Reviving the Hobby

G

goodcar

Senior Member
Has any thought been given by MARC and MAFCA to promoting the hobby with a public publicity campaign. Get businesses like Harbor Freight and others to support it.-- Pause to let the Boos quite down.-- OK. All the talk about getting kids interested in trades instead of 4- year college. What better way to help kids learn very basic mechanics than working on Model As--engine rebuilding, machining, auto body restoration. Yes I know MARC and MAFCA already support youth groups but who really knows much about this outside of the hobby. Imagine a promotion showing a rundown old car being turned into a beautiful gem by a bunch of kids. I'm sure others can present this idea better than me but just a thought.
 
Attracting younger emembers is a world wide problem not only for car clubs but any volunteer organisation. IMO, people these days are too focussed on their own tiny world and can't be bothered even looking outside it.
One of the clubs to which I belong (all brands and models focussing on the 1920s) has gone out of its way to attract younger members. Measures taken range from a youth scolarship for younger people undertaking a restoration and making mentors available to provide assistance on technical matters as needed. There are also 2 cars (1929 Dodges) restored by club members that are available for borrowing by any member whose car might not be going yet or is temporarily off the road. While other clubs' memberships are falling, ours is growing.
I like your idea of getting wide public exposure whether it be with the assistance of a National body or National business.
 
Who says it’s dying? Yeah there are a couple of doomsday posters on here, but they’re not in the growth demographic.

Outside of them, who says it’s dying? Has anyone really evaluated actual club numbers? Outside of two or three people here, no one has access.

Have you looked at the instagram and YouTube channels that support the hobby? It’s bigger than you think. Im not talk about Paul Shinn either, he’s still small compared to those that cover the hobby. No criticism, just different markets.

Im not a member of my local A club and never will be. Point is, one source doesn’t count all.
 
The burden of sustaining & growing our hobby is on the local clubs because that is where the majority of Model "A" exposure to the public exists.
The national clubs deal with national club members, & I think that is a limited exposure to the youth of existing club members. Also, many Model "A" hobbyists do not belong to the national clubs because of membership cost, the cost of participating in national events and the lack of interest in stuff not in their back yard. The national clubs are like the federal government, far removed from the rank & file folks in the local communities.
 
"Reviving" was probably the wrong word. I should have said the hobby could use a tune up. What is there to lose? Also, along with Harbor Freight, there is Craftsman, NAPA, Autozone, O'rielly's and others who don't mind taking our money. Yes, most people are focused on their own tiny worlds. They need something besides Elmer Hienrich and Ozempic to rattle their cages. Thank you to all who have and those who will reply to my suggestion.
 
We are well out of the baby boom of WWII so there is a giant slow down of folks having more than two children let alone more, like it was when I was a kid. Only a certain amount of kids and young people in general have an interest in mechanical things like we did. The only way that boom would ever come back to get even close to the boom numbers would be another survivable calamity like the previous wars. Folks were used to having children at home with a midwife or experienced relatives back then but not any more. Hospitals and OB/GYN doctors charge a fortune and a lot of feminism has resulted in a very low percentage of young women wanting to have more than one or two children so they can have a career too. What was conventional in 1919 or 1945 has completely changed in the modern era.

We need a lot more young people in order to foster those that may have an interest in the antique auto hobby. We can't just limit the nurturing of young folks to our children or grand children. If you know a kid is interested, show them around your old cars and spark that interest. I know it worked for me as I grew up around more than just a few older folks that loved the old cars.
 
rotorwrench said:
We are well out of the baby boom of WWII so there is a giant slow down of folks having more than two children let alone more, like it was when I was a kid. Only a certain amount of kids and young people in general have an interest in mechanical things like we did. The only way that boom would ever come back to get even close to the boom numbers would be another survivable calamity like the previous wars. Folks were used to having children at home with a midwife or experienced relatives back then but not any more. Hospitals and OB/GYN doctors charge a fortune and a lot of feminism has resulted in a very low percentage of young women wanting to have more than one or two children so they can have a career too. What was conventional in 1919 or 1945 has completely changed in the modern era.

