First time at an auto show...

[AbigailAmelia]

Hello,

I'm participating in a "Girls in the Garage" auto show today). It's for vehicles owned or co-owned by women. Let's pretend my truck will be the center of attention (it won't be)... What vital statistics should I know? What do people ask at auto shows?

1977, 3/4 ton, 400ci engine, 4WD...

What else?

Thanks for helping a newbie!

Michelle
__________________

[homemade87]

I think this is great . I have not heard of this in my area . Sounds like you are definitely an enthusiast at 2:18 in the morning . Mostly its interaction talking about basic truck stuff . Motor , interior , lift if any , lowered if any , motor size and mods . If you are on this site with a interest I bet you will do great . Dont sweat it . Dont think you have to know everything. We all learn every day .This is where we get many ideas for our rides . If not sure about something just ask . Most is willing to share and talk about it . We all sit behind our computers and type but face to face at a show is a lot of fun . Just enjoy .

Lets see some good pictures of your truck .

[cadillac_al]

I think people like to hear about the original owner or how the truck was used originally if you know that information. Any major or minor modifications you have made will be of interest. I'll bet there will be plenty of men attending to hit on the ladies lol.

[abig84]

ive had my 86 k30 in a few shows and its complete hit or miss if people even give it a look. it really depends what kind of show it is. last one i went too was for our subdivision, mostly older guys and i dont think even one of them looked at it. but at least i got a plaque

[my56chevytruck]

You're probably at the show by now, so have fun, ask questions and make mental notes on what others have that you may want to do in the future. But by no means, take judging literally, it's all up to the individuals views. let us know how it went.

[LT7A]

Glad you are taking your truck to a show. We were probably all nervous the first time we did that. The only important questions are the ones that involve what you like about your truck. And those are the ones you already know the answers to. The other ones are informational and only matter to the asker. It is fine to answer "I don't know". Followed up by "do you know how to find out?" if you want to know. If someone has a reaction to what you don't know, it is a reflection on them. To me, if a woman bought a truck, works on it and takes it to a show -- all is positive.

[AbigailAmelia]

Thanks for the replies! This is an inspiring event, and I feel like a total slacker compared to these women and their stories of their car-passion. There's some hot sh*t here. Something that women bring to a car show: many of the women are wearing vintage dresses that complement the cars they've worked on. I like the idea of including the original ads for the vehicle.

I need to get my 8-track player working to have some late-70s sounds playing.

[franken]

What you're wearing complements the truck perfectly.

[daddyjeep]

I am glad you had a good time at the show. Franken is correct...you were one of the girls that dressed to match your vehicle.

I don't own a vehicle that is "show worthy", but I took my rock crawler to a show a couple years ago and it really was a good time. I had a lot of people that just walked by because it wasn't a shiny show car, but I didn't care. Everyone that has a passion for their vehicle should attend a show of two.

[old Rusty C10]

Nice truck! My wife and I go to shows every chance we get. More often than not we take two cars. I have an 82 2wd fully restored and my wife ( shes really a good woman even tho she is a Ford girl) has her 66 mustang My wife knows the basics of her car motor trans the few things I did to customize it for her the colors and options but she is far from a mustang encyclopedia. She enjoys telling people about how I built her the car to her specifications when we got married and how she was supposed to get a car like this when she turned 18 but she got baby brothers instead, and how she had to wait 5 years after beating cancer to marry me and that I surprised her with it, but you will find as you do more and more shows your knowledge will grow and the stories about the truck you will like to tell over and over..
Being your mentioned the truck.. tell US about it you know the back story and all

[AbigailAmelia]

@Franken and DaddyJeep: Ah, thank you! {blush}. Although to truly be in the spirit of the event, I would have worn the 1977 version of shorts, boots, t-shirt. Time to hit the vintage clothing stores for Led Zepplin shirts!

@OldRusty: THAT is a story! A wonderful story!

For my truck's immediate story, I have been wanting an older truck FOREVER (as old as late 1940s...love the fenders and grills. I'm an antique carousel fan too, so that maybe makes sense). I love experiencing life through cars and drove around the country, solo, in my aunt's 1970 Bug when I was 22 (pre-cellphone-era...my angels were flying with me).

A decade later, I took a few autoshop classes and made a deal with myself: if I could not disassemble an engine, solo, in the garage of my So Cal condo, I was not qualified to pursue an old truck. My daily driver at the time was a used, elegant 1995 Mercedes Wagon purchased along with Husband 1.0. After we split, I tracked down a free, seized Chevy small block on a local ranch, had it forklifted into the back of the wagon, slid it out of the wagon onto a furniture dolly, and ta-da! I had an engine in my garage! I was overjoyed but clueless and the engine became a greasy paper weight that bit your shins when you walked by.

Husband 2.0 enters the scene at this time and thinks my little project is the coolest thing ever and insists upon coming over to help me. (The engine project failed, but I met the world's greatest husband, so THAT's a win.) Along comes HIS 1986 Jeep CJ7, and then HIS 1973 Blazer, and all along, secretly, he's been watching for pickups for me. He can't fathom squeezing himself into a 1947 truck, but he does love squarebodies.

Suddenly, last fall, it must have been Princess Wife day, because he said, "I've located three potential trucks. Let's go get you one." When I saw Abigail's photo, she looked so grand!

That lucky truck has spent the last several years with different military men, and we bought her from a young Navyman in San Diego. He warned us that the breaks were bad and the tires were bare...talk about a scary testdrive in the hills of Escondido! We bought the truck but it immediately needed new (fancy) tires, breaks, and (fancy) rims to get back to Orange County. THAT busted the budget in the Bank of Loving Husband, but...well you guys get it...!

Now, I have a house with a garage and no HOA rules that forbid working on cars, a husband who enjoys classic vehicles, and the husband's mechanic, so all the pieces are in place. So far I (myself) have only replaced a corroded fuel vent line on the passenger-side tank. Santa brought me a new radiator that I will install with hubby's supervision. I'm loving my "Adventures with Abigail"!