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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APRIL IS NATIONAL CAR CARE MONTH! What Does That Mean?

Did I mention to you yet that April is National Car Care Month?  My regular readers are shaking their heads in amazement!  By golly!  I don't think she did!  Well, fear not my fellow preventive maintenance enthusiasts, I did NOT forget, nor, did I plan on letting this month go by without at least bringing this to your attention, at least once!  The logo below is shown on all genuine "CCC" literature.  These guys have taken preventive maintenance to a new level!

So, here it is April 16th, and we're about half way through National Car Care Month.  I was actually waiting because I wanted to put together a fantastic, unbelievably great article that would not only bring this month to your attention, but, also make you want to do something about it!

I thought long and hard and I figured out that what I need to do to really get everyone revved up (yes, pun intended...) was to make it so easy, so unrealistically simplified, so non-thought provoking, that you would just take my advice and trot off to your local shop and have your car, truck, suv, van, or motorcycle serviced.  And, I did just that.  I have put together some things that will have you at your shop by the time you finish reading this.  And here's how.....

Inside a dirty motor, notice the
brown discoloration from "varnish"
from unchanged oil. All of this
can and will cause sticking valves,
bad gas milage and more!

Here's the top of a badly burned piston.  Also
caused by lack of oil and not changing the oil.
As with the "varnish" build up, this can cause
rough running and seriously bad gas milage.

First, I put together some pictures of what actually happens to the inside of your motor when you don't change the oil.  Yup, these are real, live pictures of just what happens to your poor motor when you simply don't take the time to care.  Now, I've also included some pictures of what happens to brakes when we don't change the brake pads regualrly.  Once again, these are pictures of rotors when brake wear down and score the rotors.  These are what's left to actually "stop" your vehicle when you're tooling down the highway at speeds sometimes in excess of 70 mph.  Not a very pretty picture at all!  Especially when you think that changing those brake pads is a very minimal expense compared to what you're going to  have to pay for if you can't "stop" your vehicle and even worse.

Set of seriously worn brake
pads. These worn pads will
cause the damage seen in the
lower photo of worn rotors.

Now, with all this being said, I also came up with a list of suggested preventive maintenance items and some materials that will help even the most mechanically challenged of us determine what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, and why!  It doesn't get any simpler than that.  Clicking here will take you to a nice, general service schedule that has everything you need to have done to your vehicle regularly, in color.....very cool!

Rotors worn down by
bad brake pads.

All of this damage can be avoided by simply maintaining your vehicle.  And, that maintenance is far less expensive than replacing the parts that break and the labor involved in repairing this damage.

I have included a link to National Care Care Association's booklet entitled "The Car Care Guide" written by the Car Care Council. It's a great guide for determining what things need to be maintained on your vehicle and how often they should be done.  It's a great basis for planning out your scheduled maintenance routine and ensuring that nothing slips by.
The booklet not only describes each routine maintenance point, but, also gives a detailed explanation of why the service needs to be done.  It's a great guide for both the average car owner and the do-it-yourself'er to use as a reference.

There are other things to mention here in addition to what needs to be done to properly care for a vehicle, and here are some ideas to help save you money when you do actually have the services rendered.

1. When changing your oil, look for sales that include oil, oil filter and air filter combined into a single package deal.  Most auto parts stores will rotate different manufacturer's products into deals on a regular basis.  It's much more cost effective to "bundle" these items than to pay for each one of them separately.  We recommend Monthly Oil Change Special (OCS) page from Advance Auto Parts.  Advance Auto Parts offers a monthly oil change special each month to save you money on a bundle of everything necessary for your oil change.
2. Purchase "lifetime warranty" brake pads.  Most manufacturer's offer lifetime warranties on their brake pads.  Simply keep the receipt from your purchase and when it's time to change the pads, go back to the auto parts dealer and bring them back the used pads to receive a refund on the purchase price of the pads.  Essentially, you can purchase only one set of pads for the entire time you own the vehicle!  You can click here to go to our 'Online Parts Store' and search right there for the brake pads you'll need! 
3. Buy your maintenance parts while they are on sale and keep a small inventory of the parts you will need to replace.  Hoses, belts, and even small replacement parts are good to have handy, like the idler pulley for your serpentine belt, windshield wipers, and fuses, etc.

Planning out your preventive maintenance will help you keep your vehicle in top running form for the life of your car, truck, suv, or van.  It will help maintain it's value too.  Not enough can be said for the value of these small items which in total add up to great value.

And, of course, there's no better place to save you money than our good friends at Advance Auto Parts.   

Seriously, I wouln't preach if I didn't care.....so, get get your car serviced and feel better about it!  It'll give you the satisfaction of knowing that you're vehicle is running great and you've taken all the little precautions to keep you and your family safe!

Happy Motoring!

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The Truth About Car Repair Costs, How Much Should You Be Paying?

Repairing your car, truck, suv, or van, is a necessity. And, unfortunately, things break. So, the bottom line is at some point in time, unless you are a mechanic or body man, you are going to have to pay to have your vehicle repaired.


