Pumps to the Pedal

Car maintenance and care is obviously not just for the boys.

Many of us continue to be blissfully automotive ignorant. What most people don't realize is that being even a little car savvy can not only save money, but it can also help keep you, and those riding in your car, safe. So, Winnipeg Women magazine has asked some local automotive technicians and customizers to share their tips for a guide to basic car care.

Meet our Mechanics
Lisa Ervick spent her time during high school hanging out with a group of guys who were into classic cars. Their influence rubbed off on her and, after high school, she signed up for a two-year automotive pre-employment program at Red River College. Once completed, she took her tool kit to Birchwood GMC, where she worked the bench for five years. Just over three years ago, she became a service advisor for McPhillips Toyota.

Christine Gray also came out of RRC's automotive program. She says she used to help her father with car repairs when she was younger, but never really considered it to be a career path. That was until she got tired of bouncing around from job to job. After her first work experience at the college, she was hired on at Cutting Edge Automotive Technologies Inc, where she now serves as a technician.

Sarah Bow fell in love with custom cars after watching a popular Vin Diesel movie. As cheesy and lame as it sounds, the day I saw The Fast and The Furious I fell in love with the art of car customization. More specifically, the tricking out of import cars with whatever, and however, the mind can create and think. Bow has been working on her Mazda 3 for six years now, and has also become a staple in the Winnipeg cruising scene despite sometimes still getting asked if the car is her boyfriend's.

When I first started cruising and showing with the car I got all the stereotypical responses it was my dad's car, my brother's car, and how nice of them to let me drive it. But as time went on and I made my presence in the car scene known, people began to associate me with the car and the car with me. Now, it's pretty much known that the car belongs to a girl.