Hot rod

Hot rods are typically American cars that might be old, classic, or modern and that have been rebuilt or modified with large engines optimized for speed and acceleration.

Another theory is that "rod" refers to camshaft,[7] a part of the engine which was often upgraded in order to increase power output.

[9] The forerunners to the hotrod were the modified cars used in the Prohibition era by bootleggers to evade revenue agents and other law enforcement.

This gained popularity after World War II, particularly in California, because many returning soldiers had received technical training.

Typical modifications were removal of convertible tops, hoods, bumpers, windshields, and/or fenders; channeling the body; and modifying the engine by tuning and/or replacing with a more powerful type.

[12] A typical mid-1950s to early 1960s custom Deuce was fenderless and steeply chopped, powered by a Ford or Mercury flathead,[13] with an Edelbrock intake manifold, Harman and Collins magneto, and Halibrand quick-change differential.

[6] However, the 1973 Oil Crisis caused car manufacturers to focus on fuel efficiency over performance, which led to a resurgence of interest in hot rodding.

In the mid-1980s, as stock engine sizes diminished, rodders discovered the 215 cu in (3.5 L) aluminum-block Buick or Oldsmobile V8 could be modified for substantially greater displacement, with mainly wrecking yard parts.

[20] This trend was not limited to American cars; Volkswagen enthusiasts similarly stretched stock 1600cc engines to over two liters.

Magazines like Ol' Skool Rodz, Gears and Gals, and Rat-Rods and Rust Queens cover events and people.

There are also television shows such as My Classic Car, Horsepower TV, American Hot Rod, Fast and Loud, and Chop Cut Rebuild.

Hot rod music would prove to be the second phase in a progression known as the California Sound, which would mature into more complex topics as the decade passed.