A

AAR 'Cuda:  A special version of the 1970 Plymouth Barracuda built to qualify the car for SCCA Trans-Am competition.

A-Body:  The General Motors (GM) designation for it's midsize line of cars.  Buick Skylark, Chevrolet Chevelle, Oldsmobile Cutlass and Pontiac Lemans series all shared this body design.

Aftermarket:  Any part or component that is bought or sold that is not original equipment included when the car was produced brand new.

B

B Pillar:  The door post behind the side window which extends from the body of the door to the roof.

Beauty Ring:  A thin chrome trim ring that snaps on to the outer lip on a painted steel rim. 

Big Block:  Any V8 engine in which most of it's components are physically bigger, normally consisting of a cubic inch displacement of 383 or higher. 

Billet:  Any part or component that is machined from a single solid piece of aluminum.

Blistering:  Bubbles that appear in the paint finish often months after it was applied.

C

Channel: To lower a car's body over the frame by cutting out the floor and rewelding them higher in the body.

Checking: Small cracks that from in a paint finish caused by excessive paint thickness.

Chop: To lower a car's roof by cutting out a portion of the posts that support it, decreasing the amount of window space.

Cowl: The area that is right below the windshield.

D

Deck: The removal of any protruding parts from the trunk area of the car such as chrome, handles and emblems.  Then welded and worked to give a car a smooth appearance from the back side.

Deck Lid: Also known as the trunk lid.

Double Pumper: A high performance carburetor that has a pump on both the primary and secondary sides instead of the common primary side.  

Driver's side: Is always the left side of the car.

E

EEC: Evaporative emissions Control system traps fuel vapors from escaping into the air from the gas tank.

F

Fender: The removable body panel that is at the front side of a car over the wheel.  Some cars of the 1930's and 40's also had these removable body panels over the rear wheels.

Filler Panel: The panel that is used to fill the space between the grille and the front bumper.

Fish Eye: A small crater like opening appearing in the paint finish after it has been applied caused by silicones on the surface.

Flathead:  Any 1932 to 1953 valve in head Ford or Mercury V8.

G

Gasser:  A drag racing class of the 1960's for full bodied, super charged cars that ran on gas.

Gearhead: A person that has an obsession with the automobile.

H

Header Panel:  The panel that is between the fenders just in front of the hood on cars where the hood does not extend all the way to the front of the car.

Highboy:  The stance of a car when the whole car is raised compared to stock.

I

J

K

K: The use of k instead of a c was something started by car great George Barris in the 1950's.  Used in words such a Kustoms and Kolors.

L

Leaded:  A lead, tin rod is melted to fill or contour body areas instead of using plastic body filler.

M

Meats: A term that is used to refer to the tires on a car.

Mill: A term that is used to refer to a complete engine assembly.

Mottling: When metallic paint is applied and the flakes flow together to from spotty or striped areas.

N

Nose: The removal of any protruding parts from the hood area of the car such as chrome, ornament and emblems.  Then welded and worked to give a car a smooth appearance from the front side.

O

Official Pace Car:  Any car that is used to pace the Indianapolis 500.

Orange Peel:  Rough paint finish much like that of the skin of an orange caused by the paint drying out too soon as it is sprayed. 

P

Pinstripe: A thin line over the body color that accents the body lines and contours or of design, either done with paint by hand or with vinyl tape.

Pizza Cutters: Tall, skinny tires.

Protect O Plate: A small metal plate about the size of a credit card that listed in code what options the car had when it was produced. 

Q

Quarter Panel: The body panel that is at the back side of a car, over the rear wheels, that is welded to make up part of the body.  

R

Rake: The stance of a car when the front is lower compared to the rear.

Rat Motor: A term that is used to refer to a big block Chevy engine.

Rear End: The complete rear axle assembly of a car.

Rocker: The body panel that is right below the door that runs from the back of the front tire to the front of the rear tire.

S

SCCA:  Sports Car Club Of America

Shave: The removal of any protruding parts from the sides of the car such as chrome, door handles and locks.  Then welded and worked to give a car a smooth appearance from the sides.. 

Slammed: To drop the body of a car closer to the ground by modifying the suspension.

Slug: A term that refers to a piston.

T

Tugboat: The stance of a car when the back is lower compared to the front.

U

Unilug: A rim that has oblong wheel stud holes so that it may be used on various cars with the same number of studs. 

V

VIN: Vehicle identification number which can indicate model, body style, engine, model year assembly plant and production number.

W

White Walls:  Tires that have a one to five inch white band in the middle of the sidewall.

X

X-pipe: Exhaust pipe welded in the shape of an X, placed after the exhaust manifolds or headers connecting the left and right pipe on dual exhaust.

Y

Z