Unique descriptive words and phrases used within the hobby

[Rusty_OToole]

One thing that confused me on first encountering English car magazines was references to cars like the Morris 8 or Austin 12. In the US if you referred to a Ford 8 it meant 8 cylinders, or a Packard 12 had 12 cylinders. So I was impressed that these cars had such motors. Then I ran into the Austin 7, Rolls Royce 20/25 and the like. I finally worked out that they were talking about horsepower lol.

[Terry Bond]

4 hours ago, John Smeltzer said:

Also called a Hogs Head 

I think the most commonly used "hogs head" is the top of a Model T Ford transmission casing. That cover does resemble a "hogs head."

[Billy Kingsley]

This thread reminds me of the episode of the Simpsons where Grampa Simpson says "my car gets 40 rods to the hogshead and that's the way I like it"

[gossp]

On 5/26/2023 at 10:27 PM, Akstraw said:

 

of course, everyone knows what a “stuck” engine means, as well as an “unstuck” engine.

Over the weekend I had to deal with a “stuck” engine. It rotated freely but didn’t want to come out of the car!  

[Fordy]

11 hours ago, Rusty_OToole said:

One thing that confused me on first encountering English car magazines was references to cars like the Morris 8 or Austin 12. In the US if you referred to a Ford 8 it meant 8 cylinders, or a Packard 12 had 12 cylinders. So I was impressed that these cars had such motors. Then I ran into the Austin 7, Rolls Royce 20/25 and the like. I finally worked out that they were talking about horsepower lol.

I have a couple of Ford 10's - I believe both of them have had several of those escape the corral and the rest seem ready for the Knackers yard! They seriously played with the numbers -

A lot of European makes quoted a "taxable horsepower" number to gain a cheaper registration and insurance than the larger cars

[8E45E]

When the British import a car from North America, or Continental Europe, its usually a 'left hooker' to them.    But when they import a JDM car from Japan, its a 'right hooker' like what they are used to!

 

Craig

[1937hd45]

"Rat Rod" still works, listed a license plate bracket last night and added it to the title, it was sold and paid for this morning. 

[arcticbuicks]

runs like a tom cat in a creamer.........a real cream puff-never been hit by a milk truck..........if it ran once -it will run again...........rides like cloud 9.........tuned suspension [gm 1980s dash logo].........its a real granny go to town ....or grannie grocery getter.........a perfect first car..........a true boulevard beauty.........this is not a car..... its a fine automobile !

[arcticbuicks]

why were old IHC trucks called 'corn binders' ?..........Dave might know ?

[The 55er]

"Highway Miles" a term coined by an area used car shark trying to sell all the overpriced 150,000-180,000 mile beaters off the lot. "Had E-Z Pass". BTW if you went into the junkyard and asked for a "punkin" all the car guys & salvage yard workers in the place knew exactly what you were talking about. 

[zepher]

On 5/27/2023 at 10:44 PM, Bloo said:

The removable center section of a rear axle if it has one. Punkin, Pumpkin, Third Member, or Chunk.

 

 

I've also heard them referred to as the 'third member'. 

[Mark Gregush]

On 5/27/2023 at 8:10 PM, Bloo said:

Back to the matter at hand.... Has anyone brought up "punkin" yet?

 

Center section of a Ford Model T rearend housing. 

[Pfeil]

On 5/26/2023 at 4:08 PM, Fordy said:

Working with old cars I often get the "pleasure" of stripping off that hard compacted combination of grease dirt and oil that seems to defy all efforts to remove it but simply stays where it is and seems to be taunting me with "Keep trying buddy, I've been here for 100 years and I aint moving now".

So that got me wondering - is there a word or phrase that describes this stuff?

You know what I mean. Something that when you get asked what you have been doing and you can reply "dealing with ????" and the enquirer will instantly know your pain.

What other words and phrases are out there?

