Hot Rods Women Mechanics and Hot rodders???

One of the best automatic transmission builders I ever knew was named Sue. She was a very petite woman, and she said that having small hands was an advantage working on automatic transmissions. Her husband owned a garage. The only thing he would do to an automatic transmission was take it out, put it on Sue's workbench, and put it back in the car when she got through with it. She kept her stainless steel workbench and work area surgically clean, and nobody who valued his life touched her tools.

 

Theres the "ladies of the hamb" social group, Id love to know what kinda things they talk about. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/group.php?groupid=50

I was gonna ask if there were any women hotrodders back in the day.

 

Interesting tidbit here: Queen Elizabeth served as a mechanic and truck driver in WWII.

http://all-that-is-interesting.com/queen-elizabeth-ii-serves-as-a-mechanic-during-world

Mike

 

Tell you a story maybe it will help you a bit.

I met my wife in high school. We lived in a small faming community in Oregon. We actually skipped school with a couple of other kids that were match making. That was on a thursday. She asked what I was doing on Saturday and I said I was getting my car ready to race on Sunday.

She shows up at my house on Saturday morning wearing all white, sticks her head under my hood and asks if I want a donut. While I am eating a donut she gets in the trunk of her mom's car and pulls out a pair of coveralls. She spent the day handing me wrenches and calling things by the wrong name. On sunday her and her dad just showed up in my pit, she was carrying her coveralls and bags with burgers.

She was a damned good wrench then and she is now. Our daugter will be 40 this year. She still pretends to not know what things are. She is a girl after all.

We had our first real date a week later. But that is another story.

 

i love that car!!!!!!!

 

I always get a kick out of that,, Imagine her calling up to her driver : "oh Nigel... I believe There's a misfire under load, would you pull over so I can have a look"

 

I grew up with one. My mom works on cars with my dad. Never thought it was out or the norm utill I started dating and found out 99% of girls don't know an oil cap from a rad cap. I'm 40 now and happily married for 14 years, my wife likes cars but never learned much about them. My 9 yo daughter takes an interest in anything that has wheels and askes tons of question, just like I did at her age.

 

In 1997 we went head to head with Shirley Mu<WBR>ldowney for the IHRA championship. We won in the end, but she was as tough as any man. I have also worked with a woman on a fuel funny car crew. She could pull the heads, start the engine or anything else.
I think the problem is that some guys cant stand the fact that a woman could our wrench or our run them. JC

 

I got two girls, the eldest now 5 years old loves coming outside to help her old Dad, whether shes wearing a pink dress or not! I guess somewhere deep down i wanted boys so they could get into mechanics same as me, but that notion is totally out-moded. Boy or Girl, it all depends if you've got a passion for it.

 

You are asking HAMBERS. What's normal anyways. You hang in there Honey. We need you in the mix just as much as the next guy. UGOTPK

 

My best students were women at the race mechanics school I used to run. All listened and asked questions. None were a pain in the ass big mouths that were trying to have the big swingin dick. All are still employed a tough thing in Indy Car or have their own cars they run at some level.
Chicks rule

 

It may not be the norm but I think it's cool. My daughter (tattood_mommy here on the board) has been working on her own cars (and bikes years ago) for as long as I can remember. There are several others here on the hamb. Faith Granger (Duece of Spades) is another that comes to mind. If you enjoy it, go for it! To hell with the naysayer's...

 

Here's the wife working on her 32 frame !

 

Life is short - do what makes YOU happy !

 

my favorite is watching women that have real skills shut guys down that talk out the side of their necks

its funny how some guys get so intimidated by a gal knowing what shes talking about.

do ya thang

 

Funny a friend of mine that used to teach pistol shooting made the observation about his students. And actually progressed faster and ended better shots.

 

Also in addition to ladies previously mentioned I would like to say that
Frankie Von Dell has some very serious talent as well, she's a talented pinstriper, fabricator and has some pretty serious upholstery skills

And she like so many others mentioned before is thristy for knowledge and blows others doors off because of it. she's not concerned with being cool she's concerned with doing what she loves and being the most dialed she can be at it

 

I know Frankie! We worked together! She is very impressive!

 

Those who appreciate the craft: 9 points

Those who are dedicated to
learning it and apply themselves: 11 points!

 

Yup... I love it..... I married the women I found like this..
Tom

 

I know some that work on their harleys, one who does her own paint and body work..Like the song says IT'S YO THANG DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO..

 

Two words: GreaseGirl.com

(or maybe that's four if you count "dot com" as words... or just one because there are no spaces... whatever, just go see what Kristin is up to.)

 

My last "girlfriend" was perfectly content to sit on her ass in front of the television while I was outside working on my projects.
The one before her used to get angry because I wanted to spend so much time working on cars rather than being with her watching her crochet or knit.

