The death of car culture

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

GoDucks

Active Member
Joined
May 10, 2022
Posts
86
Reaction score
100
Location
Portland, OR
Part of the issue is that there are so many middle schools and high schools around the country that got rid of auto classes due to budget cuts or whatever. I was in 8th grade in the early 90s and my middle school had a metal shop and auto curriculum. We got to help our teach make mods and build his Suzuki Samari. I had zero idea how cool and fun it was to play with shop tools, paint gun, metal benders, cutters etc.

So odd these days, my son and his middle school friend have zero interest in cars, they only care about sports and video games.
 

Keshka

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2022
Posts
560
Reaction score
992
Location
Summerville, Oregon
Part of the issue is that there are so many middle schools and high schools around the country that got rid of auto classes due to budget cuts or whatever. I was in 8th grade in the early 90s and my middle school had a metal shop and auto curriculum. We got to help our teach make mods and build his Suzuki Samari. I had zero idea how cool and fun it was to play with shop tools, paint gun, metal benders, cutters etc.

So odd these days, my son and his middle school friend have zero interest in cars, they only care about sports and video games.
As parents we need to stop relying on electronic baby sitters and engage our children. Remember when you were young? Mom saying "get out of this house and play outside!" because we made too much noise? Not due home till the street lights came on. Because mummy and daddy did not give us fancy electronic "baby sitters", we were FORCED to find entertainment elsewhere. I could go on for hours about what we did as children. 90% of it involved (OMG!) face to face contact! ...and that punch to the nose when you went overboard.
 

GordoJay

FRF Addict
Joined
Feb 8, 2020
Posts
7,358
Reaction score
15,630
Location
Colorado
Cars used to be a big deal. Now darned near every kid is given a car when they turn sixteen. A nice car. That you don't have to fix constantly. And Mom and Dad buy the gas. Is it any wonder that they aren't valued? People only value what they have to work for. So yeah, when we die, car culture dies with us. I'm over it, specifically because I will be dead. Smoke 'em if you got' em and don't look back.
 

CruiserClass

Full Access Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2022
Posts
536
Reaction score
1,102
Location
Midwest
You go to a car cruise what do you see.people my age,born in fiftys and sixtys.No one in their twentys or so,bad.

When you were in your 20's did you routinely hang out with crowds of strangers your grandparents age for recreation?

Go to a burnout competion. You'll see a younger crowd.
 

BlueOvalF22

Full Access Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2020
Posts
352
Reaction score
463
Location
Willow Springs, CA
Totally agree.

How tf does anyone expect to tune up and polish an EV to impress a girl on date night.

EV cruise ins on summer saturdays?

With the charger dead, how are the polices gonna haul someone to jail

It's going to be the guy who got a hold of the best batteries and electric quad motor swapped a first gen Raptor or Luxury Prerunner.
 

yoopercharged

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2015
Posts
327
Reaction score
777
Location
Tri Cities, MI
You go to a car cruise what do you see.people my age,born in fiftys and sixtys.No one in their twentys or so,bad.
Just because you don't read about it in the newspaper doesn't mean the younger crowd isn't having meets/cruises of their own. You don't see them because kids with tuner cars don't exactly care to hang out with older guys driving classics. It's just a different generation. EVs will have their own generation too.
 

melvimbe

FRF Addict
Joined
Jul 22, 2019
Posts
4,878
Reaction score
6,436
Location
Houston, TX
Cars used to be a big deal. Now darned near every kid is given a car when they turn sixteen. A nice car. That you don't have to fix constantly. And Mom and Dad buy the gas. Is it any wonder that they aren't valued? People only value what they have to work for. So yeah, when we die, car culture dies with us. I'm over it, specifically because I will be dead. Smoke 'em if you got' em and don't look back.

It depends on the situation I think. I bought both my teenagers vehicles, but they both pay for gas. My son paid to get the truck lifted and got lucky with some used bumpers and such. Gas prices are killing him right now. Daughter isn't doing anything like that, accept gas, but she did pay half for a school trip she wanted to go to last year. They pay for a ton of stuff that I never paid for. That's partially because what they buy didn't exist in my day, but they do realize that you gotta have a job if you want things. Are they spoiled? Sure, but not really more than I was at their age, and I turned out awesome.
 

melvimbe

FRF Addict
Joined
Jul 22, 2019
Posts
4,878
Reaction score
6,436
Location
Houston, TX
Car culture won’t die, but it’ll be different and weird. Imagine a Tesla car meet, what does that look like? Seeing who has the newest software update and checking out each others wrap jobs?

That's the thing. You can't exactly mod an EV for better performance, you'd have to hack the code. You can't even get better batteries or motors without rewriting the code to handle it. I mean, I guess you can lower/lift it, mess with suspension, or change up the body, but you'll like just hurt performance.

Heck, a couple decades from now, your car can just go to the car show without you.
 

GordoJay

FRF Addict
Joined
Feb 8, 2020
Posts
7,358
Reaction score
15,630
Location
Colorado
Are they spoiled? Sure, but not really more than I was at their age, and I turned out awesome.
A lot of spoiled kids turn out fine. And a lot of the others are shitheads. And some, Mama should have flushed. If only she hadn't noticed that it had eyes. :)

We all just want everyone else to be like us. :happy160:
 

GordoJay

FRF Addict
Joined
Feb 8, 2020
Posts
7,358
Reaction score
15,630
Location
Colorado
That's the thing. You can't exactly mod an EV for better performance, you'd have to hack the code. You can't even get better batteries or motors without rewriting the code to handle it. I mean, I guess you can lower/lift it, mess with suspension, or change up the body, but you'll like just hurt performance.

Exactly. We call that a tune. Take all of the margin out of the design and it makes more power. Only now you burn your brushes instead of your rings.

Heck, a couple decades from now, your car can just go to the car show without you.

You won't own a car. And you'll like it. So I'm being told, anyway. :mad:
 
Top