We have "tin worm" for rust issues

"Prince of darkness" for Lucas electrical problems.

 

There must be more and if not let's get creative and add to the dictionary by inventing some. - Let the fun begin.

Working with old cars I often get the "pleasure" of stripping off that hard compacted combination of grease dirt and oil that seems to defy all efforts to remove it but simply stays where it is and seems to be taunting me with "Keep trying buddy, I've been here for 100 years and I aint moving now".

So that got me wondering - is there a word or phrase that describes this stuff?

 

Yes I understand. It goes like this: O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you in the day of my distress. Incline your ear to me; in the day when I call, answer me speedily. Then something usually happens and it all falls into place.

[Michael Yount]

On 5/27/2023 at 5:14 AM, Dandy Dave said:

The correct term for this stuff is "Road Grime." It is a mix of oil, grease, and coolant that has leaked out and dust, dirt, and sometimes road oil, or asphalt, before it has cooled enough to stay stuck to the road. Mineral Spirits works well to remove it but be prepared to get really dirty as the layers come off. 

We always referred to it as "gunge" or "nasty gunge".....

[TAKerry]

I get a kick out of some of those. While I was restoring my Trans Am my wife affectionately referred to it as 'that P O S in the garage'. She still will let that out once in awhile but I think she has warmed up to it a  bit.

 

On another note the 'Classic' comment. When I was a kid my best friends uncle referred to any older car as a 'Classic'. I suppose at the time as kids we thought of 30's cars as classics. He would see a mid 60's something and say 'thats a classic'. We would start to mock him and every car we saw that wasnt brand new was a classic. I still think of him when I hear that reference.

[Dandy Dave]

21 hours ago, arcticbuicks said:

why were old IHC trucks called 'corn binders' ?..........Dave might know ?

They built reaper binders, and corn binders, long before they built trucks. Cyrus McCormick invented the first practical Reaper Binder and was IHC's founder. A lot of farm boys became truck drivers and the slang term was coined by them from the hours they spent in the field with one of these units often pulled by horses. In later years as the tractor became more popular many of these units had the horse pole sawed off and fixed so that a farm tractor could pull it. Someone still had to ride in the seat fixed to the binder to work the controls. These things road ruff riding on iron wheels. Another term comes to mind. "It rides like a stone boat." Horses were still being used on most farms before WWII and faded after the war when tractors became more practical. IHC was heavily in producing trucks long before that happened.  

 

Edited May 31, 2023 by Dandy Dave (see edit history)

[arcticbuicks]

i figured you would Dave

[1937hd45]

McCormick's invention also allowed the harvest to be collected quickly with less people, that really mattered during the Civil War.

[Dandy Dave]

10 hours ago, 1937hd45 said:

McCormick's invention also allowed the harvest to be collected quickly with less people, that really mattered during the Civil War.

Yes. It is quite amazing how we went from waking along with a grass scythe or corn knife to harvest crops when the country was young to the mechanization we have now. Horse Power in harness got us where we are.    

[TAKerry]

1 hour ago, Dandy Dave said:

Yes. It is quite amazing how we went from waking along with a grass scythe or corn knife to harvest crops when the country was young to the mechanization we have now. Horse Power in harness got us where we are.    

Where I live 'horse power' is still very much alive and tilling the ground.

[dictator27]

Double declutch = double clutch

Estate car = station wagon

Dickey seat = rumble seat

Joint washer = head gasket

Drop head coupe = convertible

(The French term is interesting - decapotable - which literally means decapitated.

Edited June 1, 2023 by dictator27 (see edit history)

[Buick35]

Somebody told my dad that his cars been "ribbrubbed",I guess meaning hit on the side. I often wondered why people say they want to reiterate when they never say I want to iterate. Back to ribbrubbed,I think he was driving his duece and a quarter or maybe his long tailed dog(l.t.d.) 

[TAKerry]

I had rubbed ribs the other night?  Sorry, couldnt help myself.