Hopping Up
Hopping Up is old-school hot rod slang for modifying an engine or car to boost performance, especially speed and acceleration. The term dates back to the 1930s, when young rodders began “hopping up” their Model Ts and As with high-compression heads, dual carb setups, and later, V8 swaps. Hopping up could also include lightening the body, swapping gears, or tuning the ignition. It was all about getting more go for your dough, often with homemade ingenuity and junkyard parts. The phrase became a badge of pride, symbolizing the hands-on, go-faster spirit at the heart of early hot rodding.
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