Buddy of mine had some thoughts on a recent local (but big) car meet.

Basically, there is a breath of boredom. Little or no innovation; just cars with modified wheels and suspension, or non-customized aftermarket body kits. Stance/slammed cars that are excessive and beyond functional/reasonable limits. Track-built cars that never see a race track. Bragging rights on who spent the most.

It's stuff that can be posted on social media -- Instragram has replaced car meets. The attention span given to any of these cars in local car meets lasts as long as a mouse click. Swipe left.

Now, yes, there is the actual people factor of a car meet. I love hanging out with people that are passionate and enthusiastic about their hobby or trade. But I can hang out with these people at a bar or coffee house or their place of business, or even on social media, without the car meet.

Maybe a more functional car meet, such as a track day or swap meet, would be more involving.



What you do think? Are "car meets" dead?


DISCUSS.

 

Virtual is the new reality. Allows one to engage with others at a distance they are comfortable with.

 

I enjoy going to mecum, or Barrett Jackson auctions better than car meets now. The whole ricer stance thing just isn't for me.

 

Yes, you'll see the fanboys or the car(s) that drive erratically that one day around town, and yes, you'll see the pics on IG and FB. and yes, it feels like people are there to show off and add to their ego lol. but despite all that, I still find it fun seeing cars in RL as opposed to just pics. Pics may look cool with all the angles but can be deceiving and doesn't really show the bad paint job or wavy fenders or other shortcuts nor does it show the quality of a particular build and attention to detail.

 

ones attitudes toward meets probably has to do with how long one has been going to them. if a long time (decades, lol) then today they probably feel very tired, nothing new, blah, blah...

but if you're new on the scene, go to a meet, and see the diverse things done with cars and just meet some different people and also some doing similar things to share stories and challenges with, i'm sure it can still be great.

when i see a slammed old civic with noisy f*** can exhaust around town i just laugh these days but hope the owner is having fun. not my thing, never was, but i appreciate someone put hard work into it.

to this day i'm stunned at the dedication and commitment some people put into their vehicles... for some it's a complete obsession. again, really applaud the dedication, hard work, and pay off in most cases, even though i was never that much into it myself.

but today with wages stagnant or down for most entry jobs, insurance, school, and other costs climbing, many younger people who might have been into modding in the past just can't do it.

 

plenty of meets out there, choose wisely

 

Meh just depends on where you live and what types of cars people there fancy. Back home in a suburb of a Seattle there's a car show every saturday morning that just keeps growing in popularity every year. They close up the entire outdoor mall some days because there's so many cars and people. 90% of the rides are high-end European sports cars like Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches, and BMWs. There are your occasional American classics, old Land Rovers, GTRs, and Lexus ISF or RCFs.

 

I go to a weekly car show in the summer and it's fantastic.
$2 entry fee to be an observer.
100-150 classic car/hot rod/race car/etc...(anything older than 20 years old)
50-75 newer cars...lambo/Porsche/vette/mustang/import
100 motorcycles

All the car classes are sesperate and it's very well organized.
They have music, beer, food...
Best time one can have for $2 on a Wednesday night. It's a big hit.

 

The past days were great, very fun times with a small group. Now the number of enthusiasts is broad so this seems pretty superficial.

A few weeks back we'd went to check out a restaurant that happened to be in proximity of a Mustang meet. The herd mentality was scary and for the number of people there it was uncomfortable. Ran the range from older enthusiasts and noobs. Blasting stereos, burnout's, racing, this was not a place I'd want to be. Plenty of YT videos that depict this type of scene.

For the OG's, we've tired to some degree.

 

Depends on the people at the scene. Hanging out with the grey hairs who have restored and wrenched on their old 1960's/70's muscle cars is refreshing. Some of these guys have who knows how many hundreds or thousands of hours into restoring that somewhat obscure 1967 Buick Wildcat or other oddball Detroit Iron, because they have some sentimental attachment to that car.

 

I agree, it depends on the people attending.. They make or break the show for the mpost part.

But IMO the big problem is that lately it seems that on a weekly basis some guy leaving a cars and coffee proceeds to wreck his car trying to show-off.. IMO, this is what is going to eventually lead to the end of car meets, because local businesses that have allowed these gatherings in the past, are no longer going allow the meets to take place on their property.

 

Car meets are dead cuz they are boring! It's become a car picnic instead where cars just sit there. Like ok. Next! Set up a small safe track where people can actually drive, even if it's just in circles, with their creations. Let the people attending hear and see your creation at work. Doesnt have to be competitive or intense. Show that your car works and not just some trailer queen. Let people hear the sound it makes. You know stuff that gets people's blood flowing.

 

I grew up with those big cars from the 1960s. While, yes, they can be a PITA to own and service, requiring far more maintenance than today's cars, and their carburetors and breaker-point ignitions an equal PITA, they still have a personality, road manners, cushy seats, ride comfort from the long wheelbase/soft suspensions/high-profile tires (except for the firm Chrysler torsion-bars), and a unique driving experience that today's far more reliable cars just can't match. Though there are admittedly some exceptions, many of today's cars, in contrast, feel and drive like appliances.

 

For old hot rods, maybe. For modern cars, not so much. People either sit around talking about cars (boring) or sit around talking about cars after some back road hooning (boring and dangerous). Going past the ton on a mountain road might be fun when you're 20 but double the age and you're half as dumb. Hopefully.

I prefer meets during or right after a track day. Safe, controlled high speed run with lots of stories to swap afterwards.