QR Vocabulary

I’ve found my readership keeps expanding and expanding, and now, a lot of you are not fellow enthusiasts but just acquaintances and friends of all sorts. I use lots of specific vocabulary, and even some words that somehow have become only my own over the past years. Here is your guide to navigating, if your dictionary fails you.

[QR]GaraGe – yeah, that’s this place. [QR], also written as QuickR, refers to Q and Ryan. Originally this website was created to document our joint car life when we co-owned and built a number of auto-x cars in the late 90’s and early 00’s. Ryan has since become a busy Dad and a suit, who chose to continue a real car life. I have chosen to continue an imaginary one via this website.

1UZ – Toyota’s twin cam 32 valve 4.0L V8. 260hp, and 270 lbft of torque. Good motor.

22R – 2.4L SOHC Truck motor. Torque-less. Rev-less. Sounds to cringe at… Even with a turbo. Just leave it stock and plan on it never breaking.

4AC – see OTB. You lose. SOHC, carbed version of the 4AG…

4AG – 1.6L DOHC 16v engine that powers the AE86, AW11 and some other non-interesting cars. Engine that makes wonderful sounds, but not power.

4AGZE – Put an inefficient roots supercharger on a wonderfully sounding 4AG engine, and you end up with something that makes even better sounds, but still doesn’t make any power. Found in AW11 MR2, AE92 and AE101 Corolla.

4UGSE – A 4AG that has been flayed and as a result is extremely fragile and lacking in power. See FA20.

86 – pronounced EIGHT SIX, and never eighty-six. An abbreviated version of AE86.

AE86 – the Adam of eighties sports. Front engine, rear wheel drive 4AG powered Toyota. Known as the Sprinter Trueno, Corolla Levin, Corolla GT, Corolla GT-S… but those of us who have embraced globalism exclusively use AE86.

AE92 – in a final effort to better the race of Corolla’s, the AE92 was created. FWD, awkwardly shaped, and designed, it was a complete failure. The Corolla has been restricted to mediocrity ever since.

AE101 – the successor to the AE92, and slightly more loved by those in Japan, but not available in sport version for the North American market. 4AGZE or 20 valve 4AGE powered.

AE111 – Another fat FWD Toyota… equipped with the nicest of the 4AG variants. 8200rpm, three intake valves, and four throttles… because more is always better right? …right? Torque not required… only desired.

AW11 – created to be the Eve of eighties sports, but was ultimately rejected by Adam because she was too fat and ugly. 85-89 Toyota MR2.

Baka– You fecking idiot fool!

BC6– a good way to drive a Subaru without classifying yourself as a magazine savvy goon. 89-93 Legacy with the 2.2L closed deck turbo. Nice.

BONK – oops… that’s all you got? You’ll be OTB soon.

BORO – Japanese vocabulary, from boro boro meaning beat, or well used, like Masaharu’s Sunny. Don’t be mistaken. Boro is cool. Boro boro gets confused with ghetto and hack… but they are very different.

CSCC – Calgary Sports Car Club… one with good history, and one that has recently produced a couple of excellent, and now continentally known drivers.

CONED – a conical orange thing that should be standing upright, but instead is lying flat on the ground, melting to your exhaust, or jammed in your wheel well. 2-second penalty. You’re probably swearing and cursing. Auto-x vocab.

DCOE – they’ll make your 2 valve archaic motor produce the most beautiful sounds imaginable, and make you feel like a wrenching hero. Weber, side-draft carburetors.

DNF – Did not finish. Take a note from Rock Lee, and finish no matter what, even if it costs you an arm and a leg. Some guy will be smiling down on you… I promise.

DFL – Dead $#$%*& Last. It’s OK… you’re probably the only one who isn’t cheating anyways…

DOHC – Dual Overhead Cam. About engines… Denoting two cams per cylinder. Nobody should really care, but more of anything should always be better right?

EJ2x – Subaru engine code. EJ18, EJ20, EJ22, EJ25… coming in NA variations, or with a turbocharger. SOHC and DOHC too. Nice motor, with a unique sound, and good output available.

