Why is everyone out of chassis springs?

[Mike1291]

From the perspective of a young 20 something, the classic car hobby is not something that many are really in to. Young people like looking at classic cars and sometimes seeing people on YouTube fix them up, but actually fixing an old car does not provide that instant gratification. Small sample size, but the two young people (under 30) that I know that have classic cars have someone else work on them. It also doesn't help if at some point in time one of their family members sold or gave away their tools because they had no use for them.

[johnneilson]

As to mike1291 point
Yes the parents or grandparents have sold or passed along the machinery

I have witnessed this and I will only make this comment
The time to express interest in the hobby is before the parents stop using the machinery

John

[Sunny the Model A]

Originally Posted by Mike1291

From the perspective of a young 20 something, the classic car hobby is not something that many are really in to. Young people like looking at classic cars and sometimes seeing people on YouTube fix them up, but actually fixing an old car does not provide that instant gratification. Small sample size, but the two young people (under 30) that I know that have classic cars have someone else work on them. It also doesn't help if at some point in time one of their family members sold or gave away their tools because they had no use for them.

Time for the bombshell, I'm 22 and I want nothing to do with modern anything. I do all my own work and am the local model a mechanic. I am working with some friends into starting to reproduce some A components that need to be made again. I also am about to go into the babbitting business as I am about to buy a lineboring machine. I got into the A Models as a relief from the insanity of modern cars. once I sell my 53 chevy I will only own and work on A model Fords.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Mike1291

From the perspective of a young 20 something, the classic car hobby is not something that many are really in to. Young people like looking at classic cars and sometimes seeing people on YouTube fix them up, but actually fixing an old car does not provide that instant gratification. Small sample size, but the two young people (under 30) that I know that have classic cars have someone else work on them. It also doesn't help if at some point in time one of their family members sold or gave away their tools because they had no use for them.

I was 6 years old (-now 64 yo) when my father and several car friends decided to form the Houston Texas Model-A club. Dad was 34 yo at the time and was in his late 20s when he bought his first Model-A to tinker with. My recollection was that most of the club members in the late 60s were older. Now remember, -an old person was in his late 50s during that timeframe, -and by the time they were in their late 60s, they were no longer driving and many were already living in a nursing home. So during that timeframe, we did see a few young 20s aged hobbyists, but there is likely more 20-ish ppl now than there was back then.

The irony of this statement about being gifted tools is in the earlier days, I would venture a guess that most Model-A hobbyists I knew never actually had their tools given to, -or passed down. I know my dad never received any of his father's tools, because my grandfather was still using his. My father used Craftsman or SK however when I was wrenching, I started by buying a basic set of Craftsman tools, and then started upgrading to Snap-On bought off of the tool truck. The main reason I did this was because Dad was still using his tools. Young hobbyists today need buy a basic set that they can afford and build from there. Too often today, a couple of different 20v electric impacts and a torque wrench tends to be the priority over a full set of hand tools.