I was never self conscious about my choice of car before but as April I have had the odd twinge of reluctance to be seen behind the wheels of some of my cars.
First of all they are all unique and I could be possibly outing myself to be seen en femme in any of them. Even on this blog I am wary to mention exactly what year car I am currently obsessing over as an errant Google search could quickly lead back to my male persona. So no photos or discussion of the Caddy or Stutz until I am out!
I have most frequently used my Corvette or Oldsmobile Toronado as C3 Corvettes are a common sight in the summer and the Toronado although quite rare seems to have a stealth quality about that rivals a Klingon warbird.
If I was truly paranoid I would stick to the late model Chrysler Town & Country minivan that is the primary family transport.
The Lincoln Continentals are great cars and I have even driven the 72 to an LGBT event (it made for quite an entrance) but the 76 gives me pause. Not because it is unreliable or too unique (it is dropped and riding on 20s) but because it is in desperate need of paint….basically she is looking a bit too ghetto for my taste. As a guy I was not too self conscious about her appearance, it gave the Mark a rat rod mystique and alerted other car fans this was a work in process and I did the work.
Not the message I wanted to send as April, I found myself at the gas station recently admiring a pretty grey and silver 79 Cadillac Seville. A perfect April car I caught myself saying or maybe a nice Jaguar XJS convertible might be a good choice…
For a car “guy” who prided “himself” on being an iconoclast and driving whatever “he” thought cool this was heresy. I am still far from confident as my female self and anything out of the ordinary or not typically feminine is something I try to avoid, like pulling up to Payless Shoes in a lowrider.
I know that I love cars whatever my gender and I have no intention of abandoning that part of myself when I transition. The intensity of that affair may diminish somewhat but I could no more deny that part of myself as I could go back into the closest so to speak.
Somewhere in here is a lesson about being true to oneself also I need to spruce up the Mark IV so it is mall ready. Did you know her metallic jade green almost matches my favorite MAC eye shadow?
Hugs
April
Cars are a funny thing. My dad was involved with a friend, despite being British, in modified racing in the East and my brother made his fortune in cars.
ReplyDeleteThe first car I ever owned was a 1966 Silver Pearl Corvette Convertible 427-390 HP 4 speed and it took me 45 minutes to drive it 10 miles from the dealer to Clear Lake where I lived and worked. I was doing a particularly bad job of hiding what everyone knew at work since they hired me and vetted me and gave me a Top Secret Clearance knowing exactly who I was and even talked to Harry.
I thought the car would help me fit in better but I learned there I could not hide who I really was. My 66 got stolen and Ray was visiting and I went to the dealership after it was recovered and it needed to be replaced. Ray was walking around and noticed this coupe and asked if it was for sale and it was and I bought it. It was one of the 20 1967 L-88s sold in 67.
Silver Pearl, off the road side exhaust, big gas tank, M-22 rock crusher transmission, 4.11 rear end and 427 inches of blue printed and balanced 12.5 compression big block under the hood. I had no idea what it really was until I hit the accelerator in 4th and it actually left rubber.
My brother has that car now in a storage facility in Montana where he lives and it is intact and complete.
I drove around Houston in that car and guys were hitting on me and never once thought I was not what they thought I was. I got a lot of second seats in T-38s because the flyboy that took me up got to drive the car and they knew about me.
I have owned Corvettes most of my life because I have good memories from my experiences. Fast cars, fast men, fast planes, fast skiing, and anything thrilling have always excited me like jumping from 100+ foot cliffs in the quarries in Eastern Massachusetts.
No matter what you do because we were born transsexual there are things you get through osmosis or however that some of us might not like to admit but it is there. We are products of both those days when we were not girls and those days since we became girls. It is impossible not to be affected.
Lots of girls like cars. My second husband loved cars and stunt planes. Treasure your memories and loving cars is not something you should ever worry about.
Can you get a pink Nissan Micra in Canada? :)
ReplyDeleteI can see why you might not want to be seen in a project car. My Rusty Old Wreck has a similar air to it and always gets a second look. As a scruffy bloke I'm completely in character for it but as an oversized girl the last thing I want is something that people take a second look at, even less so something that makes them take a second look at the driver.
Elizabeth, you never fail to impress a 67 L88!!! Oh yes I know all about them, part of my job.
ReplyDeleteFrom new no less, no wonder you had to beat guys off with a stick. From your photo it does not look like you needed any help from the Corvette though.
If I ever get her tuned properly you should drive my XJS coupe with the 94 Corvette LT1.
On a more serious note thanks for the advice, I will endeavor to continue to enjoy my hobby without second guessing myself.
Hugs,
April
Jenny, you successfully said what I was trying to get across much more elegantly.
ReplyDeleteI think I will pass on the pink Micra, a pink (rosewood metallic) Cadillac Eldorado however will do nicely.
Hugs,
April
Well, I've always liked cars too.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really hard issue. A passtime and interest you love, and cars you enjoy driving, which doesn't fit the type of person you need to be.
Well, the elegant lady being seated in your headline picture (which amazing car is that, by the way?) wouldn't be seen dead in anything that would look wrong in front of an top international hotel. So if that is April's defining image, there is nothing more to be said.
On the other hand, if April can sometimes be jeans-and-check shirt, and perhaps all-fired horsey, or maybe like the pretty marine scientist in Star Trek IV, then a tatty pickup truck would be OK. But then you could never, ever, go near the kind of places favoured by ladies of style and refinement.
In your shoes (but of course I am not you) I would patch up your cars, sell them all, and with the money buy just one totally superb acknowledged classic in mint condition that a rich heiress and adventuress might credibly drive. It sounds as if you have the contacts to track one down.
And of course never open a bonnet (I mean hood) again. Because the lady in the picture wouldn't, would she? Someone else would see to all that.
Lucy
Lucy,
ReplyDeleteI think your international hotel test is a good rule of thumb.
The car in the banner image is a 1960 Cadillac, the picture is from the brochure for that year. I have a Cadillac convertible from almost the same year.
April
When I read this, especially the first line, I knew we were sisters. 'I know that I love cars whatever my gender and I have no intention of abandoning that part of myself when I transition. The intensity of that affair may diminish somewhat but I could no more deny that part of myself as I could go back into the closest so to speak."
ReplyDeleteRandi