The Lack of Younger Folks Enjoying the Sport
08-11-2014, 12:44 PM
#241
Advanced
I'm 47 now, and I bought my first Vette when I was in my 20s. I had a 85, then a 95, and have had my 63 for over 15 years now.
I was a member of the local Corvette Club for several years, when i was in my early 30s, and I have to say that most of the members were retired guys that really didn't want to go anywhere or do to much with their cars. The club did a few fund-raisers for cancer etc, met at a local parking lot for 'cruise night' (didn't cruise anywhere, just stayed there and talked) and occasionally went to some car shows. The annual Christmas party etc was just all old people just sitting around chatting. Don't get me wrong, they were nice people, but there really is no draw for a younger person to stuff like this. There were no gear heads, no hot-rodding, no horsing around, no attending courses or race events with your Vette, just a lot of chatting with the occasional slow ride to get an ice cream. I still have the 63, but I don't belong to the club anymore it's just not interesting to my generation.
My interest in Corvettes - and I would argue that the interest of most younger people - is in the performance of the Corvette. I agree with some previous posters that we need to drive our cars more and be seen having fun, doing burn outs, blasting side pipes - thats what young men want to see and experience. I grew up in the 70s and early 80s and my friends and I always were in awe of the older guys' doing burn outs in their hot rods and looking cool to us. I can still remember being a kid and meeting some neighborhood dudes when they stopped by in their mid-year- revving up the side-pipes and doing a massive burnout down the street. Our jaws hit the ground and we wanted to be THOSE dudes!
My suggestion to keep the Corvette and Hot Rod scene alive is to stop feather dusting your car, stop shining the chrome, and get out and hot rod that Car! Keep Corvettes cool, let kids sit in the car or give them a wild ride, show them WHY its so cool - via burn outs, loud pipes, and plain old fashioned horsing around in the Vette. No young man goes on Youtube to see videos of mid years looking shiny at a show, they wanna watch mid years drag racing and being LOUD! Show your son how to power slide the Vette around a turn, let him do a burn out, and let him drag race somebody. Give the kids a story, something cool to remember and if they are red blooded Americans, they will take it to the next level!!
08-11-2014, 01:42 PM
#242
Team Owner
Member Since: Oct 2004
Location: altered state
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St. Jude Donor '05
I agree these cars were meant to be driven, and hard
Why have a wife with a stripper body and never put the buisiness to her?
Saving it?!
Why have a wife with a stripper body and never put the buisiness to her?
Saving it?!
08-11-2014, 02:07 PM
#243
Le Mans Master
I'm 47 now, and I bought my first Vette when I was in my 20s. I had a 85, then a 95, and have had my 63 for over 15 years now.
I was a member of the local Corvette Club for several years, when i was in my early 30s, and I have to say that most of the members were retired guys that really didn't want to go anywhere or do to much with their cars. The club did a few fund-raisers for cancer etc, met at a local parking lot for 'cruise night' (didn't cruise anywhere, just stayed there and talked) and occasionally went to some car shows. The annual Christmas party etc was just all old people just sitting around chatting. Don't get me wrong, they were nice people, but there really is no draw for a younger person to stuff like this. There were no gear heads, no hot-rodding, no horsing around, no attending courses or race events with your Vette, just a lot of chatting with the occasional slow ride to get an ice cream. I still have the 63, but I don't belong to the club anymore it's just not interesting to my generation.
My interest in Corvettes - and I would argue that the interest of most younger people - is in the performance of the Corvette. I agree with some previous posters that we need to drive our cars more and be seen having fun, doing burn outs, blasting side pipes - thats what young men want to see and experience. I grew up in the 70s and early 80s and my friends and I always were in awe of the older guys' doing burn outs in their hot rods and looking cool to us. I can still remember being a kid and meeting some neighborhood dudes when they stopped by in their mid-year- revving up the side-pipes and doing a massive burnout down the street. Our jaws hit the ground and we wanted to be THOSE dudes!
My suggestion to keep the Corvette and Hot Rod scene alive is to stop feather dusting your car, stop shining the chrome, and get out and hot rod that Car! Keep Corvettes cool, let kids sit in the car or give them a wild ride, show them WHY its so cool - via burn outs, loud pipes, and plain old fashioned horsing around in the Vette. No young man goes on Youtube to see videos of mid years looking shiny at a show, they wanna watch mid years drag racing and being LOUD! Show your son how to power slide the Vette around a turn, let him do a burn out, and let him drag race somebody. Give the kids a story, something cool to remember and if they are red blooded Americans, they will take it to the next level!!
Last edited by 63Corvette; 08-11-2014 at 02:10 PM.
