Are Young People Keeping The Classic Car Hobby Alive???? 

The hardest part is getting kids into cars. Once they get interested in cars, no matter what type, you got them in the car trap. You see that in the mini truck world where mini truckers are now into the classic truck scene. Best thing you can do to is to give a kid some hot wheels, a toy car, or just let them sit in your car. Make a car memory for them. Plant the seed.

You hit the nail on the head. The cost of the hobby is extremely high for many phases. Good paint is extremely expensive and requires equipment not on hand to everyone, plus it is not easy to do... The Muscle Car field is now a rich man's game... Kids today are generally not interested in the old hot rod community, seeming to prefer Japanese cars from the 1970s on forward. Today's efforts to popularize the resurrection 1950s cars and trucks is helping keep the hobby alive, and mechanical parts are still available for many of them. The cars your program focuses on are still popular because the vehicles can be found and the costs are still within reach - as long as you are not going for total restoration..

I'm 35 and inherited my grandfather's 1939 Ford Deluxe. I have been working on the restoration for 2 years now. Plan is to have it driving in the next couple of months. I hope to keep this car a very long time as I have some many great memories in it.

Thanks for your amazing comments on roadster here in Australia. That car is my life and I am glad someone else appreciated it as much as I do. It was great meeting you and I hope you enjoyed the drive in it!

I'm 62 years old. I was finally able to get a 36 roadster two years ago. Like people say, "life keeps getting in the way." Now i understand. Interesting podcast. Hope the Carlisle weather forecast gets better.

The first ITG video I saw was finding the 'Forgotten Hot Rod' and seeing it being rebuilt was amazing. I love Matt's metal fabrication work. Also, the 'first drive' of an old car returned to life is great fun to watch. Plus, I enjoy seeing the occasional old B&W photo inserted into a video, some guy and his car obviously taken in the 50s or 60s. They give a real sense of continuity. Fifty years from now, some young RU-vid hot rodder will throw up a picture of the Sweetheart Roadster or Pagoda City Coupe to show what he finds inspiring. This is a great channel.

I think the car hobby in general is in good shape. Just go to a Cars and Coffee event, and you will see vehicles from just about every segment of the hobby and every age group.

Here in Australia I have seen up and down the east coast a group of younger people who are definitely into their cars. They drive from state to state and attend. They are into a mix of 30's to 60's cars and run their own Instagram accounts. One of them has become a very good pinstriper and he goes from event to event doing his thing. The kind of things we have seen them at were Reliability Runs, Rattletrap beach jalopy drags. An auto craze which has grown over the last few years is Carz n Coffee. It's run all around the country and has really highlighted how many classic car enthusiasts are out there. You are 100% right... perspective is the key. Just because your not seeing something personally ... doesn't mean it's not happening. I really enjoyed listening to both of your perspectives on the topic. Oh by the way... you mentioned the Australia Nationals.... I nearly made it there but a few hours down the road we had issues and had to turn around. I would have loved Mat to see my '39 Mercury mild-custom while he was there. It has a story all it's own and I feel privileged to be the current owner/custodian. 🙂

I seen the title and thought I’d share something real quick. I know y’all deal with the oldies a lot. But as a whole no the scene is going to die out. Of course there will always be people who do like classics from ever year range. My model A build is getting less views then anything I’ve ever built AND what’s interesting is my typical viewer is 35-55 years old. So for some oldies, the adults now are gonna let that scene die out, there’s less interest. Muscle car era and surprisingly old school minitrucks still do well for me. As new stuff comes majority of people prefer new stuff over old stuff, so eventually every car scene will die. Not too mention who knows how involved a government will be a 100 years from now when tik tokers are running the planet.

Back in the early '60s, no one wanted Flathead stuff. We bought Flathead speed equipment for next to nothing. Most Edelbrock, Offenhuaser, etc manifolds were about $10 a pop. We had Hilborn injectors, Harmon Collins mags and other ignitions were just cheap cheap cheap. Stromberg carbs cores were $2. A rebuilt Stromberg 97 or 48 was $15 exchange. A local cam grinder would duplicate any Isky cam. I think Hershey changed more because of Covid and Ebay. Foreign buyers used to be the biggest buyers. Now they are not on the ground. They are on the computer. A lot of the sellers are the guys like me who are aging out. "Why am I hanging on to this?"

My wife won't go to car shows where people sit in lawn chairs, but she loves Hot Rod power tour, I quit going to the Good Guys shows because it cost so much, however the crowds in parking lots at the hotels are a whole lot of fun. The displays of power can get out of control. Ron

Three of my favorite things; boats, old cars and airplanes. Priced out of all of them now that I'm retired and on a somewhat fixed income.

