Bob, I always take these internet discussions as a little more "noisey" than everyday reality. People are more outspoken when they are out-of-reach. :-)

About three months ago, I attended the only Arizona screening of "tales of the Rat Fink", a lighthearted, partly animated, Roth biography. The guys who attended were a mix of old and young, but all were "hardcore", for sure!

There was some discussion about the new trends, since there were quite a number of cars showing the "rat influence", but generally it was friendly. I was a little suprised that many of my old acqaintances (of my age) were displaying this "influence" on their cars. It was obvious that it wasn't just younger guys. I was a little shocked to hear some of the same arguments about cost, and such, from guys who had a history of traditional builds, and even one who has partly made his living from the hot rod community, for decades!

I guess my point is that I'm finding a percentage of established older enthusiasts are also building in the "rat genre", so it may not be as divisive as I assumed.