Hot Rods Why do people call...

Why do people aluminum wheels, "Mag." wheels ? While it used to be the latest "buzz" word to sound cool, or a sort of hold over from the heydays of when Halibrands were on every race car worth its salt,
Hasn't that day come and gone ?

Real magnesium wheels are few and far between today. When you do find them (new or old) many can't afford them (new or old..!).

Just curious...

Mike

 

I think so. The term has been used for many years.

 

Kind of like "Scotch tape" instead of cellophane tape. Or give me a "Kleenex" instead of give me a tissue.

 

same thing as every driving a Honda with a NOS

 

Same as when people refer to starter drives as a Bendix..not accurate, but mostly accepted and known as in automotive lingo.

 

Xerox machines instead of copiers.
"Rebuilt motor'' (engine). Watered down commonly accepted inaccurate terms.
The rear ARE's on the '57 are true magnesium wheels. Fronts aluminum, so I'm half right? Lol

 

I guess because the ad agencies told us to.....


It didn't seem to matter to them whether it was made of magnesium or aluminum or steel or ??

 

Seriously, they had to call them something and the term Mag definitely came from the magnesium race car wheels that they started making.

Then the term just became a common used term to describe a non factory aftermarket wheel. Afterwards the factories started using the term for factory alloy wheels.

What's the big deal ? Would you rather they were called those shiny fancy round things that my car didn't come with ?

 

why do people call anything anything? why do people call Hot Rods Hot Rods? because we just make up the language as we go along and change the meaning of words to fit what we want them to. why do we call megnetos mags when they are not made of magnesium?

 

Back in the early days that's what all aftermarket wheels were called. HRP

 

Because we want to. Been called mags before most of us were born. Why does Sylvester call mice, meeces? Or Mr. Jinks, even.....

 

Wasn't too many years ago you'd hear people call any old hot rod Ford a "roadster".

 

Or a dune buggy

 

Mag wheels are made of magnesium. The are strong and light... but flammable. Safer, and cheaper, wheels in the same designs could be made with aluminum or other alloys. I think the term mag just stuck, referring to high quality, top of the line wheels. And for the most part, you can't easily tell the same size mags from aluminum wheels, unless you weigh them. Remember, too, wire wheels were once the ideal, but they proved too weak as racing speeds got higher, especially in all the forms of racing were there was heavy cornering, like ovals and road racing. Gary

 

At least they're not calling them "rims".

 

Why do people (including me) say motor versus engine?

 

Ain't nuthin like the "REAL" thang...

439918.jpg by bowie posted Jan 13, 2013 at 8:24 PM

 

Oh oh................

 

Because you put motor oil in it?

 

Beat me to it. I dunno why, but the modern "rim" thing drives me particularly nuts.

 

Daddy
Yes son
What's a rim job

 

When a word is used in the vernacular for a period of time it becomes part of the lexicon.

 

A friend of mine drives a lexicon.

 

Douglas, you are so far away from being right I don't know where to start.
However, it did remind me a good dick joke. PM'ing you with it.

 

Oh goody, another dick joke!

 

Interchangeable. Motor mounts, Motor boat, MOTOR's Auto Repair Manual, Department of Motor Vehicle, etc.

 

Mine too, he just got in a multivernacular accident.

 

..................Might not have happened if he were in a Smart car.

 

We almost need a HAMB dictionary link to understand some of the posts. If I ever the word Dizzy in reference to a distributor somebody hit me with a lugnutremovaltoolthingy.

 

He didn't. Mr. Jinks called Pixie and Dixie, "meeses"