what will happen to hotrods, & the industry

been thinking, we as americans have a love affair with cars, up til now gas has been cheap. as teens we went "cruzing", & driving around with our car (some of us still do!!!), we build & have old cars, & hotrod we drive for fun, gas has really never been a thought (or aleast not for me). I(we) build engines for power, not fuel economy. And with cheap gas in part, the old car & hotrod industry has grow.
what do you think will happen in the next 10 years or 20. with gas so high, do you think having hotrods & old car will die out? I hope not!! what do you guys think??
what have you noticed about attendence & vendors @ the shows this year

I think we are in for some big changes, both by our choice and some that are imposed on us. There is already some whisperings about things like 55 MPH and limitations on unnecessary driving, so I think as this thing evolves we are going to have some tough battles.

Some will say that there are too many of us and that our economic clout is too great, but if you look at some of the stuff that gets passed as laws, they kind of do what they want for the most part and we have to go along with the program.

I do think major events like the Nationals, Turkey Run, etc will start to decline because the cost of getting cars and vendor goods there will be prohibitive. I sure hope I am wrong, but I think we have seen the peak of our car hobby already.

Don

How one sees this is somewhat dependant on your age, and perhaps political affiliation. Those of us who lived through similar experiences in the '70s saw a big shift to 4 and 6 cylinder rods for awhile, along with reduced participation. Sales of muscle cars tanked big time. Those million dollar hemis of a couple years ago were practically given away back then. Once the panic passed, people adjusted to the new pricing, and we had a change in government that led to decontrol of pricing and eventually the recinding of the so called "windfall profits tax" (yes it was tried before, was just as erroneous and dumb an idea as it is now, and failed to increase supply). The result was a worldwide push to find more energy (crude oil), prices moderated somewhat (the opposite of what the government control freaks predicted; sound familiar?), and we enjoyed a 20+ year "binge". Depending on how the politics works out again we could see an easing of restrictions on exploration and production, aided this time by some easing in how electricity is produced (ne, nukes), or we could have increased obstruction to feeding our ability to grow and produce viable sources of energy. If the factions that believe government central command is the answer get the power our hobby will be one of their targets for elimination (or MAYBE severe restrictions). Will we allow ourselves to be cowed into submission to these power hungry elites, or will we do as the founders of this country did and throw off the oppressive efforts of a self annointed elite? Time will tell. I've learned to enjoy freedom and the prosperity it brings to we common men............I'm not sure about my neighbors though.

Not just like it was before, Uncle Bob.... This time I'm gonna be buying up the cheapo muscle cars when all "the sky is falling" types bail out....:LOL: :LOL: :LOL:

To repeat something that many have told you before, "Well put", Uncle Bob.

Our country's capitalist economy is a wondrous thing. Because of the system, our country has taken unbelievable kicks in the gut and rebounded quickly and, almost invaribly, stronger than before.

Little surprises like natural disasters (floods, drought, quakes, etc.), wars, economic depressions, epidemic disease, political ineptitude, religious fanaticism, ......... Aw, you know, these and other such "inconveniences" ..... have come and gone. We survived them all.

Now we can add gas prices to the list.

In every one of the above instances Dave's "the sky is falling types" have caused our glorious leaders to do such wise things as Nixon's ordering wage and price controls and Carter's brilliant handling of the '70's gas shortages.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that this, too, shall pass. Hot rodding has evolved a lot since I first got interested in it and will continue to do so. People who like to demonstrate their ingenuity through what we call "Hot Rodding" won't be beaten down regardless of what obstacles present themselves. Hot rodders don't have a "creed" as such, but if they adopt one, maybe it should be "I'll figure SOMETHING out!"

We'll see what "something" turns out to be.


Jim

The good news is that with todays technology, a 6 banger can make the power that a V8 did back in the 80's and early 90's and get good mileage. I'm starting to see more six cylinder powered rods; Rod & Custom ran a feature on a 36 Chevy with a blown 3800 from a late model Grand Prix. Very slick setup and he was knocking down 28mpg. That early 90's blown V6 T-bird is a pretty cool setup, too.

