# Car people, can you explain "Little Deuce Coupe" lyrics? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 10, 2017, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-can-you-explain-little-deuce-coupe-lyrics/776841 "2017-01-10T22:59:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2017, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-can-you-explain-little-deuce-coupe-lyrics/776841/1 "2017-01-10T22:59:25Z")
Nephew wants to know what some of the words below mean. I think “deuce coup” refers to the year 1932, but I couldn’t explain the rest. Just a little _deuce coupe_ with _a flat head mill_ But _she’ll walk a Thunderbird_ like (she’s) it’s standin’ still She’s _ported and relieved and she’s stroked and bored._ She’ll do\* a hundred and forty with the top end floored\* She’s my little deuce coupe You don’t know what I got (My little deuce coupe) (You don’t know what I got) She’s got a competition clutch with the four on the floor And she purrs like a kitten till _the lake pipes roar_ And if that ain’t enough to make you flip your lid There’s one more thing, I got the pink slip daddy ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2017, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-can-you-explain-little-deuce-coupe-lyrics/776841/2 "2017-01-10T23:11:07Z")
walk a Thunderbird-outrun a Thunderbird(car model) in a race ported and relieved-intake manifolds have been modified to improve/increase airflow stroked and bored-cylinders are increased in size, longer connecting rods=increases engine displacement a hundred and forty with the top end floored-top speed of 140 mph competition clutch with the four on the floor-clutch built for better engagement and to handle the rigors of a more powerful engine and a four speed manual transmission-stick shift on the floor lake pipes-built for racing on dry lakebeds/salt flats. I have no idea as to what advantage they have, though ETA:deuce coupe with a flat head mill-1932 Ford coupe with a [Ford flathead V8 engine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_flathead_V8_engine) ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2017, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-can-you-explain-little-deuce-coupe-lyrics/776841/3 "2017-01-10T23:15:24Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#): > > Nephew wants to know what some of the words below mean. I think “deuce coup” refers to the year 1932, but I couldn’t explain the rest. > > Just a little _deuce coupe_ with _a flat head mill_ > But _she’ll walk a Thunderbird_ like (she’s) it’s standin’ still > She’s _ported and relieved and she’s stroked and bored._ > She’ll do\* a hundred and forty with the top end floored\* > She’s my little deuce coupe > You don’t know what I got > (My little deuce coupe) > (You don’t know what I got) > > She’s got a competition clutch with the four on the floor > And she purrs like a kitten till _the lake pipes roar_ > And if that ain’t enough to make you flip your lid > There’s one more thing, I got the pink slip daddy Flat head mill - an earlier engine style, less efficient, but - it can: walk a Thunderbird - still beat T-bird (modern V-8) in a drag race Ported and relieved - the passages in the head where the air flows have been opened up, and the wall surfaces of the combustion chamber have been relieved where the valves are for better flow. Stroked and bored - crankshaft reground to produce a longer stroke, the cylinders have been bored out, both for increased displacement she’ll do 140 with the top end floored - a bit stilted to make it rhyme, that’s all. It would read better if it said “She’ll do 140 at the top end, floored” Lake pipes, exhaust pipes that run down the outside of the car instead of underneath and are usually just straight through with no baffles Dennis ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2017, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-can-you-explain-little-deuce-coupe-lyrics/776841/4 "2017-01-10T23:15:25Z")
The “four on the floor” line – that’s opposed to something like “three on the tree” right? That is, like what you think of as a stick shift these days that’s floor mounted rather than steering column mounted, right? (Although typically these days we’re looking at five or six gears – and possibly more – not four.) What’s the last car that came with the gear shift on the column, anyway? Or are there still some being made? ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2017, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-can-you-explain-little-deuce-coupe-lyrics/776841/5 "2017-01-10T23:17:59Z")
