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American Car Culture. Does It Even Exist Any More?
- Thread starter What Would Jesus Do?
- Start date
Just for a contrasting viewpoint, here's something I might have seen when I was a kid. A lovely paint job. Fender skirts. Most chrome trim and advertising stripped away, but some tastefully added, including chrome dual pipes, chrome gas cap and what looks like chrome hubcaps. Very clean and tasteful to my eye.
I paid $60 for a pair of chrome reversed trims in 1967. More than I paid for the 1959 Chevy Biscayne that I put them on.
For those who are curious about fender skirts, this link shows a bunch of pics. Some attractive and stylish, some not so much. Some nice tailfins, too, and even a few continental kits.
Just for a contrasting viewpoint, here's something I might have seen when I was a kid. A lovely paint job. Fender skirts. Most chrome trim and advertising stripped away, but some tastefully added, including chrome dual pipes, chrome gas cap and what looks like chrome hubcaps. Very clean and tasteful to my eye.
I guess most American car body styles changed slightly every year for the same make/model for a while back in the day and so my father, can or maybe could at one point (don't see as many people driving antique cars these days) tell you the year make and model of pretty much any Ford or GM from the 50s to whenever that stopped and they kept making basically the same cars for a few years.
I can tell you 400 people I know who've owned a Pontiac Grand Am or Grand Prix at one point that all looked the same.
On a bit of a tangent, I'm trying to sell my wife's(you don't want a pic) and my motorcycles as we are at an age to where we just don't ride anymore. Spoke with a dealer about putting them on display at their store.
He said that todays younger crowd are not into motorcycles but into 4 wheelers and ATV's.
Since it has been opened up for they to be driven on roads and in town now they are everywhere. Dealers are selling more of ATV's than motorcycles.
He said that todays younger crowd are not into motorcycles but into 4 wheelers and ATV's.
Since it has been opened up for they to be driven on roads and in town now they are everywhere. Dealers are selling more of ATV's than motorcycles.
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I can still distinguish a lot of those cars from the 50s and 60s. Not with quite as much certainty as I would have a couple of decades ago, but still a lot of them.
Up here in Wisky land and NE Iowa they said it was opened up in April. Lots running around in town all the time.
There was a 72 yr old in NE Iowa(Garber area) hit while turning left and a 24 yr old was over taking them. He was killed and wife seriously injured
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Yes, car culture is still alive and well. It has expanded IMO and there are subcultures for all types of vehicles. I think the various number of options these days makes it harder to spot what people have done to customize their rides. There are also some changes that you can't make easily anymore. Ex, with pillar air bags, you cannot chop the top of any modern car.
If you don't think it is alive, get out more. One trip to SEMA you will see it's booming. Hell, every time you hear a car with a fart can, you know thats custom.
Now WHAT/HOW American car culture looks like may have changed, but we have so many car shows, amateur racing circuits, etc. This may also be a function of the 1940s-1970s American steel era is over. Americans are living the life with other brands being the base for the lifestyle, not exclusively the big three makers.
If you don't think it is alive, get out more. One trip to SEMA you will see it's booming. Hell, every time you hear a car with a fart can, you know thats custom.
Now WHAT/HOW American car culture looks like may have changed, but we have so many car shows, amateur racing circuits, etc. This may also be a function of the 1940s-1970s American steel era is over. Americans are living the life with other brands being the base for the lifestyle, not exclusively the big three makers.
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I work part time at a Jeep dealership - a Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge/Ram actually and the prices and modifications are amazing. We have a Grand Cherokee on the floor now with a 700HP engine in it. And it will sell - it's in the $70's and it won't be the first one we've sold this year. Have Ram trucks in the mid and upper 70's and Chargers with 700 plus HP tricked out in the $90's.
The typical buyer is a very well off Boomer who's wanted one since 1973 or so and can now stroke a check.
For 2021 Jeep is bringing back the Grand Wagoneer with a $100K+ price tag. It will compete with a Land Rover, an Escalade or Denali, or a Jag or Porsche SUV. I can't wait to see them.
I was wondering when someone was going to mention all the TV shows. It’s alive and well.
It’s interesting to me what age groups are into.
I have a 1949 Studebaker street rod pickup that I drive probably 3 days a week. The comments I get are from Boomers. Kids obviously have little to no knowledge of Studebaker.
But I also have an 1985 Chevy short bed that is as original clean as you’ll ever see. Always garage kept. It’s usually the younger crowd that loves that truck. Square bodies are incredibly popular right now....but unfortunately everyone is slamming the heck out of them.
It’s interesting to me what age groups are into.
I have a 1949 Studebaker street rod pickup that I drive probably 3 days a week. The comments I get are from Boomers. Kids obviously have little to no knowledge of Studebaker.
But I also have an 1985 Chevy short bed that is as original clean as you’ll ever see. Always garage kept. It’s usually the younger crowd that loves that truck. Square bodies are incredibly popular right now....but unfortunately everyone is slamming the heck out of them.
I'd say there is, but it's a much higher class of enthusiasts now than there used to be.
For example, my car in HS was a 1964 Chevy Malibu SS. I put a 327 (with a .030 overbore) from a 1962 Corvette mated to a Muncie M20 Tranny with a slightly narrowed Dana rear end. The interior was meh, seats had tears, the dash was somewhat broken up, but the exterior and frame were clean and straight. I had a total of $2500 in the car, which was less than you could buy a new car (even a Yugo) at the time.
Try to build a clean, straight 196ps muscle car with that kind of driveline for less than $40-50k now, not sure it can be done, even if you ignore the interior.
FTR, now, I'd rather have a modded hot hatch, say a VW GTI R type or Mitsubishi Evo 10, with all kinds of engine work than a muscle car. The Speed3 I had would destroy my SS in both a straightine and on a curvy road. The only thing the SS would have on the MSP is the sound. A hefty V8 with an aftermarket cam and built exhaust sounds really, really good.
For example, my car in HS was a 1964 Chevy Malibu SS. I put a 327 (with a .030 overbore) from a 1962 Corvette mated to a Muncie M20 Tranny with a slightly narrowed Dana rear end. The interior was meh, seats had tears, the dash was somewhat broken up, but the exterior and frame were clean and straight. I had a total of $2500 in the car, which was less than you could buy a new car (even a Yugo) at the time.
Try to build a clean, straight 196ps muscle car with that kind of driveline for less than $40-50k now, not sure it can be done, even if you ignore the interior.
FTR, now, I'd rather have a modded hot hatch, say a VW GTI R type or Mitsubishi Evo 10, with all kinds of engine work than a muscle car. The Speed3 I had would destroy my SS in both a straightine and on a curvy road. The only thing the SS would have on the MSP is the sound. A hefty V8 with an aftermarket cam and built exhaust sounds really, really good.
I'm on Jeep #8 and love them...you can modify them for eternity and never really finish...just sell one and start over. About to toss my 33s for 35s and swap the 3.73 gear ration for a 4.56 and rear lockers. Getting it ready for next summer's trek to Colorado to earn 3 Official Jeep Badges.
