how did you learn to work on cars?

Grew up on grand fathers farm, at 8 yo I was helping repair tractors. Had the car bug early, bought all the mags. Worked as drive train, and then front end mech for gm dealer for awhile; got side-tracked, tried college. Then construction. Rose up to super, where I could afford to play with my a-body small blocks more. Your best friends- any book by Larry Shepard, and or Carl Monroe. That is factory racing in the 60's and 70's. A factory manual for your year, un-believable info in those books.

You go, girl. Ignore the cave man mentality ( you threaten them; you can show them up; most are just bench racers, anyhow).