We need a lot more young people in order to foster those that may have an interest in the antique auto hobby. We can't just limit the nurturing of young folks to our children or grand children. If you know a kid is interested, show them around your old cars and spark that interest. I know it worked for me as I grew up around more than just a few older folks that loved the old cars.
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Great analysis
 
rotorwrench said:
We are well out of the baby boom of WWII so there is a giant slow down of folks having more than two children let alone more, like it was when I was a kid. Only a certain amount of kids and young people in general have an interest in mechanical things like we did. The only way that boom would ever come back to get even close to the boom numbers would be another survivable calamity like the previous wars. Folks were used to having children at home with a midwife or experienced relatives back then but not any more. Hospitals and OB/GYN doctors charge a fortune and a lot of feminism has resulted in a very low percentage of young women wanting to have more than one or two children so they can have a career too. What was conventional in 1919 or 1945 has completely changed in the modern era.
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Three assumptions in this post are false:
1. Assuming that the war caused the baby boom
2. Assuming that baby boom families tended to be large
3. Assuming that baby boom mothers mostly gave birth at home

First, there's no evidence that the baby boom of 1940-1960 was caused by the war. No other war of the 20th century led to an increase in fertility rates. The increase was global and unrelated to a country's involvement in the war (birth rates spiked in Austria, for example).

Second, it's not true that baby boom families tended to be large. The number of families with more than three children actually decreased during the baby boom. What is true is that (1) women married more often and younger, and (2) women were more likely to have either 1 or 2 children than to have none.

In 1930, 54% of US women aged 20-24 were married; in 1960 it was 72%. The average age of marriage dropped from 22 in 1940 to 20.7 in 1955. The percentage of married women who had at least one kid rose from 77% before the war to 92% after it.

Third, it's not true that "Folks were used to having children at home." In 1940, only half of births took place at home. By 1955, the height of the boom, 99% of deliveries happened in a hospital. The great majority of boomers were born in hospitals, not at home surrounded by "experienced relatives."
 
As a boomer, I grew up in the 50s and 60s in a rural part of the country where families tended to be quite large. I have no scientific bases to back this up and can only surmise that birth control wasn't as prevalent then as it is now. When the farmers came to town on Saturday with big families it was remarked that they were either Catholics or careless Protestants. Also, farming then required more manual labor than it does now so it was desirable to have more kids to help with everything that needed to be done, weeding the fields, baling hay, shelling corn, moving irrigation pipe (no center pivots then) and taking care of the farm animals. I was born in a hospital as were my 4 siblings. My parents who came from big families (9 on one side, 11 on the other were all born at home. There are probably plenty of reasons why younger folks today aren't as interested in antique things, but can't we just say demographics are changing. To each his own, I won't argue with those who can't accept that demographics have affected our hobby. And one other thing to Rotorwrench's point about interest in mechanical things, back then on the farm we repaired most of our machinery regardless if it was the combine or the tractor. We didn't call the implement dealer to come out and fix things with a laptop. Please note, I'm just relating my rural life experience, not life in the cities.
 
i was immersed in fixing and building stuff as a kid. that does not happen as much as it did in the past.
we live in a get in and go society. this is not a time when someone spends their spare time working on a 1930's car and having to spend $10,000 in parts to get it on the road. another $10,000 in parts and machine work to do an engine. and that is if they can work on it themselves. not many do. not many kids are going to spend $15,000-$30,000 on a stock model A, not cool anymore.
there is lots of interest in the car hobby but im afraid the interest lies in a newer different type of car, not a vintage car that will lumber down the road to icecream store and stand around with a bunch of old goats.

so many vintage cars come up for sale that the family is selling because dad passed away. Dad never thaught the kid about the car.
teach your kids well.
 
I didn't make that stuff up. Check vital statistics or CDC - NCHS birth rates for yourself with a simple Google search and make your own judgement. Any google search will tell that the mid 1950s, with 1957 setting the record, was the highest birth rate in US history. It's been slowly dropping ever since.

The truth is the truth. It's a proven fact that men fixing to go off to war are worried about family survival and tend to get right with their religion and get married before leaving to join the fight. After the survivors got back home, they were thankful and felt more secure in starting a family. It happened after the Civil War, WWI, WWII, and the Korean conflict. Vietnam started changing things with the misguided way that there was no plan to end it in a secure way. This is mostly due to the fear of a war that could end all human life as we know it. There is less security in that fear and that may not ever change in the future. Many people are losing their faith and marriage is all too often compromised due to all the differences between the sexes. We are lucky if the birth rate stays 2 for 2. But that won't lead to any boom in population if things don't change for the better with the human race. This population stagnation is not limited to just the US either. Boomers are facing their own mortality as we are all getting older.

I hate to go off subject on a forum about old Fords but this subject does have an affect on the original question.
 
