Age Demographics Please Take The Poll...

[keithb7]

I have to admit this forum has quickly become my #1 destination on the entire internet. I am thriving information on old Mopar vehicles. I have only been frequenting here for a short time and already see that this is "Thee" place for vintage Mopar owners. There many great folks here who are kind and very helpful. My gut tells me there are a lot of mature members here. That's great. I hope to pull whatever knowledge I can from any of you willing to share. I searched for a while to find the right home for vintage Mopar enthusiasts. Very happy to have found this one.

Just for fun I thought I'd add a poll. To learn of the majority age of the members. The poll is anonymous. I will reveal I'm 46 and have a ton to learn. I could only choose 7 options, so I'm sorry but I had to end it at 71 and up. Here we go:

Edited July 14, 2017 by keithb7

[Andydodge]

Keith, I'm 63, tho' sometimes I think this maybe my IQ rather than my age............lol...........been playing with my 1940 Dodge since 1971, have learnt quite a bit over the years but not nearly enough and these guys have certainly helped me to understand and learn more for which I am truly grateful..........Andy Douglas  

[Dan Hiebert]

An interesting tidbit would be how old we were when we started either this hobby in general, or on MoPars. I used to take pride in showing up at cruises and shows with our D24 when we first got it on the road.  I was 30 and the vast majority of others were over 50.  Might have just been the area we were in, but we seemed to be under suspicion because we were young'uns with an old car that wasn't hot-rodded, slammed, or otherwise modified, and didn't meet everyone's profile for old car enthusiasts.

[HotRodTractor]

I'm 35 years old. To answer the above questions I've had a Pilothouse of some flavor for the last 21 years (a couple of drivers, and several parts trucks). I just love the old flathead and the pickup built around it. Hence why I am on the mission to build a daily driver over on the truck side of the forum.

[dpollo]

I drove my first Plymouth, a 35 PJ on farm roads in 1956. Before I got to drive it, I had to install a water pump.  I was eight years old and could hardly reach the pedals.   I have not been without a six cylinder Plymouth since and have covered a lot of ground, fortunately most of it paved.

[RobertKB]

I am 68 and bought my original, including paint, 1953 Plymouth when I was 26 in 1975, the same year I got married. I still have my '53 and my wife. I also have a 1948 Dodge D25 Club Coupe, and am presently working on and am nearly finished my 1951 Dodge D39 business coupe. I restored a 1938 Chrysler which I sold last year. I have owned and sold many parts cars over the years and presently have two that I scrounge from every now and then. I even owned a pilot house tow truck many years ago that ran great but which I eventually sold. I don't think I will ever restore another old mopar but I might pick one up that is done or needs very little work although storage becomes a problem after a while.

[Bobacuda]

Learned to drive in a '51 Dodge truck in a hay field about 1964 (I was 12 yrs old).  My brother and I became partners in a '41 Plymouth in '66 (a mistake on my part).  Flatheads only, I have owned a '51 Plymouth, a '58 Dodge truck and my '53 Dodge truck (got it in '75 - the truck in my avatar).  I have worked on my family's and my personal flatheads, as well as all sorts of them at the full service Sinclair gas station I worked at as a kid (best job I ever had).  And like the others, I am continually learning more from the other folks on this site.

Edited July 14, 2017 by Bobacuda

[Blaine]

I'm 28 my Wife is 27, we have two daughters 6 y/o and 3 y/o.  We are happy to have our 49' Club Coupe and I intend on keeping it and eventually getting rid of my 2009 Kia Rio in the next 5 years, bringing on in a 57' Bel-Air as my Wife's daily (outside of her driving the 08' Enclave). I firmly believe we have enough old cars in the museums and the rest on the road are ours (including everyone else) to enjoy, drive and keep on the road. I'd like to keep my 49' fairly unmodified except for creature comforts and eventually after I retire form the Navy in 2029, that I'll hopefully get to grab a 40's to mid 50's Plymouth Business Coupe to make my hot rod daily. It will be in need of restoration as I do not want to tear up something close to excellence like many of us work hard to keep.

