Hot Rods What's the difference between a speedster and a gow job?

Exactly like HAMB. "The HAMB" appears at least twice at the top of this page. Using an acronym in a grammatical context like that, assigning the article the to it, is a relatively recent thing.

A lot more terms come from colourful language, with nothing more to it than that. Someone with a knack for evocative turns of phrase makes up a word on the spot, and it sounds so right to those present that they don't quite register that they've never heard it before. It could even be an interjection, a mere sound which happens to express their response to something. It starts orally; it only becomes writable afterwards. The word or sound gets used again in that circle, and then it spreads beyond that, and eventually it's popular and nobody knows where it started. And the interjection somehow became an adjective while nobody was looking.

So my theory: Gow (rhymes with cow) began as a cross between Ugh! and Wow! Isn't that pretty much what it means?

 

Baskerville was kool.

 

A speedster usually has a minimal or no body - think Stutz Bearcat. The gow job typically has a lightweight roadster body.

My impression was “gow” became slang in the thirties, with the long w pronunciation somewhat mimicking a southern accent of the word go. The early rods were “go jobs” which became “gow jobs”.

 

Not an attempt to argue the name or pronunciation, just saying GO JOB sounds alot cooler than GOW.

 

Aren't we lucky it wasn't cocaine. The slang term could have been "blow", which would have given us a whole different thing to debate........

 

according to 'Mr. Bones', Ken Schmidt (RIP) GOW stood for 'Gas' 'Oil' 'Water' .....
My Granddad always said 'bat tree' for the power source to start the car....'six Volt bat tree'

 

This is a speedster.

 

this is a GOW job.

 

I was in bootcamp years ago with a Louisiana Cajun and a "bear" was a "barr" when he told a story so I do think slang and accents do account for some of the words we wonder about today.

Just like "you all" becomes "yall", I sure did enjoy that Cajuns stories...

...

 

So where does "Banger" enter into all of this? Does it strictly refer to a 4 cylinder?

 

Not in my book as my "speedster" will have a straight six in it. 6 volt system with a generator but something that could have been built in the mid 30's that resembles a 2 seat Indy car or those drawings of 20's / 30's Grand Prix cars on those posters.

 

By my understanding a Gow Job is simply a per war hot rod, generally banger powered wire wheels etc..



…and a Speedster is stripped down with a hand built often aero body usually inspired by open wheeled race cars of the day

 

Probably a better example of a speedster than my post. They were the forerunner of gow jobs which evolved to hot rods. There were several body companies and hop up parts which had been developed for circle track racing (RAJO, Frontenac, Miller, etc.)

 

^^^^ I wish I could see that T coupe in the bottom right hand corner better...

 

Agreed. And back to my original definition by the OED, I have never seen an attractive GOW job. I'm not saying they do not have intrinsic beauty to the car aficionado, but has anyone an example of a painted, polished, handsome GOW job? The ones I have seen are stripped of non-essentials (like a bobber bike), nothing fancy, no fenders, rope holding the spares on, slogans painted on the sides and rear, not a lot of money spent on pretty, just faster.

A speedster is pretty, shapely, aerodynamic before that was a thing, boat tailed often, perhaps inspired by the expensive cars like Dusenberg, Bentley. I have always wanted a long, straight 8, sleek, open top, open wheeled, tan leather appointed, shiny BRG Bentley with black wires and tall tires. Right hand drive, e-brake on the outside of the body. Add a spare on each side with leather straps mounting the mirrors and an engine turned dash and firewall, polished bits under the bonnet, chrome radiator shell and big ass headlights and driving lights leading the way. Perhaps a two-piece windscreen.

Oh, and a golf club door.

 

Would this be considered a Gow job? If so then it is a very nice one.



The movie it's in came out in '32:

 

110% it is of course it looks like Hollywood added their nonsense I.e. 4 horns

 

If Gow is Chinese slang opium as is often reported, I can understand pronouncing it like cow. Heck, even cow sounds a little Chinese when you think about it. Regardless, gow isn’t a word that rolls easily across my tongue. And to me “gow job” is a rather meaningless description of a certain type hot rod - because 99.9 % of non-car people have no clue what you’re talking about.

 

Slang changes with times. At one point old model Ts were called “flivers”. Gow job is another term from a bygone era. Now “rat rod” is used to describe hot rods by the 99.9% of non-car people.

 

Unfortunately, it is used by many people who should know better.

Hell, there are people on the H.A.M.B. (trend chasers) who call billet laden Tech-NO rods "Hot Rods".

Then again these are the same people who thing painting a Street Rod flatback, putting it on steel wheels with whitewalls makes it period correct, just ignore the tilt billet steering column, the Pinto front suspension, disc brakes, high back bucket seats etc...

 

The HAMB sage has spoken! Ron

 

@Robert J. Palmer
Word up!
Seeing it here on the HAMB more and more in the 20 years I have been here.
Not bashing just saying if the shoe fits.