Hot rod word orgin

[rowens55]

How do you apply "opium" to an "early car"? Very little of that "definition" makes sense to me. "Gow (as in cow) job" sounds like nonsense!

 

[Tim Ayers]

How do you apply "opium" to an "early car"? Very little of that "definition" makes sense to me. "Gow (as in cow) job" sounds like nonsense!

What do you mean? Are you doubting it was used?

The word gow or gow job can be found in many different pre-war automotive publications. It was a term that was used.

 

[rotorwrench]

In relation to gow job, "gow" could be pronounced more like "know" or "snow". Gow like "cow" doesn't make much sense to me. This term relates to the vehicle more. I think hot rod started as in relation to the person driving the car. Unless it's like Hoosegow!

A rod can be defined as a whip too. A hot rod may have had meaning as someone who uses the whip on their horse more than they should.

 

[rowens55]

I have no doubt that it was used, I just can't get my head around how or why. After reading the link posted above I still don't quit get the term. All I said was it sounds like nonsense. And I still don't get that "opium" reference. I must be more dense than even my wife thinks. Oh well....

 

[john in illinois]

There is also Jalopy, wonder how that fits in.

John

 

[Tim Ayers]

It morphed from Go. Go turned into Gowz

 

[Tim Ayers]

It morphed from Go. Go turned into Gow/QUOTE]

 

[Tinker]

Another term, which came from the stationary "hit/miss" engine was "running balls out".

Referring to the centrifugal governor mechanism that regulated rpms. When the ball weights were spinning at max rpm they spun at their farthest position out.

 

[ford38v8]

A plethora of opinions, a dearth of fact.

 

[JSeery]

Another term, which came from the stationary "hit/miss" engine was "running balls out".

Referring to the centrifugal governor mechanism that regulated rpms. When the ball weights were spinning at max rpm they spun at their farthest position out.

Finally a term that makes sense!

 

[JSeery]

When folks like Wally Parks say they don't know where the term Hot Rod originated, I would guess the origin is going to be hard to pin down.

 

[Tinker]

So then, were does Drag Racing come from? You aren't dragging anything behind your car nor are the guys driving in dresses.

Sprint cars racing makes sense, cause your sprinting to the finish line. Or a tractor pull.

 

[zzlegend]

Not sure if I agree Tinker. A lot of Drag Racing going on here in Hollywood. Go figure.

 

[Lanny]

shirley muldowney want-to-be's

click on picture to Enlarge.

 

[Tinker]

Lanny I don't think anyone here cares what you do with your weekends.

Ha ha... jut kidding' but... yikes

 

[Lanny]

.
Aw jeez Tinker, I'm sure I told you not to say anything.......


Ha Ha Ha



.

 

[Tinker]

Glad you have a sense of humor.

 

[Graeme / New Zealand]

How do you apply "opium" to an "early car"? Very little of that "definition" makes sense to me. "Gow (as in cow) job" sounds like nonsense!

I read "Gow" was slang for opium. In the earlier parts of the 2Oth century Opium was used to "fix" race horses to go faster. Gow was then adapted to cars that got their fenders torn off, etc,etc, to get more speed..."Gow job" ( now if the car was "blown"?.....that's another story )

GB

 

[Graeme / New Zealand]

shirley muldowney want-to-be's

click on picture to Enlarge.

Lanny thanks for the picture of yourself.......don't worry you won't get banned, I 'm sure all us Barners are "Inclusive" and "value diversity".

GB

 

[Henry Hopper]

My opinion and it's only a guess...is that it's an abrieviation of Roadster....if at the dirt tracks or wherever the classes were displayed on the board , Roadsters would/ could be written as Rods'....like Coupes could be written as Cpes'....Sedans could be Sdns'...

So the abrieviation took hold as slang and hence became the term used to describe a hopped up roadster at first and then more widely ,just like today where any modified car gets called a HotRod by Joe Public.