Great video. I’m turning 29 and just picked up a ‘62 dodge lancer. Wasn’t too expensive bc it looks a little goofy yet oddly appealing in my opinion. Rusted floor but came with new pans! Excited to get it cleaned up and cruise this summer and hopefully inspire others to pick up an old project. We weren’t born in the wrong generation - we were born in this one to keep the old ones alive!

I'll be 35 this coming May, I own pretty original 1948 Ford F1, with a 226 backed by a 3 speed trans. No new paint job, just made it safe to drive and will keep "as found" I like them that way anyways.

I’m 60 so I’m in the middle. Best advice for young guys? Be the kind of kid that can be friends with an old guy. Iron Trap represents an extreme commitment to the “hobby”. If you don’t get some skills you’ll be restricted. Get some school and get a job that involves fabrication. Learn learn learn. There’s a suck factor but the people you meet makes it better. Involve yourself with a club or group. Do that and you’ll be living the life. There will be huge opportunities in a few years. All the old guys with all the cars are going to age out. The hobby will grow but will look different 10 years from now.

Matt and Mike in what I like is 50 - 70 trucks. Is very much gone crazy 🤪. I was getting them for acouple of hundred bucks....and now the same crappie trucks are going in the thousands. I think u' guys are right it is changing as age groups get older.

Dude!!! Portland swap meet!!! This weekend 2 mile road course was full of everything and anything. Expo was my 41st yr!!! Thanks Mike!!! I flipped Chevy p/u's $500 and sell $1500. Now you need to add a "0". Houses are the same thing. The hobby is strong here in the NW!!!✌️

You covered a lot of ground on this one. A lot to unpack. I'm 77, been doing it since my teens. I hang out with a bunch of guys about the same age group. Among us, we've covered about all of it. I'd like to touch on the paint comments. A couple of the guys had show cars with custom paint. When finishing my last car (34 pickup) I was discussing paint with them. BOTH of them said to leave it as found, clean it up and drive it. I saw them worrying about their cars and trailering them. Not for me. I followed their suggestions, repaired the damage and have been driving the s**t out of it ever since. Drive them, enjoy them That's what its about. Right?

Good one guys, the hobby is alive and well out here in Cali. The kids are involved they're just doing it with cars that are affordable for them and that they grew up with. I grew up with 20 year old 60's cars in the 1980's , they are slamming and tricking out engines on 20 year old Hondas. The spirit is the same: Take what you have and make it cool.

When I first got my car, people would say, "I had one of those", then it became, "my dad had one of those", then, "my grandpa had one of those", later it became "that's sick man! What is it?"

We inherited my father in-laws 67 barracuda convert. I'm going to be 70 and I found the internet to be the most critical part of starting out dealing with parts. The info about working on it. What parts are available, cost and interchangeability. The car has a stuck motor so I picked up a Dodge Ram Van ($800) with a lower miles running 360 that will bolt right in. Will sell the transmission and figure the engine will end up costing $300. I think the young kids coming in to the hobby can quickly get up and running with the amount of information they can access. Good podcast guys.

It’s difficult to listen to older people complain about not being able to find parts or cars when so many of them are hoarding these parts and project cars knowing they will never get around to completing them. What you guys do is awesome because you are saving these things from the scrap yards and hoarders so others can purchase them and hopefully return these cars back to road to be enjoyed for the next 100 years. I understand people will do what they please with their own property but man watching cars rot into the ground or crushed at a scrap yard just kills me that car was someone’s dream and it could be someone else’s dream as well.

I'm 70 years young, and yes there was a time when I questioned the future of hot rods. Today with the advent of electric vehicles it would be easy to jump on the band wagon of doom and gloom for the hobby. Face it, the future will be the future love it or hate it, a good friend of mine told me this once about the future and alternative powered vehicles, and it's so true. When Henry Ford and all the other forefathers of gasoline powered vehicles made them a reality, they didn't go out and shoot all the horses the next day! I believe hot rods and the hobby are here for a long time and will always be a part of the American lifestyle. Some of my best friends are young guys in the car hobby, why? because they are full of enthusiasm and continuing the hobby, just in a different direction than we took it. Why? Out of necessity, they are doing what they know and can afford. It's not that they wouldn't love a traditional hot rod, they are just out of reach of their budget. With our generation, it was a lawn chair show with perfect factory muscle cars traditional Ford hot rods as the goal to obtain, with them its driving and using their vehicles and the modifying and improving of the vehicles we once thought were daily drivers and at one time were nearly worthless, but now have become valuable due to the demand for them.Sound familiar? Think model T Fords they were everywhere for cheap after W.W.2. So things haven't really changed all that much, I'm still building weird out of the mainstream stuff, its just that hot rods have taken a different direction and if change is what keeps the hobby alive, I'm fine with it.