08-11-2014, 03:18 PM
#244
Melting Slicks
I'm 47 now, and I bought my first Vette when I was in my 20s. I had a 85, then a 95, and have had my 63 for over 15 years now.
I was a member of the local Corvette Club for several years, when i was in my early 30s, and I have to say that most of the members were retired guys that really didn't want to go anywhere or do to much with their cars. The club did a few fund-raisers for cancer etc, met at a local parking lot for 'cruise night' (didn't cruise anywhere, just stayed there and talked) and occasionally went to some car shows. The annual Christmas party etc was just all old people just sitting around chatting. Don't get me wrong, they were nice people, but there really is no draw for a younger person to stuff like this. There were no gear heads, no hot-rodding, no horsing around, no attending courses or race events with your Vette, just a lot of chatting with the occasional slow ride to get an ice cream. I still have the 63, but I don't belong to the club anymore it's just not interesting to my generation.
My interest in Corvettes - and I would argue that the interest of most younger people - is in the performance of the Corvette. I agree with some previous posters that we need to drive our cars more and be seen having fun, doing burn outs, blasting side pipes - thats what young men want to see and experience. I grew up in the 70s and early 80s and my friends and I always were in awe of the older guys' doing burn outs in their hot rods and looking cool to us. I can still remember being a kid and meeting some neighborhood dudes when they stopped by in their mid-year- revving up the side-pipes and doing a massive burnout down the street. Our jaws hit the ground and we wanted to be THOSE dudes!
My suggestion to keep the Corvette and Hot Rod scene alive is to stop feather dusting your car, stop shining the chrome, and get out and hot rod that Car! Keep Corvettes cool, let kids sit in the car or give them a wild ride, show them WHY its so cool - via burn outs, loud pipes, and plain old fashioned horsing around in the Vette. No young man goes on Youtube to see videos of mid years looking shiny at a show, they wanna watch mid years drag racing and being LOUD! Show your son how to power slide the Vette around a turn, let him do a burn out, and let him drag race somebody. Give the kids a story, something cool to remember and if they are red blooded Americans, they will take it to the next level!!
Yeah, sounds like a blast. I'd rather dump the dues money into the gas tank and DRIVE MY CORVETTE!
08-11-2014, 04:05 PM
#245
Nailed it! For reference, I'm 33, and 6 years into Corvette ownership. There's a great group of Vette owners in the Oklahoma City area who actually enjoy their cars for more than just showing off at shows (though they do that too, and host their own every year supporting Toys 4 Tots). Unfortunately since moving out of the area, all I can find are the kinds of clubs that charge for the privilege of...doing basically nothing, from what I can tell. A cruise or two a year, and monthly officers' meetings to discuss bylaws.
Yeah, sounds like a blast. I'd rather dump the dues money into the gas tank and DRIVE MY CORVETTE!
Yeah, sounds like a blast. I'd rather dump the dues money into the gas tank and DRIVE MY CORVETTE!
08-11-2014, 06:16 PM
#246
Le Mans Master
Atta boy!!!
08-12-2014, 12:55 AM
#247
Advanced
Please post a couple more photos of it if you dont mind, I've always dreamed of making my 63 race worthy
08-12-2014, 03:55 PM
#249
Drifting
No doubt age is one of the influencing factors in how we use our Corvettes. Years ago I put a lot of miles on each of mine and almost used them as daily drivers. Now, while I still drive them, I enjoy maintaining them and improving their looks and performance. As the years have gone by, I feel more confident tackling some of the challenging jobs I was reluctant to try when I first got them.
These cars are sometimes crude, but they are relatively simple to work on.
I have received a lot help from this forum and other on line networks.
I realize many of the younger guys are into other activities. That's OK.
These cars are sometimes crude, but they are relatively simple to work on.
I have received a lot help from this forum and other on line networks.
I realize many of the younger guys are into other activities. That's OK.
08-12-2014, 05:02 PM
#250
Le Mans Master
34 here. Maybe I posted long ago to this thread if so, my apologies I didn't read back through all the pages. Yes, most corvette clubs are just as the poster above stated. I have no use for it. Driving and working on it is the pleasure for me. I'll do a car show if I have NOTHING else to do on a given day. Maybe. But with a 5 year old and a one year old, having nothing to do isn't much of an issue. So you catch me driving! By the way Garrett... You get a pass for weekend only use in the big Z!
08-12-2014, 06:05 PM
#251
back in the day 55 years ago when we bought the first of our 11 new corvettes the wife and i both raced every weekend. either autocross,drag or track days as that what corvettes were for. there were no car cruises except at the race tracks like the corvette corrals. back then you had a choice of several different event to go to every sunday. that is the difference between then and now as far as corvettes go.