Will Street Rods (1948 and older) live on?

[ChevyII Wagon]

Will this genre of car survive the next few decades? Will they drop in value significantly? .

They are already falling in value fast, and I believe they will continue to fall.

[TheSilverBuick]

Moreover, "rich" is relative.

Wish my relatives were rich.

[TheSilverBuick]

Moreover, "rich" is relative.

Wish my relatives were rich.

[oletrux4evr]

Wish my relatives were rich.

Randal, you already said that........

[TheSilverBuick]

Randal, you already said that........

I did Well it was worth repeating if so!

[racingsnake440]

One of the coolest "young guns" rods I've read about recently was a kid out west somewhere who built a traditional T-powered T out of swap meet cast-offs and the skills he learned at tech school, and then road tripped it to Bonneville. ( http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages...tml?1348596947)

That's bitchin

[cstmwgn]

Allen

What are you bringing, more than likely I'll be taking my 1951 chevy truck.

Jason

I will be in the wagon (57 Ranch Wagon)

[173rdherd]

this started out about the street rod concept surviving, right? It's fueled largely by pre-boomers and boomers who came thru a very unique set of circumstances (post war economy, soft housing market, high tide and green grass....etc) this created initial above middle class but not upper class wealth.....move that into the dot com economy (some hit it and some died) and the real estate debacle engineered by the banks and Dodd/Frank (again, some hit it and some died) Anyhow, they got money and somewhat of an age demographic going on and they furthur isolate by being very adamant about the 48 cutoff. My personal experience with associating with the crowd has been negetive, as most seem to be above everyone else. Maybe it's the billet, and maybe it's the purist.....but the cars are cool. It will survive, but I don't see them being anymore affordable than muscle cars or hot rods. That "American Dream Era" is over.

As far as the rich in the hobby go, i embrace them,as they provide otherwise unseen outlets of creativity for the rest of us to see. Also, I never been hired by a poor man.....at least not and got paid.

[38P]

. . . "American Dream Era" is over.

If the "American Dream" is "money for nothing, chicks for free," 50-cent gasoline, and a minimally-skilled union job for life . . . then I agree.

But I still think there's a ton of opportunity left in America and in the car hobby. We can still find an underserved niche . . . even in a Chinese Walmart corporate economy . . . and work hard to serve it. If we help enough other people get what they want, we'll be on the road to getting what we want.

So pick up that chopper gun or welder or lap-top and make something that somebody else might want.

As for insular cliques in the car hobby . . . I've found it very hard to "break in" to most of them. That mentality isn't just limited to the NSRA purists.

You've just got to keep showing up (hopefully with something cool that you're driving/showing) and keep being friendly -- even if the butt-clenched "old guard" isn't. Eventually somebody will teach you the secret handshakes ....

Sermon over. Returning to regular programming.

[Darren N.]

The outrageously high prices will have to come down eventually, for any collector car. At some point these cars, like anything collectible, will hit a low.

An important factor might be style in which the cars are built (pro-street, pro-touring, etc.). Trend-driven builds may determine how much lasting appeal the cars have.

Is there a lack of interest in older sheet metal? I think it's hard to say.

I'm in my mid-20's and I saw a beautifully restored '34 Plymouth sedan at a new car auto show this week. I was definitely only among a few people that stopped to check it out.

I personally want to build a pre-48 car and would pay the going rate for sheet metal. Like most of you, I'm in this hobby because I like learning and working on my own projects. I'm certainly not in the demographic (or income bracket lol) that would build a $100k in the first place let alone buy one.

[173rdherd]

If the "American Dream" is "money for nothing, chicks for free," 50-cent gasoline, and a minimally-skilled union job for life . . . then I agree. .

I think I was referring to the blue collar worker and the house in the suburbs being affordable....you are lucky to be getting $4 gasoline.

[Supersport350]

Just picked up my April issue of Car Craft to rear. The Bench Build this month on one of the first pages had an editorial titled "Return of the Rat Machine," with a repeated line of thought "revolt and repeat." It really falls in line with this thread. While it doesn't specify only 48 and older cars, it summarizes the history, and how each generation has adapted when they become priced out of a genre of cars. Perhaps Buford T Justice is a fine example of this. In my opinion, so is my 1989 Pontiac Formula. Those 3rd generation Camaros and Firebirds sell for dirt cheap these days. Unless you are looking for a primo example, you can pick up a solid fix-er-upper for a few grand. While it doesn't say how the old pre-48's will ultimately be saved, it does a great job quickly summarizing how each generation (I lost track after "X") has adapted and conquered.