Guys, I have watched your channel now for many years and very much enjoy the adventures, I have shared your channel and website info with a lot of local car people here in GA and all i hear back is how expensive it is. Then I get to explain that you flew out west, rented a truck and searched a rat and racoon infested building to bring it back, I understand that your costs to obtain these cars and parts is expensive, but the tire kickers will never understand. Keep doing what you do and try to save more of these cars from the crusher.

I'll be 40 this year and am building a 36 ford touring sedan, im at least not letting the old cars and knowledge go totally away.

Interview Travis at RAC he is a young fellow who is keeping old school hot rodding alive, I think would be interesting conversation

33(almost 34) year old here. Growing up I never expected to own a muscle car after watching Barrett Jackson and the prices skyrocket for years. I currently own 4, a 70 Challenger and 3 different AMC muscle cars. I got into the AMC stuff because not only is it different, but generally you can get a lot more car for much cheaper. The Challenger was the deal of a lifetime and I was in the right place at the right time. But I write this comment because I hate this belief that the hobby is dying. Changing? Yes. It’s always changing, but it will never go away short of being legislated out of existence, and even then they’d have to pry my Holley’s from my cold dead fingers. As the generations change tastes change, while I believe muscle cars will always be valuable because they were built from the get go to be cool, I do see the market shrinking and prices dropping at some point in the future.Which overall is a good thing for younger people in the hobby. I enjoy your channel and thanks for talking about this.

I remember when Rat Rods were just hot rods in primer, damn that went downhill fast!

I’ve owned a 24 Ford since I was 29. I’m 56 now. Built the car from the ground up, to appear as if the car was maintained all its life. I painted it with a foam roller.

I’ve been sufficiently humbled. One thing I’d like to bring up tho is the RU-vid effect on project car prices because so many ppl have channels that they’re trying to make a living off of and buying almost anything remotely fixable for their channel. I’ve been around long enough to notice how hard it is to find affordable projects these days. Thanks guys. Love your work and your insights.

Personally I think what stops a lot of people is the cost, people hold onto parts and projects wanting too much money for them. The old “I know what I got” is getting old, I just sold my pickup truck at a fair price and it sold fast (possibly too cheap?😂) but hey someone else is in the hobby now! Name for your podcast! “A NIGHTCAP WITH IRONTRAP. Love ya work men.

My FIL had a white/blue convertible fox body. When he passed, we were not in a position to restore it and ended up selling it. For my 50th, I bought myself a "98 white/white Mustang GT convertible. I sold it and bought an '84 Jeep CJ-7, which is now my hobby. I found ITG five years ago while searching RU-vid for welding videos. The rest is history. Thanks for a great podcast covering an interesting topic.

I think part of what is making it so expensive is the emphasis that is being put on period correctness. While period correct cars are the best thing on earth, those parts just keep getting rarer and rarer, and it drives the prices up. Twenty years ago the flathead stuff became super expensive, then the guys that were priced out of that went and got into 4 bangers. Then the 4cyl stuff shot up through the roof. Trends in the hobby will always dictate what drives pricing. 5 years from now the flathead stuff may be “uncool” and all the young guys might be paying huge money for ‘70s survivor street rods, just look at the van and chopper guys. So it might reach a point where 50’s style hotrods will be dying, but the hobby itself will live on despite changes in the culture creating different demand in the market.

You hit on a key point early in the video when you mentioned money. Like all hobbies, old cars/hotrods are a discretionary hobby. Old car work is also expensive, and for most of us, it's the money that dictates what we can do. So when you see living costs go up due to inflation, something has to give and usually it's the hobby, be it old cars or coin collecting. There was a news story this week that said its takes $137 to buy the same amount of groceries you could get for $100 back in 2019. Something has to give. You can still get cheap vehicles, such as old square body Ford and Chevy pickups, but you either need to have the skill to fix them up yourself, or have the money to get professional help.

From going to swap meets I've noticed a lot of stuff from the 80s and 90s. I'm in my 50s and went to swap meets in the 70s with my dad. I remember how it was. Listen, the guys from this era are leaving us and things have, and are changing. I'm happy to hear you guys talking about this! Kudos! I do think some of the older guys could be mire "accepting" to the younger guys

I've been in the hobby since the 70's and guys have been saying since then that the hobby won't last much longer! I think it's as strong as ever and here in Phoenix there are a lot of driving events mainly because of the weather and even in the blistering heat of the summer there are things going on. We have swap meets every month all year round. Driving a vintage car of any type is the closest thing to stepping back in time.

