I agree and I don't agree. I think that the old car hobby will die in the sense that I think we've reached an era (and probably did ten years ago or more) after which modern cars will be largely unrestorable. I think seeing people restore a Miata or a Z3 or Z4 or a Porsche Boxter will be unlikely, or at least a lot of the car will be beyond the capabilities of the weekend mechanic. I can't imagine in thirty years checking the Z4 message board and having people looking to restore their airbag deployment unit or the run flat tire sensor for an upcoming concours event. Maybe, but not in the same way we work on our cars.
That being said, my father has been in the old car hobby since he purchased his first Packard in the mid-1950s, and in the business as a professional restorer since the mid-1980s. He has seen so many great names come and go, yet the hobby continues, new and different people get into the business, new cars are found, older restorations are re-restored. There will always be something you can't get, because it just doesn't make *any* economic sense to reproduce them. I can't think of the last time I touched the Clear Hooters switches that operate my wipers and washer. Why would anyone make a reproduction? I'd love it if they did, but I don't expect they will. That being said, I'm consistently amazed what we *can* get.
The demographic may change, the names in the business may change, but I'm confident the hobby will motor on. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif