As a public relations major, I receive a lot of questions when I talk about my time as president of the UF chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), an engineering society that designs and builds a small, Formula-style race car and competes in an international competition.
My reply is usually something to do with the fact that I love cars, and I have my whole life. Not just my dad, but both of my parents gave me the bug when I was a little kid. Our “family” car was a two-door coupe that had four seats, and our family vacations consisted of going to the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, an annual motorsport endurance race.
When I turned 16, I needed a ride, so I had one of our old cars towed out of my driveway for repairs. Fixing up old Nissan 300ZXs isn’t cheap, so my dad and I ended up doing a full brake job ourselves. It was my first mechanical repair, and I’ll never forget it. I felt so accomplished, more accomplished than I’ve ever felt from just doing well on a test.
In high school, I assumed everyone had the same experiences I did and knew a lot about cars too, but I quickly realized they didn’t. There were times I got really frustrated not having anyone to talk to about automotive stuff. The one rush I got every day was on the way to school when a guy who lived in my neighborhood with an old Mitsubishi 3000GT would try to race me.
I did finally find my car enthusiast niche when I wandered into the SAE shop as a college freshman. Joining the team was one of the best decisions I’d ever made, and I gained more automotive experience and friends who love cars as much I do.
I never thought of myself as any kind of expert on cars until college, when I started getting phone calls from my non-SAE friends and acquaintances with automotive questions.
Friends have asked me anything from “Is this a good deal on this car?” to “How do I check my tire pressure?” and “Did I get a good deal on my oil change?” Pretty run-of-the-mill stuff, but they still needed answers.
My goal with this column is to give simple, no-nonsense advice to those who may not share my particular passion for automobiles. As college students, the time to become an independent adult is now and there are some simple things about car maintenance and care that everyone should know. Cars are great, but they’re not always affordable to repair, and if you’re trying to save some money there are simple ways to avoid an extra trip to the mechanic.
I’ll try to share a thing or two about cars that might actually be interesting. A lot of fun stuff can get caught up in jargon and heavy car culture, but anyone with a car should know something cool that’s not just boring technical stuff.
I’ll also report on new technology advancements, consumer trends and motorsports, as well as give my reviews of new cars and prototypes and any other exciting car-culture news that occurs.
When I’m not at UF, you can catch me helping my Dad work on his 1990 Nissan 300ZX.
My personal ride is the 2011 V6 Nissan Altima Coupe with a manual transmission.
His name is Tom.
I’ve already walked in commencement and I’m finishing up my capstone course this summer. With a background in public relations and a passion for cars, I am hoping to work in PR in the automotive industry or for an automotive publication.
In this age where anything can be Googled and thousands of answers appear, I want to help provide specific advice and insight. Along with my own experience, I will also consult other experts and enthusiasts.
If there is something I haven’t already touched upon or you just have a specific question, feel free to send me an email at erikacanfijn@ufl.edu. Remember there are no stupid questions, and asking a simple question now could save you a lot of time and money in the future.
I look forward to a summer of sharing Fast and Furious one-liners, like, “It’s just something about engines calms me down, you know?” (Jesse “Fast and Furious,” 2001).
Erika Canfijin is a UF public relations senior. Her column appears on Thursdays.
