In article <5.1.0.14.2.20020621063244.01d263e0@pop3.norton.antivirus>,
Christine Edwards <cedwards@cox.net> writes
>At 11:50 AM 6/21/2002, you wrote:
>
>>Hi Chrissy . Welcome to the brotherhood ( and sisterhood ! ) of Triumph .
>
>Thank you! I'm glad to be here!
And another welcome from me!
>
>>Man , it's amazing to see so many ladies that are passionate about Triumphs
>
>Apparently, there aren't many around here (Phoenix, AZ). How many women
>are on this list??
I can think of two regular posters (Laura and her Spitty Nigel, and
Suzie and Baby Blue), and I think I've seen two or three other women's
names cropping up fairly frequently. As you have discovered, classic
cars are very much still a male preserve. I think ladies tend to go
for the more difficult stuff - my wife used to be a big fan both of
traction engines and steam locomotives when she was younger, and has
worked on the restoration of both types of transport (although we
haven't room for either, so she doesn't get too much practice these
days).
> I'm curious, because I've already experienced several
>sort-of discriminatory comments, being a woman and owning a "collector
>car". I've had several people say things like "Oh, your husband bought
>himself a toy, eh?" as they walk by my garage. I don't HAVE a husband, so
>that would be tough.
This is sort of a back-handed compliment to women classic-owners in
general. Basically, the theory goes that classic sports cars are the
preserve of men enjoying their first mid-life crises. Women don't need
to be neurotic to buy classics (that comes with ownership!).
> The guy I bought it from asked me if I knew how to
>drive it. My knee-jerk response was to throw my hands up into the air, and
>in a high pitched sarcastic squealy voice say "Oh no, I'm a GIRL, I don't
>know how to drive a stick, can you teach me?" but I managed to keep my
>mouth shut.
If I was selling my Spit, *I'd* ask any prospective purchaser if she -
or he - knew how to drive it. These days there are few enough people
around who have recent experience with non-servo brakes, non-power
steering and so on. With an earlier Spit, you have to worry about
non-syncro first gear as well. This question must surely have been
based on, "You look far too young to know how to drive a car of this
age." Treat it as a compliment. <g>
>
>I've also noticed that auto parts stores are weird about women...they
>either fall all over themselves to help me in a completely patronizing way,
>or they ignore me completely, like I must have wandered in by mistake on my
>way to shop for drapes.
Now ask a man what happens when he wanders into a shop looking for
curtain material, or sewing thread!
Actually, this is not just a gender issue, because all those who work in
service and spares in the automotive industry are trained to identify
customers who are not fully-trained and highly-experienced car
mechanics. The way they identify these customers is to use unfamiliar
terminology (if you know the word "trunnion" they'll call it a
"king-pin"; if you ask for a "hood seal" they'll start talking about
"weatherstrips," and so on), and challenge any statement made by the
customer ("No, I'm sure the '77 Spitfire had the single Solex") and then
express amazement if the customer sticks to his or her guns, and turns
out to be right. The reason for this, of course, is that the
uninformed customer is a mug who can be taken for thousands. The
informed customer is worthy of respect, and should not be ripped off.
This makes it vitally important to research the background to even the
simplest purchase. If you want a rubber bung for a hole in your floor
pan, then you will need to know what a "blind grommet" is, what
"nitrile" means, the fact that 20mm *doesn't* equate to 1", and a whole
host of other stuff...
ATB
--
Mike
Ellie - 1963 White Herald 1200 Convertible GA125624 CV
Carly - 1977 Inca Yellow Spitfire 1500 FM105671
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