Galmatic

Cleaning Child Restraints

2012-01-31T22:14:00.000+11:00

Miss 6 year old and Miss 3 year old make keeping the car clean a challenge. But as a dutiful Galmatic trainer, every week - the car seats come out of the back and the vacuum cleaner picks up all the food bits that missed the mouth.

Often however parents find it tricky remembering how to put the car seat back in.

We check several car seats a week in our workshops and my best tip is to take a photo of how the straps are attached so that you can put them back in the right way.

Give the seat and the cover a good clean and then make sure you have the seat back in correctly.

The most important thing to remember about child car restraints is that the restraint is only effective if used correctly. The most common things we here at our workshops are:

“But I had my restraint fitted last year by a professional – why do I need to check it?”

“My child is so clever they can get themselves in and out of the car seat on their own”

“I know my car seat is in correctly as I give it a bit of a shake every now and then”

The important thing to remember it that child restraints move when a car brakes, accelerates quickly, children get in and out, when you ‘test’ it with a shake and when the vacuum cleaner goes underneath. They need to be checked regularly to ensure they are positioned correctly.

Unlike walking and talking, getting in and out of a child restraint is not a milestone. It is important to ensure the restraint is used correctly – can you really put the life of your child in their own hands?

A daily Check list

Is the seat belt buckle connected?

Is the seat belt adjusted correctly?

Is there any twist or slack in the harness?

Is the angular aspect OK?

Is there any slack in the upper tether strap?

Are there any loose items that might hurt your child?

Weekly Checklist

Has your child outgrown their restraint?

Are your child’s shoulders above the strap slots?

Do the inserts effect safe harness adjustment?

Galmatic ladies Only Defensive Driving Courses

2012-01-22T16:36:00.000+11:00

Now it may look like we are relaxing, but these are our witches hats, which we call our cows, after a long hot day out at Sydney Dragway.

Helen was enjoying the comfort of the air conditioned training room as I packed up the hats, the hose, our flags and the empty water bottles from the track.

It was a hot one today - but great to see so many ladies getting to know their cars and learning the limitations and abilities that they have behind the wheel of their car.

It's a long day and quite tiring and confronting at times - but it's also exhilarating and empowering.
We had several P Platers on yesterdays course and its always wonderful to see how amazing their reaction time is and how excited they are about their new freedom.

We would love to see more driver training taught in schools and to young drivers. What are your thoughts?

Safe Driving Tips For Kids - From Mathilda's Magazine. Enter the Competition to Win!

2011-11-02T11:01:00.000+11:00

We are featured in the latest Mathilda e-magainze on pages 28-29.

Open publication - Free publishing - More australian

Keeping Kids Safe Around Cars

2011-09-29T08:49:00.000+10:00

With three children in the last week being run over and killed by the family car – we thought it was a pertinent time for us to put together some easy but essential things to do to ensure that no more beautiful children are killed and families left devastated.

Our hearts go out to the grieving families.

1. Make car safety the most important element of driving. When kids are in the car, supervise them entering and exiting the car

2. Make sure an adult ensures each child is put into the child restraint and checks that the seatbelt is on correctly. Putting on a seatbelt is not a ‘milestone’ in a child’s life – do not put the responsibility of a child’s safety in their own hands

3. Have children listen for the ‘click’ when a the seatbelt is clicked in – it gets them thinking about safety

4. Before you run out the door, no matter how rushed, make sure you are holding children’s hands – it’s hard at times, especially going to school and work – but always put children in the car first and then pack bags

5. If you’re on your own in the car, have a quick look around the car before driving off, especially reversing – don’t just rely on the camera in the car

6. Account for all children before driving off. Can you see them? Teach children where to stand so that you can always see them before you drive off

7. Teach children at a young age to not just listen for cars, but to look as well. Teach them that the white lights on the rear of a car means the car is reversing

8. Before you turn the key and start driving, take 30 seconds to prepare your trip. Where are you going, which way will you use to get there and where are the children?

9. Remember 30 seconds late is not a big sacrifice to help keep you and your family safe

Galmatic trainers are ACRI accredited in child restraint advising and installation.

Where Do All The Tyres Go?

2011-09-06T10:30:00.000+10:00

We love teaching our workshops at Bob Jane stores – the Franchisees and their teams are always friendly and helpful. While waiting for our workshops to start, we couldn’t help but wonder, “Where do all the tyres that they take off cars go?”

Do they go to landfill or is there a tyre heaven somewhere that people can go to for materials to make endless tyre swings and front yard swans?

We found out that Bob Jane recycle over 85 000 tyres a year – which means they don’t go to landfill!

The company they use are Tyrecycle, and we had the opportunity to talk to General Manager Dean Beckman about what happens to all of those old tyres.

Thanks for talking to us Dean. What is the environmental impact of not recycling tyres? Currently, thousands of tonnes of scrap tyres per year are illegally dumped, usually in our precious bushland and waterways. These illegally dumped tyres cost millions of dollars a year to remove and produce severe health hazards and environmental damage.

Even the smallest number of dumped tyres can create a dangerous breeding ground for mosquitoes that transport disease, such as Denge Fever and the Ross River Virus.

Tyres are also combustible. Once ignited, they are difficult to extinguish - producing chemical toxins that affects humans, flora, fauna, waterways and the atmosphere.

Even tyres disposed of legally in landfill results in the failure to take advantage of a valuable resource. However, Tyrecycle works closely with government and industry to expand and develop the applications for recycled tyres.

What is the recycling process that you use and what are some of the products made from recycled tyres?

The recycling process follows 6 steps:

1. Collection and transportation

2. Sorting

3. Shredding

The tyres are shredded in preparation for further processing. 4. Steel removal

The steel at the centre of each tyre is recovered for re-use. In fact, Sims recycles over 2,500 metric tonnes of steel as a result of this process.

5. Grinding into finished product

Depending on the fineness required, the granules are ground by large rollers and pushed through sieves. Rubber products produced are: buffings and shred (used in matting, sport surfaces, turf and playgrounds); granules and chips (used in athletic tracks, playgrounds, horse arenas and asphalt); crumbs and powders (used in new tyres, brake pads, road sealing, adhesives and paints); and large shred tyre chips (used in civil engineering and fuel derivatives).

6. Testing & distribution

Cruising Back Into QLD With The Return Of Our Gold Coast and Brisbane Workshops

2011-09-05T23:48:00.003+10:00

The weather is warming up, the convertibles are coming out of the garage, driving scarfs are on and it’s time to go cruising in QLD. Yes our workshops are back up and running in Brisbane and the Gold Coast!

And at Galmatic we are so excited to welcome our latest Crew Member Melinda Bergmann to the Galmatic team. Melinda will training for us in Brisbane and will also cover our Gold Coast classes while Nicole is away at sea.

And to celebrate we have a fantastic deal for all you Northern Gals – it’s our popular 2 for 1 deal.

For every workshop booking we will give you a free voucher for a friend!

And a big hello and reminder to all you QLD gals that have Galmatic gift vouchers – give us a call so that we can book you in to one of our workshops.

Quick, offer ends soon so don’t miss out for you and a friend to enjoy a two hour, interactive, fun and informative workshop. What are you waiting for? The car to breakdown first?!

‘Know Your Car’ Workshops Book Now

Defensive Driving Course – MIXED classes Book Now

Cruisin’ Pin Up Photo-shoot Special Just for The Gals

2011-08-08T23:58:00.001+10:00

Life would be no fun if it was all work and no play! A gal can’t be expected to get her nails covered in grease and her hair all messed, peeking under the bonnet, to then rush off to the boardroom, school pick up, or Friday evening cocktails without a little primping and preening.

So ladies, share a secret with us. Have you ever wanted to get dolled up like a 1950’s pin up model? Perhaps you watch Mad Men or old Film Noir movies and yearn for a little of an era where women were both powerful and feminine?

But we couldn’t imagine a pin up without a cool car, so we are so excited to get together with our friend Bek from Bexterity.com to offer a onetime only special!

An amazing Pin Up Photo-shoot with her gorgeous 1962 EK Holden Ruby Deville.

The package includes:

§ Full professional pinup makeup

§ Pinup perfect vintage hair styling

§ All clothing, shoes and accessories

§ 10 final edited images

§ And a complimentary Louella DeVille PinUp Gift Pack Valued at $50 just for the Galmatic ladies!

We had a quick chat with Bek and asked her what a gal could expect from her photo-shoot day.

I ensure that every 'PinUp For a Day' photo-shoot is tailored to suit each lady perfectly.
With a wide selection of fabulous frocks, vivacious lingerie, and killer stilettos, our clients are guaranteed to be feeling every bit that sultry 50’s pinup in no time.

Everything is supplied so all you need to do is show up!

You will enjoy being primped and pampered with professional makeup and hairstyling, followed by your photoshoot including all posing direction, assistance and guidance.
Even if you’ve never done anything like this before, I will have you all dolled up and servin’ up that 50’s cheesecake in no time!

For more details and to book your photo-shoot contact Bek via her website www.bexterity.com

Or if you live in Sydney – pop into the opening of her new studio Sunday August 14th at Shop 1a, 4 Chamberlain St in Campbelltown.

Trainers Needed For Our Know Your Car Workshps - Brisbane, Gold Coast and Melbourne

2011-07-28T10:22:00.003+10:00

Why this car is automatic,

It’s systematic,

It’s hyyydromatic,

Why it’s Galmatic!

Galmatic is an all Australian company, with a strong passion about empowering women to take the driver’s seat when it comes to cars, driving and the road safety of their family and friends.

Our philosophy at Galmatic is;

Independence Knowledge Fun Liberation Empowerment

Our Vision is:

To be a movement for all Australian Women to engage with: a car culture where as a community of women we work towards a zero road toll on Australian roads.

We are a one stop destination for women looking for car care and driving courses and information; in an open and non-threatening environment.

We think of ourselves as an old fashioned garage: where you know your customers and provide them with second to none service.

Our company is community focussed and supportive of flexible work hours which creates an enjoyable company culture for our staff.

We specialise in:

§ Car Care Workshops for Women: which are fun, interactive and informative

§ Defensive Driving Courses for Women – skill building and engaging

§ The Galmatic Car Care Handbook for Girls – every girl’s glove box essential

§ Information: Blog articles and monthly Newsletter

§ Creating Confident Women Behind The Wheel

We are holistic in our approach; we are a total car care garage.

We follow our dreams

Our belief that women have the potential to do anything they put their minds to is what led us to work with and support the work of the Layne Beachley Aim For The Stars Foundation.

As a company run by women, we are constantly juggling work commitments and the pleasure of caring for our families and the never-ending chores of running a household!

We wanted to not only show, but also to inspire other women to do the same and follow their dreams.

The Layne Beachley Aim for the Stars Foundation provides financial and moral assistance to girls and women across Australia to help them realise their dreams in sporting, academic, community or cultural pursuits.

In a nutshell it helps women of all ages to aim for the stars and pursue their dreams – and although we play only a small role – we are proud to be supporting the foundation and being a part of the journey of so many amazing women. Galmatic is proud to support The Layne Beachley Aim For The Stars Foundation.

We donate $5pp from every workshop and course that we run Australia wide.

Who are we looking for?

Do you have a training background or perhaps just love to teach?

We are looking for enthusiastic and dynamic women, who enjoy working with people, are looking for flexible working hours and enjoy cars.

You don’t need to be a mechanic or even have extensive car knowledge; just a passion for working with people. Oh and of course excellent communication skills is a must!

We also love people with a sense of humour and a sense of fun.

As a Galmatic Workshop Trainer you will enjoy:

§ Facilitating fun and interactive car care workshops for women

§ As a contractor you enjoy the freedom of working for yourself and the support of Galmatic

§ Induction and ongoing training – in both car maintenance and business skills

§ Yearly training conference

§ Assistance from Galmatic at every step

§ Excellent remuneration

Galmatic Training Consultants are Casual Contractor roles

For an application pack please contact Eleni eleni@galmatic.com for more details 02 9970 6677 Find out more about our company www.galmatic.com

Train The Trainer

2011-07-09T22:23:00.001+10:00

I was featured in the Sunday Magazine in an article entitled mum entrepreneurs which focussed on the difficult side of working from home. It is my first encounter with being interviewed and not seeing in the written print what I thought I was saying.

I’m not famous – so therefore I’m not used to reading something about me that doesn’t quite seem 100% me.

The article focussed on the difficulties associated with working from home with children – but in reality, is any type of work with children easy? Whether you use a nanny, day-care, or you have them at home with you – all mum/work roles are a juggle.

So whilst reading the article (click here to read the article) I tried to identify what I miss the most about working in the corporate world outside of home, and the clear thing that I missed was training.

I miss being assessed, developed and trained in new things, new ideas and new techniques.

So I plan on correcting this and have decided to put myself through some courses and classes to make sure that I both keep myself trained and also work with like-minded people.

Last week I was at Sydney Drag way, working for Driver Skills Australia with the company’s Managing Director – where I honed some of my skills and refreshed some of my teaching habits. I have been teaching a long time (over 20 years) and sometimes I stand outside of myself and think “Eleni did you really say that?” I am really looking forward to the next 6 months – I plan on being very clever by New Year! Will keep you posted...

Being trained at Sydney Dragway in defensive driver training

The Manly Sea Eagles Help AFTS With Their Butts!

2011-06-21T22:53:00.000+10:00

The Crew at Brookvale Oval helping to raise awareness about the Aim For The Stars Foundation. It was a cold night, but well worth it as we raised over $3000.00 for the foundation.

Layne and I just before she got into the Zorb Ball at half time.
The Manly Sea Eagles were in pink shirts and had the AFTS logo on their butts - thanks boys!

Jacey and I about to go into the corporate boxes to gather donations and yes it was warmer in there too!
Galmatic have been proudly supporting the Aim For The Stars Foundation for the past 3 years and we do enjoy all the crazy fundraising ideas that we come up with!

Top 5 Tips For The Ultimate Hand Car Wash

2011-06-09T09:24:00.000+10:00

Thanks to Chad for letting us wash his ‎1967 Mustang Shelby GT500

We love Australian made and owned (just like us) and very excited to be stocking this range of Australian made and owned premium car care products in the garage come Spring. So we were very excited to have a chat to Dan Bowden of Bowden’s Own – about getting down and dirty or should we say clean with your car.

Dan, what are the benefits of hand washing your car at home over going to a car wash?
Car washes can damage your paint long term, with big bills in getting it professionally detailed to remove the marks they put in. The washes and waxes they use are generally cheap and nasty, again long term they are to the detriment of your car. When washing your car it gives you the chance to inspect it a bit more closely than normal, so you can notice any issues the car may have like stone chips, worn tyres or normally unseen wear and tear. Fixing these issues early can save you money over the long term. Hand washing also gives a mild work-out helping keep you fit!