EROI – Japanese vocab. Do I need to say anymore? Maybe… Japanese often take English words and modify them slightly to fit Japanese language sounds and spelling. Watch out for wet socks.

FA20 – Subaru engines without turbos suck.

GC8 – your in dangerous territory here. Be careful who you hang out with. Don’t drive around town with your fog’s on. Your girlfriend thinks you bought the ugliest car you could, and your mom throws out derogatory words in reference to your rear spoiler… 93-01 Subaru Impreza. You have a nice car, but your a little too confident about that, and don’t realize that most people are laughing at you.

GDB – your a total sell-out and probably a magazine savvy number hungry dufus.  You are also the comrade of all 16 year old boys who are all either saving their pennies to bite your style or have Daddies who are helping them one-up you.  The 2002-2007 WRX is not a good choice for anyone trying to be stealth or unique, especially in WRB.

FTD – the fastest time of the day. Your a stud. Auto-x vocab.

HACHIROKU – Japanese vocab, sometimes written as HATIROKU, in reference to Japanese spelling: ハチロク. Directly translated as Eight Six, in reference to AE86, and thus, why we never ever pronounce 86 as eighty-six. Ever. Yes I’m serious. This isn’t an easy bandwagon to jump on.

HASHIRYA – street racing, pipe toting, long-haired, tobacco smoking, loud, car-wash visiting, girlfriend-less car enthusiasts. Bumping the euro-beats too… Japanese vocab.

HATCHI – what the hell are you talking about? I never said that, and it’s not a word I recognize. Why do I have to read it on every message board? We don’t say Hachiroku in reference to our cars being available in two and three-door variants. Do you call your friends coupe, Rokoupie? Seriously… get off my website and go back to drifting.com

HETA – Japanese vocab. へた。下手。You suck. Your driving is particularly HETA. See OTB.

INITIAL D – Japanese anime about hashirya, particularly one named Fujiwara Takumi, who drives a Hachiroku against everything. Initial D is cool, even if you think it’s not because its not real.

IROHAZAKA – Maybe the most famous touge in all of Japan. Located in the mountain town of Nikko, the Irohazaka touge connects two halves of a town divided by an incomprehensibly steep mountain slope. Irohazaka is unique because it consists of two separate one-way roads: one leading up the mounting, and another leading down the mountain. It’s the Cadillac of touges, and even though it’s a one-way road, it is wider than many two-way touges.

ISUI – the home touge of Tsuchiya Keichii.

IT – Improved Touring. A former (?? maybe it’s still around) WCMA road race class, for cars that are only lightly modified. Real racers think it’s cool… but everyone else says otherwise…

JHEAP – Jeeps are really cheap. Probably in more ways than one… but does it really matter?

KAAZ – they make real LSDs… and gear oil that combines the odors of feces, rotten egg, and cheap whiskey to provide excellent lubrication.

KOUKI – Japanese vocab. Everyone says kooky… but in Japan it sounds more like cokey. Ever notice how Japanese car models often get facelifts roughly halfway through production. I.E, 1986 AE86’s got different bumpers, interiors and various other things than 1984 and 1985 model AE86’s. Kouki refers to the LAST version before the model’s production ends. Zenkei refers to the original offering. Some models even get two facelifts, in which case chouki is used to refer model version after the first facelift. Sounds silly… but it’s a lot easier than looking at production dates when trying to learn something specific about a car.

LSD – from Nomura Ken, “Loose Socks Daisuki.” Translated as… I love Loose Socks. Damn Straight.

MASAHARU – committed Hashirya friend of Hamamatsu, Japan.

NA – Naturally Aspirated. No turbo, no supercharger… just a nice engine… that probably doesn’t make as much power as you want it to.

NOMURA KEN – Kyushu’s finest is not that sell out who used to drive AE86. The guy who proudly embraces looking like a monkey, will always drives a big fat four door tire roasting Skyline.

OTAKU – Japanese vocab. Derogatory term reserved for those who are too passionate and obsessed with their hobbies, usually anime and games. They are repulsive, unfashionable, and socially handicapped as a result of their obsessive-ness. Hate to tell you but… hashirya are… auto otaku.

