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by Michael Leighton

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Classic cars were once a major thread in the fabric of American society, when daily drivers doubled as midnight asphalt burners and cruising was a nightly coming of age ritual. Some may say it was the simple life or even the "good ole days", but it may just be that we are all trying to recapture that youthful feeling and freedom of days gone by. Classic car rebuilding has not fallen by the wayside, and is still a time honored tradition today.

Since Henry Ford made affordable cars for the masses, our fascination with speed and customizing has touched each generation in a different way. Boys left for war, returned as men desperate to recapture the innocence they lost. Rock n' Roll, fast cars and a carefree attitude seemed to be the answer. Yesterday's children remember trips to the beach in dad's old Chevy and going to the store in grandma's Desoto. Car rebuilding was something that was passed down from generation to generation. Dad repaired the family car on the weekend and if you were one of the lucky ones, you had something nice and fast in the garage, too.

Time and technology past and we found our hectic lives did not allow for time or finances to be spent on something that could no longer be fixed with just a pair of pliers, a screwdriver and a coffee can. The technology had surpassed the simplicity of the vehicles of yore. Computers now controlled what was once mechanical and most were not up to dealing with a whole new world of complications that the new cars offered.

As each generation matured, a new-found passion was reborn for the classics. New market demands and design reflect the taste and admiration of those great rides of the past, and can be seen in today's newer automobiles. The present trend in new vintage styling has also triggered fascination and interest in the classics. Families still invest in the classics, but now you can have something that gives you the same feeling of a classic with the reliability and convenience of a modern car.

Through the passage of time, the classics have always been right under our noses. Weekend warriors are still doing their thing and staying active in the lifestyle; some by driving around in a vintage Cherry Red Corvette, others by working on a ratted out rod in the garage, with the goal of taking it for a cruise on the first sunny day of spring. You can still find them at car shows and cruises everywhere, polishing their ride, socializing or just kicking back when the weather is just right.

Even now, the younger generations carry on the tradition. Just because the cars are different and the styling more outrageous, the basic love for the automobile is clearly present. Their embrace for the technology of computer driven engines, turbo chargers and killer sound systems rivals the enthusiasm and spirit of the old school cruisers. Regardless of age or generation, the love for and understanding of the value of a V8, 4 speed with posi-traction is there.

Whether your car is mint or tricked, stock or blown, or chopped and shaved; no matter what you do to a classic it will always guarantee to turn heads and leave smiles, especially when you peel out leaving a cloud of white tire smoke behind you. For this reason alone, the classics will never fade away, and for anyone who thinks the classics are dead, take the family to a car show and see the wide variety of young and old who literally pour blood and sweat into their passion.

Learn more about this author, Michael Leighton.

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