scary thought,fe die?

[fryedaddy]

my dad had a junkyard back in the 60s -80s,well he was one of those guys who hauled cars to the crusher.back in the late 80s he quit and he got rid of all his old cars.i was in my late teens early twenties at the time.he made me get rid of most of my stuff too.he liked cars out of the 50s and 40s but i liked the muscle cars.i had 4 comets and 2 fairlanes all 66-67.i told my dad and uncle i thought the muscle cars would be big someday,because at the time they weren't producing muscle cars.so after getting rid of his stuff and my stuff about 10-15 years later he buys 2 66 fairlane show cars.i remind him every now and then about him making me get rid of everything and wishing we had them back.as long as people like muscle cars and trucks,i think the fe will last.

[BattlestarGalactic]

The one who dies with the most toys..........still dies.

Ya but he had the most fun. I am 49 and I never owned an Fe powered car until 3 years ago

I've had them for 30 yrs now.  Never the fastest or baddest, but always out there having fun.  It's just the fact that I don't get too excited when I realize I have to crawl under one of them.  Throw in the Mack where the tools got a WHOLE lot bigger to hold onto and the parts are MUCH heavier to move.  Ugh.

[482supersnake]

There is currently a war on internal combustion engines. Some states would like to ban them by 2040 if we have the technology to replace them or not.

[scott foxwell]

Maybe if some of the manufacturers and "sellers" would bring the prices back down to earth for some of this stuff it would be more realistic and practical for the average guy to build an FE but I see more and more greed, plain and simple, and that's pushing the cost of building a decent FE, for the sake of an FE, right out the roof for most. Most of these parts aren't that rare. They were made by the thousands. They're just being horded. Power per dollar is not there with the FE and if all it's ever going to be is a niche, collector engine then yes, it'll basically die. I see way more popularity with this engine now than I did almost 20 yrs ago when I was building Cobras because the aftermarket sorta started to come up with some decent stuff for it, but it's limited and very expensive. If the hobbyist/older Ford enthusiast (not collector) is going to support this engine platform and the industry behind it, it's going to have to be far more cost competitive. The prices on some of the older Ford stuff I see lately is just absurd.

[Richard F]

Likewise, if anybody wants to give up their stuff, I'm also 36, and I plan to be around for a while.  I will say the cost scares a bunch of people away. Personal example: I need to get a new transmission console for the Cyclone (which shares with the Fairlane).  Never re-popped, and they go for ~1k.  1k for a piece of molded 1960's plastic.  I haven't ran into anyone who doesn't think I'm crazy paying that price. 

Joe

I paid 500.00 for a '65 Falcon grille...because they don't re-pop them.  Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do...

[TomP]

Some people will still have style. They won't be interested in travelling in the autonomous Uber shapeless box on wheels.
 I think if more young people had a chance to drive or own an old car they may catch on again.

[chris401]

43 with an FE daily driver.

[billtroth]

As a percentage of people involved in all hot rodding there is likely a decrease.  The "Boomer" is the "Hot Rod" generation.  That said, I think there will always be people active and interested in cars with internal combustion engines.  I do a little rifle shooting and notice that at most sportman's clubs and shooting ranges black powder rifle shoots and groups are some the most active.  Humans are an inquisitive species and are interested in history as well as the future.  I think hot rodding, and as we all  know Ford FE engines power the best hot rods, there will be an active hobby for a long, long time.   

[plovett]

One of these days, you guys are going to get in your "smart car" and tell it to go to Starbucks for a grande latte'.   Instead it will drop you off at the work camp or maybe the hotdog plant.  I'm not exaggerating for effect.  It's just a matter of when. 

JMO,

paulie

[Heo]

Im completly agree with you there Paulie.Here they talk about banning
Driver operated car for our safety.And if you mention safety you cant
criticise it..... How can you be against saaaaaafety your out of your mind
Fact is more People In Sweden die of suicide,smoking,sportrelated accidents
Each year.....its a plot to take away our last freedom... When you have no car
Theres no cash just cards ,the govnermet have controll over farming and
Drinkingwater we are slaves. but we have our safety.:...:.like a monkey
In a cage hurray for the comunistic utopia.....Rant over but thats what i see
In the future

[scott foxwell]

Come on guys...there are millions of cars that are out there LONG before any "smart" car. What's that got to do with the FE? No one is expecting the FE to ever become main stream again. I don't get the comparison. Banning driver operated cars isn't ever going to happen...least not in many generations to come. Can you imagine what would happen...with all the driver required vehicles on the road today? I don't think simply parking them is a viable option. Lot of hurdles to cross before that ever even becomes worth consideration.

[Hemi Joel]

Us old guys love this stuff now, because it's what we grew up with and we've spent our lives in the hobby. Thats' not true for most of todays youts. 
But once you're dead, does it matter if anyone likes FE's, or if they are melted down and made into a Toyota? You won't know or care.

[plovett]

Im completly agree with you there Paulie.Here they talk about banning
Driver operated car for our safety.And if you mention safety you cant
criticise it..... How can you be against saaaaaafety your out of your mind
Fact is more People In Sweden die of suicide,smoking,sportrelated accidents
Each year.....its a plot to take away our last freedom... When you have no car
Theres no cash just cards ,the govnermet have controll over farming and
Drinkingwater we are slaves. but we have our safety.:...:.like a monkey
In a cage hurray for the comunistic utopia.....Rant over but thats what i see
In the future

Yes sir.  It will be for our "safety".  I think all the people using their "smart phones" and other electronic devices while driving will be the last nail in the coffin.  I think that will be the rationale; that people can't drive safely because they can't drive without being distracted.   There will be studies proving it and commericals showing kids killed by distracted drivers.    Most of the new generation seems to be fine with giving up freedoms.  When they realize what they gave up, it will likely be too late, in my opinion.

Anyhoo, that is not directly related to the FE or the original post.  Sorry! 

paulie

[BattlestarGalactic]

Paulie, I agree pretty much.   Likely nothing I will have to worry about in the next 20 yrs or so.  It is sad that when I was 16 and driving and couldn't wait.  Now, with traffic like it is, I just want to stay home and say screw it.

All new cars are built for "our safety".   Ya, they are built for idiots that can't seem to drive for themselves without crashing/killing others.  It is a whole new mentality.   I just cringe when I see a new car commercial when they show a young teen driver that needs "collision avoidance" on their car to keep from rear ending the car in front of them.   WTF?  How about just paying attention to your surroundings?  Oh, that's too much to ask when there are SO many other more important things to consider when driving.  Like who's tweeting what, what important post on FB that is "trending".  Ugh.   

[Dumpling]

PTC, collision avoidance system for trains, could have saved how many lives recently when an Amtrak train tried to take a 30mph curve at 80mph?

Railroads have been fighting implementation of PTC for decades, stalling and dragging their feet using similar 'logic'.