hot-rodder
Souped-up car driver
A hot-rodder is someone who builds, modifies, or drives hot rods—cars (typically older American models) customized for speed and style.
The term evokes 1950s car culture: drag racing, chrome engines, and weekend cruising.
The hot-rodders gathered at the drive-in to show off their rides.
Engine air compressor
- nitrousRelating to certain nitrogen compounds
- turbochargerExhaust-powered engine booster
- horsepowerRate of mechanical work
- torqueRotational force measurement
acceleration · blower · headers · exhaust · camshaft · carburetor · stroker · hemi
Automotive enthusiast, slangily
- petrolheadCar enthusiast, British slang
- swap-meetInformal trading event
- cruisingMoving at relaxed pace
- drive-inVenue serving seated motorists
garage · workshop · tinkerer · restorer · collector · aficionado · nostalgia · subculture
Straight track for acceleration contests
- burnoutChronic occupational depletion
- launchSet into motion
- redlineEditorial revision marking
- tachometerRotational speed indicator
Open two-seat sports car
- coupeTwo-door fixed-roof car
- deucePair on dice
- FordMajor American automaker
- ChevroletAmerican automobile manufacturer
flathead · highboy · lowboy · fenderless · jalopy · Studebaker · Plymouth · Dodge
Rejection of prevailing norms
- countercultureRejection of mainstream values
- outlawFugitive from justice
- greaserMachinery lubricator or fifties tough
- rockabillyHillbilly-influenced early rock
defiance · street-legal · illegal · reckless · thrill-seeker · daredevil · antiestablishment · 1950s
Narrow decorative line work
- tubbedWashed in basin
- airbrushCompressed-air paint sprayer
- spoilerPremature ending disclosure
- lowriderVehicle with dropped chassis
hydraulics · aftermarket · modded · chop-shop · channel · section
supercharger
Engine air compressor
- nitrousRelating to certain nitrogen compounds
- turbochargerExhaust-powered engine booster
- horsepowerRate of mechanical work
torque · acceleration · blower · headers · exhaust · camshaft · carburetor · stroker · hemi · flathead
gearhead
Automotive enthusiast, slangily
- petrolheadCar enthusiast, British slang
- swap-meetInformal trading event
- cruisingMoving at relaxed pace
drive-in · garage · workshop · tinkerer · restorer · collector · aficionado · nostalgia · subculture · detailing
dragstrip
Straight track for acceleration contests
tachometer · slicks · staging · roll-out
roadster
Open two-seat sports car
Chevrolet · flathead · highboy · lowboy · fenderless · jalopy · Studebaker · Plymouth · Dodge · Buick
nonconformity
Rejection of prevailing norms
- countercultureRejection of mainstream values
- outlawFugitive from justice
- greaserMachinery lubricator or fifties tough
rockabilly · defiance · street-legal · illegal · reckless · thrill-seeker · daredevil · antiestablishment · 1950s
pinstriping
Narrow decorative line work
lowrider · hydraulics · aftermarket · modded · chop-shop · channel · section
- hot rodshotrod, deuce coupe, rat rod, gasser, roadster
- customizerstailor, modder, tuner, personalizer, configurator