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Old 11-06-2018, 07:52 PM   #41
Dick Steinkamp
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Default Re: Membership dropping, interest too???

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Originally Posted by Jeff/Illinois View Post
I stopped going to the Mustang shows, Shelby shows, and all that because it hit me one day, just how boring that all actually was. A line of '65-'66 Mustangs all 50 of them with the hoods popped open and usually some snob sitting in a lawn chair behind it. Naw, never again.
As much as we lust after 50 28-30 Model As all lined up with the hoods open so we could inspect them in detail and talk to the owners, I would guess there are as many (or more) folks that lust after a line of 65-66 Mustangs with the hoods up for the same reasons.

Different strokes for different folks. It would be super boring if we all liked the same cars. I don't begrudge the Mustang fans, or the muscle car fans, or the rat rod fans, or the custom and modified fans, or the 57 Chevy fans, or the ... Doesn't bother me in the least that not everyone thinks a Model A is God's gift to the car hobby.

It doesn't degrade my fun with my A any to know that club membership is declining, that kids are not as attracted to As as I am, that our cars are not appreciating, that non Model A owners still enjoy life.

It's a hobby...not a religion.

Have fun with your cars and your car friends.
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Old 11-06-2018, 08:34 PM   #42
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Default Re: Membership dropping, interest too???

[QUOTE=r
While it would not stop me from going to a show, I have to agree 100% about going to a show and seeing noting but black Model T's or just Model A's. I like variety and am not a Ford snob. I like all kinds of makes and models. Same with music and a lot of other things, variety IS the spice of life.[/QUOTE]

Can't argue that but seeing a big group of Model A's is neat, neater than a flood of Mustangs and I'm a big Ford fan as I said. And also I have to admit one of the neatest old car shows I have attended in the last 6 years or so was the Mississippi Valley Chapter of the AACA, because of the variety. Oh yes and Old Car Fest at Greenfield Village, hard to top that one
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Old 11-06-2018, 11:23 PM   #43
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Default Re: Membership dropping, interest too???

Johnnya101,

Since it has not been mentioned in anyones post to date, there is a program to help young Model A enthusiasts, this quoted from the website:

http://www.mafca.com/y_resto_award.html

Model A Youth Restoration Award

If you are age 12 but less than 22 and are in the process of restoring your Model A, please read about our program and then check out website for the eligibility requirements and an application.

The Model A Youth Restoration Award (MAYRA) program has been helping youth since 1994. Our purpose is to help them restore their Model A’s by providing financial support to purchase parts and supplies. Since 1994, 81 youth have received over $94,000 to help with their restorations. In 2018, nine recipients each received $2,200 in gift certificates.

MAYRA is funded primarily by local Chapters and Regions of MAFCA and MARC. In addition, the national MAFCA and MARC organizations make donations to the fund as well as do several of the Model A Ford parts vendors. We receive donations in varying amounts from Chapters and Regions and from individuals, often as memorials to deceased members.

The awards are presented every two years at either a MAFCA National Convention or a MARC National Meet. The next awards will be presented in 2020 at the MAFCA National Convention in Texas.

The future of our hobby rests with our younger generation. They benefit from our support and we benefit by keeping the hobby active. The award is open to all sons, daughters, grandsons and granddaughters of members of MAFCA or MARC or the applicant may be a MAFCA or MARC member on his or her own.

If you know a candidate age of 12 but less than 22, tell him or her about our program and refer them to our website. The Model A Youth Restoration Award is approved as a 501 (c) 3 educational charity.

Donations should be sent to: Model A Youth Restoration Award, 13478 Egbert Street , Sylmar, CA 91342

Visit the Model A Youth Restoration Award website at: www.ModelARestorationAward.org

Last Updated: 07/09/2018

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Old 11-07-2018, 12:53 PM   #44
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Default Re: Membership dropping, interest too???

Today's 20 year olds like "retro" things but only if they can wear it or look at it in their house. A lot of others just see a Model A as a potential hotrod. The rest of us are just eccentric (me) or old (I'm getting there). At least I got my kids into old cars early. Perhaps old Model A's will become more available to us true old-car enthusiasts who aren't millionaires.
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Old 11-07-2018, 02:29 PM   #45
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Default Re: Membership dropping, interest too???

The # of people who have the mechanical skills and knowledge has drastically shrunk with the progression of complicated modern/low maintenance vehicles. Most people do not even know how to change a tire, change oil, find a blown fuse, etc. Due to auto complexity and budget constraints most High Schools have discontinued Shop classes including Auto Mechanics, which was a major source of teaching auto basics and a source of encouraging young people.


Also shrunk is the amount of people who are "backyard mechanics". Again due to the knowledge required/economics of working on vehicles. In the past many maintained there own vehicles to save money due to the having to get by during the Depression and/or due a lower standard of living in those days. Another cause is the U.S. morphing away from a rural society decreasing basic general overall mechanical knowledge. Farmers know how to make things work, even if some fixes are infamous "farmer fixes".
I see a lot of comments on the Barn about how easy it is to maintain and work on the Model A. Basic things like replacement of water pumps, working on distrbutors, replacing a radiator, etc. seem doable for a person of my skills. However to properly work on the motor and the rest of the drivetrain, suspension, front end, and brakes is beyond the skills of a large percentage of people including myself who are/ maybe interested in As.


