Register now to get rid of these ads!

Hot Rod terms that are no longer in common usage

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by adjustablejohnsons, Feb 15, 2011.

  1. MeanGene427
    Joined: Dec 15, 2010
    Posts: 2,307

    MeanGene427
    Member
    from Napa

    "Put a Chebbie in it"

    Proves that brainwashing IS reversible :p
     
  2. Bill Van Dyke
    Joined: May 21, 2008
    Posts: 810

    Bill Van Dyke
    Member

    Dumped, as in raked or lowered in the front. Jugs as in carbs. Pots as in carbs. Necker knob as in steering wheel spinner.
     
  3. babbitt beater for a chevy six
     
  4. bobscogin
    Joined: Feb 8, 2007
    Posts: 1,771

    bobscogin
    Member

    Blocks are decked, heads are milled, at least that's the terminology I learned. Your mileage may vary.

    Bob
     
  5. bobscogin
    Joined: Feb 8, 2007
    Posts: 1,771

    bobscogin
    Member

    If you were running on a 1/4 drag strip and switched over to 1/8 mile, you'd run a half race cam. ;)
     
    alanp561 likes this.
  6. insider
    Joined: Mar 11, 2009
    Posts: 58

    insider
    Member

    Wobble stick is the crank
    Bump stick is the Cam
    Loud Pedal is the gas
    Cleaning off the tires is what we call a burnout
     
  7. dudley32
    Joined: Jan 2, 2008
    Posts: 2,160

    dudley32
    Member

    Four in the floor and a fifth under the seat...d32
     
  8. Stroke: An owner whose mouth consistantly ran faster than his car ever did. ;)

    Cacklers: Raucous, loud, cheap, glass or steel packed mufflers. Often preceded with the name of an adjoining state, like "Tennessee Cacklers" or "Arkansas Cacklers". :rolleyes:

    Slush Box: Automatic transmission.
     
  9. propwash
    Joined: Jul 25, 2005
    Posts: 3,857

    propwash
    Member
    from Las Vegas

    'poked and stroked'....'chicken scratch' (laying rubber while turning a corner, mostly because your car was unable to smoke 'em from a dead start) "leaners" - taildragger drivers with their arms out the window, their finger hooked on the vent glass post and their shoulders right against the door (with the requisite Lucky Strike dangling from their lips) and some heifer sitting half on their lap....

    that's the way I remember it anyway...

    "four barrel carb with dual exhaust, 4-11 gears that can really get lost, safety tubes and I ain't scared, cuz the brakes are good and the tires are fair"
     
  10. Root66
    Joined: Oct 6, 2008
    Posts: 91

    Root66
    Member
    from Norcal

    "She arcs"...a really quick car.
     
  11. traffic61
    Joined: Jun 15, 2009
    Posts: 1,545

    traffic61
    Member
    from Owasso, OK

    "and a six pack in the back". At least that was how we Okies said it back in the day. Geez, "back in the day" makes me feel old...
     
    Last edited: Feb 15, 2011
  12. scott 351 wins
    Joined: Dec 22, 2009
    Posts: 434

    scott 351 wins
    Member

  13. Rickybop
    Joined: May 23, 2008
    Posts: 9,606

    Rickybop
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Fun thread.

    I've learned some old terms from the couple who live two farms down the road from us...my 91 yr old neighbors Lee and Norma...both born in 1919. They know I like the old cars, and Lee has joked about my "jittney". (an old term for "taxi") Norma says "gas-buggy". LOL.
     
  14. Kyron
    Joined: Dec 28, 2006
    Posts: 117

    Kyron
    Member
    from Peoria Az

    mags .........
     
  15. Francisco Plumbero
    Joined: May 6, 2010
    Posts: 2,533

    Francisco Plumbero
    Member
    from il.