OTB – Off The Back. You’ve fallen behind, you can’t keep up… you suck.

OPP – If Naughty By Nature were only car guys. Not pussy, or penis, or privates… Projects. Other People’s…

PAX – auto-x vocab. I wonder what it stands for? Index to make all things equal… or… at best, to make you feel really good about driving a really slow car. Ex. You were DFL in your AE92, but the PAX index your class is .777 so your 100sec run is now 77.7 seconds. Wow… aren’t you a driving hero?

PEOPLE SIX – Founded on someone’s awful calligraphy.  Writing hachiroku in kanji is not a common thing… but when you do it’s supposed to look like 八六 not 人六 (person-6).  People Six rocks though… as a collective of drivers.  Kick it People Six!

RN66 – 22R Powered Toyota 4×4 Truck. Way cooler than any domestic product, capable or not.

RNN14 – how to drive an all-weather monster and not be a clone. Nissan Pulsar GTi-R. ITB equipped, SR20 power in a Civic sized body, with 3 LSD’s if your lucky, but even with just two, you can experience complete disdain for everything else on the road.

ROCK LEE – the beloved green beast. The Hachiroku of Ninja’s.

SASC – Southern Alberta Solosport Club. Formed by some of the fastest drivers in the nation, in my own backyard.

SHAKOTAN – Low down and killing you.  For Showa cars only.  Everyone else is a sell-out.

SHOWA (昭和時代) – High Times for Automobiles.  Up to 1989.

SOHC – Single Overhead Cam. Only one cam per bank of cylinders! That must be too simple to actually be good right?! I mean… DOHC is good and all… but I’m holding out for TOHC.

SR20 – Nissan’s magnificent 2.0L. This might be my favorite engine of all time… but I haven’t been many places yet. Found in the Silvia, Sentra… and of course the amazing Pulsar GTi-R.

ST185 – how to drive a fat pig, and an all-weather monster at the same time. 4000lbs of gravel munching steel and glass. Seriously… why is this car so fat? Toyota really started going wrong in the ’90s. Second generation Celica All-trac/GT4… whatever.

STRD – SpeedTech Racing Development. Best shop in Calgary. I go there because of P and P Tan. They know shit, and have a good style.

TAKUMI – Fujiwara Takumi – most famous Hachiroku driver ever. Started driving the Akina touge in Junior High School. Undefeated in all battles… too bad he’s an animated character. See Initial D.

TOUGE – the ultimate venue of the Japanese hashirya. Public roads with more bends than you can imagine, and as smooth as anything we can find on this continent, and as free from the law as the alleys of Nagoya. During the day, your grandma might drive them to the grocery store, but after hours she’ll take a different route. Smashed gaurd-rails, stained asphalt, and a natural swap meet in the surrounding trees and cliffs…

TSUCHIYA KEICHII – the most famous real person to ever drive a Hachiroku. Cocky, prick, yankee old man, who claims to have founded drifting, and somehow reserves the right to call himself Dori Dori, or Drift King. One day I’ll meet him on Isui and put him into the wall. Respect, but not love.

UCF10 – 1989-1994 Toyota Celsior/Lexus LS400. Makes you feel important, but your Japanese wife thinks it makes you look like an old man.

WABI SABI – the new cool boro boro.  If this term becomes mainstream like boro boro did, I’ll cry myself to sleep every night.  Wabi-sabi is actually a philosophy that… for me at least has almost religious significance.  Wabi-sabi holds that there is beauty in imperfection.  I concept that was never intended to help us justify our kyusha life, but nevertheless certainly does.

WRB – World Rally Blue.  It stirs your emotions almost as much as white on black.

ZENKEI – see KOUKI. Pre-facelift, the original offering…

ZOKU – Japanese vocab: group, gang, clan… posse… out.

ZC6 – Your hachiroku is too new… and is wearing the wrong badges. Or are they the right ones??

ZN6 – Last on this list, and last car I’ll ever love.