how can we get the youth to be come involed in our hobby?
 

Re: how can we get the youth to be come involed in our hobby?
 

Well, My Dad has 2 Model A's and I have a Model AA. About a mouth ago, My son (19 years old) Asked me to find him a Model A. I said " Why, to make a Hot Rod out of". His response was " NO, I don't wont to ruin it. I wont one all Original".
I think if they are around them Or just drove one they would fall in love with them.

Re: how can we get the youth to be come involed in our hobby?
 

When I can, I take my nephew to the cruise-in's and carshows in the area. Talking to him I also find that various shows although not Model A related like counting cars, gas monkey garage, ect. get him to watch something car related and thinking.

The attention span is another story...the early Fords and model A's are cool, but not "flashy" enough. I keep trying:D

Re: how can we get the youth to be come involed in our hobby?
 

I have given this a lot of thought lately as a lot of the people who are currently involved with antique cars in general are, frankly, dying off and there are just not many of us old school guys left who can teach the old ways.

I tend to think the best way is to get the neighborhood kids involved if you are working on your car, give rides, offer the use of the cars for birthdays, weddings, etc.

Basically, good old fashioned promotion by actually engaging the kids directly.

Re: how can we get the youth to be come involed in our hobby?
 

If you want to get young men interested you 1st need to get young women interested.

Re: how can we get the youth to be come involed in our hobby?
 

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i think some one from a model a club should try to get to the automotive classes in high school, take your car there show it to them and if you can take a few for a ride, ive done that in the past, and the kids really were interested, let them see the beginnigs of the automobile, make a short presentation on the history of the A and what you have done to get yours completed, it can be done in an hour

Re: how can we get the youth to be come involed in our hobby?
 

Re: how can we get the youth to be come involed in our hobby?
 

Unfortunately, unless you have one in your family a 'young' person of say late teens or early 20's probably won't be getting to interested due to the lack of funds. The economic realities of today's life will get in the way most of the time.

Now if you aim at someone a little older, say mid to late 30's then I think we have more of a shot at that generation. They tend to be a little more settled and have some disposable income.

Just my thoughts....

Mike

Re: how can we get the youth to be come involed in our hobby?
 

I'm 40 and am currently looking for a Model A. I don’t want a hot rod, just a stock A. Nobody in my circle of friends can understand why. Maybe once I get one, they'll turn, but for now I’m going at it alone.

The thing that bothers me is what happens to all the nice cars that get sold once the owner is too old to care for it? Chopping up an 80+ year old car to make some terrible "rat rod" should be criminal.

Re: how can we get the youth to be come involed in our hobby?
 

Diomed, Welcome to the club and good luck on your search. What are you looking for? Where are you located, maybe a local club could help you find one.

Mike

Re: how can we get the youth to be come involed in our hobby?
 

When is the last time you have seen a Model A in the junk yard. It only takes.one person to take your car. The young ones are involved, they are just not hanging out with us. Would you join a club with nothing but young kids involved. I am 53, I took my moms on one of.our club outings, she whispered to me, "Why they are my age". She was was shocked that I was hanging out with old people. (I love the stories, you old people are,cool) When I was in my twenties.the pace was faster. Outings included bear and hot girls and not pleasant drives and a salt free lunch.:) They will form their own bonds and when they get old, they will do what we do, complain about the youth and why they do not do it the way we do.

Re: how can we get the youth to be come involed in our hobby?
 

One of my grandson's classmates drives a '29 Tudor to school EVERYDAY. It's a driver, with a real "patina". Rain or snow, Anthony drives it!. I saw him one evening last week leaving a basketball game. The temp was 4 degrees above zero. Anthony came to have that car because someone was willing to sell it to him for a price He could afford. I see A's all the time offered for really inflated prices (you'd think it was a Barrett Jackson event) that might be able to get into the hands of a younger person, if the price were more realistic. How many "kids" (under 30 or 40) for that matter have 20K to blow on a toy? If they think they do, it's because they are making payments to the local Harley dealer. If you really care about the future of your car, be willing to sacrifice some of your "profit" to get it to the right buyer! The cars are the constant! The people come and go!

Re: how can we get the youth to be come involed in our hobby?
 

I suspect that regardless of all our best efforts, the passion for the Model A, as we know it, is changing with the generations. Surely there will always be a core group of die hard Model A'ers and the car will live on. Whether the Hobby can support two National Clubs and many annual events over the long term is questionable but it will self-correct to meet the new needs of the Hobby and its Members. It may be smaller but it will always be relevant and exciting for the passionate.

