|
|
|
|
|
|
I'm currently lying in bed pondering this; is cruising dead?
Fifteen years ago when I was a teenager, Max Power was number 1 in the mag sales chart, credit was freely available to anyone who wanted to modify their Punto or Saxo (where are all those £25k Saxo's?), and cruising was massively popular.
Every town seemed to have its own cruising forum and now, the only ones I know about are Chelsea and Ace Cafe.
Has the police killed it off? Is it the increase of legitimate car shows (seems there's one every weekend)? Is it that our nations youth can't afford or just aren't interested in cars anymore (20% less provisional licence applications)?
What do the people of Retro Rides think?
|
| |
Last Edit: Sept 2, 2011 5:29:30 GMT by stevecrx
'03 Porsche 996 C2 3.6 - Sort of Retro
'84 Porsche 924 - Definitely Retro!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kids having to pay 3k plus then the rising cost of fuel etc probably means there isnt as much cash to waste on driving about every other night car park to car park.
|
| |
|
|
qwerty
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,419
Club RR Member Number: 52
|
The cruising thread.qwerty
@qwerty
Club Retro Rides Member 52
|
|
|
|
We had a big summertime cruise up here this year. I didn't get to go but my brother did and said it was pretty big.
When I first started driving I used to go along to the Arnison Centre in My Polo occasionally. I think with the rise of the internet forum its all about "meets" now more than cruising. There's always some forum meet going on Locally.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
The cruising thread.retrowagen1234
@GUEST
|
|
|
Round here hardly any guys seem to be learning to drive. Every single instructor car has a girl learning in it. They are all happy enough with BMX'S and aspiring to never working a day in their life...  EDIT: I'm not saying girls don't like cars  But for most part the hatchback tuning scene was male orienated. |
| |
Last Edit: Sept 2, 2011 6:54:58 GMT by retrowagen1234
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It was a fashion. Most of those cruiser lads didn't know one end of a spanner from the other. The car was a fashion accessory. Fashions come and go.
|
| |
1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1994 Ford Fiesta
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
saw lots of mc donalds car park cruisers other night but no real stand out in yer face cars just big bore exhaust and ripspeed alloy type of car
money may be one reason but creativity needs to within the person to flourish
sad to see a decline but with some publicity or nurturing the younger generation of drivers might aspire one day to real spanner work who knows
I'm 60 and still fitting strut braces shift lights and scorpion exhausts and engine swaps but then I'm old school through and through cant change now or want to
|
| |
|
|
crazymonkey
Posted a lot
ummm....what was I doing again???
Posts: 1,981
|
|
|
|
|
insurance is a big part of it. I'm 21 and still cant afford to insure a car (but will have to soon) without any mods let alone with them.
I think a big part of it was the fast and furious scene, big body kits, biggest wheels possible and the loudest exhaust known to man. The time when spending £30k on a £500 corsa made you a hero.
Times have changed, the tuning scene is more performance orientated now than bodykit. I must admit when i was 17 I dreamed of having a J hatch with a massive body kit and 17" alloys. Now I wouldnt dream of doing that lol (unless for comedy value)
its all about the changing scenes. in my opinion, track days and motorsport events are the new cruising. RWYB is the new car park cruise. Of course you still see the odd "max'd" saxo and corsa in the maccy D car park with tunes blaring out but I think its seen more towards the "chav" culture which is why a lot of people don't do it any more.
|
| |
whoever said dogs were man's best friend....obviously never heard of cable ties
|
|
chevy
Part of things
I AM NOT A NUMBER
Posts: 181
|
|
Sept 2, 2011 10:04:52 GMT
|
|
I havn`t really noticed any difference in my cruise scene...........still doing Chelsea on n off as from the first one.....saw 300 cars do a cruise last weekend all on the road at the same time n ending up on the sea front at felixstowe.
Anything else was kids stuff,remember Clarkson taking the curse word at the Ace one night ?
Yeah,suppose I`m a lot older than most,I even remember the Ace before it closed down.
|
| |
Respect the Past
Influence the Present
Inspire the Future
|
|
|
|
|
Sept 2, 2011 10:13:04 GMT
|
|
I think there are a lot of different interpretations of what cruising is, be it a static meet of like-minded individuals, or people actually physically cruising around in a pack, or just a group of bored teenagers doing burnouts in a car park. Whatever your poison, it's all still alive and well.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Sept 2, 2011 12:02:21 GMT
|
|
plod are not so keen on crusies these days, and with everyones details on computer its riskier for those running cars with dubious legality to be scrutinised, i think the days of youngsters all cruising are going fast, its becoming limited to older drivers with more cash and cheaper insurance.
