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Hot rodders of my middle-aged generation want me to worry about the impending end of hot rodding. If we don't start getting more young people into this hobby, they keep telling me, all the rodders are going to die off and this whole thing will go the way of the chariot races. That opinion puzzles me. For one thing, I remember the chariot races and they weren't that great. For another thing, old gearheads seem to live forever. The DNA gene that causes people to like cool old cars is the same one that has hot rodders breaking longevity records set in the Old Testament. On top of that, there's a whole new wave of hot rod builders getting big-time attention in magazines, on TV, and at national events. Troy Trepanier, Jimmy Shine, Eric Peratt, Troy Ladd, Zane Cullen, and many others are giving this hobby a big injection of youth-and will probably still be building hot rods when Brad and Angelina's baby is president. For every young pro builder, there are many more young hobbyists. Many of the hot rod and custom events in my area are packed with participants who love the '40s, '50s, and '60s, but aren't old enough to remember the '70s. And they're putting their passion in their cars. Are they just a passing fad? If you think so, remember that hot rodding has been a "passing fad" for more than 60 years. Will these young guys still be driving hot rods and customs when their hair is white? Some will and some won't, just like every other generation. The ones who do stay in it will be probably be talking about how great everything was back in the '00s, and worrying about the impending end of hot rodding.
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