Flat head mill - refers to the engine, the famous compact V8 introduced in 1932, in production to 1955 or thereabouts, was (and still today) very much favored by the hot rodder set, with all manner of aftermarket parts and such to increase horsepower. They have distinctive flat cylinder heads, as opposed to much larger OHV cylinder heads. Ported and stroked and relieved and bored - refers to increasing the cylinder size and installing larger pistons to increase horsepower, smoothing the exhaust ports so the engine will “breathe” better, again for increased power output. The “pink slip” is what usually causes some confusion. In California they were apparently colored pink, as in registration. Racing for “pinks” meant the loser of the race lost his car. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2017, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-can-you-explain-little-deuce-coupe-lyrics/776841/6 "2017-01-10T23:20:14Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > The “four on the floor” line – that’s opposed to something like “three on the tree” right? That is, like what you think of as a stick shift these days that’s floor mounted rather than steering column mounted, right? (Although typically these days we’re looking at five or six gears – and possibly more – not four.) What’s the last car that came with the gear shift on the column, anyway? Or are there still some being made? Sometime around 1982 from what I’ve read, and they weren’t common by that time. I have “three on the tree” on an old pickup. Modern day theft prevention, nobody under 40 would know how to drive it. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2017, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-can-you-explain-little-deuce-coupe-lyrics/776841/7 "2017-01-10T23:21:37Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#): > > Just a little _deuce coupe_ with _a flat head mill_ Two door ford with a flat head engine, as opposed to a V > [@Mangosteen](#): > > But _she’ll walk a Thunderbird_ like (she’s) it’s standin’ still Car will leave a T-bird standing still > [@Mangosteen](#): > > She’s _ported and relieved and she’s stroked and bored._ Engine has been modified, Allough I am gonna guess the ported and relieved today would be headers and dual exhaust, while stroked and bored would be the engine displacement has been modified, boring out a 302 ford to 351 which increases the stroke distance of the piston > [@Mangosteen](#): > > She’ll do\* a hundred and forty with the top end floored\* Goes really fast, 140 mph and no idea about what the top end would be in relation to floored > [@Mangosteen](#): > > She’s my little deuce coupe The dude’s ride, shot gun is for the chick > [@Mangosteen](#): > > You don’t know what I got Car looks factory stock, and no zoom zoom zoom visible > [@Mangosteen](#): > > (My little deuce coupe) > (You don’t know what I got) See above > [@Mangosteen](#): > > She’s got a competition clutch with the four on the floor Non factory clutch, makes shifting easier compared to those tractor clutches the older cars seemed to use, four speed transmission with the stick on the floor instead of the steering wheel stalk or dash buttons. > [@Mangosteen](#): > > And she purrs like a kitten till _the lake pipes roar_ Car is quiet until you launch out of the hole, and then the mufflers or cherry bombs sing the song of my people > [@Mangosteen](#): > > And if that ain’t enough to make you flip your lid > There’s one more thing, I got the pink slip daddy Pink slip is the title of the vehicle, other than that I got nothing on this lyric, but I think there might be a comma missing ,between slip and daddy. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2017, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-can-you-explain-little-deuce-coupe-lyrics/776841/8 "2017-01-10T23:31:30Z")
Couple more things. Lake pipes were often hooked up through a “cut-out”, which was a cable operated flapper valve. It routed the exhaust through the muffler until you pulled the handle, then it exited through the open pipes. Today most are electric and made of polished stainless steel. “Pink slip”. Probably more legend then fact, there has been lots of discussion on this over the years on various car forums. Who in the heck is going to run in a claiming race against an unknown car? Seems like the fastest guy would end up owning all the hot rods in town. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2017, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-can-you-explain-little-deuce-coupe-lyrics/776841/9 "2017-01-10T23:33:22Z")
Some one just told me that the “top end” means near the finish of the drag strip. Could this be? ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2017, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-can-you-explain-little-deuce-coupe-lyrics/776841/10 "2017-01-10T23:37:14Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > Seems like the fastest guy would end up owning all the hot rods in town. Only if he could keep winning without word getting around, which seems unlikely. ---