When was the last time anyone called a TV repairman or even now to fix the laptop. Now it's plug and play and throw away. What? fix the car, change the oil, rotate the tires? Model A Ford? What the heck is that? Convenience rules--for me too.
 
Harbor Freight etc has 100s of clubs etc knocking on their door for freebies. They have a tools for schools program - https://harborfreightgivingback.com/harbor-freight-tools-for-schools/ You'll need to show any company why their support needs to be directed toward the Model A rather than a much larger Mustang, Corvette, etc club. Remember all corporate giving is really done for PR and they want the most exposure for their stockholders profits.
 
rotorwrench said:
I didn't make that stuff up. Check vital statistics or CDC - NCHS birth rates for yourself with a simple Google search and make your own judgement. Any google search will tell that the mid 1950s, with 1957 setting the record, was the highest birth rate in US history. It's been slowly dropping ever since.

The truth is the truth. It's a proven fact that men fixing to go off to war are worried about family survival and tend to get right with their religion and get married before leaving to join the fight. After the survivors got back home, they were thankful and felt more secure in starting a family. It happened after the Civil War, WWI, WWII, and the Korean conflict. Vietnam started changing things with the misguided way that there was no plan to end it in a secure way. This is mostly due to the fear of a war that could end all human life as we know it. There is less security in that fear and that may not ever change in the future. Many people are losing their faith and marriage is all too often compromised due to all the differences between the sexes. We are lucky if the birth rate stays 2 for 2. But that won't lead to any boom in population if things don't change for the better with the human race. This population stagnation is not limited to just the US either. Boomers are facing their own mortality as we are all getting older.

I hate to go off subject on a forum about old Fords but this subject does have an affect on the original question.
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I agree but thought you could handle that criticism better than me. WW2 didn't just spark the baby boom but also many other things such as the GI Bill for college (much better than the one I got after Vietnam) and new homes. Urban neighborhoods sprang up and Eisenhower's Interstate Hiway System was born and TV media helped to keep people better informed (unfortunately not all good either).
 
My local club just appointed a "Youth Ambassador." The Ambassador will develop local Model "A" displays at schools, churches, libraries, fairs, etc. My club also has a trifold handout brochure that tells all about our club & the Model "A" hobby. As I said in my prior post, it is the local clubs that should be exposing the Model "A" hobby to the youth.
 
Bob Bidonde said:
My local club just appointed a "Youth Ambassador." The Ambassador will develop local Model "A" displays at schools, churches, libraries, fairs, etc. My club also has a trifold handout brochure that tells all about our club & the Model "A" hobby. As I said in my prior post, it is the local clubs that should be exposing the Model "A" hobby to the youth.
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Thank you, Bob and others, for all that you to keep the hobby going.
 
Trying to generate interest in the hobby is commendable and worthwhile. I am always happy to discuss Model A lore with the local kids and anyone that is interested. Sadly, I fear we are only rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
FL Panhandle
 
No more Gloom & Doom. These cars seem to bring out the best in people. They are a significant part of American character. Our cars were driven by normal families during World War Two and many other world events. So, there's actual history on display every time you drive down the street. Hard to put a dollar amount on that aspect of this wholesome, historical hobby.
 

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When I was a kid in the 60s the Model A Club would put on an event and lots of Model A's showed up. Now I go to the same local club's swap meet. Last year not one single Model A showed up for their Model A swap meet, no members cars were there. That was really sad that the club sponsoring the event's members could not bring their cars out and show them. So at least for the local club here in SoCal it certainly seems to be dying. I don't belong to a club, never have as an adult so I don't know what's going on behind the scenes. When I was a kid, my mom was secretary of the club, we printed out the monthly newsletter at home on a mimeograph machine I got to hand rotate it. It was a lot of fun. I know that some people say everything is going great, but I don't think they are old enough to remember how it used to be in the 60's. Maybe it's just the area I live in, it's gone downhill and people with collector cars have gotten the hell out of the San Bernardino area, including me.

I bought a 29 roadster several years ago that needs a little work from sitting for years. I started tinkering with it but then I had a stroke right when I was going through the fuel and ignition systems. Normally it would be a one-day deal for me to rebuild the carb and distributer but that's on hold for now. I have 10 other collector cars waiting for me to get back into car mode. I was going to make a '40s era hot rod out of the '29 roadster but my early days of being in the Model A Club are preventing me from butchering up an original roadster, I just can't bring myself to do it. To many years of riding in rumble seats as a kid. So, it will stay stock except for an original Winfield head I have for it. I have to at least put that head on it.

Me during the early years of my life.
 

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