What are your top 5 tips for washing your car?
1. NEVER wash with a sponge, as they create 95% of scratches and swirls on your cars paint. Use a microfibre wash mitt or microfibre covered sponge instead.

2. Use a big 12 litre bucket. The normal 8 litre buckets leave no suds in the bucket after washing your car, so all the dirt potentially scratching materials in the bottom of the bucket gets put back on your car. Does not happen with the extra capacity of the 12 litre bucket. Even better, use two 12 litre buckets for washing, one for the suds onto the car and the other to rinse off your wash mitt after coming off cleaning the car. You never get dirt into your wash bucket this way.

3. Always use a good quality wash. Cheap ones are hard on your car and even more so, your skin. Cheap washes (and even a lot of good ones) are also laced with phosphates and salt, as is dish washing detergent. These washes ruin your car’s paint and metal as they help infest it with rust as you wash. Phosphates also are a not good for the environment. Make sure the wash is pH Neutral- so it is easy on your car, skin paint and will not strip away any protective wax coat you may have applied.

4. Start from the top of the car when washing, and then work your way down, cleaning the dirtiest parts last.

5. Always Chamois your car down to dry after washing, to stop water marks forming on the paint. They are hard and expensive to remove! Also make sure you drive your car after washing, the moving air will help evaporate any water left sitting in unreachable areas of the car.

What makes Bowden products unique?
We are all Australian, so we keep the money in Australia, investing in the manufacturing industry to keep jobs here rather than overseas! Made by a family who really do love cars and show it in the passion we have for our large car collection. We also make all our products by hand, as we cannot afford robots.

What is your dream car?
1955 Mercedes Benz 300 SLR race car, we have a 1955 300SL Gullwing road going version the ultimate achievable version of this, only 6 of the SLR’s were made and worth a presumed $20 million each..if you could buy one that is! Mercedes still own most of them and two are in French and US government owned museums. So you can only dream to own one.

How Not To Get Car Sick - and how to clean it if you do

2011-06-06T23:29:00.000+10:00

Do you know the feeling? You start to get hot and sweaty, a little giddy, dizzy and then nauseas.

If you or one of your kids suffers from car-sickness, you will know that it is no fun, especially if you have a long road trip ahead.

What is car sickness?

Car sickness is a physical reaction the body has in response to the brains confusion between what the ear feels and the eye sees.

The ear has receptors which detect the car is moving; the eye is focussed on the non moving car interior. These mixed signals produce the physical side effects of car-sickness.

Children under the age of three do not suffer from car-sickness, even when the car seat is still rear facing; with the majority of children growing out of it by the age of 10.

What you can do to avoid it

1. Try to look outside the car, preferably on objects that are not in motion e.g. light poles, houses
2. Do not read, play games or watch DVD’s
3. Keep your head as still as possible
4. Don’t have a full stomach, especially if you have just eaten fatty foods
5. Open a window and let in fresh air
6. Try to sit in the front seat of the car, or if it is a child, move their car seat from the middle to one of the windows

The essential car anti sick bag!

Pack the following items into a Galmatic tote bag to be prepared for those feeling sick moments.

1. Face washers to dampen to apply to your neck and wash up any mess
2. Bottle of water for drinking and wetting face washers
3. Baby nappy bags to put dirty cloths/clothes in
4. Crackers or fruit. No biscuits as they are very high in fat. Watch out for bananas too as they make very messy vomit!
5. If you have kids who get car sick, pack a spare change of clothes
6. A container with a lid that you can vomit into
7. Fresh breath mints

Sick babies, drunken friends, car sick puppies – whoever the culprit, the smell of vomit in a car is almost unbearable!

So here are our quick tips to get vomit smell out of your car – and we mean quick as it’s a yucky topic!

Enjoy the photo of Ava’s car seat covered in vomit!

1. Make sure you remove all of the vomit out of the car
2. Give it a good shampoo and let it dry completely
3. Cover area in baking soda – rub in and then vacuum out

8 Big Tips For Hiding Your Smalls

2011-06-06T22:01:00.000+10:00

Photo courtesy of Shooting Starlets - Photo by Loiuse Whelan

With our love of all things retro, we just had to take up the opportunity to speak with the delicious Miss Pia Anderson, vintage culture aficionado all about the do’s and don’ts of getting in and out of ours cars with the same grace as Betty from Mad Men!

Here are her 8 top tips from her upcoming blog on Grace and Deportment- A Vintage Girl's guide to the modern world.

For ladies who wear skirts when driving, here are a few helpful hints to avoid an embarrassing display of your smalls.

To make sure you exit a car with the grace of a lady.........

1. It's a good idea to take a minute to adjust your clothing before you even think about hopping out of the car. Make sure you pull your skirt down as far as it will go

2. The most important rule of getting out of the car with dignity is to keep your knees together

3. Place one leg down at a time and swivel your body gracefully so that both your feet are firmly on the ground

4. Position your hands on either side of you and use them to lever yourself up

5. Dip your head slightly to avoid hitting the roof of the car or the door frame, you don't want to mess up that glamorous hair do

6. Be aware of the distance to the kerb and survey for any other obstacles

7. Close the door elegantly behind you

8. Set off towards your destination with a smile knowing that you have achieved a graceful exit without flashing too much flesh

Find out more about all things retro at Pia’s website http://www.piaanderson.com.au/

Mothers Day Present Mum Will Love

2011-04-29T07:14:00.000+10:00

Why not give her what she really wants - time with you!

We have the perfect Mother’s day Special.
– 2 for 1 Know Your Car Workshop Passes!

Book in your mum and you can join her for free save $75.00!
Do 2 hours of car care for women and emerge empowered.
Learn what's under the bonnet and what to look out for.

Never again will we call a man in our lives for help!
Never again will we cry on the side of the road!
It's the final frontier of female independence - conquered!

Be honest – would you know what to look for on a monthly check?
You could save heaps of money - don't pay someone $70 to flick a switch!
This experience is the fun and interactive way to road knowledge.

Our workshops are for women and run by women in a fun, friendly and non-threatening environment.
You don't need any special skills or knowledge and you can come alone or with some friends.

You'll learn to change a tyre, check your oil and water and get to know your way around an engine.
So book in now – and bring your mum!

Contact Eleni at the Galmatic Garage 0299706677 or http://www.galmatic.com/

Fatality Free Friday

2011-04-12T12:53:00.000+10:00

Small steps often help make the biggest changes and that’s why Galmatic is excited to be supporting the Fatality Free Friday initiative – which is targeting the entire community to be more road aware and taken ownership of road safety.

We spoke with one of the organisers Russell White to find out how we can all play a part in reducing the road toll.

Russell, what is the Fatality Free Friday initiative about?
Fatality Free Friday represents a fresh approach in dealing with what is a complex issue by engaging community mobilization and encouraging ownership on road safety.

The campaign centres on one simple premise: That if drivers consciously think about road safety and safe driving for just one Friday in the year, that day’s toll could be reduced to zero.

That’s our aim. Not a single road death in Australia for just one day. Just one Fatality Free Friday.

If people can do that on one Friday, we can create a change in driving culture so they do it every Friday and every weekend - and ultimately every day of the year.

At Galmatic our members participate in car care workshops and defensive driving courses – can they still do more to make a difference?
Fantastic news to hear and yes! Fatality Free Friday is designed to focus public attention on road safety and encourage all road users to play their part and drive safely. They make a commitment to that goal by downloading and signing a pledge from the web site.

Our goal is to ensure that there are no road crash fatalities around Australia during this day. It is a call to action that serves as a platform for a targeted and ongoing approach to road safety.

What is the main point of difference with Fatality Free Friday to other road safety campaigns?
Fatality Free Friday is unique. It differs from conventional road safety campaigns by emphasizing these key areas:
• An individual can make a difference
• Personal responsibility and accountability
• Positive reinforcement via community action
• Community ownership in relation to road safety

Fatality Free Friday is Australia’s only community-based national road safety campaign.

So how do we participate?
This year Fatality Free Friday will take place on 27th May. Visit www.fatalityfreefriday.com to find out how you can be involved.

At Galmatic we have some great mixed defensive driving courses coming up, so grab your boyfriends, hubbys and sons and get behind the wheel and learn what to do in the case of an emergency.

Our courses will help you to do the best to not be another statistic on the road!

Book Now

Where does your spare key live?

2011-03-12T22:06:00.000+11:00

The key programer came to our garage
to reprogram a spare key for our Ute

Our garage (well our driveway, garage and front of the street) is to put it in a kitty cat way is littered with cars. There is the everyday car, the cruising car, the towing car and then of course there are a few of us here at any one given time.

But when we couldn’t get into the Ute because we couldn’t find the keys, the ensuring scramble of searching and researching got us thinking about the spare key.

No there wasn’t a spare key, oh sure originally there must have been , but now with a lift to school needed and all the other cars on their way somewhere – the spare key was obviously off flirting with the everyday key. Was it jealous? Should we rotate them?

Did we have any other spare keys that would work and where were they?

So a quick survey around the garage made us realise that there was none of us with a clue of where the spare keys lived. “In the basket – I think” was the clearest view.

So $175.00 later and a lot of organising, a new spare was programmed for the Ute and now all our other cars have the spare in the ‘spare key basket’ and all labelled too may I add!

Do you have a spare key to your car and where does it live?

Hot Tips for Career Chicks - Competition

2011-03-11T11:06:00.000+11:00

Our garage is run by an eclectic bunch of gals – with many different backgrounds and all working together to enjoy cars, driving and teaching! But as time poor and tired chicky babes we are always happy to get our hands on some serious gal advice on how to get our careers into the driver’s seat!

We had a quick chat with Karen Adamedes, author of Hot Tips for Career Chicks and key note speaker running career workshops for women.

Karen, what are the three main areas that women are looking for advice on.

It’s a varied bunch of topics, but three main topics would be:

1. How do I get the job I want?

2. Why are other people being paid more than me?

3. Why doesn’t my good work get noticed?

How do you help women find this advice and answer these questions? (note we had our pen out immediately)

We have half day workshops which include a networking lunch, my book and of course our face book page for hot tips!

Where can we find out more Karen?

Join our next workshop in Sydney at the State Library on April 9th Workshop for more info and find us on facebook : Hot Tips For Career Chicks

Karen’s book is fabulous – we couldn’t put our copy down!

Like to win your own copy? We have 4 of Karen’s book Hot Tips for Career Chicks to give away.

It’s easy to enter. Jump onto facebook and like both Galmatic and Hot Tips for Career Chicks pages and then write a comment on the Galmatic page – in 25 words or less why you need some hot career tips! The best 4 written comments will win a copy!

Be quick competition closes Saturday!

Madam Lash

2011-03-08T10:56:00.000+11:00

Now you can just imagine our excitement when we discovered this new product. We think it’s hilarious and know that you’re just going to fall in love too. So are you ready for it?

Too cute and just a little sexy, false eye lashes for your car!

Yes you can grab yourself a pair of easy to apply (and we mean easier than real false eyelashes), eyelashes for your car. Long and black and weather proof too. No racoon eyes for your car!

So if you want to turn heads, stop traffic and give those boy cars a bit of a wink – then these beauties are for you. For only $25.00 a pair. How could you resist.
Check them out at www.thecarlashcompany.com

We have two pairs of eyelashes to giveaway! And it’s the easiest competition ever!

Jump onto facebook and like Galmatic and The Car Lash Company.

On the Galmatic facebook page in 25 words or less tell us why you desperately need a pair of falsies for your car. The 2 cleverest comments win!

Be quick competition closes Thursday!

Galmatic help to launch the new MINI Countryman

2011-02-28T10:14:00.000+11:00

Galmatic Trainers jacey and Nicole getting ready for the launch of the new MINI Countryman. Sitting in the MINI Cabrio they hoped that if they seasoned it they could drive it home!

Jacey having a look out the rear of the MINI Clubman. No key in the ignition, or otherwise she would have her seatbelt on!

Galmatic Crew with the Canterbury MINI team.

Lucky enough to enjoy some macaroons by celebrity Chef Adriano Zumbo.

Jacey explaining some safety features of the MINI Cabrio.

From heatwave to pouring rain

2011-02-13T17:50:00.000+11:00

Last weekend the weather wa in the high 40's, so we decided to postpone our Liverpool Know Your car Workshop. Who wants to pop their head under the bonnet in that heat?

So we rescheduled to yeasterday - and how was the weather? Well it poured with rain!

Now we quite like changing tyres in the rain, after all it always seems to rain when you get a flat tyre!
So thanks to the girls for a great day!

Sam, Karen and Marie brave the rain and have a great time

Teaching Children Road Safety

2010-11-01T20:26:00.000+11:00

At Galmatic we have a strong belief that education is the key to making drivers safer and more skilled on our roads.
So when is it the right time to teach young drivers basic road rules?
As mums, the Galmatic trainers know that driver training stats from a baby’s first trip in the car home from hospital. Every trip a child takes helps them to build a lifetime of driving habits.

We were very excited to hear of a program designed to teach primary school children all about road rules and pedestrian safety.
We spoke to Sonia Hawkins from RAPS about their school program.

Sonia, what are the programs run by RAPS all about?
While Pedestrian deaths make up 20% of all road accidents, about 95% are caused by the drivers. RAPS are committed to educating children about these potential dangers on the road. We provide awareness to school age children of the danger of being a pedestrian and educate them how to remain safe. Prevention is our number one priority, and our hands on program enables children to be more aware of these dangers, while having fun at the same time.

How does the RAPS program work?
RAPS for Kids is committed to the promotion of pedestrian safety for school aged children by fostering awareness of the dangers of being a pedestrian and giving direction to becoming and remaining safe pedestrians. RAPS for kids is a mobile traffic course consisting of a pedestrian crossing with operational traffic signals, 'children crossing' flags and 'lollypop' pedestrian crossing signs. The mobile unit also involves the use of mini cars to simulate 'real' traffic conditions for the children. Each child will have the opportunity to participate as a pedestrian, traffic controller and as a driver.

So if your kids are at primary school make sure you get this fabulous program to come your local primary school. You can contact Sonia via the RAPS website.

And a Big Thanks To You!

2010-11-01T20:24:00.000+11:00

Ever forgotten about a friend or relatives birthday and suddenly needed a gift for them……..fast? But couldn’t get away from the kids or your desk? And now with Christmas around the corner, what to do!??? Well the answer to these dilemmas could come in the form of a website called BigThanks.com.au, which, with almost 2000 Australia wide gift experiences to choose from, is fast becoming the largest experience gift website in Australia. Chief BigThanker (cockney rhyming pun intended) Stuart Norman tells us more.