Fiberglass? It serves a purpose for a radical street rod by saving vintage tin. I needed the cab corner above the left door for my '25 Ford TT, daily searched the Model T Club of America Classifieds. Occasionally a widow or relative would inherit a 1924 Model T and would request the market selling price. The description or picture would be a full blown T Bucket, many times not a Ford part on it. Education was sometimes awkward as members explained it was a recreation of a car body Henry never produced. The members would suggest keeping it in the family, some suggested contacting a local street rod club while occasionally someone would make a llow ball offer.

I’m 53 and I’ve always been about driving whether it’s to a local cruise night or driving halfway across the country to go to an open house at a friend’s shop. My daughter is 12 and just got her favourite car a 78 Monte Carlo , we got 2 for $1200 and people got upset with me because I got them so cheap but they were for sale for months and they were out of the way and a pain to go get. My point is you have to seek out the deals and be willing to travel to go get them. Parts and cars are a lot easier to find now than they were 30 years ago when you had to know someone who knew someone who might know where there’s a ‘29 roadster body 32 coupe body etc. Swap meets are still the best. I agree that there needs to a degree of gatekeeping to make sure people are selling or swapping. Bring back swapping it’s the real fun.

When young kids and their parents are looking at my family's cars I always tell them and especially the kids to get in the car and try to get them interested in the hobby let them touch it and even start it the young kids are the ones that I will be trying to sell it to someday. If you're one of the guys that have a signs ( don't touch) on the cars .then why would a young person want to get involved

The same issue exists with the model building hobby. Everyone carries on that the hobby is dying but the truth is there are more kits coming out than ever and the kids are not into cars, tanks or planes (in general) but they are into Gundam. A number of Toronto hobby shops have decreased area for traditional model kits and created large spaces for Gundam kits because that's where the money is with the young builders. There are also stand alone hobby shops that cater almost exclusively to Gundam and the supplies needed to build them.

The Race of Gentlemen while it's a great gathering and a fun event it's also responsible for the astronomical rise in prices for these cars that prior to that were very affordable to build. The prices of vintage cars all the way up to the early 70's is just getting too far out of reach for the younger generation to afford to get involved in . Kids today are fixing up their daily drivers which many times are imports because they can't afford to have more than one car to invest $ in. You can call people 'cheap asses" that don't want to pay "market value" for things but you are failing to take into account how hard it is to survive today . People do not have the disposable income that once had because daily necessities are becoming more and more unaffordable . Go to the supermarket and see how far $100 goes today compared to just 3 years ago... gas to put in your car, etc. The hobby is suffering because people are suffering & disposable income for more a more people are becoming a thing of the past.

37 here and living in the UK, been obsessed with hot rods, Kustoms and classic American cars for most of my life. Unfortunately I have no idea when I will be able to afford to own one, the cost of living here vs the very stagnant wages is such that even my idea for a relatively cheap project is still years away from making it a reality. I'm into all periods of rodding & kustomising from the 40's till the 70's / early 80's in the US and from the 70's to the 80's in the UK which is when rodding first took off here. My idea for a cheap project that may be attainable is a 30's British car that is just poor enough in condition to make it's restoration unlikely. Get a chassis built for it, maybe a Rover V8 (A copy of a Buick V8) Jag IRS, slotmags or chrome fivespokes and some kind of wild 60's or 70's style paintjob which would be the kind of thing people were building here in the 70's and early 80's when there weren't as many American 20's or 30's cars to build from. Currently own a 1972 Vauxhall Firenza which looks almost like a miniature 68 Pontiac coupe which wears a set of slotmags. Space is another huge issue, I have a garage that fits the car and not much else, and no power or lighting there. I just wish there was a local hot rod garage to go and work at in my spare time to learn to do more myself. I think aside from the issues of cost & space there needs to be a way of capturing young peoples imagination. American Graffiti had a huge impact on getting people into the scene when it came out, but it feels like there have been barely any influential films or tv series recently which have introduced people to the hobby. Most of the stuff that was filmed in the past is quite dated or cheesy, there needs to be something new. Agree when it comes to shows, don't mind static shows as I walk around checking all the cars out but ones with more going on or involving driving are the most fun. My local monthly meet the Krispy Kreme Cruise do two cruises down to Brighton on the south coast each year, Dream Cars who import lots of classic American cars put on a massive cruise night every year in Redhill where the focus is on driving. Hot Rod Hayride is like a big hot rod / nostalgia hangout weekend where the theme is 40's to 60's so no billet, ugly modern wheels etc and there is a nearby dirt track and lots going on.