For the most part, hotrodders are pretty resilient. I really think that we will servive just about anything that's thrown in our way. Look at the past. The big 3 in Detroit followed Lil John Butera when he got in a fight with his chrome shop and started painting everything on his cars rather than chroming. I personally have been building 4 cylinder hotrods since the 70's and I have plans to built a 500 H.P. full electric 26 T as soon as I can afford the batteries. :LOL: When you think about the creativity of the average Hotrodder, there is no way that anything will hold us back for long.

First you have to understand that gas here is still cheaper than in other countries. In Europe it costs twice this amount, and has always cost much more. You will notice that American-style hot rodding happens there anyway.

Another point is that gas cost is not such an issue, unless it is the car you use to get to work each day, and is driven 400-500 times a year. A "hobby car" is not that much of an issue for your fuel budget.

Car shows, and local events, may replace cruises, attending distant events, and drag racing, for some people.

If gas cost does not decline, I can see future builders using smaller more fuel efficient engines.....and maybe building somewhat lighter cars.

We will "adapt & improvise"....and the hobby will endure!

as i see it the problem is not gas consumption. it is oil usage. be it power, heating, plastic or whatever. look at the plastics coming out of china. if our congress does not open up our resources we are doomed to deal with the likes of iran and that stupid chauves the moron. we are the strongest economy in the world. we stop buying for a month and the rest of the world will jump off building.
as for hotrodding i see our kind of cars going away for the most part. todays youth is into turbo 4cyclinders and v6's. they make a ton of horsepower and still get 30 mpg. to me this election is the most important one of my lifetime . imho it is going to make us or break us. if we cut tail and run one more time we will never have the voice we once had in this world. i for one am a little worried this time.

I have no idea what the future may actually bring, but to be safe I plan to order four electric motors to mount to each of my wheels to replace the existing gas engine, plus 5000 laptop batteries to wire in tandem to provide the power. I can put the batteries where my back seat is now, since no one uses the space anyway.:LOL: :LOL:

Until then I plan to waste a lot of expensive gas and drive the hell out of it.:cool: :LOL:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by shine

as i see it the problem is not gas consumption. it is oil usage. be it power, heating, plastic or whatever. look at the plastics coming out of china. if our congress does not open up our resources we are doomed to deal with the likes of iran and that stupid chauves the moron. we are the strongest economy in the world. we stop buying for a month and the rest of the world will jump off building.
as for hotrodding i see our kind of cars going away for the most part. todays youth is into turbo 4cyclinders and v6's. they make a ton of horsepower and still get 30 mpg. to me this election is the most important one of my lifetime . imho it is going to make us or break us. if we cut tail and run one more time we will never have the voice we once had in this world. i for one am a little worried this time.

---

Dont worry about our hobby, Shine. As a lot of guys have said in this post, it's our creativeness and ingenuity that will keep us building. We can slap a turbo 4 or 6 into our old iron just as easy as the tuner guys can put em in their Mitsubishi Eclipses.

As Bob and others have said, we've been here before when gas prices jumped and emission controls were foisted upon us. As for gas always being cheap, that is realtive. When gas jumped over $1 a gallon that was a major shock when we were used to paying 40 cents for premium. Lots of folks reacted and sold their gas guzzling cars like Dave said. I was one of them. But the industry and hot rodders have adapted. Modern high performance cars are significantly faster than most of the muscle cars of the 60s and 70s, and they are easier to drive and maintain and get way better gas mileage. Shine mentioned the turbo 4 cylinder cars, how about the 400 hp V8 Corvettes that get 28 mpg? The need for speed and vehicle expressed individuality will survive, though it may take a hit for a while. I don't plan to sell my hot rod, in fact I just drove it 250 miles **) on Sunday just for fun and to show it to a friend. It was $50 well spent! :toocool:

Pat

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Not just like it was before, Uncle Bob.... This time I'm gonna be buying up the cheapo muscle cars when all "the sky is falling" types bail out....:LOL: :LOL: :LOL:

---

I hope so! Boy wouldn't be nice to get one of those 1960's muscle cars for a song and a dance! I like the positive spin you put on this Dave.:D

I am watching for the new z06 vetts and shelby 500s to drop like a rock :D
just like the 69/70 scare.Been saving money for one or the other..........:D

The "old Timers" have said it best....They (we) have lived thru this before. A lot of the "follow the current fad" and investor crowd will drop out but the ones with it truely in their blood will keep on.

