Dictionary

a-400: A 1931 Model A Ford convertible two-door sedan.

a-bone: Nickname for a 1931 Ford Tudor.

alternative fuels: Non-conventional fuels are fuels such as ethanol, methane and electricity stored in batteries. These fuels can be renewed.

amphibian: A vehicle that can be used on land as well as in water.

auction: A sale that is open to the public where automobiles and other merchandise is sold to the highest bidder.

b-400: A convertible two-door sedan built by Ford in 1932.

balonies: A nickname for wide tires, usually located on the rear.

bang shift: Also known as power shifting, this refers to quickly shifting a standard transmission.

beast: Slang term for an unattractive hot rod.

belly pan: The metal sheeting located underneath a street rod; serves to streamline the bottom of a rod.

billet: Aftermarket dress-up components that are usually made from aluminum.

binders: A term referring to the brakes.

biodiesel: Biodiesel can be used in diesel engines, but is made from biological sources rather than fossil fuels.

blower drive: A term describing the belt and pulleys that drive a supercharger.

blower: See supercharger.

blown engine: An engine that has a supercharger, or an engine that exploded.

bobbed: A term used to describe shortened fenders, sometimes applied to a shortened hood.

boost: An intake manifold pressure generated by aturbocharger or supercharger.

boots: A slang term for tires.

bored and stroked: Term describing engines that have had their cylinder walls enlarged and the crankshaft throw modified.

bottom end: A term referring to the lower portion of an engine; usually includes the crankshaft, flywheel, bearings and connecting rods.

box: A term referring to the transmission; can also refer to adding reinforcement to the frame.

bucket: A hot rod with a Model Tbody, also called a "Bucket T."

buggy sprung: A suspension based on the front and rear solid axels and left over from the pre-car era.

bull nose: A term referring to a chrome trim piece for the top of a hood.

bullet nose: A Studebaker built in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

cam: A nickname for camshaft, an engine piece that activates the valves.

cammer: A term referring to a single overhead V8 Ford engine.

car insurance: Car insurance is purchased to protect a car’s owner financially in case of accidents.

cc-ing: The accurate measuring of each cylinder or combustion chamber to equalize the volume in high performance engines.

ccs: A term describing 39 Ford Teardrop Headlights.

channel: The lowering of the body in relationship to the frame rails to reduce overall height of the vehicle.

channeling: A channeled car had had the body lowered without changing the suspension, resulting in a "heavier" looking car.

chop: Removing a section of the roofline horizontally to reduce its height.

chopping: A car that has it's roofline lowered.

CID: A term referring to the "Cubic Inch Displacement" of an engine.

conventional fuels: Fossil fuels such as petroleum and natural gas that are non-renewable.

coupe: A description for any car with two seats.

crank: A term meaning crankshaft; can also mean to go fast or "Crank on It."

crossover SUV: A crossover sports utility vehicle has the looks of an SUV, but is more fuel efficient than an SUV and can also be less expensive.

cruise: Slang term for driving in a laid-back fashion.

custom: Any type of stock car that has had extensivebody modifications.

deck: To remove the chrome and handles from the trunk or "decklid."

depreciation: The amount of value that a vehicle will loose over time.

deuce: A type of 32 Ford.

diesel fuel: A type of fossil fuel that burns more effectively than gasoline.

dig out: Slang term for quick acceleration.

digger: A term describing a dragster.

digs: Slang term for drag races.

drag racing: Drag racing is a race where cars race on a track for a given distance, with the first car over the finish line the winner.

drive chain: Motors using chains to transfer power similar to chains and sprockets on bicycles.

driveshaft: Used to run power from the engine to another appropriate place in the vehicle.

E.T.: Acronym for Elapsed Time, or the time it takes to run a quarter mile drag.

electric cars: Cars that are fueled by electricity from rechargeable batteries.

elephant: A term describing a 1964 or later Chrysler with a V8 andHemispherical cylinder heads, otherwise known as a "Hemi."