I'm 32 now. I grew up loving sixty's show cars like Big Daddy Roth's stuff.but it's really never been affordable for me so I've built low riders. Euro cars imports stance cars and American trucks. I love all cars and I think that's the way most people should try to look at it.

I really dont get why people complain so much about the prices for cars and parts. Its market trends, economy, and availability. I bought my project car just over 13 or 14 years ago. It's a 1938 Oldsmobile. The car is a 1 year only body trim package as well as interior design. 1936, 37, and 38 shared the same frame and body shell, however everything else was specific or dependent on its particular year. When I bought it it was $1k and had a lot of parts missing or broken. Over the years i have amassed a fair collection of usable parts for the car including a decent front grill that i probably paid too much for. But, it wasn't until 3 or 4 year ago that I found a gentleman out of NY that was cleaning up some of the stash from his families parts business and had 2 pieces of trim that fit my car. Over 10 years to find the trim alone. The guy told me flat out that he was about to just toss the pieces in the trash if nobody purchased them, and I didn't pay an arm and a leg for them. To me it's the thrill of the hunt. Sometimes you score gold while other times you get taken for a ride. I've been to Carlisle and Hershey several times and struck out. I was about to run the car without the stainless trim when I randomly searched ebay and found the pieces. On top of that, the pieces are not exactly what I need and I have to take the one piece and cut it down to make it fit correctly. Unless I say so at a car show, will anyone really ever know the wiser?

I have a rodded 1936 Buick Standard that my dad bought in 1974. Dad and I drag raced it at Castlereagh Drag Strip in the early 1980s when I was about 20. He gave it to me about 5 years ago. I am not in a club. I have been working on it to fix a lot of problems that dad didn't worry about fixing. I have a lot of good memories associated with that car! I agree with what you are saying about high priced show cars. I don't want to own a show car. I want to be able to drive it.

At 59, I'm actually more excited right now with the direction things are going than I have been in a long time. From the gasser revivals to the day two musclecar to the ROG and traditional hot rod/survivor cars like guys like you, Karl Fisher, Bennett's in Aussie are bringing back. I completely turned away from pre-'49 cars in the 80's and '90's due to what I called the "Coddington Effect". Monotone, tinted windows up, billet aluminum everything, AC blowing, quietly slipping by as silently as possible. I hated those cars. Gimme 3 pedals, windows down, buggy sprung, and a healthy roar and I'm a happy guy. Keep up the good work, keep driving them, keep the 'soul' of hot rodding alive and the hobby will be just fine.

I have a pair of 1950 Pontiacs for sale.. a 2 door fastback and a 4 door sedan.. 5k for the pair.. both cars are near rust free.. both straight 8 flatheads with automatics.. in the Gettysburg pa area.. somebody save them.. build the 2 door and part out the 4 door..

hi i just turned 20 and i am in eastern PA area. unfortunately my grandfather passed away a couple weeks ago. he was a mechanic so i was lucky to have him help me with my first build my 1971 monte carlo. his first project car back when he was 16 in 1966 was his 1929 ford model a which has sat for a very long time after the engine blew before i was born. life happened and the car sat he never had the time to fix it with working. i always wanted to help fix it with him but now i will be trying to figure it out with some of the knowledge he left me with. the engine he had in it was a flathead too so i am looking forward to working on it and preserving his memory and the culture itself. he has many other projects he left behind, a similar example is his model a truck (i don’t know the year) but it needs some love too. although im finishing up my sophomore year of college so it’ll be awhile until i have more time to work on these but still i figured i would comment to give you guys some hope that i am looking forward to being apart of the classic car community. i still have much to learn about fixing cars i will be trying my best to preserve these beautiful cars!

I'm 65 now, I started in the 'old car hobby' when I started work at 21 in 1981, encouraged by my late Father who was a hands on guy, he helped me get my first car which was a 14 year old Triumph Convertible. He thought it would be a good starter classic for me. I ended up keeping it for almost 18 years, and started building up my dream car, a 1963-71 Triumph Vitesse Convertible in 1984, I finally first drove it in 1997, brought it with me to the USA in 2002, I've never stopped improving it. This June will mark my 40th anniversary with that car. I don't really care for Concours shows because here in the USA, they are only for factory specification cars, and mine is modified, although mostly contemporary modifications. Almost everyone at the shows seem to have White Hair (I can talk!)- but it is concerning. Back in the UK, the club I was involved with has a young persons register, also a couple of the old cars from the Museum are loaned out to younger people so they can experience them, these are potential ways forward. I will keep my own far until it is pried from my cold, dead hands.