[Robert Horne]

I will be 69 next month.      I drove my first vehicle when I was 10, a Jeep truck on a dirt road.

My two Uncles traded a 36 Plymouth Coupe back and forth over 40 years.

I got to drive the 36 when I was around 12, on a dirt road also.

I bought my pair of 38 Plymouth Coupes in 1986.

[50 coupe]

Does this mean that only us old guys know how to have fun???

[keithb7]

@50 coupe the results are starting to agree with your comment. 

This is is cool to hear the stories and learn of the average level of experience here. 

I don't count my cars when I was a teenager, as vintage. A 1973 Ford Pinto, a 1974  Dodge Dart or a 1976 Mercury Capri. However I was forced to rebuild engines and clutches in every one of those cars. I started wrenching right at 16.  All I could afford was cheap wore out cars. I was working just to keep up with repairs cost from 16 to 19. 

 I goy my first vintage Car 2 months ago. My '53 Windsor Deluxe. Years later, my time behind the wrenches all my life is helping me a lot. Patience has found me. Way less skinned knuckles. No broken bolts. No loosing or mixing up parts. No throwing tools in frustration. No waiting 2 more pay checks to get the next part. I learned how to get all the oil in a drain pan with little mess lol.

Growing older has its benefits. 

Edited July 14, 2017 by keithb7

[greg g]

My cousin gave me a 52 Concord 2 door when I was 14, didn't run had lots of rust and the exhaust was rotted off from under the seat back.  But it was all there, my next door friend and I got it running after a weeks wait to get money together to get a used battery from the junk yard down the street. Drove around the field, taught all the 12 and up kids in the area how to shift and drive, charged them 50 cents or two gallons of gas for a half hour behind the wheel.  Even set up a spot with hay bales to practice parallel parking and three point turns which was part of the NY drivers liscence test.  Every kid who practiced passed their tests first time.  It was a killer way to meet girls, they came from surrounding towns to practice.  Drove it for two summers on the lot, never used my own money for gas after the first week it was up and running.  Put on a cherry bomb and a side exit tail pipe. Rebuilt the carb, fuel pump, the Genny,and rebushed the starter.  Sold it to a neighbor for  50 bucks.

Bought my 46 when I was 21 for 200 dollars in 1970 from the original owner.  Done 80% of the work to put it in its current form.  Drive it about 3000 miles a season, and endeavor to put one long road trip a year on it.  Other than a fan belt and a couple of hot start problems it has never left us stranded.  Plymouth builds Great Cars.

Edited July 14, 2017 by greg g

[40plyguy]

Physically I'm 65. Mentally, 18-19 (my wife would agree). Been a carnut since grade school. Kept me out of trouble. Could've been worse.

[rekbender]

I'm turning 70 tomorrow and find myself in great company here.  A wonderful neighbor gave me my very first car, a two tone green 1954 Dodge Coronet Red Ram 4 door in 1965. That was one tough machine. I gave it to a true friend and my first automotive mentor when I was drafted in 1966, and it ended up in a figure 8 race at Glen Este Speedway. My first "antique" car was a derelict $100.00 1948 Chevrolet sedan delivery purchased from a local AMC dealer, Harry and Carl Rambler, in 1969. They'd put it right out in front with bunting and flags as a joke, but the styling just blew me away. It was a tired old Grandin Hardware Store veteran, and with a Jasper rebuilt engine, an 8 volt battery and new tires, it became my daily driver for about three years. Next came a 1950 Plymouth Deluxe 2 door fastback, then a 1937 PT50 as a shop truck in the early 1980's, a 1936 Plymouth P2 coupe in 2009, and a 1935 Plymouth PJ coupe in 2011 which I sold to purchase my 1949 P18 Special Deluxe convertible this spring. Despite lots of other cars in between, I keep coming back to Plymouth flatheads.