**Author:** ![Onthefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9de053/32.png) [@Onthefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onthefly)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-can-you-explain-little-deuce-coupe-lyrics/776841/11 "2017-01-11T00:14:02Z")
“Deuce Coupe” 32 Ford Coupe. It has, of course, been highly modified as explained above, and will now beat a Thunderbird in a drag race. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-can-you-explain-little-deuce-coupe-lyrics/776841/12 "2017-01-11T00:49:03Z")
> [@Declan](#): > > Two door ford with a flat head engine, as opposed to a V You can have a flathead V. Flathead refers to whether the head has valves in it or not, it’s not referring to the layout of the cylinders. Overhead valve engines are more efficient than flathead ones, but by the 50’s flathead Ford V-8s were a favorite of hot rodders because they were familiar, cheap and ubiquitous. Ford installed flathead V-8s starting in '32, which is probably what the car in question had. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-can-you-explain-little-deuce-coupe-lyrics/776841/13 "2017-01-11T00:58:13Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > “Pink slip”. Probably more legend then fact, there has been lots of discussion on this over the years on various car forums. Who in the heck is going to run in a claiming race against an unknown car? Seems like the fastest guy would end up owning all the hot rods in town. The song doesn’t say anything about “racing for pinks.” The song just says “This baby’s _mine_.” You wouldn’t get the pink slip until the car was fully paid for. As for actual racing for pinks…I would think that pretty soon only strangers like Bob Falfa would race against someone like John Milner. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-can-you-explain-little-deuce-coupe-lyrics/776841/14 "2017-01-11T01:04:40Z")
[May have looked something like this.](http://st.hotrod.com/uploads/sites/21/2012/06/1206sr-01-1932-ford-three-window-coupe-right-side.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-can-you-explain-little-deuce-coupe-lyrics/776841/15 "2017-01-11T01:08:55Z")
[Flathead Ford engine](http://image.hotrod.com/f/featuredvehicles/hrdp_9812_mark_partis_1927_ford_model_t_modified/28397255/hrdp_9812_05_o%2Bmike_partis_1927_ford_model_t_modified%2Bbored_254ci_mercury_flathead_engine.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-can-you-explain-little-deuce-coupe-lyrics/776841/16 "2017-01-11T01:22:00Z")
> [@Declan](#): > > . . . Car is quiet until you launch out of the hole, and then the mufflers or cherry bombs sing the song of my people . . . Poetry, man. Poetry. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-can-you-explain-little-deuce-coupe-lyrics/776841/17 "2017-01-11T01:23:07Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#): > > Some one just told me that the “top end” means near the finish of the drag strip. Could this be? “Top End” refers to the top end of the power curve near redline. Its max power. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-can-you-explain-little-deuce-coupe-lyrics/776841/18 "2017-01-11T01:27:18Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > The song doesn’t say anything about “racing for pinks.” The song just says “This baby’s _mine_.” You wouldn’t get the pink slip until the car was fully paid for. > > As for actual racing for pinks…I would think that pretty soon only strangers like Bob Falfa would race against someone like John Milner. Maybe “pink slip, daddy”. Meaning he owns the car outright and daddy is a shortened form (maybe to fit the song’s meter)of “daddy-o”. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-can-you-explain-little-deuce-coupe-lyrics/776841/19 "2017-01-11T01:31:25Z")
Certainly. Brian needed a 2 syllable word for the meter of the song. He could have picked “moron,” “dickhead” or “Buddha.” But “daddy” as a shortened version of “daddy-o” was chosen. Such are the vagaries of pop song writing. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Onthefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9de053/32.png) [@Onthefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onthefly)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-can-you-explain-little-deuce-coupe-lyrics/776841/20 "2017-01-11T01:43:19Z")
My guess is that this bad boy is candy apple red metalflake and the seats are tucked and rolled. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-people-can-you-explain-little-deuce-coupe-lyrics/776841.md?page=2)