Terms?

D

David R.

Senior Member
I am not a young guy but fairly new to model A world. Currently working on a AA. On some of the model A sites I keep seeing the term “banger” referred to a lot. What does that mean? An engine with babbit worn out maybe? Excuse my ignorance please.
 
It refers more to the overall state of the vehicle. It is a rough looking car that you don't feel bad about banging around in, for fear of scratching paint, etc.

Some guys will make their bangers very powerful and reliable mechanically, have good steering, electrical and brakes, etc., but have the body and upholstery look like they just pulled the car out of a barn, where it had been sitting for 50 years. Kind of a fun look.

:cool:
 
Where I say banger I’m referring to the 4 cylinder motor . Never used it to describe the condition of a car before.
 
Hopped up ford flathead 4 cylinder..there are cats who do the body and paint capable of fine point,some dont..no restoration guidelines or judging standards.
 
We always used banger with reference to a four cylinder engine, usually with a '4' proceeding it. As in "4 Banger". Didn't matter if it was O/H or Flattie.
 
I agree with Flop, Jack and Bob C. that the the term “4 Banger” shortened to “Banger” refers to a modified 4 cylinder engine. Jim Brierley’s book which deals with his experience in the modification of 4 cylinder engines is entitled “4-bangers! And me!” and includes a history of such engines in racing especially when they went up against the 8 cylinder engines.

David Serrano
 
There will be a bang in each cylinder on the power stroke when the spark ignites the gas and air mix in the combustion chamber . The model A has four cylinders . Four banger is a slang term for four cylinder engines .
 
I get the 4 banger slang but I see the banger only reference a lot and it didn’t register. Wouldn’t every internal combustion engine be a banger then? ... and if you only say banger with out reference to number of cylinders couldn’t you assume it was a single cylinder?
 
David R. said:
I get the 4 banger slang but I see the banger only reference a lot and it didn’t register. Wouldn’t every internal combustion engine be a banger then? ... and if you only say banger with out reference to number of cylinders couldn’t you assume it was a single cylinder?
Click to expand...

You’re over thinking this.

I’ve never heard people with V-8 or 6 cylinder engines refer to their engines as Bangers. It’s normally a term used by car guys so you wouldn’t find anyone with a one cylinder car engine unless it’s a very early “horseless carriage” or a European Micro car made after WWII.

David Serrano
 
I’m having fun with it anyway. I’ve had some six cylinder engines with worn mains that were ‘bangers’, especially on a hard pull.
 
I can trace the term “banger” back to the teens. (WW1) My Dad raced model T’s as a teen ager. It means a MODIFIED 4 cylinder engine, generally used for some type of racing. It did or does, not have to be any specific brand or type.
JUST 4 CYLINDERS AND MODIFIED SOMEHOW.
In the 30’s snd 40’s my Dad was transferred all over the country with his job so I got to meet many well known pro racers and I can’t recall ever meeting any that didn’t know instantly what “banger” meant.

Different slang terms can mean different things in different areas and different time era’s. It is no big deal. It is always interesting to me to know where they came from originally. It is all “keen stuff” and it was a “neat” time to
grow up….lol
 
David R. said:
I get the 4 banger slang but I see the banger only reference a lot and it didn’t register. Wouldn’t every internal combustion engine be a banger then? ... and if you only say banger with out reference to number of cylinders couldn’t you assume it was a single cylinder?
Click to expand...
Being slang, it means whatever you want it to mean. To me, it's a 4 cylinder engine, stock or modified. Interestingly, while the 4 cylinder is a "4 banger" a 1 cylinder is referred to as a "one lunger". I think it has more to do with how it rolls off the tongue. You want an interesting discussion of "terms" go to the HAMB and discuss what constitutes a "TRADITIONAL hotrod" :D.
 
Or in the case of my dad's motor bike which he referred to as "a one-lunger". As if it was missing one lung.
 
When I started racing Model A's in the 50's, the 4 cyl. engine was referred to as a '4 barrel'. In the mid 50's, new cars could be equipped with a 4-barrel carb, so racers changed to the word 4-banger, meaning 4 cylinders. This was in SoCal. The term applied only to the engine.
 
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