    My old man used to call his Pontiacs "souped up" , Hi octane as "Ethyl", Nitrous powered cars ran on "goofy gas" "Neckers Knobs" A paint job that really shined a "Laquer Job'
     
  16. Atwater Mike
    Joined: May 31, 2002
    Posts: 11,625

    Atwater Mike
    Member

    My Mom called 'em 'underslung', and 'cut-downs', got it from the Anti Hot Rod news media, late '40s. (She knew better, but got a kick out of "rank slang".)
    When rakes were first coming in, they were called 'Dago drop', or the car was said to be 'dagoed'. In Santa Clara (CA,) it was called a "Portagee Dip". (satire for the large contingent of Portuguese guys active in 1954)
    Bored out was "punched", longer stroke was an "arm"...pistons were "slugs". Gears were "cogs", clutch was the "sticker". Rear end was the "butt". (a 9" butt) Not too many of those...Doh!
    Tires were "skins", but the "long skinny one" was the gas pedal...Brakes were "Binders".
    "Souped up" "twin pipes", "dual straights", header plugs were "draggin' irons".
    Lakes pipes were "Kickstands", (still are at this place!)
    Remember callin' T's "T-bones", and A's "A-Bones"? Converts were "Ragtops", natch.
    A cam was a "stick". Heads were "lids". A car was a "short". Pickup was a "hauler", but so was a rapid "short"...OHV engines were "jigglers" (for rocker arms) desirable engines were "Bent Eights" over "Six in a row". "Four barrel" was a 'banger' in those days. A new four barrel carburetor was always called a 'quad'. Blower was "wheeze", distributor was a "match" or "matchbox". A low performance driver was a "squirrel", and when they performed, it was called "Rank Show!" (usually peeling out in gravel, or water)
    A handbrake skid (semi-circle) was called "spinning a hooker", or a "brodie". (brodies could also be pulled off with the throttle, as in "donuts")
    Reversed rims were "punched" or "dumped" rims. "Shackled" in front was "hung".
    There are more...
     
  17. dudley32
    Joined: Jan 2, 2008
    Posts: 2,160

    dudley32
    Member

    but isn't it funny that these terms moved all across a Nation...and some only by word of mouth...d32
     
  18. Ruiner
    Joined: May 17, 2004
    Posts: 4,141

    Ruiner
    Member

    Blocks are decked, heads are shaved, bores are punched out, tires are shoes, ladder bars/traction bars, bellhousing is a clutch box, an SFI approved bellhousing is a bomb box, manual transmission is a gearbox, auto transmission is a slush box...I'm sure I'm forgetting some...
     
  19. carbking
    Joined: Dec 20, 2008
    Posts: 3,715

    carbking
    Member

    Riley carbs!

    The pretenders used 97's. The serious folk used Rileys.

    Jon.
     
  20. Rickybop
    Joined: May 23, 2008
    Posts: 9,606

    Rickybop
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

  21. Greezeball
    Joined: Mar 12, 2006
    Posts: 743

    Greezeball
    Member

    Ya! That's a POS with every POS from the JC Whitney catalog bolted to it. Ha ha ha.
     
  22. Frank
    Joined: Jul 30, 2004
    Posts: 2,325

    Frank
    Member

    I thought "Dago" was a not-so-PC term for Italians?

    My Dad always called the trunk the "turtle hull".
     
  23. codeblu
    Joined: May 11, 2006
    Posts: 606

    codeblu
    Member

    I used to hear oldtimers refer to the 260/289/302 Ford motors as "Thin wall Henry's"
     
  24. Francisco Plumbero
    Joined: May 6, 2010
    Posts: 2,533

    Francisco Plumbero
    Member
    from il.

    It may be, not sayin, but the guys I hung out with, all piesans would give you a face rub if you used that term.
     
  25. RDR
    Joined: May 30, 2009
    Posts: 1,480

    RDR
    Member

    HOT SHOE was a race car driver in the day...
     
  26. Greezeball
    Joined: Mar 12, 2006
    Posts: 743

    Greezeball
    Member

    non synchro gear box= crash box
    scatter sheild for SFI bell housing
    peg legger for open diff
    tiller for steering wheel
    shoes for rubber as in "I need a new set of shoes on account of layin' too much rubber"
    Here's an east coast Canadian term... "center head" for intake manifold on a V engine.
     
  27. Cogger ( manual trans ) corked or uncorked ( headers open or not ) meats (tires )
     
  28. flatheadpete
    Joined: Oct 29, 2003
    Posts: 10,479

    flatheadpete
    Member
    from Burton, MI

    Hot iron
    Gow job
    Soup job
    V8 Ford (Flathead)
    Overhead (not a flathead)
    Rail job
    Rail
     
  29. ---Wiggly stick = 4 speed stick.
     

Share This Page

Register now to get rid of these ads!

Archive

Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.

Atomic Industry
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2014 XenForo Ltd.