a jalopy is a car, usually an old one that needs some work...don't hear that word much, except in "period" literature
When I first heard that there were two versions of the Harry Potter books- one with the original UK phrasing and one that was "Americanized," I was sort of insulted. Yes, it's sort of geared towards a younger set (to some extent), but surely it would have broadened their horizons a bit to read something with different words used!