Hot Rod terms that are no longer in common usage

Bill - I have two of them, one built, the other in buckets. I think you might be the only other one here that knows about these! PM me if you want the gory details!

I read the WHOLE thread (took a while), and am enjoying every bit! Most of these I still use, or hear at the dirt track every week. Some of them seem regional, and vary slightly (foot "feed" vs. "feet", etc.). After all the pages it's blurry, but I didn't see:

"popcorn" = all the "gee-gaw" bolt on JC crap

"slam-" or "speed-shifting" = not using the clutch to it's full potential (learned a LOT about Saginaws in those years!)

"sleeper" = stock appearing, but it will blow your doors off

"whippin' shitties" = donuts

My grandfather liked politics, and re-assigned names to things using president's initials - my favorite was our Ford "LBJ" (LTD).

I met a fella from the not-so-nice part of town once, that told me he had a "duece-and-a-quarter with a leaner and a slider". He drove an Electra 225 with a center armrest and a sunroof.

Great thread! Keep 'em comin'!

 

ain't seen it yet but i may blind " BALLS TO THE WALL OR NOTHING AT ALL!"

 

In my neck of the woods that was a cross between and go rod and a show rod.

 

Where I came from a shaker was a chevy.

 

to describe one's mother's car a "grocery getter".

Ironically, some guys actually are hot rodding 4 doors and wagons now.

 

How about the term "bumpstick" for camshaft. As in "that dude's got a custom bumpstick" meaning an aftermarket cam.

Jerome

 

im 17 and i still use and know most of theses terms.lol

 

Door slammers

 

Has anyone mentioned "suicide knob"?

 

I said that the other day when I was teaching wife to do a burnout.

 

"may pops" will be added to my vocabulary as soon as I get the opportunity! I've got some "may pops" on Her right now!!

 

also known as wrist breakers.

 

and Neckers Knob.

 

here in the far northeast we're blessed with some of the most colorful language out there. I'm young (27), but here's some of the car-related stuff i've heard come from the mouths of old yanks.

four banger
sixpot (6 cylinder)
binders (brakes)
slushbox
crashbox (manual trans, but not necessarily non synchro)
Buckeye (Buick)
Ponch (Pontiac)
Flatty (i've heard used to refer to flatheads and flathead screwdrivers)
Beat 60, as in "Frank an i was doin beat 60 down Puddledock road yest'day"
Let Her Walk, as in "you got open road now, sonny! Let her walk!"
Shit the Bed, as in "mum's old Ford finally shit the bed"
Dust Him Off, as in "he's tryin to pass you! Dust him off!"
Triple Clutch, as in "triple clutch that sonofawhore!"
Into the Willywags, as in "my idjit brother was tryin to show off but put her into the willywags"

zero... once there was a riceburner type car tailgating me and my grandfather said, "you got a zero on your six!"

 

a few more...


leaning tower of power
underslung- to get her down in the weeds
no replacement for displacement
stand on it
stay in it
makin a pass down the ol' 1320
6=8
dress her up
lead foot
light to light
shotgun 429& cammer
that baby will really move

 

heard carbs called pots and peel rubber

 

.... I opened the VENT WINDOW all the way and let the cool air blow inside....

 

A-Bone--- Model A Ford
A-Bomb--- Model A modified
Alky--- alcohol
Asphalt Slicks--- tires with the treads shaved down for better traction
Baldy---- well worn tires
Beast--- hot rod with lots of power
Belly Tank--- reallly i need to tell you this??
Binders --- brakes
Blow-off --- best the other guy in a race
Break Loose --- spinning wheels
Dig Out --- burn rubber
Dragging Wagon ---- hot rod built for drag racing
Dust Off --- same as blow off
Garbage --- cheap and unnecessary decorations that spoil the cars looks
Getting a Bite --- tires hold traction
Goat --- other guys car or poor performing car
Goodies --- parts to boost engine performance
Gooker --- stock car dressed with accessories that make it look fast but it isn't
Herd --- to drive a hot rod
Iron --- heavy car
Jug --- carb
Moon --- smooth round hub cap
Mother Head --- hot running bomb on wheels
Nerf --- to push other car
Pot --- carb
Pot Out --- engine breakdown
Prune --- outrun another car
Pull'er Down --- take engine apart
Skins --- tires
Snap Shift --- speed shift
Squirrel --- guy who drives a gooker
Storm --- drive fast

 

granny gear = really low 1st gear usually in old trucks that were also called stump pullers
lead sled = lowered late 40's early 50's customs usually Mercs or the like
fuelie = fuel injected
land yacht = big car (boat)
five finger discount = steal something
Georgia (or state you are in) high sign = give someone the bird
shade tree mechanic = someone who works on their rides at home usually under a tree
Just to name a few I didn't see...

 

"Not firing on all eight" - for someone who "wasn't all there"

 

Foot into the carbs...full throttle
Slushbox.................automatic trans
Submarine races.......parking along Lake Michigan for some canoodling.
Spring test...............Trying to fill your car with all your friends
Flip a Ubangi............U-turn
Pancake..................customisers term for lowering the high crown of a 50s car hood and/or reshaping the opening.

 

'cheap gas'

 

Me too. Sounds to me like it came from our Aussie friends.

 

Street Rod




"Hey man, that's sano!"- adj.; sanitary, clean, detailed

Dizzy- I'm an ocker (aussie) & I use that term.

 

I came from the San Diego, CA area and in 1954 we had a group of good Hispanic mechanics show up with a early version flathead Ford powered slingshot. They ran good and were funny to watch in the pits as they went about getting ready for the next race. We wolfed down sandwiches. They had Tacos. We had soda pop. The had Cactus Squeezin's"; they finally told us they had a Team name. They were the "Bean Bandits" and man do I miss those guys. They really had a show going all the time at the Paradise Mesa Drag Strip pits. They put a 180 degree crank in the flathead and wanted to be entered as a Four banger because it sounded like it was running on four cylinders.
Normbc9

 

We're still around. The Bean Bandits have been and still are running several land speed cars at El Mirage and Bonneville. Racing, havin' fun and setting records. Come out to a meet and check it out.

A bunch of us will also be running our personal machines at the King of Clubs drags at Barona Drag Strip (just north of San Diego) in July. Come and check that gig out, it's definately a blast.

 

Running for "pinks."

 

"Squirrel" - an unskilled dangerous driver

 

I hate the old term "Gow Job". It looks too much like Blow Job, and makes me want to pronounce "Gow" like "Cow".

I don't care how old it is, it's just not cool to me. To many issues.