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In AACA's July/August (2018) edition of Antique Automobile there was an article by editor West Peterson about "misused automotive terms."

It raised some interesting insite into our terms when we do car-speak, Some things we continually get wrong. A few examples:

a. Back Light. That is what should be used to describe the rear window of a car. Yep. I just used "rear window" incorrectly. During the getaway a round came right through the 'back light." Did to!

b. Hubcap. For hubs only. Wheel covers is the proper term he says. 1950s. "What are we doing tonight boys? Why we're gonna go out an get a set of 1950 Olds wheel covers. Yeah. Right.

c. Fender/Quarter Panels. On your 1949 through 1954 Chevrolet you sure need those quarter panel skirts.

d. Dampers. Shocks not dampeners. He says "rain dampens." Get it?

e. Mile. "There is no such thing as an "original" mile." That's it? Well, you got me. I can't slip my mind around that one. Beats!

f. Original Condition. "...it can't be restored back to original." We've all herd this one. Mr. Peterson's take on this is right-on. Still, I think it's a good term to use to indicate that the car is "as" original. "Authentic" just doesn't seem to ring right. Maybe whilst having tea at the Classic Car Show. Say, old boy, would mind pasing the scones?

g. Frame Off Restoration. It is suggested we use "body off" instead. Well, Mr. Perterson doesn't understand that down here in the South before starting a resoration/authentication we flip the car on its roof and then take the frame off. Do too!


There were several other terms that were emphizised for our education. This was just a few. Yet another great article, as usually, found in AACA's "Antique Automobile."

Best,

Charlie

BTW: "Shooting Break." That one went clear over my head. No idea of what Mr. Peterson was refering to on that one. For that reason I didn't mention it above.

BTW2: As our "G&D", "Antique Automobile" gets better and better with time.

BTW3: I commend Mr. West Peterson on a fine, interest and entertaining article. Well, done!

Shooting Brake = UK Station Wagon

Have to agree with him on C. My first week in body & fender trade school in the sixties we learned that if they bolt on they're fenders. If they weld on they're quarter panels. There's a recent article in Hemmings about the tri-five Chevys. The author refers to the trim on the "rear quarter panel". While that's not technically incorrect it's redundant. It's like saying "I'm going to change the bulbs in the rear tail lights" or I'm going to fix the leak in the front radiator. As for fender skirts, we get a pass because that term came about when the panels covering the rear wheels were in fact fenders because they bolted on.

yes, that was a pretty good article, read that when it arrived on Saturday

always great to learn some terminology, as i was told i need to expand my vocabulary :)

I read West's article with great interest. I respectfully disagree with a couple of his definitions. A wheel is indeed a rim. It does not include the tire or tube. My car has mag wheels. They're made of magnesium - not magnesium and rubber. Go to any store and buy a set of wheels and you will not get tires unless you ask for and pay for tires. My wife hit the curb and bent the wheel. She bent the tire too but it bounced back. Unfortunately the wheel is still bent. Rim can refer to the entire wheel or it may refer to the outer edge of the wheel. The center of the wheel can also be referred to as the hub. Or the hub may be the part of the vehicle that the wheel bolts to and contains the bearings. I just replaced the hubs on my truck became you can't just replace the bearings on new vehicles. Next is hub caps and wheel covers. I'm sure in the beginning hubcaps held the grease in the hub. Then came the little chrome disks that cover the lugnuts on my '32 Chevy. It covers the hub of the wheel. They are "hubcaps" NOT wheelcovers. Wheelcovers are those very large disks that cover the entire wheel like the wheelcovers on my 1956 Nomad. If you refer to those as hubcaps we'd all know what you mean and no one would think you were talking about the little cup that holds the grease. The Filling Station does not sell wheelcovers for my '32. It sells hubcaps. Oh, and using West's definition wheelcover would cover the tire as well as it's part of the wheel. As far as the little cup that holds the grease it's a "grease cup." I have other terms I don't really agree with but I'll save those for another day. I'll let you guys chew on this for a while. I would certainly welcome differing opinions.

The 1929-32 Chevrolet parts book calls it a "grease cap".

I'll accept grease "cap". My dad always called it a grease "cup". I've never heard it referred to as a hub cap. Keep in mind I've never looked any of these terms in Websters. I don't know if any would be there.

Well, I too have some reservations myself. Nonetheless, I tell myself that this information came from the AACA. Now who in the world would argue against anything they come up with? For instance they would never end a sentence with a prepersition.

I will accept whatever they say as gospel For instance. Let me rewrite a little something that I may have written some time ago.

Back in the 50s everyone of us youngsters that had a ride with 15 inch rims (not wheels) wanted a set of wheel covers (not hub caps) from an 1950 Oldsmobile 88. They were sharp wheel covers. Well, I and three other buddies went out looking for a set of those wheel covers (not hub caps) and found a set of wheel covers (not hub caps . It was late at night. Each of us snook up on the Olds and armed with a screwdriver popped the wheel covers (not hub caps). Those wheel covers (not hub caps) made a scraping noise coming off the rems (not wheels) and woke up the owner of said Olds. He knew right away that someone was stealing his wheel covers (not hub caps). As we burned rubber off the rims (Not wheels because the rubber was on the rims and not the hub caps. You see?) Anyway, the angry owner of those fancy wheel covers (not hub caps) came out of his house screaming for us to halt. We having loaded the wheel covers (not hub caps) into the car were making a fast get-a-way when a shot from a 1911 Colt firing 45 APC rounds, came flying through our back light (not rear window) and lodged in the instrument cluster (not the dashboard). We left the hub caps and took the canolies er wheel covers. Yep!

You have to remember that while we may like ice tea (sweet, of course) and beer those in the upper reaches of the hoppy may like Crown Royal and champagyne. We must remember too that as our betters they set the style in everything old automotive circles.

OLSARGE, I should report you but rest assured that I will not.

You all be cool now,

Charlie

BTW: I regret having been a party to the wheel cover theft even though I merely sat in the car.

I'm glad you seem to take my little narrative with some humor. It wasn't meant to be taken with a lot of seriousness. Now about ending that sentence with a preposition - In an episode of the TV show "Designing Women" the very southern receptionist, Charlene, was at a fancy luncheon with a bunch of snooty women from north of the Mason-Dixon Line. She asked the lady next to her, "What part of New York are you from?" The lady replied, "I'm from that part of New York where we don't end our sentences with a preposition." To which Charlene replied, "I'm sorry, what part of New York are you from, bitch."

From down here I disagree with a lot of the definitions in the original posting and the definitions most of you in the US use as well but I wont hold the against any of you, we all had different training.
Tony