Started for me with erector sets and model cars, first car I worked on with my Dad a 53 chevy. High school 56 chevy gasser style and a 31 Ford hemi.
Did time in the Navy, had a 65 Tempest installed a 389 4 speed and tri power, back from Nam, 1800.00 bucks later 66 427 4 speed vett, broke a lot of axel u joints . Discharged 69, tore the vett up got a 68 GTO. Learned electronics got a job sold the goat, got a company car.
Drove company cars for 30 years, had Harley's for a hotrod. Then 95 working for Sun Microsystems making some nice dough started to look for a hobby car, got a 34 worked it over for a couple of years. Then got a mess of truck parts 32, and built the wife her own hotrod truck, and that is where I am today.
Overall it is a pretty good fun hobby, my enjoyment is not sitting and barking at a car show. My kicks are driving, loud exhaust, open-wheel a$$ kicking little powerhouses.
Harley's are the same way, loads of bikes sitting in the garage, loads of street rods sitting in the parking lot with little blue fold up chairs sitting in front. To each his own I say, glad for the cars and prefer the late 20 and 30s hotrod style coupes generally speaking.