The aging hobby.

[bill goodheart]

I have only been in the Model T hobby about 12 years, mostly working on my 1919 Touring.
I seldom Post on here but do read the others postings regularly. Hoping to get some T work done when the weather warms up. I have been severely limited for time to do Model T work, as my wife has Alzheimers disease with severe dementia, taking care of her takes up most of my time.
I am 85, my wife is 75. Married 57 years.

[Maineiac]

I'm 33, and while we're planning on kids, it's more likely that my 24(?) TT is going to be getting back on the road first.

[Tinner12]

Just turned 78.Just sold all my parts inventory last week to a 63 year old getting into the hobby .Still have 3 restored cars

[pkhammer]

63 and currently no T's in the stable. Keeping an eye out for a good running touring to keep my '31 Town sedan company. Something I'd like to enjoy during retirement.

[bill_severn]

Next week I turn 92. Drove my 1916 Touring to the church last Friday for the fish fry.

Picture is me with my grandson out for a Sunday drive in Model Ts.

[Ken Buhler]

I'm 74 and have been obsessed with old cars and fixing things since I was about six. I started working with Model Ts in 1975. I'm now finishing a '27 Roadster I bought in 1978. Fortunately I have a huge inventory of parts to draw from to care for every detail. I love this hobby and most of all....meeting people.

[Banjoe]

I'll add to the list at 76.

[Jeff]

What a fun thread.

I'll be 62 in a month. I've invested over $30,000 in making starter, generator and voltage regulator parts for you guys over the past 2 years. How do I know? My wife made me do a full accounting yesterday for our taxes. Yikes. At least I'm at break even (ish). It's a serious labor of love. I've finally got a 20 year old kid working for me in my shop now for $20 an hour. He does all the stuff that kills my hands - like fitting field coils into bodies, or reaming nose snouts. He can now build a voltage regulator from start to finish and not screw it up. He's built over 1000 of them.

I wouldn't do all of this if I didn't love it,

You younger guys better start replacing your electrics or I'm gonna be SOL.

Jeff

[varmint]

"I'm not old," said myself when I was 5x. That was before 9 years of restoring our T, which we completed last year. I'm still not old, and looking forward to forever.

[TRDxB2]

The "car hobby" has a lot to do with what one was exposed to growing up. I wager that just about ever car guy over 50, worked in a service station and/or was born in a farming community. It was easy then to get a replacement part from a salvage yard, adjust a carburetor, replace points and set the timing. Electronic ignition systems & fuel injection brought on a whole new skill set that was needed, and hands on mechanics faded.

Looking back at the trends in the car hobby:
"Personalization" is perhaps the predominant driver of any car enthusiast in any category. The sheer number of old photos of modified Model T's, for what ever reason: keeping it running, what one could afford, the need for speed, and bolt on kits started the car hobby.
"Gow Jobs" to "Hot Rods" to "Muscle Cars" to "Custom Car builders like George Barris & Boyd Coddington", to "Mini Truck Off-Road Mod for Looks" (think Back to the Future). Now there are other niche categories "Low Riders", "Tuner Cars", "Rat Rods", "Rock Crawlers" etc. all supported by all kinds of bolt on accessories.

--
Current trend.
There is a trend emerging for car enthusiasts is to go back to "analog cars". Vehicles characterized by a direct, mechanical connection between the driver and the machine, featuring minimal electronic aids and computerized systems. Such cars provide that raw driving experience, manual transmissions, maybe hydraulic steering, and naturally aspirated engines. What better than a Model T
But where does the youth get exposed to mechanical work. Shop? A local area High School is offering an after school hands on car mechanics experience. A few vintage cars being donated with parts to get the hobby going.
--
--
Car shows Today pretty much cover all categories of prior trends but with older modifications. With so many categories its bound to cause fewer enthusiasts in any one of them.
--
Conclusion..
As far as the Model T experience goes...
There are fewer cars left to restore or even get back on the road. Speedsters are popular because there are no useful body parts left except for fenders, splash aprons & hoods. Replacement parts are getting scarce as are the machinists that made the reproductions. But now there is some new hope. 3D printing may well be the technology turning into a hobby to make those unavailable parts again or even for the first time Th new machinists). So for a "hands on" experience to do some invasive mechanical work, the Model T still is the least expensive option with the most detail repair/restoration documentation available.

[Corey Walker]

I’ll be 48 in June. I used to look at T’s at an antique car lot in Canton, Texas. The part that caught my attention was always the coil box wiring going through the dash that my dad knew absolutely nothing about.
I couldn’t afford a whole T at 13 so at a swap meet in Canton I bought a chassis for $75 and decided I’d just build one from parts, which I did. I’ve got receipts, probably have $20k in a $5k car 35 years later. I never will forget my grandpa saw that piggy backed on my Dad’s Nissan and told me how I had ,”wasted my money”.

[RGould1910]

Good story! BTW, any experience knowing how 1910 run?>