Another thing that hurts some people are what some of the auctions are getting for somthing

Matt you and Mike are both the credit to your generation most guys your age don't want to get their hands dirty. 👍

I think you guys did a great job with this and I agree with you! Sure the hobby has changed some but it's still alive and kicking just different. Who's to say the young person who's budget fits a slant 6 Duster won't one day have a Duesenberg? Maybe the hot rodder gets hooked on a brass era car... We're lucky there are so many options for the hobby in general. It's one of the things that makes us strong. One part that helps is when you do see a younger person that's interested... encourage them. Talk cars...show them things about your car or what you're working on and be sure to ask what they are into. Anyway...sorry for the ramble...see you in Carlisle! 🏁

I would imagine a huge impact on fewer young people getting interested in car culture is the fact so many of them do not have a driver's license. In the 16-19 age group, less than 40% of American youth drive. Hopefully young folks will realize what a bargain many classic cars are when considering the average price of a new vehicle is around $50K!

When I got out of the Service in 1970 , I bought a 1967 Camero , 327 4 speed , off a car lot for $2,300 , had it about 7 years , sold for $1,500 , wish I could get it back for that .😎

I inherited my grandfathers 1950 3/4 ton pickup. In Wisconsin, so it was kind of a rust bucket, but it was all there and it ran. I kept it for 33 years, lots of good times and I got a lot of work done with it too. Storage was the big problem in the end and I decided to sell it to a local collector. One issue that I had was the lack of being able to travel at proper highway speeds. The nostalgia of being the old dork being in the way with his old car grew thin. Safety is another matter. We have all become reliant on all of the safety systems in a modern car. Tearing down the road at 45 mph in a safe/unsafe for a 1950 vehicle starts making you wonder about the choices of how you want to die or get hurt in a car accident. In comparison to the protection that a modern car offers, there really is no comparison. Emissions too. These old cars are some really high polluting vehicles. It's no wonder that smog was a big problem over cities like LA and Vegas because each of these engines were spewing out the equivalent to 100 if not more modern cars . As much of a pain in the ass that anti polluting equipment on cars were, the technology really does work. You could easily accidentally kill yourself in a closed off garage with an old car running, nowadays you'd really have to make an effort.

Another great podcast! Agree with your take on the hobby. My nephew is into autocross and is doing motor swaps in Volvos. While we have different tastes, when we're together we speak the same language of cars and parts! Already made a donation to Piero, hopefully he heals quick and finishes the T-bucket (Car That Ate My Brain). Go Iro Trap, keep moving forward!

I watch you guys all the time. I have and work on Austin-Healeys as a hobby. I hear the same thing with British cars. My goal is to have the best running car and reliable car. I cannot complete at a car show but everyone knows I will drive it anywhere.

A freind of mine bought a 90s mustang that was a showroom stock racecar. His dad still drives it. His dad has a 56 chevy station wagon parked next to his garage.

Since watching you guys build the "Free T" I've wanted to cruise to eastern PA and hangout with you for Sunday Service. That's where the fun of this hobby is. Seeing your friends and checking out the projects there working on...and maybe lending a hand.

All of my customers are three times my age when dealing with pre 80s. When you get into the 80s 90s classics the younger crowd is there. The eras and what was around goes through a cycle. Like yous said there is that bubble. Restoration is expensive but at the same time it has always taken a lot of hard work time and money to make something old new again. The old cars are only getting older hence it being more expensive honestly just due to the fact of more work needing to be done. 26 now started restoring classics in my teens.

Matt and Mike, if you are not mechanically inclined, Hot Rodding can be expensive. My cars don't have awesome paint because I can't afford to pay someone. The engineering, assembly, welding some of us can do. I don't think a lot of young people are interested because they have not had the opportunity to have access to shop class, there parents are not interested and in some cases advanced educational paths are pre determined for them . I also believe restoration of antique autos will die with the age groups of those who remember those cars. Awesome pod cast love the channel

I only have one thing that either my grandfather or great grandfather might have carried with them ! After my grandfather died the farm was sold but the people who bought it allowed my mom and us 4 kids live there . Well the lane that went from the corral to the pasture was moved ! From the northeast corner of the corral to the northwest corner ! They disc it up while I was out there playing and I seen something shiny picked it up ! Later that day I got to looking at it and found that it was a 1877 Seated Liberty Dime ! That is how I got into collecting old money !

It has become too damn expensive for Working Class people. If we still had a large middle class, it would be better, but as it is, a guy in his 30s or even 40s supporting a family and making mortgage payments, and only earning 1 1/2 times the minimum wage, and paying for part of his health insurance, simply can't afford to have a car restored or even own the tools and equipment to do it himself. And if he is a renter, he doesn't even have a place to do it.