BigThanks. Strange name. Tell us how you came up with it.
Well, the original name for the website was going to be SEAL Adventures.com.au, as in SEa, Air and Land Adventures. We ripped off the name from the American Special Forces Navy SEALs. We had this silly logo with a stupid seal waving in the background and it just started looking really corny, so we binned the whole idea. Then one day one of our directors said he needed to “give one his staff a big thanks” and the penny just dropped. We had our new name! We do tend to have to spell our name out to people over the phone though. We’ve been mistakenly called everything from “Big Tanks”, “Big Fangs”, “Big Tans”…….

Do you have any competitions running at the moment that we can share with our Galmatic members?
As a matter of fact yes we do! Here at BigThanks we aren’t above buying friends. So until the end of December we will be running our “$100 for 100 Friends” prize giveaway. For every 100 Facebook friends we have we will give away a $100 BigThanks gift voucher that can be used to purchase any of the 2000 gift experiences we have across Australia. To get involved simply visit our BigThanks Facebook Page Here and press the “Like” button. We also ask all of our Facebook Friends to suggest us to their friends to keep the ball rolling.

And like we ask all our Galmatic friends, what is your dream car?
Well I am a huge motorsport fan and I am known to some of my friends as a bit of a car snob. I’ve currently got a Nissan GTR and a heavily modified Datsun 260Z that I play around with at track days and tarmac rallies. But I guess my dream car would be something like a Porsche 997 GT3 RS. The new Ferrari 458 seems nice too. But if I was to have to pick something practical then it would have to be a BMW M3. Supercar performance with 4 seats!

In terms of vintage cars though I’d really like a nice 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback one day!

Tips For Driving In The Rain

2010-07-06T14:18:00.000+10:00

What makes driving in the rain more dangerous?

A wet road causes your tyres to lose traction, making skidding more likely, especially when braking. It is also harder to see the road ahead of you as visibility is decreased and your headlights appear dimmer.It also seems that all the crazy drivers seem to come out in the wet weather too!
Tips for safer driving
* Do not use cruise control in the wet. Your foot will be away from the pedals, your focus will not be on braking and accelerating and if you start to skid the car may actually accelerate.
* Be extremely careful if it hasn’t rained in quite some time. Engine oil and petrol can build up overtime. The first few hours of rain are the most dangerous, as continuous rainfall will eventually wash away the oil.
* Don’t attempt to cross running water, try an alternate route or turn around and go back the way you came.
* After you cross a puddle, tap on your brake pedal lightly to dry off some of the water on your rotors.
* Don’t follow the car in front of you too closely. If they hit a pothole or deep water you will have time to react.

What are your driving in the rain tips?

2010-07-06T14:02:00.000+10:00

So ladies, have you ever had the desire to jump into a car, strap on a helmet and burn some rubber? Well, don’t think that you have to leave it to the boys!
We spoke to Sue Corbett from the Australian Women's Motorsport Network about what’s involved in a girl’s drag racing training day.

Sue, can any ladies attend a drag racing training day?
Any ladies can participate in our training days, as long as they hold a driver's license. We get a big variety of age groups - from 'P' platers to grandmothers - so age is no barrier!

Do you need to have any racing experience?
Definitely no experience necessary, just a desire to have a go! It's an opportunity to experience something new and exciting - a motorsport that can be quite addictive.

What type of car do you need?
All they need is a car that can pass scrutineering (e.g. no fluid leaks, seat belts properly attached, battery secured properly etc). Most registered cars don't have a problem. So the daily driver will do! It's not about how fast you can go, as skill off the line & consistency wins more races.

Is there a gal like Cha Cha from Grease starting the race?
Lol... No, but I’m sure we could find someone suitable! Racers have lights these days to start them, called a Xmas tree in drag racing lingo.

What is your ultimate car?
An old skool Chevy Camaro. (V8 of course).

Interested in finding out more? Jump onto the Australian Women’s Motorsport Network or onto girls torque – two sites dedicated to women in the motorsport world.

Keep an eye out for some training days in our Galmatic newsletter.

Subscribe at http://www.galmatic.com/

Galmatic Trainers Training Video

2010-06-22T11:51:00.000+10:00

It is very exciting knowing that we have trainers all over Australia, but also daunting as I try to implement a regular and effective training and development plan for everyone.
It isn’t just the cost of flying people interstate, but also the feasibility that so many different women all with families will have the availability of time. Most of us however do wish for the chance to escape the chores to go ‘training’ for a few days!

So it is time for us to put together training videos that we can combine with webinar training.
Any Gals in Sydney who are available on Sunday 27th June between 3-5pm are welcome to

come along and enjoy a Car Care Workshop and be part of our training video.
All interested Gals should give us a call at our Garage 02 9970 6677.

And if you ever become famous, we promise to split with you the $10 million that magazines will pay for the footage!

Galmatic Sydney Weekender.mpg

2010-05-11T18:57:00.000+10:00

The Buzz Car Insurance TV Ad

2010-05-11T18:56:00.000+10:00

Defensive Driving Photo Shoot

2010-03-09T20:39:00.000+11:00

Models Needed For The Race Track

Yes ladies it’s time to get famous!

Galmatic is in dire need for new PR shots for magazines, PR Releases, articles, website and advertising.

So we have organised a fabulous day on the drag strip, to get you ladies finding the girl racer in you and to get you looking hot too! What a fabulous excuse to have your make up done, get onto the track and have some cool shots with your car!

What the day involves

- The full DSA/Galmatic Defensive Driving Course, which includes both theory and then practice in your car on the drag strip.
- Session with a makeup artist from Royal Blush Make Up Artistry
- Photo session with Stuart Leal Photography on the drag strip to be used by Galmatic and DSA for promotional reasons. You will be able to purchase photos for your own use too!
- Yummy lunch and snacks

Who we need

Gals of all ages with vintage cars and vintage looks
Gals of all ages with modern cars and eager to be in the limelight, dressed in casual clothes
5 Guys with modern cars

If you’re on your L’s that’s cool, one parent can come for free – remember to bring your logbook and get 6 hours signed off!

Details
Saturday 3rd April (which is Easter Saturday) Full day starting at 9am – 5.30pm
Western Sydney International Drag strip – Eastern Creek

Booking
The day costs $150.00 per person – Usually $275.00 just for the Defensive Driving Course.
20 girls only, BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL – please book on line or call our Garage if you would like to chat more. Once you have made your booking we will call you with all the details, maps and to get a little information about your car and what to wear etc

Book Here http://www.galmatic.com/Workshops.aspx

Or call 02 9970 6677

Layne Beachley and Galmatic empowering Women

2010-03-05T14:45:00.000+11:00

Everyone was excited about our film shoot yesterday. The fabulous crew from The Sydney Weekender came along to Bob Jane T-Mart at Taren Point to film one of our 'Know Your Car Workshops' for Women.

With 10 gals ready to get their hands greasy - we popped the bonnet and were under way.

The 2 hour workshop took 5 hours to film, but we had a ball - and i think the crew enjoyed some of the characters.

Layne Beachley was their to lend her support and we made sure that she drove away in the correct seating position!

The episode airs in May.

For now we are getting ready to lend a hand at the Beachley Surf Classic in April down at Dee Why Beach.

Defensive Driving at Eastern Creek

2010-01-16T21:04:00.000+11:00

It was off to the race track today for our Defensive Driving Course and my plans of beginning the tart up of our Galmatic Crew Car were put on hold. Yes I was procrastinating - a clean car would have been good - but she was just going to sit on the track in the heat.

So tomorrow, Sunday, her journey begins.

Met some great gals today who loved the course.

As you can see in the shot above, they were a little nervous about how close the sand pits were.

Emergency braking at what speed in what distance?

Great day by all.

My Car is Getting Old

2010-01-14T20:26:00.000+11:00

My everyday car is only 4 1/2 years old, so why is she looking older than my 1958 FC?

Is it a new car thing? Is it OK for a car to look expired so young?

It started at a Wiggles concert. Before then she washed by hand, by me every week. Mats dusted daily and carpets vacuumed fortnightly.

My two little monkeys had water bottles - but there was a no food rule and my car always looked immaculate.

Why so neurotic do you ask? Well a work car, especially one in the car industry needs to be clean and to be honest it all stemmed from my years of owning vintage cars.

And then the Wiggles! What happened I hear you ask?

Well, parked in the Castle Hill RSL car park - someone ripped off my bumper bar, removed my fog lights and then back on went the bumper bar (full story in an older post).

For some reason though that was it for me. Slowly I started to loose interest. There was small little dents appearing from nowhere. The carpet was looking dull and well my bumper looked just nude!

Now I cannot go cruising around in my '58 and the hotrod isn't on the road yet - so here comes the start of project 'Galmatic Town Car Tart Up.

Follow this space everyday and watch my tips and tricks to bringing your car back to life.

10 Reasons Why You Should Learn How to Change a Tyre

2010-01-07T15:41:00.000+11:00

Yes I know. It doesn't strike you as the mose exciting thing to do on the last days of your summer holidays - however learning to change a tyre can be fun.

Here are my top 10 Reasons why you should learn

If your stuck with a flat tyre and your in a rush you don't have to wait for hours for roadside assistance

All your friends will think your smarter than you are

It's a good way to understand how your car works better

Learn now and then in an emergency you won't be as panicked

When you go to the tyre centre to buy the new tyre - the fact that you knew how to change it means that they will

Every skill you learn always comes in handy sometime

You can teach your friends

It will make you more aware of your tyres, which will make you check the tyre pressure more often

Every cool car chick knows how and so will you (therefore you will be cool too)

Galmatic has a cute full colour step by step guide that you can print for free! http://tinyurl.com/y9kjzym

Go on girls - have a go

Mystery Shoppers Needed Australia Wide

2010-01-04T23:59:00.000+11:00

Learn everything you need to know about your car and help us to provide women Australia wide with the best car care workshops possible!

So do you think you would be a great mystery shopper? We are looking for women Australia wide to attend our ‘Know Your Car’ workshops. You will enjoy a 2 hr workshop where you will learn all about your car and how to save yourself $$ in petrol and repairs.

Once you have completed the workshop – all you will need to do is fill out a simple questionnaire! On return of the questionnaire you will receive a copy of our Galmatic Car Care Handbook for Girls – a glovebox essential for every girl.

The workshop and handbook are valued at $94.95 – all free for just two hours of your time.
Interested?
Just send us through an email with what areas you would be prepared to travel to and the funniest car story you have!

Casual Training Positions Available Australia Wide

2009-12-14T14:19:00.000+11:00

Contractor Training Positions – Workshop Trainer VIC, SA, WA, TAS, ACT

Why join our Garage Crew?
Galmatic is an all Australian company, with a strong passion about empowering women to take the driver’s seat when it comes to cars, driving and the road safety of their family and friends. Our philosophy is:

Independence Knowledge Fun Liberation Empowerment

We are a one stop destination for women looking for car care products services and advice; in an open and non threatening environment.
We think of ourselves as an old fashioned garage: where you know your customers and provide them with second to none service.

We specialise in:
Car Care workshops for Girls: which are fun, interactive and informative
The Galmatic Car Care Handbook for Girls – every girl’s glovebox essential
Premium Car Care Products
Information: Car Forum, blog and monthly newsletter

We are holistic in our approach; we are a total car care garage.

Educate – workshops, handbook, newsletter, blog

Provide and source – premium products

Promote ideas and discussion – car club forum

Who are we looking for?
Do you have a training background or perhaps just love to teach?
We are looking for enthusiastic and dynamic women, who enjoy working with people, are looking for flexible working hours and enjoy cars.

You don’t need to be a mechanic or even have extensive car knowledge; just a passion for working with people. Oh and of course excellent communication skills is a must!

We also love people with a sense of humour and a sense of fun.

As a Galmatic Workshop Trainer you will enjoy:
§ Facilitating fun and interactive car care workshops for women
§ As a contractor you enjoy the freedom of working for yourself and the support of Galmatic
§ Induction and ongoing training – in both car maintenance and business skills
§ Yearly training conference
§ Assistance from Galmatic at every step
§ Excellent remuneration

Galmatic Training Consultants are Casual Contractor roles
Do I need training?
We conduct Induction training quarterly (in Sydney) and have an annual training conference.

Induction training runs through all of the nuts and bolts of basic car care; but don’t worry, we have a fabulous facilitators manual that you get to take home.
We also go over facilitation skills training as well.

What will I earn?
Galmatic Workshops run for a minimum of two hours with 5 or more participants.
Here’s the good part.

Consultants earn $hourly wage p/h + commission on sales generated within the workshop.

Joining the Crew
Interested in becoming a crew member? It’s easy.
1. First step is to tell us in 25 words or less why you would like to be a Galmatic Workshop Trainer. Just send us an email to info@galmatic.com
2. If we think your Galmatic material; we will email you our joining the crew application which asks you a little more about yourself
3. If you’re in Sydney we will catch up with you for a chat, if not we can chat on Skype

We look forward to hearing from you.

Fire Warning – in this heat cars need water too

2009-11-21T12:13:00.000+11:00

In NSW and parts of VIC we are have been issued with the catastrophic fire danger warning. Clever people clean their gutters, trim back trees and sweep away debris. They bring pets inside where it is cool and water the plants. The car however often gets forgotten during a heat wave.
No your car will not cry or whimper in the heat, but yes it does get thirsty and hot and a hot cat that overheats on a hot day on the freeway can be a nightmare.

All it takes girls is a quick check and you will stay cruising cool this summer.
1. Pop the bonnet
2. Look around for the water reservoir (don’t remove the radiator cap)
3. Fill the water reservoir with coolant, you can purchase this from any service station or even cheaper at automotive stores
4. Fill the windscreen wiper container with water
5. Check the air in your tyres and pump them up to the recommended pressure. You can find this info on the tyre placard which is usually on the inside of the driver’s door
6. Avoid sitting in traffic if you can (yeah like we do it on purpose I hear you say)!

And remember days at the beach are fun, but don’t forget to wash your car. Salt is the ultimate ageing factor for your car.

Defensive Driving for Women

2009-11-16T13:19:00.000+11:00

After 22 years of driving and teaching women in our ‘Know Your Car’ workshops – I was looking forward to a day at the track last Saturday. Mark was teaching our Inaugural ladies only Defensive Driving course ‘Control Your Car’.

Armed with biscuits and sandwiches and clothing which was way too hot for the day – I drove to Eastern Creek, ready for a day of learning. Of course a room full of girls isn’t hard to get chatting and nearly all of us admitted to thinking we were quite the girl racers.
The day started with theory – good driving techniques, essential do’s and don’ts and of course the footage that we all squirm from. Statistics, photos and crash tests dummies. Yes we had all seen them before, however it seemed so much more powerful with the image of the drag strip in the window behind us.

The need to reduce speed to reduce risk was articulated by Mark. Yes I know that I have heard speed is a major factor in road fatalities, but as with most people, I had always coupled it with luck, wet roads, other bad drivers etc. The point that came across clearly and strongly is that speed is a variable we can control – even when we can’t control the other factors.
All 13 women were just amazed, why don’t we learn this stuff at school – in this way? We groaned and shook our heads – no more speed racing we thought.

And then yes the time we had all been waiting for arrived– our turn on the track.
We all drove our cars to the start point as Mark hosed down the track. As if it wasn’t hard enough to practice emergency braking, we were going to do it on a wet road!
Girl after girl we went down the track, repeated at different speeds and had to brake suddenly as ‘Timmy’ jumped out in front of us. Emergency braking and quick decision making, with no radio on and the windows down suddenly 80 kms seemed so fast. How on earth can I stop a car when the radio is on, I am thinking about the day ahead and am tired? The concentration we were using was enormous – could we ever replicate this in real life?

But like Mark taught us – the aim of the day is not to be proficient at stopping at high speeds, but to realise the distance it takes to stop a car and the affects of speed on distance. Again reiterated for me was the need to reduce speed in order to reduce risk.
Speed and in essence my ability to control this variable could just save my and others lives.

Hot from the heat on off the track and with a head full of images and information I drove home – hands at 9am and 3pm and thought ‘When can I next get on the track?”
For dates of our next Galmatic Defensive Driving Day check out our website http://www.galmatic.com/

Go gaga for Go Go dancing

2009-10-09T13:59:00.000+11:00

Moment of truth on Saturday when I tried to slip into last year’s swimming costume – where did the winter blubber come from? “How did this happen” I asked?
Well I retired as a dancer, stopped rowing and fell pregnant all in the same year – but the disappointment was none the less the same!
Do I really want to start social dancing again just to lose those extra kilos? And then whilst sitting on the couch (yes I know) I saw the sexy Anna on ‘Are you smarter than a 5th grader’.

Anna teaches Go-Go dancing! How delicious, so I couldn’t help myself, I had to ask her all about it!
Now for all you retro gals who like to shake it – you’re going to love Anna's Go-Go Academy
We spoke to Anna about the new (but old) craze sweeping the dance floor.

Anna what is Go-Go dancing?
Go-go was the number one dance style of the 60s, and now its back and more fun than ever! Dances range from The Monkey to The Boogaloo and The Pony,
Go-go dancing is high-energy and is a great way to lose weight, but most of all its great fun!
Anna’s students learn the exciting art of go-go dancing in a fun and social environment (with a licensed bar!). No dance experience is necessary, and in every class, students learn a range of fun moves they can use straight away on the dance floor.

How long have you been teaching for?
I have been running my Go-Go Academy in Melbourne for 5 years, and will soon be adding more classes to the schedule. I am currently on a mission to amass a go-go army.

What is it about Go-Go dancing that makes you gaga?
Go-go dancing is high-energy and is a great way to lose weight, but most of all its great fun! Bring your mates! Bring your mum! Do the Pulp Fiction, The Pony and The Ski at your next party and impress your friends with your knowledge of these classic and exciting moves!

And your car Anna?
In between classes I love driving my 1964 AMC Rambler Classic sedan (V8 of course, vroom!),

Check out Anna’s Go-Go Academy and her gorgeous burlesque troupe Hi Ball Burlesque

Photos from the Beachley Surf Classic

2009-10-03T18:33:00.000+10:00

Hotrod at the Beachley Surf Classic

2009-10-03T18:29:00.000+10:00

We braved the rain and wind today to make our way down to Dee Why Beach for the Beachley Surf Classic.

Anna’s gorgeous pink hotrod decided to have a flat battery in the morning and then again in the pouring rain in the afternoon – but never fear the Galmatic Car Care girls were here and we got onto our way!

The day was a blast especially with Karolina in fine funny form and we raised valuable funds for the Layne Beachley Aim For The Stars Foundation.

A big thank you to our Galmatic crew and the girls from Royal Blush and Shophouse.
Thanks to everyone who donated and we hope you like your photo with our hotrod!
Galmatic proudly supports the Layne Beachley Aim For The Stars Foundation. We donate $5 from every Galmatic 'Know your Car' workshop to the foundation and $1 from every sale of the Galmatic Handbook.

Ladies be a pin up for a day

2009-09-29T20:29:00.000+10:00

This Saturday 03 October 2009 the girls can look like a glamour gal – and help young girls reach their goals by helping the Layne Beachley Aim For The Stars Foundation.

Dee Why beach is hosting the Beachley Ladies Surf Classic - down by the Surf Club, girls will be having a ball being dolled up like 1950’s glamour gals and getting their photo taken with a pink hotrod!

The $5.00 donation will go to the Aim For The Stars Foundation.
Enjoy a day by the beach, look like a glamour queen and help young women to aim for the stars.

More about Us:
Galmatic – Is Australia’s premier pit stop for car care workshops and car products for women. Galmatic is run by local Narrabeen business woman and mother of two Eleni Mitakos.
Our Control Your Car defensive driving course is just for the girls and gets them behind the wheel of their own car, on a race track, under controlled conditions - to experience safe car handling in hazardous conditions.
Aim For The Stars
“Dare to Dream, Pursue their Passion and Aspire to Achieve".
The foundation is about Encompassing academic, sport, cultural and community pursuits, Aim for the Stars offers ambitious and dedicated females an opportunity to receive financial and moral support to help them achieve their goals.

Defensive Driver Training for Women

2009-09-24T09:21:00.000+10:00

Calling All Girl Racers Galmatic has been running car care workshops for women for 2 years now and so many women have been enjoying getting to know the car - and for some even popping the bonnet for the first time.We have been asked frequently over the last year or so about Defensive driver Training - so we could have a better control of the car they now new a little about.We are very excited to have partnered up with Driver Skills Australia to offer full day courses Australia wide. Not sure what defensive driving is? Well...Do you know how speed, wet roads and risk taking effects the way both you and your car react on the road?
Ever practiced emergency stopping?
Know how to control your car in dangerous conditions?
Launching the new Galmatic Defensive Driver Training Course

‘Control Your Car’
This 1 day course is fun, action packed and informative
A must for all drivers – enjoy this informative gals only course
Workshops are run Australia wide
Just girls, their cars and the race track!
Click below for more info on your nearest course
Eastern Creek ● Mount Cotton ● Springvale
Hurry places filling fast!

How to write a Blog

2009-09-24T08:54:00.000+10:00

When I started the Galmatic blog - I used the 'voice' of our cartoon mascot Georgie. I did this because I have never been a diary writer and thought that a cartoon character could get away with saying more cheeky and opinionated things without offending anyone.

As the blog has evolved, I at some point turned into 'me', without intending to and have actually found writing for the blog a lot easier.

For me the hardest thing about keeping a blog is that I wasn't sure who would be reading it, so over the last few months have tried to just enjoy the writing process and not think about the intended reader.

I really enjoyed Mia's blog video where she talks about her experience writing her blog (below).

Have you found it tricky starting your blog and were you a diary writer before?

Untitled from Mamamia on Vimeo.

Love the Beast

2009-09-12T21:20:00.000+10:00

I watched Eric Bana’s documentary ‘Love the Beast’ today. It covers his lifelong passion for car racing and his childhood car, a Ford falcon XB Coupe.
I sat down to watch what I thought would be a film about car racing – and found that I was drawn in on several levels and really enjoyed the film.
It delves beautifully into the bond of friendship and family and how a vehicle can be the ‘campfire’ that bonds young men.
The thing that struck me the most about the film is how it made me think about what do young women do as teenagers? Do we have a similar pass time that can bond us like working on, learning about and experimenting with cars does for boys?
The car for a young man can be such a passage of freedom – an escape and also an awakening. It provides them with both a knowledge and passion for cars that allows them to understand them and not fear them. On the whole women do not have this same freedom.
‘Love the Beast’ – beautifully ties in the intimate relationship a young man can develop with his car and by the end of the film, the viewer too feels a bond with Eric’s red beast.
As a man he enjoys the thrill of racing and the documentary has an interview/conversation with Dr Phill and Eric. Dr Phill explains the need people have for a hobby – a love/passion for something other than the chores and work tasks that we do for income. Again what struck me was how frequently women fall out of this category. Eric in the film has the ability to pursue his dream- even as the father of two. How many women who work and have young families have the luxury of pursuing a hobby with the intensity of car racing?
A beautiful film – that made me think. Perhaps Galmatic can help to create a car culture amongst young women, so in time they too can love the beast.

Famous movie cars

2009-09-11T21:10:00.000+10:00

At our recent crew training day - we ran through the famous car scenes that we could think of from movies. Every one's answers were very interesting and showed each of our personalities very clearly.
So did what we remembered of these movies and of course our ages played a major role.

Here are our top 5 car scenes/videos/car favourites. We collated and then averaged out our answers.
Would love to hear what yours are and what do you think they say about you?

1. Ah we have all seen Back to the future - the DeLorean, who wouldn't want one.

2. The General Lee - We argued over whether to go the original movie for this - but Miss bikini won! And yes all our crew are women! But I couldn't help myself - the below version has the man in black Mr Cash singing.

3. Think you know the words to this one? Go to our Greased Lightning post and test yourself

4. Ms Jole, Mr Cage and yes the eternal unicorn of car's Eleanor. From the movie Gone in 60 seconds, Eleanor is a 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby - most famous quote "Go baby Go".

5. We couldn't work out who won this one, Kitt or The Hoff - a Knight Rider classic!

Know Your Car Girls

2009-09-10T22:01:00.000+10:00

It's so much fun teaching our 'Know Your Car' workshops for women.
It feels like years since I have taught a class - 15 years of dance teaching leaves you with a few tricks up your sleeve!

No video can show you how much fun we have at one of our workshops - but it will give you a snippet!

Yummy yummy crap in my tummy

2009-09-08T13:23:00.000+10:00

Why is it that long days that end with long car trips always seem to lead to terrible junk food?
Sunday was a fun day at the Rat Rod Day - working in the nice Spring sun and with two little people in tow, the inevitable golden arches glowed enticingly on the hour drive home.

Why is it that the link between cruising and junk food is so strong? How many car trips can you recall with a stop at McDonalds or greasy food from the petrol station?
Why don't we pack cut fruit, cucumbers and carrot sticks in advance?

Has anyone done a study on Maccas and road trips? Is there perhaps another documentary here to make?

Perhaps someone will invent 'healthy drive through' and call it Road trip diner!

Join our mailing list and find the dipstick!

2009-09-01T21:39:00.000+10:00

Go on girls - find the dipstick!

Learn cool tips for your car - stay safe and cruise to where your going in style!

Join the Galmatic mailing list and our cool monthly newsletter will drive into your inbox on the first Tuesday of every month.

Galmatic mailing list

Aim for the stars

2009-08-27T21:09:00.000+10:00

Ever had a dream that you knew you could achieve if only….
Perhaps you have watched the Olympics and wanted to ice skate, (I am convinced every 4 years that a triple soucow* is dead easy to do).
Or the Rocky franchise of films – I have a photo with the Rocky statue and believe me the stairs to the Philadelphia Museum are very steep indeed – even when humming the dadadadada dad a theme.

There are a lot of girls out there with dreams to fill and a little confused on how to start on the road. As a company run by and for women we were looking to see how we could further help women to feel empowered to do anything and everything they dreamed of.

You can imagine our delight when we saw the mission of Layne Benchley’s Aim for the Stars Foundation:
"Dare to Dream, Pursue their Passion and Aspire to Achieve".

The foundation is about Encompassing academic, sport, cultural and community pursuits, Aim for the Stars offers ambitious and dedicated females an opportunity to receive financial and moral support to help them achieve their goals.

Empower yourself at a Galmatic Car Care Workshop for Women and we will donate $5.00 pp to the Aim for the Stars Foundation.

Subscribe to Layne’s blog and newsletter – find out more about the foundation and pursue your dream. www.beachleyathletic.com.au
www.aimforthestars.com.au

Girl Racer

2009-08-03T12:26:00.000+10:00

Ever wanted to go racing - even if it was just in the local carpark late at night? We spoke to Carly Black who enjoys racing once you read her story below you will be heading for the track too!

It’s 4.45am Saturday 25th July... RACE DAY! I hate getting up before the sun but race day is something different.

I have to drive my race car to the track today (thanks to the RTA’s Unregistered Vehicle Permit).
I hop into my Peugeot 206 GTI 180 and begin the journey to Oran Park.
It’s a huge race meeting this weekend at the Festival of Sporting Cars, 250 entrants! This weekend I’m racing against my Father in a Peugeot 306 GTI6 and my Husband Franck who’s driving a WRX STi 2 door (too fast for me!)

Nerves begin to build as I’m waiting for the practice session to start... ‘why do I do this’ I often think, ‘the nerves are almost unbearable!’
The horn sounds and 28 cars move out for practice. Car goes well, feels great. I qualify to begin in 22nd position (not as good as I would have hoped but not too bad)
First race I get a good start, take 4 cars off the line ... ‘Ah yes, this is why I race... I love it!’ 2 laps in engine problem! OH NO! I pull to the side and watch the rest of the race from the tyre wall.
Thank god my husband is a European Car Specialist, he has my car going smoothly and ready for the next race in under 30 minutes!

Race 2 I start from the rear of the grid having not finished race 1.
Lights go off and we take off from the starting line... yes! Good start again. The car drives really well, no hiccups, this feels great. Pass another 2 cars yes... keep going. Final lap come around to the chequered flag, 19th! I’m happy with that.

Uh oh, here comes the rain... it’s pouring down! A wet race ahead.
Nerves kick in again, but I feel ok. I don’t have much experience in the wet so I’m just going to go out and have some fun, take it easy I don’t expect to do very well.

Race starts, hey I passed 2 people... my dad is right on my tail, he drives really well in the wet. He gets me on the next corner, I’m going to try and keep up with him. Other cars start spinning off the track in every direction, big powerful Commodores and Falcons are going slower... what’s going on?
Passed another car, this is quite good. Dad’s still in front but he’s not leaving me behind
170kph down the straight into turn one... where’s the corner... I can’t see... car on the inside, got to avoid it!
Yes... Passed another car! Wow the track’s slippery, so much more water than the last race.
Final lap, can I get past this car? No, he’s just a little too fast for me, chequered flag comes down, 9th overall! Wow, I can’t believe it, never thought I’d make up that many places... what a great weekend!

Some people ask me why I race, why would you want to be involved in such a ‘male’ sport that’s so dangerous?

I guess I don’t see it like that. I’ve always loved cars, and for as long as I can remember my dad has been in and under cars, behind the wheel and absolutely loving the experience.
I’ve always loved the sensation of speed and realised that it’s much safer, and much more fun to do it in a fully prepared race car in a safe environment. Gaining the skill on the track also contributes to your driveability on public roads, you become so much more alert and are able to start reading what other drivers are about to do around you.

I love racing and the people that come with it are so supportive. There are a great bunch of guys that I race with varying in ages from early 30’s right into the 60’s and they all treat you as a equal. There’s no special treatment, they treat you just like they would anyone else out on the track... and if you beat them, you get a big smile and a congratulations.
It’s also a great hobby I’m able to share with my husband and my father, it’s brought us all so much closer together.

So if you’re a woman that loves speed come and join us. It’s much easier to get involved in than most people think and the fun is second to none.
For more information please feel free to visit us as www.europeancarservices.com

The new Holden Cruze

2009-07-16T12:22:00.000+10:00

Our Sydney trainers were at Liverpoll Holden on Sunday checking out the new Holden Cruze and showing ladies around under the bonnet. Avery cute 4 cylinder East West engine and quite roomy inside. It was very popular with the girls. have you taken on efor a test drive? What do you think?

The Liverpool Champion came down for a look too. Check out the article at: http://www.liverpoolchampion.com.au/news/local/news/general/whats-under-the-bonnet-ask-a-woman/1568525.aspx

Photograph courtesy of Liverpool Chapion, photo by Jonathon Ng

When being a woman can drive your career

2009-07-07T10:13:00.000+10:00

Ever wondered what it was like to be a woman and work in the automotive industry?

If so you will enjoy our interview with Vicki Vlachakis, Design manager for General Motors Advanced Concept Design from CA in the US is an inspiring read.

Vicki have you found it hard being a woman and working in the male dominated auto industry?
As a female designer working in the auto industry for the past 12 years, I am often posed the question: “How does it feel to be one of the few women in your industry?” As much as I get asked this question, it always seems so out of place in my daily life which does, in fact involve working at a design studio where I am the only women. The issue for me is that as a designer, I am constantly concerned with questions like: “How do I come up with new and innovative ideas in an impossibly short time frame?” or “Is this design relevant in today’s ecologically conscience environment?”, or “Does this design actually work over our engineering criteria?” Despite my obvious surroundings, there never seems to be any reason for me to actually ponder that question. It’s as if the “Designer” part of me always comes before the “Female” part. I have come to realise that designers share strong common desires such as our interest in improving our surrounds and the functionality of objects we interact with, in this case cars. We also search for new expressions of visual language and push the envelope of form and function in an attempt to find better ways to solve design challenges. These examples have been the most relevant part of my career as a designer, while the fact that I am one of the few females has fading into the background. All that being said, there have been some stand out experiences that could have only occurred given my unique situation. I can remember a design review I made during my time at Mercedes-Benz in Germany. I was fresh out of college and hardly spoke a word of German when I had to stand in front of about 40 German men in suits and explain my proposal in their language. It was a truly humbling experience which was not helped by the fact that my French colleagues tried to help me compose my thoughts on flash cards before the review. English translated into French translated into German probably didn’t come out as well as I hoped. On the other hand, I have been a part of some amazing and unusual situations while part of the production team on the Pontaic Solstice and Saturn Sky Interior design programs in Michigan. I was in a team that consisted of a female lead engineer and female lead sculptor while I led the design team. What was more astonishing was that my Design Director and Executive Director were also women. I learned so a great deal from these accomplished and talented women. So much for stereotypes! Statistically, however, women still are a rare occurrence in the automotive industry in general, especially on the design side. Strangely enough, after my experience in this industry, I think that automotive design is well suited for females. Apparently, 80% of all car purchasing decisions are influenced by women, so it would be a great asset for any company to have that insight during the design process. I also feel that women have a great intuitive sense of detail and quality. Of course there is a natural instinct, especially among mothers for safety and comfort. So I would encourage any woman who is inclined towards design, problem solving, and visual expression to consider automotive design as a possibility. It’s never a dull experience!

Driven Indulgence

2009-07-07T10:11:00.000+10:00

Our Galmatic HQ is run by a team of woman and all our children are girls too – so sometimes it can be a little tricky working in the male dominated automotive industry, with such a feminine perspective.
So this month we thought it would be fun to talk to some woman who have pioneered their way through this industry and see learnt that they have found that in most instances they have found being a woman an advantage!

This interview is with Sandy Bogusis of Driven Indulgence who has offered as a wonderful winter package for all Galmatic readers.

What is Driven Indulgence all about Sandy?
My business is a reality of a long held dream to share both the North East of Victoria and Yarra Valleys, particularly all the great wine regions and includes escorting people safely to dinners and events such as concerts and festivals. Not all of us want to go on a bus trip, although they can be a lot of fun, so having your own driver gives you a lot of autonomy.

I encourage my guests to participate in designing their day, however when it is left in my hands so as to surprise them, we have a brilliant time discovering all those hidden spots that otherwise may get missed on the regular tracks.

I am currently planning a corporate tour that will include among other things, wine tasting, massage and a fun romp through a hedge maze. I have packages on my website from a three day exclusive all inclusive indulgent time away including scenic flights, massages, wine tasting, dinners at award winning restaurants and a chauffeur for the entire three days and evenings. Also available, those who prefer can hire me for and afternoon, day or evening as their exclusive driver, guide, concierge and host.

Have you found it difficult being a woman in a male dominated arena?
I grew up on the road, we travelled a lot when I was growing up I love driving, it is a passion of mine and I find it both relaxing and enjoyable. There is too much to see to stay home!

I find all my guests are openly complimentary of my 'girl driving'. We have a lot of giggles about being a woman driver, but I think I earn my guests respect. I have worked around a lot of males in male dominated jobs and find it fun, I have been lucky; I enjoy the 'male' side of life just as much as girlie stuff. You will even find me tucked up on the lounge on a Sunday afternoon watching the V8 supercars, yes a bit of a lad at heart really.

My sole focus when I am with my guests is to make sure their day is fun and they go home delighted, relaxed, or rather worn out wonderfully and want to return to our gorgeous regions again and again.
Galmatic Winter offer: A midweek full day tour in your vehicle in either the North East of Victoria or the Yarra Valley for four people including a two course gourmet lunch and a complimentary bottle of wine for just $490.00. This includes a private wine and cheese tasting tour for a whole day starting 10.30 am till 5.00pm pick up from local accommodation or home and return and a yummy lunch. Offer ends August 09. For more details call Sandy 0408 244 531 or see her website www.drivenindulgence.com.au

When does an interest in cars start?

2009-06-17T23:02:00.000+10:00

My 3 year old little girl has a fair insight into cars, for both her age and the fact that she is a little girl. She is very happy that her mum can work from home and quite confidently tells people that her mama runs car care workshops for girls. She enjoys the Galmatic cartoon which is of Georgie showing a blond boy how to change a tyre - which she claims is Mama and Dada and feels quite comfortable with spanners and car parts lying around the office and garage.

She was given her Dad's 1970's matchbox cars and happily watches him as he works on his 1930 Hot Rod in the garage.

So you could say that she has been introduced to cars from an early age, mixed with barbie and lots of craft - but it was the Polly pockets cars at the supermarket that got her the most excited.

4 glossy convertibles all with a little Polly and friends inside, (the size that needs adult intervention)! and one simple texta drawn map, on pink cardboard and she was amused for a whole afternoon.

Seat belts were a must and she stopped at the lights and gave way to other Polly pocket cars. She even drove on the correct side of the road, which led me to think - would we have a stronger and more prominent car culture amongst women if we were more active in introducing them to cars at an earlier age?
Would more girls enjoy cars if we bought them car toys - providing them with the same opportunity that we do boys to explore the adventures of cars and driving?

Did you have toy cars when you were young? Were they yours or your brothers?

The right position

2009-06-01T13:26:00.000+10:00

One of our workshop trainers Jacey is a qualified chiropractor (yes we all have great posture at Galmatic HQ) and has put together an article for us about the perfect seating position for optimum back care. Perfect for long hours in the car (and at the office desk)!

We all know we need to look after our backs when we lift heaving things, but we don’t tend to think too much about our backs when we are driving to the shops or heading out to see our friends. Unfortunately when it comes to the health of our backs, it’s not just the big things that count, the small repetitive things that can sometimes take the greatest toll.
Why is the perfect position so important?
The perfect position is not only important to ensure you are able to operate the vehicle safely, it is also essential to look after your back for the long term.
Your back has been designed to absorb daily shocks and vibrations. Similar to a good set of party feet for your high heels, the spongy discs between each vertebra provide specific level shock absorbance. During the day they do lose their water content thus decreasing their ability to do their job. As the discs do not have a direct blood supply, they need constant movement to stay plump and happy. Sitting in a car all day does not provide adequate movement for your back. The second way your back provides support is via the inward lumbar curve of your lower back. This curve acts similar to a large spring. When we sit in the car, it is very easy to allow our inward curve to straighten, thus losing its ability to spring.
By following these simple points you will ensure that your back is looked after and it can continue supporting you!
· When you get into your car, remember to readjust your seat EVERY time, as your posture will change throughout the day
· Ensure you are seated in the centre of seat with your bottom pushed back in the seat.
· Move the seat forward so your wrists can rest on the top of the steering wheel and your hips are at 90 degrees.
· In newer cars, adjust the lumbar support to ensure you maintain your lumbar curve. If your car does not have an adjustable lumbar support, there are specific products that you can purchase or you can use a rolled up towel to offer support.
· If you are driving for an extended period of time, do get out and walk, move and stretch.
· Keep hydrated.
· Try and keep your stomach muscles switched on.

Shut up and do some driving

2009-05-20T22:42:00.000+10:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WAapKx2TvM

It’s a hot look and always has been, from Cha Cha in Grease to this very slick Rhianna clip. Writhing female bodies wrapped phallic like in the tight clothes representative of their era. Whether a Chev or Charger, the chicky babes seem to be the fuel for the car’s ignition – a walking and talking starter motor.

Have we moved forward at all when it comes to our relationship with cars? If Rhianna was to fix a loose hose or tighten a nut under the hood, could she or would she do it in sprayed on leather? Do we women need to be wearing heels to bring some femininity to an otherwise male domain, or by over indulging in the stereotypical female adornments of sexuality are we actually releasing ourselves from the bondage of those dreadful calendars supposedly hung behind every mechanics workshop toilet door?

At Galmatic we toyed with what we would and would not use as our uniform. For all many of our photo shoots we have been encouraged to wear the red heels with our navy mechanics shirts and perhaps open the shirts a little more. We chose to go with our 1940’s/1950’s image of the independent post war empowered female. Car savvy and still sexy.
Do you think women have moved far enough away from the toilet door calendar or do we still have a long way to go?

Does your car fit in the garage?

2009-05-07T00:16:00.000+10:00

Now when it comes to garages - ours must take the cake for the largest number of car parts with the pride of place going to the 1930 Ford. There is even a Holden/Ford battle going on in there! So if our garage is a mess we thought there might be a few more out there too. This led us to have a chat with Helen Maguire, Director or Clarity Matters, a fantastic business that specialises in organising and de-cluttering offices, homes and yes garages.

Helen's advice:

Clutter, clutter, clutter! Are you overwhelmed by too much stuff, inadequate storage places and no time to spend on putting things away? Sound familiar? You are not alone in this. Many people have challenges in the area of clutter.

Why do we keep things?
Quite often we keep things that we think we might use in the future, yet in a lot of cases have not used in ages. The reasons for this? We don’t like it; it’s out of date; it relates to a past interest; it’s not appropriate for our present stage of life or it’s broken and we’ve never got around to fixing it.

Sometimes we convince ourselves that we might need it one day – but that ‘one day’ still hasn’t arrived. Maybe we could source a new item cheaply on eBay, in garage sales, or in recycling stores.

The main pitfalls:
Having too much stuff
Not storing things in easily accessible, labelled containers
Not putting things away straight away after use
Not making decisions about specific problem items

Three ways to keep the garage organised:
1. Decide what you really need and get rid of the rest
To help yourself with the clean up process – ask yourself:
Am I really going to use this in the future?
Do I really want all this clutter?
Wouldn’t a spacious, organised garage be a refreshing change?

2. Store what you do want to keep systematically.
Use labelled containers where possible.
Have the items you use frequently in a place and at a level that makes it easier to access – according to your height for example.
Compartmentalise – in strong plastic storage containers, boxes, or on shelves that are easily accessible.
Allow yourself a certain quantity of one particular thing, to avoid having an excess of the same item.
Label the boxes – eg. Hardware items, electrical gear, kids toys, picnic gear, sporting goods – to make it easier to find, use or put away.
Train your children to use your system. Make sure they can get to (reach and position) the boxes they need access to.

3. Make yourself finish the job.
Put the items away in their designated place straight away, because every time one item is left lying around, say on the floor, it soon builds up to a mess with another and another and another. Say it, mean it, do it – finish the job!

How to keep your car tidy and clutter free:
Have a plastic bag for rubbish in the car. Keep a store of them in your garage to easily replace used ones.
Finish the job – immediately on arriving home empty the car of everything you took with you, or have bought whilst out and about and put it where it needs to go,
Have a box in the boot (strapped in) for items that need to remain in the car, for example, first aid kit, supply of kid’s toys, picnic rug.
Use the glove box for items to be kept in the front of the car. Remember to keep tidying it out, especially after big trips.

Happy motoring and safe travels! And remember, your trip has only finished when you have put everything away! You’ll be pleased you did!

Work from home?

2009-05-01T22:10:00.000+10:00

After 20 years of working shift work, travelling, standing on my legs and spending hours and hours on the road, I was over the moon when I started Galmatic – at long last I could have a home office. No more wasted hours in traffic, corporate dress, travelling that I didn’t organise myself and the enjoyment of being able to organise my working surroundings.

It never occurred to me that I would be ‘sized’ by people. To me it is common sense to minimize rental costs – it means you’re not passing these costs onto your customers; it’s better for the environment and means that I can also participate in my children’s school life.

Some people use virtual offices and assistants. Our trainers do all of their office work from home, we conduct our training at various locations and use specialty contractors for all of our marketing and design work.

So do you size a business by its office? Does working from home or having a home office put you off dealing with a business or do you enjoy working with businesses that provide flexible working environments for their staff?

Find the dipstick Girls

2009-04-21T22:20:00.000+10:00

Be honest have you ever looked under the bonnet?

Don't get stuck in the rain this winter with a flat battery, tyre and foggy windscreen.
Jump into the driver’s seat and never get caught out again! We will help you pop the bonnet and find the dipstick.

Join us at one of our Galmatic Know Your Car Workshops for Girls
Our 2 hour workshops will have you feeling road safe and car savvy
- all in an interactive and fun environment.

Learn some car care tips and tricks and how to save $ on repairs.
Jump onto our website and find out more and book into our May Workshops.
Special Offer
Every booking made in April will receive a complimentary
Galmatic Car Care Handbook for Girls!

Too shy to come on your own? Type the code ‘GAL’ into the comments box at the checkout and receive a complimentary pass for a friend! Be quick as we only have 2 passes per workshop.

Let all your friends know and get more girls taking the driver’s seat.

Greased Lightening

2009-04-12T22:51:00.000+10:00

Since the 1950’s guys have connected with cars and car clubs, gangs, street racing and
burn-outs, all adding to a young man’s introduction to cars and the freedom they can
provide. Rat Rods, cruisers, panel vans and the Holden Commodore – the list is endless.
But go to a wedding, 21st or any party and it is the girls that know all the words to Greased
Lightening! And that’s one cool car.

Do you know all the words?
Well this car is automatic, it’s systematic, it’s hydromatic
Why it’s greased lightnin’!
We’ll get some overhead lifters, and four barrel quads, oh yeah
Keep talkin’, whoah keep talkin’
Fuel injection cut off, and chrome plated rods, oh yeah
I’ll get the money, I’ll see you get the money
With a four-speed on the floor, they’ll be waitin’ at the door
You know that ain’t shit when we’ll be gettin’ lots of tit in greased lightnin’
Go, greased lightnin’, you’re burnin’ up the quarter mile
Greased lightnin’, go greased lightnin’
Go, greased lightnin’, you’re coastin’ through the heat lap trials
Greased lightnin’, go greased lightnin’
You are supreme, the chicks’ ‘ll cream for greased lightnin’
We’ll get some purple French tail lights and thirty-inch fins, oh yeah
A palomino dashboard and duel muffler twins, oh yeah
With new pistons, plugs, and shocks, I can get off my rocks
You know that I ain’t braggin’, she’s a real pussy wagon - greased lightnin’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oWeaujOWXc

Sexy and Cool

2009-04-12T21:50:00.000+10:00

What a gorgeous juxtaposition, the divine Ms Jolie dressed to kill in 1950’s inspired pencil skirt and sweater, luxuriously embodying the demure and elegant sex kitten in camel.
In the film Mr and Mrs Smith, Jane Smith has an awesome car scene where she chases down Mr Smith – Pitt. Unlike most male car scenes it is sharp and short; he is the object that she is chasing.

The car is silver and a station wagon and yet an awesome powerful tool for her revenge. So sexy to see a woman in control of a scene without the usual red bikini, boobies out, driving a black convertible. Check out the car scene
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcby07PbIOU

Crown Sunglasses Competition

2009-04-06T13:54:00.000+10:00

This competition is too fabulous to miss. Everyone that follows us on twitter, subscribes to our blog or newsletter, or adds a post on our forum goes into the running to win a pair of Crown Pinstripe Sunglasses in Cherry Gloss Red.

Every sale from the Galmatic website gets two draw entries! Tell your friends.

These premium glasses are valued at $199.00. Competition open until Midnight 30th April 2009.
Chat with us on twitter, our blog, join our forum watch our movie at vimeo or youtube subscribe to our newsletter and remember to tell all your friends!

Do you do lunch with your Agent?

2009-04-05T21:48:00.000+10:00

Writing and the trials of being an author have been captured on the big and small screen countless times. Ripped sheets of blank paper out of type writers, waste paper baskets overflowing with lamented words, unpaid bills, countless cigarettes and solitary work burning the midnight oil. So much Film Noir is based on the tortured narrator author.

The other extreme is the modern portrayal of the author – agent relationship. Long lunches, glasses of wine and closer than close relationships. It began with us wondering whether Carrie really could afford an apartment in New York and that wardrobe writing one article a week (and one novel through the entire series); in every authors dream, can I have her agent please!

Maron First from the short lived ‘Men in Trees’ had her agent follow her all the way to Alaska and both met gorgeous men. One novel published.

Hank Moody would have to take the cake for having the ultimate author agent relationship; he and Charlie shared countless meals, hangovers and lots of women. The only thing they didn’t do was publish a novel.

So, with my book self published in Australia and with a new agent in the States for US publication – here’s to long lunches!

Can't get you out of my Head

2009-04-03T00:19:00.000+11:00

Kylie comes screaming into the voyeurs lap in a canary yellow kit car, draped in black; lipstick a pale tan colour to match the tan gloves that wrap around the gear stick. Hand and mouth powerful yet non obtrusive. The dark horse driving into whose head? Which head?

Watch the video again. The scarlet lips (men’s least favourite lipstick colour) and cleavage don’t appear until after the car scene. Whilst driving, the power she yields does not need any of the conventional symbols of sexiness. Yet again the car is the sexual object working as a character of the woman’s empowerment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfr9bhSmfXc

The car as the sex object

2009-04-02T23:25:00.000+11:00

There are so many years example of women on cars, in cars and selling cars. But not all girls are objects used to sell cars and other things to men. There are so many sexy women who use cars as characters of their art, story, personality and lifestyle.

Not too many things sexier or more empowering than a woman in control of her car.

Cars have played a prominent role in the western male subcultures, working often as extensions of boys personalities, reflecting their standing in gangs and often sexual dominance.

A woman’s sexual prowess has by comparison had little artistic representation with cars in literature and film, one exception to this is the music video.
Adalita, from Magic Dirt – who is looking at the car?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyP35vHwrSo

To wrap or not wrap

2009-04-02T22:51:00.000+11:00

As you can imagine, people assume that my car will always be squeaky clean; after all I run car care workshops for girls. It has become one more OCD. Can I go out today to that event? Is the car clean enough? Friend’s houses are OK. With two kids, my car is always cleaner than my friends who have kids, but at school drop off, meetings and of course workshops I break out into a fever.

The weekly clean doesn’t seem often enough. Should I give her a chamois – just in case? What if someone asks me what I do and then sees a little dirt on the bonnet? I remember the days when a little mud down low was a token of cool.

I am now in the quandary of getting a car wrap for the car. Will this only heighten my need to keep it clean? After all, the silver car is the Galmatic daily cruiser; shopping, little kids, chores and errands.

The car wrap is going to have a huge Georgie and Galmatic logo. I’m not sure how much of it is my brand awareness campaign in full swing, and how much is the Euro trash side coming out. It is a Holden Commodore, lowered and with a spoiler.

Hey the 32 Model T in the Garage makes up for it, as does my little 1985 FC Holden.
To clean or not to clean – back to wrap design for me. Branding or Euro roots; wrap I will!

Sunglasses to drive with

2009-03-31T22:21:00.000+11:00

I have 2 cars, both Holden’s and about 50 years apart in age. My work car is a Holden Commodore, silver, tinted windows and related to so many of the other commodores on the road. You wouldn’t notice it and in turn no one notices me driving either.

My driving car, the one I cruise around in on my own, is a 1958 FC Holden. Black, fat and very cool.
In it I definitely get noticed and so do my sunglasses.

Red pinstripe crown Sunglasses of course; to match my celebrity red Dior lipstick.
How do I then take a photo of myself with red sunnies on? Easy, take a photo of my neighbor Bronte wearing them!

Look around and see how many drivers don’t wear sunnies whilst driving. Crazy! They help block glare and minimize UV damage to your eyes. Don’t forget the front windscreen is not tinted and glass can magnify UV glare by up to 70%!

Do you wear sunglasses to drive?

People do need the disabled spot

2009-03-24T23:21:00.000+11:00

I must be honest and admit that I have always wondered if the disabled parking spots were ever really used by people who could genuinely benefit from them.
There always seems to be so many of them and in prime real estate car park areas.
Obviously you say!

Right in front of the entrance, close to amenities and what is also great pram pushing spots.
I don’t park in them because I would feel terrible if someone who needed it missed out. But I still walk past thinking “As if they need so many”.

Today as I was picking up from school, I noticed that the car park at school was unusually full earlier. Even the disabled spots had cars in them. “Lazy parents who don’t want to wait”, I thought. And didn’t give it another thought as I walked through the gate.

On the way back to my car I saw a mother stopping the flow of traffic with her arms as a father pushed a young child in her wheelchair through the traffic to a car spot at the back of the car park. I felt so sad that for the sake of someone saving time, this poor parent had to endure the car park walk with a wheel chair in 27 degree heat.

Next time you go to jump into a disabled car spot, remember there are people who need it.

Save Money - Wash your car

2009-03-23T10:25:00.000+11:00

Living in an apartment meant that washing my car had long been a thing of the past. My gorgeous brother, a car detailer had taken over the job and was giving my car a weekly bath. As you can imagine with a car detailer in the family I had become a little spoilt, so when he went away for 2 weeks, it was time again to venture into the land of the car wash café.

I know it’s only $35.00, but please is a little service too much to ask? The board was so far away that I had no idea what I was getting for my money. I had chosen the 2nd cheapest package, mainly because I couldn’t cope with the smell of the detailer armpits leaning into my window and had to make a quick decision.

The whole event took 1 hour and 20 mins and after the most disgusting hot chocolate I have ever had my beeper vibrated to alert me to the half arsed job that had been done on my car. And why do they never put the sun shades back onto the window? Is it really too much effort? I realised that next time I would just wait for my brother and forget the café.

With the recent rains and the easing of water restrictions, it makes economic sense to start washing your car again! At $35.00 per wash, a weekly visit to the carwash café will cost you $1820.00 a year.

They rarely do a great job and the coffee is usually awful. A weekly wash will keep you fit, enjoying the outdoors and the excess water can be splashed onto the grass.

Grab a Galmatic Day Spa Pack. It is filled with premium Meguiars products and all comes in an oh too cute black Galmatic Tote bag.
The ultimate Car Care Pack to make sure that your car looks show finish all year round.

Pack includes:
•
1 x Meguairs Soft Wash Gel
•
1 x Meguairs Lamb’s wool Wash Mitt
•
1 x Meguairs Hot Shine Tyre Foam
•
1 x Meguairs Quik Interior Detailer
•
1 x Meguairs Deep Crystal Wet Look (polish)
•
1 x Meguairs Microwipe Super Glide Chamois
•
1 x Galmatic calico bag

Grab a copy of the Galmatic Car Care Handbook for Girls for the best chapter on detailing your Car – We call it ‘Day Spa for your Car’

www.galmatic.com

Pinstripes - Cool Retro Crown Sunglasses

2009-03-10T10:39:00.000+11:00

Pinstripes

These sunglasses mix red hot style style with cool street cred.

Available in Hot Cherry Gloss Red

§ 100% UV protection
§ Glass lenses
§ Custom handmade frames
§ Built tough with dual hinges

Look cool cruising in these shades.

Available for Galmatic http://www.galmatic.com/

Rat Rods - Cool Retro Crown Sunglasses

2009-03-10T10:31:00.000+11:00

Rat Rods

These sunglasses mix hot style with cool street cred.
Available in Slick Gloss Black

§ 100% UV protection
§ Glass lenses
§ Custom handmade frames
§ Built tough with dual hinges

Cruise with attitude in these shades.

Grab a pair from Galmatic http://www.galmatic.com/

Moonshine Deluxe - Cool Retro Crown Sunglasses

2009-03-10T10:29:00.000+11:00

Unleash the 1950’s kitten in you with our cool sunglasses.
Custom designed in the US, Crown Sunglasses combine retro styling with 100% UV protection.

These frames are handmade and feature double hinges.
With names like Fetish Deluxe and Chica Boom, you will need more than one pair!

Moonshine Deluxe

These sunglasses are seriously cool. Stand out from the crowd with a little retro style. 1960’s glamour mixed with a modern twist.

Available in Cool Cobalt Blue

§ 100% UV protection
§ Glass lenses
§ Custom handmade frames
§ Built tough with dual hinges

Grab a pair from www.galmatic.com

Fetish Deluxe - Cool Retro Crown Sunglasses

2009-03-10T10:26:00.000+11:00

Fetish Deluxe

The name says it all. These glasses are delicious; perfect for those early mornings. Slips these on with a dash of red lipstick and all of last night’s sins will be disguised!

Available in Luscious Glossy Black

§ 100% UV protection
§ Glass lenses
§ Custom handmade frames
§ Built tough with dual hinges

Grab yourself a pair at http://www.galmatic.com/

Chica Boom - Cool Retro Crown Sunglasses

2009-03-10T10:24:00.001+11:00

Retro Sunglasses

Unleash the 1950’s kitten in you with our cool sunglasses.
Custom designed in the US, Crown Sunglasses combine retro styling with 100% UV protection.

These frames are handmade and feature double hinges.
With names like Fetish Deluxe and Chica Boom, you will need more than one pair!

Chica Boom

These sunglasses are red carpet showstoppers. Look like a movie star in shiny black or a screen siren in a Tortoise Shell pair that have a hint of violet on the inside! Very 1950’s.

Available in Shiny Black and Sexy Tortoise Shell

§ 100% UV protection
§ Glass lenses
§ Custom handmade frames
§ Designed to last with dual hinges

Grab a pair and look Hot Cruising www.galmatic.com

Negotiating the School Car Park

2009-02-03T22:52:00.000+11:00

Week two of being a ‘school mum’ and the school drop off and pick up ordeal has opened my eyes to some of the amazingly stupid things people do in car parks; especially when there are little people around.
What is it that makes people who otherwise would do anything to keep their kids safe, go crazy when they jump behind the wheel of a car in a school car park?
There are too many cars, not enough spaces and then the ‘kiss and drop’ section to negotiate.

The tips I have worked out so far are:
§ Get to school 10 mins earlier (if you can) than most of the parents. You will find a car spot and it’s a good chance to breathe and have some thinking time
§ Do not park in no standing/stopping areas, it makes it stressful for all the other drivers around you
§ Only cross at the designated areas, even if it means walking a little further
§ Hold your child’s hand and explain to them why crossing the road and walking through car parks is dangerous and why it is important to follow the rules
§ If children go to do something dangerous don’t scream at them (even though it is very tempting). Rather come down to their eye level and explain why road safety is so important. It is crucial to build children’s awareness about cars from an early age and not to have them associate anger with cars and driving
§ Look around you before you reverse or move the car in any direction. Check all blind spots and reverse slowly

Would love to hear any tips that you have.

