Interest in cars with the younger generation, what happened?

My son 8, and daughter 5, are heavily into cars. My daughter specifically loves to detail cars w me. They can both recognize brands. My son is into American cars which is odd because I’m into imports. My daughter loves all cars. They will keep the spirit alive :).
 
Inexpensive, fun cars are available as DD's. The 2007+ Civic Si comes to mind. It's reliable and practical and manual only too! I really understand the money issues but there's gateway cars to the hobby, just gotta look!

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
RippyD said:
I don't see how this is any different now. I didn't have any car I really wanted before my mid-30s. Even then it was a compromise. You get the car you want that you can afford. Look at new Camaro or a Mustang. Relatively inexpensive given what you get for the money.
Click to expand...

I don't disagree with you, except I could go buy a nice camero RS in 1969 for around $3000. Yes, a lot of money in the day. However, even when taking inflation into account, that's only $18,000 in today's dollar. According to chevy's website, a new base model camero is almost $10k more than that. Want the RS package? Add about $20k.

I should not have visited that site :)
 
Yeah...go to the Ford site instead

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
pilotpip said:
I don't disagree with you, except I could go buy a nice camero RS in 1969 for around $3000. Yes, a lot of money in the day. However, even when taking inflation into account, that's only $18,000 in today's dollar. According to chevy's website, a new base model camero is almost $10k more than that. Want the RS package? Add about $20k.

I should not have visited that site :)
Click to expand...
I'm showing that $3000 is 1969 is ~$21K today. A base Camaro is $25K invoice. Willing to bet I can get one for $24K, maybe $24.5K with some negotiating. So more, but not that much more than inflation. And consider what you get for it. Given all the additional features and safety items, it seems like a bargain. Yes, a fully loaded one is more money. And I

You have to keep mind also that the cost of cars in the U.S. is up substantially relative to the 60s and 70s due to regulations that didn't exist then. Safe features, testing, and better gas mileage cost money.
 
I guess it depends on which site's calculator you use. I used this one: http://www.in2013dollars.com/1968-dollars-in-2017?amount=3000

Kids in the 60s and 70s also didn't have cell phones, video games, etc competing for their money and attention. Also, most had after school and summertime jobs. Something that has become increasingly difficult to obtain thanks to insurance and regulation.

And Klasse, I'm a blue oval guy for the most part, so I did my due diligence. Thankfully, neither holds their resale very well and nice 2 year old examples can be had for about half what their sticker was! After upgrading to a Mustang GT convertible on a vacation trip in Maui with my wife a couple weeks ago, even she wants one. It will have to wait until we don't need 2 car seats in the back...
 
pilotpip said:
I guess it depends on which site's calculator you use. I used this one: http://www.in2013dollars.com/1968-dollars-in-2017?amount=3000
Click to expand...
Not trying to be an argumentative a-hole, but that link you shared shows $21K as well. The $18K you mentioned is the difference, not the value of $3K in today's dollars.

People in this thread keep saying that cars are significantly more expensive that buying power is down. I'm just not seeing it based on the data. I know the belief is there, especially in the under-thirty crowd, but the data is the data and shows things are about the same, maybe better in some ways. Gas costs a little more relative to inflation, but cars also get much better mileage now.

Re working, I get that jobs may be harder to get. Anecdotally, we got my 16 yo a job at a local supermarket. Wife knows the manager well. He flatly refused to take it and year later is still looking. So jobs may be harder to get, but in this one example the work ethic isn't there either. I would have been thrilled to have that job handed to me at 16. (Apologies if I already shared this.)
 
So another option is a 2008-2010 Mazda 3, hatch or sedan, a solid car, so the price of entry doesn't apply like others have mentioned.

I'm beginning to lean towards the distractions that the younger people have now but doesn't the freedom the car gives you worth it still? I had a part time job in school and had to have the car home by 10 p.m. during the week and 11 p.m. on the weekends but once I left home, I could go where I wanted to, wish I had explored more but I got around nonetheless.

Great thread so far!
 
The cost of cars might only slightly relatively higher in comparison to the 60's and 70's but college cost and housing is way up.
 
RippyD said:
I'm showing that $3000 is 1969 is ~$21K today. A base Camaro is $25K invoice. Willing to bet I can get one for $24K, maybe $24.5K with some negotiating. So more, but not that much more than inflation. And consider what you get for it. Given all the additional features and safety items, it seems like a bargain. Yes, a fully loaded one is more money. And I

You have to keep mind also that the cost of cars in the U.S. is up substantially relative to the 60s and 70s due to regulations that didn't exist then. Safe features, testing, and better gas mileage cost money.
Click to expand...

Just a note: I bought a 2016 Camaro RS model for $23,400.


Sent from my iPhone using Autogeekonline mobile app
 
Hammer77 said:
A lot of good responses here, I don't know where to begin. For me it comes from my childhood, its what I grew up around. When I was very young, my Dad never showed me how to throw a football, or shot hoops with me. We were in the garage with him under the hood of his 65 Plymouth Belvedere, explaining what's different about a small vs. big block, or a 3:73 to a 4:11 rear gear. My Grandfather, on my mothers side was a Chrysler mechanic at the same dealership for about 40 years. I was surrounded by it.

I think a lot of the younger generation look at cars as a mode of transportation, nothing more nothing less. In my area the younger guys seem to like diesel trucks, a lot of farms surround my tiny city. I do know a small group of guys with some older imports. Surprisingly there are a number of meets around, however none weekly that I know of. And as Bob mentioned I think most are interested in different things. Plus I feel some don't become car people until the find one and fall in love with it. So there's hope.
Click to expand...

I agree. I live in the western Detroit suburbs, and with sh*t for public transportation, cars are a necessary item to even go to high school, after school activities and any part time jobs.

That said, even when they have nice used cars (there's high school aged kids in my subdivision driving seven to ten year old Lincolns, Infiniti's and Acura's), they do squat to take care of them. Even recent college grads, still living at home, buying new Escapes and Equinox's, do nothing to care for their appearance other than drive them thru a car wash. Out of 125 homes in this sub, exactly three of use own an orbital polisher, detailing our cars and five to seven other neighbors cars, there's maybe a dozen that paid for a dealer applied paint sealant (we ask when we're out walking our dogs), and the remainder of the home owners do exactly squat. At the most, there's thirty of us, in total, that actually wash there's cars in our driveways. The remain three quarters use a car wash. With that kind of disinterest, here in the Motor City's 'burbs, I'm not entirely surprised that young people today are disinterested when it comes to cars.
 
So I was watching and istening to Autoline with John McElroy today and it was all about the new Mustang, great looking car! The top of future classics and what the next generation would want and the subject of cell phones being the new freedom came up. I will tip my cap, if I were wearing one, to you guys out there who said as much. I'm not sure how you pick up your buddy the day you get your licence, drive to Eastland Mall and buy tickets for Ozzy with special guest Metallica with a phone. I mean you could grab your phone and order them but is that any fun, really? How do you make out with a girl with a cellphone.....(don't answer that!)

It today's episode, check out:


or....

screen-shot-2017-08-10-at-1-03-35-pm.png


I don't mean a $37K car here, just something to get you INTO cars, real freedom!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top