You all are 20 years younger than me, and the original guys were 40 years older than me, think it doing ok. As far as paint goes rule of thumb I go by, If it is my car I decide, if it's yours you do.

Excellent podcast hit it right on the button i have a 66 Plymouth i bought in 77 off my brother a lot of memories retired now in Arizona and my daughter will get when I'm gone with guys like you and Mike the hobby is in good hands

I agree when we were in high school in the 1980s we just got some auto wax and rubbed out the old paint that was on the old car. We would put a set of nice hub caps or chrome wheels and lower the car. For the California low rider look. We didn't have that much money to put in are car's gas, movies and other fun stuff we wanted to do. The better job you had the better car you got to buy. Or put into your ride. Most of us were using are parent's drive way that they didn't like are old car being worked on. Remember my first GOOD GUY'S car show in the early 80s they only charged for parking it was $5 for parking. I went with my neighbor he had a 1949 Desoto 4 door. His father own a small junk yard of old car's truck's. I notice back then was more old salvaged automobile parts vs now is more after market parts. If there is old parts most of its picked over stuff that sellers been trying to sell the stiff for the last 20 year's. A lot of the older parts from 20s 30s have been scrap metal. It more 50s 60's 70's 80s and parts or newer? Then again that's what's getting older what I'm thinking is newer car's but really I'm just getting older compared to some kid that was born in the 1990s?

I’ve watched The Mad Fabricators videos, especially the videos of replicating Tweedy Pie. I’m sorry to hear about Piero’s health problems. I also follow Mike at TOHR.

Speaking of the paint thing I have a 61 Chevy Biscayne and it is the patina look but the car is what I grew up as when we were younger we wanted a hot rod and that what we built I can go to town on any giving day and had 5 or 6 people comment on the car because that what they grew up seeing I get more pleasure out of that then looking at some bag of money car. I also own a 38 Willys 2 DR factory sedan gasser that is still in its patina but it is so Cool with that look. Paint is a problem it needs to be baby and I build my stuff so I can enjoy it. Great video guys I look forward to watching you each time you do a video. Thanks for the builds you do.

I made it to Gathering at the Roc in Bartlesville, OK last fall. It's a great show. Reliability run on Friday, show on Saturday. Hotel lot parties both nights. Hope to make the Relix Riot this year.

I had never heard of the "Dead Mans Curve Show" thanks. I live in Kentucky, we do NSRA in Louisville. There are so many local shows every weekend you don't know which to attend.

Matt, I like the way you feel about painting a car .They do have there own history with the way they look.😊I really like the 39 you have been working on .The color is perfect for that car .Another thing that cost so much are the tools to make parts if a part is not able to be found.Parts in general are so expensive now days it get in your pocket way to much .That why so many projects go by thre wayside and never finished.

I would love to have a brass era car! The problem is the price if they are complete. And if they arent complete you might get it cheap but trying to get parts is hard as hell and expensive to buy unless its something you can fix. But yeah like you said trying to drive them is borderline dangerous with the way people drive. I have a 1935 harley so its pretty much antique and people just about run me off the road and that thing does 55mph. I basically gotta stick to around town or small back roads to get someplace.

Hello from germany here....most big Events in europe are 3day weekend Camping Events. Some people drive 600km or more....because only a few Events over the year for each car Group... and then there are the 10am to 2 pm cars and Coffee meets on sundays..... What is really messing here are some friday night or saturday night events

Thank you Matt and Mike for a very informative video ! I really enjoyed watching , listening , learning more about you guys and your hobby !

I only forund one old car in 20 years it was a 28 ford for $1000 with the old 4 banger need a lot of work i did buy a 76 c10 in good shape for $1500 10 years ago and have seen a few now for 800 but i keep looking

I think what you said is exactly right, the hobby isn’t going away but it is changing. I am a 30 year old AACA member and hear a lot of the older guys bitch and moan about the “younger generation” and I have to remind them how it is hard to have an original restored car. I have my grandfathers 83’ Lincoln Mark VI and it’s a survivor and will always be. I also can say a lot of people aren’t participating anymore because it’s just too hard for them to get their cars out due to age and physical limitations. Always enjoy your videos and your appreciation for the early Fords. I want to have one someday. Also want a 55 or 57 thunderbird as well. It will happen one day.

I have been wanting to get my 1957 Willys Jeep wagon 4x4 fixed back up ! Sadly I will have to paint it because the person that I bought it from removed all of the paint . It still has all of the original equipment ! I'll be 69 in May !

