Women Gearheads? Do They Really Exist?

I just finished reading a blog article on Jalopnik.com, one of my favorite blogs, entitled "10 Ways to Inspire Women Gearheads" and I started thinking, there must be more women "gearheads" out there!  But, where are they and why don't we see a lot more of them?


My own experience isn't that different than most, at least I don't think it is.  My appreciation for cars dates all the way back to my very early childhood.  I was the "first born" of the grandchildren and, I suppose, a little bit of a disappointment to my grandfather, who obviously, would have preferred a grandson.... But, being the trooper that he was, and not about to let a little thing like the "Y chromosome" put a damper in his day, grandpa just decided to make the best of it!  He raised his little "tomboy" just like any other grandfather would. Point being, I learned to fish, hunt, and last, but not least, turn a wrench with the best of them!  Yup, grandpa loved his cars, and, by the time I was old enough to get a grip on my Craftsman 1/4" socket, so did I...

I think the stigma that the only people who like to get greasy or who give a damn about the foot lbs. of torque being produced by the rumble under their hoods are men, has always been something that men have been trying to create!  In fact, I'm not so sure that the stigma ever really existed... Somehow, all the hype about cars and motors and horse-power and other automotive cliche have managed to escape the gender war.  Now, admittedly, most mechanical ads and advertisements for auto parts and such will usually show a picture of a "male" working on the car or motor involved,instead of a woman, but, the reason for that is quite different than the fact that women are not really interested in cars!

My thoughts on this are that men are afraid to let women into that elite society of beer drinking and garage socializing because if they let us into that little niche, they won't be able to use the "honey, I'm heading over to soandso's garage to work on his whatever" to escape without the little woman! Right? Seriousy, think about it. If the "little woman" was just as juberant about tweaking someone's "ported head intake to exhaust ratio", she just might want to go with him! Now, that could cause some real problems if hubby was just lookin to get out with the boys and throw down a couple beers while watching the "rear end" of some blonde walkin down the street while making immature gestures and whistling noises.....LOL! :)

I think a lot more women are into their cars more than we think.  Maybe not quite into the nitty, gritty of high performance tuning and things of that nature, but, definitely into the way their cars look AND drive.  I have a couple girlfriends that can change oil with the best of em' and do so on a regular basis!  Probably more from a "saving money" standpoint than a "like to get greasy just for the sake of it", but, still they change their own oil and check the fluids and whatever else one does when taking care of those types of chores.  And, of course, there are lots of women who shop the auto parts and accessory stores for neat little things to "spruce up" ol' Betsy and just make her "look nicer".   Most of these stores actually cater to women for some of these items and you'll find lots of floor mats, seat covers, steering wheel covers and a host of other accessories geared toward women nowadays!  I've even seen complete "make-over" kits for cars with hot pink, flower covered, prints and other "girlie" type designs.

So, don't underestimate the power of your woman, guys!  If you really want us to get out there and get dirty with you, all you have to do is ask!  I'd venture to guess that at least half of the women out there have more automobile knowledge than they let on.  I think many women would be more than happy to join you at your friend's garage and do a little beer drinking while watching your drunken friends try and make their Honda's go faster!

Let's hear from some of our readers out there!  Tell us what you think!  Let's hear from some women gearheads too!  I'll be there's a lot more women around that can appreciate the smell of a good, "high-octane" top fuel nitro mix.  Hmmm, that might even make a good perfume idea!

Happy Motoring!

Larry and Dee

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Preventative Maintenance - The Key to Big Savings On Auto Repair!

The New Year has begun. Time to think about those new year's resolutions! If you're ike most people, new year's resolutions start out with the right idea in mind. The biggest problem is that many people try to implement either too many or set goals that simply cannot be reached either without help or that are unreasonable.

After many failed New Year's resolutions myself, I decided to take a look at what things I ACTUALLY have enough self dicipline to implement. One thing I really want to work on this year is "saving money". Each year when tax time arrives I see the books and each year I realize that there are many ways to save money that are both easy to do AND cost effective to implement! (There's no point in spending a million dollars to save a half million!)

One way to put some extra dollars in your pocket is through implementing a "preventative maintenance" program. Preventative maintenance means simply that. Prevent problems before they happen. In almost any circumstance, preventing a problem from happening is less expensive than fixing the problem once it HAS happened.

One place to implement a great preventative maintenance program is with your vehicle! Let's face it. Auto repairs are expensive. But, with vehicles, there are MANY ways to help prevent problems from happening that are WAY less expensive than the problems themselves.

Start with standard maintenance items like oil changes, lubrication, and brakes. These items are inexpensive to do, but, will save hundreds and even thousands of dollars in repairs if left undone! Let's take a look at the actual cost of doing some of these items.

Changing brake pads is a great one to start with. First of all, the brake pad manufacturer's actually provide you with a warning when this needs to be done! That's what all that "squeaking" is about! When you hear your brakes start to squeak, it means that the pads have worn down sufficiently to require replacement. The manufacturer installs "squeakers", small metal pieces that come in contact with your rotors and cause them to "squeak" thereby letting you know they are worn. A great idea when you think about it! Problem is....most people don't pay attention to this "squeaking" when it happens.

Make this a priority on your vehicle "preventative maintenance" program and here's what it can save you...... Replacing the brake pads on your vehicle will run you approximately $30 per wheel to accomplish. Purchase brake pads with a lifetime warranty and the cost is reduced to $20 per wheel the next time you do it! How does this save you money? Letting your brakes go until the "squeaking" stops....and it will......will cause the brake "rotors" to become damaged. Once they are damaged, they need to be replaced. Add $20 labor to each wheel AND the cost of the rotors (anywhere from $20 to $120 each depending on your vehicle)!!! Now there's a "chunk of change" that you COULD still have in your pocket had you done your preventative maintenance!

Next, let's take a look at changing your oil. Depending on your vehicle and the type of oil used, oil changes usually run anywhere from $20 to $40 depending on your vehicle and that includes the oil! Oil should be changed around every 3000 miles or every 3 months, whichever comes first.

Oil is the key ingredient in keeping your car, truck, suv or what have you running smoothly. Few things in your vehicle's motor are as important as oil! And, the bad things is, the things that happen when you DON'T change your oil are numerous AND far exceed the cost of a simple oil change! The worst of these being a blown engine! Yup, spending the "small change" for an oil change every 3 months COULD potentially save you the cost of a new motor, which, in some older vehicles, may exceed the cost of the vehicle itself! Also, when you change the oil, it's a good idea to lubricate the rest of the vehicle at the same time. Most oil change services include this lubrication. However, if you're a do-it-yourself'er, don't forget to lube the rest of the car while you're at it!

So, is everyone hearing the point I'm getting at here? I know these things are a pain. We're all busy and squeazing in an oil change or brake job into our busy schedules is hard. I don't mean that sarcastically, I mean it literally. If you're like most of us, we don't have enough time in the day as it is! But, working these things into our busy schedules CAN and WILL save money in the long run.

I have only touched base on two little items that will help save you money in 2012 and the list goes on and on. We will continue to give you ideas on money saving tips in the future! Please feel free to comment back with ideas of your own! After all, the idea here IS to help each other out!

Happy 2012 and we'll talk to you soon!

Larry and Dee Blackman
LDJ Auto Body and Mechanical
ldjautobody@yahoo.com

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