[jhv48]

My take on the future of our hobby is this: If we don't start inviting other groups to our car shows (tuner cars, low riders, etc.) we are going to go the way of the dinosaurs.

If you attend a car show anywhere in the country, what do you usually see? A bunch of Vietnam vet aged guys sitting in beach chairs beside their 50's or 60's era hot rod.

We, (and I'm one of the above age group) need to start including the younger generations and their cars. We can learn about their cars and culture, and share our history and knowledge with them.

I admit, I'm usually bored stiff at a car show! Same cars, year in, year out. I would love to see some youthful blood injected into the hobby. It's there, but it isn't interested in hanging out with a bunch of old farts that just sit around their cars and yell at kids that get too close to the paint.

I've seen some of these tuner cars and they can be awesome. Most have engines and paint jobs that cost more than our completed cars.

If we want the hobby to grow and continue, we must embrace and include the future. Right now it's a we-they type mentality. We could learn from them and teach at the same time. Mutual respect and inclusion is needed if we want the hobby to persist.

Keep going the way it is now and the hobby (as we know it) will die with us.

As an example of a company that is moving into the future, take Factory Five Racing. They made their mark in the kit car business exclusively with the cobra and Daytona replica. However, they saw the writing on the wall and now offer the 818 kit built with Subaru parts (as opposed to mustang parts for the cobra). This car appeals to a more youthful builder and even is being built with all electric power. And FFR has already built 200 of these kits since they were introduced one year ago. I think the hobby is alive and well, but is moving in a more relevant direction.