Very silly question time

[plug]

I know this might seem a really stupid question but what do you guys mean by tunneling. ie lowering the the tunneling etc. I'm really new to the rod side of life (even if if been playing with rat bikes for the best part of 25 years)[S

 

[Tripper]

Channeling?

R u referring to channeling... the process of lowering the body over the frame to create the appearance that the car is lower than it really is? This typically involves removing the flooring, lowering the body over the frame & then rebuilding the flooring to the new level. This results in a more shallow passenger compartment.

BoB

 

[dmw56]

I'm not sure about the term tunneling. I think it is used the same as Frenching or recessing something like the headlights or taillights.

Found this on another forum:
Tunneled: The same as frenched, only deeper.
http://www.olskoolrodz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=32823

 

[plug]

Thanks guys That makes things a lot clearer

 

[CR55]

I agree with DMW, tunneling to me is recessing lights and other accessories into the body. I don't know if you can see the turnsignals on my avatar, but they are tunneled into the fender.....CR

 

[Sam_Fear]

Well, that question makes me feel stupid - I don't know what tunneling is either. DMW's definition makes sense.

 

[earthman]

 

[Barber]

tunneling... I thought that's how one gets out of prison...

 

[Rev Tex Devlle]

i thought it referred to the tunnel over the trans mission!?

 

[donsrods]

Yep, we rodders and customizers have some of our own language.......

Tunneling, usually means you move a headlight or taillight deeper into its mount and then fill the "tunnel" with either metal or a trim ring.

Channeling is when you drop a body over the frame further than it was originally. Nowadays they call it body dropping, same thing.

Chopping, pretty obvious. Taking a section out of a roof and lowering down to a lower profile.

Sectioning, taking a metal strip from all around a body and dropping the top part down lower. Just like chopping but not on the roof, but on the body.

Frenched, is about the same as tunneling. (unless you are French, then it has a different meaning[ddev) Usually this term is used when you sink and antenna into the body, you "french" an antenna.

Suicide doors, ones that open from the front instead of like conventional cars that open from the rear. Got that name because if they open at speed.......well, you get the picture.

Peaked, refers to hoods and trunk lids normally. You weld a "peak" all the way down the hood or trunk and fair it in so it becomes a ridge down the middle.

Shaved, refers to removing chrome trim. You shave hood ornaments, trunk ornaments, door handles, chrome trim, etc.

Shoebox, usually means a 49-51 Ford, because of the square body shape, but I have seen same year Chevies called that too.

Fat fendered cars, refers to cars built from about 1935 to 1949. For example, a 48 Ford would be considered a fat fender. The years can vary, depending on the car in question.

Gow job, a very old term that referred to a hot rod that was rough around the edges. Some feel these were the early day rat rods.

Gasser, a car built to run in the gas classes at the strip. Most people envision a jacked up in front Willys, 55 Chevy, or similar car when they hear that term. The look is more popular today than ever and lots of street cars are built to simulate this look.

Deuce, is a 32 Ford.

Stovebolt, refers to Chevys from about 1950 down. They got this name because stovebolts were used to hold the early ones together.

Lakes pipes, are the chrome side pipes that run down the lower sides of customs. Lakes plugs are the same, but have a bolt on cap so they are plugged up normally and unplugged for racing.

Well, that is all I can think of for now.

Don

 

[nate42]

Hey, Donsrods, That was very good!! Thanks

 

[CR55]

Barber and Earthman, You 2 have some serious issues!....CR

 

[pistolpete]

Somebody had posted these on another forum so I just had to steal them...

 

[shakey56]

Some more

Hammered.. an old term for chopped top.

Slammed..same as lowered.

Bagged.. fairly new term for a car with air bags.

Leaded.. an old practice of smoothing welds withh melted lead, like when you weld the top chop seams. ( Thats where the term "Leadsled" came from )

...just 2 cents from an old guy !!!

Shakey

 

[rainman]

I feel kind of dumb too I've been around a while and never heard the term tunneling. I wonder if it's a regional term? To me it's always been frenching, or recessing. Thats why I like it here.

 

[rainman]

I have heard the arguement that the term leadsled came from guys loading the rear trunk with lead to lower the car, but filling seems with lead seems more logical to me.

 

[donsrods]

I remember when I was about 12 years old and starting to read the little books with all those cool cars from California, I was very confused about the terms they were using to describe modifications to cars. Took a while to sort it out and understand what they were talking about.


Don

 

[shakey56]

Lead

Have you ever seen or heard of "Leadslinger", Bill Hines. Little stooped over guy, smokes a big cigar? He did all the lead work on the customs built by Barris, Winfield and those guys. He is considered one of the icons!

The craft came from the manufacturers...they leaded their seams. ever melted the lead out with a torch?

Shakey

 

[CR55]

Good one Pistol Pete, That pretty much explains everything![cl I am not familiar with all of the terms either and I think a few like tunnelling and frenching may mean the same thing, just spoken differently due to whatever area you're in. Slammed or lowered, bagged or air suspension, ect. I have to admit that everyday is a learning experience for me![cl.....CR

 

[dmw56]

Antique: 25 years old or older, in stock, unmodified, or restored to original condition.

