new blood in vanning

[silverado]

Hi team, some great replys here.

I think matt has a good idea, we need to attend as many rod runs, shows, swap meets, cruise in's as we can get to.
Either go as a group or just as one van, but exposure is the key.

I used to take my TA everywhere and any where there was an event, I could get too.
These days almost any club will welcome you as a quest on a run and if you have something a little unique, all the better.

So if just a couple of us get together or even if you go by yourself, its still waving the vanners
flag.
The more people that see vans, the more opertunity there is to attract other's just like me who alway's thought "it would be cool to do a van one day"
Yes im sure there is something of a renasaunce on in vanning at present, but nothing builds momentum like activity and enthusiasm is contagous.

I cant wait till I get my van to a point where its even partly built and I can rock up to a few events and cruise nights and Im really looking forward to one day, being able to spend some time cruising in the sun with a few of the folks on here.

Happy Vanning
Rusty
 

[hotrod]

I think this question was partially answered in the opening statement by SILVERADO
when he said
"The kids keep buying these pocket rockets and bolting on this that and the other till they all have the same label wheels, same label lights and so on."

The young guys and gals of today are the NOW generation, they want it NOW and they only want the best ( or what they perceive to be the best), and this is what the finance companies feed on.
They don't want to start with an old shitter as we did and work their way up to a flashy car when they can get it now, also all of the parts they can buy are readily avaliable over the counter at the local auto shop, no waiting get it NOW. plus the rice burners really go and really handle, who wants to drive what is essentually a commercial vehicle that  handles like a truck and doesn't go much faster.
This is also evident in the fact that they want to start with a house better than their parents have.
Also how many of us have the same past times or passions that the previous generation had? I know what my dad did was 'lame'
Things go around in swings and roundabouts, and we need to take the good with the bad, but I reckon one old saying sums it up.
YOU CAN LEAD A HORSE TO WATER, BUT YOU CAN'T MAKE IT DRINK!
Anyway that is my 5 cents worth wether it makes sence or not!

[ben]

as a young person (im 22) i can say the only reason i am into beddies is my old man brought me up on holdens and introduced me to beddies and i was fully in love even thou the van i had before that was a holden sandman 400 chev!! i downgraded to a 173 beddy.. didnt have the power but the room in these beddies is amazing..

i think im off the track.

the only reason i got into vans is cause of my old man. and they are cheap..

yeh so true hotrod, kids have access to soo much money these days..

and thats why i think kids arnt into bedfords so much. maybe looked on being a dodgey old breaking down van. maybe doesnt fit their image.

with less and less on the road every year its geting harder and harder for people to be exposed to vans. anyway  i like it my vehicle is becoming more and more unique every year.. thats a plus!!

ben


ben

[Bas NZ]

My old man was not into custom vans but was into campers, he did attend the van shows with me when he was alive and showed great interrest in them. But when I was about 14 or so I was at school one day it was lunch break, the school I went to was on the main road, anyway this full custom van drove by and well what can I say my first true love, they stoped at the shops down the road so I took off out of school with teachers telling me to get back but it went in one ear and out the other as there was something waiting at the shops that was far more interesting. The guy himself was really outgoing and showed me the inside etc, well when I saw that BAR and BED I was sold, and to top it off he drove me back to school in it, and yes it had a 350 Chev and lakepipes. And yer West Coasters.

WOW what a day!!!!!!!!!!!!.

[BusyKiwi]

I've been taking my standard van to work lately and have had two people ask if I wanted to sell it (older people - 30 + )
When driving it I get a lot of thumbs up and points and stares by the teens (no i wasn't pulling faces or anything lol)

From what I have seen are the teens of today are lazy, would rather pay money to have stuff done instead of trying or doing it themselves and bolt ons are the way to go. They are spending big money doing up the old 80's cars and even some 70's. I think the bedford are to big for them as the big bore exhaust wouldn't look so big bore and it can't be lowered into the weeds as easy as the jappas can

[BusyKiwi]

Oh and one of the guys who asked if I wanted to sell my standard van said he already had two. a 6 wheel camper and a v8 bedford. I told him about this site so hopefully he'll join up

[westy12]

gday guys yeah i agree, times have changed and the youth of today just arnt as interested in the older cars because they didnt grow up with them. its all about crummy doors these days! theyre cheap and go fast etc etc my brother had a wicked hr wagon that he had done up since he was 18, he had it in the shed for when his son turned 18 but he didnt want it! sure he thought it was cool, but his first car was a commodore ofcourse!! also doing up a bedford is not cheap! i spent 10000 and mines still a shitter! take it easy

[Rozz and Lucy]

Im 18 and I have a Bedford, when I first saw her she was very rusty, messy, had a busted tail light, one mirrior, large holes in her back doors and a leeky roof and I igonored all that...... It was love at first sight, every week for two months id drive past the yard she was in and say wow mum please can I have it please please she replied oh its a mess why dont I get you a commedore or a more reliable vehicle for your first one and I replied only that icecream truck van whould make me happy, she said we couldnt afford it until a month later I got a call to say she had bought it for me for $100 and I couldnt wait to go pick her up...... ive even worked hard at work and got a promotion so I can afford to fix her now...... my Bedford means the world to me and I recon if you love something so much its worth fighting for nomatter how messy or rusty.