Last night, at a cruisin, I saw a replica Dooms Daymobile from the movie Animal House. Those guys sure do not care about gas! Boy was it fun watching that drive around. What a great hobby.

i was dumb enough to drive a car on the street with 4:88 gears and a bb when i was younger. did not count mpg, did bpg's :D aint a whole lot changed. i dont drive to work so i can cheat some.

Shine, I'm with ya. 67 Chevelle, 427, 4 spd w 4.56. Before that, 68 Biscayne, 427, 4 spd, 4.10. 70 mph on the highway was 4,000 RPM. That was my only car and daily driver. I gotta say they sure were fun. I've mellowed now, my driver hot rod has 3.80 gears, but overdrive is a wonderful thing! See? I have adjusted!

Pat

I guess I haven't learned. My daily driver is a Jeep Cherokee with 5 inches of lift, 33 inch tires, 4.56 gears and a Detroit locker in the 8.8 ford rear-end. But it is a straight six 4.0L motor and not a big block V8.

How about a BB and 5:38's?

My 73 Jeep CJ5, very very NASTY!!

At the Super Chevy show last weekend. There were 115 show cars, and 105 cars registered to race. Along with 8 Vendor trailers and a handful of way over priced swap meet guys. Comparativly it takes a full 2 days (thats arive at 9:00 and leave at 8:00 to see all the show cars and vendor trailers and swap meet stuff and watch some racing. This year we drove in at 9:00 AM and left at 3:30 and saw everything.

I only run a Hot Rod around maybe 2500 miles a season, and most of the time that's on race gas.... I don't have any other hobbies, matter of fact I don't even have to drive to work, to the grocery store, or to the coffee shop. Everything is within walking distance. The big brown truck comes right to the door and the parts stores I do business with all deliver.... Don't really care if my hot rods efficiencey is measured in GPM, it's all in the name of fun, anyway..... When I have to go someplace, the Bonneville gets about 24-26 mpg and the old Escort gets 30.....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

I think we are in for some big changes, both by our choice and some that are imposed on us. There is already some whisperings about things like 55 MPH and limitations on unnecessary driving, so I think as this thing evolves we are going to have some tough battles.

Some will say that there are too many of us and that our economic clout is too great, but if you look at some of the stuff that gets passed as laws, they kind of do what they want for the most part and we have to go along with the program.

I do think major events like the Nationals, Turkey Run, etc will start to decline because the cost of getting cars and vendor goods there will be prohibitive. I sure hope I am wrong, but I think we have seen the peak of our car hobby already.

Don

---

Yup. I hope you/we are wrong too.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by shine

as i see it the problem is not gas consumption. it is oil usage. be it power, heating, plastic or whatever. look at the plastics coming out of china. if our congress does not open up our resources we are doomed to deal with the likes of iran and that stupid chauves the moron. we are the strongest economy in the world. we stop buying for a month and the rest of the world will jump off building.
as for hotrodding i see our kind of cars going away for the most part. todays youth is into turbo 4cyclinders and v6's. they make a ton of horsepower and still get 30 mpg. to me this election is the most important one of my lifetime . imho it is going to make us or break us. if we cut tail and run one more time we will never have the voice we once had in this world. i for one am a little worried this time.

---

Now if only we had someone worth voting for:CRY: a lot of people I have talked with agree these are the worst choices we have had in years.The big $$ spenders and the media pick who we get stuck with and crucify the ones that actually might make a difference.:(

I was wondering, is it possible to have a voting poll here, just to see what people in this industry is thinking? No names, private poll, I'm just curious.
Ken

I posted this twice, I have halfzeimer's not Alzheimer's.
Ken

I think a lot of people are so disgusted with the choices they won't even vote this time, and just hope to get to the next round in four more years. Myself I will go to the poll shut my eyes and hit a button?????

Richard

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by falconvan

That early 90's blown V6 T-bird is a pretty cool setup, too.

---

My dad had a Super Coupe back in the 90's. I've never been much of a V-6 guy, but that motor would rev and produced good torque for a daily driver. Decent mileage too.