I can agree with the part about leaving the car “as found”. It earned every ding, scratch and wear/tear on the paint. It’s the story of the cars life. Obviously fix it so it’s safe to drive. The cost of stuff is also a main factor. And it snowballs. If I painted my ‘55 Pontiac, I’d have to fix the dents, then I’d be 10k in chrome etc to make it pristine and it would take me years. I rather just drive her and enjoy the car. As David Freiburger has said, don’t get it “right” just get it running.

Here is an example. My first car I had painted was a 1958 Corvette in 1974 for $450. It was factory pearl white. That same paint today would be well over 4 thousand!! From then on the o the cars I have done 56 Buick, 46 Ford etc the paint I leave alone. Surviver paint . I treat the paint at their worst with linseed oil and call it done.

I hope it's not dying. I just bought a 49 shoebox coupe, on my way to pick it up now

The 3-4 hour Main Street shows are the best

Hey guys, looking forward to chatting at Carlisle. Mike you hit the nail on the head @ 1:06:00

Allentown vintage drags races 🏁 in June Fair Grounds. 1st *2nd

Yooooo! Good Morning Everyone! Thanks guys! 👊🙂🤙❤️

Most people can’t afford a restored muscle car, therefore; they have no interest. However most people in the hobby started out with project cars and never had anything nice for many years

If you like chill events. I would recommend Gathering at the Roc or Lonestar Round Up

🗿💨 four yrs back, i told an acquaintance we would be referring to the Crud as pre and post. But today i must enter my time machine and travel to 1971 to collect beer cans😎 Absolutely enjoyed thisn guys 👍 today we write the history of our automotive industry and epic influence on its male humans

That pagoda coop, Sticks out like a sore thumb in the background you need to chop the top on that about 4 or 5 inches that is a traditional hot rod And would look marvelous hammered.

Keeping it alive in Minnesota, to keep it short, because of your channel I’m almost finished building a 29 Tudor Sedan with a 37 Flathead & 3 speed trans, Quick change Rearend, original Buick juice brakes, f1 steering column, I need to wire it, get a drive shaft made sort out a clutch & brake pedal bcoz I added a X member, I’m currently at $9,248.00 spent on my build,

in the 80s an old boy would show up at weekly cruise with a (guess ..ballpark ) a 30 Rolls Royce that some one had removed the coachwork & put on a flat bed was such a cool old car ... often wonder what happened to it .. front bumper to B pillar was all vintage Rolls like you say a couple hundred thousand later it would be worth restoring if you have deep pockets but it was neat as it sat the way he pulled it way of a barn

It’s not dying it’s just getting unaffordable for the average guy on the lighter side I just got my iron trap garage t shirt and stickers already put them on my 1930 model a thanks guys keep up the videos 👍🏻🇺🇸

Another thing hurting the hobby nowadays is the feeling among many of the younger set is that you can't drive cars from the early 60s and older on the freeway, and that pre computer cars constantly break down.

I love old cars and working on them but I HATE driving. Just watching the population try to drive is embarrassing. Don't believe me, find any stop sign and watch people try to stop at it. It's fascinating.

Great pod. The garage looks outstanding, if I hadn't seen you build it, I would think it was old. That engine by Matt is drool worthy.

I'm 24, always been into cars. I daily drive all my junk, and I've never owned anything newer than 1979. I spent today helping a guy I went to high school with on his VW type 3 fastback. I've got a buddy my age who runs his own hot rod shop an hour from here. Us youngsters are still out there, just not as common as it once was. But the people my age that are in it are full on addicted, so we're not going anywhere

Good conversation to listen to while working in the shop...Many good points which I agree with..Thanks!

* Hey Matt ! This isn't a Podcast ! ... It's a Rodcast !!! 👊😎👍

Well … if you watched the NHRA from Phoenix yesterday, a 73 year old man won FUEL FUNNY CAR ! John Force always talks about his love of the sport, I’m 70, and have a ‘66 C-20 , and a ‘64 Cutlass which I race , and you are correct, not a lot of 18 year olds at the swaps , etc. , they don’t know what they are missing. Great show guys ! MLNR JIMMY53

I've noticed that the younger guys are more likely interested in the Japanese cars and pickups. Most younger guys can't afford a daily driver say nothing about a daily and a project vehicle. One of my first cars was a 73 dart sport 340. I lucked out and got it cheap. I drove it and fixed and upgraded stuff as I could afford it. My kids grew up going to car shows and help me clean my show car. They would like to have a show car but can't afford one. I love swap meets. I've noticed more truck stuff lately and it is hard to find any hotrod stuff. I need to send you my shopping list and see what you have that I need.

Totally agree. Years ago I decided I wanted a 1956 license plate from all 50 states. I achieved that fairly easy. Now I wouldn't even try. So I am glad that I did that and have it now. My kids will benefit from the sale of them or They'll appreciate them and keep them.