mike65 Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 Did my bit at the weekend to persuade the younger generation that MVs are much more fun than Ford Mustangs or super cars. My 12 year old nephew had the choice at the weekend to enjoy a mornings shopping or visit his Grandfather and working. Mind you "working" involved checking the fields for fallen trees. It also meant putting up with his uncle who has a boring old Land Rover.and being a cruel uncle (must get it from my father) we made him drive. He seemed to enjoy himself in the morning so we when his parents arrived after lunch we punished him by making him do it all again. We are really cruel family. At least I know 4 wheel drive is fully functioning. Just got to get him converted to the idea that all MVs are good and not just Land Rovers. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter4456 Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 .......and on Sunday I taught my 11 year step daughter how to drive her Mum's Champ!! Peter, Ferret Mk 2/3 03 CC 42 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpu121265 Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 I agree, get them young enough and they don't even need to be 'converted'. Son mk1 teaches daughter mk1 to drive one of the jeeps. Then irritates her by driving the GMC which she can't reach the pedals in.... Girl Mk2 takes the wheel of a jeep at 11 months Son mk1 then has his own jeep.... [ATTACH=CONFIG]34041 [/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]34042 [/ATTACH] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Pearson Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 No 1 and No 2 sons drove my Valentine (hull only then) when they were 9 and grandsons no 1 and 2 drove it at 8. Grandsons 1 to 4 have driven Dingo on my knee from about 4 yrs onwards. One incident: no 1 grandson went to school (at about 4yrs old) and after a few weeks he got into a fight, " because the other kid was lying". "what was he lying about?" "Well" says grandson, "I said to him"" you know when you go tanking at the weekend"" and he lied and said he did not know what I was talking about, so I hit him!". It was very difficult to make him accept that probably no one else in the school 'went tanking' at weekends (as well as pointing out that violence is not a good career choice). He got a bit of stick for being a fantasist from other kids but his dad collected him from school with my Dingo on his 5th birthday which proved his point. If you want to encourage youngsters, talk to them (with their parents permission of course!) and/or let them have a look maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stal108 Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 This thread has a point. Question ,,,,,, What is the avarage age of a MV owner ,,,,,, 55ish ?? older ?? I think i maybe a younger one at 40 younger than me is few and far between. Are we going to get to a point where there is not enough to take the hobby on 1000s of jeeps all mint put back in barns?? No one intrested in buying a tank,,, The whole hobby may crash and values nose dive as older owners stop. No young no hope! Does the mv movment understand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpu121265 Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 (edited) I do a number of school visits every year with as much of the fleet as i can muster, generally when they are being moved around to other events. On the Friday of the Leeds Veteran's Day event, i brought the vehicles down on the Friday afternoon and took them to the local secondary school for example. A few of son Mk1's pals have shown some interest, and have even joined us on events over the years. Two of my drivers have young families who often come along to an event. My 3 are fairly blase about going for a pint of milk in a 1941 half track for example, but most kids will never get close to our vehicles, to hear them, smell them, feel them. That's what it's all about for me, otherwise they will all end up in glass cases in museums (the vehicles not the children).... It is very rewarding to see the interest which most kids have in this kit, if it is presented properly, and i have been pleasantly surprised by the genuine interest shown on the school visits by the gamestation generation. The only real precaution we have to take is to establish what the school wants us to have with us by way of accessories, most do not allow guns, ammunition etc etc. As i say to the teachers, if we send just one child home thinking about what the old man next door who is sick if fishing Johnys football out of greenhouse might have been doing 70 years ago, then we have achieved something. In response to the last post, i am 44, started with a K9 about 15 years ago, and have very evidently not yet lost the bug! Boy Mk1 now has his own jeep which has set some of my drivers sons on the pestering trail so we are doing a bit to keep the young blood flowing. Edited September 7, 2010 by kpu121265 spelling mistake! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 Bought my firs Jeep (M38) when I was 24. But prices do make a obstacle for a lot of young people. Plus lots of young guys seem to think driving a (unafordable) fast car adds inches to their d**k. So no money left for a fun car like a MV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Garner Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 17 years old and I already want a Centurion. one day.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Garner Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 Just another point to add, when we take the vehicles to local shows, everyone, including the kids walk straight past the shiny machines and hot rods to come and have a look at the 'tank'. Letting them get inside and have a look around obviously makes their day, we just establish prior to them getting inside that if they hurt themselves, we are in no way responsible. It's fine when there's not too many people around, if there's a lot then the 'tank' quickly turns into a military play area. Not good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willyslancs Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 This thread has a point.Question ,,,,,, What is the avarage age of a MV owner ,,,,,, 55ish ?? older ?? I think i maybe a younger one at 40 younger than me is few and far between. Are we going to get to a point where there is not enough to take the hobby on 1000s of jeeps all mint put back in barns?? No one intrested in buying a tank,,, The whole hobby may crash and values nose dive as older owners stop. No young no hope! Does the mv movment understand im 43 and had the jeep 25 years , not all old fogeys mate ......:cool2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arm carp Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 im 28 and own a bedford mj , an autounion munga hybrid , and in our yard we also have a 432 , a gmc , and a ford jeep :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bedford Boys Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 A year ago (when I was 16) I got a Bedford MW up an running to take to a MV club rally. This involved full reconditioning of the brake system, motor work, electrical work and some fabrication. I did a lot of the work myself, but still had heaps of help from my father (who originally restored the truck), my dads mate (who now owns the truck) and my friends. I really enjoyed the experience and it increased my love of military vehicles no end. I