Theft in Car Park

2009-02-01T20:45:00.000+11:00

There I was at the Wiggles concert, clapping and singing, and outside in the RSL car park someone was stealing the fog lights from my car!
They pried off the bumper bar and took out the lights, including wiring, right there in the middle of the outdoor car park. Bumper bar back on they took off, fog lights in hand.
So there the car is looking quite nude and vulnerable and I think how much would new lights cost? Why would you bother stealing them?
$150.00 per light! That’s why.
I’d like to tell them to go fog themselves.
Oh and don’t be fooled, Wiggles concert doesn’t mean a child friendly car park!

Eyes Wide Shut

2009-01-08T09:30:00.000+11:00

A clear view from your front and rear screens and all other windows in your car is essential; especially during times of poor visibility such as dawn, dusk, rain and fog.

When does the windscreen need to be replaced?
Ideally windscreens should be scratch and chip free, however there are certain rules pertaining to the condition of your windscreen.
In NSW your vehicle is only allowed a maximum of two of the following defects within the driver’s side of the front windscreen extending to the centre of the windscreen.

A hairline crack up to 30mm long
A crack that starts from the edge of the windscreen in wards up to 75mm long
A ‘bull’s-eye’ crack up to 16 mm in diameter (that’s the one that looks like a gunshot)

My 1958 Holden still has the original windscreen and paint (poor love is begging for a little face lift), so with care windscreens are good for years.

Cleaning
Outside windows – keep the wiper blades soft, like all rubber things they deteriorate quickly in the elements so change them often (yearly if you remember). You can wait for your next service, however Repco have a great deal at the moment where they will fit the wipers for free if you buy a new pair from them.
Old wipers will scratch the windscreen as will turning them on when the windscreen is filthy. Make sure you turn the wiper fluid on first. With an old car like mine, you have to poor the water on by hand!
Inside and Out - You have probably heard that newspaper is the best for cleaning glass as it is lint free, however awful on the hands. We use cloth nappies at our garage – brings the windows up a treat and no news print!

Days of the Thunder - Col Trickle - real or imaginary?

2009-01-07T21:18:00.000+11:00

I couldn't help myself as 'Days of Thunder' started the other the night. It was the late movie and I heard the sounds of Daytona as I was lingering in the other room.

I was getting ready for the next days workshop and before I knew it, there I was watching Col Trickle cruising onto the race track in those tight jeans; ready to rule the track.

Apart from the reminiscence back to my youth (yes old enough to have seen it at the movies) it made me think - how far do the Col Trickles of the world make it? Is passion, charisma and sheer determination enough?

If you haven't seen the movie, it's where Kidman met her Mr Cruise.
Trickle is one hell of a driver ready to take on Nascar racing (which he has no experience in) and as the rookie spends the 1st half of the movie driving with conviction, passion and a lust to win, (but never manages to finish a race.

At this point you find out that he has no car knowledge; no idea how a car works at all - just adrenalin and the thrill of speed in his veins.

No need to add that of course there are many life lessons along the way and many victories (it is a Tom Cruise movie from the 1980's); but in life, is just the drive enough?

Why do we love these movies?

At our workshops - the ones we have the most fun with are when we have a bunch of girls who love driving; windows open, music pumping - looking like Pink in the Get the Party started video. Their knowledge is usually close to zero but their enthusiasm is 100%.

Do you have a project you need to get off the ground? Hire out Days of Thunder - you might just get the cruise you need.

Hot websites for Cool Chicks

2008-12-18T21:54:00.000+11:00

As you can imagine Galmatic HQ is run by women, so of course we like to shop, gossip and buy things for our babies!Here are our favourite websites - happy browsing.

www.onthe7thdaysheshopped.com
This retro style website is an online directory of beautiful online boutiques that stock clothes, gifts and special treasures. Saves you from doing the online search!

www.primped.com.au
This site is edited by the former editor of Cosmopolitan magazine and is great for expert beauty advice and how-to tips for celebrity hair styles, makeup techniques, fashion show trends, hair care, skin care, fragrance.

www.myinvites.com.au
Design and send beautiful online party invitations to your friends – this website is a free service and very environmentally friendly.

www.shophouse.com.au
Big style for little people. This site has the cutest clothes and accessories for babies and kids. All the Galmatic babies get dressed here!

www.stopstaring.com
If you’re looking for gorgeous 1950’s retro style clothing, then this site is for you. All the rockabilly chicks in the office love these dresses. Very sexy femme fatale!

Silly Season Demerit Points

2008-12-18T21:53:00.001+11:00

Yes it is that time of year on the roads again when double demerit points come into force.The Demerit Points Scheme is a national program that allocates penalty points (demerits) for a range of driving offences.
Drivers on a full c class license can accumulate 12 demerits over 3 years before license loss occurs. This year double points apply from:Friday 19th December 2008 to Sunday 4th January 2009.
Here is a list of the main offences, their fines and demerits.

Exceed speed limit 15km/h
6 points $486
Driver not wearing a seatbelt
6 points $486
Each passenger not wearing a seat belt
6 points $486
Drive using a hand held mobile phone
3 points $ 486
Make U-turn contrary to sign
2 points $189
Drive with a sound system emitting excessive sound
2 points $150

santa baby

2008-12-18T21:50:00.000+11:00

Yes Santa Claus is coming and its our first birthday too - We have fabulous gifts for that girl in your life; sisters, girlfriends, daughters, mums and a gorgeous offer too!

Too many drinks over Christmas to drive home needn’t be a worry with the SmartGirl Roadside Emergency Kit. The kit contains a 350ml bottle of spring water, premium aluminum free deodorant, tampons, aromatherapy headache and stress remedy and a lip conditioner.
All in all it contains 24 great products to cover any emergency or urgency that a girl may have (including breath mints and a Pink Lady chocolate heart for those extreme chocolate cravings) and it all comes packed in the coolest little tin lunch box.
We have a complimentry copy of the Galmatic Car Care Handbook all wrapped up for you with every SmartGirl Roadside Kit purchased in the month of December!

The Galmatic Handbook is perfect for anyone who has just learnt to drive, or perhaps for the girl that needs to know a little more about cars. It’s the glove box essential for any girl with a car.
Check out the website for all our other car care products too.

Also - All Christmas orders will arrive in a black Galmatic cotton tote bag and wrapped in brown paper and string with a beautiful christmas card; very 1950’s. Simply type ‘Christmas’ in the comments box.
Happy Shopping!

Stay Sun Smart

2008-12-18T21:46:00.000+11:00

As the summer heat sets in we start thinking about sun care and using sunscreen with high SPF.
Sun creams work to either absorb or reflect UV rays. Make sure you wear a broad-spectrum cream that protects you from both UVA and UVB rays.

UVA rays – cause photo ageing of the skin, or what we commonly call pre mature ageing which is dark spots, loss of elasticity and wrinkles. UVA rays can penetrate cloud and go deep into the Dermis of the skin (where your collagen is).
UVB rays – cause sun tan and burn, cannot penetrate cloud and do not go through to the Dermis.

Your car needs sun protection too. Both the tyres and paintwork discolour and crack.

For your tyres

Tyre colour care products come in a variety of formulations.
They are designed to intensify the colour of your tyres and some also work to prevent browning, cracking and tyre premature ageing.
Tyre colour care products also help to protect tyres from environmental damage, especially UV, much like SPF products work to protect your skin. The most common products are tyre paint or tyre foam.
Tyre paint (always black) comes in a tin, just like house paint and needs to be applied with a paintbrush. This is the most labour intensive way to blacken your tyres, but it will certainly leave a wonderful finish.

For your paintwork

Car waxes are like moisturisers for your car and work as a protective barrier for your cars skin to fight off free radicals and especially protect your cars paint from UV damage and salt air.
Waxing your car
You wax your car the same way that you polish it, with the only difference being in the removal process. You do not remove the wax completely as you want to leave behind a protective coating.
1. Apply wax with a clean cloth.
2. Rub the wax onto the paint in small circular motions.
3. Remove the wax with a separate clean cloth leaving a light coat.
4. Move onto the next section. Try to concentrate on one panel at a time just like polishing.
The paintwork will be very shiny when you have finished!
We stock premium

Meguiars car care products – the perfect anti ageing skincare for your car!

Keep your car fire safe

2008-10-28T21:12:00.000+11:00

As the weeks start to heat up, fire awareness becomes a priority in Australia. We check the batteries in our home fire alarms, we have fire drills at work where the fire warden gets to wear their yellow fire hat and high - vis vest and we watch the devastation that bush fire causes on the news; we do not however always take simple precautions to safeguard our homes and cars.

For your car

Smoking in a car is a fire hazard. Do not butt out cigarettes in the ashtray; rather keep a water bottle half filled with water in the car and throw your butts in there. The water will distinguish the butt, the lid will prevent any spillage and the bottle is then easy to dispose

Do not keep petrol or other flammable liquids in the boot of the car

If you park your car in a garage or under a carport, keep the gutters free of leaves and debris Keep a fire extinguisher in the car. You will need a dry chemical powder extinguisher as they are non conductive. Do not use water on an electrical/fuel fire. Extinguishers are available from hardware stores and car care stores and are safe to store in the car

Keep a well stocked First Aid Kit in the car for any emergencies. We have a fabulous one that is perfect for the car or kitchen www.galmatic.com/products.html

Should I slam on the brakes?

2008-10-03T21:20:00.000+10:00

You have probably heard of the acronym ABS, which stands for – Anti Lock Braking System, but do you know how to correctly use ABS brakes and what these brakes actually do?

ABS prevents your wheels from locking when you apply pressure to the brakes and prevents a car from skidding. The computer system senses if a wheel is about to skid and temporarily releases the brake pressure on the wheel. Brake pressure is reapplied until the wheel is about to skid again.

When you’re in an emergency situation in a car with ABS brakes; keep your foot hard on the pedal for as long as you need to miss the obstacle. The ABS will prevent you from skidding, the pedal will feel like it is pulsing lightly and the brakes will make a lot of noise.

As an ABS equipped car will not skid during emergency braking, the wheels continue to rotate, which means you can still steer; increasing your chances of missing the obstacle in front.

In normal braking conditions ABS work like ordinary brakes. Apply pressure smoothly, steadily increasing the force until you stop.

Are you a backseat Kisser?

2008-10-03T21:15:00.000+10:00

Lots of kissing happens in cars. Lots of babies have been made in cars too!
Now you may think that you have the car smooch down pat; but it wouldn’t hurt to read on just in case you learn a trick or two.

Hot and steamy kissing in the car always fogs the windows, so remember to roll down an inch of each window; it will help your warm breath to escape from the car.
Always turn off the engine and put on the handbrake. Put the car into ‘Park’ if it’s automatic or into gear for a manual.
Invite your honey into the backseat where there is less chance of releasing the handbrake and catching body parts into the steering wheel.
Don’t park in secluded backstreets or deserted car parks. Yes you will have privacy, but so will anyone coming to rob you.
Lock the doors; it will stop nasty surprise guests.
Not going straight home after your raundevu? A smudged lipstick emergency kit is essential! Mints, tissues, wet ones, toothbrush are all a must. Grab the perfect pre-prepared kit from the Galmatic website: Car Kissing Kit.

Changing Your Windscreen Wiper Blades

2008-08-05T14:43:00.000+10:00

You have probably noticed that Miss Lizzy has only drawn me one car which is my hot Scarlet Buick. Sexy yes, but waterproof no!

Wiper blades that work well? No to that to. So i learn't how to change them myself. It’s often not until a rainy day comes along that you notice your windscreen wipers are scratchy or not cleaning your windscreen properly. If you’re not due for a car service for a while, then use this guide to change your blades. let me know how you go.

1. Purchase the right wiper blades for your type of vehicle. You can purchase them from either a general car care store or from a car dealership
2. Stand in front of your windscreen and gently lift the wiper arm away from the windscreen
3. On the front of the arm you will see a lever known as the ‘release lever’. Press on this lever, slide the blade down and out of the hook in the end
4. Slide in the new blade and ensure it is secure
5. Place the wiper arm back onto the windscreen and repeat on the other side

Need a good Mechanic?

2008-06-26T13:18:00.000+10:00

Female Friendly

Ever needed a car mechanic and have had no idea how to find a good one?
Well the girls at Female Friendly have come to the rescue!
Female Friendly Accreditation is a company that uses certain criteria to rate mechanics and those who pass the test get the FFA tick of approval.
Female Friendly Accreditation was established late 2007 after an Adelaide housewife and mother of 4 children discovered the need for Female Friendly mechanics to be recognised.

By logging onto the website www.femalefriendly.com.au you can look for an accredit ted mechanic in your area, leaving you with a feeling of confidence that you’re not going to get ripped off. You can jot the mechanics details into your Galmatic Handbook and have them ready in time for your next service.
If you know of a business, trade or service that you feel is Female Friendly™, visit www.femalefriendly.com.au and nominate them today. If you are the first person to nominate a business that successfully becomes Female Friendly™ Accredited you will receive a $50 Coles/Myer gift voucher! For more information visit the Female Friendly™ website or phone 1300 PINK TICK™.

Cleaning your Car Carpet

2008-06-26T08:43:00.001+10:00

Here are a few tips to clean the most common carpet stains in cars.

Vomit – Vomit is acidic so neutralise it with a mixture of water and baking soda. Remove lumpy vomit with a paper towel and then mix the water and baking soda into a paste and rub into the stain, vacuum up the remainder.

Alcohol – Wash immediately with cold water as allowing the alcohol to sit for too long may change the colour of your carpet – never drink and drive

Blood – do not use hot water as this will set the stain. Make a paste of laundry powder and cold water and rub into the stain. Blot with paper towel and vacuum remainder.

General stains – Vacuum carpet. Dampen a rag with cold water and detergent and rub over your car carpets and follow with a dry cloth. Leave car windows and doors open to ensure the carpet is thoroughly dry. Do not soak the carpet as this will give it a mouldy smell.

For more great car care tips grab yourself a copy of Galmatic - the Car Care Handbook for Girls

at www.galmatic.com

Hybrid cars

2008-06-18T10:11:00.000+10:00

There is quite a lot of hype about Hybrid cars in the news at the moment, so we thought it was a good idea to give you a brief rundown on them.

A hybrid car is a car that uses electricity as well as petrol to power the motor. It uses a conventional petrol engine which is supplemented by an electric power plant.
Hybrid cars are more environmentally friendly as they use, on average half the amount of fuel of a traditional petrol car of the same size.