I doubt it will ever die out but its certainly less popular.
|
| |
Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
|
|
|
|
Garry
East Midlands
Posts: 1,722
|
|
Sept 2, 2011 12:16:11 GMT
|
|
Most of the lads around here which used to go cruising, grew up and bought Audis or Dubs. Their replacements are into the show scene, so build cars for Players, Edition, etc.
|
| |
Last Edit: Sept 2, 2011 12:16:41 GMT by Garry
|
|
|
|
|
Sept 2, 2011 12:38:47 GMT
|
|
I happened upon an old style cruise meet with Corsas and stuff in Amesbury a few weeks ago. I was in my Clio and they kind of eyed it up to see if I was one of them I think. NOt as common but still there and has been since the 50's I reckon
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Sept 2, 2011 12:54:33 GMT
|
It was a fashion. Most of those cruiser lads didn't know one end of a spanner from the other. The car was a fashion accessory. Fashions come and go. I wouldn't say most when I was around on cruisenotts alot of the people I met on there did know thier stuff and I still know most of them today! The nail in the coffin was the section 59 which was trialed in nottingham to put things like this that happened every sunday night to an end.It worked to an extent but just pushed things further and further out of town.. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Sept 2, 2011 13:00:47 GMT
|
|
Anyone thinking cruising is dead needs to check out Cheddar Gorge on a Sunday evening lately.
'infestation' is the best way to put it I think - all driving like nutters and all trying to drift their 306TDi's. All on the lame side I am afraid.
|
| |
87 Mk2 Cavalier SRi Turbo
89 Mk3 Cavalier SRi V6
90 Cartlon GSi3000 24v (Lotus Rep)
90 Senator CD 24v
99 Omega 3.0 MV6
|
|
|
|
|
Sept 2, 2011 13:02:38 GMT
|
|
Still reasonably popular down here in Essex, but not as big as it used to be. About five years ago i could still go down Southend seafront on a week night and people would be out, but that hasnt been the case since then really.
Mixture of high fuel costs, high insurance, more speed cameras, more speed bumps, extra police presence have all conributed slightly to the downfall.
The high fuel and insurance seem to have pushed people into the scooter market more. There are a hell of a lot more kids on scooters out on a friday night than i remember five years ago. Which i don't really understand... you cant get your groove on in the back of a scooter...
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Sept 2, 2011 13:14:31 GMT
|
|
around chasetown there are some BIG signs saying no cruising or whatever. Load of legal stuff on there, but i'd love to know what the police define as "Cruising"?
I don't really see it around here, but then with the hours i work I'm in bed by 6pm, there used to be one at the local KFC on a couple of nights a week and we'd hear them go past. don't hear em anymore.
I think a lot of it is to do with public image, they've moved on. Also the money!
|
| |
|
|
crazymonkey
Posted a lot
ummm....what was I doing again???
Posts: 1,981
|
|
Sept 2, 2011 14:07:57 GMT
|
|
I remember back along there were rumours that there was going to be a ban on cruising completely (which they defined as a convoy or group of 5 or more vehicles travelling together) but that idea was scrapped due to a lot of complaints and people saying about funerals therefore being banned (sure they would have done special exceptions for that but there you go)
and I know what you mean about the scooter market, there's been a big increase in scooter tuning recently (trust me I'm one of them lol) and a lot of 18,19 year olds out on their peds with sound systems under the seat and that, like when I went into asda to fuel up back along there was a group of scoots parked up with music blaring (this was about midnight) hope they didnt mistake me for one of them ;D - )
|
| |
whoever said dogs were man's best friend....obviously never heard of cable ties
|
|
MWF
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,945
|
|
Sept 2, 2011 14:38:35 GMT
|
I don't really see it around here, but then with the hours I work I'm in bed by 6pm, there used to be one at the local KFC on a couple of nights a week and we'd hear them go past. don't hear em anymore. I think a lot of it is to do with public image, they've moved on. Also the money! Aren't you Telford way? They're having problems with it up there lately, saw some footage of a Saxo being chased up and down one of the dual carriageways taunting the police, even driving the wrong way at times  |
| |
|
|
MWF
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,945
|
|
Sept 2, 2011 14:47:09 GMT
|
What do the people of Retro Rides think? Personally I think it was a phase or a fashion like wise man akku says. It pulled in all the usual car fans It pulled in those on the front of the bling materialism wave It pulled in yobs looking for something reckless to do It clearly did peak and I'd say the slump in popularity is less to do with the police and more to do with many of those crowds moving onto the next fad. |
| |
|
|
MaDSeB
Part of things
Big things in small packages
Posts: 574
|
|
Sept 2, 2011 15:19:22 GMT
|
|
i have to agree in it being a fad, the nineties where when it was alive and kicking, and after that it sort of slumped.
i used to attend southend on saturday evenings alot during 2006-2009 (when i started to get into cars) and it used to be a petrol heads wet dream, everycar, every budget you could imagine. it was quite an adrenaline fueled night out.
i went to southend seafront about a month ago, and expected to see hordes of cars, but was greeted by a couple of clios in a carpark chatting eating chips?
so i think propper cruising, has had its day. but i would like to see its return..
|
| |
|
|
|
|
But for most part the hatchback tuning scene was male orienated.
