Hot Rod Market Trends with Bryce Green of Kindig-It Design

The hot rod market has enjoyed a growth spurt over the last several years, with SEMA’s Hot Rod Industry Alliance last placing its estimated value around $1.26-billion in 2017. And with new-and-exciting products continuing to hit the market and the economy holding pretty steady, more access to innovation means it’s unlikely the segment will move anywhere but full steam ahead.

But, like anything that grows, it changes. Even the very definition of a hot rod has morphed over the years as younger players enter the scene, bringing along vehicles from their youth—like late 70s/80s or early 90s iron. In fact, many car shows—like Goodguys—have lowered the “eligibility” age to include vehicles from as recent as 1987. And auctions like Mecum have reported seeing classic utility vehicles like the Ford Bronco and Chevy Blazer causing quite the stir among younger bidders.

But fresh blood and newer vehicles aren’t the only changes hitting the segment lately. So, we sat down with Bryce Green, body shop manager at Kindig-it Design and TV personality on Bitchin’ Rides, to give us a little more insight into what kind of trends are sweeping the hot rod market and how we might see these playing out at big events like the SEMA Show, as well as small-scale meet & greets in your own neighborhood.

Meet Bryce Green

Headshot of Bryce Green of Kindig-it DesignsBefore we get down to brass tacks, let’s formally introduce our inside man, Bryce Green. A Utah-native, Green landed in car culture the way many people do—by attending car shows with his Dad. But when he totaled his first car (a 1968 Mustang), that simple appreciation for performance and design was put to the test—growing into a serious talent for restoring and building cars.

“My senior year, somebody crashed into the front end of my car and my Dad just said, ‘Well… can you fix it?’ So, I taught myself how to weld, how to do sheet metal work, how to do body work, prime—all that stuff. And I still have that vehicle to this day,” says Green.

Eschewing plans of becoming a fourth-gen insurance company owner, per the family biz, Green made his way to California and WyoTech, graduating with a certificate in automotive technology and soon thereafter applying to Kindig-it Design. Obviously, Dave Kindig liked what he saw, as he invited Green to Utah for a try-out. Two weeks later, Green was back in Utah and part of the team.

Several years (and builds) later, Green is in charge of the body and paint shop, managing a dream team of talented, highly efficient, and focused coworkers that he says took about two years to assemble. This group spends 10-12 hours a day doing a combination of back-breaking labor and eye-straining detail work, constantly learning, adapting, and problem-solving to bring their clients’ wild custom dreams to life.

So, with an exceptional team, a six-year waiting list at the shop, and a TV show being broadcast to 192 countries, it’s safe to say Green is qualified to talk about what’s what on hot rod market trends…

Bryce Green at Kindig-it Designs, plus some project builds

The Only Thing Constant is Change

While the automakers deal with major shifts on a grand scale (think: EVs and AVs) the enthusiast-fueled hot rod market has seen its fair share of morphing trends as well.

“Just in the five years that I’ve been at Kindig-it Design, the style, the technology, the look—everything that is implanted in a build—has had a noticeable change,” says Green. For example, one build he remembers from early on, was started with particular accessories in mind. But it took a few years to complete, and by the time the team wrapped it up, they had to go out and get new wheels and tires because they were already out-of-date.

So, what are some factors affecting these swift changes in hot rod trends? Well, as we mentioned above, there are some new players on the scene…

Luxurious and comfortable custom interiors are popular among hot rod market trends

Younger Audiences

While the shift in popular builds signals that Gen-Xers and older Millennials are beginning to fill vacated Boomer spots in the car scene… what about the next generation of automotive enthusiasts? With more kids choosing colleges over trade schools and video games over driver’s licenses, where does that leave hot rod culture?

Green says that since becoming more active on social media platforms, he’s been amazed at just how interested younger generations are in car building—both as enthusiasts and professionals.

“I think there’s a level of technology that gets pushed into these sorts of builds, and that’s really gaining a lot of interest,” says Green. “When kids tour the shop and they see that we have a 3D printer—that we can print parts and put them on a car—they just think that’s the coolest thing.”

Younger audiences weaned on next-gen technology can see the time and money-saving capabilities of such industrial advancements, as well as the world of possibilities it opens. And while 3D-printed parts might lack artistic merit, they serve a real purpose when it comes to keeping a build profitable.