To pay to have this type of work is very expensive. If you need work done a mechanic with Model A skill must be found which is getting harder and harder to find. If lucky you can find someone reputable close, to perform major work/repairs. My A has been in the family since the early 60s, and I inherited it. But still have spent over $7,000 on it. I still have to replace the radiator, possibly have motor rebuilt, and the paint/body is average to below average (runner). Also the brakes need attention and possibly need the steering/front end worked on. My point is, and also was made in this string, owning an A takes real commitment, time, and depending on the Model A a lot of $. Something a lot of younger people, people with young families, etc. do not have, so they may prefer to own something from the 50s/60s/70s, that is easier and less costly to own/maintain.


All of the above are obstacles to owning an A. The Clubs, the Barn, the Model A Vendors, and the Internet help. But an A owner has to make a commitment to the A that is usually is not required for most cars from the 50s/60s/70s.


So it would not surprise me if the A hobby continues to decline.
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Old 11-07-2018, 03:38 PM   #46
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Default Re: Membership dropping, interest too???

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I think part of the problem is that cars today are so much more comfortable, they pretty much all have power steering, power brakes, ABS, air conditioning, cruise control, hi tech sound systems, power windows, power seats, lane departure warning, back up cameras, self parking..............
........connection to their cell phone. My grand kids wonder what the window crank handles are for?
Lane departure warning isn't really needed if you don't text & drive. Who thought that up anyway?
As for phone & stuff, i am adding a phone charger port & found a bluetooth speaker is.. well, while not the greatest sound system ever it does the job.



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I cant just come up with another $3000 for a new interior overnight.
Jute sack interior is an affordable alternative. One time i used a dead leather couch from the dump.



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It's a hobby...not a religion.

Have fun with your cars and your car friends.
It's not what? *thought it was* i don't have any friends though...
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Old 11-07-2018, 07:40 PM   #47
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Default Re: Membership dropping, interest too???

Another BIG issue is storage and place to work. Not everyone lives on a 1/4 acre with room for a shop, and many would be lucky to have a one car garage also then finding off site storage that you can work in, good luck.
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Old 11-07-2018, 10:27 PM   #48
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Default Re: Membership dropping, interest too???

Their are still roughly the same number of antique autos out in circulation. Just fewer people interested in the club part of owning one. Younger folks are acquiring antique cars, but many clubs often don’t do things younger folks want to do, since many of the clubs members are mostly older people. Just my observation...
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Old 11-08-2018, 02:08 AM   #49
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Default Re: Membership dropping, interest too???

As I think someone said elsewhere in this string, there are plenty of "old" people that have never joined or wanted to join any of the clubs even if they know they are around. So not joining is not just a young person thing.
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Old 11-08-2018, 04:32 PM   #50
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If you don't mind moving up to a post war car, then Studebakers are one of the most underappreciated and undervalued cars to be found. Corvairs also are a good car and can be bought for not much money.
Add into that group Hudsons, ...and for prewar cars, don't forget the Franklins. Both of these marques are extremely affordable on entry-level and highly respected.
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Old 11-08-2018, 09:15 PM   #51
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As I think someone said elsewhere in this string, there are plenty of "old" people that have never joined or wanted to join any of the clubs even if they know they are around. So not joining is not just a young person thing.
And as SteveB31 said..... I witnessed that in my home town of about 950 people.

In the 70's and early 80's there were 15 Model A Fords running around here, 13 of them restored and on the road, within the town limits and out to about 2-3 miles of farm country outside of town. I was the only one who belonged to MAFCA. I'd give the other guys copies of The Restorer, they'd all agree it was a nice magazine, but not one would join MAFCA or MARC they all said 'why?' and kept doing their thing w/o a National Club. We had enough Model A Fords just in this town to form a club
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Old 11-09-2018, 12:55 PM   #52
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Default Re: Membership dropping, interest too???

I was looking at a bunch of dad's old pictures of when he went to car meets back in the 1960's. It looked like they had FUN! Driving events/races where they held eggs in spoons, dressing up, swap meets, and plenty of touring.

The cars/parts/hobby were also CHEAP before the big money came in, and priced the 'good' stuff out of reach.

Nowadays, meets are a bunch of elderly people slowly wandering around, talking about the old days... (those are the GOOD ones) The less fun crowd goes around complaining about everything, takes everything too seriously, nit picks things to death, etc.

