"Trends"

[Riveted1]

Well, we've all seen em. Those vehicles at the car show that were built in the 80's. The checkerboard paint w/the neon stripes. "Rodney the Rat" convertible tops and hot tubs in the bed. And those built in the 90's with their "crazy" patterned billet wheels which had every surface covered with tweed or billet aluminum.

Now I'm not saying all checkerboard paint, tweed interiors etc. are bad. You can just tell the ones that were following the trends when they built their rides. The were very custom at the time, but show their age. I mean, come on, remember spinner wheels?

So what do you guys see as trends that won't last into the next decade??

[ed2552]

Wheels the size of my kitchen table, "BLING-BLING", etc.

[hotrod 80]

Just think of all the first gen Camaros that got hacked up for the "pro street " look . It's not my style , but some my like it . I'm also not a fan of big wheels like 22" 24" and such . The modest 16,17,18's are growing on me . Some of the psycadelic stuff is starting to come back .

[Select]

2 words....cheetah print!

[special-K]

ProStreet style will never die in my mind.And,I gave up on trends decades ago.ProStreet will go out of style (in my mind) when drag racing does.The best thing about being caught up in a trend is survive long enough and it`ll come back and you`ll be first.That checkered flag crap was the`90s,along with purple with yellow paint,and teal with raspberry.I was out of trends by then.But I did build a proStreet`70 Stepside in the early`90s that a guy bought,changed a couple things,and it made the pages of Custom Classic Trucks or Sport Truck.I can`t remember,but one had a feature and one showed it in an article about 67/72 trends.
Classic is classy and forever,that`s all there is to it.

[BurnoutNova]

i think air ride suspention will be listed in a trend someday, just like hydaulics were.

not saying air ride is in the same class tho

[hotrod 80]

Monochromatic paint jobs

[tcb-1]

not really a car trend, but more of a phenomenon. the Barrett Jackson ultra expensive wealthy yuppy thing. I ONLY HOPE this craze will die in several years.

I hoped that once I got to a point in my life, i.e. comfortable income, house, wife, and a growing family, I could find a nice survivor 67-68 Camaro. Not a highly optioned big block, but a small block with no options......That's only a dream now. The 50k people are dropping at these auctions for "clone" SS/RS's have completely run me out of the market.

that's the great thing about our trucks. sure there are 30K Cheyenne Super big block trucks out there, but I can still afford a nice truck that's not trash for under 10k.

[PanelDeland]

I can only hope "Billet" goes out of style.I'm not saying it's ugly just overused.If you walk thru a show every car has billet everywhere they can put it.You can almost look at the completion level of a ride and determine how much billet is under the hood.
And the wheel thing is just crazy.I'm afraid the next big wheel trend will be 30 inch billet spinners with integrated neon lighting.I mean it's about the only way they could get uglier.

[wibilly]

panel deland you hit the nail on the head when you brought up them gay lights. i'm sticking to near stock appearance on my trucks and that is a look that will never go out of style

[71big block]

It's a "trend" if everyone else does it. It's cool if you do it.

[hotrod 80]

Originally Posted by tcb-1

not really a car trend, but more of a phenomenon. the Barrett Jackson ultra expensive wealthy yuppy thing. I ONLY HOPE this craze will die in several years.

I hoped that once I got to a point in my life, i.e. comfortable income, house, wife, and a growing family, I could find a nice survivor 67-68 Camaro. Not a highly optioned big block, but a small block with no options......That's only a dream now. The 50k people are dropping at these auctions for "clone" SS/RS's have completely run me out of the market.

that's the great thing about our trucks. sure there are 30K Cheyenne Super big block trucks out there, but I can still afford a nice truck that's not trash for under 10k.

I bought my Camaro before the boom and stashed it in the garage . I'm restoring it slowly . If I were to sell it I could never afford another .

[stllookn]

Bone stock restorations will never go out of style...LOL!

[brad_man_72]

it makes a part of me die every time i see a classic car with strobe and neon lights, or a tv. why would anybody take the attention off of the hundreds of hours it takes to build or restore a car just for some blinking lights?
btw they actually do make 30" wheels with lights, they even make a picture when you drive. im too lazy to search for the video but theirs one on the internet somewhere.
donks. at least they are mostly cutting up cars from the 80's

[Longhorn Man]

I don't think the air bags wil be considered a trend, I think it's more like the future of automotive technology.
Granted, it's not new, caddy had bags on some of there cars back in the 70's, and you could always get them here or there on a certian make or model, plus, they've been under semis for a long time.
Now, 'laying frame' will go away.

