Current trends in the "What were we thinking" file 20 years from now?
 

What current automotive trends that you currently like do you think are the next air-shocks, side-pipes, Keystone Classics, and florescent graphics on pastel colored cars? (most of which are still popular here in MN :lol: )

Luckily, wheels are easy to change, as those tend to go in and out of style pretty quickly (look at the billet wheels of the early 90s) yet some wheels, mostly with simplistic designs tend to stick around for a long time. My brother is constantly trying to convince me that anything over 15" diameter will be out of style in 10 years. :rolleyes: I always argue performance never goes out of style and the 17-18 offer a level of performance that 15s can't...

Paint schemes aren't so easy to change, and neither are body-mods. I currently LOVE the 2-tone look with a dark maroon, black, or blue on top and silver sides, but I have to wonder if it will be "dated" in 10 years. I'm almost certain the burnt orange colors will be "dated" in the future, but the 2-tone look may stick around... maybe to a lesser extent than its popularity today, but I think it will always have a pretty classic look. Body mods will have to be pretty subtle, or completely functional to not have that "Corvette Summer" look to them when the styles change. :rofl:

What else would you guys maybe avoid doing to your cars because you don't want to re-do it when the next "Chip Foose" comes around and makes you re-evaluate your tastes?

That's a good question... I'd say paint schemes and interior mods. The same stuff that dates cars now. You can always tell when a car was done in the 80's.

I don't see 17 and 18 inch wheels ever going out of style. Look what the factories are installing on the new cars; the Vettes, Vipers, etc.

You bring up a good point about 2 tone paint jobs. It will be interesting to see how things play out with that. I'm guessing it will depend on how tasteful it's done. I think the next trend in paint will be satin finishes complementing your standard 2 stage paint.

I can't think of anything that I would do now that I wouldn't like later. Truth be told, I can hardly think of anything anything going on in the hotrod/classic car/musclecar/pro-touring world that I don't like. Some of it might be being pushed to the extreme at the moment, but I don't think it has gotten to the "what were we thinking" stage (for the most part). There are so many cool parts and creative ideas going into some of coolest cars ever :thumbsup: (many of them owned by guys on here :cool: ).

Now, late model cars, new cars, and imports is a completely different story. I am constantly wondering what some group or another is thinking, heck sometimes they are wondering what they were thinking after only 3 months much less 20 years from now :lol: .

David

One has to wonder if, 10-15 years from now, we will look back at today's LSx swaps the way we look at cars from the mid-eighties with TPI swaps today...Wonder what kind of wild crate motors will be available from GM in 2020....!

I think that the HUGE wheels will get dated. 17-19 is one thing. 24's is another thing! Also I would agree that the motors going in the cars will get outdated. An LS1 will be ancient in 10 years, and maybe it will be an LS50 or something by then!

Of course what will they think 20 years from now when they find cars with these "lateral-g.net" stickers all over them!!! ;)

Tim

Hydrogen.... or Mr. Fusion. :lol:

This one is kind of funny to me, as I'm stuck between them with an LT1... am I already outdated? Compared to the cars on this site, yes, but out in public, it's pretty high-tech to most around here. :thumbsup:

2 words...Wood Grain. :_paranoid


Well, I think the PT or G-machine movement has been an incredible step forward in vintage cars. It's more of a form follows function revolution than past superficial and short lived trends. Performance and handling of these cars has been exponentially increased by the aftermarket and pioneers that were looking for more than just straightline advancements. The fact that car makers have caught on to this "trend" is promising, in that, they've invested in the tooling and sourcing of tires for larger diameter wheels. I'm predicting that we won't see this style go away quickly.

However, paint is a different story. There is nothing more subjective or trendy than color, generally speaking. Has everything been tried? Who knows, I doubt it. We've seen solids, pastels and teals mixed with wild graphics, primered retro rods, metal flake speckled lowriders with murals, chameleon (flipflop), Barris style, Gene Winfield fades, skulls and flames of every shape and size, scallops, tribal thorns, deep candies and pearls, Cali-2 tones, 3 tones, race-inspired, and woodies.

Maybe we'll stop painting altogether and have our raw sheetmetal brushed and anodized clear, or maybe chromed or bronzed or upholstered. What about a polished copper plated body? The DOT would probably have a field day with those.

I think there are several "safe" colors that never go out of style: red, black, sliver, dark blue never seem to show their age. The thing is most people want to be different or trendy, that's when you date stamp your car in some ways.

24's bitch :D

I didn't know you were such a fan :rofl: