The History of Cars
I don’t know about anyone else, but I love cars. I’ve loved them since I was 12. I’m normally able to tell the make and model of a car by the headlights.
I am, however, an exception for my gender. Most females don’t really take the time to get to know their vehicles. I am not saying that we all have to love cars, but being able to have a conversation with a mechanic and understand everything that they say does wonders to stop them for overcharging you. And having the basic knowledge about your car’s inner working stops you from having panic attacks when something goes wrong. Let’s face it, something always goes wrong with cars.
You want to know that secret to learning about cars? Ask someone. I took a “chick auto” class in highschool where they taught us the basics- like how to change a tire, how to align your headlights, change your oil if you need to (best way to save money!). We also learned how the engine and transmission run etc. I’ve mostly forgotten the engine parts, but I retained the basic vocabulary. The ironic thing is that I drive a car that has a skid plate underneath so I can’t really change the oil in my car.
Why am I talking about cars, you may ask? Well, Google, Youtube, or just ask the males in your family.
I’m not trying to rant about women not knowing cars or gender issues or anything like that. This applies just as much to my male readers as it does to my female ones.
Being prepared with basic knowledge about YOUR car is the smart thing to do.
Funny! I’m a huge car buff too! My friend and I took 3 years of auto mechanics (with the boys) in high school, much to the dismay of many of the boys, but it sure did teach me a lot about managing and caring for my own vehicles. Luckily, I’ve passed my love of great cars onto my kids, and they love going to classic car shows now. 🙂
That’s amazing. I bet you were better at it than most of the boys.
Wow Marissa after reading your post I started to think I should learn to know the basic about cars too! I love looking beautiful and colorful cars.
And you will save money!
I know I don’t know much about cars so when I’m buying one or having one repaired I always try to do my due diligence (taking to friends and family, bringing the car to a mechanic I trust, reading KBB and consumer reports etc.) beforehand.
And that’s awesome. Most people don’t even do that.
We drive a car nearly every day in our society… it just makes sense to have some understanding about how they work.
I totally agree.
I’m bad at this – thanks Marisa for giving me a kick! Since I recently got landed with a hefty repair bill I’ve been meaning to find out more about car maintenance. Not that I could fix everything myself then but at least I could hold my own better in talks with the mechanic.
And that’s all that matters. Most people let the service providers dictate what they need, when it’s not really the case.
When it comes to cars, youtube is your best friend. There are so many many different nuances for every single car and youtube has videos that go into visual details for cars. I have learned how to change oil, breakpads, wheel bearings, and windshield wipers all because I love youtube videos.
There are certain things on my import that I really wouldn’t touch myself, but I know what you mean.