So now its back to me and my green eyed strawberry blond girl that never complains..

 

Its all good. Mom was a farm girl fron Indiana and an airplane mechanic back in the 40's-50's in the Women's Air Corp. SHE is the one who taught me how to turn a wrench

 

Cool story. BTW, my wife owns a 38 Plymouth truck that we're finally going to start on this summer. Using a 1995 Dakota as a donor.

 

Yor green eyed beuty resembles my other lady. She loves to sit and watch me work or even get in and mix it up when she can. Problem is that mine will carry of wrenches or parts and I have to chase her to get them back.

Like most women you have to chase her until she catches you.

 

Never a problem in my book. Well, not that I have a book

I think its good for "Anyone" to really get into what they do. I like to rub elbows with people who do, people who want to learn, and people that take pride in doing the work if they can.

When it becomes "About" gender, then you have lost me. I treat everone equal in that regards, just like respect. Granted you have to earn it with everyone, but you always give people you meet the benefit of the doubt, until they find a way to make you loose it.

I know in our area there are a bunch of girls that drag race, "Chicks with Slicks" is the banner they had at the local World of Wheels this past January. Was really cool. All the cars they showed were ones they race in.

Love it and doing it, you cant ask for more than that.

 

There are still those who have it in their minds that there are distinct dividing lines between what the genders are supposed to do.

But I've got a friend who works on her Harley and her truck and mows the lawn and her son does most of the cooking and housework. He hates mowing the lawn but is hell for good at taking care of the house and cooking.

Life is too short and too fragile to pass up doing something you enjoy simply because someone looks down their blue nose at you because you did something that they don't see as ladylike what ever term they want to apply.
As long as you aren't breaking any laws doing it, you aren't putting anyone in danger doing it and humiliating photos or videos won't show up on the net what the hay, go for it.

Years after I taught my last auto mechanics class I still get feedback from some of the girls who took the class that they used what they learned in class years later. One did a mom and son ground up rebuild on a car with her teenage son a couple of years ago and another's hubby told me how she pulled the carb off their car and rebuilt it herself when they were first married. Another went off to Wyoming tech, finished there and married a fellow student and moved to upstate New York.

 

My wife is a great mechanic she used to own a head re-building & transmission shop in Grumpy Jenkins old garage in Malvern , PA.
Problem is, we can't work in same area or on same project , we just seem to have different ideas on how something should be done & I hate when I'm wrong.

We left for a car show and I kind of hammered the old Merc. a bit and it started ticking, I told her I replaced a rocker that broke and it's either adjustment or another bad rocker, hope it isn't the valve.
She said no it ain't, doesn't sound like like a valve tick.

At the show she's looking at it while I shooting the shit with the car club guys and they are giving me the business about her working on the car.
She comes back and says "Fixed" loose header, passenger side, in the back.
The guys in the club bought her a tee shirt that has "The mechanic" on the back.

Did I mention I hate when I'm wrong ?

 

Yep...
Many, many moons ago...I had a girlfriend that, once learned...was very good with a wrench/screw driver.

Her first car was a 1969 Z-28 Camaro. Bought it second hand. Was a low miles car in great shape. While initially, I did all the upkeep, she learned well.

I recall one day while heading out to Chaffey College (in So. Cal., they used to have a "Race Car" Class) so I could help with one of the class cars, her Camaro needed to have the valves adjusted.
So..during the 45+ mile trip out there, I explained the procedure.

Once there, I handed her the tools required and said "let me know if you have a question"...off she went.
One problem, she was a very nicely built 21 yr. old...in shorts and a T-shirt. THIS was the first mistake...!

Anyway...I got a bunch of crap from guys..."you're letting her work inside the engine of your car...!?"
My answer was...it's her car, she's wants to learn.."

One guy from Florida...he called his wife..."bring the camera". He'd never seen a girl working on a car, he wanted proof..!

She came in after a while...she told me, "I'm done, wanna check it ?"
I went out, checked the lash at the rockers, both sides...I told her to put the rocker cover back on her side, I did the side where I was standing...she cleaned up a few things and shut the hood.

Again...I...got a bunch of crap from some of the guys about not "readjusting" any of her adjustments. I just said..."none of them NEEDED any readjusting !!" One guy said, "you shoulda readjusted a couple just to to say you needed to..."
My only comment was..."why, they are as good or better than I could have done..!"

Carburetor adjustments, point installation (yea...a long time ago !) and adjustments, ignition timing adjustments, valve adjustments, spark plugs.... She was getting good at engine adjustments.

Too bad...after 5 years of "going together" she was tired of waiting for a "ring" and left for greener pastures.

Oh yea...she could handle that Z-28's steering wheel better than most guys. I have a coupla stories about her driving...!

Mike