Interview with author of This Girl's First Car

1. Tell us about yourself—and why you decided to write a car care book for girls.

My name is Stephanie Esterline. I'm a seventeen year old senior at Grosse Ile High School, and I've been on the road for almost three years (permit included). Writing the book was originally my dad's idea. I've always liked to write and we were trying to think of topics that were different than books already out there. He came up with the idea of writing a book about car maintenance that was directed specifically at teenage girls. I thought it was a good idea because of all the age groups, teenage girls know the least about taking care of their car. Also, I don't know of any books directed towards us specifically, so I decided to give it a try. Writing the book was not very difficult because my dad was teaching me things about cars even before I started driving. I learned how to fill, rotate, and change tires, replace the battery, change the oil, along with a whole list of maintenance items. I also did research online and in the library to learn about the things I didn't already know. 

2. Do you have a funny or embarrassing story about you and your car?  What did you learn from it?

Well, my car is a stick shift, and when I first bought it I had no idea how to drive a manual. When I'd try to change gears or pull away it'd be all jumpy and stall a few times. I drove it to school about three days after I'd started driving and on my way across the parking lot, I stalled out four times. It seemed like everyone in the school was watching and laughing at me. That was humiliating. Really funny, but pretty embarrassing. Also, any time I would pull up to a stoplight or a stop sign, I'd stall out and everyone behind me would be laughing. Eventually my friends would cheer for me anytime I made it through an intersection without stalling. It was fun though, I think everyone should learn how to drive a manual.

Another time, I was giving this guy I didn't know very well a ride to school. Backing out of his driveway, I heard a big CRACK!, and then my little sister starts laughing in the back seat. Not knowing what had happened, I turn to see a horrified look on the guy's face. I leaned over to see what he was looking at and there was my passenger side mirror hanging from the wires. I had just run my mirror into his brother's car and snapped it off. Luckily, it didn't do any damage to his car, I just had to learn how to replace a mirror. He made me park in the street after that.

3. Do you have your own car?  Or use the family car?  What kind of car do you drive?

I have my own car, it's a red 1999 Saturn SC2. I used my car for all the photographs in my book.

4.  What are the 3 top things you do to keep the car you drive in good condition?

I make sure that my tires are inflated properly, I check the oil, and do my best to avoid bumps or potholes in the road, they can really mess up your suspension and your wheels.

5.  Do you think girls are into cars as much as the guys?  Why or why not?

No, I don't think so. I believe that a lot of girls are interested in learning the basic process of how to do maintenance and a little bit about how the car works, just so we don't feel totally naïve. As far as fixing up the engine, adding bigger spoilers and hooking up giant speakers, guys definitely top the charts on that. Some girls like to do those kinds of things, but most of us just like to ride in it after it's done.

6.  What are the worst mistakes new drivers make in caring for their cars?

A lot of times, people don't bother to check their oil. This is important, especially with an older car because it may burn oil. If your engine runs out of oil it will seize up and be completely useless. You will have to either buy a new engine, which is very expensive, or get a totally new car.

Another thing newer drivers tend to do is let their car get really dirty. It might not matter so much with an old car that was dirty when you got it, but if you have a newer car, letting garbage pile up in the back seat could end up decreasing the value of your car in the future. It can cause stains on the seats and carpet that are impossible to get out, and a foul smell, both of which people won't want to pay as much for.

7.  Where is your book being sold?

Of course it's available at Teendriving.com, sold at Amazon.com, and a few other smaller web sites.

Order a copy of Girls First Car

8.  Anything else you want to add?

Even though some girls aren't that interested in cars, I believe it's important that we all know the basic care of a car. Major repairs should always be done by a specialist, but there's no reason to waste hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a repair that could have been prevented by simple maintenance. This book is just the right size to skim over, learn the basics, and then toss into the glove box until it's needed. On the back page is a handy checklist of maintenance items, organized by how often they are to be completed-- each week, month, every six months, or each year. That way, you can turn to the checklist, find the page in the manual that you need, and look at the fully illustrated, step-by-step instructions that describe exactly what to do.  

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