-Lee

www.atomicpinup.com
Atomic Radio

There is a guy a few miles east of Richmond who specializes in converting cars to electric motors but the straight electric ones have a very short range of maybe 50 miles or so per charge. I chatted with him and he thought removing about 600 pounds of engine and transmission would make a Model-A roadster light enough to put in a Doug Nash five speed and a 100 pound electric motor and then add batteries, but what I did not like was that he said you don't need a clutch, you just feather the electric throttle to shift but I wonder what sort of synchromesh can handle that over many shifts. Then other folks say you just put the transmission in second or third gear on a five speed and just use the rpm range of the electric motor and never shift and just reverse the current in the motor for reverse. I suppose we will each go our own way as either stuck with the old images in our head or adapt what we can. Although the Buick V6 was maybe the answer in the '70s, 28 mpg may not be enough in the future and I really like that Aptera and the three wheeled low drag aerodynamics with plug-in electric power and an auxilliary gas/diesel engine for charging the batteries when away from a power plug, BUT (!) I still like the look of the traditional roadster even though it is an aerodynamic brick. At the moment I do not see any reasonable way to yank out a SBC and replace it with batteries and an electric motor even though I have seen a swift Porsche 911 with electric power on TV, because when you are done the range is too limited and the cost of the transition is too high. Some Hot Rod ingenuity will probably lead some into the low drag Aptera plug-ins but many of us will just drive the traditional rods for good weather weekend events. Actually it is hard to tell what will happen but there will be some changes. The political situation may result in short term increased drilling but I think the point has been made that there will be more electric cars in the future. The political situation is indeed frustrating with a lack of the desired leadership on the one side and the other side saying anything and changing every day or so. Actually I don't think GM will go under and maybe the Cobalt will save GM for a while longer but why oh why can't they build a plug-in hybrid that will justify more electricity from nuclear plants?

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Back in the 70's while building the panel truck (BBC), I worried that I wouldn't be able to afford the predicted 50¢ a gallon for gas. :whacked:

Now 30+ years later I wonder the same thing about the $5.00 a gallon gas. :eek:

oh well........:) I'll keep building.

Somebody let me know when they see the Hemi Cuda's going for $3K again, I wanna buy a dozen this time!!!!!!!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Somebody let me know when they see the Hemi Cuda's going for $3K again, I wanna buy a dozen this time!!!!!!!!

---

I would like to be number 2 on that list.
Thank you in advance :LOL: :LOL: :LOL: :LOL:

Make me #3! And I'll settle for just one at that price:D :3dSMILE:

remind me to pick up a 68-69 z/28 crossram car and a 454 ls6 chevelle and a 62 409 2x4bbl and a 69 boss 429 stang and and ah what the hey how about a hemi superbird to :)

When I was getting ready to come back from Viet Nam the car manufactures had a deal where you could order any car you wanted and they would deliver it to the east or west coast. So I ordered a 1966 cobra, $6,600. As I got closer to rotating, I got hurt, so I had more time to think about it and canceled it, because my friend where I lived, sold me his 32 three window with a sbc for $600 :whacked: . What I would give now to have either one.
Ken

I ordered a new Vette.... Then GM had to slip the order a year cuz it was too late to get mine built... I was home for 11 months before I got my new car, a '73 complete with 454, 4 speed, gynkhana suspension, both tops. Paid $7250.00 for it.... Kept it til '89 and sold it for $18,500.00.....!!!! Bet ya wish you would have got the Cobra, huh Ken....??? Sure wish I could time travel back there for just one day, think I'd order a dozen!!!!!:LOL: :LOL: :LOL:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gassersrule_196

remind me to pick up a 68-69 z/28 crossram car and a 454 ls6 chevelle and a 62 409 2x4bbl and a 69 boss 429 stang and and ah what the hey how about a hemi superbird to :)

---

Well, if the "sky is falling" brigade wins out again, the deals will be out there!!!! I ain't gonna pass them up this time!!!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Bet ya wish you would have got the Cobra, huh Ken....??? Sure wish I could time travel back there for just one day, think I'd order a dozen!!!!!:LOL: :LOL: :LOL:

---

I remember coming home on leave in '67, went by Galpin Ford. I was ogling a black '66 427 SC that had been sitting on the showroom floor for over a year without a taker. We didn't have any energy/fuel price issues then, it's just that the marketplace was saturated for a small, insane (but a good insane to me), car that cost more than twice what the average family sedan did. I imagine they finally sold the thing at a strong discount........................ah hindsight!!!:)