Query for the girls (or guys for that matter)

[KATWYN]

Hi Girls/guys (i'm writing this at the request of my s'n'law wanting me to)
My 17 year old s'n'law is right into her V8 performance cars (including doing up her own v8 Holden HQ at the mo )- she is frustrated at the lack of females who actually work on their cars (not just pose on them)

Does anyone know of another female or females that are right in to engines
with a passion just like hers and love physically working on them grease
and all.

[Eddieb]

Yup, A female friend of mine in auckland is doing a ground up bare metal rebuild of an RX3 coupe. She used to be able to do an engine rebuild on RGV's with her eyes closed.

There is a female club in AK for Girl racers I believe, mostly focussed about Jap imports though I think.

[KATWYN]

Yea she has checked out Girlspeed. Not really her thing

she's looking to pursue a career in the auto motive industry - so
if anyone has any info to help a bright intelligent young woman
on her way that would be great.

[James Deuce]

Sorry about this, but I'm going to give my opinion. (Tremble in fear)

I think she should stop focusing on gender and just do it. Join a car club, and forego any attitudes about it not being as much fun to work on cars with the lads.

The last thing we need is headlines like; " Women complain that they can't get jobs in the auto industry; Men pissed off that they can't breastfeed in public".

It doesn't, and shouldn't matter what gender a person is. We've developed enough as a tool using species to be able to offset issues of strength, with engineering solutions and knowledge. Attitudes toward women doing this sort of thing have changed massively in the last 30 years, but unfortunately, in the cosmic scale of cultural attitudes, 30 years is not a long time. We need women like her to just be determined to do her thing.

Jessica Campos is a 20 year old spanish woman who is the chassis engineer for Taro Sekiguchi, a Yamaha 250cc GP rider in on the World Championship GP trail. She concentrated on motor mechanics at school and worked hard to get her job. Once she got the job it was obvious she could do it, and she isn't above sweeping the garage out despite male colleagues feeling like they are pushing a feminine role on her.

Just do it.

http://www.motocicliste.net/sport/Ruiz.asp

Sorry that's a Spanish link, but there is another woman with the same name, but a different "ahem" occupation that appears more frequently on Google.

[Ghost Lemur]

Very well put Jim2.

My sister is a furniture maker/capenter by trade. Again commonly a "male" enviroment. The main downside she faced wasn't from classmates while studying to do it. It wasn't even from co-workers once she found a job. It was only from a few potential employers who took one look at her and wrote her off coz of her sex. As I said to her "why the fuck would you want to work for someone like that anyway."

I'd say the same thing to your sis'n'law. If it's what she really wants to do and she's good at it, then just do it. Try to do it with the best people as they are the one's she should be most looking to learn from (irrespective of sex). She might occassionally need a thick skin, but even better just be good at giving as receiving. Along the way she will see that there are lots of people (male and female) who will respect her for her abilities without concerning themselves with what sex she is.

Oh BTW, believe it or not the FEMALE potential employers were more often than not the one's to write off my sister not the guys.

[KATWYN]

Cheers guys thanks for your opinions. I did a non traditional apprenticeship in the mid to late 80's (car restoration) myself.

As far as focusing on gender, she does hang out with the guys and
swaps knowledge but unfortunetly (please don't get me wrong) there
can be an air of patronising at times (this is what REALLY bothers her the most) (ie) oh don't worry about the technical stuff or don't worry about that thing,let us guys deal with it.....

Another female to bounce off each other means you aren't completely
alone.

Thanks for the link Jim Need to learn Spanish 1st though !

[KATWYN]

Oh BTW, believe it or not the FEMALE potential employers were more often than not the one's to write off my sister not the guys.

Interesting comment. I would beleive that

[KATWYN]

QUOTE=Jim2]We need women like her to just be determined to do her thing.


[QUOTE]

Thanks for that Jim.

[Motu]

The first female motor mechanic in NZ started her apprenticeship the year after me,so that would be 1971,I often used to see her around at night school when we went to ATI.My wife was the first female technician trainee at the Post Office in the mid 70s

I feel for her KATWYN,guys into V8s are the biggest bunch of wankers I've ever seen,it's just oh so macho to know all about V8s,small minds need big things to amuse them.

[Blackbird]

My daughter LOVES cars and is set on owning a Holden V8. At present, she is learning her skills by helping to rebuild her boyfriend's VW Golf and is really happy to get her hands dirty, doing the hard yards. All this whilst she's finishing off her Masters degree at Canterbury - what a girl!

[Indiana_Jones]

I'll stick to 2 wheels thanks, but I'll have her number
(chick at top)

-Indy

[scumdog]

The first female motor mechanic in NZ started her apprenticeship the year after me,so that would be 1971,I often used to see her around at night school when we went to ATI.My wife was the first female technician trainee at the Post Office in the mid 70s

I feel for her KATWYN,guys into V8s are the biggest bunch of wankers I've ever seen,it's just oh so macho to know all about V8s,small minds need big things to amuse them.

You must mix with the wrong bunch of V8 types Motu, all the ones I kick around with are mellow fun loving types with a black-belt in talking shit, - sort of like KBers on four wheels.

Statements like the one you made are as accurate as saying "all brand x bikers are wankers", it's pretty sweeping - but it does provoke a response.

[Eddieb]

It wasn't even from co-workers once she found a job. It was only from a few potential employers who took one look at her and wrote her off coz of her sex.

I have another female friend in AK who designs and makes moulds for large steel castings in a foundry, again a male dominated environment. She had much the same issues.

[Motu]

You must mix with the wrong bunch of V8 types Motu, all the ones I kick around with are mellow fun loving types with a black-belt in talking shit, - sort of like KBers on four wheels.

Statements like the one you made are as accurate as saying "all brand x bikers are wankers", it's pretty sweeping - but it does provoke a response.

Yeah,I know some guys who are very knowledgable and do great things in the rod scene - But I'm a Westy mate,the place is thick with thickness.

I'm a bit puzzled by the whole 'mysteque' that has grown up around V8s - they come to me and say 'do ya know anything about V8s mate?' uh,when I started work we were still getting flatheads in,a 67 Chev was only 3 years old,bought from Schofields,Aussie cars came with V8s off the floor - I might finish working on a 63 Super Snipe then move onto a 64 Chev,they were just cars,no big deal then - but you have to be an 'expert' to touch one these days.

[claire]

Katwyn, tell your sister in law to go for it!!!

I have worked in the automotive industry for the last eight years and have just got in and done the work and not bothered about the gender thing. If you're good enough at what you do that speaks for itself. I also have no hesitation in asking for help or an explanation of something if I haven't quite got an understanding of it I'm happy with and don't get the patronising thing happening to me often and if I do I always seem to hold my own. I also have a car which is mine. I don't mind getting my hands dirty if it needs work, I have to clean it on Rod Runs cause its my car.

A friend we go away on Rod Runs with reckons Girls can do anything - so let them.