Thread: How about a Glossary of terms?

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Hey guys, what about having somewhere here or elsewhere a glossary? sometimes I read something and am not sure the definition. I.e.

what constitutes a hotrod vs. a streetrod? Gasser? Lowboy versus Hiboy?

I know that I would find it useful, and think that a lot of the newbies into this (which i am one of) would also find it useful.

Thanks guys.

Red

I didn't see "Gasser" in there. I'll try to help.

"Gasser": Slang for a car that would drag race in the classes designated "Gas Coupe Sedan". Classes ranged from AA/G down to J/G. Double letters meant the car was supercharged.

The class rules required a near-stock bodied car, with the engine set back no more then 10% of the wheelbase, from the front spark plug to the center of the front axle, unless they came from the factory that way.

The cars could be mildly chopped, or sectioned to remove body height, but could not have other major body modifications to improve aerodynamics. They also had to have functioning lights, wipers, and rear bumper.

They had to run on pump gas, which probably lead to the class name.

This is the traditional home of most Willys, English Austins, and English Ford (Anglia) racecars.

The term is being used in recent times to broadly describe early bodied street rods, but these often do not resemble the appearance of a true Gas class car.

Always was curious about the straight axles on gassers.
I thought that was a requirement also?

So our 51' Effie with the 429 would be a Street Machine not a street rod or hotrod?

Also, is "classic" sometimes interpreted differently? Most people I know consider classic to be pre-70.

Thanks for the post! That must have been a bear to type, I am sure it will be worth it though. it actually creates questions for me. (like if you Mold the body seams on our truck, which would be fender to body for instance, then after some driving, and some hard launches, wouldn't this tend to crack?)

Red

Originally Posted by SBC

Always was curious about the straight axles on gassers.
I thought that was a requirement also?

Not a requirement,.... but a common practice. It raised the front end in a time when tire technology was crude, and weight transfer from a higher center of gravity helped a lot.

Denny will be taking a nap for the next few hours, and soaking his fingers too. Very comprehensive Denny. Good job.


And for some slang terms:

TRIPS..........three carb setup/ AKA tripower

JUGS...........nickname for carbs, usually of the two barrel variety. Can also be
called "pots" as in two pot manifold.

HUFFER........ another name for a supercharger. An engine can also be called
"Huffed."

"C" ed..........A frame modification to cut a C or U shape out of the bottom of
frame rail to give clearance, usually for a rear axle assembly.

"Z" ed..........A modification to the frame profile to lower the car. A leg is
added to drop the center of the frame down lower. Can be "Z"ed
in the front of the frame or the rear.

SUICIDE FRONT END... Generally a straight axle front end that has the cross
spring mounted behind the axle. Also called a "Bulldog" front
axle. Reason for the name is that if the spring breaks, the front
end can drop down and you commit, er........suicide.

BOB TAIL..... Usually a rod like a T bucket that has no bed or turtledeck, just
a gas tank mounted behind generally.

COWL STEERING....A setup where the steering arm exits the side of the cowl
section of the car and the drag link runs parallel to the ground.

SLUSH BOX....Another name for an automatic transmission.

GRANNY GEAR...generally refers to a truck transmission with a very low first g
gear.

HAIRPINS.......Also called radius rods or wishbones. The long steel pieces
used to locate front and rear axles. Usually seen on straight
axled cars.

TUBE AXLE.....A straight axle made from round, hollow steel stock.

I BEAM AXLE... The type used on most original Fords from the very earliest
years up until 1948. Profile is like an I beam.

PUMPKIN........Normally refers to the removable center section of something
like a 9 inch Ford rear axle. Also called a Hogs Head.

Thats all I can think of right now.

Don

Denny, I assumed you made that post using a list you had. If you typed it all, I'm impressed! :-)

I'm shocked thet the terms we spent decades defining are being lost today, or used for things that are quite different. I try to remember that we did it to our elders too. :-)

Your the master, Denny. It'd take me a year to remember all that and about that long to type it too!!!!!

I didn't realize how many terms were created over the years!