I drove my first race in a go-kart in 1961, my first stock car race in 1969, went drag racing in the early '80's, went back to racing stock cars on asphault and dirt from '91 to 2003. I spent years fabricating parts for other people and finally built my own first street rod in 1976. So, speaking as one who has raced and built hotrods off & on for over 40 years, it was a lot more fun back then.

In racing, ingenuity and skill were important. When you got beat, it was because the other guy either out-thought you or out-drove you. Now it's all about cubic money. When you get beat it's probably because the other guy has deeper pockets. More money invested = less fun returned.

Hotrodding / streetrodding has certainly been touched by the influences of money, particularly in the cost of building a car. But at least you can still use skill and ingenuity. All those street rod parts makers hate people like me - I do EVERYTHING myself except upholstery, so I don't buy many of their parts...