Often while talking to people in the industry the topic of the future of hot rodding will come up. Many think that as the “old timers” die off that the life style will eventually fade away and something else will show up to fill the void. Many think that like any activity that hot rodding will run it’s course and will come to some sort of end. Well I’m here to say that hot rodding is alive and well and it’s future is safe.

Every year Pete & Jake’s Hot Rod Parts hosts an annual Open House at our home base in Peculiar, MO. Each year we are amazed at the out pouring of interest, the thankfulness expressed, and the increasing participation by car owners. It’s not just about seeing more cars each year, it’s about who is showing up. We are seeing more and more families with small kids showing up. Dad is bringing his car loaded with the kids. More and more younger owners are showing their projects. That is why we at Pete & Jake’s try our best to make our event family friendly. It’s the families that will secure hot rodding’s future. The more kid’s that are exposed to hot rodding at an early age the more future hot rodder’s we’ll have.

Here’s my thoughts on how to secure hot roddings future.

Diversity We all have our favorite type/kind of hot rod. Some like the traditional. Others like the custom. There is a whole spectrum of categories to chose from and they’re all fun and exciting so why should one group look down on any other? We’re all care guys. We all take our wrenches out of the tool box the same way, with awe and anticipation. So why shouldn’t we be excepting of all types of rodding? Promote diversity, support fellow rodders, and get excited about the creativity.

Keep it Safe Sadly there’s been some bad accidents involving hot rods in the news lately. Many early rodders fought and fought for standards and safety measures to make the hobby safe and to help local governments to accept us. Let’s not jeopardize all that we’ve gained by using inferior or unsafe parts, drive carelessly or take unnecessary risks, and/or fail to stick up for our rights when undue government regulations try to put an end to our passion. By showing the world we are all responsible citizens who love what we do we can make sure hot rodding will continue for generations to come.

Spread the Word You can help the industry immensely by spreading the word. With FaceBook, Instagram, SnapChat, etc. available to all of us now we can keep everyone up to date on car shows, club events, open houses, cruise nights, and any other events both local and national that are out there to attend. Attendance equates to interest. The more interest the more vendors and manufacturers will invest in sponsoring the events. It’s up to us, the car owners/builders, to support and make our interest known.

Just take a look around. Nationally and locally, there are more events available to hot rodders than ever before. Whether you want to drive your build across the country to attend a big national event or just cruise over to a local event there is more and more available each year. Participation is the key. The more we participate as a hot rod family the more we secure the future of hot rodding. It’s up to us. Let’s not let a good thing slip through our fingers.