With 2020 finally here, a lot of folks are saying goodbye to yet another great decade. Despite this advancement in time, people from all kinds of places — Naperville, Illinois being one of them — are still in love with vintage vehicles like the 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 or even older. Hence, it’s no wonder why local auto body shops offering classic automobile restoration services are still in high demand nowadays, especially when the community, in particular, is really deep into that classic car culture.
Millennials are not excluded from this trend. True, there’s a great divide in opinions when it comes to this subject, but the love for these rides is still there. For one, folks from the older generation (aka baby boomers) who have really delved into this passion are still actively at it. Whether they’re at 58, 72, or heck, even 98 years of age, those who truly love vintage cars have never really stopped car-buying or facilitating all sorts of restoration projects.
And this made it easy to pass the enthusiasm down to the younger generation.
Aside from that, there was also a whole batch of kids who grew up collecting Hot Wheels during the 90s and early 2000s. And now that they’re all grown up, these individuals can fulfill their childhood dreams of getting their own real-life collector cars as they become financially-able to purchase their own.
Now, these two age groups have one common mindset: classic cars are all about their aesthetics. It’s about the looks, the sound of the engine, and the fact that one could grab an entire show and turn all heads just by driving by a scene. And that’s why a 50-year-old vehicle must retain its original appearance and performance despite the actual years behind and the mileage on it; hence, the demand for every classic car restoration shop near your area.
After all, while most of these enthusiasts know how to open the hood and fiddle with what’s inside, there’s still no beating the professional services you could get from a shop in, say, Naperville, especially when you’re already going for multiple levels of restoration for just one ride.
Unfortunately, though, that’s not how most people see vehicles in general anymore. While it’s true that the love for the old-timer rides is still rampant, a large group of millennials does not actually share the same sentiment as the car lovers mentioned above. When millennials buy cars nowadays, they do so with convenience and utility in mind. Is driving ideal where they live? Is it safe? How are they planning to use it?
For example, mileage is actually quite important for most people nowadays. A lot of individuals refuse to purchase a vehicle they consider as “overused”, thinking that it might only lead to frequent visits to an auto body shop in their area and in extension, way too many cashouts. Others would even label old cars as “death traps” without trying to fully understand what’s under its hood.
Other than that, some also frown upon the designs of classic cars. A two-seater, for instance, would be extremely repulsive to many millennials, even if it is a muscle car. How can you take your family or friends with you on a road trip in that? How much baggage can you stuff inside? How much do you have to pay for your insurance company for it?
See, millennials’ favorite cars are those that could aid them with their lifestyle. So if certain individuals from this demographic do show interest in vintage, the best classic cars to restore and for them to use are those that meet their standards in which convenience is prioritized.
As many analysts have even stated, today’s generation is used to having technology that makes their life easier. So if a vehicle can’t provide that (together with its high costs, the heavy traffic in today’s cities, and the different sorts of danger to it), then these people will probably say no.
But classic car enthusiasts must not lose hope. Studies have found that this decline in interest for classic cars in the US (Naperville, Illinois included) actually directly correlates to the decline of the country’s economy and not just a random shift in generational mood. An all-time-low this era was observed back in 2008, when there were fewer jobs, less money, and therefore much less opportunity to purchase one’s own collectible vehicle.
Car ownership was simply not on people’s priority list when they can’t even earn enough for food, rent, taxes, and health care. But now that the economy’s improving again, there’s also an observable increase in people taking up an interest in classic cars.
So for all vintage car lovers out there, what you need to do is to spread your knowledge to everyone. In turn, more people will understand what it means to have their own classic model and that it doesn’t always have to involve regular visits to the auto body repair shop near their area (especially if the classic car repairs and maintenance initially or periodically done are of high quality).
But how can you know which auto restoration services guarantee such convenience? Well, you have to know which shops are trusted by the community and which have received genuine compliments from their clients. And if you’re in Naperville, Illinois, then you should pay us a visit at Justice Automotive & Collision Centers. Then, you can find out how we do our work up close and personal.
We provide all types of car restoration, from painted and paintless dent repairs to full body repairs. We are also the best collision repair shop near you — not only for classics but for all kinds of vehicles. We always see to it that your car can go back to working condition, even if it was damaged in an accident. So go ahead and check out our Services for a full list of how we can serve you.
Give us a call for any of your vehicle needs.
And for all classic car lovers in Naperville, trust us at Justice Automotive & Collision Centers as the best provider of classic vehicle restoration near you.