Maybe our contribution is best directed to support, donate and yes expand the MAFFI Museum to assure it has the ability to house and display the Model A as we know it. Not just the show cars, but the touring cars, the daily drivers, the few that remain original along with the many unique vehicles Ford produced during those fabulous 4 years. I personally love to hear the stories of the cars that have remained in the same family for many years and generations. The story makes the car. Personally, I am hoping the Museum has control over the property just behind the Museum building to greatly expand its size and create, through donations and purchases, the best Model A's and period collection in the World for all to see forever. Surely we would want our favorite or best car to be preserved -- either by our friends or family or through a great Museum.

Re: how can we get the youth to be come involed in our hobby?
 

My son is typical of the younger generation. If he can buy a new car, that is what he wants. He be doesn't even change his own oil. It remains to seen what he will be like when he retires from the military this year.

Re: how can we get the youth to be come involed in our hobby?
 

Hi,

I'm 35 and trying to do this adventure:

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=126060

Looking at my friends, NOBODY is into old cars and old junk. Thus, I am entirely on my own which is uphill somewhat. Young people are primarily interested in smartphones and travels. By smartphones I mean socializing. The social "drive" is enormous and seductive. I believe most people in this forum are not very much into modern gadgets which means they have time to dwell and not be online constantly. Young people are online constantly and need to answer their phones and messages instantly. Thus, you cannot work on your car because you get interrupted all the time.

Next, looking at my friends, they spend most of their money on housing and travel. Many people spend more than 50% of their income on the house mortgage. To me it is crazy. By travel I mean air travel to exotic destinations. Its a matter of seeing the world and disappear from the boring, everyday life. People have all kinds of conveniences in their homes and their lives are perfect - but they lack exiting experiences - and they get that by means of an aircraft traveling to remote parts of the World. Thus, they choose not to spend money on an old vintage car.

In my dormatory at university, an estimated 70% of all male guys never fixed a flat tire on their bicycle. They paid a bike shop to fix it.

My "problem" is, that I don't have a house and a workshop. If I had a workshop, I would probably have a vintage car in there right now. Actually, I could buy a house and a workshop, but with the situation over here (Denmark), there is a large risk that you cannot sell it again if you choose to move elsewhere. Many many people are stuck in their homes because nobody wants to buy their house. And I don't want to be part of that game.

My nephew is 4 years old. He wanted an Ipad Tablet for Christmas. But he didn't get it. He probably gets it next time :-/.

I truly feel that those things were much easier 20 years ago.

But to answer the original question: I don't think there is anything you can do. The online world is more tempting than greasy fingers.

Lucas

Re: how can we get the youth to be come involed in our hobby?
 

what we should not talk them out of is making a hotrod out of a model A. after one or two hotrods they build they will more than likely restore one later in years.. hot rods or not they are still Mr. Fords ladies

Re: how can we get the youth to be come involed in our hobby?
 

Money is the big thing with us young people. I got lucky and met a guy who was going to a home and had to unload his car. A nice car, but not a fine points car... anyway, I was stoaked to get it. I've seen model A cars for 12 to 15 thousand bucks, and they were nice cars don't get me wrong, but it's too much for a 21 year old. 7 years later this car came along for a great price and I snagged it up. The next gen. of Model A'ers are coming up quick and before you can realize it, you'll see us and hear the horns as we pass. Send us down some knowledge, some elbow grease and some cheep parts you have stashed in the corner that you know you will never ever use ever in a thousand years and this hobby will be just fine.

Re: how can we get the youth to be come involed in our hobby?
 

The way to get to the youth is simple .

Get your car out and let it be seen . Out of all the young people you will catch the right eye .

He will come to you and have many questions about your car . He will become interested and will research on his own . He has the internet , something we never had .

We had to stop at a guys shop and pester him for help , but we did it out of love for the car /machine .


But , if this young person never sees your car , driven to the store , or just around your block , or in a parade , then they will never know about an a model Ford , and have a chance to fall in love with what you keep locked in your garage .

Re: how can we get the youth to be come involed in our hobby?
 

You would be surprised how many young people there are in model A's, I bought my first a few years back when I was 25. I personally know of 2 other friends of mine around my age that have them as well. We were putting them together all around the same time, helping eachother, it was great, it was like the blind leading the blind. Once they were put together and roadworthy we proudly drove them to an antique car function and were treated so badly by the older folk constantly nit-picking our cars that we decided we never wanted anything more to do with clubs. With our limited money and experience we did the best we could to build our cars as decently as possible, but still not good enough. So now, we just do our own thing.

Re: how can we get the youth to be come involed in our hobby?
 

Young people?

Whatever we do, it better be in the form of an App, or something to do with texting-these seem to be the ONLY things in which these folks have a strong interest!