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 Slang
A-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).
Beater: Can be a fairly new car but usually refers to an old
car or pickup, often used to chase down parts for the current project.
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.
Custom: Any car that has been altered, or customized with major
body modifications.
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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