jr73

I've read threads here and in other forums which say our sport is dying. But is it? Maybe it's just me but I have never seen more parts outlets dedicated to 60's, 70's and older cars. Car auctions, and programs dedicated to sports cars on TV, online magazines, huge car shows big money car shows. We all remember in the 70's when we were told that the V8 was dead and you would see nothing but 4 and maybe 6 cylinder cars within a few years. As insane as the horsepower was in the late 60's in production cars it pales in comparison to the power available in sports cars today as well as the suspension capabilities. They stuck a fork in it 40 years ago and they got it wrong in fact production horsepower which is now triple of what it was way back when they said it was dead will be eclipsed in the following model year and probably the next year. Where did this demographic come from? From the customer base which was not supposed to be here? The big three would not have built these cars if there wasn't a demand. Our thirst for horsepower isn't going anywhere in my opinion. Speed limits are increasing at least in my state. I see mostly young people going fast on the interstate, mostly in import cars though and that's probably cuz it's what they can afford but that may change especially if our 70's cars drop in value, then it may become an untapped resource.
Give it some thought, could we be wrong that these cars are becoming extinct?

doorgunner

Yes!

lowbuck72

Self driving cars will be here in 5 years or less. In 20 years they'll be commonplace. Many will be electric. Some won't even have steering wheels. One thing's for sure, they'll be as boring as can be. A non-computerized, totally analog car, much less, one with a V8 and some style will be a rare treat to behold much less to operate or own. If enough younger guys and girls show interest in keeping these things running and create a demand for parts, someone will supply them. Of course, it won't be cheap.

BLUE1972

FAKE NEWS....

Just the media trying to guide the population, not working.

As the younger people age they are becoming their parents, moving out of the cities and buying SUV (station wagons). I see it here. They are also buying classic cars.. and toys.. as money allows.

I see it here...

Priya

Triple the horsepower? I think maybe double. But still, these are the good old days when it comes to horsepower.

I wonder at what point the car manufactures will say "We could make a more powerful motor but that would be too much power."?

I've got to think they're going to reach that point fairly soon.

car junkie

It's always a safe bet that predictions about the future will be wrong. Not just a little wrong but way off.

There's no shortage of nattering nabobs of negativity.

mortgageguy

I find it funny when I read that the muscle car era will die. The fastest, most powerful cars ever produced are the ones coming off the assembly lines today. Speed still sells cars today just like in the 60's and 70's. Even have the same names. Corvette, Camaro, Mustang and Challenger. They say this young generation doesn't get into performance cars. I invite them to look at the age of the drivers in the Camaro's and Mustangs. Seems like everytime I take my car for a ride, some kid is ******* me at a red light. Guess what he will want to buy when he has more disposable income ?

LT1M21Vette

This...

3X2

I remember in the early 80's how engines run by computers would be the end of the performance car. Geez, how far the manufacturers have come. Over 700 horsepower cars on 93 octane fuel, 10 second 1/4 mile times- some under that, all the power accessories, widgets, and doo dads anyone could want. A 500 hp car back in "the good ole days" was barely streetable, let alone couldn't handle or stop well. We are truly living in the age of the performance car. Although I am not a fan of electric cars, who knows what the future holds for performance. Now self driving cars is a different matter................

derekderek

Is our hobby dead? No, but as we die off the customer base shrinks. I mentioned in the other thread how we got 2500 bucks for a 56 T-bird. Car was seriously sought after 20-30 years ago. The vette stayed true to its roots while T-bird became a luxury bomb so the vette will have more staying power.

Rescue Rogers

Like being a redneck is ever going to die, hahahaha. You shoul see all the different types of car shows around here. The hobby is different for different age groups. The age of the muscle car and the cost may be plateauing which is good for me but maybe not for the investors, but the kids now a days have found fun in the ricer fast and furious type cars or the drift car guys. My neighbor is into that and they hotrod anything by throwing an LS motor in it and tuning the computer. Hotrodding isnt dieing, musclecars arent dieing, its just the news and magazine people trying to sell a story. Go on youtube and look at all the hotrodding based stations. Then get into 4 wheeling, wow. Thats a billiion dollar industry in itself. We are all tied together by or love of dinosaur fueled motors. None of these hobbies are dieing or going away, some of them maybe getting pricey for certain model cars but there is still alot of cheap cars that can be made into muscle cars, especially the later c3s. Theres alot of them on craigslist around here for 3 or 4 grand. And with the computer making parts and cars easy to find I would say our petrol fuel hobbies are in fact easier to get into

The13Bats

I didnt know i did any pronouncing on it,

Cars dont die neither do hobbies but their fan bases do wax and wane, and ahem die off.

