Hot rod word orgin

Word origins start in a lot of different ways so it's murky water when you go back 100 or more years to try to figure it out. Another similar term used referring to something going really fast is likely similar in origin when referring to "as fast as a scalded *** ape".

A hot rod placed next to someones behind would tend to speed them up a bit to stay away from it. I know as thick skinned a calves are, they will run away pretty fast after you hit them with a branding iron. Maybe I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure it's in reference to how fast they go.
 
If Speedy Bill smith was still with us, I bet he would know. I looked for his museum on the web just now and came up short. Is Speedway still in the family? Is the museum still there?
there, and Speedway still run by Bill's four sons.

EDIT: I found the website. https://www.museumofamericanspeed.com/history.html

Speedway is still run by family. With Bill's collection of early speed equipment and curiosities, there may be an answer to the question.

I do know that early farm Model T's would be called a "Cut Down" after farm kids would remove fenders and hoods.
 
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Before hot rod, many “hot rods” were referred to as gow jobs. Then shortened to gow. As in, that car’s got gow. Not sure when or how hot rod originated from gow job.
 
There have been several articles over the years in Rod magazines on the topic of the origin of the term Hot Rod. As I remember there was never a clear answer, even the old original Hot Rodders don't seem to know what it referred to.
 
AS to the origin..? Doubt anyone would really know..
However I know what one is.


Hot rod; No valve covers , three pedals and tools in the trunk
Street rod [all else]; Scrub engine , auto and polishing cloths in the trunk....
 
According to Dean Batchelor (from his book "The American Hot Rod", no concrete evidence was found suggesting the exact date, but believe the first usage of "hot rod" wasn't until after WW11.
 
V8 Bob said:
According to Dean Batchelor (from his book "The American Hot Rod", no concrete evidence was found suggesting the exact date, but believe the first usage of "hot rod" wasn't until after WW11.
Click to expand...

I recall reading that as well. I may be off the mark, but I thought I recall reading it may have come from the translation of a word the G.I.'s picked up over seas. Didn't some of the G.I.'s hop up their Jeeps on some of the islands?
 
I've read the term used to describe a young person that is reckless in their behavior from books that were published in the 19th century before road going motor vehicles were in use. I wished I had an title for one but my memory doesn't work as well as it used to. I think it was transferred over to refer to the vehicle after folks would state, "there goes that hot rod again" when they were actually referring to the driver of the vehicle.
 
I have a friend who re-constructed the King's Special, which was originally raced in Thunder Bay Ontario. That was an early Hot Rod. It had a Roof Overhead cam on the T engine.
Cheers, Byron.
 

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Since roadsters were the favored race car in the early days because they had a weight advantage, roadster was soon referred to a "rod" and if the car was "hot" (i.e. "fast"), it was referred to as a "Hot Rod".

Just the teenage jargon of the time - no different than "cool !", "far out", "groovy" and all the words kids come up with the be different from their parents. It's the "cat's pajamas" !!

My story and I'm stickin' to it.
 
This is fun

"[FONT=&quot]gow[/FONT][FONT=&quot] job[/FONT][FONT=&quot] (GOW) n. Early (generally pre-World War II era) expression for what would later become known as a HOT ROD, namely a vehicle extensively modified in a “home-built” manner to provide improved performance. Term possibly derived from the expression to GOW OUT, or may be a permutation of “go-job.”[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]- [/FONT][FONT=&quot]The Ultimate Hot Rod Dictionary – A-Bombs to Zoomies, Jeff Breitenstein, 2004, Motorbooks International, MBI Publishing Company, Galtier Plaza, Suite 200, 380 Jackson Street, St. Paul, MN 55101-3885, USA, ISBN 0-7603-1823-9[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"
[/FONT]

http://www.gowjobs.com/
 
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