study project about the women of the car world

[schierholz]

I am writing a paper for my class and would like some input from some members on the subject

What I am interested in is say (for a example) a woman decided to buy a cb and customize it with say a lowering kit, some hids, rims/tires just for starters. I have seen a few instances not only in imports but domestic as well, but some of the men will not agree that the car belongs to a woman and say "oh that's your boyfriends car isn't it" and that puts down the woman for all there work into the car...

My question is
What feelings would you have if a guy told you that it's your boyfriends car and wouldn't back down from his thoughts?
What would your reaction be to the statement he made
And any other feelings or thoughts you may have

For the guys
Are there any of you that might think this way?
How many of you would back up the work she has done to customize her car

I am not pointing fingers but I have seen it in the world more than once mostly in the civic/ integra scene and would just like some info to write my paper

I know this site is great for cb enthusiasts but just want some thoughts of some members
Thank you

[ferenza]

I have quite a few girl friends (and one actual girlfriend)that do their own work. I would back them up immediately because people assumed since I modified my car,I must have done their car which isnt the case. These women get dirty and greasy just like I do,order their own parts ,grind and customize(one of them even welds). So when I see a girl driving a lowered and clean car, I give her the proper respects. I am even more enthused by seeing a woman driving a beautifully modified car because that means there are women out there who share my passion and if I shall one day wife one ,I wont be in trouble for putting alot of time and money in my car

[SilverShadow]

Ferenza..I really like your response!
I have studied Child Development and have a B.S. from Florida State in the field.
I did a study with a a group of boys and a group of girls. I put "gender" related toys around the room and told both groups to play with any they like. I purposely did not mix the groups so there would be any peer pressure like a girl seeing a boy play with a doll. ages 5-7
As expected.. all the boys stuck with "boy" toys with a few looking at the dolls but never picking then up.
The girls All played with the hot wheels cars and maybe one picked up a cabbage patch doll but went to the cars after.
My conclusion is ....Girls like cars. (nah it was more written out worded for the study)

[JDMchristian991]

Me and my wife actually met because of her and my cb7's. She had 3 cars after that, one of which was a swapped eg and noone ever believed that it was hers and automatically assumed it was mine. My opinion on this? I think its rediculous and wrong, and pushes many women away from the car scene. As far as how we handled it i usually didnt have to say a thing. She would make it very clear to anyone thay it was her car, that she daily drove, and thats how it should be handled.

[Mike1357]

As a guy, if the girl has done a large portion of the work then I respect that just the same as I would with a guy. Despite this all too often I see women driving cars that were bought modified or mostly built by family/boyfriends.

There are a few examples here and there where I will see a woman in full coveralls full on working on and modifying their own cars; in a mostly male dominated hobby/scene I almost respect that a bit more that a guy with a similarly modified car because that woman took the time to go thru and learn everything she needed to know.

[schierholz]

Great feed back guy's Both my ex girl friends loved my CB, and my last (which some of you may have meet) got down and dirty helping change caliper's oil and a few other things... There are some very ignorant men I have seen at a few different car shows that will put a woman in tears because they want to feel superior to them and believe lies he makes up. But for 98% of women that customize there cars the playing level is equal.

There is not much literature (which my teacher wants to see) on the fact to keep it close to car related but If I can use some of your reply's It would help my paper a lot ( I am just asking to get some real life answers)

Keep them coming the more information anyone has the better for assisting me on my assignment

[gloryaccordy]

Yea you def need more data. You will probably need to visit bigger forums, but they will probably give you a hard time. It is an interesting topic though... I think if you work hard at getting data your paper will be very strong.

[zmanwit90accord]

Yea you def need more data. You will probably need to visit bigger forums, but they will probably give you a hard time. It is an interesting topic though... I think if you work hard at getting data your paper will be very strong.

I agree with this. If you haven't already, try different "scenes" too, maybe even forums from different countries to get their inputs. Imports, Euro, domestic, exotic even. The more data you can get the better for your paper.

