- A-panel
- The side panel used to fill the gap between the rear edge of the front fender and the front edge of the doors.
- Ape hangers
- A term coined at the height of the custom-bike movement to describe tall handlebars that forced the rider to reach skyward to grasp the controls, making the rider adopt an ape-like posture.
- Aperture panel
- A large side panel of a vehicle making up the rear fender, door frame, and
side window frame.
Also see
- Apex seal
-
A Wedge shaped device found on the tips of the triangular Rotor in rotary (Wankel) engines. Its purpose is to prevent the escape of compressed gas or Combustion gases. It may also release engine heat.
Apex seal
- API
- Acronym for American
Petroleum Institute, the organization that classifies oil.
API site
Also see
- API Gravity
- Gravity (weight per unit volume) of oils as measured by the API scale. This standard was adopted by the API 5/4/22 as the standard for the American petroleum industries. The measuring scale is calibrated in terms of degrees API
- API scale
- Acronym for American Petroleum Institute scale. Scale of relative density, similar to Baumé scale. Degrees API=(141.5/s)-131s, where s is the relative density of the oil against water at 15°C.
- A-pillar
-
When you look at the side of a car, the pillar that is attached to the Windshield and supports the roof is called the A-post or A-pillar. There are two to each car. Generally the middle post is the B-post and the back post is the C-post.
A-pillar
- Apollo
- The name of a number of vehicles such as the following:
- Gumpert Apollo -- a German sports car
- Buick Apollo -- a compact car built from 1973 to 1975
- Apollo -- A car made in the U.S. (1906-07)
- Apollo -- A car made in Germany (1910-27)
- Apollo -- A car made in Britain (1971)
- Apollo GT -- A sports car
- Apollo (Buick)
- A compact car based on the GM front engine/rear drive "X" car platform and built by Buick from 1973-75 that was essentially a re-badged Chevrolet Nova like the Oldsmobile Omega and Pontiac Ventura and later the Cadillac Seville.
- Apollo GT
- A vehicle brand of which the 1963-66 models are milestone cars.
- A-post
-
When you look at the side of a car, the post that is attached to the Windshield and supports the roof is called the A-post or A-pillar. There are two to each car. Generally the middle post is the B-post and the back post is the C-post.
A-post
- Apparent power
-
- The square root of the sum of the squares of the Active and the Reactive powers.
- The product of the voltage (in volts) and the current (in amperes). It comprises both Active and Reactive power. It is measured in volt-amperes and often expressed in kilovolt-amperes (k VA) or megavolt-amperes (MVA).
Also see
- Appendages
- Structures extending beyond the main hull. They include items like shafting, rudder, bossing, struts, and bilge keels.
- Appliance
-
- A piece of equipment, commonly powered by electricity, used to perform a particular energy-driven function.
- A British term for a Fire engine.
- Appliance flue
- The passage(s) within an Appliance through which combustion products pass from the combustion chamber of the appliance to the outlet of the appliance.
- Application
- The act of applying adhesives and coatings. The principal methods of application
are:
- brushing
- spraying
- dipping
- stenciling
- flowing
- stamp-padding
- roll coating
- knife coating
- squeegeeing
- troweling with spatula or notched trowel
- spatula
- caulking gun
- flow gun
- pressure extrusion units
- spray gun
- Approach angle
-
- The most sharply angled incline the vehicle can make without its front scraping the ground. Measured in degrees, it's the angle formed on one side by the horizontal axis, and on the other by a straight line connecting the forward edge of the front tire and the most prominent front-end feature extending beyond that line -- the bumper, fog lamps, tow hook, etc.
- In side-view, the angle between the ground and a line, ahead of the vehicle, joining the periphery of the front wheel and (typically) the front bumper or other low component. It represents the size or steepness of a slope or obstacle that can be approached or climbed without striking bodywork.
- Aprilia
- A well-regarded Italian motorcycle manufacturer, known for 250 GP race bikes that are tiny and lightweight.
- Apron
-
- The paved area directly below the racing surface that separates the track from the infield.
- The panel under the vehicle's doors or the panel acting as an air dam at the front of a vehicle.
- A Kick panel.
- A firm surface of concrete or tarmac laid down adjacent to aerodrome buildings to facilitate the movement, loading and unloading of aircraft.
- The area outside the warehouse or loading dock door which is used by delivery vehicles to park or position for loading and unloading. The apron height matches the height of the floor of the trailer and makes it easy to load and unload merchandise.
- APU
- Acronym for Auxiliary power unit