Is it me is imagination drying up

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Drunkcanuk

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Probably a combination of lack of buying power and stupid easy access to bolt on parts. I seriously stay awake at night running projects through my messed up brain! Lol
I am currently at a power plant project that 20yrs ago we made $30hr, last summer when I got there for another phase, the wage was $37ish for journeyman. So what, a .30cent raise per year?? Thankfully hardly anyone but locals took the job and everyone got at least a $5hr raise. So that SHOULD be the kick in the pants to build your own stuff, but the kids don't learn that in school anymore. I did 3yrs in automotives. And all the shows as stated earlier make this look easy, and many get discouraged that it's not. It literally takes blood and sweat to do anything but bolt on some farkle. This is why I'm sooooo seriously considering a Hemi swap in my 91. Boy has a crashed 06 ram, I'm a cheap ba$tard, so why not. Rant over.
 

98chevy2500SS

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I feel like people are too afraid of what would other people think or it is impossible. Nothing really is impossible you just gotta set your mind to it
I partially blame social media for that. I'm not going to get into the specifics since it's been beaten to death already, but it's so easy to talk sh*t about what people like because of the anonymity, so in my point of view, it's like a pecking order to get back in line with the rest of the herd mentality.
 

johnckhall

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We also live in a time of instant gratification which conditions people into expecting ever more immediate answers and solutions.
This !!!!! I teach HS and have done so for the last 25 years. I've seen the era of instant gratification (and answers) come to fruition. Why put in the work when you can get an answer or an idea within seconds? I'm certainly not saying there aren't young people that are creative and don't have the motivation to get the job done. However, my class (physics) is considered the hardest classes at our school because there's no memorizing or googling an answer. I'm trying to teach these students to think logically and critically . . . if I'm given A,B, and C , how do I get to Z? As stated earlier, if someone is motivated enough they'll find a way.
 
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618 Syndicate

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This !!!!! I teach HS and have done so for the last 25 years. I've seen the era of instant gratification (and answers) come to fruition. Why put in the work when you can get an answer or an idea within seconds? I'm certainly not saying there aren't young people that are creative and don't have the motivation to get the job done. However, my class (physics) is considered the hardest class at our school because there's no memorizing or googling an answer. I'm trying to teach these students to think logically and critically . . . if I'm given A,B, and C , how do I get to Z? As stated earlier, if someone is motivated enough they'll find a way.
Bless you for teaching that age group. Lord knows I couldn't do it.
Critical thinking is a skill no longer widely taught.
 

Drunkcanuk

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Based on inflation, you should be making $60/hr. They don’t factor in experience?
Not to derail the original point of this thread, but I guess this goes with the less money point. The client and my company originally signed the contract for this project 5yrs ago. It's a union job that instead of falling under the "collective agreement" it was a "site specific" one. 5yrs ago there was a lot less union carpenter jobs to be had, so the union signed off on it just to keep members working. Well now they can't man jobs up enough so the company went to the client and said there is only one way to get workers to site was to pay them the full rate under the "collective". It's not as simple as adding for inflation, goes with how much work is in coming up when the companies and union negotiate new contracts.
 

umwtnt

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I don't have a lot of spare money for my project so I'm steady looking for more ideas and blending others idea into my truck. Because I'm in Virginia we are require to run a front tag. I frenched in my front tag into the bumper. I shaved my stake bed holes and my tail gate. I also took the embossed CHEVROLET on a square body and welded it into the lower right corner of the tail gate. I welded in my roll pan and shaved my cargo light and antenna, I'm running a hidden antenna. My next project to install the fuel filler neck into the side of the bed with the original opening filler cap and shaved the original filler neck on the outside of the bed. I installed a flip kit on my hood so that the hood flips open towards the front. I've made my own full lenght console, installed TMI seats and an overhead console. I updated my windshield washer system to a later model system installing the tank on the right front of the engine compartment. I installed a aluminum overflow tank, I found at a car show and removed the original bulky system on the fire wall. Installed electric fans and designing a radiator cover to go from fender to fender. I watch Bitchin cars, roadkill, Hot Rod garage and others looking for other ideas to make the truck mine. It helps that I'm a retired mechanic and have the tolls and skills to play. I'm hoping to paint it this fall or next spring but as the ideas keep coming in, it may be later then sooner that it gets painted.
 

Hipster

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I think it's the image of what a hot rod should be. Like said the Tv shows are all about the bling and the glitz, but they are playing with others money. I could build someone a hella hotrod, as could many others, if handed a blank check. Those customers are few and far between.

Alot of people start projects and buy parts that never see completion. Circumstances change, covid happens, mad inflation happens, poor planning, running out of project funds, etc.

I tell most people the same thing. Take what you think you're going to need to complete the project and add 30%. You'll be close.

I'm on the flipside a bit. People watch an hour long TV show and think it takes an hour to do modifications and such and come to me thinking I can do the same for a little bit of nothing. Not going to happen. You're not going to get top shelf materials and show quality paint by offering to pay 2/3 of what I just told you it was going to take.

When I grew up hotrodding was pulling your heads and pocket porting them yourself, offset grinding cranks to gain stoke. Improve what you have with the pieces that are already in your hands.. Everybody was hanging out at someone else's house every other weekend helping someone else and brainstorming.

The creativity is out there. You'll just see more of it in the motorcycle and Rad Rod circles.
 
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0xDEADBEEF

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Motor-related stuff in general is dying. It's the same in motorsport too. In the 70's and 80's the Indy 500 was a world event. Winners were instant superstars. You probably couldn't name this year's winner without using a search engine. (I know because I watched it.)
 

618 Syndicate

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Motor-related stuff in general is dying. It's the same in motorsport too. In the 70's and 80's the Indy 500 was a world event. Winners were instant superstars. You probably couldn't name this year's winner without using a search engine. (I know because I watched it.)
Motor stuff is changing, not sure about dying. This drift shìt (which I don't "get" at all) is super popular, and at the local level drag racing and sprint cars still draw crowds.
 
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