Interesting article on 'the dying car enthusiast"

[Bird]

http://www.caradvice.com.au/304929/the-car-enthusiast-is-dead/

Sounds just about right..
just chattin with Wazbot, and his idea is "apart from the fact its getting harder and harder to tinker with modern cars... "

Thoughts?

[berlitza]

Great article and have to agree the 'igeneration' are more into gadgets and  bloody game consoles but thankfully there's still a summernats that tend to be full of p-plater car enthusiasts or what the majority of  'igeneration' would classify as bogans.

Godforbid  any of them would want to exercise any form of individuality and slap on a set of 20" rims, as a car and bike enthusiast it kinda sad really because these days a majority of modern cars are incredibly bland and committee designed, I guess that's the reason they make the badges so bloody big so people can tell the brands apart...
 

[Mace]

it kinda sad really because these days a majority of modern cars are incredibly bland and committee designed, I guess that's the reason they make the badges so bloody big so people can tell the brands apart...
 

Spot on.

When I look around the current crop I can think of stuff all new or near new models that would have appealed to me as a 20 year old. 

Toyota 86, or the base WRX maybee.

At 18, at least I could afford a  3 year old LJ Torana that at least I could tinker with and dress up to look a bit like the XU1 I really wanted!

[goodfa]

Have to agree also, my 17 year old apprentice just save up enough to buy his first car, a "2wd dual cab hilux." When I asked why the hell he answered "they hold their value"
What kind of 17yo is worried about resale value?

[edz]

Thinking with the laws / rules outlawing mods these days and the I want it give it to me now I dont want to work for it generation attitude have a lot to do with it ..
Most have been bought up without learning any hands on type of skills like we did,  other than clicking a button on the x- box controller to add parts to a virtual car on the screen, give them a spanner and you get a blank look of  what do I do with this thing in reply ..

[Footy Shorts Shane]

Most of the younger people I see driving modified cars are in a Patrol or Landcruiser.

There was the van scene, the custom era, the pro street days, the pro touring and so on. Now it's the "4bys" that the young fellas are in. Not many of them that are in a 4x4 drive a std one.

Times change.

[Marschy]

Compared to the early 80's when I first started driving, the number of manufacturers offering vehicles with various models to cater for varying levels of taste and performance today is mind blowing compared to 30 years ago.

I saw a Holden Cruze with Chev badges on it last week, what a joke.

Car clubs were pretty common back in the day, because they provided a means by which people could share ideas to do their own performance or appearance improvements.

I don't think it is a much a necessity today as the manufacturers are cashing in now and nearly all of them offer a 'sport' model in their lineup.

Look back as far as only 10-15 years ago with the VT commodore lineup and the number of after market body kits that were on offer.

Look today at the number of Commodore SV6, Ford XR6's on the road, it's chalk and cheese. Perhaps people are more conscious of the fact that after market add-ons can actually devalue a car, and the dealers are quite happy to give lower trade-in on cars that use after market parts compared to genuine parts.

[GeoffA]

It's not just happening with cars.
We used to be a nation of people that could, and would, do stuff for themselves, but not any more......

[Elky]

Most of the younger people I see driving modified cars are in a Patrol or Landcruiser.

There was the van scene, the custom era, the pro street days, the pro touring and so on. Now it's the "4bys" that the young fellas are in. Not many of them that are in a 4x4 drive a std one.

Times change.

Spot on......in the early 90s when I got my license the cars to do up were gemini's, escorts, gti swifts etc no one I knew was into 4wds ( except for 2 mates with brumbys) fast forward to current day and I am seeing gu patrols being driven by hot young girls.......lcmp is full of young hotties wheeling with their boyfriends, wish that happened to me back then.....

[BrettMG]

As Bird said, it's getting harder and harder to do anything to a modern vehicle.  My first car was a HZ ute.  Used to do all of my own servicing etc now I struggle to find the bonnet release latch! As soon as anything goes amiss the service department attach a laptop to it!!!