car is a socially acceptable way to get attention,

The little electronic devises that people play with these days provide the same warm fuzzies to them. Solving puzzles, overcoming obstacles, and the adulation of their peers for their accomplishments. They get to show off online, with potentially millions of viewers. That's pretty powerful stuff.

So, if we want to grow the hobby, we need to help the device addicts diversify in their interests.

Here's a few ways I attempt this:

• I regularly bring my old trucks to the local high school auto shop and let the kids climb all over them and admire the 'old' technology. The motometer gets 'um every time! Soon, I'll start taking my custom minibike to the classes too (I need to revive it because it has been sitting in the back shed for many years). I built it in 9th grade when I was around 13, so the kids can relate. See the pics below of my current project (The BS Flyer) and my minibike (The Preying Mantis). ;-)
• When I go to car shows, I let folks sit in my truck and I take their picture with their phone. They are thrilled! Especially kids and their parents.
• Speaking of car shows, I always have a stack of old G&D magazines to give away.
• I routinely drive my trucks around town to run errands. The post office, the hardware store (my favorite hang out), to pick up take-out food. Inevitably, somebody gives me a thumbs up or asks about the vehicle and I get to give a mini car-show spiel.

Very fun for me and I'm getting many smiles per mile!

The onus is on our anus to grow the club.

Cheers, Dean

Great ideas Dean. At our last Cars n Coffee gathering, an older woman with a pre-teen grandaughter was admiring my 51 Coupe. When I asked the granddaughter if she'd like to sit in the car, her eyes lit up! That's the excitement we can generate.
Unfortunately, here in So. Cal most high schools have abandoned their auto shop programs, so aside from showing our cars on the street, there's no other way to grab the younger generations' interest.
I also pointed out the bizarre features like door handles and chokes. The kids love it!!

We all have to keep on trying despite the idiotic electric car propaganda, etc.. Yadda yadda. Hope I'm gone before the autonomous car craze hits. Licensed drivers are bad enough now. Didya see the video of the Tesla driver sleeping behind the wheel on a freeway while his autopilot was on?? Sheeeesssh!!!