From what I can tell from studying all the photos (he was a camera addict) he and mom had a BLAST with the hobby! They did a lot more PLAYING back then, and less worrying about the correct color/width pinstripe. He and mom both told me about an 'egg' race where they had the '34 up on two wheels, but mom never dropped the egg. lol Simple fun with cheap cars that the general public didn't want anymore. He started in 1961, and I can see what he liked so much about it back then! It would be equivalent to people today gathering up 1980's cars, and having fun with them.
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Old 11-09-2018, 04:08 PM   #53
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I've always known about 14 A's within a few miles of me.Out of all those guys,only one ever belonged to a club,and he said he quit that in the mid-70's.All those guys still have their cars,but I am the only one of them that has a computer.Most of them still have their old catalogs from when they did the cars over,Ricks and J.C.Whitney was the most popular.One guy still carries his Xeroxed sheets of the judging standards with him.In the 70's I would whine about how I wished I could buy parts at the 60's prices.Then in the 80's I wished for the 70's prices.In the 90's I wished for the 80's.Now I'm wishing for the 2000's prices again.
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Old 11-10-2018, 12:17 PM   #54
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Default Re: Membership dropping, interest too???

Old car memories are made when you are old enough to know how to drive but too young to get a license and too young to get the cash needed to buy one. You end up dreaming about the cars that the older cool guys are driving and end up thinking "just gotta have one" of those.
For my age the dream was the Model T survivor owned by the teen age guy across the street that he drove through the woods at night with the girls screaming, the 29 Dodge with 42,000 miles owned by the old couple also across the street, and the two Model A coupes sitting behind the gas station "needing work" that I could have bought for $50 each.
You grow up dreaming of having what you couldn't have back then. Young people remember newer stuff. They don't care about older stuff. It's normal.
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Old 11-11-2018, 01:19 AM   #55
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All good points above, but I don't think you should use a club's membership as a barometer. The reason I say this is think about why someone needs the/a club. Quite honestly, I do not need either club. The majority of the hobbyists today feel the same way. Unless you are attending a club sponsored function, most hobbyists do not see a need other than receiving the magazine. Finding parts can be done more efficiently on the internet. Asking questions about certain details are more quickly and efficiently found on the internet. Receiving a magazine every two months is way too slow for most hobbyists.


The way I think you judge the interest in the hobby is to follow the social media pages specifically for the different marques of vehicles you like. Look at the profile of the persons who are asking questions or showing off their car online. You will quickly see if involves WAY more folks than only the Social Security eligible crowd.
Well written. It's the CLUBS people are losing interest in not the cars. The cars sell themselves they don't need us. The idea of a Club is what needs to be addressed. I am a hobbyist under the age of 40. I grew up in a time were if you had a Buick you joined the Buick Club. Now just join a Buick forum or a facebook group. Clubs really got an up hill battle. We have to prove to people driving horseless carriages that they should also have a good horse. Benny
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Old 11-11-2018, 01:24 AM   #56
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Default Re: Membership dropping, interest too???

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8VtaSy2PjM
Grass gymkana with cones & stuff. Where the less horsepower cars tend to win as they have more traction.

Consider this for your next club activity.
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Old 11-11-2018, 09:00 AM   #57
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Default Re: Membership dropping, interest too???

Club membership to me, is not a measure of vintage/Classic car interest! I would venture, it is just not the way people want to enjoy their interest, for some it is still OK, but.......
I did some googling on this membership thing and it appears membership trends were starting to drop in some reports around 2011, when someone decided to take a look at it and publish something. And the reports were by clubs in the USA and the UK. Yet, unless any of these Classic or old cars have been wrecked, someone still owns them and is enjoying them. And my grandson, who I have gotten involved in mechanic work on replacing the Model A Radiator, is into it now and I venture, when I am not around any more, he will get my Model A. He will deserve it by then.
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Old 11-11-2018, 09:13 AM   #58
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Default Re: Membership dropping, interest too???

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Their are still roughly the same number of antique autos out in circulation. Just fewer people interested in the club part of owning one.
This is both true and false. There are still the same number of old cars out there, but... First, some percentage goes to hot rodding each year. Not a totally bad thing if it keeps the old look and interest in all thing automotive, but it cuts into those in our marque's numbers. Next, big $$ collectors tend to take car OUT of circulation, and rat hole them into private collections. Also not totally a bad thing, because when those collectors croak, we get excited and all a twitter about the big estate auction. Lastly, some number die a death by rusting away, under going the big hammer/smasher, or crashing into an oncoming freight train due to iffy brakes. This is, indeed, a bad thing. (Yikes, I better fix my brakes!)

When it comes right down to it, we don't really "own" these things, we just care for them for a period of time. Then the big estate auction, and someone else comes along and care for them for a while, and so on.

( Letting one rust away in a field is probably not going to win any points for you in a caretakers contest! My advise, if you don't want to maintain it, don't buy it. I never follow my own advice!)
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Old 11-12-2018, 04:57 PM   #59
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Default Re: Membership dropping, interest too???

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8VtaSy2PjM
Grass gymkana with cones & stuff. Where the less horsepower cars tend to win as they have more traction.

Consider this for your next club activity.



I think you are IP address banned now?





No wonder membership is dropping
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