[Niel Hoback]

 I'll be 74 Monday, but that's just a number. I bought a 1930 Chrysler for $175 on Halloween day, 1961.  Another sob story about letting it get away, but next was a first series 49 Plymouth, 53 Cambridge, two matching 59 Plymouths, and now a 48 Plymouth that I've had since the fall of 94.

  

[DrDoctor]

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Edited July 15, 2017 by DrDoctor

[keithb7]

@DrDoctor  your age is not important to me, the originator of this thread.  The poll is voluntary and anonymous. I thought it would just be interesting to learn what the majority age is among the group here. You shouldn't feel pressured to respond with a comment of your actual age. Post only if you want to join in. Respectfully, Keith. 

Edited July 15, 2017 by keithb7

[Oldguy48]

M first car was a P15 that was originally purchased new by my grandfather.  Sadly, that car is gone (I tried to find it, to no avail), but I found a sister to it back in 2006.  After approximately 4 1/2 years, it was roadworthy.  Yes, it has been modified quite a bit, but at first glance, it looks stock.  Upgrades include a 350 Chevy engine, TH350 transmission, power rack & pinion steering, air conditioning, Road Runner rear end, new interior, and custom rewiring.  It's fun to drive, dependable, and still brings back a lot of memories of that first P15.  Oh...and I'm 68 years old.

Edited July 15, 2017 by Oldguy48
added age

[dpollo]

All right , all of you who were born in the first half of the last century :

  We may look at the world through the eyes (corrected vision) of a teenager but the world is not looking back at us with anything near the same enthusiasm.  It was our duty as teenagers to find the weaknesses of our parent's generation of cars and we did our best.  We know now that old age and treachery will overcome youth and skill and.... by golly..... weren't we lucky to have left home while we still knew everything?

[Don Jordan]

I'd just like to say I enjoyed growing up in the 60s.  People ask me if I'm afraid someone will steal my car - I say "Don't be silly.  First they'd never be able to start it.  If they did they wouldn't know what the stick coming out of the steering column was for."  I got into MoPar late though I was brought home from the hospital in a new 46 P15.

[Worden18]

I like to hear everyone's stories.  This is a good thread 

I'm 47, and have owned over 50 cars in the last 30 years.  My first car was a 1959 Studebaker Lark VI I bought in the summer of 1986.  I had a full time job at a turkey processing plant and made $5.25/hour.  My old man bought me the car for $550 and I worked that summer to pay him back and also buy my own gas, insurance, etc.  I drove that car everywhere and finally sold it in 1992 after I got out of the Navy.  I've owned a lot of different makes and models and had fun with them all.  But I enjoy the old Dodges the most.

[keithb7]

@Don Jordan Lol. You're right. I wonder if they could grasp the fluid torque drive quick enough to actually get away. 

[Dodgeb4ya]

I was put on this planet in 1952 to work most of my life on automobiles.... mostly old MoPars from 1930 on up the past 20 years full time.

I still have my first car I learned to drive...a 1951 Cranbrook that still has the 8 track Panasonic deck I installed in it in 1968 complete with the "God Damn the Pusherman" tape too!.

All my cars and trucks are MoPars from the 1940's to early 1950's and are all stock no modified.

Oh...and I have  at least twelve of them too!

Rob

 

[iowa51]

51 years old. Bought my 1951 Plymouth convertible when I was 9 with money from raising chickens. Still have it.

My dad and a friend fixed it up in the farm shop in the winter of 1975/76. 

[John Reddie]

I am 75. My first car was a 1935 Plymouth coupe with a rumble seat when I was 12. It was a former stock car at a local Saturday night racetrack. Not long after I got it, the former owner returned from Korea and offered to trade me a 1937 Packard rumble seat coupe which I did. He wanted to use the Plymouth to go racing again. Those were fun times.

John R