Women Drivers!

Bruce

Bruce

Senior Member
The other day I kind of blamed women drivers for bent spokes. I had asked the membership to admit bending some and pretty much nobody stepped forward. Pointing the finger at the girls was not fair and it was also very much counter productive.
A Model A friend who enjoys long drives pointed out that he was encouraging his wife to take the wheel. Their team driving keeps them going long after he would be too tired to continue. Getting her more involved is helping him enjoy the hobby.
Meanwhile a couple of my fellow Club members are teaching a recently-widowed member how to start and drive her husband's pride and joy. She is not a quick study; the guys are having a lot of fun.
I took the hint. I handed the keys to Jan after breakfast last Sunday. She was surprised, but game. She knew the starting steps: gas on, spark retarded, choke out, hand throtle down a couple, neutral, etc., but had no idea what each lever and switch was controlling. I had fun teaching.
Then she "found" a gear and off we went.
It was fun for both of us.
In fact, she wants to take two A's to the Sandwich Car Show on Sunday! Maybe we aren't quite ready for that ... but getting her excited about Model A's can only be good for THE HOBBY!!
Take the "teach your wife to double-clutch challenge!"
 
Excellent!

Not long after we were married, I taught my wife to drive a standard in my brand new sports car. Friends were aghast: what will happen to the clutch? What if she runs into a light pole in the parking lot or jumps a parking bumper? My reply: it's just a car. (Followed by more horrified looks--some of those BMW enthusiasts take things WAY too seriously :) )

Over the years, she's taken to a lot of my hobbies to a greater or lesser extent--cars, skeet shooting, video games. It's been somewhat harder for me to take to hers, but I'm still making an effort.

Once I have my A and have driving it mastered myself, I sincerely hope to convince her to learn to drive it. I think that anything enjoyable is more fun when shared. Heck, if it's still running in 12 years, I hope to teach my oldest daughter to drive in it!
 
I started to teach my daughter (she has learners permit, next year a drivers license) to drive the Model A. We have gone through the procedure of starting, getting into first gear, and driving; but have not yet progressed to shifting.

At last nights club meeting, the president made note that he was looking for two volunteers to conduct a ladies Model A driving course using the MAFCA guidelines. Two lady members (who happen to be sisters) have decided to take the challenge, and will be holding a ladies driving course in July. They have enlisted the help of a male member to help supply the vechicle(s) and necessary supplies. They are going to present to each participant who completes the course with a certificate and patch (available from MAFCA). My daughter can't wait even though she will also be taken drivers-ed this summer. Driving the Model A is way cooler to her than my pickup or Mom's car.

I am looking forward to that course in July. I encourage other clubs to participate in this activity. - Ron/IA
 
Bruce, you may have to start buying some more Model A's. Jan may not give up the 40B. I suspect she may soon be describing it as "her" car. Also, the "double clutch" isn't the only way to shift. Mary Alice has the timing down pretty well so she is shifting without the double foot method. The only time she gets into trouble is when she "misses" third and then it is either double clutch or stop and start over. She received her "This Lady Drives a Model A" patch at a Wisconsin reunion some years ago. The instructor said her only restriction when driving was to NOT have her husband in the passenger seat!

Since I have been sick, often the only way we have been able to go on a tour is to have her drive. That has been a real blessing!
 
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Well My wife is the head of the Illinois Region Ladies A's and what a great group it is. We are teaching the ladies NOT only to drive but to maintain their cars, our turnout is great and they love it. I think all men and women should know how to drive their A's I mean god forbid there is an emergency....
We are also looking into getting Chapter Recognition from the National
 
Sandwich is on IL Route 34. The car show is at the Sandwich Fair Grounds, which is well known out our way for its antique shows. This weekend it hosts a swap and car show. Hope to see you there, Jeff.
 
We encourage our wives to drive in our club, and due to the fact, my wife is now claiming ownership of my 28 Special Coupe :) She has completed multiple tours (some 100 miles plus)

She loves to drive and can double-clutch better than most of the fellas in our club. Having wives drive really helps to bring them into the hobby, makes it safer if someone is unable to drive for some reason so we have "spare drivers", and really brings us together. As a matter of fact, my wife was out in the garage the other day helping me to pull off a head and replace a leaky headgasket before a parade.

Also, if the wife is involved, you might catch her looking through the Snyders catalog for goodies for her car and yours :)

- Dave in Boise
 
Not only does my wife drive and has earned her "Lady Drives an A" MAFCA patch, but she was insistent that we buy an "A" for her. So we set about finding her the Model "A" she desired a 31 CCPU with a wide bed. Now I have to ask permission or at least tell her when I am going to use the pick up.

The second driver comes in real handy on long tours or weekend outings. I get a chance to sit back and enjoy the view while she drives. I would not have it any other way.

So come on you guys out there get that most important person in your life behind the wheel of that Model "A". Who knows you might end up with another Model "A" in your, I mean her, garage.
 
My wife has been driving our Model A for over twenty years and when our daughter wanted to learn how to drive it was in our Model A.
 
My wife's first car is the 31 coupe she bought in high school and still drives, that's how we met, in the local A club. I'm proud to say I'm her life long mechanic, our first outing was in my driveway where we pulled the coupe's rear end to see why oil was all over the brakes- turns out her dad had been overfilling the transmission.
 
My grandpa taught my grandma how to drive their coupe over 50 years ago while they were dating incase she had to move it because she kept the car under her carport. 50 years later, she still drives and enjoys the same coupe. And my grandpa's health isn't real good, so whenever he gets tired, she can take over if she needs to. We are going on a tour to Oklahoma this weekend, and she has already informed me she is driving the sedan once we get off the highway. I think it's really important for anybody who goes on tours, to know how to drive the car. It's just stupid not to.
 
Both women in our Family drive the A's.

EmilyandCarolinedriving31Cabriolet.jpg
Fordially,
Brad in Germany
 
We took a 12 day Model A trip a couple of weeks ago to the Central CA Regional and Northern CA Regional meets.

The very first day, only 35 miles from our first destination, San Luis Obispo, my left knee totally gave out and I could put NO weight on it.

Jeanne had her "Lady drives a Model A" patch from 1990 which consisted of about 1/2 mile of driving and parking at the MAFCA national meet in San Diego but hadn't been behind the wheel since.

I gave instructi0ons and sketched on a McDonald's napkin starter location and shift pattern and she was able to pull the Model A up outside.

With a "borrowed" shopping cart I was able to "hop" out the the car and she drove the remaining 35 miles up Hwy 101 to our destination.

Friends at the meet rounded up a pair of crutches for me and we were able to complete the tour.

She didn't drive again for the duration. My knee graduually improved and I was able to drive.

Richard
Anaheim CA
 
My wife is signed up for "Ladies Learn to Drive an A" at French Lick.
She's a good driver, but she's never driven any manual transmission. Should I be worried? :eek: *tic*
 
I'm fortunate my wife knew more about driving than most people when I met her.
She has driven my race car a couple times and done VERY well.
 
HoarseWhisperer said:
My wife is signed up for "Ladies Learn to Drive an A" at French Lick.
She's a good driver, but she's never driven any manual transmission. Should I be worried? :eek: *tic*
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NOT at all, they have a wonderful program and she will learn and have a great time doing it.. You do know she IS Taking YOUR car to the class!!!:cool:
 
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