Running your zoomy uncorked ???Hotrod Terms
You can feel intimidated, or sometimes even think you're hearing a foreign language from all the different "kustom kulture" terms bandied about at car shows or hot rod message boards. Following is a short primer. Okay, let's back up before you're really confused ... below you will read that "Suede" is slang for "primer," but that primer refers to the coating that goes on before paint. When a car has "suede," it sports the pre-paint primer coat only. The "primer" we are giving you is the quick, down & dirty connotation for some of the slang and terms bandied about in the hot rod culture!
Hot Rod Terms and SlangA-400: A convertible two door sedan built by Ford prior to 1932 A-bone: Model A Ford B-400: A convertible two door sedan built by Ford in 1932 Balonies: Big Bad Wide tires, usually on the rear Bang Shift: To quickly shift a standard transmission Banger: Cylinders in an engine. Often used with a number such as "six banger" meaning six cylinders. Base Model: The least expensive vehicle with the least amount of features as standard equipment. It has the smallest engine, often manual transmission, limited power equipment. Sometimes called a "stripper" or "stripped down" unit. Basket Case: Old term for a project car that is mostly disassembled (must be literally carried home in baskets).
Belly Pan: Metal sheeting underneath a street rod, to streamline the bottom of a rod Billet: Aftermarket dress-up components usually machined out of a solid bar (billet) of Aluminum. Binders: Brakes Blown Engine: An engine that has a Supercharger. Also, an engine that has a mechanical malfunction inside the block. Blower: Supercharger Blower Drive: The belt and pulleys that drive a Supercharger Bobbed: Shortened, usually done to fenders or frame rails, sometimes applied to a shortened hood Boost: Intake manifold pressure generated by a Turbocharger or Supercharger Boots: Tires Bored and Stroked: Engines that have had their cylinder walls enlarged and the crankshaft throw modified Bottom End: Refers to the lower portion of a engine and usually includes the crankshaft, flywheel, bearings and connecting rods Box: Transmission; can also refer to adding reinforcement to the frame. Bucket: Rod with a Model T body also called a 'Bucket T' Buggy Sprung: Suspension based on front and rear solid axels and left over from horse and buggy days Bull Nose: Chrome trim piece for the top of a hood Bullet Nose: A Studebaker built in the late 40's and early 50's California Rake: Downward angle of a car with a dropped front suspension (see Raked) Cam: Short for Camshaft, an engine piece that activates the valves Cammer: Usually refers to a single overhead V8 Ford engine CC-ing: The accurate measuring of each cylinder or combustion chamber to equalize the volume in high performance engines CCs: 39 Ford Teardrop Headlights Channel: Lowering the body in relationship to the frame rails to reduce overall height of the vehicle Channeled: Hot rod or custom car where the body has been dropped over the frame to reduce the profile or overall height. Chop: Removing a section of the roofline horizontally to lower the roofline. CID: Refers to "Cubic Inch Displacement" of an engine Coach: Sedan -- car body with front and rear seat accommodations (also a large RV) Continental Kit: Area to store the spare tire other than in the
trunk or undercarriage. Coupe: Car with just a front seat Crank: Crankshaft. Can also mean to go fast as in "Crank on It." Cruise: To drive in a laid back fashion Custom: Stock cars that have had extensive body modifications Deck: Removing the chrome and handles from the trunk or 'Decklid' Deuce: 32 Ford Digs: Drag Races Dig Out: Accelerate quickly Digger: A Dragster Dog Dish Hubcap: Baby moon hubcap Drop Axle: Front axle with a sharp downward bend as it leaves the wheel so it is lower than stock.
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