What i see with c3s is the days of 100% bone stock being the zenith are dying and fast replaced by guys who dont care about a garage queen to snap pics of but rather a car they can drive and in that vein mods have to happen, even if its to make it better a mod is a mod, doesn't mean you are building a corvette summer car,

The rare optioned c3s are to a degree exempt,
But i know a few high dollar gear heads who have zero issues doing a total restromod build on some rare c3,

As a guy told me, stock is boring but why not mod a nice car, its mine, my money,

So its all in flux,

I would expect like the fan base to other things like model ts, grass roots kit cars, lead sleads, etc have been huge at one time and now dwindled
C3s will dwindle more and more,

The way some c3 guys feel about post 73 plastic bumper c3s is the way many c1 c2 owners feel about all c3s,

i do not see as many at shows. Cruises and seldom driving down the street,
Oddy i saw a c2 vintage racer parked at a local hotel

No, the cars are not dying the guys who love them are dying off faster than new gear heads are getting into them so it might seem like the cars are dying....

Mr D.

Just like the Model T fad the Muscle Car fad will go the same way.

resdoggie

There will be a dramatic change in consumer buying when electric vehicles can go 200-300 miles with only a 10 minute charge and prices drop. Gasoline won't be needed as much then. Governments will jump, even more so than now, to have zero emission vehicles only on public roads. It won't be fun driving our classics off-road!

Or, start lobbying now to prevent this from happening. I have a feeling it will fall on deaf ears because it's not politically nor environmentally correct regardless of what some think. We're a niche group in a population of +300 million. Good luck.

The13Bats

I recall a fun sci fi flick set in the not so distant future,

The lead guy drove an avanti, pulled up and stuck a charging plug in the center of the front bumper where an avanti happens to have a rubber plug, the xar appeared stock but was electric converted,

Even on this forum so few guys drive their c3s much, few consider them daily drivers, some even talk smack to those of us who do,

Yet you worry the c3 will die?

BLUE1972

When the people find out a 6 hour trip will take 8 hours in their "new driverless" car because it will go the speed limit not 10 over they will revolt.

People are starting to realize going electric only moves the pollution from one spot to another. I overheard people talking that "mike" had to replace a few 15 year old SOLAR PANELS and what it cost. My amazement was that these people think the panels last forever.
The response was amazing - ..

The media people thing they are leading the pack (to where they want" but people are realizing they are unscrupulous people with heads too big for their bodies. (like they failed to report a driverless car taking the sidewalk here a few weeks ago) How many people turned on to the RR tracks here following their GPS.

We will share the road with driverless cars, just as we share the roads with dumb drivers.

In 1973 I remember the media reporting the performance cars were dead and would never come back ... woops ..

TexasTechDad

I have lived too long!!! Last month it was reported the Death of The Electric Guitar !!! Now this? Take Me Now!!!

Mr D.

and 40 years from now the hot collectable car will be a 2017 Camaro

Priya

I don't think so. Unlike the model T muscle cars from the 60's and 70's are still aesthetically pleasing to many young people. A model T looks so radically different from newer cars and I believe few people even at the time thought of it as aesthetically pleasing. It was popular solely for nostalgic reasons so when its fans died off there just weren't any new fans to replace them. I don't think the same is true of muscle cars from the 60's and 70's

As far as electric cars replacing gas cars goes, I think that will happen but when it does people will just convert old C3's to electric power. I have no doubt there will be a thriving industry providing drivetrains and assistance to people who want to convert old gasoline powered cars to electric just as people nowadays put more modern gas motors into older cars.

BBCorv70

If the demand for gasoline drops, assuming electric cars become common, that may be one aspect which will make operating these vintages cars uneconomical. Gas prices will likely go up, may slowly become more scarce? We're already seeing problems with oil being reformulated for modern engines, zinc being removed. Ethanol creates other issues. It seems it's becoming more challenging to keep operating the vintage cars with vintage drivetrains on any regular basis. Seems restomods may be the way to go if we want to drive very often?

There will always be a market for the show cars, rare originals, ultra low mileage, etc. To keep operating the other cars as even semi daily drivers may require compromises, not necessarily keeping them 100% original.