Hot Rod Terms in the Pasadena Area

Abstract

ONE OF the most colorful amateur sports in Southern California is building and driving cars that accelerate and travel fast. Since the late 1920s, when building 'hot rods' first became popular, there has been a steady expansion of this activity until interest in, and work on, hot rods seems, in this area, a part of growing up for an increasingly large number of youths. This sport is, in fact, so fascinating that many men continue to participate in it as they grow older. The different phases and vast developments of hot rodding are too extensive and diverse to venture upon in this brief introduction; but mention must be made of the claim, seemingly far from unreasonable, that experimentation in this field by thousands of young men has had a far-reaching effect on the entire automobile industry, not only resulting in the manufacture of countless special parts for the home car-builders, but influencing basic automotive design. There can be little doubt that hot rodding is an activity well suited to the energies, inventiveness, and daring of youth. To read of thousands of individual automotive projects going on in back yards and family garages all over the country, and to hear of hundreds of drivers meeting in competition to test the products of their ingenuity and hard work, is to visualize a picture of young men in action-inventing, experimenting, and feeling the thrill of adventure and accomplishment. This occupation, furthermore, is well adapted to the gregarious spirit of its participants. Building a car is sometimes a group project, or that of a car club, whose members, for example, may combine to build a 'rail job' to enter in the 'drag races.' There are many car clubs all over Southern California, each of which has its own emblem, usually a metal plate bearing the club name affixed to the 'turtledeck' of the car. A few among the wellknown clubs in this area are the Cogs, the Falcons, the Stokers, the Toppers, and the Gripers. Although the sport of hot rodding probably first attained recognizable proportions in the late twenties, the first hot rod very likely came into existence shortly after the motor car was born. This early example was no doubt just a light car which the owner had 'modified' by removing unneeded accessories like fenders and lights, and perhaps even the body. By lightening the vehicle in this way the owner was able to obtain faster speed and acceleration. Through a contagious appeal in its challenge to youthful energies and through organization, the sport has spread across the country and to many