Additionally, as comfort and convenience become higher priorities, cellphone integration and advanced infotainment capabilities become the new norm. “I think it’s really easy for them [to relate to],” says Green. “So much of today’s technology you can control from your phone. And there are builds where everything is controlled from an iPad. Ten years ago, that would have been unheard of.”

American Trend-Setters

Bryce Green of Kingid-it Design, at a car show in SwedenThat new way of thinking (and doing) leads to some exciting and wild designs. Designs that Green feels are setting a global standard for customization—and one that younger generations are definitely keen to imitate.

“I had the opportunity in April to go over to Sweden for a car show and make an appearance,” says Green. “It was the weirdest thing because almost everyone there was so young! High school or college age—they were all young kids. It was so different for me to see that, because everyone here who is a hot rod enthusiast is in their 40s-60s. But so many of them say, ‘We just love what America’s doing with these cars, and we try to get muscle cars over here.’ It’s very eye-opening to see what America is doing and setting for everyone around the world.”

Resto-Mod Over Restoration

So, what exactly is America doing that has customizers so interested? “Most of our clients, they want the look of an old car—because that’s what they grew up with—but they want to be able to get in it, turn the key, and know it’s going to run, it won’t overheat, there won’t be any problems with it,” explains Green. “So, we’ve really geared our builds toward that mentality, from the looks all the way down to functionality. I think a lot of big builds from other hot rod shops are doing the same thing, where they’re just trying to get more technology and more efficiency into their builds.”

That means, reliability takes precedence over authentic restoration. Electronic fuel injection, crate motors, and ignition upgrades are at the top of the list, as are other modern amenities like power windows and doors, air conditioning, and Bluetooth audio equipment. “A lot of our clients also like the hidden, cool features,” says Green. “Often, we’ll have a few buttons in the vehicle, like a main battery kill switch or the cutout for the exhaust.”

Additionally, things like speakers, subwoofers, or amplifiers are tucked out of sight as well. “One thing we specifically try to do in our builds, is hide a lot of that,” explains Green. “So, it’s there—we just don’t want it out in the open.” This keeps a streamlined appearance that stays true to the vehicle’s original styling but allows for modern conveniences.

Green sees these changes as indicative of an overall decrease in the desire for numbers-matching cars. “I was down at Barrett-Jackson in January talking to Mr. Jackson and he told me that something like a resto-mod Corvette will get way more money out of it than any numbers-matching Corvette would,” says Green. “That would not have been the case 5 or 10 years ago. People nowadays are actually wanting to get in these cars and drive them, rather than just have them sitting in the showroom as a showpiece to tell their buddies about. They actually want to be able to get in them, turn them on, burn the tires, and show off for their friends.”

Customization for Every Budget

And people are willing to pay big bucks for this level of customization. “We have a 6-year waiting list right now,” says Green. “If you would have told me that when I started years ago, I would have said you were crazy, but most shops I talk to, they’ve all got a minimum of a 2-year waiting list trying to get cars built by them. It’s good job security—but that’s how high the demand is for these types of vehicles.”

But while a lot of older guys can afford to drop big bucks on a custom pro-touring or high-end restomod setup (we’re talking a minimum of $50k before labor), many younger enthusiasts simply don’t have that kind of capital. Besides, a 35-year-old hot rodder probably doesn’t have fond memories of a ‘60s muscle car. But affordable Fox-body Mustangs, third and fourth-gen Camaros, C10 pickups, and high-performance sport compacts?

“I think what started [the rise of customizing these vehicles] is that they’re cheap and people can get them easily. They’re not rare, they’re not over the top, but enthusiasts can beat the heck out of them and trick them out and make them theirs.”

This trend is reflected among manufacturers too, as they continue to release products specifically for newer vehicles, especially late-model muscle. (Keep an eye out at this year’s SEMA New Products Showcase for proof.)

Future “Trends”

So, what’s next for hot rodding? Well, how big can you dream? “When Dave designs a build here at Kindig-it Design, he never focuses on whats trendy and stylish now,” says Green. “He always looks ahead and tries to create a style and theme for the build that will be timeless.”

Like anything else, a successful build requires a delicate balancing act. Reconciling modern tastes with classic aesthetics, all while remaining true to the history of the “sport,” so to say. Focusing too much on what’s currently trendy will inevitably leave you with something tacky. So, in all honesty, don’t be surprised if you see some older preferences coming back in style. What goes around comes around, right?

With electric cars on the horizon, what do YOU see people customizing in 25 years? Let us know in the comments!

Leave a Reply