now write monthly articles for our club magazine entitled "The Young Guns Pages". I gave this idea to the editor and he welcomed it with open arms. So now there is a few pages in our club mag dedicated to stories and pictures of young people getting involved in MV's. Every member that I have talked to loves the stories and are keen to see more "young guns" involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike65 Posted September 7, 2010 Author Share Posted September 7, 2010 The problem is keeping them interested once they are old enough to drive. Part of the problem is that now you take your test and mummy/daddy buy you a nice new car for you to drive around in. Must be carefull here my father bought my first two cars for mee (had to pay him back though). Mind you it was 1984 and they cost £50 for both and had to come home on the drill trailer. Plan was to make two into one, never happened as needed some wheels and they came bolted to car No. 3. VW Beetles and had alot of fun with the 3rd one. THey also seem to think old means unreliable and they need there car. When you queation them you find they have been driving for a year or two and never been more than 10 miles from home and they need Satnav for that. They need to realise that vehicles are great toys. Oh and when you reach 40 you are officially old (and boring) according to the young generation. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbrtcrowther Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 I'm 33 and have a scammell explorer and have gone through 1 relationship already cos of it. number two is going well:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Garner Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 1975 Landy and a 1973 Beetle in the shed. Paid for them with my own money, also looking to invest it. We all know that old vehicles can only appreciate. I'd rather drive a golf buggy than some modern eco-box with no character whatsoever. At least if it stops, I can fix it. Not so much the case with a modern car, unless of course you carry a laptop around everywhere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willyslancs Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 I'm 33 and have a scammell explorer and have gone through 1 relationship already cos of it. number two is going well:D know what you mean mate , this one is not embarassed to be seen in the Jeep .:blush: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpu121265 Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 First vehicles for me (26 years ago) were a 1932 Austin 10, which 18 months later i managed to upgrade to a 1938 Hilman Minx which i could get 60 mph out of on a good day. Drove to Bristol and back in it (from Leeds) once. I then managed to get hold of an Alvis 12/70 which was a very nice vehicle - took three years to get that on the road. I then went through a series of minis, an escort estate eventually to Land Rovers - from which the OD vehicles were an almost natural progression. Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosie Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 What a nice thread! Our 2 boys, aged 8 and (nearly) 11 have been bought up with the hobby, they love seeing all the different vehicles and although they may not know all the names for all the vehicles they are getting better! I would like to hope that they will go on and buy an MV in the future. (some of you may have picked up that the cubed one is possibly looking at getting another GMC, for me! I am only 39 and three quaters!:blush:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
79x100 Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 It seems to me that dressing up and driving around in green vehicles or on noisy, oily old motorcycles is so obviously such a mature thing to be doing that we shouldn't expect the average youngster to be immediately ready for it. Isn't being old and daft something of a prerequisite ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woa2 Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 My 2 Daughters grew up with my WOT2 truck. To them it was just 'Daddy's old truck', until they studied WW2 at school and the truck was seen as an Historic vehicle. They now very much enjoy the vehicles, and the eldest one is now old enough to drive one on the road and be included on the insurance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
early british ww2 Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 My first Military Vehicle was very nearly a Humber Box at the tender age of 14 for £650 - In between saying I would have it and collecting it the owner allowed another buyer to gazump me and buy it for £750 without telling me - I had to make do with a 1954 Austin A30!!!!! until my Royal Navy scooter arrived a year or so later!! closely followed by a Dodge WC51 . My nephews and nieces have travelled with me far and wide to many shows etc and in the main have always remained interested - Two of my Nephews are old enough to drive the trucks now and one is doing well having piloted the Jeep and one of my Morrises this year whereas the other is still a little scared of them . So there are still young folk out there that are interested including myself at 39!! cheers :coffee: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rambo1969 Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 All my nieces and nephews love mv's, whenever they come round it's always "uncle dickie, take us out in the landy, pleeeease". What I find is that if you talk to young people as an adult and treat them like an adult, the feedback from them is good. My niece(who's 17 but thinks she's 25!) had 3 of her girlfriends around the other day, my sister phoned me up to ask me to pick her up from the station, so I went in the landy with 4 17 yr old girls in the back screaming and giggling all the way there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Burley Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 Personally. The only younger people i can see coming in to the movement are the kids of existing owners. I cant see new blood coming in to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marmite!! Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 Personally. The only younger people i can see coming in to the movement are the kids of existing owners. I cant see new blood coming in to it. We have quite a lot of younger members looking for their first MV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike65 Posted September 9, 2010 Author Share Posted September 9, 2010 Personally. The only younger people i can see coming in to the movement are the kids of existing owners. I cant see new blood coming in to it. You must remeber that the cjildren of MV owners have friends, so you need to gey the friends involver as well. My nephew is an easy target as if it has wheels and an engine he is interested and if it is a Land Rover or something big (tractor, combine harvester) your onto a winner. He goes to quite a few car shows as he lives in a 3 car house, all Fords (Focus, 2006 and 1966 Mustangs). However he seems to prefer his uncles Land Rover. Next mission is to get him to an MV show, one Scammell should be all it needs to really impress him. Its also persuading them that MV shows are not row upon row of immaculate shiny cars that are imperonating a car park, which is many peoples impression of vehicle shows. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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