Keeping the hobby alive
 

Like I mentioned in my other threads, I have two boys that I am working on so they can carry on the hobby. Most of their friends don't give a crap about cars, only a couple of them do. My older son just turned 13 yesterday and has really started getting into it. He's always been into it but he's really fired up now. I have a 1988 GMC Sierra RCLB that was our shop truck at my old business, and I kept it when we sold the shop. He has laid claim to it as his first car.

A couple years ago I swapped in a Vortec crate motor and have never totally been happy with it. I could never get it to run quite right and I'm generally unhappy about it. All it does is sit now which I hate. It is a pretty cool truck, 3/5 drop, 2010 Camaro wheels (which I'm not crazy about but I had them lying around) and some other nice stuff. The engine I generally hate though.

Anyway, he's super into it now. He's picked out a set of Torque Thrust Ds that he likes and now he texting me that he wants to put a Pontiac motor in it. Now, getting the Vortec motor running right would be ideal.....but I am a Poncho addict and have a lot of spares here........plus 3 years till he turns 16.....:eek:

The 88-98 trucks are my favorite of all time! I learned how to drive with my Dads 95 RCLB 2500, and have owned multiple RCSB stepsides over the years.

They're extremely easy to drive, more so than even small cars. The fact that the single cab trucks have the rear window right behind you makes it very easy to see out of, with minimal blind spots. You can maneuver them like a micro car if you need to.

I say go for it! I'd probably get the 350 up and running before swapping anything else in. I've seen these trucks with Ponchos in them, as well as other unique engines like Caddy 500s and even Nailheads. The Vortec was/is a good engine though, and are very easy to upgrade down the road.

Yeah, I'll probably work on getting the Vortec motor running better before anything. It is a brand new GM crate motor that I put a TBI adapter. I hate TBI, so that is probably something there I screwed up. LOL

Helping a friend with a Vortec crate engine right now. Funny you should say that yours wasn't running the way you like, because he was having the same problem. He's into cars but not super knowledgable. We put this motor in his early 70's Impala. I got him a GM mild perfromance manifold for the Vortec engine, a new HEI distributor for 75.00 off eBay, and a Holley Street Demon carburetor. It runs like a champ now. I was surprised that it didn't have more power, but he told me that it was the most basic GM crate engine available. Anyways, I really liked how easy the throttle cable and kickdown cable hooked up to the the carb.

Cool that your son is into it!
My sons grew up around motorcycles, cars, ATV’s , ect. as well as going along with me to the drag strip and tractor pulls. 2 sons had project trucks before they could legally drive also. Now they are all guys that work on all their buddies vehicles.
I have a 12 year old that has already decided he wants an old Jeep. I told him as soon as he saves enough money we’ll get one and fix it up together.

A young man in his early teens came with his dad a little over a week ago to pick up something.
I was impressed about his excitement about older cars and parts. He knew a lot for his age. His dad said he watches most of the car shows on TV. He is excited about the Trans Am his dad is working on.
Good to see young people taking a interest in cars and learning about them.
I gave him a Pontiac tag before he left.

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I guess I should have seen this coming.

I've lived through the "the 67-72 trucks are my favorite of all time! I learned how to drive with my Dad's..."

and then "the 73-87 trucks are my favorite of all time! I learned how to drive with my Dad's..."

I feel old.

:(

If you continue to have a problem with the Vortec you might want to check the oxygen sensor wires. My brother and a freind both had this problem and all it turned out be was left and right oxygen sensor wires were crossed.

So do the Dads!

I bought a '64 C-10 two years ago from the original owner's grandson, who is now retired from the state D.O.T. :eek:

When driving it I had numerous people comment about a grandfather who owned a similar truck. Yes, I feel old too.
I also sold the truck last year.

So do the Dads!

I bought a '64 C-10 two years ago from the original owner's grandson, who is now retired from the state D.O.T. :eek:

When driving it I had numerous people comment about a grandfather who owned a similar truck. Yes, I feel old too.
I also sold the truck last year. I used part of the money to buy something 46 years newer.

My boys worked on our cars through their teen years. Neither is into old Pontiacs, but they both are into trucks. My oldest 33 and uses them in his business, owing several Chevy and GMC trucks. My youngest is 24 and still owns his 99 Tahoe 2-dr, but recently bought a 2013 Camaro RS. I like the Camaro, the V6 is pretty stout for the displacement. As I get older, I'm beginning to appreciate the newer technology. I just got a Saturn Sky Redline with the 2.0L turbo that puts out 260HP.

Good on you.

All era of cars get some love as the kids and young adults that listed after them get to a point they can finally have them decades later.

The 64-74 era seems to be the on,y exception, with interest in them that exceeds and expands that pattern.

With the overall loss of interest in driving and cars proportionally, some eras having little aftermarket and support, modern safety desires, modern platforms requiring more to work on, rapidly evolving and abandoned electronics generations,

It is possible that some day there will be virtually no interest or survivors of any era in appreciable quantities except for 64-74.