1951Hollywood/ Portland Oregon craigslist

tombia

Check this out, not bad price for a 51 Hornet Hollywood

ski4life65

http://portland.craigslist.org/clc/cto/5551828275.html
Here is link

Frankvintagefullflowcom

Good eye, Doc. Maybe it's an indicator of the direction it's headed.

I can't comment on the value but someone should "Save a Hudson" as the late Mr. Harmon would say.

F

Frankvintagefullflowcom

Bingo, we have a winner!

50ClubCoupe

I'd try and save as many as I can but I have no storage....which is probably a good thing for my wife.  I have a tendency to fill whatever space I have. lol.  

Doc's comment is something that resonates with every club I've been involved with over the past several years. In fact, I was working with the AMCA on their youth outreach program but we were never able to get anything to materialize...probably more due to politics than lack of interest. I was young (19-20) when I got into the vintage motorcycle/car hobby but the cruel irony is that when you're young you have ample time but no money...when you get older you have the money but no time. I'm now 40 with kids and usually have to beg for an hour or two in order to tinker on the projects.  It seems the sweet spot for these hobbies begins right around 55-60 years old after the kids have grown and careers slow down which allows for more wrenching time.   

Frankvintagefullflowcom

Or.....we're older and still have no money. If you can't keep them out of the weather, Mother Nature will take them back. She's relentless.

F

50ClubCoupe

LOL..true!  It's a shame you can't "like" a comment on here.

Hudsonrules

Unfortunatly, many of todays youth have little to no interest in mechanics. They are button pushers and for most of them we live in a throw away society which includes cars.  Take a look  at the vehicles in todays  recycle yards. Many of the vehicles are not that old, but the cost of repair and parts amke it easier to replace the vehicle than repair it. Now with the vehicles that we remember regardless of make are to expensive even for beginers, and few people have the room or time to work on a project. Just walk into a "parts" store now and ask the clerk for ponits etc for a chevy and they stare at you. Like what are you talking about. So we ask about a Hudson  part, they want to know who made it and it is not listed on their computor screen so they are dumfounded. They do not know how to cross reference part numbers etc. Regardless of the car club, it is becoming more difficult to attract younger members as many of the youth think it is a bunch of cranky old men who are stuck in the past. Just my two sense.

 

Glowplug

@ 69 years I am done with the youth of the hobby thought process. Nice idea, but the reasons why this does not work have been already stated. I have been a Hudson driver/owner for 50+ years. Raised 8 children all who have 0 interest in owning a HET product. Enjoy your car and share it with others and hopefully some will want a HET product for themselves.

PaulButler

50ClubCoupe said:

LOL..true!  It's a shame you can't "like" a comment on here.

Scott,

That is functionality we can add; been thinking about it anyway! I'll go have a chat to the other guys on here and see what the enthusiasm is for it so watch this space.

On the main thrust of the thread @hudsonrules & @oldfarmer1947gmailcomsay it really. I'm a young 57 and had my first American car over here in the UK when I was just 20 (a 1959 T'Bird).

Back then there were other "youngsters" who had the same interests, today not so many 

Hienkel429

As a sort-of-young-person (36)  I think there are some reasons for young people not getting involved in cars.  

#1 Urbanization and folks are getting married later.  Many of my peers live in urban areas that don't have storage areas or even parking!  Plus only a few of my friends growing up are married (originally NY metro).  People are starting their lives later so hobbies take longer.

#2 Lack of experience / know-how.  Many folks my age grew up with ultra reliable cars that did not take much maintenance.  Thankfully my father owned a service station in the late 60's into the 70's so I got much of the experience (since we were broke) and tools to work on cars of this era but there are big gaps in my knowledge which is a problem.  So generations not used to working on their own cars, with their own tools, understanding the systems involved present a barrier to people picking up this hobby. 

#3 Financials.  Many folks in their 30s and probably younger have invested heavily into their education leaving scant funds for an expensive hobby.  Other things come first like paying for a house, children, and paying down debts.  In fact I pay for working on my car with handyman work I do on the side and it was the way I earned enough money to pay for the car.  

So.... I'm all gloom and doom.... but I have some ideas. 

1.  Be open and friendly.  This the club has in spades and is why I am working on a Hudson and not a Karmann Ghia or VW Thing.  My kids (6 & 8) have run around and struck up conversations at meets with no worries by me or my wife.  Everyone is very friendly and offering advice or help.  

My one idea would be what I have seen in other hobbies. BUILD PARTIES.  Imagine having 6-7 families over at one house to tear into one car at a time.  6-7 people on sanders on a body, or plumbing a car.  Community building.  Experience and equipment sharing.   So you'd have families coming together, progress on cars, lower expenses than doing it yourself, and getting it done faster.  Plus we all get to share experience in real time while making friends and building community!  If this sort of critical mass could be met you'd have thriving clubs.  

Just my $0.02  

- Ray