Customizing and Styling Glossary

It is important for all customizers to understand and know the terms typically used by stylists, coach-builders and customizers:  

Styling and Customizing Terms

"A" PILLAR 
The foremost pillar in the upper side structure of a vehicle. Successive pillars rearward are labeled "B", "C" and, for station wagons, "D". 

"B" PILLAR 
Second pillar in roof, counting from the windshield. 

BACKLIGHT 
The window across the rear of any automobile, regardless of body style, or called the back window. 

BELTLINE 
The line established by the upper edge of the car lower body at the glass openings.  

BEZEL 
A frame, escutcheon, or rim, usually surrounding a lamp or opening. Finished in chrome/polished stainless or painted. 

BOLSTER 
The portion of the seat which rolls over or forms the uppermost part of the seatback or the leading edge of the seat itself. 

BUCKET SEAT 
Individual seat, often contoured so as to provide lateral support. 

BULLNOSE  
A streamlined lump built up on the hood of the car for a distinctive sculpted line. Used to be made of lead..  

CENTER LINE 
The plane passing through the center of a headlight, wheel or the vehicle itself. 

CHOPPED TOP 
In reference to lowering the top or roof by cutting and removing material from the window posts and rewelding, giving lower height and sleeker appearance to the car. 

CHANNELING  
Dropping and remounting the body over the frame rails by cutting the floor and body/frame mounting points away from the body. The floor remains stock height and metal is added to cover the vertical difference created by the drop. 

COKE BOTTLE 
A double swell in the plan view contour. Looking directly down on a car, the body is narrower in the middle section than over the front and rear wheels. 

CONVERTIBLE BOOT 
A covering, usually held in place with snap fasteners, over the folded down soft top. 

COWL 
The portion of the body bounded by the front fenders, the base of the windshield, and the rear edge of the hood. 

CURB HEIGHT 
Height of the vehicle, at its uppermost portion, without passengers or trunk load. 

CUTLINE 
A groove etched in a clay model to represent a door, hood, or decklid opening. 

DECKED 
Chrome removed from trunk to achieve a 'smooth' look. Holes filled smoothed and painted over. 

DECKLID 
A hinged panel providing access to the luggage compartment. 

DOG LEG 
A right-angle bend, as in the angle made by the side and bottom of windshields of the mid-fifties. 

DRIP MOLDING 
An exposed channel applied tot eh roof over the side windows to direct water away from the windows and to cover structural welding. 

DROPPED SPINDLES 
Front axle spindle which have the axle mounted higher than stock, effectively lowering the car without losing suspension geometry or travel.  

FASTBACK 
A tapered roofline that slopes directly down toward or to the rear bumper of the vehicle. 

FRENCHED 
The customizers' technique of welding up a factory seam (e.g., replacing a factory headlight bezel with a unit that can be welded to the body) or removing a factory bezel in order to create a seamless, one-piece look. Customizers also can "french" a sunken antenna into a fender such that no bezel or seam appears. 

GARNISH MOLDING 
The upper molding on the floor panel above the arm rest, usually metal, used as a retainer for the door trim panel.  

GRAVEL DETECTOR 
A metal plate fitted between the front or rear bumper and the body. 

GREENHOUSE 
The upper body of an automobile, the structure above the beltline-glass, roof, and supporting members. 

GRILLE 
An ornament designed to decorate an opening and to allow passage of air or sound. 

GUTTER 
A channel for water drainage.  

HARD TRIM 
The parts of the interior which are not soft trim; i.e., ornaments, garnish moldings, script, appliques, etc. 

HARDTOP 
A term applied to any fixed roof with retracting window glass and no exposed "B" or middle pillar. 

HEADER 
The structural member above the windshield at the juncture with the forward edge of the roof panel. 

HEADLINER 
The material covering the roof inside a car, usually vinyl but sometimes cloth. 

HOOD 
A hinged panel providing access to the engine compartment. 

INTAKE 
An opening in the surface to allow air to flow in, usually to cool brakes, engine, or occupants for passenger comfort. 

LIP MOLDING 
A bright molding applied to the sheetmetal around the edge of a wheel opening. 

LOUVER 
A fin that controls the flow of air through an opening. May also be non-functional in a simulated opening. 

LOWER BACK PANEL 
Portion of body sheet metal below rear edge of decklid. 

MODESTY PANEL 
Sheet metal below bumpers that conceals chassis members.  

NOSED 
Chrome removed from hood.. 

OVERHANG 
Distance from center line of wheels to rear most (or foremost) projection of vehicle. 

PACKAGE TRAY 
The shelf-like portion of the interior between the top of the rear seat and the backlight. 

PANCAKED 
Reshaping the hood opening to the top section of the narrow raised V shaped area, centered over the engine found on many older car hoods. The hood would no longer be as large as the original. The unused remaining outer section of the hood would be welded and sculpted to the front fenders and grille. A complete reinforcement of the new opening edges of the lower now immovable section and the flatter center opening section is necessary. This term probably arose from the expression "flat as a pancake" and or from the shallow cover on womens makeup compacts which held makeup used to powder their nose and face.  

QUARTER PANEL 
The rear fender, or a sheet-metal panel encompassing the area from the rear door opening to taillight area and form the rear wheel opening to base of roof and trunk opening. 

RAMP ANGLE 
Angle created by lines tangent to the static loaded radii of front and rear wheels, converging at the point of lowest ground interference of underside of car-angle of overhang at lower extremities. 

REVEAL MOLDING 
A metal frame or molding outlining an opening or depression. 

ROCKER PANEL 
The sheet-metal surface below the door opening, running between front and rear wheel openings. 

 SECTIONING 
The removal of a horizontal strip from the central point of an automobile body with the goal of reducing the overall height of the vehicle. 

SCOOP 
A device to catch air, may be either functional or merely ornamental. 

SCUFF PLATE 
Cover over door sill, usually rubber or metal. 

SPOILER 
An air deflector used on high-speed cars to control lift tendencies. 

SUGAR SCOOP 
A depressed surface leading to an air scoop. 

TUMBLEHOME 
Angle of the "B" pillar and side glass from the perpendicular at the beltline, as seen from front or rear. 

TUNNEL 
The hump in the floor pan that provides clearance for drive shaft. 

TURNUNDER 
Opposite of tumblehome. The inward and downward sweep of sheet metal from the widest point on a car down to the rocker panel. 

UPPER BACK PANEL 
Portion of body sheet metal between backlight and decklid. 

UPPER STRUCTURE 
The portion of the body including the roof and glass areas.  

WHEELBASE 
The distance between the front and rear axle, usually expressed in inches. 

WINDOW MOLDING 
Any molding that frames the window of a vehicle; usually stainless steel or bright finished. 

Z'ed 
Cutting, adding metal and rewelding a frame at 2 front and rear points, to allow the frame between the axles (under the floorpan) to drop closer to the ground. This lowers the car body without changing suspension geometry and keeps the vertical interior room (headroom) stock. Usually done on older cars with full frames (pre-unibody).  

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