Having smaller petrol engines, the electric power plant will kick in when you need more acceleration. It means you can drive a bigger car whilst still being fuel efficient.

Hybrid cars do drive a little differently as you can feel the engine switching from petrol to electric as you drive, especially in traffic.

Currently (2008) there are three hybrid cars available in Australia:
Toyota – Prius
Honda – Civic Hybrid
Lexus – 400h

Driving in the rain

2008-05-11T17:27:00.000+10:00

Tips for driving in the rain

We have some great driving in the rain tips in the Galmatic Handbook, but thought that it was a good idea to give you a few more now that we are entering the rainy winter months. For more basic tips refer to you Galmatic Handbook page 33.

What makes driving in the rain more dangerous?
§ A wet road causes your tyres to lose traction, making skidding more likely, especially when braking
§ It is harder to see the road ahead of you as visibility decreases
§ Headlights appear dimmer
Tips for safer driving
§ Do not use cruise control in the wet. Your foot will be away from the pedals, your focus will not be on braking and accelerating and if you start to skid the car may actually accelerate.
§ Be extremely careful if it hasn’t rained in quite some time. Engine oil and petrol can build up overtime. The first few hours of rain are the most dangerous, as continuous rainfall will eventually wash away the oil.
§ Don’t attempt to cross running water, try an alternate route or turn around and go back the way you came.
After you cross a puddle, tap on your brake pedal lightly to dry off some of the water on your rotors.
Don’t follow the car in front of you too closely. If they hit a pothole or deep water you will have time to react.

On those cold and rainy days there is nothing worse than a misty car windscreen that you cannot see out of.

Why does the windscreen fog up?
Put simply the window is cold and heavy with moisture and when you jump in with your warm breath, it quickly cools down creating more moisture which condenses on the nearest cold surface it can find: your car windows.

What can you do to solve this problem?
Turn on the air conditioner onto the demist cycle as this will work to remove the water vapour. Set the air conditioning onto warm and get toasty at the same time.

Stay Fuel efficient
Using the air conditioner in your car reduces fuel efficiency, so once the windscreen is demisted turn the air conditioning off.

Windows all steamy?

2008-05-07T13:36:00.000+10:00

On those cold and rainy days there is nothing worse than a misty car windscreen that you cannot see out of.

Why does the windscreen fog up?
Put simply the window is cold and heavy with moisture and when you jump in with your warm breath, it quickly cools down creating more moisture which condenses on the nearest cold surface it can find: your car windows.

What can you do to solve this problem?
Turn on the air conditioner onto the demist cycle as this will work to remove the water vapor. Set the air conditioning onto warm and get toasty at the same time.

Stay Fuel efficient
Using the air conditioner in your car reduces fuel efficiency, so once the windscreen is demisted turn the air conditioning off.

For more handy cartips grab a copy of the Galmatic Handbook http://www.galmatic.com/

Random Roadside Drug Testing

2008-04-24T14:11:00.000+10:00

With the introduction of roadside drug testing, it is even more important to work out your best form of transport before you go out, if you are going to be drinking or taking drugs this long weekend.

What drugs do they test for?
Delta -9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - cannabis
Methylamphetamine - speed, ice, crystal meth
Methylenedioxymethylamphetamine (MDMA) - ecstasy

How are you tested?
1. You are given a preliminary oral fluid test which involves you licking a test pad. It will take roughly 5 mins for a result
2. If you test negative you can drive away
3. If you test positive you will have to take a second oral fluid test, the result of which will take 20 mins. This will be done outside of your vehicle, but still roadside. If this test comes back positive you will not be charged, however you will be suspended for driving for the next 24 hrs. You will have to organise for someone to drive your car home.
4. Your second oral fluid test will be sent to the laboratory for testing. If the presence of any of the screened for drugs are detected you will be sent a Court Attendance Notice with the charge of driving with the presence of an illicit drug

What are the penalties?
First Offence
Maximum court imposed fine - $2,200
Maximum gaol term - 9 months
Maximum licence disqualification - unlimited, minimum - 6 months
Second Offence
Maximum court imposed fine - $3,300
Maximum gaol term - 12 months
Maximum licence disqualification - unlimited, minimum - 12 months

visit our website at www.galmatic.com

Which Unleaded Petrol do I use?

2008-04-16T10:25:00.000+10:00

Unleaded Petrol (ULP) RON 91 - 93

Fuel (petrol) is your cars main source of food and it is always healthy to keep your car with at least a quarter of a tank of fuel.
When you’re at the service station you will notice that there are a few different fuel options to choose from.

The main two types of fuel are Regular unleaded and Premium unleaded.
In 1986 Unleaded petrol was introduced to enable new cars to operate with a device called a catalytic converter. This device was designed to help reduce car exhaust emissions.

The difference between Regular and Premium unleaded petrol is the research octane number (RON) of the petrol, which is the level of a fuels compression performance.
Premium unleaded has a higher RON and some new cars have a manufacturer’s recommendation to only use Premium unleaded.
Check your car manual to see which unleaded petrol is best for your car.

Unleaded Petrol has a RON of between 91 and 93.

Premium Unleaded Petrol (PULP) RON 95

PULP is a special blend of petrol designed to bring high octane, and hence high engine power, as well as knock- free performance to unleaded cars with a high-octane requirement. Many imported cars including turbo charged are designed to run on this higher RON fuel.

98 RON

98 RON is a high-octane unleaded fuel that maximizes engine power and performance, as well as producing less pollution. It is often used by some imported and high performance vehicles.
98 RON is promoted as providing excellent fuel economy, has a sulphur content which is 10 times lower than the national standard for unleaded fuels, and has low levels of benzene, sulphur and lower aromatics.

Day Spa for Your Car

2008-04-14T21:23:00.000+10:00

Galmatic is excited to be stocking the premium car care product range Meguiars. Since 1901 Meguiars has been the number 1 choice for car enthusiasts around the world and is famous for creating a ‘best in class’ flawless finish for all car models, regardless of age!

Galmatic has put together some great car care packs to ensure that you are using products second to none on your gorgeous car!
Each pack comes in a beautiful Galmatic black calico tote bag and makes the perfect gift. With packs starting at just $20.00 there is sure to be the perfect one for you!

Competition

To celebrate the introduction of the Meguiars product range to Galmatic, we have a fabulous competition running. Everyone that purchases a Car Care pack in April goes into the running to win a gorgeous 24 piece mini tool kit, designed just for girls in an oh too cute pink pouch. Perfect to keep in the car boot, or at home for those last minute emergencies! Competition closes April 30th.

Car First Aid Kit

2008-04-14T20:57:00.001+10:00

The Galmatic First Aid Kit is a must for the car glove box, for that little emergency like a small cut, to the unfortunate event of a car accident.
The kit comes in a red, hardwearing, zippered case embroided with a cross, immediately idetifying it as a First Aid Kit. This is perfect for strangers to easily find it in the case of an emergency. The kit contains everything that you will need for immediate roadside First Aid.
The Galmatic First Aid Car Kit is compiled by Trafalgar First Aid and complies with the Therapeutic Goods Administration in Australia and complies with the relevant Australian Standards where applicable.
Don't be caught in am emergency without one.

More Petrol for your Money

2008-04-11T11:18:00.000+10:00

Fuel prices are a common topic in the media at the moment, so here are a few tips to help you minimise the amout of fuel you use and in turn maximise fuel efficiency, be kinder to the environment and save you money.

1. Make sure that you have the correct tyre pressure in your tyres. You can check this on your tyre placard which is most commonly located on the inside panel of the drivers door.

2. Do not carry excessive weight in your car. Keep your boot empty of things that you do not need.

3. Remove roof racks when not in use.

4. Keep your car serviced and change the oil regularly.

5. Accelerate at a moderate pace when you take off from the lights and drive consistently rather than accelerating and braking heavily

6. Use a higher Octane Petrol

Minimise Car Theft

2008-04-04T08:55:00.000+11:00

As you know all carparks have those signs that say "park at own risk", but often we do not head the warning!

Here are a few tips to make your car less attractive to a car thief.

Try to park close to other cars in the carpark, even if it means missing out on the shady spot in the corner of the carpark. A lone car is more open to being stolen.
Keep your car clean on both the outside and inside. A washed car is less likely to be stolen.
Always lock your car and take your keys.
Do not leave anything in the car that is visible. THIS IS ESPECIALLY CRUCIAL IF YOU OWN A GPS. Remove all GPS holding devices from view. Thieves walk around looking for the circle imprint on windscreens and smash windows to find the GPS in the glove box.
Money is a big draw card for thieves, do not leave any change in the console.
If you are going to leave valuables in the boot of the car, put them in at home, not when you are already parked at your destination.
If you have an alarm, remember to activate it.

Earth Hour

2008-03-27T20:16:00.000+11:00

Created to take a stand against the greatest threat our planet has ever faced, Earth Hour uses the simple action of turning off the lights for one hour to deliver a powerful message about the need for action on global warming.

About Earth Hour

On March 31 2007, for one hour, Sydney made a powerful statement about the greatest contributor to global warming – coal-fired electricity – by turning off its lights. Over 2.2 million Sydney residents and over 2,100 businesses switched off, leading to a 10.2% energy reduction across the city. What began as one city taking a stand against global warming caught the attention of the world.
In 2008, 24 global cities will participate in Earth Hour at 8pm on March 29. Earth Hour is the highlight of a major campaign to encourage businesses, communities and individuals to take the simple steps needed to cut their emissions on an ongoing basis. It is about simple changes that will collectively make a difference – from businesses turning off their lights when their offices are empty, to households turning off appliances rather than leaving them on standby.

To find out more jump onto www.earthhour.org above information taken from the earth hour website

Car Jacking

2008-03-22T20:15:00.000+11:00

Carjacking is when someone from the outside opens a door to your car and either attempts to steal something, remove you from the car and or steal the car whilst you are in it.
Carjacking often happens when you are stopped at a set of lights, pedestrian crossing or stop sign.

To minimise the possibility of being a carjack victim:

• Whilst driving, don’t leave your bag sitting on the front passenger seat with your wallet and mobile phone spilling out inviting trouble. Keep your doors locked and your car as tidy as you can.
• Be careful where you park your car. Do not park in side streets that are poorly lit, empty car parks or any area that makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
• Do not sit in your parked car for prolonged periods of time. Park your car and get out quickly. When returning to your car, especially at night, get in quickly, lock the doors and be on your way as soon as you can.
• Do not open your window or door to any strangers asking questions. Carjackers will often try to build trust with you before they rob you.
• Enjoy driving, but don’t party in the car, even if you’re at a set of lights or stuck in traffic. Always ensure that all of your passengers are sitting in a designated passenger seat and don’t let passengers put their feet on the dash. It is important to not have any body parts hanging out of the window, or roof if you have a convertible/sunroof. The more distracted you are the more vulnerable you are to carjacking.

Going for a drive this Long Weekend?

2008-03-18T22:17:00.000+11:00

Are you planning a long drive this weekend? Bags all packed, map marked and activities all planned. Have you remembered to do a quick safety check over your car?

1. Don’t forget to make sure your Galmatic Handbook is filled out correctly and in your glove box. Chapter 2 is all about your quick car check.

2. Check your tyre pressure and review the ‘how to change a tyre’ step by step guide on pages 22-23 of your handbook. If you don’t have a copy of the Galmatic Handbook, download these pages straight from the Galmatic website

www.galmatic.com/about.html

3. Fill your windscreen wiper fluid with water.

4. Check your oil (page 10 of Handbook), or check out our ‘Checking your Oil’ post.

5. Make sure the battery of your mobile phone is charged.

6. If you don’t have a First Aid Emergency Car Kit, pack a container with some bandaids, bandages, water, cotton buds, safety pins and antiseptic wipes, (all available from supermarkets or Chemists).

7. Make sure you have a street directory, maps of where you are going or if you have a Satellite Navigation double check that you have packed the car charger for it.

8. Have a fantastic drive, stay safe and remember to stop every 2 hours for a break.

Roundabouts - and how to use them!

2008-03-12T12:17:00.000+11:00

I learn't to drive a long time ago, way before roundabouts became as popular as they are now. Because I run the Galmatic Car Care Workshops I need to keep up to date with new road rules, however what does the average driver do?
One of the tricky things to negotiate are roundabouts. The following information should help, especially if they weren't around when you started driving.

The roundabout sign means Slow Down, prepare to Give Way and if necessary stop to avoid a collision.

So, as you're approaching a roundabout, you must get into the correct lane, indicate if turning, and give way to traffic already on the roundabout.

Enter the roundabout when there is a safe gap in the traffic.
Giving way
Slow down as you approach a roundabout. You must give way to traffic already on the roundabout if there is a risk of collision. Enter the roundabout when there is a safe gap in the traffic.
Indicating

When approaching a roundabout, if you are turning left or right, you must indicate left or right.
When exiting a roundabout, whether you are turning left, right or even going straight ahead, you must always indicate a left turn just before you exit, unless it is not practical to do so.

Single lane roundabouts
The rules for slowing down, giving way and indicating when approaching and exiting at roundabouts are the same for single lane and multi-lane roundabouts.

Cyclists and roundabouts
At roundabouts with two or more marked lanes or lines of traffic, a cyclist has the option of turning right by entering the roundabout from either left or right lanes. However, if the cyclist chooses to enter from the left lane, the cyclist must take care to give way to any vehicle leaving the roundabout.

Going left
1. Slow down and prepare to give way as you approach the roundabout.
2. On approach you must be in the left lane unless otherwise marked on the road, and indicate a left turn.
3. You must give way to traffic already on the roundabout if there is any risk of a collision.
4. Enter the roundabout when there is a safe gap in the traffic.
5. Stay in the left lane.
6. Keep your left indicator on until you have exited the roundabout.
Going right
1. Slow down and prepare to give way as you approach the roundabout.
2. On approach you must be in the right lane unless otherwise marked on the road, and indicate a right turn.
3. You must give way to traffic already on the roundabout if there is any risk of a collision.
4. Enter the roundabout when there is a safe gap in the traffic.
5. Stay in the right lane.
6. You must indicate a left turn just before your exit unless it is not practical to do so.
Going straight ahead
1. Slow down and prepare to give way as you approach the roundabout.
2. On approach you can be in either lane, unless otherwise marked on road.
3. When going straight ahead you do not need to indicate on approach.
4. You must give way to traffic already on the roundabout if there is any risk of collision.
5. Enter the roundabout when there is a safe gap in the traffic.
6. You must indicate a left turn just before you exit unless it is not practical to do so.