Appletons: Fender-mounted spotlights, named for the manufacturer.

Baby Moons: Small chromed hubcaps that only cover the center of the wheel.

Balanced: Normally used to define balancing the rotating assembly (ie: crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, wrist pins, bearings), but can also mean matching the weights of the pistons and rods.

Beltline: The line running around a car's body formed by the bottom edges of the side windows.

Binders: Brakes.

Blower: A belt driven air-to-fuel mixture compressor which increases atmospheric pressure in the engine, resulting in added horsepower.

Blown Gasser: A supercharged, gas burning engine.

Blueprinted: Ensuring the dimensions of the parts in the engine are more accurate and, therefore, closer to the original engine blueprint values. Can also mean the documented assembly tolerances of high precision engines (e.g. race engines).

Bullets: Chromed, bullet-shaped extensions used on bumpers, grilles, and wheels.

Business Coupe: A simple two-door coupe, without a rumble seat, built between the mid to late thirties through the fifties. Also referred to as a Businessman's Coupe.

Carson Top: A solid, removable roof that is covered with a soft material.

Channeled: Cutting the floor so the body rests around the frame rails rather than sitting on top of the frame. This gives an overall lowered appearance.

Chopped: A hard-top car that has had its roof lowered.

Classic: A fine or unusual motorcar built between 1925 and 1948. A classic is distinguished by its fine design, high engineering standards, and superior workmanship. Only certain important automotive brands are considered "true" classics.

Convertible: An open-top car with a folding roof and side windows.

Crate Engine: Factory built, ready to run engine. Can also mean a high performance, fully pre-assembled engine that is ready to be installed and run.

Custom: A car that is modified in visual appearance through imaginative and technical methods to create a distinctive vehicle.

Dago: A dropped front-end.

Decked: Chrome details and trim removed from the trunk and smoothed over.
Deuce: 1932 Ford.

Dropped: A significantly lowered vehicle.

Dual Quad: Two four barrel carburetors.

Duval Windshield: A split V-shaped raked chrome-plated windshield designed by George DuVall.

Dutchman Panel: The metal body piece between the rear window and the trunk.

Exotic: A high-priced, two passenger roadster, coupe, or convertible, usually from Europe. A few exceptions exist such as the Dodge Viper or the original Shelby Cobra.

Fade-Aways: Fenders that taper back into the body.

Fat Fendered: Fords built between 1935 and 1948 that were wide and rounded in appearance.

Fender Skirts: Body panels that cover the rear wheel wells.

Filled Roof: One that has a welded steel panel instead of the original wood-and-fabric insert.

Flamethrowers: Igniting unburnt exhaust and shooting flames out the tailpipes.

Flathead: An L-head or side-valve engine. The most popular flathead engine was built by Ford between 1932 and 1953.

Fordor: A four-door Ford sedan.

Frame-off Restoration: A restoration project in which the entire vehicle is completely disassembled with all parts cleaned or replaced as necessary, so that the restored car meets the original factory specifications as closely as possible.

Frame-Up Restoration: Not as detailed as a frame-off, but involves restoring the paint, chrome, interior, and mechanicals to original specifications without complete disassembly of the car.

Frenched: Recessed head or tail lights that are smoothed into the body panels.

Front Clip: Either the front end sheet metal or the section of frame in front of the firewall.
Glass-packs: Loud, aftermarket mufflers.

Goat: Pontiac GTO.

Headers: Fine-tuned exhaust manifold that is more efficient than stock. Usually chromed or coated.

Hemi: An engine that has hemispherical combustion chambers in its cylinder head. Popularized by Chrysler, starting around 1951.

Highboy: Customized Model A Ford that sits at stock height. Can also refer to a 50's era car with a modified, high leaf spring front suspension to account for the height difference of large diameter rear tires.

Hot Rod: Traditionally, an older vehicle with "low-buck" performance modifications.

Kit Car: A reproduction of an existing automotive design, sold in various stages of production to allow for completion and customization by the builder.

Lakepipes: Side-exit exhaust pipes located under the rocker panels. Also called Lakers.

Land Yacht: Large, luxury car, usually referring to the chromed, finned, oversized vehicles of the late fifties to early sixties.

Leadsled: A lowered, late-forties car with molded body seams, traditionally done with lead.

Lowboy: Customized Model A Ford that has been channeled.

Lowered: A vehicle that sits lower than stock height through suspension or frame modifications.

Lowrider: A vehicle that has been lowered by a hydraulic suspension system that can bring the ride height up in order to drive it.

Louvers: Vents or slots punched in body panels. The most commonly louvered body panel is the hood, done to increase ventilation.

Matching Numbers: A restored or original vehicle in which all serial numbers (VIN, engine, body, transmission, rear end) can be researched and identified as being 100% correct for that specific vehicle.

Molded: Body seams that have been filled in or otherwise smoothed out.

Moons: Full wheel covers that are chrome and convex-shaped.

Muscle Car: A North American intermediate or mid-sized car produced between 1964 and 1972 (with a few exceptions) with a large displacement V8 engine.