I think the only trends going on right now that'll fade, is the bigger than 20 inch rims, the laying frame, and the rat rod thing.

The rat rod one will probably ruffle some feathers, I know they've always been there, like music in an elevator, was always calmly playoing in the background... but I mean it'll leave mainstream and go back to 'niche. I saw a rat rodded peterbuilt, and it's gotten into the motorcycle market.

[wibilly]

i think rat rods will become more popular. with the fuel prices many people can't aford to build and drive there clasics so they have to make a choice. do i wanna spend my money on shinny sh!t on a ride that does no more than take up space or do i wanna DRIVE a hotrod i built of parts found for next to nothing of free and made it work/ fit with a lot of room for profit should you decide you want or need to sell. i think rat rods are the roots of hotroding and though the looks may change there will always be rat rods except many of us call them drivers or old trucks.

[Riveted1]

Originally Posted by tcb-1

not really a car trend, but more of a phenomenon. the Barrett Jackson ultra expensive wealthy yuppy thing. I ONLY HOPE this craze will die in several years.

I don't think this will ever go away. The rich just get richer and are looking for things to spend their money on. Plus the BJ auction has become such a big event here. People come out to enjoy the weather, play golf, party and buy cars.

As far as big wheels go, I saw a early 2000's Chevy w/30's on it and somewhere else I saw a 42" Lexani wheel. You can look em up on the internet. Not my taste either. I like big wheels, but there is a limit.

I think it's getting harder and harder to be 'unique'. There was once a time when tattoos, choppers, and rat rods were a part of the counter-culture. That's not so true anymore.

Anyway, I kinda got of topic.... keep those "trends" coming!

[CRUE's 67 LWB]

Trends come and go.
Pick a style that fits you and go with it. Just dont pigieon hole yourself or your car. And dont change just because some ad or song came out saying what is cool and what is not.
I have been getting tats since way before they were "cool" and still ride my Pro Street Monte SS even though it isnt as cool as it once was.
Been wearing white shirts and blue jeans with black boots for as long as I can remember.
All that suits ME. It makes me happy, not cool. Cool is an attitude and air about you.
And my other automotive taste, sky high four wheel drives. Since the 70s.
Oh, and Iam so so glad that "Pro Touring" is a fad that is going away.
Just what we need, another car mag telling us how to build our cars.

[drivethechevy]

i dont like the loud exhaust trend
at my high school every other vehice is either piped or canned or has almost no exhaust on it at all
not to mention almost half of vehicles in the perking lot is spray painted black and everyone has to have some sort of stereo system that has to be louder then someones
my daily driver isnt nice, its not painted very well, it doesnt even have a radio, and i have full quiet exhaust but i have alot of time and effort into my trucks drivetrain and i will gaurantee my truck over any car in my parking lot and my trucks stick out ike a sore thumb and its the best
thats my take on at least the local trends where i live

[67CHIP72]

Don't see too many three tube roll bars any more thank goodness.

[SCOTI]

I think the current trend that will appear outdated is the all 'ultra-leather' interiors. You've seen them @ shows..... vehicles that use UL on every surface (much like when tweed was the fabric of choice).

I still like tweed because it's wears well & is easy to work with but I've never liked interiors that were just all one type of material. There needs to be texture differences to highlight certain areas as well as diminish others.

[SunTzu]

Originally Posted by wibilly

i think rat rods will become more popular. with the fuel prices many people can't aford to build and drive there clasics so they have to make a choice. do i wanna spend my money on shinny sh!t on a ride that does no more than take up space or do i wanna DRIVE a hotrod i built of parts found for next to nothing of free and made it work/ fit with a lot of room for profit should you decide you want or need to sell. i think rat rods are the roots of hotroding and though the looks may change there will always be rat rods except many of us call them drivers or old trucks.

Well said. And I agree Rat Rods of some sort will always be around.

[ed2552]

i have 18's on my Tahoe, and around here, i wouldn't want to go any bigger, b/c otherwise there would be no tire for it to drive in snow, mud, etc, and it would ride like crap

[CRUE's 67 LWB]

Originally Posted by SunTzu

Well said. And I agree Rat Rods of some sort will always be around.

That is already a term that is bringing the ire of some "traditional" hot rodders.

[Frizzle Fry]

faux patina...