Backfire

I am a longtime subscriber and receive

every magazine that you publish. I have a question about an article you published in the April edition of HMN. On page 34, in “Shades of LA Noir,” the writer uses the term “gow job.”

I am not familiar with this phrase, and like most of your faithful readers would appreciate it if you would publish what it means.

Jerry Brittain

Statesville, North Carolina

The term “hot rod” largely didn’t exist before World War II, and until the late 1940s it was almost entirely pejorative. Early rodders like Ed Iskenderian and Robert Stack used the term “gow job” (rhymes with “cow”) instead. Its origins are disputed, and some people point to “gow” as an early slang term for various drugs used to dope race horses. The fact that it kind of slant rhymes with “go” (especially in the prewar California accent) no doubt helped its popularity. It’s probably more widely used now than it was in the 1930s, and most people use it to mean a hot rod built in the style of the late 1920s to early 1940s. — David Conwill

While looking through the March issue

of HMN, I came across terms in the “At the Auction” features that I didn’t understand. I am a new subscriber; I do not own a classic car and never will. I have never been to an auction, although I do sometimes watch them on TV. I frequently go to car shows, which usually have just 30-50 cars. I know old cars can be an expensive hobby, so I’m just a spectator. These are some of the terms I need help with:

• Reserve: What is a reserve? Under every car it says either undisclosed or none. That is not useful information.

Does reserve sometimes offer data?

• Condition: This includes a variety of levels like original 1- or 2+. I’ve noticed that some