A: “A person who guns his motor and burns his tires at inappropriate times.”

 

It’s just one of the many interesting terms of hot rod jargon you’ll find in this glossary, provided by automotive writer Jim Maxwell.

 

A-BONE

Model A Ford

 

ANCHORS

Brakes

 

BANZAI

Getting peak performance

 

BENCH RACING

Talking about racing

 

BENT EIGHT

An eight-cylinder engine that has a V-block design

 

BINDERS

Brakes

 

BLACKY CARBON

Another word for gasoline, usually from those that run exotic racing fuels like nitromethane

 

BLUE DOTS

Circular purple-colored taillight inserts

 

BOBBED

Shortening of the body of a car, or the fenders

 

BOX

Short for gearbox, transmission

 

BUMP STICK

Camshaft, called this because of the rising lobes

 

CHANNELLING

Lowering the body of the car (cutting the floor) to bring it closer to the ground

 

CHERRY

Like new, in perfect or near-perfect shape

 

CHOP

Removing a section of the roof to provide a lower profile

 

COG

Rear end gear, or transmission gear

 

COUPE

A two-door closed car

 

DECKED

Removal of chrome, trim and emblems on the truck lid

 

DEUCE

Deuce as in the number two, used to reference the 1932 Ford, including roadster, coupe and sedan.

 

DROP THE HAMMER

To dump the clutch in a rapid manner; to engage the clutch instantly at the start of a run

 

DUMP TUBES

Part of the exhaust system when the covers are removed to provide full open exhaust (same as lake pipes)

 

DUVALL WINDSHIELD

A streamlined V-ed and swept-back windshield that was first introduced by George DuVall in the late 1930s

 

FIVE-WINDOW

A coupe with two side windows, five windows total including the rear, not counting the windshield.

 

FLAMETHROWER

High capacity ignition system. Also, when a sparkplug is mounted to the end of an exhaust pipe (and spark is activated) causing a large shooting flame for dramatic effect

 

FLATHEAD

An early style engine where the valves are located in the block, most often a Ford V-8 when relating to hot rods

 

FLIVVER

A 1908-’27 Ford Model T specifically; however, back in the day, any old inexpensive small-sized car from that era

 

FRENCHING

Fitting hoods over headlights to give the appearance of being recessed. This technique can also apply to other features like an antenna

 

FUELIE MOTOR

A small-block Chevrolet engine that came factory-fitted with the Rochester mechanical fuel injection system

 

FULL HOUSE

An engine that is fully modified in every way, short of being supercharged

 

GET RUBBER

To burn rubber when speed-shifting between the gears, most usually happening when under full acceleration and upshifting

 

GLASS

Short for fiberglass

 

GREASE MONKEY

A mechanic that works on cars, typically doing an oil change or unskilled chores

 

HACK

Another term for hot rod

 

HAIRPIN

In reference to a style of suspension radius rod; could be from the front or rear, a tubular component that looks like a jumbo-sized hairpin

 

HENRY

A Ford automobile

 

HIDES

Tires, burning the hides

 

HIGHBOY

In reference to a Ford (coupe, roadster or sedan) from 1932 and earlier that has the fenders and running boards removed, where the body is sitting up on the frame rails as per the original design. The suspension can still be lowered on a highboy, however the body isn’t channeled

 

HONKER

An extremely fast car

 

HUFFER

Supercharger

 

JOHNSON ROD

There’s no such component on a car, but when you can’t find what’s really ailing on your engine you blame it on the Johnson rod

 

JUG

Carburetor

 

LAKERS

“Lake Pipes” where the exhaust system (usually headers) has easily removed caps to allow for full, un-muffled exhaust, delivering maximum power

 

MILL

Engine

 

NOSED

Smoothing the front portion of the hood, eliminating the hood ornament and filling in the holes

 

PINK SLIP

Certificate of vehicle title in California, the color of the paper used on the document from the Department of Motor Vehicles

 

PORTED

When an engine has its intake and exhaust ports enlarged for more flow capacity

 

RAKED

Where the stance of a car is modified; a lowered front end

 

RELIEVED

Clearing away material from the intake valve ports for increased airflow

 

ROADSTER

An open car with a single seat for the driver/passenger, two or three people, no side windows, and a removable top

 

SCALLOPS

Designs that are painted on a car that incorporate a rearward flowing spear, usually tapered to a sharp point

 

SECTIONED

The removal of a horizontal portion or section of the body of a car

 

SHAVING

The removal of emblems/trim and/or door handles for customizing

 

SLUG

Piston

 

SLUSH PUMP

Automatic transmission

 

SNOWBALLS

Wide whitewalls

 

STOVEBOLT

Chevrolet engine

 

STROKED & BORED

An engine modified with a longer stroke (the distance the piston travels vertically in the cylinder) and bored-out cylinders, both of which increase cubic-inch displacement

 

SQUIRREL

A person who guns his motor and burns his tires at inappropriate times

 

T-BONE

Model T Ford

 

THE TRAPS

The light beams at the end of a drag strip for measuring speed and elapsed time

 

THREE-WINDOW

A coupe with side windows in the doors only; three windows total including the rear, not counting the windshield

 

TUCK-AND-ROLL

An upholstery technique where the material is tucked into pleats, creating a richer, more three-dimensional appearance

 

Z-ING

Lowering the car by cutting notches in the frame rails