There are some things you can do to keep those costs down. For starters, when it comes to mechanical items, the obvious thing is to keep your vehicle maintained. I can't preach enough about how important it is to keep you car in good mechanical health. Things like changing the oil, maintaining your brakes and keeping the engine tuned up are just no brainers in this economy.


Let's look at brakes for starters. Brake pads wear out. They are manufactured to do this. They are also necessary. Ask anyone who has abruptly met the owner of the vehicle in front of them because they didn't pay attention to the "squeak" that was coming from the brake pads. A change of those pads might very well have saved them the cost of the accident, the cost of the ticket, the cost of a lawyer, if one was necessary, and the list goes on and on. AFTER the accident is too late! Brake pads are not expensive. In fact, if you change them regularly, you can purchase a set of good brake pads from a parts supplier like Advance Auto Parts, that has a "lifetime warranty"! Yup, simply put, you can buy ONE SET OF BRAKE PADS and NEVER PAY FOR ANOTHER SET AGAIN! EVER! Now, you will have to pay for the labor to install them, but, the next thing we're going to talk about here is how to save on that cost too.





Many people wait till their vehicle is down and then start searching the Internet for places to fix it. They make 20 phone calls, tell their story 20 times and come up with the best price and then drive to the "winning" shop and get the repair work done. I suppose this might work for some people, but, why go thru all that work when you can save yourself the phone time AND have your vehicle repaired cost effectively by choosing a shop BEFORE you need the work done.







When you are putting together your preventive maintenance items is the time to choose your shop. NOT when your vehicle is down on the side of the road and you're in a panic to find someone to fix it. Having a car repair shop phone number ready to call is the way to go. Most shops welcome your maintenance business. If you consistently go to the same shop to have your work done, you'll build a relationship with the shop. They cherish your business and will go the extra nine yards to make sure they take care of their "regular" customers. Many shops will even give a discount to those that are regulars. When you're on the side of the road and your car is broken down or in an accident, it's comforting to know that the repair guy knows you and will go out of his way to ensure that you are taken care of right away.


So, let's get back to how to build that relationship. Start by checking out the shops closest to you. Talk to the owner. Find out if they have a preventive maintenance plan that you can purchase. If not, put together a list of the items you want to have completed and see if you can get a "deal" on having all the services provided at the same time. Most shops will work with you on this. Find the best price at a shop you are comfortable with and stay with them. After going there a few times and showing your loyalty, the rest will follow.

Putting together your list of maintenance items really depends on the type of vehicle you're dealing with. Check your owner's manual for manufacturer's suggested time frames on the usual items like changing your oil, tuning up the vehicle, belt replacement, and so on. If your manual doesn't list these items, call a dealer and find out the recommended times.


If your vehicle hasn't been maintained for some time, you'll want to start with the obvious. Change the oil. If you want to save yourself some gas money, add a tune up to the list. Changing the plugs and wires will gain you some added mileage and ensure that your engine is running smoothly and efficiently. Most cars will go a year on a tune up with no problem. The next thing to put on the list is brakes. Have them checked at first. Have the mechanic tell you what kind of mileage he thinks are left on your pads and make a decision as to whether you should change them now or wait. Keeping these items together is important too, so, if the pads are worn at all, it's a good idea to have them done the first time to get everything done at one time and start your maintenance routine properly. Choose a good quality brake pad with a lifetime warranty and keep the receipt. When the pads wear down, go back to your supplier and simply get a new set. It's a one time fee that will save you a ton of money over the course of your vehicle's lifetime.


Have your mechanic check the belts. Belts are one thing that will definitely put your vehicle on the side of the road if they break, so keeping them in good condition is one of the most important aspects of a good preventive maintenance plan. If you have a serpentine belt, and most newer vehicle's do, it is well worth the cost of the belt to replace it. That one belt controls many items in your vehicle including the water pump and power steering pump. To get a good start on your maintenance program, include replacing this belt.


Lastly, have your hoses and any pulleys checked for wear. Replace any worn hoses or noisy bearings and pulleys.


The first time you have your preventive maintenance work done should include everything possible. This way, you can insure that you have covered all of the things that could come up and give you a good starting point to schedule the rest of your maintenance on. All of the items we have mentioned here include items surrounding or included with the systems that they are associated with. For instance, when changing the brake pads, your technician will get a good look at your suspension and alert you to anything you should be aware of there. When changing the serpentine, many of the components associated with that system will be checked at the same time, like the water pump and power steering pump and so on.


Now that you've gotten your vehicle maintained, the key is to keep it that way. You will have accomplished two things here. You can drive your vehicle worry free, knowing that the usual suspects are new and ready to keep your vehicle running. And 2., you have established a relationship with a shop that will serve you well for a long time to come.


Create a maintenance schedule and stick with it. The result will be worry free driving for you and your family and a vehicle that will run well and be worth more when it comes time to sell it. Both of which are well worth the cost of maintaining the second largest investment most of us own, second to our homes.


Happy motoring!


Larry and Dee Blackman
LDJ Auto Body
ldjautobody@yahoo.com
(813) 644-4497

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