In hi school from 1946-1950, in Inglewood, Ca. I heard a lot of car related names, but never a "GOW JOB", I'm almost certain this term came from the Eastern part of the USA.----Maybe Cuzin Bruce knows(?).
I have copies of several personal photographs from Dode Martin (NHRA Hall of Fame, and co-founder of Dragmaster) and a photo of one of his early hotrods was captioned; "gow job" from 1949. This was taken in north San Diego County. I don't know where the term started, or claims to have started, but this puts it in use in SoCal in 1949...
I don't know if it's an East thing or a West thing. I just thought it referred to a stripped down car with enough speed equipment to make it go fast with little concern for how it wound up looking..in essence, speed not style or comfort was the main objective.
Quote: <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Originally Posted by M.Edell I knew this chick who gave great "gowjobs" once. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> <!-- / message -->
First time I recall hearing the term would have been the mid to later '60s and at the time it referred to a contemporary hot rod was not a beater or jalopy. The term hasn't changed much in its usage as far as I can see it still refers to a contemporary hot rod as opposed to a traditional hot rod. It may or may not be an insult depending on the context of what is being said. For instance if you show pics of your car and I say something along the lines of steel wheels on a street rod doesn't make it traditional you should probably be offended. On the other hand I can appreciate a well built street rod so if I compliment a contemporary car then it is most likely a genuine compliment. But just so that you won't be wondering if I call you a street rodder you don't need to guess at all you were just insulted. Now there is a term that I see used in the magazines lately that I personally find offensive. I know that there are a lot of editors that pay attention to this site so if you see this you might mention it. As of late the popular term for us traditionalists is throw back rodders, I think it was originally used to refer to the rat rod bunch but has begun to encompass all of us that revere tradition. If you must put us in a box I think that traditional is good or something that sounds a little less Neanderthal.
Go Jobs were hot rods before hot rods had the name. First was the Go Jobs, usually a T Ford because you could get speed equipment for them even in the 20's, later (30's) it was Soup Jobs and of course Jalopies (which were actually the earliest versions of stock car racing)then came the Hot Rods in the late 40's which are now the traditional cars. Last but no disrespect are the Street Rods which are generally creature comfort cars that look like Hot Rods but differ in philosophy. MY 2 cents. Drive-um they are cars!
Stripped down Model T era car with a fairly stock engine and only what you need to gow. Less weight meant the car could go faster than a stocker. Probably bought for under 25.00 and stripped down the same day by guys in the 30's. Dad and his buddy had a 20 something Chevrolet that was stripped down like that if I can ever find the photo that should be at my sisters place.
It's a East Coast term for a channeled Hot ROd that had Cycle Fenders on the front, Bobbed Fender on the rear that were moulded to the body. Usually Chrome Nerf Bars Front and Rear. And the Top Hood Panel usually one piece. That what I was raised to Know a "GowJob" was!! The Old Tinbasher
I never heard the term until the last 10 years. Here in Ky. it seems to mean the same term as RATROD.
I think its when she takes her teeth out? When we're sure that we have this truly defined, can we move to the definitive definition of jitney!
Gow Job - This is almost the same as another "job" with the difference being the girl. Let's say you drag one out of the local watering hole for a little R and R in the backseat, she looked good under the neon lights, but when your interior light hits her, it makes you go "GOOOW". You are still buzzed and don't want it to be a waste so instead of "full contact" you settle for a Gow Job!
Watch from 7:44 to get Isky's point of view. <object width="640" height="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ERy-ahG0-uI?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ERy-ahG0-uI?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="480" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>
I have a six page storey removed from a comic book titled "JALOPY JOCKEYS" which on the first page refers to "GOW JOBS" and "HOT IRONS". Whilst it is undated on the last page they refer to S.C.T.A. boys as being born drivers and mechanics ready to take on Hitler, so I presume it must date from 1942 - 43. So far I am having no luck in scanning and attaching any images to this post. My lack of computer skills is very evident here !! How do I get from a scanned image to an attachment? (if that is the correct term!)
Up until the twenties drugging of horses on the race tracks was accepted as part of racing. A horse that suddenly showed a surprising turn of speed was usually drugged. Gow or hop were slang terms for opium. Read some hard boiled detective stories from the thirties, or forties. They are full of "gowed up hoodlums" and "hopped up punks". These were common underworld terms. It's a small step from there to the race track. Another term that baffles people is "souped up". What does chicken noodle have to do with fast cars? Well soup was an underworld term for nitroglycerine. Nitro was not available to the public but it was part of a safe cracker's tool kit. They had to extract the nitro from dynamite in order to blow a safe. They called it soup in case the wrong person happened to overhear, possession of nitroglycerine was the same as possession of burglar tools. Special racing fuel was made by the major oil companies. An old friend who worked for a motorcycle dealer in the twenties told me how they would pick it up from the Shell depot on race day, in 5 gallon cans. At the end of the day he would pour the leftover fuel in his Model T hot rod - and set new records on the drive back to the city ha ha. I never heard the racing fuel called soup but it would not surprise me.
The Jalopy Journal
