One of the most common and mis-conceived rumors of the car world is that in order to build or work on a car, you have to be a guy. In reality a socket doesn’t care. Spark plugs are changed the same way regardless and being a guy doesn’t make knocking out rust any easier. To prove this, let us introduce you to Kristin Cline. Hailing from Long Beach, California; Kristin is no stranger to working on cars. For her, it all began when she was in her early twenties. The first step into an entire world of the 1950s began with the music. An obsession with swing music and dancing led to a deep devotion to the entire 50s era.

As Kristin puts it “I began loving everything vintage, especially cars. I realized that not only were classic cars beautiful, with personalities all their own, but they also operated completely mechanically. I always had a knack for working and creating things with my hands, so having a car that offered possibilities to work on was very appealing to me. I would never have considered buying a classic car if I didn’t also want to do the work on it myself.”

Shortly after a move from San Francisco to Los Angeles, Kristin realized she needed a set of wheels if she planned on getting from point A to point B. After talking it over with her dad, an ad was found in the Las Vegas newspaper for a Studebaker – a 1955 Studebaker Champion to be exact. Within days, the Stude was on a trailer and in her driveway. The car didn’t run and the engine was a mess.

As luck would have it, Kristin found someone else’s Studebaker hot rod project that was never finished. The parts swap began and a stroked 383 Chevy small-block was put in place of the old and tired engine. The rearend got swapped out for a Ford 9-inch and the transmission was replaced with a more reliable 700R4. Ever since, Kristin has been non-stop using the ’55 Studebaker as her daily driver. Rain or shine, if she needs to go somewhere, she’s in her Studebaker.

While this would be a great way to end the article, there’s even more to Kristin’s story. After driving the car for a while she was invited to join the Gasoline Girls of So. Cal. car club. While Kristin keeps herself busy on a day-to-day basis with her ’55 and the car club; she also makes room for a program called “Rosie’s Girls.”

Rosie’s Girls is a summer day camp for junior high girls that put them in a hands-on environment which encourages the young girls to strengthen their abilities and confidence. During this summer camp, Kristin and the rest of the Gasoline Girls take their vintage rides out for a day of wrenching and automotive fun with the younger girls. Not only does this encourage the furthering of the automotive industry by women, but the program also promotes a healthy and positive environment to encourage the next generation to gain a respect and admiration for classic cars.

So this means Kristin juggling her day job, working on her Studebaker, the Gasoline Girls car club, and Rosie’s Girls all at the same time. Oh, there is another huge accomplishment under Kristin’s belt as well; and it was shown at this years’ SEMA trade show.

For those of you not keeping track of SEMA, Ford and SEMA teamed up together to present the SEMA Mustang Build Powered By Women. The objective of this build was that members of the SBN (SEMA Buisnesswomen’s Network) were 100% responsible for the complete build of a 2012 Ford Mustang GT. From acquiring parts to paint to drivetrain and suspension building; the entire car was 100% woman-built. With the slogan “A Woman’s Place Is In The Garage,” Kristin knew she had to be a part of the build.

Kristin was one of the few who were responsible for wrenching on the ride’s engine. The ‘Stang was then equipped with an Edelbrock supercharger, Magnaflow exhaust, and a huge laundry list of other go-fast and look-good parts to make this custom fully SEMA worthy.

The car is going to be auctioned off and all proceeds will be going towards the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund. To top all of this success off, rumor has it that Kristin might be in charge of her own unique build for SEMA in 2013 as well! Let this be proof that women are just as capable as men when it comes to working on and building cars. To keep tabs on Kristin’s latest journey in the car world, make sure to stop by and visit her blog “Grease Girl” and tell her we sent you.