First, thanks to the moderators for providing this section. We all have issues that just need to get out. It is nice to have a place.

This has been growing and it seems to be getting worse. Why do so many want to close off this hobby? Do you think that not letting anyone who thinks differently than you, or has different tastes, in improves the hobby in any way?

I am talking about the often spoken desire to keep out newer vehicles from shows. Every time there is a show, somebody has to open their yapper and say how they don’t like all of the newer cars. That they shouldn’t be allowed in. Well I don’t like to see 400 of the same damn tri-5 Chevy or 32 Ford either, and there is more of them.

Look this is a hobby about people expressing themselves thru their cars. It isn’t about which car is faster, or shiny-er, or cost more on Barrett-Jackson. It is about sharing a passion. In each of us there is something that excites us about vehicles. For each of us there is a different vehicle that excites us more than another. To some it is that dream 69 Shelby, to some it is a Hemi ‘Cuda, to someone else it may be a mid-80’s K-car, to another it may be a brand new Corvette. What kind of vehicle shouldn’t matter, we should be able to notice the shared passion. Just because this type of car doesn’t excite you, should it not be allowed? To another person, your car causes the same reaction.

Many see newer cars as “just wrote a check”. But in all honesty most of the cars we see at shows were attained in the same way, the person simply purchased it. And, in contrast, many of the newer cars have had work done to them, often by the owner.

The close-minded attitude should not be encouraged any more. It is akin to race, or gender bias. It has no place and does nothing to improve anything. More variety creates more choices which in turn creates more excitement, which in turn allows this hobby to grow.

I enjoy seeing the newer cars, and the import cars. Often you see ideas and innovation that you would otherwise not see. And learning and seeing new things is always a good thing. To some they want to see the history preserved in well concourse restored originals. Some want period rods. Some want extreme muscle. I want to see it all, and I want to see something I haven’t seen before. I want to see the envelope being pushed, that doesn’t happen when you restrict entrance for any reason. I always hear the same thing at the larger shows “there are so many cars here that I haven’t seen before”. Do you think that continues to happen with restrictions?