Could also try and find a female car enthusiast forum. I know jeepforum.com has their own "girls only" sub-section.

My 2 cents: haven't really had the pleasure of meeting a girl who did all their own work and has the passion for modding cars. Joining my school's Formula SAE team showed me there's a least a few who know what they're doing underneath a car and could probably show me up any day of the week with a wrench.

Doesn't mean they deserve any less respect than a guy who mods his own stuff but I'll agree that it's just a little surprising in the male dominated hobby.

Good luck with the paper, definitely a more interesting topic than anything I've had to write about.

[Raf99]

For the guys
Are there any of you that might think this way?
How many of you would back up the work she has done to customize her car

Thank you

I have never met a girl who has worked on her own car. Every car guru's dream though

And if I did meet one I would have nothing but respect!

To the guys who hate on these girls, that is simply wrong. But at the same time I don't have respect for girls who drive around in modified cars that they did not work on. Well it depends if they are trying to act like its their car or not, going to meets, entering it in shows, etc. There's just no demand for respect there, like a spoiled rich kid who has no job.

[LadyG]

When I go to a show, (with my self modified cb7)- and someone wants to ask a question or comment on it- they will walk up to my BF 95% of the time.
I finally bought a sticker that says "NOT my boyfriend's car" and stuck that to the back window... which is hysterical, considering right now he drives it more than I do!


If you wanna be a chick in a male dominated field, you can't let things like that discourage you. You have to assert yourself and be proactive in your own inclusion, because most men assume you are not going to be into certain things.

[CyborgGT]

I have no problem believing a girl can do all her own work; there were three women that I went through an entire two-year automotive program with at the local community college - none were big tomboys, either. They never hesitated with any job, whether it was in diagnostics hooking up one of the various machines, or getting into the meat of an engine tear down, packing bearings, etc. Although I've yet to meet a girl with a custom build as we define it, I've seen ladies in traffic driving modded performance cars and figure it's about a 50/50 chance she either did it herself (or at least had it done to her own car, by choice - just as cool, imo) or the car belongs to a boyfriend, family member, etc.

[Honda_Lady]

I have had many people surprised that I work on my car when they find out. I don't have mine modified yet so I haven't had too many problems with that but I will probably get a sticker like LadyG's when I do get some work done to it that is noticeable. I have seen one of those stickers on a car around town before, and I may have met her at the junkyard one day. The only thing I have not done on my car is the timing belt. I have done tires before but no longer have the equipment I need. I could easily out smart a guy who asks me car questions. Many times, I could just stand watching traffic and know what almost every car is that goes by and that shocks people too.

[CyborgGT]

^ Lol, a friend and I do the same thing. If we're eating out, we'll sit and watch traffic and talk about different cars that go by. Between his owning a couple dozen vehicles since high school and my magazines and religious watching of shows like Top Gear and Fifth Gear, we know so much useless information about any car out there.

[SilverShadow]

Interesting comments.
I wonder.. For those of you that have to take your car to a shop due to not knowledgeable or can't work on car in your building or need major work you cant do at home without proper tools. You get to the shop ...and a girl is the mechanic. What is your reaction? Would you try to leave? Would you stay but feel nervous leaving the car?
How I view it is, to work on cars doesn't require "man" strength when power tools are available. Car work knowledge isn't a gender specific ability. All one needs is at least two hands and the physical ability to sometimes get into, onto, under and over. Secondary sexual characteristics are useless variables in this work.
When I'm at the shop I only want ..good price, have it finished in a reasonable time, and fixed right the first time. I could care less if the person is a man or woman; White ,Black or Latin, Straight or ***, Human or machine. (some issues if they are sane or insane)

[Honda_Lady]

well for me Silver Shadow, being a woman myself I would actually prefer having another woman work on my car if there was something I couldn't do myself, because there have been so many times that I have taken my car somewhere (weather it was this car or not) and the men have been dishonest, stealing parts and charging us for work that wasn't even done. Now, I wonder what a man would think about this (I am truly interested in their response, since one day I plan to have my own shop)